January Outing: EARLY MORNING BIRDWALK, Wharkuroogma Wetlands - 21 January 2023

Looking across the upper dam
to the Main Range, December 2022

The Fassifern Field Naturalists Club Inc. would like to respectfully acknowledge the Ugurapul, and all those of the Yugambeh and Jagera language groups, Traditional Custodians of the Roadvale area on which our outing will take place, and pay our respects to both the past and present first peoples, their elders, languages, customs, culture and connection to this wonderful country. 

For those that don't know of Wharkuroogma Nursery and Wetlands, this is an old stamping ground of the Fassifern Field Naturalists Club. We went there on one of our very first outings over thirty-five years ago and have regularly visited it since. Evolving from a dairy farm in 1973 with very few trees and shrubs, Wharkuroogma is now a sheep grazing property which diversified in 1984 to include a plant nursery. The property has been developed as a wildlife sanctuary encompassing extensive wetlands and wildlife corridors. It provides a wonderful habitat for birds with more than 185 species recorded and other wildlife. Some of our members regularly survey this property and koalas are often seen.

NOTE: There is a $5 entry fee, plus $2 participation fee per person.

Time: 6.30 am in the nursery carpark.

Where: Wharkuroogma Nursery 144 Roberts Road, Roadvale

Directions: from Boonah. Travel out of Boonah on Coronation Drive, turn left into Hoya Road. Drive 8.4km then turn right into Roadvale Road. Continue for 3km and turn left into Roberts Road, and drive 1.5 on gravel road to the Nursery/wetlands which will be on your right, drive up to the nursery carpark.

From points north: From Yamanto drive for 30.7 kms on the Ipswich/Boonah Road. Turn right at the Roadvale turn off. Follow the road for 5.4 km, passing through Roadvale township. Turn right at a sharp left-hand bend into Robert’s Road and follow the gravel road for 1.5 kms. Turn right into the driveway of Wharkuroogma nursery. Meet at the car park at the top of the driveway. There are also Wharkuroogma nursery signs along the route from the Ipswich/Boonah highway to the property.

From Beaudesert: Drive to the Coulson intersection of the Boonah-Ipswich Road and turn right towards Ipswich. Drive approx. 5 km and turn left into Roadvale Rd, then follow the directions above given for the Brisbane route.

Activities: From the carpark we can share vehicles or walk down to the dams. There is much more than birdwatching. Koalas are often seen here, and insect life is abundant.

At the moment the wetlands are very wet and we may not be able to do a full circuit of the dams. However, where we can access the water, we’ll be able to see waterbirds and bush birds, and the nursery is always full of birdlife.

Morning tea will be down by the dams. Lunch back at the nursery.

An earlier outing at Wharkuroogma
in drier times, June 2019

Level of Fitness: As your leader's knees are crippled with arthritis, this outing is very easy walking on slashed tracks or driving in a vehicle though it needs to have high clearance. We will car pool from the nursery carpark. 

Facilities: There is a shady picnic area and toilet block at the nursery, and bush toilets near the dam.

What to Bring: chairs, water, morning tea and lunch, insect repellent, hat, and the usual gear.

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

Latecomers, please leave gates as you find them.

Outing Report - Mt Elliott Rd, Undullah, 19th November 2022

Emergent Planchonella eerwah
with Flinders Peak
in the background

Our Saturday outing was at a magnificent location on the eastern side of Flinders Peak with a "Lost World" feel. The Fassifern Field Naturalists had a special day on this private property. Native flora was the main focus and there was an abundance to see and discuss. The special tree we went to see, the Flinders Plum or Shiny-leaved Condoo Planchonella eerwah, was in fruit and some of our members collected them for propogation. As we looked into the scrub from the garden, emergent Planchonella were rising above the canopy into the skyline. We wondered how old they were as they take such a long time to grow.

Any birds were heard rather than seen wheras the butterflies were obvious in large numbers including the current south-east Queensland eruption of Caper Whites.

Photos by N. Crepin

A giant Lacebark
(with human for comparison)

Natters wandering down the track

   

View of Flinders Peak 
(with one of the unidentified
dragonflies in top right-hand corner)

Beautiful veined leaves
of White Fig Ficus virens

Elliott Rd, Undullah Species Lists:

* = introduced species

Fauna

Birds: Pacific Black Duck, Bar-shouldered Dove, Wonga Pigeon, Topknot Pigeon, Collared Sparrowhawk, Dusky Moorhen, Black-breasted Button-quail (platelets only), Australian King-Parrot, Pheasant Coucal, Eastern Koel, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Brush Cuckoo, Laughing Kookaburra, Striated Pardalote, Lewin's Honeyeater, Eastern Whipbird, Varied Triller, Little Shrike-thrush, Grey Shrike-thrush, Australasian Figbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Torresian Crow, Black-faced Monarch, Eastern Yellow Robin, Silvereye, Mistletoebird.

