February Outing Report - Kumbarilla State Forest, 5 February 2023

Report adapted from the Club newsletter article.

Many thanks to our leader for pre-viewing and organising the Field Nats excursion, and to Gary Hearle for guiding the group of nine vehicles through the maze of tracks in the 86,000-hectare Kumbarilla State Forest, of which we visited a relatively small area. Ongoing logging occurs in some areas of the forest, along with some cattle grazing leases, which reduce the grass fire fuel load. Extensive coal seam gas development was evident, throughout the area we visited.

After travelling through dry, sandy, open forest country, we were pleased to arrive at a shady spot beside the abundant clear water of Wilkie Creek. Aquatic vegetation flourished in the shallows of the creek.

Kurrajong leaf tier moth bag
(Photo: M. Ford)

Nearby was a group of young Kurrajong trees (probably Brachychiton populneus) which were host to many larvae of the Kurrajong Bag Moth, or leaf tier moth. The caterpillars feed in groups, and make a bag by weaving leaves together to form a shelter. The 25 mm long, pale green caterpillars do some feeding within the shelter and come out at night to feed on other leaves. They pupate within the shelter and moths emerge. 

Francis Mangubhai 
checks waxiness of rare 
Acacia lithgowiae 
(Photo D. Pagel)

A highlight was an area of endangered Acacia lithgowiae*. It was very heartening to find a considerable, healthy stand of this rare species. It may have been aided by the fact that taller trees had been destroyed by fire allowing the pioneer Acacia to colonise the area. A striking pink flowering bull-oak mistletoe was a bonus sight near the acacias.

Unable to complete the circuit drive through the forest, due to road damage caused by heavy rain, we retraced out tracks to arrive at the very full Lake Broadwater for lunch. 

Ed: *Acacia lithgowiae

The specific epithet is a Latin word meaning “modest” or. “bashful”, an allusion to the anonymity of the species. 

Bird List for Kumbarilla/ Lake Broadwater outing (Submitted by T. Allen)

Kumbarilla State Forest: Superb Fairy Wren, Yellow Thornbill, Noisy Miner, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Grey-crowned Babbler, Cicadabird, Rufous Whistler, Grey Butcherbird, Torresian Crow, Magpie-lark, Eastern Yellow Robin, Willie Wagtail. 

Lake Broadwater: Cattle Egret, Australian White Ibis, Dusky Moorhen, Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Galah, Corella, Superb Fairy-wren, White-throated Gerygone, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Brown Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, White-plumed Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Little Friarbird, Noisy Friarbird, Currawong, Apostlebird.

 

Invertebrates at Kumbarilla State Forest and Lake Broadwater (Submitted by G. Walter)

Butterflies and moths: Wanderer or Monarch, Danaus plexippus; Lesser Wanderer, Danaus chrysippus; Common Crow, Euploea core; Meadow Argus, Junonia villida; Yellow Migrant, Catopsilia scylla; Orchard Swallowtail, Papilio aegus; a case moth caterpillar in the Psychidae family; Caper White, Belenois aurota; Orange ringlet, Hypocysta adiante.

Insects: A cockroach in the Blattidae family; a gall on Eucalypt, Apiomorpha species; two insect galls on Eucalyptus populneus; Midge gall, Asphondylia tonsura, on Enchylaena tomentosa; Giant slantface Grasshopper, Acrida conica; Bark-mimicking Grasshopper, Coryphistes ruricola; Froggatt’s Buzzer Grasshopper, Froggattina australis; a stick insect in the Phasmatidae family; Pollen beetle, Dicranolaius bellulus; Variegated Ladybird, Hippodamia variegata; Pittosporum Bug, Pseudapines geminata; a wasp in the Crabronidae family; the nest of a wasp, Ropalidia species.

Spiders: St Andrews Cross spider, Argiope bullocki, male, female and egg sac; Leaf curling spider, Artiphex species; Jewel spider egg sac, Austracantha minax; Two-spotted Sandalodes, Sandalodes scopifer. 

Snails: Camaenidae family.

