Mt Beppo - Camp Somerset

On the second day of camp it was such a pleasure to visit “Peppertrees”, the Fysh property at Mt Beppo. They knew they had a piece of scrub with a reputation in the district as being of good quality, but I don’t think they knew, until Bill started recording the species, just how good it is. We started to see unusual things even on the drive in, which follows a long row of native dry rainforest trees (mostly Whalebone Tree Streblus brunonianus, Scrub Boonaree Cupaniopsis parviflora, and Scrub Wilga Geijera parviflora).

Starting the walk at Peppertrees

Native Bryony, Diplocyclos palmatus

The two Barrys enjoying a cuppa

The view from Peppertrees

Many of the trees and vines are butterfly host species, so it was not surprising that even at this time of year we found quite a few butterflies. The scrub must be alive with them in summer. We finished our morning with a picnic lunch on the lawn, and thanks to Betsy and Frith for letting us wander around their interesting property.

Bird List: Brown Quail, Australian Wood Duck, Grey Teal, Australasian Grebe, Little Pied Cormorant (overhead), Australian Pelican (overhead), White-bellied Sea-Eagle (overhead), Pale-headed Rosella, Red-backed Fairywren, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Buff-rumped Thornbill, Lewin's Honeyeater, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Varied Triller, Rufous Whistler, Australasian Figbird, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Grey Fantail, Torresian Crow, Magpie-lark, Mistletoebird.

Butterfly List: Grass-yellow sp. Eurema sp., Black Jezebel Delias nigrina, Pearl White sp. Elodina sp., Evening Brown Melanitis leda, Tailed Emperor Polyura sempronius, Glasswing Acraea andromacha, Meadow Argus Junonia villida, Common Crow Euploea core, Wanderer or Monarch Danaus plexippus.

Snakes, Slugs and Sparklers

Coming into Camp Somerset in the late afternoon

May was a busy month for TFNC as we also had our annual camp with Bill McDonald from the Qld Herbarium. Once again Barry organised a superb camp and we all had a great time. Having visitors from other organisations was an added bonus. 

Phil and Lauren

Highlights were: 
1) Celebrating Lauren's 65th birthday with sparklers, cakes and a serenade in Danish. 






2) Seeing a Brush-tailed Planigale on one of the bird walks. (Sorry about the quality of the Planigale photos.) The phascogale is a rat-sized marsupial with a black ‘bottle-brush’ tail. It is said to be nocturnal, shy and rarely seen. Mating occurs between mid-May and early July. After that quite frantic activity all the males die. Females may live to three years old.

Fuzzy photo of the Planigale. 

  

The brush tail

Ros, Bill, Sandra, Dawn, Marie
and Helen on the bird walk

Red Triangle Slug,Triboniophora graeffei   

A Welcome Swallow
enjoying the morning sun

All fun and games, some of the evening entertainment.

3) Another good find was a Keelback Snake, Tropidonophis mairii. They are diurnal and found near freshwater  dams, creeks, rivers and swamps. They are harmless, eat their prey rear first, and are able to eat small Cane Toads!

Young Keelback Snake hanging on Neil's glasses.

Bird List:  (compiled by lesley from members’ sightings)
Australian Brush-turkey, Australian Wood Duck, Pacific Black Duck, Little Pied Cormorant, Australian Pelican, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Whistling Kite, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Bush Stone-curlew, Masked Lapwing, Gull-billed Tern, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Galah, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Australian King-Parrot, Crimson Rosella, Pale-headed Rosella, Pheasant Coucal, Laughing Kookaburra, Rainbow Beeeater, White-throated Treecreeper, Satin Bowerbird, Superb Fairy-wren, Red-backed Fairy-wren, Variegated Fairy-wren, White-browed Scrubwren, Brown Thornbill, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Pardalote, Lewin's Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Dusky Honeyeater, Scarlet Honeyeater, Grey-crowned Babbler, Eastern Whipbird, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Golden Whistler, Little Shrike-thrush, Australasian Figbird, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Spangled Drongo, Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Magpie-lark, Rose Robin, Eastern Yellow Robin, Welcome Swallow, Mistletoebird, Red-browed Finch.


Butterfly list: (compiled by Don from members’ sightings)
Small Grass-yellow Eurema smilax, Black Jezebel Delias nigrina, Caper White Belenois java, Evening Brown Melanitis leda, Brown Ringlet Hypocysta metirius, White-banded Plane Phaedyma shepherdi, Wanderer or Monarch Danaus plexippus, Blue Tiger Tirumala hamata.

Camp Somerset

We had a wonderful time at Camp Somerset. Thanks to everyone involved, especially Barry and Bill. The rain kept away, the surroundings interesting to explore, and the accommodation excellent.

TFNC members engrossed in the Rainforest Plants workshop



Facilities a Camp Somerset