Mid-week field trip. CANCELLED DUE TO ROAD CONDITIONS - Flinders Plum Picnic Area, Peak Crossing.

 Please follow all the current COVID-19 restrictions especially social distancing guidelines. 

On the Sandy Creek Track

This is an experiment to see if there is any interest in mid-week outings.

Meet: We will meet in the Flinders Plum Picnic Area. Toilets, picnic tables and BBQs are at the picnic area.

Start Time: 8.00am

Activity: Walk the Sandy Ck track for flora and fauna spotting from the Flinders Plum Picnic Area. The walk is mostly flat and easy going. There may be some water crossing depending on the height of the creek.

Bring: sunscreen, insect repellent and protective clothing. Water for the walk. Binoculars and camera if you have them. Morning tea can be taken on the return from the walk if desired. Also bring a chair for morning tea in case the picnic tables are full.

Directions from Boonah - travel through Peak Crossing and turn right into Mt Flinders Rd.

From Ipswich travel toward Peak Crossing and turn left at Mt Flinders Rd. If you get to Peak Crossing you have missed the turn.

Follow Mt Flinders Rd to the picnic grounds. About 15min drive from Peak Crossing.

Due to the inclement weather this may be cancelled. Please watch our Facebook page.

Outing Report - Heritage Road, Spicers Gap, 19 February 2022

 

FFNC members on the Heritage Road
Photo: W. Dunn

It was a lovely day; the weather was perfect, the countryside lush, the wildlife was wonderful to look at and wonder at, and to top it off, great company. Members and friends ambled along the Heritage Road from the Governor's Chair carpark to the Mt Mathieson Trail junction and back. The photo on the left shows the birding fraternity trying to find the Red-browed Treecreeper. Unfortunately not too many of us saw it before it flew off! 

Bracket Fungi
Photo: L. Beaton

At places it was quite wet underfoot though the track was slashed. It made the cobblestones partially hidden by the grass quite a hazard. Though we marveled at the work needed to build the original road using only hand tools. We read the information boards about the construction while our President explained the geology of the rock. I'm sure we all agreed with Noela that ".... it was just so hard to picture this road being travelled by loaded wagons and coaches probably on tracks no better and even much worse than we were on ....  It really was a very long, dangerous route."

Rock Felt Fern
(Pyrrosia rupestris)
Photo: K. McCosh

Information board about
the construction of the road.
(Perhaps a little update is needed.)
Photo: W. Dunn

We saw a very large Dagger Orchid (Dockrillia pugioniformis). Not in flower though. We also noted many Elkhorns (Platycerium bifurcatum) decorating the trees with countless young plants and this Rock Felt Fern (Pyrrosia rupestris) - above right, was loving the wet season.

Another remarkable sighting for the day was a Goanna nonchantly making its way up the track towards us. Eventually it thought it was outnumbered so slowly headed for the thick vegetation at the side of the road and disappeared from view.

For lunch we gathered at the campground day-use area where there was plenty of room to spread out. Here we chatted about what we had seen and what seemed to be missing compared to other visits. The men reported that there were moths in the conveniences! Sure enough, more than a dozen Granny's Cloak Moths (Speiredonia spectans) were hiding in the gloom of the wooden building. One of them had three red mites sucking blood from its wing.

Granny's Cloak Moth (Speiredonia spectans) 

with the mites
Photos: L. Beaton

 Plague Soldier Beetle
(Chauliognathus lugubris)
Photo: N. Crepin

Fuzzy photo of  Soldier Beetle
(Chauliognathus tricolor),
but it shows the difference
between the two.

Spicers Peak from the Heritage Road
Photo: W. Dunn

Watch this space for the Species lists.

February Outing - Heritage Road, Spicers Gap, 19 February 2022

Please follow all the current COVID-19 restrictions especially social distancing guidelines. We would prefer people to be double-vaccinated.

Heritage Road, Spicers Gap

Time & place: Meet at the Boonah State (Primary) School car park at 8.00am. This change is made in case weather conditions make Spicers impassable. We will then go to Mt French instead.

