Merry Christmas, Natters!

The TFNC Naturalist year came to a close with a wonderful gathering at Clifton. After a sumptious lunch we spent the afternoon crooning with Bing in "White Christmas". Thanks to Shirley who organized the event.

Enjoying the lunch

Preparing for Bing Crosby

Merry Christmas Everyone, and a safe and Happy New Year. See you in 2011.

Camp Somerset

We had a wonderful time at Camp Somerset. Thanks to everyone involved, especially Barry and Bill. The rain kept away, the surroundings interesting to explore, and the accommodation excellent.

TFNC members engrossed in the Rainforest Plants workshop



Facilities a Camp Somerset



Mt Tyson-Stoneleigh area - November

We went looking for the Grassland Earless Dragon. We didn't find it, but we sure found plenty of other reptiles to keep us happy. First of the day was Boulenger’s Skink Morethia boulengeri. It was brightly striped and very photogenic.

Boulenger's Skink Morethia boulengeri

Another reptile that caught members’ attention was the Blind Snake, Ramphotyphlops weidii. Its eyes like two pinholes under its scales are quite clear in the photo.

Rod showing enthusiastic members the Blind Snake Ramphotyphlops sp

Later in the day we came across this beautifully marked Australian Coral Snake Brachyurophis australis. It is such a tiny snake, a true gem.

Australian Coral Snake Brachyurophis australis

Unimpressed! Bearded Dragon Pogona barbata

Underbelly!

The Bearded Dragon Pogona barbata was on the track as we came up to the scrub. As it was being moved to safety away from the vehicles we were able to get ‘close-up and personal’, but it was totally unimpressed with us. We had the chance to look at the markings on its abdomen. Something one doesn’t see very often.

There were plenty of insects and spiders to check out too. If it wasn’t duelling scorpions or fat centipedes carrying their eggs, then it was this colourful little spider that took a liking to Betty.

Yellow Scorpion Spider Arachnura higginsi 
(Not photographed on Betty's arm, however.)

You can just see the eggs under the curve of the abdomen.

One of the highlights of the day was to go into an area of native grassland with little exotic weed. Because of the good rain the grass was as tall as our shoulders. This is how the Darling Downs would have looked to the original inhabitants, and explorers such as Cunningham and Leichhardt. This is reportedly one of the most threatened of Australia's habitats with only 1% remaining.

A Field of Nats in mainly Plains Stipa Grass Austrostipa aristoglumes
Photo by Trish

Bird List for Mt Tyson area: Brown Quail, Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon), Crested Pigeon, Bar-shouldered Dove, White-faced Heron, Black-shouldered Kite, Nankeen Kestrel, Galah, Cockatiel, Pale-headed Rosella, Red-rumped Parrot, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Rainbow Bee-eater, Superb Fairy-wren, Weebill, White-throated Gerygone, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Striated Pardalote, Noisy Miner, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Striped Honeyeater, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Cicadabird, Olive-backed Oriole, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Magpie-lark, White-winged Chough, Apostlebird, Horsfield's Bushlark (Singing Bushlark), Golden-headed Cisticola, Common Starling, Common Myna, Mistletoebird, Zebra Finch, House Sparrow.

Bird List for McEwan State Forest: Pale-headed Rosella, Red-rumped Parrot, Superb Fairy-wren, Weebill, White-throated Gerygone, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Lewin's Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Grey Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Torresian Crow, Eastern Yellow Robin, Silvereye, Mistletoebird, Double-barred Finch.

Butterfly & Moth List for Mt Tyson area: Orchard Swallowtail Papilio aegeus, Chequered Swallowtail Papilio demoleus, Small Grass-yellow Eurema smilax, Scarlet Jezebel Delias argenthona, Caper White Belenois java, Cabbage White Pieris rapae, Common Eggfly Hypolimnas bolina, Meadow Argus Junonia villida, Lesser or Native Wanderer Danaus chrysippus, Blue Tiger Tirumala hamata, Common Grass-blue Zizina labradus, Heliotrope Moth Utetheisa pulchelloides, Semi-looper Moth Trigonodes hyppasia.

