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| Hell Hole Falls with columnar basalt. |
Adapted from the TFNC December newsletter reports of M. Compton and B. GundryOur outing was a special day, one seemingly suspended in a kind of dreamtime. It was a
glorious spring day in which to have an almost “Hanging Rock” timeless
experience in Glen Lomond Conservation Park at the southern end of the
escarpment.
We are all
used to the indications of serious volcanic activity in the Toowoomba vicinity,
especially obviously so with the flat-topped cone of Tabletop. But how about
the other way round - a reverse cone down into the earth? For our November
excursion we visited the very impressive mouth of a volcano in this park at the
south-east corner of the eastern range. Here, we stood at the
edge of this geological phenomenon and gazed deep into the funnel created when
the boiling magma blew out of the depths and into the air. Giant basalt
columns line the sides of the mouth, while a modest creek has cut a “V” in one
side, trickling over as Hell Hole Creek and making its way to join Flagstone
Creek. The ancient history of the area is palpable, and its impressive grandeur
makes a great impact.
Close by is
an open area of grassland about the size of a cricket ground, with shelter sheds. Of course, the field nats set
themselves up very comfortably in one of these and proceeded to enjoy the day
“spaced out” in a naturalist kind of way.
Some members set off for the walk to a
waterfall deep within the park, returning with enthusiastic reports of the
experience, but saying quite honestly that it wasn’t an easy walk.
The “falls” occurred over exposed, hexagonal columnar basalt and the
scatter of rocks of the plunge pool were likewise of basalt, but there was some softer material which initially was thought of a type of tuff. On further investigation it was a mass of matted biotic materials. Where there is water, there will be a living response. Here, plants,
living and dead, clung to the moist basalt, creating a matted vegetative layer, in places only half a centimetre thick, but the more central
masses may have been 10-20 centimetres thick. The entire mass was about 5-6 metres high
at the apex and about three metres wide across the base. The entire moist
biotic mass may have weighed over 1 tonne and looked something less than
stable.
Meanwhile others, in the wont of Natters, scattered into the area adjacent to the shelter shed to enjoy their naturalizing.
Species
List; Glen Lomond Park,
Middle Ridge, Toowoomba (compiled by R. Hobson from members' observations)
Birds: Australian
Brush-turkey, Wonga Pigeon, Crested Pigeon, Eastern Great Egret x
1 (overhead), Dollarbird, Peregrine Falcon x 1 (dead), Little
Corella, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly-breasted
Lorikeet, Satin Bowerbird, White-throated Treecreeper, Superb Fairy-wren, Noisy
Friarbird, Brown Honeyeater, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, White-browed
Scrubwren, Striated Thornbill, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Common Cicadabird,
Rufous Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Eastern Whipbird, Pied Currawong,
Australian Magpie, Spangled Drongo, Torresian Crow, Leaden Flycatcher, Eastern
Yellow Robin, Mistletoebird, Silvereye Amphibians: Common Green Treefrog
Litoria caerulea Reptiles (lizards): Scute-snouted Calyptotis Calyptotis
scutirostrum, Lace Monitor Varanus varius Dragonflies and Damselflies: Australian Emperor Anax papuensis, Australian Emerald Hemicordulia
australiae; Blue Skimmer Orthetrum caledonicum Grasshoppers and Crickets: Hedge Grasshopper Valanga irregularis,
Field Cricket Teleogryllus commodus Cicadas: Black Tree Ticker
Cicada Birrima varians Butterflies
and Moths: Orchard Swallowtail Papilio
a. aegeus, Chequered Swallowtail Papilio demoleus sthenelus, Dainty
Swallowtail Papilio anactus, White Migrant Catopsilia pyranthe
crokera, Yellow Migrant Catopsilia g. gorgophone, Caper White Belenois
java teutonia, Scarlet Jezebel Delias a. argenthona, Lesser Wanderer
Danaus petilia, Monarch Danaus plexippus, Common Crow Euploea
corinna, Glasswing Acraea a. andromacha, Meadow Argus Junonia v.
villida, Tailed Emperor Charaxes s. sempronius, Grey Ringlet Hypocysta
pseudirius, Common Grass-blue Zizina otis labradus Beetles: a small green beetle Diphucephala sp. (very common esp. on Soap
Tree Alphitonia excelsa) Ants:
Giant Bull Ant Myrmecia gulosa,
Green-head Ant Rhytidoponera metallica, Daemel’s Spiny Ant Polyrhachis
daemeli, Southern Meat Ant Iridomyrmex purpureus
