June Club Outing Reports

Trish Allen organised a day in the Lockyer Valley, focusing on the Mt. Sylvia district, renowned for its patch- work landscape of irrigated vegetable and lucerne crops on the river flats with grass-fed beef being produced in the more undulating foothills. Whipbirds called as we began our first visit of the morning to Karen Gruner’s Land for Wildlife property, tucked away in Reibstein Road. This gave us an insight into the type of country the early German pioneers in the district would have selected. Karen and partner Michael chose their 57 acre property because of its possibilities as a safe haven for wildlife and in the four years that they have lived there, they have worked tirelessly towards restoring and conserving the flora and fauna on their patch. 

Their property has Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) growing on the tops of the hills, with semi-evergreen vine thicket on sedimentary rock closer to the valley floor. They face the frustrating task of battling with lantana, Madeira vine and tree pear. Their first plantings of trees have been very successful, notwithstanding the loss of newly established trees due to the floods of 2011 and 2013. The flora and fauna lists for this property would indicate that Karen and Michael’s vision to restore this property’s ecosystem is a worthy passion, and with continued hard work they will succeed. Their work makes them true modern-day pioneers in this valley.

After morning tea by the creek we moved to the property on the other side of the creek, belonging to Jim and Joan MacDonald. We enjoyed the shady walk along the avenue of Ficus Benjamina to meet Jim who is in his eighties. He has been planting native trees on his 40 acre property since 1983, his first planting being a wind- break of wattles and eucalypts. In 1987 he planted a wildlife corridor, and these plantings, including Red Cedar (Toona ciliate) and White Cedars (Melia azedarach var. australasica), are now maturing. Some species such as the Eucalyptus tereticornis are now self-propagating. It is obvious Jim is still passionate about planting trees and through trial and error he has learnt a great deal along the way. Jim’s success in growing trees on his property must be inspirational for Karen and Michael.

Jim MacDonald with frog poster (above)

Elattostachys xylocarpa Beetroot tree at Karen's place (above right) 

Phyllanthus microcladus (right)

Report and Photos by Jean Gundry

Trish and Adrian’s Trees - and a Cowpat 

The afternoon of our Upper Tenthill outing was spent at Trish and Adrian Allen’s former property, where we saw the remains of their 1970s planting of 1000 trees. Most of the trees had survived and were looking well established and comfortable on what is now a wooded slope, though the hoop pines (Araucaria cunninghamii) apparently succumbed to the first drought. The crows ashes (Flindersia australis) were looking particularly splendid, as might have been expected considering the magnificent old crows ashes occurring naturally at the bottom of the slope. There were also some large and lovely specimens of the South American racehorse tree (Tipuana tipu). Trisha spoke of her regret at having chosen to plant them. When she and Adrian had goats on the property, no seedlings survived. Since the goats have gone, however, the trees are showing a tendency to escape into the surrounding landscape. Having planted a few environmental horrors in my time, I can sympathise! Among other weeds, I planted some Tipuanas in the seventies. They were recommended by the Forestry Department, which supplied me with the plants. 

Dung beetle (See note below)

Having listened to Geoff Monteith’s fascinating talk on Friday night, we paid more attention than we usually do to the cow dung on the property, and wondered what wonders might be discovered in a particularly fresh, moist pile. Our new member Deb Ford has had prior experience of dung beetles, having been involved in a dung beetle collection exercise. Sure enough her sharp eyes spotted this little specimen, which was quickly scooped up on a stick. The process covered the insect rather liberally in dung, which seemed to offend it deeply, as it immediately began to clean itself using its middle pair of legs. I decided to help it along with a bit of a dunk and swish in the clean water of the dam. This led it to cling rather desperately to my finger, showing off its long back legs to the camera. Having paid attention on Friday night, we concluded that it must be a ball-rolling species, rather than one which would bury dung immediately under the cowpat. We also knew that this must be one of the species introduced by CSIRO, because our own native dung beetles, having evolved with the drier dung of marsupials, would not have been interested in this particular source of their favourite food. We hoped to see it start making a ball when, on being replaced on the pat, the         beetle began making rhythmical sweeps with its front legs. No ball seemed to be forthcoming, which led us to speculate that it was feeding.

