February Outing Report - two properties in the Grantham area, 09 February 2025

Varied Eggfly butterflies,
one female and several males
Photo: B. Weller

 Adapted from the TFNC March 2025 newsletter report of P. Allen.

The Garden of Eden - 19 members and guests set off for the butterfly farm owned and run by Ray and Delphine Archer. A large, fully netted butterfly enclosure was alive with hundreds of butterflies, predominately Common or Varied Eggfly Hypolimnas bolina of both sexes. There was a variety of other species in smaller numbers and a few members were lucky enough to see a female Cairns Birdwing Butterfly Ornithoptera richmondia. The variety of food and nectar plants, including both vegetables, exotic and native plants was in itself fascinating and a few of us were clearly planning to add some to our own gardens. 

Inside the butterfly house
Photo: B. Weller

Ray explained that the huge predominance of the Common Eggfly is deliberate as this is the butterfly most likely to land on both plants (and people) which makes photography easier for the many visitors. A glassed-in room at the end of the enclosure was good for observing the breeding of various butterflies.

We enjoyed our morning tea under shady trees outside where the owners had planted other butterfly attracting plants, like Pigeon Pea Cajanus cajan and Plumbago sp. The latter attracting numerous species while we were there.

We then moved on to the next property at the edge of the Helidon Hills. This 40 acre property included a variety of ecosystems, including open grassy areas, a man-made rainforest area but mostly a steep, hillside leading down to a creek, which was where most of the locally endemic plants were found.

Autumn Cluster Moth
Dichomeris capnites
Photo: M. Simmons

As usual the Natters scattered, some down to the creek while several members were fully occupied exploring the small but fascinating rainforest area that the owners had created. With two ponds and a variety of plant species this area was alive with interesting creatures including numerous dragonflies and  damselflies. An intriguing moth which had settled in huge numbers on some leaves of a tree was later identified as the Autumn Cluster Moth, Dichomeris capnites.

Species list for the day, compiled from members' observations:

Butterflies: Chequered Swallowtail, Large Grass Yellow, Small Grass Yellow, Common Eggfly, Lemon Migrant, Caper White, Common Crow, Brown Soldier, Black Margined Yellow, Monarch, Australian Wanderer, White Banded Plane, Small Green Banded Blue, Plumbago Blue, Tailed Emperor, Orchard Swallowtail, Richmond Birdwing.

Moths: Joseph's Coat Moth, Autumn Cluster Moth.

Spiders: Ant eating Jumping Spider, St Andrew's Cross Spider, Christmas Jewel Spider, Giant Golden Orb Weaver, Nephilidae pilipes; Tent Spider or Tent-web Spider, Cyrtophora moluccensis.

Birds: Straw necked Ibis, Brown-cuckoo Dove, Pale-headed Rosella, Striated Pardalote, Brown Honeyeater, Grey Shrike-thrush, Willie Wagtail, Spangled Drongo, Peaceful Dove.

Flora: White Cedar, Meila azedarach; Helidon Hills White Mahogany, Eucalyptus helidonica; Acacia podalyriifolia; Acacia hispidula; Acacia penninervis; Bailey's Stringybark, Eucalyptus baileyana; Soap Tree, Alphitonia excelsa; Native Coffee Bush, Breynia oblongifolia; Yellow Buttons, Chrysocephalum apiculatum; Moreton Bay Ash, Eucalyptus tessellaris; Dogwood, Jacksonia scoparia; Poison Peach, Trema tomentosa; Barbed wire Grass, Cymbopogon refractus; Kangaroo Grass, Themeda triandra; a Geebung, Persoonia sp.; Barbed wire vine, Smilax australis; Cupid’s Lipstick (?); Long leaved Bitter pea, Daviesia wyattiana.

February activity details - Sunday 09 February 2025. Butterfly Farm and McGarvas Road, Grantham

CLUB MEETING: 7 pm, Friday 07 February 

St. Anthony’s Community Centre, Memory Street, Toowoomba 

Five speakers ‘from the floor’ on ‘Close Encounters of the Natural History Kind.’

CLUB OUTING: Sunday 09 February 2025. Butterfly Farm and McGarvas Road, Grantham

$5.00 entry fee (cash only – no credit card availability) 

Time: 9.00am

Where to meet: James Norman Hedges Park at Helidon. This is the park on the left (northern) side of the Warrego Highway immediately before crossing Lockyer Creek at Helidon.

Description: This will allow birdwatchers time to wander around the creek before leaving at 9.30 am for the ‘Garden of Eden’ Butterfly Farm 6 kilometres from Helidon on Conners Road. There is a $5.00 entry fee (cash only – no credit card availability) to this peaceful sanctuary owned and run by Ray and Delphine Archer.

