June Outing - The Shed Social at Coulson, Saturday 19th June

Time: 9 AM for 9.30 AM start            

Perhaps not this particular shed!

Where: Coulson

Directions: Contact us if you wish to join in.

Activities:  Socialising. Special presentation by Deb and Errol on rare and unusual grassland plants found on their Blackrock and Bunburra properties. Short talks by any members who wish to share something that may be of interest to us all. Stroll around the regrowth and replanted native vegetation areas.

What to Bring: Your own drinks, morning tea and lunch as well as your own plates, cups, cutlery. A BBQ and fridge will be available. There are plenty of chairs though none have side tables. So, if you need a small table bring along your own.

Upon Arrival: Please register in the Attendance Book and pay your $2 per person participant fee. 

Outing Report - Autumn Camp: Foxbar Falls, Amiens: 14-17 May 2021

The days were bright and warm, while the nights were dark and cool (read cold).

Photo: N. Cooper

Photo: N. Cooper

 

Autumn Greenhood (Pterostylis revoluta)
Photo: N. Crepin

Tall Sundew (Drosera hookeri)
Photo: N. Crepin

Wild Geranium (Pelagonium australe)
Photo: N. Crepin

Guinea Flower (Hibbertia histoidea)
Photo: N. Crepin

Camping at Foxbar Falls Campground
Photo: N. Crepin

White-eared Honeyeater
Photo: C. Bonner

Grey Fantail                                           Photo: C. Bonner

Rock Garden                                           Photo: C. Bonner

Foxbar Falls                                           Photo: C. Bonner

A peaceful morning at Lake Amiens
Photo: L. Oliver

The start of a beautiful day
Photo: L. Oliver

Species lists to come

May Outing - Autumn Camp, Foxbar Falls

You must contact Fassifern Field Naturalists Club if you wish to join this camp. See email address in left-hand column.

Foxbar Falls logo

COVID-19 Safe Rules apply

Time: 14-17 May 2021

Where: Foxbar Falls Campground, 375 Goldfields Rd., Amiens www.foxbarfalls.com.au

Directions: Follow Highway 15 through Warwick towards Stanthorpe. At Thulimbah turn right at the Big Apple into Amiens Rd. Travel about 19 kms (make sure you remain on Amiens Rd) then turn right onto Goldfields Rd. Travel 2.1 kms and turn left onto Harslett Rd and follow the signs to the Office at the entry to the campground where you will need to check in. The last part of the road passes between the cultivation.

Activities: Happy Hour and Recording Sightings: Will be at 4 pm each day (or thereabouts) around a central communal campfire. This is a large property with so much to explore. Birdlife from over the range, granite country flora and fauna, water plants, butterflies and insects, the special Wallangarra White Gum grove and lots more. The Foxbar internet site (Foxbar Falls Campground), has a list of Granite Belt flora and fauna should you wish to take a look before you attend camp.

What to Bring: Camping gear, plenty of warm clothes and bedding, drinking water, binocs, camera, reference books, note books, insect repellent and, if possible, throw in some wood for the communal fireplace. Hiking sticks are a good idea for hiking trails and walking on granite areas. Your own drinks and nibblies for around the campfire. Marshmallows?

Upon Arrival: Please register in the Attendance Book and pay your $2 per person participant fee. 

Outing Report - Helidon Hills, 17 April 2021

Tent spider in her web

Tent spiders build horizontal webs.
Here the spider is on the outer limit of her web
 and the dome of the tent is seen rising
on the right-hand side.

Tent spider egg sacs
above her web

 

We had a marvellous day in the Helidon Hills. It is not an area that the Fassifern Field Nats have visited in the past. 

We were quite surprised at how many wildflowers were blooming at this time of year and put it down to the recent rains. Mistletoe was one of the flowering plants and they were attracting plenty of birds including one we don't see at home, the Fuscous Honeyeater.

Scaevola sp.

 

Flat-stemmed Wattle
 (Acacia complanata)

Rough Bush-pea (Pultenaea scabra)

Are you sure it's a ..........

Pretty sepals of the Pomax umbellata

Close-up of Pomax umbellata

It wasn't only natural things that were interesting.
This antique steam crane left over from earlier quarrying days
of the beautiful Helidon sandstone caught our members' attention.