 (Photo above: Trish Gardner and Lauren Marlatt examining the single dung beetle found in a fresh cowpat at Mt Sylvia - photos by Glenda Walter)

Report by Trish Gardner

Note:

Hello Glenda

Just back from out at Lake Nuga Nuga near Injune where I continued on to for a couple of nights after the Nats talk. Good work, that’s a dung beetle and it’s one of two species of the introduced African ball-roller Sisyphus. I showed pictures of their balls and the larva inside during the talk.

There are two introduced species S. spinipes and S. rubrus and they both occur widely in SEQ. They are very difficult to tell apart and impossible in a photograph. S. spinipes is the one I said does not bury its balls but just secretes them under the edge of a grass tussock. S. rubrus does bury its balls.

Cheers Geoff

 

JUNE SPEAKER’S REPORT - 'Dung Down Under – Australia’s Fascinating Dung Beetles', by Dr Geoff Monteith, Queensland Museum

The Scarabaeidae family, in the order Coleoptera, includes dung beetles, and the identifying feature of the family is their antennae which are branched into flat plates at the tips. The plates are covered with smelling organs and can fold together when not in use. Some dung beetles are nocturnal and nearly all are winged. Some are “perchers” – they sit on low foliage with their antennae extended, waiting for the scent of dung on the air, whereupon they fly to the source. Others are “prehensile”, clinging by means of their hooked toes to the back- sides of macropods in particular, and falling to the ground on the droppings as they emerge (there are six species of these in Australia). Dung beetles use dung as food for their larvae, as most adults cannot chew – they suck the juice from the dung.

Dung beetles are divided into “buriers” and “ball rollers”.  • The buriers dig chambers up to one metre below ground but usually about eight centimetres, and fill them with balls of dung in which they make hollows to lay their eggs. Geoff showed photographs of the female beetles sitting down like potters, hollowing out the balls, then curling around to lay an egg, and finally filling in the gap with dung. The chambers are then sealed off, the eggs hatch, and the larvae feed on the dung balls until they pupate, hatch and then come to the surface. Onthophagus, a huge genus has 2000 plus members, of which 250 are found in Australia. Many in this genus have horns on their heads, which they use to fight each other and to defend their nests.

• The ball rollers break off small pieces of dung and roll them into balls which they then move up to 10 metres away to bury just below the surface. Ball rollers usually have curved legs to help them form the dung into balls. They never have horns. There are about 170 species of ball rollers in Australia.

Several species of African dung beetles were introduced into Australia some years ago to deal with the moister, semi-liquid cattle dung, as Australian native beetles are adapted to use the dryer macropod poo. One imported species doesn’t bury the balls, but builds a pile of them against a rock or a post. The larvae don’t defecate inside the ball until they are ready to pupate. They then defecate either inside the ball or make a small hole and defecate on the outer surface - the faeces is then spread evenly and hardens to form a protective covering.

Dung beetles are great for the environment for the following reasons. • They put nutrients into the soil. • They dispose of dung and thus stops flies breeding. • They prevent parasite transmission in dung. • They aerate the soil. • They bring subsoil to the surface.

Dung lying about in pastures encourages flies, and stock do not like to graze near it. Predators are cane toads, which wait at cow pats for their dinner to arrive, and ibis – cow pats with many beak holes can often be seen.

Demarziella genus – “cuckoo” dung beetles, lay their eggs in the dung balls of others. Some species use fungi as others use dung. They burrow up through the stem of a mushroom, collect armfuls of the nutritious spore- bearing gills and take it back down through the stem to their chambers. This may aid spore dispersal. Fungi and dung are both used in dung beetle traps.