Butterfly & Moth List for McEwan State Forest: Orchard Swallowtail Papilio aegeus, Small Grass-yellow Eurema smilax, Caper White Belenois java, Meadow Argus Junonia villida, Common Crow Euploea core, Lesser or Native Wanderer Danaus chrysippus, Wanderer Danaus plexippus, Blue Tiger Tirumala hamata, Chequered Copper Lucia limbaria, Crow Moth Cruria donowa, Heliotrope Moth Utetheisa pulchelloides, Heliothis sp. Moth, Semi-looper Moth Trigonodes hyppasia.

Natting in the Rain - Picnic Point Outing

TFNC and ANN visitors.

The TFNC crowd came out in force to welcome our visitors from the Australian Naturalists Network, and it was great to see members who can’t always get to our outings. Luckily the weather brightened slightly and so we went ahead with the Picnic Point walk. The Fantail walk has great views out to Tabletop and further east. The flowering vines were particularly noticeable.

Smilax

australis, Barbed Wire Vine

Lunch was also at Picnic Point, and Ed gave a short talk about the history of the Australian Naturalists Network and a vote of thanks to TFNC. The rain got heavier at this point so we abandoned the afternoon program and voted to go to the Cobb and Co Museum where the "Butterfly Man from Kuranda" exhibition was on. We all had a great time.

There were plenty of birds on the outing, but only a few species. The overcast to rainy weather meant they were very active and noisy. Walking down the escarpment makes great viewing as you are above or looking out to the high canopy. Some of the birds are locals, so our interstate and overseas visitors were either getting rare sightings or first sightings. These included Pale-headed Rosellas that came down to the small dam at the end of Tobruk Drive, and the male Red-backed Fairy-wren in all his finery. However the bird of the day and the one that excited our Japanese visitors the most was the Striated Pardalote going in and out of his nesting burrow in the cutting at South Street.

Members’ Bird List - 22 species: Australian Brush-turkey, Pacific Black Duck, Rainbow Lorikeet, Pale-headed Rosella, Laughing Kookaburra, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Grey Fantail, Torresian Crow, Red-backed Fairy-wren, Variegated Fairy-wren, White-browed Scrubwren, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Pardalote, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, White-throated Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, Eastern Whipbird, Silvereye, Red-browed Finch.

Clematis aristata, Old Man's Beard

Great Day at Goomburra

Perfect weather, plenty of birds, orchids in flower, an excellent day.

Beth, Helen, Glenda & Lesley on the track

Fascinated by the Bowerbirds

(Photos by Chris)

TFNC & National Tree Day, 1 August 2010

TFNC Inc showed the flag at the National Tree Day celebrations at Peacehaven Botanical Park in Highfields. Although the day started off cloudy and cold it brightened up considerably over the morning.

Peter, John & Alison getting ready for the crowds

We shared a tent with the Wildlife Preservation Society. Members will remember Trish Leehong coming to speak to us last year and bringing her little puggle, P4. Well you'll all be pleased to know that P4 is doing very well. She was released back into the bush but unfortunately was found again having being knocked by a vehicle. Her injuries were slight and now is kept by Trish for these educational events. P4 and the half a dozen wallaby joeys in their artificial pouches were the star attractions.

Wallaby joeys waiting for a feed

P4 getting into the termites

A big thank you to all that helped on the day. In order of appearance, John, Peter & Alison E, Tricia, Flora, Alison S, Linda & Francis, Cheryl, Phil & Jess. We all had an enjoyable time, and as often happens, caught up with friends we hadn't seen for a while.

Sauntering through Sandisock

Sandisock, north of Crows Nest

Twenty-seven people set off for Sandisock, an ex-dairy farm north of Crows Nest, owned by two of our Club Members. It was a beautifully sunny day but with a cool breeze. So it was a welcome sight to behold a campfire burning on our arrival, just outside the cottage on the property. Francis.

Along Emu Creek

Checking out the equipment!

Birds observed on Sandisock

White-faced Heron, Pacific Black Duck, Australian Wood Duck, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Brown Quail, Galah, Pale-headed Rosella, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Laughing Kookaburra, Australasia Pipit, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Australian Magpie-lark, Jacky Winter, Red-capped Robin, Rufous Whistler, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Superb Fairy-wren, Red-backed Fairy-wren, White-browed Scrubwren, White-throated Gerygone, Striped Honeyeater, White-naped Honeyeater, Striated Pardalote, Silvereye, Double-barred Finch.