Discarded piles of Helidon sandstone

Helidon Hills Species Lists, 17 April 2021

introduced species = _*

Fauna

Birds: Peaceful Dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, Rainbow Lorikeet, Little Lorikeet, Pale-headed Rosella, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Brush Cuckoo, White-throated Treecreeper, Buff-rumped Thornbill, Brown Thornbill, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Pardalote, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Fuscous Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Scarlet Honeyeater, Brown Honeyeater, White-throated Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, Little Friarbird, Striped Honeyeater, Eastern Whipbird, Varied Sittella, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Cicadabird, Rufous Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Grey Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Welcome Swallow, Mistletoebird.

Butterflies: Black Jezebel (Delias nigrina), Orange Ringlet (Hypocysta adiante), Glasswing (Acraea andromacha), Imperial Hairstreak (Jalmenus evagoras).

Damsel/Dragonflies: male Scarlet Percher (Diplacodes haematodes).

Spiders: Tent Spider (Cyrtophora moluccensis), Australian Jewel Spider (Austracantha minax), Flat Rock Spider (Hemicloea major), Leaf-curling Spider (Phonognatha graeffei).

Flora discussed or taken note of on the day (not a comprehensive list):

Grasses, Sedges, Rushes, etc.: Barbed Wire Grass (Cymbopogon refractus), Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra).

Herbs: Daisy Goodenia (Goodenia bellidifolia), Guinea Flower (Hibbertia stricta), Lady’s Slippers (Hybanthes monopetalus), Slender Bottle-daisy (Lagenophora gracilis), Purple Fan-flower (Scaevola ramosissima), Fringe Lily (Thysanotus tuberosus),

Vines, Scramblers & Climbers: Rusty Tick-trefoil (Desmodium rhytidophyllum), Glycine cyrtoloba, Barbed Wire Vine (Smilax australis).

Mistletoes: Native Cherry (Exocarpos cupressiformis).

Grass Trees: Xanthorrhoea latifolia - sandy or gravelly soil.

Shrubs: Flat-stemmed Wattle (Acacia complanata), Chloanthes parviflora, Four-Tailed Grevillea (Grevillea quadricauda), Dogwood (Jacksonia scoparia), *Lantana (Lantana camara), Lance Beard-heath (Leucopogon affinis), Urn Heath (Melichrus urceolatus), Orange Pultanaea (Pultenaea euchila), Rough Bush-pea (Pultenaea scabra).

Trees: Forest She-oak (Allocasuarina torulosa), Red Ash or Soap Tree (Alphitonia excelsa), Bailey's Stringybark (Eucalyptus baileyana), Helidon Mahogany (Eucalyptus helidonica), Blackbutt (Eucalypt pilularis), Woody Pear (Xylomelum pyriforme).

Outing Report - Mt Colliery, 20 February 2021

Ruby Bonnets (Mycena viscidocruenta) 
Photo: N. Crepin

What a special area Mt Colliery is. On the ridge where we parked our cars it was eucalypt woodland and as we dropped down the steep slope to the east it became thick rainforest. 

It wasn't long before we were setting off for a bit of bush bashing through that rainforest. It was quite misty with low cloud when we arrived and there had been rain in the preceding days so it was wet and slippery underfoot. We had to walk carefully.

There was plenty of fungi about and it was heads down, bums up as members started taking photos of specimens on the forest floor, the fallen logs and lower tree trunks.

Heads down and bums up
Photo: L. Beaton

The forest floor with rotting logs, ferns, lichens, mosses, sedges and fungi.
Photo: L. Beaton

More fungi - Earthstars (Geastrum sp.)
Photo: C.Bonner

The track disappearing into the rainforest
Photo: L. Beaton

..... and truly awe-inspiring
Photo: N. Crepin

The beauty of the rainforest
is truly stunning .....
Photo: N. Crepin

Eventually we were lead to a private lookout over the Cambanoora (Condamine) Gorge. Here we met up with another one of our groups busily inspecting mistletoe.

Cambanoora Gorge

The birds were heard but not often seen though we did record 29 species, as well as a few butterflies and other invertebrates. While some of us were lucky enough to see the Red-bellied Black Snake go for a swim in the dam.

By lunchtime the sun was in full glory and we were seeking the shade to chat about our glorious time.

Species Lists

* = introduced species

Fauna

Birds:  Most of the birds were heard rather than seen. The Bell Miner and Pied Butcherbird were heard from the lookout so we're not sure that they were actually on the property.

Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Topknot Pigeon, White-throated Needletail – flying overhead at the top of the driveway, Wedge-tailed Eagle – above the paddocks on Sunday Plains Rd, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, King-Parrot, Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Albert's Lyrebird, White-throated Treecreeper, Yellow-throated Scrubwren, Brown Gerygone, Brown Thornbill, Eastern Spinebill, Lewin's Honeyeater, Bell Miner, Eastern Whipbird, Golden Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Pied Butcherbird, Pied Currawong, Spangled Drongo, Grey Fantail, Black-faced Monarch, Eastern Yellow Robin, Silvereye, Welcome Swallow, Mistletoebird.

Reptiles: Red-bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus).

Butterflies: Orchard Swallowtail (Papilio aegeus) – caterpillars & adults , Small Grass-yellow (Eurema smilax), Australian Gull (Cepora perimale), Black Jezebel (Delias nigrina), Yellow Albatross (Appias paulina) - male, Common Pearl White (Elodina angulipennis) which feeds on Capparis (note C. arborea was on site and the likely host plant), *Wanderer (Danaus plexippus).

Damsel/Dragonflies: Blue Skimmer (Orthetrum caledonicum).

Moths: Joseph's Coat Moth (Agarista agricola) – caterpillar.

Other Invertebrates: Bees; Blue-banded Bee (Amegilla cingulate). Bugs; Metallic Shield Bug (Scutiphora pedicellata) - instar. Flies; Robber fly sp.

Flora discussed or taken note of on the day (not a comprehensive list):

Fungi: Wood Ear sp. (Auricularia sp.), Leathery Goblet (Cymatoderma elegans), Orange pore Fungus (Favolaschia calocera), Earthstar sp. (Geastrum sp.), Ruby Bonnet (Mycena viscidocruenta), a bracket fungi (Trametes modesta).

Ferns: Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum aethiopicum).

Grasses, Sedges, Rushes, etc.: Variable Sword-sedge (Lepidosperma laterale), Bog Bulrush (Schoenoplectiella mucronata).

Herbs: Native Geranium (Geranium solanderi), Indian Weed (Sigesbeckia orientalis), Stinging Nettle (Urtica incisa).

Vines, Scramblers & Climbers: Common Silkpod or Monkey Rope (Parsonsia straminea).

Mistletoes: Myrtle-leaved Mistletoe (Muellerina myrtifolia).

Shrubs: Native Pomegranate or Caper Bush (Capparis arborea),

Palms: Walking Stick Palm (Linospadix monostachya).

Trees: Hoop Pine (Araucaria cunninghamii), Black Booyong (Argyrodendron actinophyllum), Flame Tree (Brachychiton acerifolius), Giant Stinging Tree (Dendrocnide excelsa), Sydney Blue Gum (Eucalyptus saligna), Rock Fig (Ficus rubiginosa) Python Tree (Gossia bidwillii), Wild Quince (Guioa semiglauca), Green Bolly Gum (Neolitsea australiensis), Flintwood (Scolopia braunii), Red Cedar (Toona australis).

February Outing - Tannymorel area, 20 February 2021

Shield bug & instars in the rainforest

Activities: Walking in the rainforest to be awed by the biodiversity, sitting on the verandah or in the garden watching the wildlife come to you.

This outing is on private property, so if you are interested please contact us via our email address in the left-hand margin.

What to Bring: The usual, depending on the weather – binocs, cameras, field guides, all food and drinks, chairs, sunscreen, hats, raincoats, wear sturdy shoes, etc., etc., etc.

Upon Arrival: Please register in the Attendance Book and pay your $2 per person participant fee.

Outing Report - Wyaralong Shoreline Trail, 16 January 2021

One of the birds that delighted us on our walk
at Wyaralong, Red-backed Fairy-wren
Photo: L. Oliver

26 members and friends met early for our first outing in 2021. It was for a short stroll along the shore at Wyaralong. 73 bird species were seen, Chestnut-breasted Mannikins being a highlight. The invertebrates were out early with 15 different butterflies identified, 5 dragonflies and other cicadas, flies, beetles and spiders adding to the total.

It didn't take long before we were scattered along the track with birdos out front keeping away from the chattering botanists who don't have to worry about the plants hiding from them. The photographers tend to lag behind intent on getting that extra shot of the spider or the sun on the water.

The bridge over Oaky Creek is always a popular spot to rest and hopefully see the Azure Kingfisher which some members did. Here also we try to identify the dragonflies and observe their different behaviour - the Blue Skimmers constantly patrolling and fending off any interloper; the Australian Tiger finding the highest perch and just ..... perching; the Australian Emerald with its brilliant eyes gleaming in the sunlight.