The amazing habits of Cephalodesmius species were discovered in Australia about 25 years ago. They are found from Maryborough to Sydney, and in some places there are up to 50,000 per hectare in S.E. Qld rain- forests. They make and use their own artificial “dung”. The male collects small fallen leaves and fruit and takes them to the female in the nest chamber below ground. She mashes the material up and builds a kind of “compost heap” in the damp chamber. She adds her own faeces into it and after about a month it has decayed and is ready to use. She then breaks off small portions and hollows them into small balls and lays an egg in each, one a day for eight days. The eggs hatch, and the larvae start eating the material inside the balls. The male brings more leaves, which the female adds to the compost heap and continues to harvest decayed material to plaster on the outside of the larval balls. They grow as large as a macadamia nut, and the larvae “squeak” to their mother for more food by scraping their tails against their throats. When the larvae are ready to pupate, they excrete faeces onto the outside of the ball through a hole, which the female smears on the outside to seal it. The female and male then die, the larvae eventually hatching out and coming to the surface. This is called “progressive provisioning”, and is rare in insects and considered very advanced. Only two species do this, the Cephalodesmius species above, and Canthonosoma castelnaui which is wingless and common in Western Queensland and in vine scrub, continuing to feed its young on fresh dung happening to fall close to its nest.

These beetles are important as they recycle leaf litter. School experiments with corn plants prove that dung beetles promote growth by burying the dung and making it available to the roots of plants. The beetles are specialised to soil type, vegetation and altitude rather than to particular types of animal droppings. The largest species of Australian dung beetle is up to three centimetres long.

• Aulacopris maximus uses bat guano, and is found inside hollow trees where bats sleep. It is found at Mt Glorious and Lamington NP, and was seen, unusually, on the trunks of trees at night. A hollow tree was cut down, and the beetles with their dung balls discovered inside. • Onthophagus tweedensis is a common open forest species in Brisbane – it is horned, and a beautiful dark green. • Onthophagus dandalu uses dog droppings. • Amphistomus storeyi is rare, wingless, and there are several communities found around Brisbane only. • Onthophagus gazella is imported, and is often attracted to lights at night. • Sisyphus spinipes makes piles of dung balls and is seen abroad in hot sun.

Dung beetles are a good indicator in biodiversity surveys, as they are sensitive to environmental factors and are linked to vertebrate fauna. They are easy to trap using pitfall traps baited with dung or rotten fungi. There are many parallel global studies, and lots of information available and they are comparatively easy to identify. The Qld Museum has thousands of specimens, and there are 95,000 in an Australia-wide data base. In disturbed areas the larger species disappear, but smaller species proliferate.

Report by Glenda Walter

OUTING REPORTS A Compiled Report on Field Nats Camping Trip to Imbil, 01-04 May 2014

Thirty-four Field Naturalists members were at, or around the camp site by Thursday 01 May, ready to
experience the program that had been drawn up by Ben Gundry working in conjunction with Mary Ann Law (Kenilworth). Members were spread over Island Reach Caravan Park, Cabins By The Creek, the local motel at Imbil and at the Law's house at Gheerulla.

On Friday 02 May the morning program took us via a convoy to Gympie to the Woodwork Museum and Interpretative Centre set up in 1984 to “preserve the artefacts and traditions associated with forest development and conser-vation, production and distribution of timber and timber products”. The museum building itself was of interest, it being constructed using local timbers: Tallow Wood, Spotted Gum and northern Silky Oak. As part of entry to the Museum a guide had been arranged. He talked about the various techniques used to cut down timber and to dress it, with a range of different implements for different purposes: wedge-shaped axes first developed in England about 1800, fine edged used for ring barking, thicker edges for splitting or chopping; straight and curved handles, including left handed and right-handed; wedges and mauls and crosscut saws. The guide even showed us the use of various axes, and as we watched him shave timber while standing on the timber itself, we marveled that he did not lose a toe or two.

After morning tea of scones and cakes which were provided as part of the overall entrance fee, we were able to see a blacksmith make nails of the type used over a hundred years ago. Another building contained some of the transportation system used in the early days of the timber industry: Log Trolley, Timber Wagon, and a rebuilt Republic Truck, used from the 1920s to 1940s.