Reptiles: Snakes; Eastern Brown Snake Pseudonaja textilis.

Butterflies: Orchard Swallowtail Papilio aegeus, Fuscous Swallowtail Papilio fuscus capaneus, Lemon Migrant Catopsilia pomona, Common Grass-yellow Eurema hecabe, Small Grass-yellow Eurema smilax, Caper White Belenois java (dozens - due to south-east Queensland eruption/migration), *Wanderer Danaus plexippus, Lesser Wanderer Danaus petilia, Blue Tiger Tirumala limniace, Common Eggfly Hypolimnas bolina, Meadow Argus Junonia villida. (Also, at least 2 small Blue sp. were observed.)

Other Invertebrates: Damsel/Dragonflies; Blue Skimmer Orthetrum caledonicum. (Other dragonflies and a damselfly were also observed but not identified.)

 (Flora list to come)

November Outing: Mt Elliott Rd, Undullah - 19th November 2022

Flower of the Planchonella eerwah
Photo: A. Podlich

The Fassifern Field Naturalists last went here in 2007. A place of rare plants and great views! 

This is the mother-load of Flinders Plum Planchonella eerwah – rediscovered from near here back in 1980. They are common here. 

Time: 8.30 am

Where: Washpool-Undullah district

Directions: members - please refer to your October newsletter; non-members - please email us for directions,   

fassifernfieldnaturalists@gmail.com

Activities: Join us for a walk over a most special place below the impressive Flinders Peak. Botanical, ornithological, photographical, entomological, geographical, and geological wonders await! 

Level of Fitness: Depends on how much you want to do. Lazing around to traipsing around.

What to Bring: Morning Tea, Lunch, chairs, water, and insect repellent, etc.

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

October Camp: Cullendore High Country, 21st, 22nd,23rd, & 24th October

Moss and ferns on the rocks at Cullendore

Cullendore is located on a 4000 acre working cattle property adjoining the Maryland National Park and located high in the mountains of the Great Dividing Range. To make the most of the peace and tranquillity, campsites are scattered throughout the forest.  Each campsite has its own firepit, and hot showers and flushing toilets are provided nearby. 

Cullendore has one of the largest populations of the rare and elusive Spotted Quoll in Australia.  Wallabies, wallaroos, kangaroos and birdlife abound.

   

Please do your own research on this property on their website www.cullendore.com and, if you are attending, download some of the maps, fauna and bird lists.

Fringed Lily
Thysanotus tuberosus

Cullendore High Country is about 38 kms from Warwick travelling first towards Killarney and then turning onto the Cullendore Road. The trip to the property takes approximately 1 ¾ hrs from Boonah.

Come along and join us at this High Country Campground in granite country. Non-members, please contact us via email for more information.

Stinkhorn Fungi Aseroë rubra

Cullendore Camping

Photos: N. Crepin, A. Podlich, L. Beaton

Outing Report - Nindooinbah Dam Beaudesert, 17th September 2022

The Club hasn't been to Nindooinbah Dam before and we were keen to see what we would find. Ron and Kay took us on a 2.5 km walk in the bush around the dam. 

Native Sarsaparilla
Hardenbergia violacea

Sago Bushes in flower
Ozothamnus diosmifolius

Scarlet Bracket
Pycnoporus coccineus

Round-leaf Goodenia
Goodenia rotundifolia

Triangular Moth Epidesmia chilonaria

John and Rod at Nindooinbah

Some of the history of the dam. 
According to Wikipedia, the name Nindooinbah is derived from the name of a pastoral run of 1842/3, based on Aboriginal words: nguin meaning charcoal/cinders, doan meaning black and ba meaning place, indicating the place of the remains of a fire. (Ed. The place where aborigines met and made fires.) 

In 1961 a small dam was built on some of the original Nindooinbah land to supply water for Beaudesert. No longer needed for water storage it is now a small recreational area.

September Outing: Nindooinbah Dam, Brooklands Drive, Beaudesert - 17th September 2022

Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa 

Time: 8.30am

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

Where: Nindooinbah Dam is on the eastern side of Beaudesert.

Directions: For the folks coming from Boonah follow the signs to the Gold Coast (Highway 90). Drive through Beaudesert township still following signs to the Gold Coast. Continue past the showgrounds and caravan park on your right, go through the next set of traffic lights and take the next street on your right which is Brooklands Drive. Follow this for 2 km. You will pass one entrance to the dam on your right but we are meeting at the second entrance which is also on your right next to No. 205 Brooklands Drive. You will notice as you turn into Brooklands Drive a small park with toilets. 

