July Outing Details - Lockyer Wetlands, 3 July 2022

Atkinson Dam area, June 2022

After the extraordinary rain of the last few months, the dams and wetlands are brim full, making them a great spot for a visit, this time going to places we haven’t visited for years. These four spots are quite different in nature.
Time: Meet at Helidon Rest Area at 9.00 am (or Neil Street car park in Toowoomba at 8.30am for car-pooling). If you would just like to join us for lunch, we plan on being at Atkinson Dam around 12.15pm.
Where: Lockyer Wetlands - Jensen’s Swamp, Atkinson Dam, Seven Mile Lagoon and Lake Clarendon.

Directions: All the distances below are from the Helidon Rest Area on the Toowoomba side of the bridge. We will start at Jensen’s Swamp Environmental area as it is the furthest away, then make our way home via the other locations. There are numerous ways to Jensen’s Swamp, but the following is the one members are least likely to get lost using.
• Take the Gatton bypass, then the Warrego Highway until the Laidley exit at Plainlands (approximately 34 kilometres).
• Head north past Woolworths on Gehrke Road which eventually becomes Brightview Road, towards Lowood. Approximately 20 kilometres along, turn right into Jensen’s Swamp Road (signposted) and the park is on the right.

The round trip from Helidon is around 130 kilometres.
Activities: An ephemeral swamp at the intersection with Pagel Road was alive with waterbirds at the time of the reccy. So it is worth a look. Morning tea is at Jensen's Swamp where there is a short walk with several small lagoons. From there we will head back to Atkinson's Dam for lunch. Travel past the caravan park and shop entrance for about 300 metres and turn left into the spacious and attractive Day Use area.  After lunch we'll stop at Seven Mile Lagoon before finishing at Lake Clarendon.

Facilities: There are toilets at Helidon Rest Area. Toilets and a picnic table at Jensen's Swamp, Atkinson Dam and Lake Clarendon.

What to Bring: Telescopes would be great as well as the usual, including chair, food, camera, notebook and pen for observations. 

Please contact us, toowoombafieldnaturalists@gmail.com, if there has been heavy rain during the week before the outing in case we have to cancel.

Outing Report - Sunday 12 June 2022, Cawdor area

We would like to respectfully acknowledge the Jarowair group, belonging to the Wakka Wakka Nation, Traditional Custodians of the land on which our outing took place, and Elders both past and present.

Report adapted from July newsletter

Masked Lapwing eggs at Cawdor

A cool but sunny morning that began with a discussion of the property. The current owner, spoke of his plans. Jean gave us a brief history of the land and the surrounding properties that had been originally owned by her father. For the Aboriginal people this area had been a very important meeting place en route to the Bunya Mountains. 

Before we left the shed area, Rod pointed out that there were White-backed Swallows flying around – a sighting much appreciated by our members as these swallows are not often seen. 

In a convoy we drove to one end of the property –  the vegetation has been radically altered as a result of land use by the British settlers and their descendants since they arrived in the area in the 1840s. The property would have been part of the very extensive (but now largely cleared) Gowrie Scrub, an area of rainforest and dry vine scrub which in 1840 extended from Kingsthorpe Hill to Highfields and Toowoomba. Disconnected remnants of the scrub still remain in the area. Members then walked along a small gully, looking at the flora. The walk led past a dam back to the shed, where it was time for morning tea break. 

The next trip was to a patch of vine scrub forest and by mid-day it had become warmer, and the group all went to the dam on the property to have lunch in the sun. A darter also had the same idea and sat on a log in the dam in its traditional pose. Pointed out was a clutch of eggs in the grass just, 3-4 metres away from us. Four beautiful eggs of a Masked Lapwing which unfortunately appeared to be abandoned.

After lunch, some members went walking around the dam, others went to see where native plants from the Crows Nest Nursery had been planted as part of the rejuvenation of the area, while others went to a forested area to do some birdwatching. 

All in all, everyone agreed, that it was a very enjoyable and instructive outing. 

Species List 

Fauna

Mammals: Northern Brown Bandicoot Isoodon macrourus, Swamp Wallaby Wallabia bicolor. 

Birds: Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Australasian Darter, Little Pied Cormorant, Cattle Egret, White-faced Heron, Australian White Ibis, Straw-necked Ibis, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Nankeen Kestrel, Eurasian Coot, Masked Lapwing (southern subspecies), Crested Pigeon, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Pale-headed Rosella (southern form), Pheasant Coucal, Laughing Kookaburra, Striated Pardalote, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Eastern Whipbird, Willie Wagtail (southern) , Magpie-lark, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Australasian Figbird, Grey Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong (eastern Australia), Torresian Crow, Welcome Swallow, Tree Martin, White-backed Swallow, Fairy Martin. 

Reptiles: Elegant Snake-eyed Skink Cryptoblepharus pulcher pulcher. 

Flora discussed or taken note of on the day (not a comprehensive list):

Vines, Scramblers & Climbers: Stiff Jasmine Jasminum simplicifolium, *Brazilian Nightshade Solanum seaforthianum.

Shrubs: Native Pomegranate or Caper Bush Capparis arborea, Western Prickly Nightshade Solanum mitchellianum.

Trees: Hairy Boonaree (Alectryon pubescens), Prickly Pine (Bursaria incana), Northern Sandalwood Santalum lanceolatum.

June Outing Details - Cawdor area, 12 June 2022

The Nats around the main dam
when we last visited the property in 2013 
(photo by L.Marlatt)

Time: Meet at 8.30 am at the Neil Street carpark to car pool, or 9.00 am at the property.

Where: Cawdor area, on a private property 15-20 minutes north of Harlaxton. 

Directions: If you're not a Toowoomba Field Naturalists Club member, please contact us, toowoombafieldnaturalists@gmail.com, for directions.

Activities: We will meet near the sheds at 9.00 am where there are toilet facilities. Options for activities will be discussed here.

This property has been lovingly nurtured by one of our members for more than 30 years. It is  310 acres with five dams, pasture, remnant dry rainforest and a maturing hoop pine plantation. There are well-maintained tracks for most vehicles, easy walking and an excellent gathering area for morning tea and lunch near the largest dam where there are trees, a large table, two fire pits – and a bench swing. 

This outing promises to be a very relaxing one, close to Toowoomba, in a particularly attractive environment. Botanists, birdwatchers and insect observers will all find something of interest .

What to Bring: the usual, including chair, food, camera, notebook and pen for observations.