Activities: This is a resumption of last year’s cancelled August outing. We’ll be walking along the heritage road to “discover some of the best roadbuilding practices of the pioneering period. Signs explain the techniques, used between 1850 and 1870, and you can still see remnants of the road built in 1860 by surveyor and engineer Robert Austin.” (from the National Park website) As usual the Field Nats interest is for everything natural. We may just chance to look at the historical aspects of this convict-built road. It will be interesting also to see how the area is recovering after the 2019 bushfire. It is 1.6 km to the end of the conservation section and then we have to retrace our steps to the carpark. I suggest we lunch back at the campground.

Facilities: The closest toilets are at the campground which you pass on the way up to the lookout. Picnic tables are here also. There is one picnic table at the lookout.

Bring: Morning tea, lunch, snacks & liquid refreshment, etc.; chairs & tables (as we won’t all fit around a picnic table); binocs, cameras, field guides, etc.

Outing Report - Shoreline Trail (western end) Lake Wyaralong, 15 January 2022

Two of our members
disappearing into the distance
on the Shoreline Trail

Traditionally our January outing is an early morning bird walk. No matter the weather it always seems popular. This was true this year even with the cloud of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 hanging over us. It was great to see some members who hadn't been on an outing for a while and also to welcome our newest member, Maureen.

Everyone was eager to see plenty of birds. Unfortunately, with the great season we're having most of the water birds have dispersed and few were seen this morning. Even so large flocks of Great and Little Black Cormorants were recorded flying along one arm of the dam. Also, there were many bush birds in evidence. The Dollarbirds and Sacred Kingfishers in particular were very visible and vocal, and Fairy-wrens were in abundance - both the Red-backed and Superb species. 

The exotic Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) has started to build up again but the Comb-crested Jacanas and the Striped Marsh Frogs were loving it.

As usual we found far more than birds to catch our attention and a magic morning in the bush was rounded off with a social-distancing gathering at Lilybrook Recreation Area for refreshments in the welcome shade.

Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)
in Oaky Creek, Shoreline Trail

2 cicadas found dead on the Trail,
tentatively identified as a Black Prince (left), 
and a Black Tree Ticker (right).

Photographers: W. Dunn, N. Cooper, L. Beaton

Species List for Shoreline Trail Lake Wyaralong

Compiled from members’ sightings by Club Recorder

introduced species = _*

Fauna
Birds (72 species): Brown Quail, Black Swan, Australian Wood Duck, Grey Teal, Bar-shouldered Dove, Australian Darter, Little Pied Cormorant, Great Cormorant, Little Black Cormorant, Australian Pelican, White-faced Heron, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Whistling Kite, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Nankeen Kestrel, Purple Swamphen, Dusky Moorhen, Masked Lapwing, Comb-crested Jacana, Galah, Little Corella, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Little Lorikeet, [Australian] King-Parrot, Pale-headed Rosella, Pheasant Coucal, Eastern Koel, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Little Bronze-Cuckoo, Brush Cuckoo,  Laughing Kookaburra, Sacred Kingfisher, Rainbow Bee-eater, Dollarbird, Superb Fairy-wren, Red-backed Fairy-wren, White-browed Scrubwren, Speckled Warbler, Striated Pardalote, Noisy Miner, Brown Honeyeater, White-throated Honeyeater, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Little Friarbird, Striped Honeyeater, Eastern Whipbird, Varied Sittella, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Australasian Figbird, Olive-backed Oriole, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Spangled Drongo, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Leaden Flycatcher, Restless Flycatcher, Magpie-lark, Eastern Yellow Robin, Golden-headed Cisticola, Tawny Grassbird, Tree Martin, *Common Myna, Mistletoebird, Red-browed Finch, Chestnut-breasted Mannikin.
 
Amphibians: Striped Marsh Frog, Green Tree Frog.
 
Fish: *European Carp.
 
Butterflies: Fourbar Swordtail (Protographium leosthenes), Lemon Migrant (Catopsilia pomona), Common Grass-yellow (Eurema hecabe), Small Grass-yellow (Eurema smilax), *Wanderer (Danaus plexippus), Lesser Wanderer (Danaus petilia), Common Eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina), Meadow Argus (Junonia villida).
 