Oaky Creek with Water Snowflake
Photo: J. Cornwall

Once we were around the corner and back to the main body of water there were more birds including Pelicans, Spoonbills and Black Swans. By now it was time to turn back before we expired of heat exhaustion. Once back in the car park we found a shady place to have morning tea and chat about our walk, our families and the universe in general! 

A longicorn beetle, Rhytiphora diva
Unfortunately no common name
Photo: L. Beaton

This Mimetic Gumleaf Grasshopper 
is doing exactly what its name suggests
Photo: J. Cornwall

introduced species = _*

Fauna

Birds: Brown Quail, Black Swan, Australian Wood Duck, Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Australasian Grebe, Peaceful Dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, Australasian Darter, Little Pied Cormorant, Great Cormorant (300+), Little Black Cormorant (20+), Australian Pelican, Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, White-faced Heron, Little Egret, Royal Spoonbill, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Purple Swamphen, Black-winged Stilt, Black-fronted Dotterel, Red-kneed Dotterel, Masked Lapwing, Latham’s Snipe, Galah, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Little Lorikeet, [Australian] King-Parrot, Pale-headed Rosella, Pheasant Coucal, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Brush Cuckoo, Azure Kingfisher, Laughing Kookaburra, Sacred Kingfisher, Rainbow Bee-eater, Dollarbird, Superb Fairy-wren, Red-backed Fairy-wren, White-throated Gerygone, Noisy Miner, Brown Honeyeater, White-throated Honeyeater, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Little Friarbird, Striped Honeyeater, Eastern Whipbird, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Cicadabird, Rufous Whistler, Australasian Figbird ♀ & ♂, Olive-backed Oriole, White-breasted Woodswallow, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Spangled Drongo, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Restless Flycatcher, Magpie-lark, Golden-headed Cisticola, Tawny Grassbird, Silvereye, Welcome Swallow, Tree Martin, *Common Myna, Double-barred Finch, Red-browed Finch, Chestnut-breasted Mannikin.

Marsupials: Eastern Grey Kangaroo.

Butterflies: Orchard Swallowtail (Papilio aegeus), Lemon Migrant (Catopsilia pomona), Yellow Migrant (Catopsilia gorgophone), Common Grass-yellow (Eurema hecabe), Small Grass-yellow (Eurema smilax), Caper White (Belenois java), *Wanderer (Danaus plexippus), Lesser Wanderer (Danaus petilia), Blue Tiger (Tirumala limniace), Common Crow (Euploea core), Common Eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina), Meadow Argus (Junonia villida), Australian Painted Lady (Vanessa kershawi), Glasswing (Acraea andromacha), White-banded Plane (Phaedyma sheperdi), Common Grass Blue (Zizina labradus).

Damsel/Dragonflies: Australian Tiger (Ictinogomphus australis), Australian Emerald (Hemicordulia australiae), Scarlet Percher (Diplacodes haematodes), Blue Skimmer (Orthetrum caledonicum), Graphic Flutterer (Rhyothemis graphiptera.

Other Invertebrates: Bees & Wasps; *European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera), Yellow Potter Wasp (Delta campaniforme), Orange Potter Wasp (Eumenes latreilli), Beetles; Longicorn Rhytiphora diva (Rhytiphora diva), Cicadas; Black Tree-ticker (Birrima varians), Razor Grinder (Henicopsaltria eydouxii), Flies; Yellow-headed Snail Parasitic Blowfly (Amenia imperialis), Grasshoppers; Mimetic Gumleaf Grasshopper (Goniaea opomaloides),

Spiders: Garden Orb Weaver (Eriophora transmarina), Australian Jewel Spider (Austracantha minax), Humped Silver Orb Spider (Leucauge dromedaria), Leaf-curling Spider (Phonognatha graeffei).

Some Flora of interest:

Aquatic Plants: Water Snowflake or Marshwort (Nymphoides indica), *Water Hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes).

Grasses, Sedges, Rushes, etc.: Cockatoo Grass (Alloteropsis semialata) – in head, Barbed Wire Grass (Cymbopogon refractus) – in head, Green Couch (Cynodon dactylon) – in head, Curly Windmill Grass (Enteropogon acicularis) – in head, Wild or Native Sorghum (Sorghum leiocladum) – in flower, Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra) – in head.

Herbs: Yellow Buttons (Chrysocephalum apiculatum) – in flower, Darling Lilies (Crinum flaccidum) – in flower, *Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila menziesii) – in flower, Native Sensitive Plant (Neptunia gracilis), *Condamine Couch (Phyla canescens) – in flower, Australian Buttercup (Ranunculus lappaceus) – in flower.