February Outing Details: Kumbarilla State Forest - Sunday 05 February 2023

Map of area for outing

The Toowoomba Field Naturalist Club Inc. would like to respectfully acknowledge the Barunggam people, Traditional Custodians of the Kumbarilla area on which our outing will take place, and pay our respects to both the past and present first peoples, their elders, languages, customs, culture and connection to this wonderful country. 

Time: 9.15am in Dalby (7.45am in the Neil Street carpark if car-pooling from Toowoomba).

Where: Thomas Jack Park - entry off Pratten Street, Dalby

Description: Kumbarilla State Forest is a small park to the south of Dalby. The forest is immediately to the south of Kumbarilla township which takes its name from its original railway station which was in turn an Aboriginal word in a local dialect meaning ironbark tree/timber. ("Kumbarilla – town (entry 18594)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 15 January 2017.) 

Activities: Morning tea will be around a pretty waterhole on Wilkie Creek with good birding and many small plants and shrubs. Wilkie Creek, a tributary of the Condamine River, flows through varied and bio-diverse woodlands that are impacted by the expanding coal seam gas extraction industry in the Western Darling Downs.

Continuing on a circuit drive, a late lunch will be at Lake Broadwater before returning to Dalby. 

Level of Fitness: As this is mainly exploring stops on a circuit drive, it suits all level of fitness.

Facilities: Toilets are available in the Thomas Jack Park and at Lake Broadwater.

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.

Image by brgfx on Freepik

To all our members and friends

 

January Social Get-together - Sunday, 22 January

Our first outing is a members and guests social. Please read your newsletter for details.

November Outing Report - Coalbank, SEQ - 6 November 2022

The Toowoomba Field Naturalists Club Inc. would like to respectfully acknowledge the Jarowair people, Traditional Custodians, of the Coalbank area on which our outing took place, and pay our respects to both the past and present first peoples, their elders, languages, customs, culture and connection to this wonderful country.  

Morning tea in fine spring weather
Photo: L. Moodie

It was a bright sunny morning when members wended their way to Coalbank,  A talk by the current owners was given during morning tea. The land (about 350 acres or 142 ha) was bought about fifteen years ago, when it was a dairy farm. The talk included an outline of some of their philosophy that underpins what they do on this property, e.g., every plant has its place, just need to find out where. One principle: anything cut, went back into the earth as mulch.

Red Passion Flower 
Passiflora aurantia
Photo: T, Gardner

Then it was time to explore an area near a scree slope. (See more information about screes at the end of this report.) An Orange Olive Plum Elaeodendron australe var. integrifolium but no fruit at the moment caught some members' attention. There was also a lot of yellow-flowering Spur Goodenia Goodenia paradoxa covering a lot of the ground. A flowering native passion vine Passiflora aurantia var. aurantia which had both its pink/reddish flowers as well as some green fruit was admired. There were also some weeds that we noted: the Spear Thistles and Lantana.

Warrigal Greens  
Tetragona tetragoinoides
Photo: T, Gardner

After lunch members explored the creek, disturbing a Lace Monitor Varanus varius, which dashed up a tree. 

All in all, an outing in which the weather made it a very pleasant, late spring excursion. 

The scree slope - From Ipswich west into the Great Artesian Basin the rock sequence contains sandstones to feldspathic sandstones and finer mudstones.

On the Range from Toowoomba to the Bunya Mountains there are remnants of the many basalt flows mostly as hill caps. The basalts, some coarse and blocky some flowbanded and more finely layered, are mostly harder than the underlying sediments.

During weathering, the softer underlying rocks erode more easily leaving the basalt with steep, cliff like outcrops near the hilltops. As the basalt breaks and collapses down the slope a cover of basaltic fragments. sometimes as scree, forms over the eroding sediments.

scree (skrē) n. 1. Loose rock debris covering a slope.

The term scree is applied both to an unstable steep mountain slope composed of rock fragments and other debris, and to the mixture of rock fragments and debris itself.  The term scree is sometimes used more broadly for any sheet of loose rock fragments mantling a slope.  

