Saturday, June 5, 2021

Camp Report- Saturday & Sunday, 01-2 May 2021 weekend camp: Lake Broadwater, "Highwoods" at Jimbour East

Saturday: Lake Broadwater Conservation Park summary from the Club newsletter

The Park lies 30 kilometers south west of Dalby on a broad alluvial plain that drains north into the Condamine River via Wilkie Creek. Lake Broadwater is fed from two ephemeral streams, Broadwater and Surveyors Gully. It dries out in periods of extended drought and even in times of good rain it is only three to four metres deep, which is how we experienced it at the time of our visit.
Belah - rounded cones

Members and visitors gathered at the Wilga Campground early in the morning to learn about the local geology and formation of the Lake, before investigating the flora. The ecosystem in this area is Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) /Wilga (Geij-era parviflora) Scrub. We identified these trees and were shown how to tell the difference between two other abundant species: Belah (Casuarina cristata) and Bull Oak (Allocasuarina luehmannii). 
Bull Oak - flattened cones


Our next location was the south-west corner of the Park and with permission we drove through open Poplar Box (Eucalyptus populnea) woodland also known as Bimble Box. The dominant tree species was White Cypress Pine (Callitris glaucaphylla), Bulloak and Belah, with an open understorey of forbs and grass-like plants (lomandra, sedge, dianella, murdannia). Woody Pear (Xylomelum pyriforme) with its “clothes peg” woody fruit was a first for many. We saw three species of mistletoe and sampled fruit from the Drooping Mistletoe (Amyema pendula) discovering that the tasty berries are called “snotty gobbles”, referring to the slimy, sticky substance surrounding the seeds. A damp patch on the track supported a colony of Sundew (Drosera indica).

Sunday 2 May: Morning walk at "Highwoods", Jimbour

Majestic bottle trees (Brachychiton rupestris) are a welcoming sign at the entrance to Highwoods property, East Jimbour, and these bottle trees make an emphatic statement of the owners’ commitment to conservation on this property. Remnant forest covers 30 percent of the property, 40 percent is regrowth, and 30 percent open grazing. Running cattle on the open grazing section has already enabled half of the property to be paid for.

Grey-crowned Babblers

The group quickly became spread out, but not before the sighting of the larvae and pupae of the Orchard Swallowtail (Papilio aegeus) on a Belah (Casuarina crostata). Early on the walk, there was a double treat, with both the spectacular caterpillar of the Joseph’s coat moth (Agarista agricola) and the chrysalis of the Common Crow butterfly (Euploea core) on the same bush.
   
Other sightings were of the blue skimmer dragonfly (Orthetrum caledonicum), Orchard Swallowtail (Papilio aegeus), and Golden Orb-weavers (Trichonephila edulis). Grey-crowned Babblers could be heard. Bird alarm calls indicated that a Hobby (Falco longipennis) was on the hunt nearby. The Hobby is a medium-sized falcon and is among the most agile and acrobatic birds of prey. Resting beside the tranquil main dam on the property two members found an echidna nearby. An echidna is often seen at the dam, and is thought to be a resident animal. 

Sunday 02 May – afternoon walk at “Highwoods”, Jimbour

Queensland Bottle Tree
This image is licensed under the 
Creative Commons 
Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
 license.
The afternoon commenced with a brief description of the difference between native dung beetles (dung buriers) and introduced dung beetles (ball rollers). We saw a round dung ball made by an introduced beetle. There were several Acacia tenuinervis, a rare species of wattle found only in south-east Queensland and only within a very restricted area. We walked along the start of the track covered in the morning, but then progressed north-east over basalt country, mostly grassy, but with patches of vine scrub. 

