Mt Rogers, Spring (November 2012)

Will it ever be green again?

This might have been the title to this update, but since I posed that question it’s rained for twelve hours after the Melbourne Cup and even the introduced annual-grasses that were browning-off have been somewhat flattened. The 2012 Spring, which has absorbed my time at the Bush Friendly Garden at Floriade and the Weed Swap of 3^rd & 4^th November, has produced a surge of green growth and plants’ energetic flowering . Overall, I’ve recently heard, plants are putting their energies into growth rather than flowering. This is affecting bees as there is less nectar for them to harvest. Many small privet seedlings are growing green from where they were deposited in bird-poo.

CHANCE

I’ve not noticed patches of Onion orchids this spring but the single Sun orchid has several flowers which wait until the sun shines on them before beginning their flowering sequence. Another Sun orchid was recently found by the Umbagong Landcarers between Latham streets and Ginninderra Creek.  Such finds are often chance events similar to sighting less common birds so it’s wise to carry camera or smart-phone and binoculars if possible! The native violet, Viola betonicifolia, that emerged after the drought is flowering from two plants this year on Mt Rogers.

GRASSES

Ginninderra Catchment Group initiated a grasses identification  session last week, focussing on African Lovegrass (ALG), Chilean Needle Grass (CNG) and Serrated Tussock (ST). There’s no shortage of ALG on Mt Rogers but you’ll remember that large areas were sprayed to reduce the invasion last year. At Kippax, there were tussocks of ALG and CNG within a few metres of the Catchment Group’s office near the playing fields. Steve, Ann, Ivan and I took part and we later examined and removed several ST tussocks from a nature strip alongside Florey drive. The householder had been hoping they were native grasses. He’s not alone in unsuspectingly hosting highly invasive grasses. He’ll be given some Bluebells and native grasses as replacements.

Having our “weed-grasses eye in” it’s horrifying how much CNG can be found. For example it’s common around the Flynn playground under the trees there.

Mowers brought the seeds in originally. Since the playground area was mown this week I wonder where some of “our” seeds have now been spread.  I had a brief look through a thick weeds book and the Grassland Flora  and reckon there are at least 45 different species of grasses on Mt Rogers with 15 or so being Australian natives.

WONS

Weeds of National Significance include CNG and ST, Blackberry, most willows and brooms which are flowering in many gardens at present. Whether in our region or elsewhere WONS weeds are highly invasive because they have no natural predators to control them in Australia.  The greatest losses of native plants and animals occurs through loss of habitat. Since weeds destroy habitat by taking space, nutrients and water from native plants they surely have just severe an effect as clearing of land for various forms of development and agriculture. Spending money on weed management is a low priority for governments but our Ginninderra Catchment Group has allocated money for follow-up spraying of blackberries, ALG, CNG and St Johns Wort on Mt Rogers and Mt Painter in Cook.

“OUR” FROGMOUTHS

During the week beginning 12th November we noticed that the Frogmouth chicks were increasingly restless on the nest during the day. By mid-week we’d had a report that one chick was away from the nest with a parent whilst the other was still on the nest with, presumably, its father. This morning (17^th) we noticed the nest was empty but three walkers chanced on the chicks out on a branch of the same tree with one parent. The other parent was across the path in another, smaller, eucalypt. Our next challenge will be to find their roost each morning before they really move away from ‘home’. Fledging events are being reported around Canberra where birdwatchers are following their own favourite pairs of these incredibly camouflaged, nocturnal insect-hunters.

EUCALYPTS

Eleven of us gathered by the Frogmouth Tree to be led on a stroll around the reserve by Laurie. That tree proved to be a bit of a riddle: perhaps it’s a Blakely’s Red Gum* or maybe a Yellow Box**. Closely related eucalypts hybridise quite readily so even a close examination of fallen gum nuts doesn’t always give definitive answers. There’s a useful brochure, A Guide to Eucalypts in the ACT,  with tabled details and drawings of buds, nuts and leaves from 20 species.

(Before we walked up the gully we noticed the Bottlebrushes in flower near the concrete drain. The plants’ flowers are greenish-cream but we thought the plants themselves would have been planted there in the seventies.)