Damsel/Dragonflies: Common Bluetail (Ischnura heterosticta), Scarlet Percher (Diplacodes haematodes), Blue Skimmer (Orthetrum caledonicum), Graphic Flutterer (Rhyothemis graphiptera).
 
Other Invertebrates: Ants: Southern Meat Ant (Iridomyrmex purpureus); Beetles; Darkling Beetle sp., Eucalyptus Weevil (Gonipterus sp.), Red-blue Banded Leaf Beetle (Paropsis obsolete); Cicadas; Black Tree-ticker (Birrima varians), Black Prince (Psaltoda plaga).

Spiders: Australian Jewel Spider (Austracantha minax), Leaf-curling Spider (Phonognatha graeffei).
 
 
Flora discussed or taken note of on the day (not a comprehensive list):
Fungi: Termite-mound Fungus (Podaxis beringamensis) – old fruiting bodies.

Aquatic Plants: *Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). 

First outing for the new year. Early morning bird watch

We will follow whatever COVID-19 restrictions are in place for January 2022. 

View from Shoreline Trail
at the western end of Lake Wyaralong

Time: 6am, Saturday 15th January 2022 – the best time to catch the birds and beat the heat. (we are usually finished and home by 10am). 

Where: Shoreline Trail at the western end of Lake Wyaralong off Knehr Road, Coulson 

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

From Beaudesert: Head west on the Beaudesert-Boonah Rd for approximately 27 km.  Turn right onto Old Beaudesert Rd. Drive 0.6 km then turn right onto Knehr Rd. Drive 0.9 km and then turn right, follow this section of road which goes over a causeway for another 0.9 km. Turn right again and follow the track down to the gate at the start of the trail and dam. Meet here.   

Knehr Rd is gravel with some small hills and winding parts to the road, however suitable for 2-wheel drive vehicles except after heavy rain. Email us, fassifernfieldnaturalists@gmail.com closer to the time of the field trip if concerned.

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 that flies including butterflies and bugs. The count for 2021 was 75 species of birds. Perhaps we may do better in 2022.

You can walk, stroll, photograph, or just sit on a chair relaxing while watching the wild life. It is a shared trail, so watch for horses and, rarely, mountain bikes. (The bikes have their main trails at the Eastern end of the dam.)

Level of Fitness: This is a popular easy walk on mostly flat track. 

Facilities: There are none. The closest toilets are at Lilybrook Trail Head about 2.5 km away. 

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. 

Outing Report - Ballow View Nature Reserve, 20 November 2021

Finding a seat at morning tea

A very still morning with no wind saw a combined group of Natters and members of the Native Plants Queensland – Logan River Branch, plus some friends enjoying this mountain property. Our host, Hugh Wackwitz, gave us some background information. Known as "Burnup", it covers almost 52 hectares and lies in the foothills of the Main Range close to the Queensland-New South Wales border.  Approximately one third was cleared over 50 years ago for grazing, and currently the block is lightly grazed by cattle which helps with fire management. The rest consists of intact open forest with significant stands of Allocasuarina torulosa. 

Blushing Bindweed
(Convolvulus erubescens)

As we waited for the last arrivals, on the road verge only a few birds were calling. Possibly because there was no blossom in the massive Grey Gums (Eucalyptus biturbinata) that stood majestically overhead. In fact the birds were heard more than seen for the whole outing; 27 species altogether.

However, this was a botanical day rather than a birdwatching day. The botanists soon broke up into small parties wandering off the track to identify that elusive plant. There were plenty of wildflowers out. Most of them had very small flowers and sharp eyes were needed to pick them out of the leaf litter or grass. 

Botany Bay Weevil
(Chrysolopus spectabilis)

Millipede sp.
(possibly Heterocladosoma bifalcatum)

Looking at plants meant we found quite a number of insects, especially the sparkling Botany Bay Weevil (Chrysolopus spectabilis). 

Our butterfly list is excellent and has some species we don't usually record.- see list below. Thanks John & Wes. 

