August Outing Report to Sandisock, Emu Creek

Twenty members took the meandering route through countryside between Goombungee and the New England Highway, pausing at Hampton. We took in the history of this once large town, and appreciated the one remaining commercial building, the very charming general store. For some members, this provided a welcome chance to buy coffee.

The roadkill count, 18 Red-necked Wallaby and two Swamp Wallaby (with the conspicuous white tip to their tails) led us to think that there must be plenty of these animals in the Hampton area. Nine living Red-necked Wallaby were also seen. Rod Hobson told us that the Swamp Wallaby had almost disappeared from the area but seems to be making a comeback.

Arriving at Sandisock, we were greeted with scones, jam and cream. Our hosts Graham and Adrienne Jocumsen have owned this getaway block for nearly 40 years and could tell us much about it. Its geology is interesting and varied, with some ancient granite outcrops, some much more modern basalt overlay, and some sandstone and conglomerate in between.

We separated into two groups, one to walk in the creek (more interesting birds) and one to go over the hill (more interesting plants). The birds were appreciating the permanent water in the creek. Like most of the district, Sandisock vegetation was looking sad because of the drought. However we found much to interest us in the narrow-leafed ironbark (Eucalyptus crebra) woodland on the hill, and noted a number of vine scrub plants including Sweet Suzie, Psydrax odoratum, Triangle-leafed Hopbush Dodonaea triangularis (with its leaves that look like duck’s feet), Narrow leafed Hopbush Dodonaea viscosa, Scrub tuckeroo Cupaniopsis parvifolia, Leopard Ash Flindersia collina, Urn Heath Melichrus urceolata, Scrub Boonaree Alectryon diversifolius, and Chain fruit Alyxia ruscifolia.

Acacia paradoxa – prickly wattle (photo: Diana Ball)

We could only find small specimens of many of these plants, which suggests that in the absence of fire these rainforest-type species are invading what was once a dry sclerophyll environment. The most interesting plant was the Kangaroo Wattle, Acacia paradoxa - a prickly monster (see photo). One of the specimens was in bud and will be very pretty when in full flower. Not common in our district, it is found on the line of sandstone which runs through Goombungee. That area has some very different plants from the rest of the Eastern Downs, as often happens on poor soil.

Insects of interest were the Australian Emperor dragonfly, and an Eastern Brown butterfly. In all it was a very enjoyable day. Thank you very much Graham and Adrienne, for welcoming us to your special hideaway.

Members enjoying lunch at Sandisock (photo: Trish Gardner)

(Report by Trish Gardner)

Checklist for August outing to “Sandisock”, Emu Creek SEQ

at GDA94 – 56J E399946 x N7003822; +/- 500 metres.  (Compiled by Rod Hobson)

Golden Whistler                                  White-throated Honeyeater                Torresian Crow

Rufous Whistler                                  Brown Honeyeater                              Silvereye

Grey-crowned Babbler                       Noisy Miner                                        Red-browed Finch

Australian Magpie                               Red-backed Fairy-wren                      Striated Pardalote

Galah                                                   Superb Fairy-wren                              Pied Currawong

White-throated Gerygone                   Laughing Kookaburra                         Lewin’s honeyeater

Yellow-faced Honeyeater                   Grey Fantail                                        Magpie-lark

• Macquarie Turtle Emydura macquarii x 1 (remains; adult; carapace and plastron only)
• Giant Centipede Ethmostigmus rubripes x 2
• a centipede Scolopendra laeta x 1
• Bennett’s Woodland Snail Pallidelix bennetti x 2 (dead shells only)            
• Australian Emperor Anax papuensis x 1
• Wandering Percher Diplacodes bipunctata x 1
• Monarch Danaus plexippus
• European Honey Bee Apis meliffera (feral hive)
• Black-headed Strobe Ant Opisthopis rufithorax
• Brown Shield Ant Meranoplus sp.
• Giant Bull Ant Myrmecia gulosa
• 
  Southern Meat Ant Iridomyrmex purpureus
• a leaf beetle Paropsisterna octolineata
• Tiger Assassin bug Havinthus rufovarius
• a shield bug Theseus modestus (adult and nymph)
• a cricket Leptogryllus sp. (identified by Matthew Connors)
• a spider Hemicloea roganhoferi
• a jumping spider Astia hariola x3 (2 female, 1 male))
• a jumping spider Holoplatys planissima
• a jumping spider Servaea incana x 3
• Huntsman spider Delena cancerides x 2
• Redback Spider Latrodectus hasseltii x 2 (female)