The three main Eucalypt species on Mt Rogers are *Eucalyptus blakelyi, **E. melliodora, E. bridgesiana  (Apple box) though we did find three Eucalyptus rossii (Scribbly gum), and two of them hosted honeybee nests.

We had a look at one of the groups of planted Snow Gums. The veins on their leaves are almost parallel. Just beyond the iconic “Benchmark tree” we came across an Echidna. It tried burrowing in the hope that we’d not seen it but several cameras clicked away busily to capture the moment.

Thanks to Kirsty for arranging to have Laurie as our Eucalypt leader and to Steve, Aidan, Barbara, Mike, Kevin, Ivan, Peter and Olga who each made valuable contributions to the discussions and willingly shared knowledge and experiences both on and beyond the topic of eucalypts.

WORKING BEES

Claire and Lorraine did detailed Monday-weeding amongst the Guides’ plantings and then pulled some smaller Patersons Curse plants.

Flemming, Ivan, Kirsty and Ann cut and daubed woody weeds on Sunday 28^th - an effort we’ll return to in the new year. Chris, Margaret and Anne work when they can during the week with their own favourite target weeds.  Volunteers rule!

THE NEXT WORKING-BEES WILL BE THE LAST FOR 2012.

FOR SUNDAY 25^TH NOVEMBER MEET NEAR THE NEWSLETTER NOTICE BOX.
Parking in the north arm of Rechner place, Flynn would be the closest for drivers. Please bring sturdy scissors as we will be cutting off grass flowers and bagging these before digging out the  ST tussocks.

FOR MONDAY 3^RD DECEMBER MEET AT THE WICKENS PLACE, FRASER CAR-PARK. We’ll continue work against Patersons Curse by bagging the flowering head before the seeds are ripe.

IN EACH CASE MEET BY 9AM UNLESS THE FORECAST IS FOR A HOT DAY IN WHICH CASE 8.30am WILL BE WISER.

MORE ON WEED GRASSES
Today I had occasion to walk through Mt Rogers rather than strolling around it.
I was delighted to see that some accurate spraying of Chilean Needle Grass (CNG) had already happened. Opening emails later revealed that Steve had been active over the weekend (and after the Eucalypt walk). He’d worked on CNG and African Lovegrass  (ALG) infestations uphill from the path. This is most important as we’ve already had one pass at the ALG and the CNG is a new situation or rather newly-noticed situation.

As I walked through and updated two notice boards a TAMS ute came through with weed-spraying equipment on the back. Fortunately I was later able to have a chat with them; they were “checking out what needed doing”. I’m not sure how much they could see just driving round but at least some message has got through.  What should be happening is that the EnviroAg team will be spraying within the reserve and especially ‘uphill’ from the gravel path and TAMS people will be spraying in the area of the carpark at Wickens Place. Only time will tell when these tasks are scheduled.

THE DAISY FAMILY
We’ve had concerned walkers commenting on Capeweed flowering along the path and also flowers on Salsify and Goatsbeard. It’s really beneficial to have these reports so we can adjust our weeding efforts if possible.
In the case of the Capeweed it’s important to try removing plants which are isolated so that new infestations deeper into the reserve don’t make the weeds situation worse. I’ve noticed Rosellas feeding on the Capeweed seeds elsewhere  and it’s always a bit of a shock to come across native birds eating “the wrong thing” - but they have to eat! Superb parrots have been eating Chickweed seeds…another example of birds adapting to changed habitats and food availability.

Salsify and Goatsbeard belong to the same huge 'daisy' family as dandelions, flatweed, thistles, fleabane and a range of actual daisies. Compositae was the name given to this group because the flowers are composite. There’s a ring of advertising florets surrounding a mass of tiny individual flowers in each centre.
We found Salsify and Goatsbeard growing close to each other when Eucalypt-walking. Goatsbeard has yellow flowers and Salsify, purple. Salsify  Tragopogon porrifolius has Oyster plant, vegetable oyster and Jerusalem star as other names. Originally from Southern Europe and North Africa Tim Low’s Wild Herbs of Australia… says the large taproot can be eaten like parsnip when the plants are younger. When cooked these roots are said to have a “seafood flavour” hence the oyster connection from its aroma. Initially the leaves emerge looking like grass. But they’re tough to pull up and exude a milky sap when the stems are broken.  Both species end up with magnificent large brownish flower-heads and huge seeds which float away like parachutes when ripe. Some years the two are everywhere and after other seasons there are fewer around. Interesting and attractive weeds which, in the scheme of things,  we don’t have the resources to deal with.