The stand-out trees were the beautiful Queensland Bottle Trees (Brachychiton rupestris). Other plants that aroused the writer’s interest included Scrub Sandalwood (Exocarpus latifolius), a parasitic tree, which, in this case, was parasitizing a Small-leafed Condoo (Planchonella cotinifolia). Ground-cover Plumbago (Plumbago zeylanica) was spotted in a shady area and Rough Silkpod vine (Parsonsia lanceolata) was evident as seedlings in the grass and twining up trees and shrubs. Plumbago is host plant to the Plumbago/Zebra Blue butterfly (Leptotes Plinius), and the Silk Pod hosts the Common Crow butterfly (Euploea core). We enjoyed the aromatic scent of Mintweed (Salvia reflexa) crushed underfoot. The Narrow-leafed Croton (Croton phebalioides) was new to me – the reverse of its leaves are silvery and old leaves turn a vivid orange before they fall. Buffel Grass (Cenchris ciliaris) with its fluffy “fox tail” flower heads, an introduced pasture grass, was also new.

White Crowned Snake
– image accessed on the internet 07 May 2021,
with permission from Snake Catchers Brisbane
There was great excitement with the discovery of a small White Crowned Snake (Cacophis harriettaeunder an overturned log - a "first" for the property. This nocturnal snake was very patient as it was handled gently so that all could view it and after being released it disappeared into a fissure in the log. The final stop on this walk was the mandarin tree where we were all treated to the delicious fruit before returning to relax around the campfire.

Sunday 02 May Evening: Spotlighting at "Highwoods"
We set off with some excitement after nightfall, hoping to spot some interesting critters after an early dinner around the fire. at ‘’Highwoods’’. First port of call was the light trap about 20 metres down the track, where he had set up a white spot-lit sheet on which a variety of mostly tiny moths were crawling and fluttering. Two dragonflies and a variety of other insects also found the light hard to resist. The next few weeks will be spent identifying what was collected. We found various beetles, a katydid and saw numerous wolf spiders. Our entomologists will let us know their identities at a later date.


Gehyra dubia 
Photograph from Cogger, HG (2014)
The rustling of a Dubious Dtella Gecko (Gehyra dubia) was heard in the leaf litter on the floor of the dry vine scrub, with ensuing encirclement by the field Nats to have a good look. A Pale-headed Snake (Hoplocephalus bitorquatus) was under some bark a short distance from the gecko in the scrub. A yellow patterned Diamond Python or Carpet Snake (Morelia spilota), about one metre in length was spotted by the rear guard of naturalists. Unlike Pale-headed Snakes young Carpet Snakes are hatched from external eggs. The only mammal the group spotted was a single Brush-Tail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) known to occur on the property.
Hoplocephalus bitorquatus 
Photograph from Cogger, HG (2014)

 




Morelia spilota
Photograph by Mike Ford (2019)
 





References: Cogger, H.G. (2014) ‘Reptiles & Amphibians of Australia’ Seventh Edition, CSIRO Publishing 1033 pp.

Wilson, S and Swan, G (2013,) Á Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Fourth Edition, New Holland Publishers, 592 pp







SPECIES LIST: “Highwoods”, Jimbour East 

MAMMALS: Short-beaked Echidna, Common Brushtail Possum, Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Black-striped Wallaby, Red-necked Wallaby, Swamp Wallaby, Red Fox, Dingo, Rabbit.

BIRDS: Pacific Black Duck, Australasian Grebe, Common Bronzewing, Crested Pigeon, Peaceful Dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, Tawny Frogmouth, White-faced Heron, Straw-necked Ibis, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Brown Falcon, Australian Hobby, Painted Button-quail, Galah, Little Corella, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Cockatiel, Australian King Parrot, Pale-headed Rosella, Blue Bonnet (red-vented), Pheasant Coucal, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Laughing Kookaburra, Superb Fairy-wren, White-browed Scrubwren, Speckled Warbler, Weebill, Yellow Thornbill, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Striated Pardalote, Noisy Miner, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Brown Honeyeater, Striped Honeyeater, Grey-crowned Babbler, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Rufous Whistler, Olive-backed Oriole, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Austra-lian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Australian Raven, Torresian Crow, Restless Flycatcher, Magpie-lark, Rose Robin, Welcome Swallow, Mistletoebird, Zebra Finch, Double-barred Finch.

REPTILES: (snakes):  Carpet Python Morelia spilota, White-crowned Snake Cacophis harriettae, Pale-headed Snake Hoplocephalus bitorquatus.

