The members'
January Get-together was time for friends to have a good chat. With 48 people
sitting down for lunch in Stockyard Hall, we had almost half our membership at
one function. This is quite an amazing feat for any club. Well done
Natters.
After a scrumptious morning tea we wended our way up Sawpit Gully Road for a few kilometres. Here we parked the cars and walked back down to a little gully with steep sides covered in thick vine scrub. Butterflies were in abundance, especially the Australian Caper Gull, Cepora perimale. Members had good views of them as they settled on the damp ground at the side of the road.
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| Australian Caper Gull, Cepora perimale |
As some Natters followed the small creek up the gully others walked up or down the road remarking on the abundance of Madeira Vine which is gradually smothering this lovely section of scrub. Noisy Pittas and Black-faced Monarchs were heard but not seen emphasizing the thickness of the vegetation as those monarchs were right above us but never showed us a glimpse of their distinctive colouring.
Then back to the Hall for lunch. We were fed until our eyes
bulged and we could eat no more. It was a more leisurely stop next when we
called in at Carol's place in Rockmount. While some people preferred to sit on
the verandah and relax, a group went looking for koalas on the ridge and others
went down to the creek. Nora became entangled with a Garden Orb Web Spider, Eriophora
transmarina. These can vary greatly in colouring and patterning (For
more information on this hairy little beast see www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_orbweavers/Garden_sp.htm).
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| Garden Orb Web Spider, Eriophora transmarina |
Carol had told us about a good lookout on the way home through Preston with panoramic views from Toowoomba down to
Gatton, and it was well worth the stop. While we there several members heard
the Rockmount Bellbirds calling from the valley to the south-east. It was a
lovely way to end the day.
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