Petals and seeds
The other day I watched a David Attenborough program  that showed that insects see daisies’ familiar colours quite differently to humans. The large outer ‘petals’  focus the insects' attention on the central flowers which need pollinating before seeds can be produced. You’ll have noticed a range of insects including honeybees, native bees, butterflies and hoverflies moving over the flowers seeking the rewards of nectar and gaining a dusting of pollen as they walk.

Tear apart a dandelion flower-head and examine the individual florets. There are five fused petals, a stalk which will elongate, a pappus which will help the seed blow away and the seed.  I counted 153 potential seeds on one old dandelion-head, 154 florets on “one” dandelion flower and 125 florets on a flatweed “flower” recently.
I’m regretting teaching the grandchildren to blow away dandelion parachutes as the plants are now entrenched in the grass with difficult-to-reach taproots that only succumb to deep digging or leverage when the ground’s really damp.

Flatweed
The investigation was triggered by the swathe-like masses of Flatweed flowers on un-mown nature strips.  The sight was quite pretty. Most people see the plants as dandelions but the differences are quite noticeable. Flatweeds form rosettes of leaves close to the ground. Each leaf spreads out into the light so they can photosynthesise food to store in the taproot. They are very good at preventing other plants from growing - or at least squashing other plants' efforts.  A smaller similar species is  Catsears, miniature flatweeds, which pull out reasonably easily but still have many seeds blown by the wind.

Asters later gave  their name to the Compositae with botanists using the word Asteraceae.  Wikipedia cites 23,000 species of Asteraceae worldwide, those numbers rivalling numbers of Orchid species apparently.

Edibility
Dandelions, flatweeds and catsears are edible with the leaves being used in salads. Prickly lettuce, another Asteraceae and a Mt Rogers weed, is also edible when young and is said to have been the ancestor of our lettuces. “The earliest grown lettuces bore close resemblance to this weed, as shown by 6500-year old Egyptian wall paintings…..In China lettuce cultivation extends back 1000 - 1300 years…”

One native daisy that is easily confused with the shorter-stemmed dandelion is the Yam Daisy. For some reason there don’t seem to be any specimens on Mt Rogers though they are "having a good year” in other areas of the ACT bush. Microseris lanceolata  were a staple food for Indigenous people; they used digging sticks to harvest the thick tap roots before roasting them.

FAUNA

 

Echidna

As I said above, on our Eucalyptus walk we encountered an Echidna not far from the Benchmark tree. This sighting confirms several reports of Echidnas being seen recently. Some evidence came from quite “deep” into Fraser some 500m from the reserve and with roads to negotiate.

Kangaroos

How do the kangaroos fare when the grass is so tall? I’ve seen Rosellas and Cockatoos eating the seeds from any wild oats they could reach whilst perched on low branches or fence-wire but surely roos need to graze grass close to the ground. I’ve also had concerns raised about dogs chasing “our” kangaroos. Let’s hope “our” dogs aren’t guilty and that the roos’ geography is better than the dogs’.

Nesting

After Lyndon’s and Kirsty’s photos and others reports of Kookaburras trying to enlarge the nestboxes’ entry-holes by crash-flying towards them, I don’t know of their having been successful. Crimson Rosellas have been interested in a smaller hole not far from the Flynn playground.

No sign of Frogmouths this morning (19th November) about 9.30, but perhaps other people have looked further afield from their usual roost trees and found them?

Reptiles

Ross Bennett is advertised as the speaker at the Botanic Gardens at lunchtime on Thursday  22^nd November if you need to become less scared or more appreciative of snakes and reptiles. That’s 12.30 for the gold-coin presentation plus a few dollars for parking.

Rosemary
Mt Rogers Landcare Coordinator
19 November 2012

MT ROGERS SPRING 2012

Frogmouths

For several weeks two Tawny Frogmouths have roosted by day in a tree closer to their “traditional” nesting eucalypt. They were hidden by foliage, but John and Nancy managed a few photos. We’ve suspected that twigs were gradually being added to the nest in the fork and by 11^th Margaret saw one of the birds on the nest. Peter added to this observation on 13^th September. The male incubates the eggs during the day and the female at night. There may be 2–5 eggs to be kept warm for 30 days with the young leaving the nest when aged about 4 weeks. Imagine sitting on sticks for all that time. Note that the rogue Magpie has begun swooping to protect its nest near the Flynn playground.

