May Outing Report - Hirstglen, Sunday 4 May 2025.

 Lovely weather, good company, beautiful property in an area we don't often visit.

One of the dams on Minglen
Photo: L. Beaton

 Adapted from the TFNC June 2025 newsletter reports of L. Moodie and D. Ford.

Natters in the Hirstglen Valley
Photo: L. Moodie

It was a cool and sunny Sunday morning when we arrived in convoy to the property in the Hirstglen Valley. Our host, Sandy, was generous and informative. After we’d emerged from our assorted vehicles, we gathered to listen to her describe the history of her grazing property and its special features. She has actively contributed to the conservation value of her land and waterways in the 30 years since she arrived.

Bushfires burnt the property in 1994 and again in 2014, which Sandy believes may have favoured the grasses rather than the weeds, though Lantana is now abundant in the wetter areas. Geologically, much of the property is based on cracking black basalt clays with outcrops of Gatton sandstone and pockets of chalk.

Over 200 species of plants have been recorded on the property, including the rare

Austral Toadflax Thesium australe
Photo: L. Moodie

and endangered Austral Toadflax (Thesium australe), a short-lived herb in the Santalaceae family, parasitic on the roots of other plants, particularly kangaroo grass. (for more information on Toadflax link: ).  Part of the hillside where this plant is known to occur has been fenced off to protect it from grazing livestock, and it is contributing to an ongoing study of the ecology of this plant. It has been observed that cattle like to browse on it whereas horses do not. The pasture on the property comprises a number of native grass species including Queensland Blue Grass (Dichanthium sericeum) and Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra), as well as introduced species such as Bissett Creeping Bluegrass (Bothriochloa insculpta), which Sandy believes outcompetes the native bluegrass if significant rains have fallen in early Autumn. A small mob of Eastern Grey Kangaroos hopped away when we arrived to examine the Toadflax.

We are very appreciative of the time Sandy gave us, and her extremely informative talks.

Species Lists

White-banded Plane
Phaedyma shepherdi
Photo: M.Weaver

Birds: Brown Quail, Australasian Grebe, Crested Pigeon, Peaceful Dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, Tawny Frogmouth, Little Pied Cormorant, Little Black Cormorant, White-faced Heron, Australian White Ibis, Masked Lapwing, Little Corella, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Little Lorikeet, Pale-headed Rosella, Pale-headed & Eastern Rosella hybrid, Pheasant Coucal, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Superb Fairy-wren, Red-backed Fairy-wren, Striated Pardalote, Lewin's Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Red Wattlebird, Brown Honeyeater, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, Little Friarbird, Grey-crowned Babbler, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Golden Whistler ♀, Rufous Whistler ♀&♂, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Magpie-lark, Golden-headed Cisticola, Welcome Swallow, Double-barred Finch. 

Marsupials: Eastern Grey Kangaroo. 

Butterflies: Scarlet Jezebel, Monarch, Lesser Wanderer, Meadow Argus, White-banded Plane. 

Bees: Native Bee, possibly a Blue-banded Bee.