Wildflowers at Hartmann Park, Crows Nest

Pink and cream Stylidium laricifolium

At Hartmann Park we set off with Kym and her naturalist pre-schooler, Jamie. Lovely yellow Donkey Orchids soon had the cameras clicking. We almost walked on the Chloanthes parviflora with their mauve flowers, growing on the side of the track. Xanthorrhoea was everywhere. Perhaps the highlight was the masses of Stylidium laricifolium or Tree Trigger Plant. A fascinating plant on which the narrow leaves grow in a thick mass up the stems giving the plant a furry look. The tiny pale pink, four-petalled flowers grow up the stem above the leaves. We had difficulty finding any to trigger and decided maybe the rain had set them off. Along the track we found only two specimens of  Stylidium graminifolium, a very different upright plant with fine strap leaves supporting its base.

The miniature white flowers of the Leucopogan were more difficult to see, as were the tiny flowers of the purple Hylanthus and Glycene Pea Glycine tabacina hiding in the grass.

Kym pointed out New England Blackbutts Eucalyptus montivaga and told us there was a very rare suite of eucalypts in this park. Jamie pointed out his favourite flower Pimelia linifolia. We got to smell the leaves of the Platysace lanceolata (a member of the carrot family.)

A banksia was in flower, and the very thick stem of the Parsonsia vine was easy to see. Here Kym pointed out Angophora woodsiana, another member of the unusual suite of trees. 

Amata nigriceps in a Toowoomba garden

Further along the track Jamie’s sharp eyes found a lovely black and orange moth on the underside of the Xanthorrhoea. It was a White Antenna Wasp Moth, Amata nigriceps.

Arriving back at our starting point we agreed it had been a very successful walk, and as we headed for the cars Jamie pointed out Great Cormorants flying overhead.

                                                                                                                                                   by Donalda

Applegum Bird Walk in October

By the time I arrived at Bullocky’s Rest there was great excitement as Grahame and Donalda had already seen a Buff-banded Rail which was a new species for the area. There were only five people brave enough to turn up on a rainy, early morning but we had some great birding with 44 species seen or heard in about 2 hours.

There were plenty of wildflowers in bloom especially a little Pink Rock Orchid, Dendrobium kingianum which Donalda and I found beside the track. Another delight was the sighting of two Eastern Water Dragon Physignathus lesueurii at the Pump Hole.

Pink Rock Orchid

The rain had come on more heavily by then but it didn't deter the birds with the smaller bush birds in abundance.

We arrived at Hartmann Park for morning tea, and while we were waiting beside the creek Donalda and I had a good sighting of an Azure Kingfisher. This was a new species for the park.

  

Bird List for Crows Nest Outing, compiled from members’ sightings

Australian Wood Duck, Pacific Black Duck, Crested Pigeon, Little Pied Cormorant, Great Cormorant (o’head), Australian White Ibis (o’head), Straw-necked Ibis (o’head), Buff-banded Rail, Dusky Moorhen, Masked Lapwing, Galah, Rainbow Lorikeet, Little Lorikeet, Australian King-Parrot, Pale-headed Rosella, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Azure Kingfisher, Laughing Kookaburra, Sacred Kingfisher, White-throated Treecreeper, White-browed Scrubwren, White-throated Gerygone, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Brown Thornbill, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Pardalote, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Noisy Friarbird, Eastern Whipbird, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Olive-backed Oriole, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Rufous Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Leaden Flycatcher, Magpie-lark, White-winged Chough, Apostlebird, Welcome Swallow, Red-browed Finch.

Also seen in and around Crows Nest: Australasian Grebe, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Little Friarbird.      Total: 47 species