Foxbar Falls Camp Report - 14 - 17 October 2022

Philobota arabella

The Toowoomba Field Nats were so lucky with the weather for our Spring Camp at Foxbar Falls. The Falls is a private campground in a bush and lake setting on a 200-acre working farm on the Queensland Granite Belt country, 20 minutes’ drive west of Stanthorpe, or two hours’ drive south of Toowoomba.

A diverse range of native flora and fauna, including stunning wildflowers, bush birds, waterbirds, reptiles and native mammals, can be spotted from the campground and walking trails which wander along the shores of the lakes and through the surrounding heath and open woodland. As always with the Granite Belt country the scenery is magnificent.

Toowoomba Natters on Sow and Pigs

View from Sow and Pigs

The moth, Philobota arabella, pictured below and at the top of this post, is an uncommon one for Queensland.

Another view of Philobota arabella

Photos: D. Gardner

More photos follow the species lists.

Species Lists

Butterflies: Caper White, Black Jezebel

Reptiles: Lace Monitor 

Frogs: (all heard) Eastern Banjo Frog, Striped Marsh Frog, Common Eastern Toadlet.

Mammals: Feral Pig, Deer

Birds: Compiled from numerous members' sightings: thanks to all. 

Little Pied Cormorant, Little Black Cormorant, Australian Darter, Masked Lapwing, Black-fronted Dotterel, Australian Wood Duck, Pacific Black Duck, Grey Teal, Australian Pelican, White-faced Heron, Intermediate Egret, Dusky Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Spotted Crake, Brown Quail, Wedgetail Eagle with young in the nest, Barn Owl (H), Tawny Frogmouth, Bar-shouldered Dove, Galah, Corella, Eastern Rosella, Crimson Rosella, Red-rumped Parrot, Koel, Brush Cuckoo, Laughing Kookaburra, Forest Kingfisher, Sacred Kingfisher, Dollarbird, Welcome Swallow, White-throated Treecreeper, Superb Fairy-wren, Variegated Fairy-wren, White-browed Scrubwren, Speckled Warbler, White-throated Gerygone, Brown Thornbill, Striated Pardalote, Spotted Pardalote, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Scarlet Honeyeater, Eastern Spinebill, Red Wattlebird, Grey-crowned Babbler, Rufous Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Pied Butcherbird, Pied Currawong, Australian Magpie, Torresian Crow, Magpie-lark, Willie Wagtail, Grey Fantail, Leaden Flycatcher, Eastern Yellow Robin, Australian Reed Warbler, Common Myna, Mistletoe Bird, Australasian Pipit.

Flora: compiled by Deb Ford and Judy Stevens. Botanical and common names (where available) are those given in Wildflowers of the Granite Belt, 3rd Edition (2014) or Mangroves to Mountains, 2nd Edition (2021). Plants with an asterisk are rare and threatened. There were many more species, but this list includes only those that we could identify.

Acacia adunca Wallangara Wattle, Acacia fimbriata Fringed Wattle, Acacia granitica Granite Wattle, Acacia montana Mallee Wattle (not local to area), Acacia nerifolia Granite Silver Wattle, Actinotus helianthi Flannel Flower, Banksia integrifolia subsp. compar White Banksia, *Bertya recurvata, *Boronia amabilis, *Boronia granitica Granite Boronia, Brachyscome stuartii Stuart's Daisy, Callitris endicheri Black Cypress, Calochilus robertsonii Purplish Beard Orchid, Calytrix tetragona Heath Myrtle, Cheilanthes distans Bristle Cloak Fern, Chloanthes parviflora Small-flowered Ice Plant, Dampiera pupurea Dampiera (both purple and white forms), Dianella caerulia Blue Flax Lily, Dillwynia phylicoides Showy Parrot Pea, Dillwynia sieberi Prickly Parrot Pea, Diuris chrysanthis Granite Donkey Orchid, Drosera spatulata Rosy Sundew, Erythrorchis cassythoides Leafless Climbing Orchid/ Bootlace Orchid, Eucalyptus scoparia Wallangara White Gum, Glossodia major Wax Lip Orchid, Hardenbergia violaceae False Sarsaparilla Vine, Hibbertia cistoidea, Hibbertia elata Tall Guinea Flower, Hibbertia linearis var. obtusifolia Hoary Guinea Flower, Hibbertia Mt Gillies, Hibbertia riparia Erect Guinea Flower, Hovea graniticola, Hybanthus monopetalus Lady's Slipper, *Kunzea bracteolata White Kunzea, Kunzea obovata Pink Kunzea, Leptospermum minutifolium Small-leaved Tea-tree, Leucochrysum albicans var. albicans Hoary Sunray, Lomandra laxa Broad-leaved Matrush, Lomandra longifolia Spiny-headed Matrush, Lomandra multiflora Many-flowered Matrush, Micromyrtus sessilis Granite Heath, Ozothamnus diosmifolius Rice Flower/Sago Bush (pink and white forms), Ozothamnus obcordatus Grey Everlasting, Pimelia linifolia var. linifolia Queen of the Bush, Plectranthus suaveolens Cockspur Flower, Prostanthera nivea Snowy Mintbush, Seringia hillii, Stylidium graminifolium Grass Trigger Plant, Stylidium laricifolium Tree Trigger Plant, Stypendra glauca Nodding Blue Lily, Utricularia dichotoma Fairy Aprons, Viola betonicifolia Mountain Violet, Xanthorrhoea johnsonii Forest Grass Tree, Zieria compacta var. compacta Shiny-leaved Zeria, Zieria laevigata Twiggy Midge Bush.

