February Outing Report - Kumbarilla State Forest, 5 February 2023

Report adapted from the Club newsletter article.

Many thanks to our leader for pre-viewing and organising the Field Nats excursion, and to Gary Hearle for guiding the group of nine vehicles through the maze of tracks in the 86,000-hectare Kumbarilla State Forest, of which we visited a relatively small area. Ongoing logging occurs in some areas of the forest, along with some cattle grazing leases, which reduce the grass fire fuel load. Extensive coal seam gas development was evident, throughout the area we visited.

After travelling through dry, sandy, open forest country, we were pleased to arrive at a shady spot beside the abundant clear water of Wilkie Creek. Aquatic vegetation flourished in the shallows of the creek.

Kurrajong leaf tier moth bag
(Photo: M. Ford)

Nearby was a group of young Kurrajong trees (probably Brachychiton populneus) which were host to many larvae of the Kurrajong Bag Moth, or leaf tier moth. The caterpillars feed in groups, and make a bag by weaving leaves together to form a shelter. The 25 mm long, pale green caterpillars do some feeding within the shelter and come out at night to feed on other leaves. They pupate within the shelter and moths emerge. 

Francis Mangubhai 
checks waxiness of rare 
Acacia lithgowiae 
(Photo D. Pagel)

A highlight was an area of endangered Acacia lithgowiae*. It was very heartening to find a considerable, healthy stand of this rare species. It may have been aided by the fact that taller trees had been destroyed by fire allowing the pioneer Acacia to colonise the area. A striking pink flowering bull-oak mistletoe was a bonus sight near the acacias.

Unable to complete the circuit drive through the forest, due to road damage caused by heavy rain, we retraced out tracks to arrive at the very full Lake Broadwater for lunch. 

Ed: *Acacia lithgowiae

The specific epithet is a Latin word meaning “modest” or. “bashful”, an allusion to the anonymity of the species. 

Bird List for Kumbarilla/ Lake Broadwater outing (Submitted by T. Allen)

Kumbarilla State Forest: Superb Fairy Wren, Yellow Thornbill, Noisy Miner, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Grey-crowned Babbler, Cicadabird, Rufous Whistler, Grey Butcherbird, Torresian Crow, Magpie-lark, Eastern Yellow Robin, Willie Wagtail. 

Lake Broadwater: Cattle Egret, Australian White Ibis, Dusky Moorhen, Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Galah, Corella, Superb Fairy-wren, White-throated Gerygone, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Brown Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, White-plumed Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Little Friarbird, Noisy Friarbird, Currawong, Apostlebird.

 

Invertebrates at Kumbarilla State Forest and Lake Broadwater (Submitted by G. Walter)

Butterflies and moths: Wanderer or Monarch, Danaus plexippus; Lesser Wanderer, Danaus chrysippus; Common Crow, Euploea core; Meadow Argus, Junonia villida; Yellow Migrant, Catopsilia scylla; Orchard Swallowtail, Papilio aegus; a case moth caterpillar in the Psychidae family; Caper White, Belenois aurota; Orange ringlet, Hypocysta adiante.

Insects: A cockroach in the Blattidae family; a gall on Eucalypt, Apiomorpha species; two insect galls on Eucalyptus populneus; Midge gall, Asphondylia tonsura, on Enchylaena tomentosa; Giant slantface Grasshopper, Acrida conica; Bark-mimicking Grasshopper, Coryphistes ruricola; Froggatt’s Buzzer Grasshopper, Froggattina australis; a stick insect in the Phasmatidae family; Pollen beetle, Dicranolaius bellulus; Variegated Ladybird, Hippodamia variegata; Pittosporum Bug, Pseudapines geminata; a wasp in the Crabronidae family; the nest of a wasp, Ropalidia species.

Spiders: St Andrews Cross spider, Argiope bullocki, male, female and egg sac; Leaf curling spider, Artiphex species; Jewel spider egg sac, Austracantha minax; Two-spotted Sandalodes, Sandalodes scopifer. 

Snails: Camaenidae family.