The scree slope
Photo: D. Johnstone

Lace Monitor 
Varanus varius
Photo: D. Johnstone 

Species Lists

Reptiles: Elegant Snake-eyed Skink Cryptoblepharus p. pulcher, Lace Monitor Varanus varius 
Frogs: Beeping Froglet Crinia parinsignifera, Spotted Grass Frog Limnodynastes amanuenses, Slender Bleating Treefrog Litoria balatus, Emerald Spotted Treefrog Litoria peronii 
Birds: Plumed Whistling-Duck, Crested Pigeon, Bar-shouldered Dove, White-faced Heron, Black-shouldered Kite, Galah, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Australian King Parrot, Pale-headed Rosella (southern form), Pheasant Coucal, Eastern Koel, Laughing Kookaburra, Superb Fairy-wren, Striated Pardalote, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Brown Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, Striped Honeyeater, Grey-crowned Babbler (eastern), Eastern Whipbird, Australasian Figbird, Olive-backed Oriole, Grey Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong (eastern Australia), Willie Wagtail (southern), Torresian Crow, Apostlebird, Welcome Swallow 
Land Snails: Nomadic Velvet Snail Neveritis aridorum 
Spiders: Speckled Orbweaver Araneus circulissparsus, a flower spider Boomerangia dimidiata, wrap-around spiders Dolophones conifera and Dolophones turrigera, Garden Orb-weaver Hortophora transmarina, Dotty Lynx Spider Oxyopes punctatus, Variable Lynx Spider Oxyopes variabilis, Octopus Crab Spider Tmarus marmoreus 

Boomerangiana dimidiata
Photo: G. Walter

Butterflies: Glasswing Acraea a. andromacha, Caper White Belenois java teutonia, Common Crow Euploea corinna, Lesser Wanderer Danaus petilia, Monarch Danaus plexippus (including caterpillar), Scarlet Jezebel Delias a. argenthona, Black Jezebel Delias nigrina, Large Grass Yellow Eurema hecabe, Meadow Argus Junonia villida, Orchard Swallowtail (Australian subspecies) Papilio a. aegeus, Chequered Swallowtail Papilio demoleus sthenelus, White-banded Plane (southern subspecies) Phaedyma s. shepherdi, Cabbage White

Cattle Poison Sawfly
Lophyrotoma interrupta
Photo: G. Walter

Pieris rapae, Wattle Blue Theclinesthes miskini, Common Grass Blue Zizina otis labradus 
Dragonflies and Damselflies: Wandering Ringtail Austrolestes leda, Wandering Percher Diplacodes bipunctata, Scarlet Percher Diplacodes haematodes, Tau Emerald Hemicordulia tau 
Other Invertebrates: Beetles; Yellow Soldier Beetle Chauliognathus flavipennis, a longicorn beetle Corrhenes paulla, a weevil Rhinotia sp. (possibly a Long-nosed Weevil Rhinotia hemisticta), Bugs; Ricespotting Bug Eysarcoris distinctus, Cicadas; Bark Squeaker Atrapsalta corticina. Flies & Mosquitoes; Scotch Grey Mosquito Aedes alternans, Ants & Sawflies; Cattle Poison Sawfly Lophyrotoma interrupta, Giant Bull Ant Myrmecia brevinoda. 

Bark Squeaker Atrapsalta corticina
Photo: G. Walter

Flora discussed or taken note of on the day (not a comprehensive list):

Herbs: Spur Goodenia or Branching Goodenia Goodenia paradoxa, Queensland Darling Pea Swainsona queenslandica, Warrigal Greens Tetragonia tetragonoides.
Vines, Scramblers & Climbers: Red-flowering Passionfruit Passiflora aurantia,
Trees: Narrow-leaved Red Olive Plum or Orange Olive Plum Elaeodendron australe var. integrifolium, Forest Red Gum Eucalyptus tereticornis, Native
Cherry or Cherry Ballart  Exocarpos cupressiformis.