Kookaburras

Two Kookaburras watched during a Monday weeding session and were later seen investigating one of the nest-boxes near the Wickens Place carpark. Lyndon and Kirsty have amazing recent photos of the birds flying on a collision course with the box’s entry hole presumably enlarging the entry. Will the plywood prove too sturdy for them and will they change their hopes to a more natural hollow in a eucalypt? Have the Kookaburras learned to try man-made structure because tree hollows are increasingly scarce?

Superb Parrots

There have been many ‘canberrabirds email-line’ reports of sightings of this colourful species in recent weeks especially around Belconnen ... even in town-centre trees near St Vinnies. Mary and Kirsty have photos of ‘Superbs’ feeding amongst the lush grass in easements and on nature strips, and the birds’ choice seems to be chickweed as well as grass seeds. Peter has captured a male in a digital photo. Check out the two blog ‘pages’ with Superb Parrot in the name, at mtrogerslandcare.blogspot.com, if the species is new to you. If you hear the parrots’ calls at dusk please be alert to where they are heading and we may, between us, be able to locate some roost sites.

Migrants

I suspect we’re not really sure enough about the Superbs’ movements to class them as migrants but there are many other bird species which return to the Canberra region for spring and summer. Some are passing through to feeding and nesting areas in the high country, whilst many breed around our region.

There are several cuckoos that come here in spring but none of them has the familiar “cuckoo” call of European cuckoos. Then there’s the Koel which we’ve become accustomed to hearing. It seems odd that these birds should call so distinctly when they are preparing to parasitise other birds’ nests, but they obviously have a need to first attract mates.

Honeyeaters return in large numbers, with the largest species being some wattlebirds and Noisy Friarbirds with their ugly (?) black heads. There are at least six smaller species of honeyeaters which come to Mt Rogers seeking nectar, with specifically shaped beaks and active tongues probing into specifically shaped flowers.

Bees

A small book from 2000 illustrates Native bees of the Sydney Region and states that Australia has over 1,500 species of native bees. Some are 2 mm in size and others are up to 24 mm in size. Of the approximately 200 species around Sydney the Blue-banded Bee is perhaps the one most closely resembling the introduced honeybee in size. There are countless shrubs and other blossoming plants in suburban gardens that attract native bees. Honeybees are no strangers to our gardens either. Several trees on Mt Rogers host honeybee nests. This trend also causes a shortage of hollows for kookaburras, possums and numerous native birds.

Plants provide nectar, or pollen or both for visiting, pollinating animals and often advertise their presence with bright petals catching sunlight. Many species of plants have co-evolved with the flowering plants they pollinate. The shapes of the petals and the depth of the tube they may form are matched, just like the birds, by the tongue-length of their bee visitors.

It has always puzzled me that many children’s books colour their bee characters yellow and black. The stinging insects that utilise these colours are European Wasps. Theirs is another story of invasion and the spreading of the species into the Canberra region (from about 1984) and even its southern bush areas. The imbalance caused by introduced honeybees and European wasps pollinating native flowers is a major concern. Of even greater concern is the effect of introduced Asian bees and Varroa mite on the honeybees which pollinate a large proportion of our food crops … nuts, apples, canola, tomatoes and honey-producing trees.

European Wasp queens will be emerging from hibernation soon to seek new nest sites. The hotline for European Wasps is 6162 1914 and the ACT Beekeepers Association has an informative website.

Floriade and weeds

If you are new to the ACT region, gardening and Mt Rogers there is an informative garden at Floriade which shows the invasive plants for this region and a few of the thousands of plants that could grow in Canberra gardens as non-invasive alternatives. The garden is designed and put in place by Parks and Conservation Service personnel with a team of some sixty volunteers rostered on in pairs each day to explain why weeds are a problem everywhere and what can be done about local problem plants.