Photographers: L. Beaton, N. Crepin, M. Kenny, P. Shields.

introduced species = *

Fauna

Birds: Crimson Rosella, Pheasant Coucal, Brush Cuckoo, Laughing Kookaburra, Sacred Kingfisher, White-throated Treecreeper, Buff-rumped Thornbill, Lewin's Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Scarlet Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Cicadabird, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Spangled Drongo, Torresian Crow, Leaden Flycatcher, Eastern Yellow Robin, Mistletoebird, Red-browed Finch.

Butterflies: Greenish Grass Dart (Ocybadistes walker), Banded Grass-skipper (Toxidia parvulus), Splendid Ochre (Trapezites symmomus), Southern Silver Ochre (Trapezites praxedes), Orchard Swallowtail (Papilio aegeus), Fuscous Swallowtail (Papilio fuscus capaneus), Striated Pearl-white (Elodina parthia), Caper White (Belenois java), *Wanderer (Danaus plexippus), Orange Ringlet (Hypocysta adiante), Ringed Xenica (Geitoneura acantha), Brown Ringlet (Hypocysta metirius), Common Brown (Heteronympha mirifica), Fiery Copper (Paralucia pyrodiscus), Imperial Hairstreak (Jalmenus evagoras evagoras), Common Grass Blue (Zizina labradus).

Moths: Green Blotched Moth (Cosmodes elegans), Australian Magpie Moth (Nyctemera amicus).

          Burr Daisy 

    (Calotis cuneifolia)

Other Invertebrates: Beetles: Leaf Beetle (Callidemum sp.), Botany Bay Weevil (Chrysolopus spectabilis). Millipedes: Millipede sp. (possibly Heterocladosoma bifalcatum).

Spiders: Leaf Curling Araneus (Araneus dimidiatus), White-spotted Sandalodes (Sandalodes scopifer).

Flora discussed or taken note of on the day (not a comprehensive list): [Many more plants were identified. A more inclusive list will be added later.]

Herbs: Burr Daisy (Calotis cuneifolia), Blushing Bindweed (Convolvulus erubescens), White Root (Lobelia purpurascens),

Trees: Grey Gum (Eucalyptus biturbinata), Thin-leaved Stringybark (Eucalyptus eugenioides) flowering, Tallowwood (Eucalyptus microcorys), Gum-topped Box (Eucalyptus moluccana).

 

  

November Outing Details - Last for the year!

Fassifern Field Naturalists at "Ballow View", 2016

Time: 9:00 AM - Saturday, 20th November 2021

Where: “Ballow View” Nature Refuge at Carneys Creek; private property. 

Directions: If you're not a member, please contact us for more precise details.

Activities: This is a combined outing of Fassifern Field Naturalists Club and Native Plants Queensland – Logan River Branch. So, come prepared with some really difficult questions for the Plant people.

Great views of Mt Ballow. Mountain butterflies. Big trees. Friendly birds. And perhaps it might be cooler. 

Level of Fitness: Moderate - the ground is fairly level, with some rocks and gullies for the adventurous.

Facilities: none

What to Bring: The usual, depending on the weather – binocs, cameras, field guides, all food for morning tea and lunch, and drinks, chairs, hats, raincoats, wear sturdy shoes, etc., etc., etc. Lunch will be back at the cars. Bring your usual safety stuff (sunscreen, insect repellent, etc)

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

COVID-19 regulations apply 

Please stay at home if you have any flu-like symptoms

From the Wildlife Land Trust website: The sanctuary [“Ballow View” Nature Refuge] covers 51.86 hectares and lies in the foothills of the Main Range adjacent to the Queensland-New South Wales border in southern Queensland. Approximately 30% of the property was cleared over 50 years ago for grazing, and currently the block is lightly grazed by cattle - partly for fire management purposes. The rest of the sanctuary consists of intact open forest with significant stands of Allocasuarina torulosa. 

Remnant vegetation of significant conservation value includes Regional Ecosystems Of Concern 12.8.9 (Lophostemon confertus tall open forest on Cainozoic igneous rocks) and 12.8.20 (Shrubby woodland with Eucalyptus racemosa or E. dura on Cainozoic igneous rocks).  Riparian vegetation includes rainforest species.