Activities: This is a reasonably easy walk following a path through bushland and open spaces. At the beginning of the walk there is a gentle upward slope. Ebird website shows a diverse range of birdlife spotted in the last few months at the dam. We plan to return to the small park for lunch.

Facilities: Closest toilet stop to the dam.is in the small park.

What to Bring: Morning tea, lunch, snacks & liquid refreshment, etc.; chairs & small table (if you have one); hat, insect repellent, sunscreen are recommended; walking pole, binocs, cameras, field guides, etc. as desired.

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

Outing Report - Purga Nature Reserve and Hardings Paddock - 20 August 2022

Frog pond at Purga Reserve

17 members participated in this outing.  Firstly we visited Purga Melaleuca Reserve strolling both the Tea Tree Boardwalk Circuit and the Melaleuca Circuit.  

The Swamp Paperbark Melaleuca irbyanas, although spring and summer flowering, did not show any obvious signs of budding. The Tick Orchids Dockrillia linguiformis did not look all that healthy as they clung precariously to loose bark, although there were some sprays of white flowers visible. The weeds were prolific amongst the understory grasses. The yellow flowering Fireweed was everywhere, the purple flowers of the Trailing Lantana Lantana montevidensis and the long pink-red flowering stems of the Mother of Millions Kalanchoe daigremontiana stood out as the main understory plants. A few Boobialla Myoporum montanum with just a couple of tiny white flowers were observed and also some Maidens Wattle Acacia maidenii. The Dianellas were lush and green around the dam area.The large clumps of grey green, fine foliaged Mistletoe on the melaleucas also caught our attention.

Many arboreal termite nests, all with stalactite bases, were seen in the trees. 

Members at Hardings Paddock

After morning tea at Purga, we car trailed off to Hardings Paddock. Birdlife was more prolific here, with the Blue Gums Eucalyptus saligna in full flower. Lots of noise from parrots and especially the Scarlet Honeyeaters could be heard. We tracked along the Bush Tucker Trail with Keith assisting us with the identification of the many plants. The Brisbane Wattle Acacia fimbriata was in full flower. The Foambark Jagera pseudorhus was an absolute picture with its beautiful green foliage and bunches of hairy bronze-orange fruit.

Bush Stone Curlews at Hardings Paddock

Over lunch we learned a little more about the traditional owners history around Purga including about the Aboriginal Mission, the Purga Aboriginal Cemetery and the famous aboriginal opera singer Harold Blair who was raised at the Mission.

The highlight of the day was the sighting of 3 Bush Stone-curlews which, despite being disturbed from their rest, posed beautifully for photos.

Photos: N. Crepin, J. Flanagan

Purga Nature Reserve Species Lists:

Birds: Galah, Little Corella, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly breasted Lorikeet, King Parrot, Pale headed Rosella, Fan tailed Cuckoo, Rainbow Bee eater, Noisy Miner, Scarlet Honeyeater, Brown Honeyeater, White throated Honeyeater, Striped Honeyeater, Rufous Whistler, Australian Magpie, Grey Fantail, Torresian Crow, Magpie lark.

Butterflies:  Common Jezebel, Common Crow, Evening Brown.   
Moths:  Tiger Moth

Mammals:  Red necked Wallaby

Hardings Paddock Species Lists:

Birds: Aust. Wood Duck, Aust. Grebe, Brown Goshawk, Bush Stone Curlew, Masked Lapwing, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly Breasted Lorikeet, Pale headed Rosella, Laughing Kookaburra,

Satin Bowerbird, Superb Fairy Wren, Red backed Fairy Wren, Speckled Warbler, White throated Gerygone, Striated Pardalote, Noisy Miner, Scarlet Honeyeater, Brown Honeyeater, Blue faced Honeyeater, Little Friarbird, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Olive backed Oriole, Pied Butcherbird, Magpie, Pied Currawong, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Silvereye, Welcome Swallow, 
Red browed Finch, Whipbird.  
Butterflies: Small Grass Yellow, Common Jezebel, Glasswing, Common Crow, Wanderer
Insects: Hibiscus Harlequin Bug
 

August Outing: Purga Nature Reserve - 20 August 2022

Field Nats at Purga Nature Reserve

Time: 8.30 a.m.

Where: Purga Nature Reserve Middle Rd., Peak Crossing

Directions: From the round-about on Coronation Drive, Boonah head to Peak Crossing where you take the turn at the hotel into Flinders St and then immediately right into Peak Crossing Churchbank Weir Rd. Continue for about 2 km then turn right into Middle Rd. Purga Nature Reserve is on the right at 5 km.