The next WEED SWAP is on November 3^rd and 4^th at Canberra Sand & Gravel’s yard off Parkwood Road. With about 27,500 versus about 24,000 there are now more introduced plant species in Australia than native plant species. Some ask why this is a serious situation. But many people don’t have time to treasure the uniqueness of Australia’s flora let alone understand why the uniqueness needs to be preserved from the range of threats that modern lifestyles and wants exacerbate.

Mt Rogers Landcare

Mt Rogers landcarers continue to cut out the woody environmental weeds that deny native species space, water and nutrients in the soil. Now is a good time to check gardens along fence-lines, and under power cables and trees, for small privet and cotoneaster seedlings that have emerged from bird droppings. Pull them out before this becomes a major operation requiring tools and muscle-power!

Folk from Avery place have weeded round several of the younger trees close to their houses’ boundaries. Chris and Margaret have mattocked-out Verbascum rosettes. During recent working-bees we’ve also removed numerous lush Patersons Curse plants and clusters of small ones will be sprayed.

Jenny has reported flourishing Cape Weed plants along the edges of the gravel path. We’ll probably concentrate on removing isolated ones but Steve and Ann may be able to spray those “uphill” of the path to prevent their seeds spreading.

 
Kirsty organised a walk with Laurie, a Eucalyptus expert. We were able to begin the sometimes-tricky lessons of identifying Yellow Box, Red Gum and Apple Box eucalypt species and distinguishing them from each other.

Nola and Graham have embarked on an ambitious project to photograph the older eucalypts. There seem to be about 70 of these original trees but the lines blur occasionally when eucalypts planted in the seventies seem to have grown extra rapidly.

You can see from the above that there’s a variety of ways to contribute to Mt Rogers. You’re probably one of the hundreds of appreciators who walk there regularly and support what others are able to do. Thank you all … you’re a great community.

Rosemary   Mt Rogers Landcare Convenor  

6258 4724    
27.07.12.

WATTLES, RAIN, SNOW, GALES, FROST & WARM SUN - August 2012

Twice in recent weeks I’ve seen the Owlet Nightjar watching the world from its daytime nest-box. It’s been enjoying the sun but facing gale-force or blustery winds. Check out the boxes as you walk past the entrance to the Wickens carpark (see also the photo in the November 2011 blog-post) and you may see the entry blocked by a tiny, glider-like face. It popped back inside when someone walked too close but was back, watching, five minutes later. Perhaps vitamin D is important to birds also.

A bit later on I came across a small flock of birds which still included a pair of Scarlet Robins. The robins have been delighting many of us over winter with the males bringing unpaintable scarlet plumage onto the look-out branches before diving down for insects in the grass or leaf litter. The females’ breasts have a blush of scarlet together with attractive brown markings. Has our modern world’s constant quest for bright colours moved us away from valuing the functional browns, greys, rusts and beiges of many of our birds?

 

The Frogmouths use patterning and bush-colours to superb effect, camouflaging themselves against the barks of daytime-roost trees. On 23^rd July I happened on “our” Frogmouths roosting close together in dense foliage closer to the Flynn playground than their nesting tree. John managed a photo or two but when I last searched for them they weren’t there. I had the impression there were more twigs in their nest V, but since then we’ve had strong winds. If they do nest as usual just be aware that the playground-area’s magpies may be in swooping mode soon. (Great photos of the Frogmouths are in the November 2011 blog-post.)

It seems to me that the wattles’ yellow flowers are even more intensely yellow this year. Perhaps this is an illusion or maybe the La Niña damp soils have been an influence. The Cootamundra Wattle, Acacia baileyana, was the first to flower noticeably on Mt Rogers — or the older ones were. Some of the dense thickets have yet to reach their prime. These monocultures show why Cootamundra Wattle is classed as a weed in many areas, because after fire it germinates so prolifically that it prevents a range of native species from sharing the ground.

In Canberra Nature Park areas it is scheduled for removal because it can hybridise with local species such as A. decurrens and A. dealbata. It’s a relatively short-lived wattle but there are many old specimens on Mt Rogers which still offer wonderful habitat and food sources to insects and the birds that feed on them...part of the wonder of nature that dead trees, dead timber and brittle branches are still a vital part of the web of life as carbon stores.