Outing Report - Glen Rock Camp, 15-18 October 2021

FFNC & visitors
in the Casuarina Camping Area

The weekend looked doubtful but the weather forecast assured us it would be fine. So 8 members and 3 visitors braved the conditions and trickled into the Casuarina Camping Area throughout the grey, cloudy Friday. The good spring season had many plants 'springing' into blossom. In the camping area the Silky Oaks (Grevillea robusta), Weeping Bottlebrushes (Melaleuca viminalis) and Orange Mistletoe (Dendrophthoe glabrescens) were attracting flocks of birds including all the local lorikeets, Little, Musk, Rainbow and Scaly-breasted. These along with the Little and Noisy Friarbirds meant it was difficult to hear anything else. 65 species of birds were identified over the weekend including a Peregrine Falcon on more than one occasion.

Weeping Bottlebrush and Orange Mistletoe
in the camping area

The forecasts were right and on Saturday we woke to cloudless blue skies. Over the weekend we explored many of the trails with plenty of interesting observations. The plants caught our attention and the Orange Mistletoe was particularly prolific.

The scenery was impressive and many a photo was taken.

Orange Mistletoe
(Dendrophthoe glabrescens)

The moon in the tall timber

The 'Rock'

A patch of exotic Poppies
(Papaver somniferum ssp. setigerum)

    

Funnel Ant sp. (Aphaenogaster sp.)

Closer view of Poppy
(Papaver somniferum ssp. setigerum)

 

Watch this space for the species lists

October Outing - Spring Camp, Glen Rock State Forest: 15-17th October

View from Casuarina camping area,
Glen Rock SF

This is a new destination for us. Glen Rock State Forest preserves a diverse range of landforms, vegetation communities and wildlife. It stretches from the fertile flats of the Blackfellow, Shady, Flaggy and Black Duck Creeks to the rugged gorges, ridges and high plateau country of the Great Dividing and Mistake Ranges and borders Main Range National Park to the south.
The vegetation communities range from open woodlands and rocky escarpments to dry vine scrub and rainforest.

Time: Arrive any time, but meet at the large shelter shed in the lower section of the day-use area next to Casuarina Camping Area at 4 pm for happy hour (or two).

Where: East Haldon, south of Gatton

Directions: The easiest way is to find your own way to Lake Apex, Gatton. Turn left immediately after the Lake Apex parklands into Tenthill Creek Rd. Follow this for a little more than 8½ km when you’ll come to a T-junction with a sign to Glen Rock National Park. Turn right though you’re still on Tenthill Creek Rd. After 1½ km cross Tenthill Creek and turn left into Mt Sylvia Rd. Stay on this road for approximately 21½ km then keep left onto East Haldon Rd. Follow this to the end.

Activities: Usual stuff, birdwatching, botanizing, photography - Two walking tracks are shared with horses though one short one is for walkers only.

Level of Fitness: Easy to as hard as you want to go, please yourself.

Facilities: showers (cold water only - brrrr), toilets and fireplaces.

Open fires: permitted in the fireplaces provided, except when fire bans or prohibitions apply. Bring your own firewood. Do not collect wood from the park. Fuel stoves are recommended.

Generator use: prohibited.

Essentials to bring: drinking water, food, rubbish bags, firewood, 

What else to Bring: binocs, cameras, field guides, insect repellent, wine, etc.

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

Outing Report - Black Rock Scrub, 18 September 2021

Magnificent views on the way to Black Rock Scrub
(2 pics have been made into a collage so the join is a bit wonky) 

A good turn out of members and visitors took to their 4WDs to climb the hills to Black Rock Scrub. What views there were on the way up.

Carpet Python (Morelia spilota)

Once we arrived it was time for morning tea and we were joined by a sparkling Carpet Python, his new skin shining in the sun.

The beautiful vine scrub

The lure of the scrub could not be ignored and it wasn't long before we were wandering through this patch of virgin vine scrub. As usual, the Natters scattered depending on their interests - photography, botany, birdwatching, searching for insects,

or just plain rambling in the bush.

Bark of a mature Prickly Pine
(Bursaria incana)

  

    Watch this space, more to come.