This brought the guided tour to an end and members were left free to go through the rest of the Museum. Some of the highlights were: a 619 year old Kauri Pine Disc, measuring 2.59m in diameter, logged in 1939; a paneled display of the timber history of the area; a timber feature floor showing eight Queensland species of mostly hardwood: Grey Gum (Eucalyptus Propinqua), Gympie Messmate (Eucalyptus Cloeziana), Rose/Flooded Gum (Eucalyptus Grandis), Grey Iron Bark (Eucalyptus Siderophloia), Hoop Pine (Araucaria Cunninghamii), Pink Bloodwood (Corymbia Intermedia), Spotted Gum (Corymbia Citrlodoro Subsp. Variegata), Forest Red Gum/Blue Gum (Eucalyptus Tereticornis).
                                                                                      (Article and photos by Francis Mangubhai)
Mothar Mountain, Friday 02 May

From the very interesting Wood Museum, we travelled in convoy to Woondum National Park, a 20 minute drive southeast of Gympie. Here we had lunch at the Mothar Mountain Rock Pools Picnic Area, a leafy glade situated at the junction of Woondum and Boulder Creeks. Only one of us (Gary) then opted to climb the adjoining Mothar Mountain, whilst the rest enjoyed an easy short walk  through the forest, that required ‘rock hopping’ across a creek. Apparently this is an area where tropical and subtropical ecosystems meet and as a consequence there are many interesting plant
species Some of the plants seen were those typical of dry rainforest such as the Wilkieas, Glossy Laurel (Cryptocarya laevigata), Maidenhair ferns and Scentless Rosewood (Synoum glandulosum). Trees included Red Kamala (Mallotus phillipensis), Foambark (Jagera pseudorhus) and Celerywood
(Polyscias elegans).


Birds were ‘thin on the ground’ (see Lesley’s list of seven species). That evening the Club had its shared meal at the Campsite, and as usual, members were treated to a great range of culinary delights.
                             (Written by Neil McKilligan and Mike Russell)






Bird banding at Imbil – Saturday 03 May
The main activity on Saturday morning of the camp was to go to Ian Bunce’s property to watch a team of bird banders in action. Banders have been coming approximately every month for the last eight years and good data is now being obtained about the local birds. There are approximately 20 different places where mist nests are placed on the property so the volunteer effort and personal cost is significant. Papers will be published about the findings from this project.


A total of 81 birds (some were recaptures from three to four years ago) were banded over a 24 hour period from Friday to Saturday lunchtime. These were: Fan-tailed Cuckoo 1; Noisy Pitta 1, Lewin’s Honeyeater 3, Dusky Honeyeater 3, Large-billed Scrubwren 4, Rufous Shrike-thrush 4, Golden Whistler 1, Rufous Whistler 3, Rufous Fantail 1, Grey Fantail 5, White-eared Monarch 1, Eastern Yellow Robin 2, Silvereye 21, Red-browed Finch 4. For some of the Field Nats this was the first time they had seen birds captured by mist nets; while others in the group had been involved in various forms of bird capture and banding in the past.


Watching or being involved with bird banding often raises questions like: Is this harmful to the birds? What is the point of banding, what can we learn? This would be a good topic for one or more talks at Field Nats meetings but I will give a few brief comments from the information given to us by John, the senior bander on the day and from my past experience:

• There is a big difference in knowing that a species of a bird is in a particular site and knowing if it is aspecific individual bird. Here is one example. The only way we know how long birds live in the wild is tocapture, band and recapture. On Ian’s property near Imbil they regularly catch Silvereyes. They have beenable to determine that some are local; and others are migrating from down south – maybe from Tasmania.
• In the local population it would be good to know whether individual birds have survived the drought of recent years. This would be determined if they recaptured the same bird this year that they had captured before the drought started. Otherwise perhaps all the local birds died out and have been replaced by new flocks? Banding can solve one puzzle but raise many others.

Around and about with Mary Ann – Sunday 04 May
Sunday dawned bright and clear with a sharp, cold wind. There were a lot fewer Nats that met for the drive to the Law’s property. Some had decided to have a bit of a lie-in or visit the Imbil markets. The sturdy few wound through the scenic area of Moy Pocket which is very bucolic and tranquil. Don   Law with Jack, the kelpie, greeted us and took us on a walk around the property. He and Mary
Ann have settled into the area very well, changing from orchardists to graziers as well as eradicating Cat’s Claw and Camphor Laurels from their section of Oakey Creek. This creek flows along their northern boundary near its confluence with the Mary River and was choked with invasive weeds. This is a link to an article about their endeavours:
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/user/My%20Documents/Downloads/LFW_Newsletter_Oct2013.pdf.