To Hardings Paddock from the Nature Reserve: Continue along Middle Rd and after 3 km turn right into Purga School Rd, travel on for just over 3 km until we reach the junction with the Ipswich-Boonah Rd. Turn right and after about 300 m. turn left into Carmichaels Rd which is clearly marked Harding’s Paddock. On weekends there could be numerous picnickers enjoying the area so drive past the picnic area down towards the camping area where you should find parking. Find the nearest shelter shed in this area and we will gather here to commence our strolls.

Activities: This is an outing in two parts in the Purga District – we did this same outing in February 2018.

Part 1: We will start at Purga Nature Reserve where we will walk the boardwalk and very easy walking tracks to observe especially the largest protected area of endangered Swamp Tea-tree forest in Australia; just under 65 hectares. The self guided walks will give us the opportunity to check out the flora and fauna in and around this habitat. There are a couple of picnic tables where we can congregate for morning tea at about 10 - 10.30 a.m. and to discuss our finds.

Part 2: Then we will go by car to Hardings Paddock where we can traverse the Bush Tucker gardens, and check out the dams. All very easy walking on maintained trails. Interpretive signage along the trails inform us about the plants from an Indigenous and also a European perspective. We can meander by the horse yards and bush areas beside the campground. There are other much longer trails to be explored in the area but these can be left to another day for a full day outing. We will all gather to have lunch at about 1 pm.  

Level of Fitness: Flat walking on tracks.

Facilities: Picnic tables and toilets are available both at Purga Reserve and Hardings Paddock.

What to Bring: Bring your usual items for a field outing – don’t forget morning tea and lunch.

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

Outing Report - Fassifern Rail Trail Boonah, 16 July 2022

We would like to respectfully acknowledge the Yuggera Ugarapul people, Traditional Custodians of the land on which our outing took place, and pay our respects to Elders both past, present and future.

Fassifern Field Nats taking pics on the Rail Trail

A stunning morning weather-wise was spent on the Rail Trail. It was interesting that a number of our members had not walked the Trail before. It is not a naturalist's paradise but it is a short, gentle walk through a pastoral landscape and in winter has crisp views of Mt French with the Main Range beyond. 

Punchagin (south peak)
with Main Range in the background

We were about one-third of the way along the Trail when a local farmer invited us onto his property. He told us his trees were full of birds. He wasn't wrong. His fig trees were, amazingly enough, full of Figbirds but there were Striated Pardalotes, Silvereye and White-throated Gerygones too. Mike also had a White-faced Heron nest in one of the trees earlier in the year. Two small dams provided a range of water birds as well.

There was a smattering of scrub trees along the trail and the Maiden's Wattle Acacia maidenii was in flower.

It wasn't long before we were in the cutting and down through the Baptist Cemetery on Red Bridge Rd. Here some members returned via the trail, others walked onto the lunch spot at Bicentennial Park, while some drivers were driven back to their vehicles. 

The park is a pleasant place to have lunch and there was much chatter and sharing of photos. Lastly, a quick walk around the park added a few more species to the lists.

Ficus macrophylla with figs and F. obliqua

Field Nats taking a tour
of a local property

 

Walking down from the fig trees

Baptist Cemetery on Red Bridge Rd

Lunch at Bicentennial Park

The pond at Bicentennial Park

Photographs by L. Beaton, N. Crepin, W. Dunn.

July Outing: Fassifern Rail Trail, Boonah - 16 July 2022

Fassifern Rail Trail

Time: 9.30 am

Meet: at the upper end of the rail trail in Pocock Rd, Hoya. There is plenty of parking on a wide section of the road verge.

Directions from:

- the roundabout on Coronation Drive, Boonah: turn left towards Kalbar and in 600 m take the first road on the right, Red Bridge Rd. Follow this for almost 2 km to the T-junction and turn right into Pocock Rd. Drive for another 500 m to a kink in the road. This is one end of the trail.

- Springleigh Park on Coronation Drive, Boonah: take the Hoya Rd and continue for almost 2km then turn left into Pocock Rd. Drive for another 400 m to a kink in the road. This is one end of the trail.

Bring: Refreshments; it could be a late morning tea or an early lunch. Seat and small table if desired. Drinks and nibbles. Usual other paraphernalia, i.e. field guides, camera, binoculars, eskimo suit.

Facilities: Toilets and shelter sheds at Bicentennial Park. This is where we’ll end up for our late morning tea or early lunch.

Activities: Usual Field Natting stuff.

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