Outing Report - Mt Alford, Saturday, 15 July 2023

From the Fassifern Field Naturalists Club Inc. newsletter

Koala seen on the property

It wasn’t anywhere as near as cold as expected for the July outing. In fact, it was pleasant enough for 17 members to join our hosts at their home. As usual with Nats, we stood around chatting for a while, munching mandarins that were picked from the nearby tree earlier. We eventually set off down the paddock disturbing the Whiptail, or Pretty-faced, Wallabies on the way. The Red-backed Wrens and Silvereyes twittered around us. It wasn’t long though before we were all clustered under a eucalypt admiring a large, healthy, male Koala. It was a great sighting and many photos were taken.

Around the firepit

Eventually the party split into two groups with some taking the high road, and some taking the low road. There were plenty of bush birds with a male Rose Robin and a couple of Jacky Winters being highlights. Once we were all back at the house, we settled around the firepit for our sausages generously prepared and supplied by our hosts. The fire’s warmth invited lots of conversation and laughter. The species list call came before dark and the night-spotting. Forty-three birds, three mammals and one butterfly were accounted for.

Then it was time for a few members to head homeward ..... but a few intrepid naturalists braved the cool by increasingly moving their chairs closer to the fire, before heading out with torches in search of elusive night creatures. There wasn't much wildlife around (probably all tucked up in bed), but we were lucky enough to spot a rufous bettong, a microbat and another red necked wallaby. We heard frogs around the dam but didn't manage to spot the barn owl which is rumoured to sit on the fence wire each night!

Species Lists for Kooroomba Drive:

Birds: Brown Quail, Australian Wood Duck, Australasian Grebe, Peaceful Dove, Great Egret, White-faced Heron, Little Pied Cormorant, Masked Lapwing, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Pale-headed Rosella, Laughing Kookaburra, Rainbow Bee-eater, Red-backed Fairy-wren, White-throated Gerygone, Weebill, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Pardalote, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Brown Honeyeater, White-naped Honeyeater, White-throated Honeyeater, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, Striped Honeyeater, Varied Sitella, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Australian Magpie, Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Rose Robin, Restless Flycatcher, Jacky Winter, Magpie-lark, Welcome Swallow, Silvereye, Mistletoebird, Double-barred Finch.

Mammals: Koala, Rufous Bettong, Whiptail Wallaby, Red-necked Wallaby, Microbat sp.

Butterfly: Wanderer.

Outing Report - Mt Alford area, 23 November 2019

A dry gully on the property

It was hot, smokey and very, very dry but that didn't deter the Field Naturalists who gathered at Mary & Phil's place. Before we started on the first walk Mary issued a challenge to the group to find interesting flora (particularly any orchid) and fauna – especially birds not already on her list – and the challenge was accepted! We didn't disappoint.

Dendrophthoe vitellina with flowers
on top left of picture with Viscum articulatum

Despite the uncomfortable conditions we managed to find 2 new birds for the property list, an orchid, and expand the flora list considerably. We noticed that many of the trees had Broad-leaved or Long-flowered Mistletoe (Dendrophthoe vitellina) in flower. On that mistletoe and some Native Cherry (Exocarpos cupressiformis) there was Leafless Jointed Mistletoe (Viscum articulatum). This is a mistletoe found in tropical Asia, northern and eastern Australia down to the mid NSW coast. Click this link for more on this mistletoe. 

Viscum articulatum on Native Cherry

Several species of small colourful invertebrates caught our eye during our walks. One was a planthopper, Teeth-marked Gum Hopper (Platybrachys barbata). They are usually found on the trunks of gum trees but this one seemed to like our shirts. Planthoppers can be quite colourful underneath and in the photo you can just see some of it's red markings. Click this link for more on the Gum Hopper.

Flowers of Dendrophthoe vitellina

Like most properties at the moment Mary & Phil's dams are empty and the lovely rock pools are just rock. Mary has put a child's plastic pool among the rocks and although no birds came down while we were watching, a goanna came in for a drink late in the morning. A reptile that is rarely recorded in our survey area these days. After lunch in the welcome shade of the terrace there was much discussion about the plants we'd identified and the geology of the area. It was agreed that we needed to return when conditions were much wetter.

Teeth-marked Gum Hopper (Platybrachys barbata)

Fauna: compiled from members’ observations
Birds: Common Bronzewing, Crested Pigeon, Peaceful Dove, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Brush Cuckoo, Rainbow Bee-eater, Dollarbird, Red-backed Fairy-wren, White-throated Gerygone, Brown Honeyeater, White-throated Honeyeater, Varied Sittella, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Cicadabird, Varied Triller, Rufous Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Grey Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Leaden Flycatcher, Eastern Yellow Robin, Welcome Swallow.
Butterflies: Caper White (Belenois java), Lesser Wanderer (Danaus petilia).
Spiders: Australian Jewel Spider (Austracantha minax).
Damsel/Dragonflies: Blue Skimmer (Orthetrum caledonicum).
Other Invertebrates: Potter Wasp or Australian Hornet (Abispa ephippium), Teeth-marked Gum Hopper (Platybrachys barbata).
Reptiles: Goanna or Lace Monitor (Varanus varius).

Some Flora noticed along the way: compiled from members’ observations
Ferns: Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum aethiopicum), Rough Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum hispidulum), Robber Fern (Pyrrosia confluens).
Grasses, Sedges, Rushes, etc.: Barbed Wire Grass (Cymbopogon refractus), Blady Grass (Imperata cylindrical), Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra).
Herbs: Burr Daisy (Calotis cuneifolia), Yellow Buttons (Chrysocephalum apiculatum), Blue Flax Lily (Dianella brevipedunculata), Native Glycine or Twining Glycine (Glycine clandestine), Bluebell (Wahlenbergia sp.).
Orchids & Epiphytes: Channelled Boat-lip Orchid (Cymbidium canaliculatum), Elkhorn (Platycerium bifurcatum).
Vines, Scramblers & Climbers: Scrambling Lily (Geitonoplesium sp.), Lawyer Vine (Smilax australis).
Mistletoes: Broad-leaved or Long-flowered Mistletoe (Dendrophthoe vitellina), Native Cherry (Exocarpos cupressiformis), Broad-leaved Cherry (Exocarpos latifolius), Leafless Jointed Mistletoe (Viscum articulatum).
Grass Trees: Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea sp.).
Shrubs: Chain Fruit (Alyxia ruscifolia), Coffee Bush (Breynia oblongifolia), Hop Bush (Dodonaea triquetra), Dogwood (Jacksonia scoparia), Muttonwood (Rapanea variabilis).
Trees: Hickory Wattle (Acacia disparrima), Maiden's Wattle (Acacia maidenii), Hairy Bird's Eye (Alectryon tomentosus), Red Ash or Soap Tree (Alphitonia excelsa), Broad-leaved Apple (Angophora subvelutina), Kurrajong (Brachychiton populneus), Pink Bloodwood (Corymbia intermedia), Moreton Bay Ash (Corymbia tessellaris), Queensland Ebony (Diospyros geminata), Yellow Tulipwood (Drypetes deplanchei), Narrow-leaved Ironbark (Eucalyptus crebra), Silver-leaved Ironbark (Eucalyptus melanophloia), Blue Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis), Foambark (Jagera pseudorhus), Brush Box (Lophostemon confertus).