Despite the wind there were plenty of birds on their dams to keep us happy. Then a smashing morning tea put on by Mary Ann to warm the cockles of the Field Nats’ hearts. From the Law’s we set off for Fig Tree Walk. Here Mary Ann gave us a little bit of the history and then guided us botanically around the short circuit. This little pocket of rainforest was saved in the 1950s and has some magnificent Moreton Bay Figs, as well as some of the tallest Silky Oaks I’ve seen. Although this patch is only small, with Little Yabba Creek on one side and the highway on the other, at least two of our members saw the Australian Logrunner. This is a quiet, ground dwelling bird of the rainforest.

Our next stop was at Booloomba Creek Day-use Area, reached after fording the creek several times. We had lunch beside the creek while female Wonder Brown butterflies flitted about, but we didn’t see a male. Seven intrepid Natters set off on the Strangler Cairn walk while the rest were entertained by beautiful Wompoo Fruit-Doves feeding in the White Cedars. Eventually we headed back to camp or the local teahouse, or the shops in Kenilworth. That evening there were still enough of us left in the caravan park to have a yarn around a bright campfire and reflect on another successful camp. It was a lovely way to end the day.

Thanks Ben, Jean, and Mary Ann for organizing a camp filled with a variety of activities and natural wonders. We all had a great time.
                                                                                                                      (Written by Lesley Beaton)

Species Report
Most people who were staying at the caravan park had arrived by Thursday afternoon to be greeted with a tranquil vista of green paddocks and still waters. The weather was threatening and some travellers had been caught in heavy downpours and/or storms on their way to camp. Friday was a wet day, but the weekend cleared to blue skies. The temperature dropped and on Sunday morning we had a very nippy, cold wind at Mary Ann and Don’s place. The occupants of the Cabins by the Creek had stunning views of a pair of Osprey that perched nearby. Diane was even lucky enough to watch one dive right under the water as it was fishing. The campers saw them as they coursed up and down Yabba Creek. The Dusky Honeyeater is a bird we don’t get to see too often so it was lovely to watch them on the Bunce’s property. Some people were lucky enough to get “up close and personal” when three were banded. However the bird of the camp for me is a tossup between the flocks of White-headed Pigeons flying over the caravan park, or the Wompoo Fruit-Doves feeding quietly in the white
Cedars in the picnic ground of Booloomba Creek.

Imbil Camp: includes the Island Reach Caravan Park and across Yabba Creek to the ‘Cabins By The Creek’. Birds: Australian Brush-turkey, Pacific Black Duck, White-headed Pigeon, Spotted Dove (Spotted Turtle-dove), Australasian Darter, Little Pied Cormorant, Great Cormorant, Little Black Cormorant, Australian Pelican, Yellow-billed Spoonbill, Eastern Osprey, Whistling Kite, Dusky Moorhen, Masked Lapwing, Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo (H), Yellowtailed Black-Cockatoo, Galah, Little Corella, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Rainbow Lorikeet, Little Lorikeet, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Southern Boobook, Azure Kingfisher, Laughing Kookaburra, Rainbow Bee-eater, Striated Pardalote, Lewin's Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Brown Honeyeater, Little Friarbird, Rufous Whistler, Australasian Figbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Grey Fantail, Torresian Crow, Restless Flycatcher, Magpie-lark, Welcome Swallow, Double-barred Finch.

Butterflies: Lesser Wanderer Danaus chrysippus. Reptiles: Asian House Gecko Hemidactylus frenatus

Rocky Pools, Mothar Mountain: Birds: White-browed Scrubwren, Brown Thornbill, Lewin's Honeyeater, Grey Shrike-thrush, Grey Fantail, Torresian Crow, Eastern Yellow Robin.

Butterflies: Orchard Swallowtail Papilio aegeus, Small Grass-yellow Eurema smilax.

Bunce’s Property, Brooloo: Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Peaceful Dove, Little Black Cormorant, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Rainbow Bee-eater, White-throated Treecreeper, White-throated Gerygone, Striated Pardalote, Eastern Spinebill, Lewin's Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Dusky Honeyeater, Scarlet Honeyeater, White-throated Honeyeater, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird,
Eastern Whipbird, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Varied Triller, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Australasian Figbird, Spangled Drongo, Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Magpie-lark, Eastern Yellow Robin, Silvereye, Mistletoebird, Red-browed Finch.