A Weevil - Rhinotia species
Photo: G. Walter

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 

October Outing Details: Ravensbourne area, 9 October 2022

The Toowoomba Field Naturalists Club Inc. acknowledges the land of the Barunggam people who are the traditional custodians of Ravensbourne-Perseverance and pay our respects to both 

Male Regent Bowerbird at the property

the past and present first peoples, their elders, languages, customs, culture and connection to this wonderful country.

Time: Meet at the property at 9:30am. Carpooling will be available at Neil Street carpark, Toowoomba at 8:20 am.

Where: Ravensbourne/Perseverance area

Directions: If you're not a Toowoomba Field Naturalists Club member, please contact us, toowoombafieldnaturalists@gmail.com, for directions. Members, please  refer to the newsletter.

Activities: Tour of the extensive gardens, a home sawmill, beehives, orchard, hot house and carnivorous plants before a picnic morning tea and discussion with our hosts around 11.00 am. 

Then exploring a natural, tall eucalypt forest and returning for a late lunch and discussion. 

Botanists, birdwatchers and insect observers will all find something of interest .

What to Bring: chair, morning tea and lunch, and the usual naturalist stuff; binoculars, camera, field guides, notebook, etc.

Donkey Orchid

   

The property

Outing Report - 4 September 2022, Western Escarpment Parks Toowoomba

Members met at the Cranley Escarpment Park. This is a large remnant bushland reserve on the north-west outskirts of Toowoomba with a two kilometres circuit walk along a wide path. Sadly, we could call it a weed reserve for it contains ‘good’ stands of lantana, tree pear and privet. It has been suggested that Governor Phillip was responsible for the introduction of the cactus to start a cochineal industry: red dye was needed by the British army for their uniforms and the cochineal beetle, which feeds on certain species of cacti, was the source of a vivid red dye. (A good ‘read’ is A Perfect Red by Amy Butler Greenfield).

It was good to see some flowering native groundsel Senecio species, and the Soap Tree Alphitonia excelsa was in fruit. A wattle tree had many galls with grubs chomping their way through the galls. 

Probably Trichilogaster sp.
(a small genus of Chalcid wasps that 
are gall-formers on Australian acacia.)

What the park lacked in native vegetation it made up for in bird life. Twenty-nine species were seen and most obvious were the large number of Grey Fantails moving in front of us as we walked.

Our second stop was John Trousdell Park at Cotswold Hills Estate. John George Trousdell came to Australia from Ireland in 1865 and farmed in the Meringandan area. He was one of the earliest settlers in that region. Lunch is a time for eating, chatting, and looking: an arboreal termite mound took our interest as did the kookaburras; Noisy Miners were nesting in the small bunya pine. The park has a short (1.2 kilometre) loop with challenging slopes down and up. Again, interesting vegetation was in short supply, but birdlife was varied. A small muddy dam was occupied by a group of Wood Ducks and the highlight on the path was the Variegated Fairy-wrens and one Superb Fairy-wren.

Bird Lists

Cranley Escarpment Park

Crested Pigeon, Australian White Ibis, Straw-necked Ibis, Black Kite, Galah, Rainbow Lorikeet, Pale-headed Rosella, Pheasant Coucal, Laughing Kookaburra, Speckled Warbler, White-throated Gerygone, White-browed Scrubwren, Brown Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, Noisy Miner, Striated Pardalote, Australasian Figbird, Golden Whistler, Eastern Whipbird, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Pied Currawong, Australian Magpie, Pied Butcherbird, Grey Butcherbird, Grey Fantail, Crow (? Australian Raven/Torresian Crow), Eastern Yellow Robin, Silvereye, Red-browed Finch, Double-barred Finch.

John Trousdell Park

Australian Wood Duck, Straw-necked Ibis, Little Pied Cormorant, Masked Lapwing, Galah, Pale-headed Rosella, Laughing Kookaburra, White-throated Treecreeper, Superb Fairy-wren, Noisy Miner, Australian Magpie, Australian Magpie, Willie Wagtail, Australian Pipit.