Bingara Camp - some snapshots

TFNC Inc has just enjoyed several days at Bingara in the Gwydir valley of northern NSW. Here are some photos of their activities.

Morning tea on the conglomerate rocks in the glacial valley.

Rock hopping

An evening at the Roxy

Out-of-focus Turquoise Parrots

Laughing in the rain

 Scarlet or Northern Jezebel at Upper Bingara

Jewel Spider at Horton River

The little Swamp Wallaby at Upper Bingara

Bingara in the morning light

April - Snail Trail

Boyce Gardens, Toowoomba
Here are the Toowoomba Nats fascinated with the snail hunt led by Snail Whisperer, John Stanisic. 

We learnt much more about snails than we ever thought possible, such as the semi-slug without a full shell. Also that Australian native snails and slugs don't attack our garden. 
It was lots of fun and we came away more careful about treading on the leaf-litter.

Natters, checking out the snails

Semi-slug above with snail below

March - Springs Creek and Loveday Cove

Springs Creek, Blue Mountain Heights: 

The weather was fine on Sunday morning and an 'army' of about 40 chattering TFNC’ers arrived and spread themselves over house, deck, lawn, gardens etc. There was so much happy conversation that most birds fled the scene.

The quiet little Springs Creek which is normally 10 centimetres wide had been a raging 10+ metre wide wall of water on 10 January. The little brown birds' small bathing hole, normally secluded on the edge of the rampant and an impenetrable privet and lantana area, was now quite exposed and straddled by a 6 metre long 25 centimetre diameter log from an unknown upstream source.

In the now-serene setting of the creek, conversation was more restrained and conducted with a sense of reverence so birds, butterflies, dragonflies, frogs and tadpoles were noted going about their life as usual and their regular observers had difficulty restraining their excitement.

People took various routes to arrive back at our house and some helpfully pulled cobbler's pegs en route. It was only at 12 noon that all agreed morning tea was over.

Adapted from Ian's report.

Female Blue Skimmer

Dragons Were There

Despite the extremely windy conditions at Loveday Cove a variety of dragon-flies were present but you had to look for them. On a Callistemon growing well out in the water a spectacular Australian Tiger was sighted. A small enthusiastic group watched its comings and goings. It constantly returned to one favourite perch. While observing this we became aware of the beautiful Red and Blue Damsel as well as the Common Bluetail. Both were sitting close to the water’s surface and not venturing far in the wind. As time passed other dragons such as the Australian Emperor, the Australian Emerald, the Wandering Percher, the Blue Skimmer and the large Common Glider paid brief foraging visits. The group was surprised to find that well over half an hour had been spent closely observing the antics of dragonflies. The lone bird that was feeding in the Callistemon flew off without being indentified.

Odonata at Loveday’s Cove

Common Bluetail Ischnura heterosticta, Red and Blue Damsel Xanthagrion erythroneurum, Australian Emperor Hemianax papuensis; Australian Tiger Ictinogomphus australis, Australian Emerald Hemicordulia australia, Wandering Percher Diplacodes bipunctata, Blue Skimmer Orthetrum caledonicum, Common Glider Tramea loweii.                  Barry's report 

Glen Lomond and Duggan Parks, 06 February 2011

 

           Waterfall at Hell Hole Gorge

 Following an early thunderstorm, the weather cleared up beautifully and a good  number of naturalists snaked through the wet grass out onto the ridge that forms the southern boundary of Glen Lomond Park. This gave us an excellent view into Hell Hole Gorge and the rare sight of a sparkling stream cascading over the rock face at the top of the Gorge. This vertical cliff is attractively dotted with ferns whilst the steep slopes flanking it are covered with the ubiquitous lantana. The shady areas on the floor of the Gorge have nice patches of rainforest but also a fair amount of privet. Butterflies were more abundant than birds (at least until our President arrived!). Sharp eyes also discovered a variety of attractive spiders.

On to Duggan Park for morning tea and a very informative walk, and talk on the work done by Friends of Escarpment Parks. More birds and butterflies, a preying mantis (probably the Garden Mantis Orthodera ministralis), a large stick insect and again numerous spiders.  Neil.

          Skipper on a dandelion, Glen Lomond Park

Members' Combined Lists

Bird List for Glen Lomond:

Grey Goshawk, Pheasant Coucal, White-throated Treecreeper, Fairy-wren sp.(heard but not seen), Brown Thornbill, Striated Pardalote, Lewin's Honeyeater, Eastern Whipbird, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Cicada-bird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Spangled Drongo, Grey Shrike-thrush, Willie Wagtail, Leaden Flycatcher, Silvereye.

Bird List for Duggan Park:

Brush Cuckoo, Galah, Rainbow Lorikeet, Pale-headed Rosella, Laughing Kookaburra, White-throated Treecreeper, Variegated Fairy-wren, White-browed Scrubwren, Lewin's Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Eastern Whipbird, Pied Currawong, Grey Fantail, Eastern Yellow Robin, Silvereye, Red-browed Finch.