REPTILES: (Lizards)  Dubious Dtella Gehyra dubia, Elegant Snake-eyed Skink, Cryptoblepharus pulcher pulcher, South-eastern Morethia Skink Morethia boulengeri.

ODONATA  (Dragonflies and Damselflies): Wandering Ringtail Austrolestes leda, Red and Blue Damselfly Xanthia-grion erythroneurum, Australian Emperor Anax papuensis, Wandering Percher Diplacodes bipunctata, Blue Skimmer Orthetrum caledonicum.

AMPHIBIANSSpotted Grass Frog Limnodynastes tasmaniensis,Broad Palmed Rocketfrog Litoria latopalmata, Ornate Burrowing Frog Platyplectrum ornatum,Cane Toad Rhinella marina.

Plant list - Lake Broadwater Conservation Park, Saturday, 01 May 2021
Key:  WCG = Wilga Campground.  SWC = South-West Corner.  BH = Bird Hide area
                       
Botanical name          Common name          Location
Trees              
Acacia harpophylla  BRIGALOW     WCG
Acacia salicina  SALLY WATTLE   WCG
Alectryon diversifolius  SCRUB BOONAREE          WCG
Callitris glaucophylla  WHITE CYPRESS   WCG/SWC
Casuarina cristata  BELAH   WCG
Allocasuarina luehmannii  BULL OAK or BULOKE          WCG
Corymbia clarksoniana  CLARKSON'S BLOODWOOD   SWC
Eucalptus camaldulensis ssp. acuta    RIVER RED GUM    WCG/BH
Eucalyptus populnea   POPLAR BOX           SWC
Eucalyptus woollsiana  NARROW-LEAVED GREY BOX WCG
Geijera parviflora  COMMON WILGA        WCG
Petalostigma pubescens  NATIVE QUININE TREE           SWC
Psydrax odorata f. subnitida   CANTHIUM  SWC
Xylomelum pyriforme  WOODY PEAR         SWC
                       
Shrubs                       
Carissa ovata  KUNKERBERRY     WCG
Dodonaea viscosa ssp. Spatulata  STICKY HOP BUSH      WCG
Jacksonia scoparia  DOGWOOD      SWC
Kunzea opposite  MAUVE-FLOWERED KUNZEA           SWC
Leucopogon sp.  HEATH       SWC
Senna coronilloides  BRIGALOW SENNA  WCG
Teucrium junceum  SQUARE-STEMMED BROOM           WCG
                       
Forbs/lilies/grasses/ground covers               
Calotis dentix  WHITE BURR DAISY         SWC
Chrysocephalum acuminatum   YELLOW BUTTONS         SWC
Commelina sp.  COMMELINA         WCG
Dianella revolute  BLUE FLAX LILY          SWC
Dicanthium sericeum  QUEENSLAND BLUE GRASS      WCG
Drosera indica  SUNDEW     SWC
Einadia hastate  RED BERRY SALTBUSH WCG
Einadia nutans  NODDING SALTBUSH     WCG
Einadia nutans ssp. linafolia   NARROW LEAF NODDING SALTBUSH            BH
Enchylaena tomentose  RUBY SALTBUSH (RED & YELLOW FORMS)            WCG/SWC/BH
Eremophila debilis  DEVIL'S MARBLES      BH
Goodenia glabra  SHINY PANSY    SWC
Ludwigia peploides ssp. Montevidensis  WATER PRIMROSE           BH
Murdannia graminea  SLUG HERB SWC
Nyssanthes erecta                    WCG
Sclerolaena birchii  GALVANISED BURR WCG/BH
Tetragonia tetragonioides  WARRIGAL GREENS/NEW ZEALAND SPINACH WCG
                       
Vines              
Parsonsia eucalyptophylla       GARGALOO WCG
                       
Mistletoes                  
Amyema cambugia     SHEOAK MISTLETOE        SWC
Amyema pendula        DROOPING MISTLETOE   SWC
Lysiani exocarpi
          HARLEQUIN MISTLETOE SWC