Vines, Scramblers & Climbers: Glycine sp., *Siratro (Macroptilium atropurpureum).

Trees: Broad-leaved Apple (Angophora subvelutina) in flower

 

January - Early Morning Bird Walk: Wyaralong Shoreline Trail, 16 January 2021

Heading off on the Shoreline Trail, Wyaralong

Time: 6 am 

Where: Wyaralong ShorelineTrail - access off Knehr Road, Coulson.

Directions: From Boonah: drive along the Ipswich Boonah Rd for approx. 7 km and turn right onto the Beaudesert Boonah Rd, drive 4.4 km then turn left onto Old Beaudesert Rd (eastern end). Drive 0.6 kms then turn right onto Knehr Rd. Drive 0.9 km and then turn right, follow this section of road which goes over a flood causeway for another 0.9 km. Turn right again and follow the track down to the gate at the dam and start of the trail. Meet here.

Knehr Road is gravel, some small hills and winding parts to the road, however suitable for 2-wheel drive vehicles except after heavy rain. Check with FFNC by early Friday before the outing, by email, if concerned (address on left - scroll down).

From Beaudesert: From the start of the Beaudesert Boonah Rd in Beaudesert travel for approx 26.5 km. Look for the Old Beaudesert Rd turn off and turn right here. Drive 0.6 kms then turn right onto Knehr Rd. Drive 0.9 km and then turn right, follow this section of road which goes over a flood causeway for another 0.9 km. Turn right again and follow the track down to the gate at the dam and start of the trail. Meet here.

Activities: As this is the best time of the day for feathered friends we will check for bush birds as well as water birds and anything else including koalas, butterflies and bugs. A bird walk in late October yielded 72 species of birds including 3 Nankeen Night Herons.

Level of Fitness: This is a popular easy walk on a fairly flat track. You can walk, stroll, photograph, or just sit on a chair relaxing while watching the wildlife. It is a shared trail, so watch for horses and, very rarely, mountain bikes. 

Facilities: There are no facilities.

What to Bring: morning tea (or breakfast), chair, snacks, drinks, binocs, camera, hats and plenty of sun screen and insect repellent.

Upon Arrival: Please register in the Attendance Book and pay your $2 per person participant fee. 

As usual we will follow Corvid restrictions. Please do not come if you have any Corvid-like symptoms.

Outing Report - Palm Grove N.P., Mt Tamborine, 21 November 2020

Members fascinated with some fungi.
Photo: N. Crepin

The members and friends of the Fassifern Field Naturalists Club had a very 'naturalistic' day at Palm Grove N.P. Here they are going ga-ga over fungi. No wonder. This fungi certainly deserves its name, Dead Man's Fingers.

Dead Man's Fingers (Xylaria polymorpha)
Photo: J. Cornwall

Photo: J. Cornwall

Then they found some Richmond Birdwing Butterfly eggs on a Richmond Birdwing Butterfly Vine and many photos were taken.

Recording the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly eggs
Photo: N. Crepin

Photo: W. Dunn

They also loved the Yellow Carabeen (Sloanea woollsii) trees.

Photo: W. Dunn

Photo: N. Crepin

Photo: N. Crepin

November Outing Palm Grove National Park, Mt Tamborine, 21/11/20

Time: 9 am

Where: Car park at Palm Grove National Park – Palm Grove Avenue, off Eagle Heights Road.

Directions: From Tamborine Village on the flats, take Tamborine Mountain Road and drive up the mountain (and into the rainforest). Take the first road on the left at the top of the mountain – called Eagle Heights Road. Follow this road straight through a roundabout (left takes you along Gallery Walk) and on to Palm Grove.

Activities: Mainly walking through Palm Grove National Park. We may visit other little gems on the mountain, depending on the conditions.

Level of Fitness: Moderate - National Park tracks.

Facilities: There are public toilets all over the mountain. One at North Tamborine, one at Gallery Walk, one at Witches Falls and there are more scattered around. 

What to Bring: COVID19 paraphernalia. Morning Tea – bring back pack to take along the track. Lunch – bring chairs and table to eat it on. First aid and sprays to ward off leaches and ticks. Walking shoes – the tracks are not difficult. Cameras for scenery and wildlife. Mangroves to Mountains for a botanical exam.

Upon Arrival: Please register in the Attendance Book and pay your $2 per person participant fee.