Butterfly List for both parks:

Orchard Swallowtail Papilio aegeus, Lemon Migrant Catopsilia pomona, Black or Common Jezabel Delias nigrina, Caper White Belenois java, Common Brown Heteronympha merope, Glasswing Acraea andromacha, Meadow Argus Junonia villida, Common Crow Euploea core, Lesser or Native Wanderer Danaus chrysippus, Wanderer or Monarch Danaus plexippus, Blue Tiger Tirumala hamata, Small Green-banded Blue Psychonotis caelius.

Spider List for both parks:

Dewdrop Spider Argyrodes antipodianus, Jewel or Spiny Spider Austracantha minax, Golden Orb-weaver Nephila edulis.

Merry Christmas, Natters!

The TFNC Naturalist year came to a close with a wonderful gathering at Clifton. After a sumptious lunch we spent the afternoon crooning with Bing in "White Christmas". Thanks to Shirley who organized the event.

Enjoying the lunch

Preparing for Bing Crosby

Merry Christmas Everyone, and a safe and Happy New Year. See you in 2011.

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



Mt Tyson-Stoneleigh area - November 2010

Boulenger's Skink Morethia boulengeri 

We went looking for the Grassland Earless Dragon. We didn't find it, but we sure found plenty of other reptiles to keep us happy. First of the day was Boulenger’s Skink Morethia boulengeri. It was brightly striped and very photogenic.

Blind Snake,
Ramphotyphlops weidii

Another reptile that caught members’ attention was the Blind Snake, Ramphotyphlops weidii. Its eyes like two pinholes under its scales are quite clear in the photo.

Later in the day we came across this beautifully marked Australian Coral Snake Brachyurophis australis. It is such a tiny snake, a true gem.

Australian Coral Snake 
Brachyurophis australis

The Bearded Dragon Pogona barbata was on the track as we came up to the scrub. As it was being moved to safety away from the vehicles we were able to get ‘close-up and personal’, but it was totally unimpressed with us. We had the chance to look at the markings on its abdomen. Something one doesn’t see very often.

Unimpressed

Underbelly!

There were plenty of insects and spiders to check out too. If it wasn’t duelling scorpions or fat centipedes carrying their eggs, then it was this colourful little spider that took a liking to Betty.

Yellow Scorpion Spider Arachnura higginsi
(Not photographed on Betty's arm, however.)

You can just see the eggs
under the curve of the abdomen

One of the highlights of the day was to go into an area of native grassland with very little exotic weed. Because of the good rain the grass was as tall as our shoulders. This is how the Darling Downs would have looked to the original inhabitants, and explorers such as Cunningham and Leichhardt. This is reportedly one of the most threatened of Australia's habitats with only 1% remaining.

A Field of Nats in mainly Plains Stipa Grass
Austrostipa aristoglumes Photo by Trish G.

Bird List for Mt Tyson area: Brown Quail, Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon), Crested Pigeon, Bar-shouldered Dove, White-faced Heron, Black-shouldered Kite, Nankeen Kestrel, Galah, Cockatiel, Pale-headed Rosella, Red-rumped Parrot, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Rainbow Bee-eater, Superb Fairy-wren, Weebill, White-throated Gerygone, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Striated Pardalote, Noisy Miner, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Striped Honeyeater, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Cicadabird, Olive-backed Oriole, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Magpie-lark, White-winged Chough, Apostlebird, Horsfield's Bushlark (Singing Bushlark), Golden-headed Cisticola, Common Starling, Common Myna, Mistletoebird, Zebra Finch, House Sparrow.

Bird List for McEwan State Forest: Pale-headed Rosella, Red-rumped Parrot, Superb Fairy-wren, Weebill, White-throated Gerygone, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Lewin's Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Grey Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Torresian Crow, Eastern Yellow Robin, Silvereye, Mistletoebird, Double-barred Finch.

Butterfly & Moth List for Mt Tyson area: Orchard Swallowtail Papilio aegeus, Chequered Swallowtail Papilio demoleus, Small Grass-yellow Eurema smilax, Scarlet Jezebel Delias argenthona, Caper White Belenois java, Cabbage White Pieris rapae, Common Eggfly Hypolimnas bolina, Meadow Argus Junonia villida, Lesser or Native Wanderer Danaus chrysippus, Blue Tiger Tirumala hamata, Common Grass-blue Zizina labradus, Heliotrope Moth Utetheisa pulchelloides, Semi-looper Moth Trigonodes hyppasia.

Butterfly & Moth List for McEwan State Forest: Orchard Swallowtail Papilio aegeus, Small Grass-yellow Eurema smilax, Caper White Belenois java, Meadow Argus Junonia villida, Common Crow Euploea core, Lesser or Native Wanderer Danaus chrysippus, Wanderer Danaus plexippus, Blue Tiger Tirumala hamata, Chequered Copper Lucia limbaria, Crow Moth Cruria donowa, Heliotrope Moth Utetheisa pulchelloides, Heliothis sp. Moth, Semi-looper Moth Trigonodes hyppasia.