McEwan State Forest, May 2012

After arriving at McEwan we studied the decaying horse drawn wood and cast iron farm machinery as Rod did a “Harry Butler” and found a Narrow-nosed Planigale, Planigale tenuirostris which became an instant film star. This is its eastern limit and Al explained the details of the male Planigale’s very active life cycle and female reproduction habits. A large Narrow-leaved Ironbark hosted several Spotted Pardalotes in brilliant yellow and red and we all enjoyed the spectacle, especially the tele-lensed equipped photographers.

Lesley & Al conferring on the bird list

The track led down the slope to the grassed paddocks with many small birds in the track-side bushes where several had colourful berries, Red-olive Plum Pittosporum phylliraeoides, White Myrtle Pittosporum rhombifolium and Orangebark Maytenus bilocularis.

Something has caught their eye,
Genevieve, Rod, Lesley & Susan.

Species Lists for McEwan SF - compiled from members’ &and visitors’ sightings

Birds: Crested Pigeon, Peaceful Dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, Collared Sparrowhawk, Lorikeet sp., Laughing Kookaburra, Speckled Warbler, Weebill, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Pardalote, Lewin's Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Striped Honeyeater, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Silvereye, Mistletoebird, Double-barred Finch.

Butterflies: Small Grass-yellow Eurema smilax, Black Jezebel Delias nigrina, Cabbage White Pieris rapae, Meadow Argus Junonia villida, Yellow Admiral Vanessa itea, Common Crow Euploea core, Lesser or Native Wanderer Danaus chrysippus, Wanderer or Monarch Danaus plexippus.

Moths: Ghost Moth sp (possibly Trictena atripalpis).

Odonata: Wandering Percher Diplacodes bipunctata, Australian Emperor Hemianax papuensis.

Spiders: Jewel Spider Austracantha minax, Golden Orb-Weaver Nephila edulis (dark brown joints).

Mammals: Narrow-nosed Planigale Planigale tenuirostris

Reptiles: Iridescent litter-skink Lygisaurus foliorum