Our birding started in the garden with Jacky Winters flitting about and a female Rufous Whistler fossicking in the shrubs. Along the creek were plenty of birds for the time of day, and we had great sightings of a party of Red-backed Fairy-wrens including two males in full plumage. However the bird of the day because it is uncommon in our area and a first “tick” for a couple of our members was the female Red-capped Robin that spent some time hunting insects in the bottlebrushes.

In the afternoon

June Outing - Indigiscapes Fun

The trip to the Indigiscapes open day was a big hit.

There was a wide range of interesting displays, plenty

of entertainment and time for a wander through the

centre.

Nats enjoying the entertainment

The Foys fascinated with the morris dancers.

The invertebrate display kept us enthralled.

A sleepy koala. What's new?

Checking out a wild koala in the Bushland reserve.

We had lunch at the Brisbane Koala Bushlands and were lucky enough to see a koala in a tree along the walking track.

Nats at the Quarry, May 2010

Nats at the quarry

Helidon Sandstone Industries (H.S.I.)

As I had long wanted to take the Field Nats to this place, it was gratifying to see such a large group turn up. We were informed that the sandstone deposit was originally a fresh water lake. Approximately 40 million years ago during the Jurassic Period, massive volcanic activity and earthquakes formed the sandstone deposit. Most of the earth that was dumped on top of this deposit compressed the sand in the lake into sandstone rock. This earth has since weathered away leaving only about half a metre of cover over the sandstone.

We began the morning by all travelling in a group higher up the pro-perty to view the revegetation of the bushland and the present extraction sites. What a difference there was between the moonscape of present or recently mined areas and revegetated early mined spots.

After morning tea near Lump Lake, we split into two groups. Lesley lead a group of bird watchers back up the top, while the rest of us made our way up the base of the gorge where black cockatoos, spiders and a great close-up view of a beautiful Evening Brown Butterfly took out interest. The group then met again to hear Greg, our minder from H.S.I. explain the differences in the quality of rock sites we had seen and the different methods of extraction. He then showed us the amazing cutting machines involved and explained that they are now the only sandstone site to process the rock entirely in Australia, as most is being sent 'raw 'to China for processing. I think everyone was impressed with the finished product, with the 'lolly' stone being the crowd favourite. Tricia

Quite a crowd

Quarrying, er …. Birding in the Helidon Hills – 09 May 2010

Some of the group decided to retrace their steps to do some birding in the heavier wooded gullies. There were plenty to see; Weebills, Buff-rumped Thornbills, a juvenile Golden Whistler, and White-throated, Striped, Yellow-faced and Fuscous Honeyeaters all fossicking in amongst the saplings. Across the track on the way down to the rock face were a number of spiders’ webs. The largest being the Golden Orb Nephila edulis with the golden silk shining in the sunlight. The female was very obvious in the centre and in one web we saw the small male on the outer edges. Sharing these webs were some Dew Drop Spiders Argyrodes antipodianus. Another spider to catch our attention was the Jewel Spider Austracantha minax. After morning tea a small group went birding on one of the ridges while others went exploring the little gorge. The ridges were found to be more interesting for the botany than the birds, and Al showed us a Copper-tailed Skink Ctenotus taeniolatus.

Bird List: Helidon: White-throated Gerygone, Buff-rumped Thornbill, Weebill, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Pardalote, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Fuscous Honeyeater, Brown Honeyeater, White-throated Honeyeater, Striped Honeyeater, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Golden Whistler, Grey Fantail, Jacky Winter, Willie Wagtail, Eastern Yellow Robin. Lake Apex, Gatton: Pacific Black Duck, Australasian Grebe, Australian White Ibis, Royal Spoonbill, Dusky Moorhen, Noisy Miner, Torresian Crow. Lake Galletly and Lake Lenor, Gatton Campus: Magpie Goose, Plumed Whistling-Duck, Pink-eared Duck, Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Australasian Grebe, Little Black Cormorant, Australian White Ibis, Purple Swamphen, Dusky Moorhen, Crested Pigeon, Laughing Kookaburra, Sacred Kingfisher, Superb Fairy-wren, Noisy Miner, Brown Honeyeater, Striped Honeyeater, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Magpie-lark, Welcome Swallow. 38 species