Please note - As butterflies are not active on cloudy and rainy days, this outing remains subject to change at short notice.  

On leaving the Butterfly Farm we will continue along Conners Road to McGarvas Road which rises high to a sandstone plateau. We will a property where the owners are enjoying a ‘tree change’ and happy for us to have lunch and wander around. There is much to see for those with limited mobility and a more strenuous walk down a creek for those so inclined. There is suitable access for all vehicles. 

Non-members: Please email us if you have any queries.

Level of Fitness: Activities to suit all levels.

What to Bring: suitable clothing and footwear for walking in the bush, sunscreen, insect repellant, water, morning tea and lunch, chair, and the usual naturalist stuff of your choice; binoculars, camera, field guides, notebook, etc.

Tawny Coster – Perseverance State Forest, 07 March 2021 – Lesley Beaton

It is always a pleasure to return ‘up country’ for a Toowoomba Field Nats outing. John and I had this opportunity for the March outing at Grapetree. We caught up with old friends and made new ones. Tricia had organised a great time as usual. However as much as I love our TFNC friends it was the walk in Perseverance State Forest that was the highlight for me.

As normal the Natters had scattered but a small group was walking down the track when a number of Glass-wing butterflies fluttered around us. Then like a beacon, a glowing orange butterfly flew up amongst them. It was a more dramatic orange than a Wanderer and certainly not the pale orange of a Lesser Wanderer. This was a glorious amber. This was a Tawny Coster. The very butterfly that Rod Hobson had written about in the February newsletter.

Natives of India and Sri Lanka they started to migrate through south-east Asia in 1984 and have been making their way down the eastern coast of Australia since 2017. Read Rod’s article for more information. Renowned butterfly expert and author of butterfly field guides, Dr Michael Braby, describes their appearance as reflecting “…the sunlight quite vividly so they look almost like a hot flame”. The colour ‘tawny’ doesn’t do them justice.

Unfortunately neither Francis nor I managed a good photo, so you’ll have to put up with a slightly blurry one, but this butterfly certainly glows.

Photo by Francis Mangubhai

                                                             Photo by Lesley Beaton

Summer Break

There are no outings or meetings in December & January, although members will get together for some social events. Watch out for the February meeting/outing details. 

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Although the heat has the natters diving for shade, there is plenty of wildlife that love it. A Blue-tongued Lizard, Tiliqua scincoides, wandered through my garden last week. I live close to bushland but it is a rare visitor. My resident lizard species being the Bearded Dragon, Pargona barbata.

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Blue-tongued Lizard, Tiliqua scincoides

It didn't hang around, sliding into some mulch to hide from me rather than show it's amazing blue tongue. I haven't seen it again. 

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The largest member of the skink family, the Blue-tongue used to be despised by people and often killed on sight. Now we are more tolerant towards our native fauna, thank goodness. They are a harmless creature mainly living on native fruits, beetles and snails. They also feed on flowers and soft herbage, but their "enlarged rear teeth .... help crush hard, resistant foods"(Australian Lizards A Natural History, Steve K Wilson, 2012). They are a long-lived species and are found in every state except Tasmania. The distribution is from north-east Western Australia curving around the east coast in a wide band through to central South Australia.
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This year I've seen far more Australian Painted Lady butterflies, Vanessa kershawi, around the Darling Downs than for many, many years. They have been flying around my garden since August.

Australian Painted Lady, Vanessa kershawi

In the 1800s there used to be mass migrations of Australian Painted Ladies. So large in fact "as to darken the sky". Wouldn't it be lovely to see that again? 

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The males often rest on the ground with their wings open. Although I'm not sure how people know they are males as the sexes are so similar. Vanessa kershawi belongs to the family Nymphalidae. The species of this family have only four proper legs. The first pair are shorter and no use for walking. They are folded up on the thorax.  

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The adults suck nectar from flowers, and the host plants for caterpillars include Paper Daisy or Everlasting Daisy Ammobium alatum, Strawflower Xerochrysum bracteatum, Billy Buttons Calocephalus platycephalus, Carduus species, Yellow Buttons Chrysocephalum apiculatum, Rice Flower Chrysocephalum semipapposum, Cudweed Gamochaeta pensylvanica and other Gnaphalium species, Helichrysum species, Scotch Thistle Onopordum acanthium, Western Sunray Rhodanthe chlorocephalum, and even found on Lavender Lavendula officialis. As some of these we consider weeds, if possible, you could consider a little wild patch in a corner of your garden.

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Nature doesn't take a break for the heat, and summer is a lovely time to take advantage of the cooler mornings and evenings. Go for a leisurely walk in the morning or pack up a picnic or BBQ in the afternoon and spend some time in your favourite park. Have fun.