September Outing Report - Nangwee, 08 September 2024

Adapted from the Toowoomba Field Naturalist Club newsletter, Issue 800, October 2024 

North Branch of the Condamine
Photo: R. Ashdown

Members travelled west out of the basalt hill country onto the black soil plains (originally treeless grassland) of the Condamine River Alluvial Plains. At the property near Nangwee we were welcomed by our hosts and their family; their daughter and son being the fourth generation on the land.

This sustainably managed cereal and cotton property has double frontage along the North Branch of the Condamine River providing habitat for native fauna, including the Endangered

Condamine Earless Dragon
Photo: L. Balmain

Condamine Earless Dragon Tympanocryptis Condaminensis and the Vulnerable Brigalow Woodland Snail Adclarkia cameroni. 

Quality crops of chickpeas, sorghum, wheat, barley and more, assisted by irrigation from water harvesting and alluvial water from the Condamine Catchment Alluvium, are produced on the property.

From along the treed banks of the North Branch of the Condamine and around the homestead and dams, the following list of fauna has been compiled from members' sightings. 

Mammals: Eastern Grey Kangaroo, European Brown Hare, Red Fox* Birds: Hardhead, Pacific Black Duck, Grey Teal, Australian Wood Duck, Australasian Grebe, Rock Dove, Spotted Dove, Crested Pigeon, Dusky Moorhen, Pied Stilt, Masked Lapwing, Silver Gull, Australian Tern, Australian Pelican*, White-necked Heron*, Eastern Great Egret, Australian White Ibis, Little Pied Cormorant, Little Black Cormorant, Pied Cormorant, Australasian Darter, Black-shouldered Kite*, Wedge-tailed Eagle*, Spotted Harrier*, Grey Goshawk*, Whistling Kite, Black Kite, Eastern Barn Owl, Sacred Kingfisher, Laughing Kookaburra, Nankeen Kestrel, Cockatiel, Galah, Little Corella, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Red-winged Parrot, Pale-headed Rosella, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Superb Fairy-wren, Striped Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, Little Friarbird, Brown Honeyeater, Blue-faced Honeyeater, White-plumed Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Pardalote, White-throated Gerygone, Western Gerygone, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Rufous Whistler, Golden Whistler, Australian Magpie, Pied Butcherbird, Willie Wagtail, Grey Fantail, Torresian Crow, Australian Raven, Restless Flycatcher, Magpie-lark, Apostlebird, Mistletoebird, Double-barred Finch, Australasian Pipit, Golden-headed Cisticola, Welcome Swallow, Common Myna. Reptiles: Red-bellied Black Snake* Amphibians: Emerald Spotted Treefrog Molluscs: Brigalow Woodland Snail*, Invasive Field Slug Deroceras invadens, Freshwater Mussel Alathyria jacksoni Crustaceans: Common Yabbie Cherax destructor Butterflies: Orchard Swallowtail, Chequered Swallowtail, Green Grass-dart, Small Grass-yellow, Cabbage White, Caper White, Black Jezebel, Lesser Wanderer, Monarch, Common Crow, Glasswing, Meadow Argus, Brown Ringlet, Common Grass-blue. Dragonflies and damselflies: Aurora Bluetail, Australian Emperor, Tau Emerald, Wandering Percher, Scarlet Percher, Blue Skimmer.                            

 * Denotes species seen enroute to and from Toowoomba/Nangwee.

Nats enjoying a break on the September outing
Photo: D. Johnston