Mist netted on Bunce’s Property: (List from Gary Harch) Fan-tailed Cuckoo 1; Noisy Pitta 1, Lewin’s Honeyeater 3, Dusky Honeyeater 3, Large-billed Scrubwren 4, Rufous Shrike-thrush 4, Golden Whistler 1, Rufous Whistler 3, Rufous Fantail 1, Grey Fantail 5, White-eared Monarch 1, Eastern Yellow Robin 2, Silvereye 21, Red-browed Finch 4.

Amama Day-use Area, Amamoor State Forest: Emerald Dove, Crested Pigeon, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Azure Kingfisher, Lewin's Honeyeater, Scarlet Honeyeater, Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Eastern Yellow Robin, Welcome Swallow.

Cedar Grove, Amamoor State Forest:
Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Little Pied Cormorant, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Lewin's Honeyeater, Scarlet Honeyeater, Golden Whistler, Australasian Figbird, Australian Magpie, Eastern Yellow Robin.

Law’s Property, Gheerulla: Plumed Whistling-Duck, Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Australasian Grebe, Crested Pigeon, Little Pied Cormorant, Great Cormorant, Little Black Cormorant, Pied Cormorant, Australian Pelican, Eastern Great Egret (Great Egret), Intermediate Egret, Cattle Egret, Australian White Ibis, Straw-necked Ibis, Whistling Kite, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Eurasian Coot, Masked Lapwing, Comb-crested Jacana, Red-backed Fairy-wren, Brown Honeyeater, Pied Butcherbird, Torresian Crow, Magpie-lark, Welcome Swallow, Tree Martin.

Fig Tree Walk, Conondale National Park:
Australian Brush-turkey, Laughing Kookaburra, Brown Gerygone, Lewin's Honeyeater, Australian Logrunner, Eastern Whipbird, Grey Shrike-thrush, Australasian Figbird.

Booloomba Creek, Conondale National Park: Birds: Wonga Pigeon, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, White-faced Heron, Pacific Baza, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Azure Kingfisher, Yellow-throated Scrubwren, White-browed Scrubwren, Lewin's Honeyeater, Bell Miner, Australian Logrunner, Australasian Figbird, Grey Fantail, Red-browed Finch.

Butterflies: Wonder Brown Heteronympha minifica
.

Miscellaneous: any other species seen during the camp on our travels between the specified sites.
Birds: Black Swan, Australian Wood Duck, White-necked Heron, Black-shouldered Kite, Swamp Harrier, Australian King-Parrot, Pale-headed Rosella, Pheasant Coucal.

Butterflies: Dainty Swallowtail Papilio anactus, Caper Gull Cepora perimale, Caper White Belonois java,Varied Eggfly Hypolimnas bolina, Meadow Argus Junonia villida, Common Crow Euploea core, Wanderer Danaus plexippus, Blue Tiger Tirumala hamata, Cycad Blue Theclinesthes onycha.

Monotremes: Echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus. Marsupials: Red-necked Wallaby Macropus rufogriseus, Eastern Grey Kangaroo Macropus giganteus.
                                                                                                                 (Compiled by Lesley Beaton)

Sunday adventures - Imbil Camp
The Field Nats travelled to Gheerulla near Kenilworth to visit Don and Mary Ann Law at their property 'Warrington' with its extensive waterholes and dams, open pastures and riverine vegetation. The property is in transition from citrus production to cattle grazing. A Land for Wildlife Project to remove major weeds such as Camphor Laurel and Cat's Claw from along the 1.8 kilometre frontage to Oakey Creek and revegetate the banks with endemic plant species has been progressing for the past couple of years. Most vegetation was removed for dairying in the early 20th century.