Bertya recurvata

The photo shows the separate male and female flowers common to this genus. Male flowers along the stem in leaf axils. The two female flowers are ovaries protected by perianth segments and topped with several styles. [Photo: D. Ford]

Following photos by D. Ball

Campsite beside Lake Edith

Sundew flower Droseri sp. 

Admiring the moss gardens
in the damp hollows below the boulders

Beautiful Boronia

Flannel Flowers Actinotus helianthi

Waxlip Orchid Glossodia major

Steep descent from Mt Ferguson

Stiff or White  Kunzea Kunzea bracteolata  

Sticky Wattle Acacia viscidula

Frosty Wattle Acacia pruinosa 

Plant Lovers Find Girraween A Must

October Outing: Whilst geologists see granite boulders, originating from the molten mass of magma from about 240 million years ago, the plant lovers find Girraween a ‘must’ for the myriads of spring flowers. The Park landscape is dominated by large granite domes, such as the Pyramids, Mount Norman and Castle Rock, and the gigantic balancing rocks which formed as a result of erosion of slabs of granite, over the ages. For those who have climbed to the top of the Pyramid, there are several of those boulders from an upper slab of rock sitting on the surface of the dome. Eventually, the boulders become unstable and roll off, or disintegrate into smaller boulders. I think we are talking millions of years, so no immediate danger! The ultimate result of weathering of these granite rocks is the coarse sandy soil of limited fertility, but so loved by Australian flora. Indeed, Girraween means ‘place of flowers’.

Nats on The Junction track.

Lesley led the dozen or so Field Nats along the five kilometre Junction Track, bird-watchers in front and plant lovers bringing up the rear. According to our guide book, ‘The Flora of Girraween and Bald Rock National Parks’, heath and scrub communities are associated with massive granite outcrops. Scattered low trees (such as Black Cypress Pine, Callitris endlicheri) are also a feature. However, it is the hard-leaved species which dominate the heath. Wild flower sightings vary with the time of year and confirmation of earlier flowerings was the dried cones of the banksias (Banksia spinulosa, Banksia integrifolia) and the dried remains of the flannel flowers (Actinotus helianthi) and one lone purple flower on a hovea (Hovea graniticola). Flowering in abund-ance, however, at the start of the track, was the pale pink heath myrtle (Calytrix tetragona). Patches of wild purple iris stood out in the green scrub but more outstanding was the patch of pink Boronia (Boronia amabilis).

Some of us decided that the end of the Junction Track was a little before the junction of the two streams so we sat and watched the sundews (Drosera burmannii), catching the mid-day sun, and the birds in the nearby trees. That was our excuse anyway. Thanks to Lesley and Trish for coming up with the idea of a walk in one of our best local national parks. And thanks to the Turquoise Parrots which sat on the junction path long enough for many of the groups to stand in amazement at such a beautiful bird. Alas, our expert cameraman was too far behind… Linda M.

Rosy Sundew Drosera hamiltonii