After morning tea the next stop was the Fig Tree walk in the Imbil State Forest. The area surrounding the walk (1.2 kilometres) is only 50 hectares. It is classified as a lowland subtropical rainforest with very large emergent Moreton Bay Fig Trees (Ficus macrophylla) and Flooded Gums (Eucalyptus grandis). The uneven tall canopy of Giant Stinging Trees (Dendrocnide excelsa), White Booyong (Argyrodendron trifoliolatum), Black Bean Trees (Castanospermum australe), and other tree species dominate the main canopy. The lower tree strata comprises a large number of different species of trees and shrubs. One of the more notable ones is the Python Tree (Gossia bidwillii) with its beautiful smooth bark of orange and green blotches. Macadamia Nut Trees (Macadamia integrifolia) are found here, but are now rare and endangered in their original location. Other characteristic features of subtropical rainforests are large woody vines, some of which are the Common Silkpod (Parsonsia straminea) and Water Vine (Cissus antartica). (A plant species list for the Fig Tree Walk based on a
compilation of information from different botanists is available. It is useful as a guide only.)

The next destination was the entrance to the Conondale Great Walk for lunch on the banks of Booloumba Creek. The Conondale Range Great Walk was established several years ago for bushwalkers to experience the natural beauty of the Conondale Range over a 56 kilometre circuit taking four days to complete with three walkers camps along the way.

After lunch some of the party ventured on to walk to the Strangler Cairn. To commemorate the opening of the Great Walk, the Queensland Government commissioned internationally renowned Scottish sculptor, Andy Goldsworthy to create an art work linked to the natural environment. Andy chose a clearing in the rainforest where a large Strangler Fig Tree (Ficus watkinsiana) had fallen and left a clear patch suitable for his sculpture to be constructed. At the top of the cairn a Strangler Fig seedling has been planted. In time the roots will grow and consume or strangle the cairn. This was quite a controversial project due to the cost estimated to be over $600,000. Hope the Field Nats return soon. There is so much to see around this area.
                                                                                                                       (Report by Mary Ann Law)

Andy Goldsworthy
On the Sunday of the post-Easter camp at Imbil, a group of us walked along part of the Conondales’ Great Walk to see the “Strachan Cairn”, a stone sculpture designed by Scottish sculptor, Andy Goldsworthy and commissioned by the State Government at great cost. Andy Goldsworthy is a
world-renowned sculptor who lives near Dumfries in south west Scotland. His creations can be seen in various countries round the world.

By coincidence, we spent a week in July of last year in a cottage in the small village of Moniaive which is north west of Dumfries. A major tourist attraction there is a series of sculptures by Andy Goldsworthy in the valley of Dalwhat Glen called the “Striding Arches”. There are four arches, three on prominent points in the valley and one (which we inspected) is part of a “bothy” on the edge of a pine forest.

If you are interested, I suggest you Google ‘Striding Arches + Andy Goldsworthy’ for more information about the sculptor and his work.
                                                                                                               (Report by Elizabeth Russell)

Fungi list
I have identified these from our recent trip to Imbil. There were a lot of others! Gilled fungi: Macrolepiota sp, Panaeolus sp, Hygrocybe sp, Leucocoprinus birnbaumii, Coprinus sp, Crepidotus
sp, Tapinella sp; Fungi with pores: Boletus sp, Fistulinella sp, Microporus sp, Postia sp, Ganoderma sp, Trametes versicolor, Polyporus sp; Jelly fungi: Auricularia cornea, Auricularia delicata, Auricularia auriculajudae, Tremella foliana; Puffball: Scleroderma cepa Coral type: Ramaria sp; birds nest type: Cyathus sp.

The last one, the birds nest fungus, was growing on a cow pat together with Panaeolus (probably sphinctrinus) down near the river where we were staying at the cabins. Both are found on herbivore dung and the Panaeolus was quite prolific but there only seemed to be one pat with the Cyathus (probably stercoreus). I went seeking this particular cow pat three days in a row in the hopes that the fruit bodies would open to reveal the lenticular peridioles but that did not happen before we left.
                                                                                                                (List and report by Diane Ball)

Ravensbourne Outing 06 April 2014

 

(Article and photos by Glenda Walter)

In preparation for the TFNC outing on 06 April, I went to Ravensbourne National Park the Wednesday prior to see if there were any outstanding fungi to be seen. Even though it was a week since the 140 mm of rain that had fallen over several days, after spending four hours searching along the tracks I was disappointed to find that there were only several very small species to be found, apart from some large Macrolepiota which had sprung up in open areas. Fearing that Dr John Dearnaley who was going to lead our walk would find that his time was wasted, I contacted him and told him that he need not accompany us.

I was amazed to find that in the subsequent few days fungi had sprung up everywhere! Murphy’s Law, I think! The Macrolepiotas were past their prime, but there were many other species to be seen. Of course I regretted not having Dr Dearnaley with us, but we did the best we could. We were unable to identify everything we saw to species level or even to genus, but after Fran Guard’s talk two months ago we could see that there were many different types of gilled fungi, some puffballs, polypores, brackets, jelly fungi, and tiny Ascomycetes.

Those who were keen to walk rather than crawl about in the leaf litter went on ahead with Neil McKilligan to the sandstone cave or overhang further down the hillside while others walked the rainforest circuit. About 20 members attended, including Ian and Delsia Mitchell who were visiting from South Australia.

The most interesting specimens spied by the sharp eyes of Jane Orme and Diana Ball, were very small and tucked into the soil on the side of an earth bank. These are named Gymnogaster boletoides. One was larger, about 23 mm long and looks by its stem as if it is actually two fused together, and the others were about 10 mm high and 6 mm long, looking like small yellow cylinders with red spots at the top. They stained blue when handled.

Gymnogaster boletoides

The specific name “boletoides” refers to the way this fungus stains blue then darkens to brown, like many boletes. Despite that, it is still placed in the family Agaricaceae with the mushroom-type gilled fungi. Microscopically, it must be more similar, despite its looks. Nigel Fechner, the Mycologist from the Queensland Herbarium said in his email to me when I found this fungus at Bellthorpe two years ago: “Quite a curious, yet stunning, mycological oddity. Despite its staining habit, it is actually placed in the Agaricaceae (gilled fungi). It is a monotypic genus (only one species) and was described by Joan Cribb (Qld Nats) almost 60 years ago.” An internet search showed that Joan found Gymnogaster boletoides at Mount Glorious, and it has been recorded at Cunningham’s Gap as well. Well done, Jane and Diana. Many Mycologists have never seen this special and unusual fungus.

Mystery mushroom (unidentified as yet)

Unidentified fungi upto 7 mm across with rudimentary fills and growing on dead wood

Bolete eater Hypomyces chrysospermus

We saw many small mushrooms with pinkish or greyish fibrous caps, Lepiota species. One type, Lepiota haemorrhagica, had rosy pink stems and pink rings, the white gills staining pink when touched. We also saw a brilliant yellow jelly fungus, a purplish-brown crust fungus, many delicate Mycenas of various species including a tiny black one 3 mm across, a small bolete, and the white furry “bolete eater”, Hypomyces chrysospermus which attacks only boletes. A mystery mushroom was tiny, tough and rubbery in texture, with an under-surface which looked neither like the usual gills or pores.

AMycologist friend described them as “rudimentary” gills, and did not know of any such fungi which grow on dead wood as these did. I have dried and sent some to him for further identification. Many fungi in Australia have yet to be described and named – maybe this is one of them.

After lunch, by which time many people had gone off to other engagements, some of us walked briefly in other areas, but we had left just before a thunderstorm passed over, soaking the area. Although most of what we found was small, from a fungus-hunter’s point of view it was a short but successful day.

Lepiota haemorrhagica

Unidentified hard puffball

Polyporus badius

Jelly fungus

Sporangia of an unidentified mould 3 mm high

Fungi list

Russula species; Lepiota species (several different); Lepiota haemorrhagica; Macrolepiota species; Marasmius species; Coprinellus species; Crepidotus species; Omphalotus nidiformis; Hygrocybe species; Mycena austrororida; Mycena species (several different); Gymnogaster boletoides; Laccaria species; Hypomyces chrysospermus (the “bolete eater”); Pisolithus species (seen on the roadside); Stereum possibly hirsutum; Stereum ostrea; Polyporus badius; Calocera sp.

Seen but unidentified

Small hard puffball species (very common); Small rubbery mystery mushrooms; A small bolete; Various small brown gilled fungi of different types; Several different bracket fungi; Several crust fungi of various colours; Yellow jelly fungus; Small grey cup fungi, 3 mm across; Small white stemmed Ascomycetes; Sporangia of two slime moulds, looking like pink tails and yellow balls

Left to right: Jelly fungus and Lepiota

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