 

There’s been progress on having a walk to identify the original eucalypts thanks to Kirsty liaising with a botanist friend. Nola and Graham have undertaken to photograph some of the multi-century trees that watched the suburbs develop around the ‘hill’ in the seventies. The younger trees were planted once the infrastructure (powerlines, reservoirs, main tracks and protective embankments) was established. But, though these trees are 30–40 years old they are too young to have the hollows and bark crevices that birds, lizards and mammals need.

I expect some of the regrowth under the powerlines will be levelled before too long. In one such area Claire, Kirsty and I have been working on a flourishing patch of Paterson’s Curse (PC). There has been successful germination of this purple weed after a quiet couple of years. Some are in flower and there are numerous small ones. The plants contain alkaloids which are toxic to stock. The rosettes of PC leaves inhibit the growth of other species, and our next working-bees will be focusing on this area. Someone had already begun work on this patch so we were able to scatter some native grass seed on the loosened soil.

The blackberries and honeysuckle that were sprayed by contractors in April are at last looking mostly dead. We are eligible for some grass seed which should help restore these areas. The remains of the bushes are important for small birds in bush areas that are less vegetated than Mt Rogers.

Thanks to Margaret and Chris, the left-over pieces of metal and plastic from the burnt-out Peugeot at the five-ways junction have been removed. The tow-truck crew took most of the wreck but our volunteers applied the attention-to-detail principle to clean up the site. One wonders what chemicals are now in the soil there but it was not an area of significant native plants. 

Mary reported the car’s remains whilst walking her dogs. We’ll probably never know the true story and whether the car would have been burnt at the summit if a camper hadn’t already set up a tent there beside his (?) Honda 4WD.

Whilst the police were investigating the events three kangaroos watched from below the summit. I saw three again today behind the twin reservoirs. Their dropping are found in many parts of the reserve showing that they have their own routines of moving around in search of grasses and sheltered places in the daytime sun. It would be good to think that they will eat the Wild Oats as they mature, as well as the native grasses they are enjoying at the moment.

 

Chris deB has produced a map showing where clumps of Serrated Tussock have escaped our notice. We’ll try to dig these out before they begin flowering.

A trusty team is folding the new brochure edition for us….thank you all.

On Tuesday October 30^th a workshop has been organised by Ginninderra Catchment Group offering identification skills for African Lovegrass, Chilean Needlegrass and Serrated Tussock. Please contact Kelly (phone 02 6278 3309) if you would like to take part.

The Catchment Group has also helped with the development of a brochure tentatively called Living with fire. Its production has been taken over by the Parks and Conservation Service team at Stromlo Depot (off Cotter road) but the initial impetus came from your comments at the time of Mt Rogers’ Hazard Reduction Burn a year ago.

In the area behind Woodger Place (in my mind I call it Bridget’s because she used to live there in what is now Bomber and Buddy’s house) there are some purple-blue Hovea in flower and a few yellow Bulbine Lilies with about-to-open buds. As you’ve noticed in other ways in the last 3–4 weeks, spring is on its way once each night’s frost has melted! Cross-country walkers may have seen the pale yellow flowers of Urn Heath and the tiny heather-like bells of Cryptandra in from the track that runs between the reservoir complexes.

Yesterday’s weather put us firmly in our places and I hope you were able to see the snow on the hills this morning as well as the flakes that fell in our suburbs mid-morning.

18.08.12.

Rosemary, Convenor Mt Rogers Landcare.
6258 4724

(Photos are from previous years on Mt Rogers.)

JUNE-JULY 2012 MT ROGERS RESERVE

In August there’ll be an invitation for Mt Rogers folk to join in a wander round the reserve to record the multi-century Eucalypts that remain as sentinels from the past. Kirsty has arranged for Laurie to identify which of the 25 species native to the ACT we see daily on our walks. There are some 850 species in the Genus Eucalyptus with location, leaves, bark and “gumnut” shape among the clues for identification.

In the last ten years we have lost two of these magnificent multi-purpose organisms to chainsaws when they were burning after arson attacks. There are several stumps that show the huge girth of the living trees and at least two skeletal trees which are look-outs for raptors and regular conference-centres for the ”big-four” species.

Please let us know if you would like to join in and whether, in the meantime, you’d be interested in a photographic project recording these ancestral trees. I have begun assigning numbers and recording these on a map so it’s easy to make copies that record the locations of the sixty I have noted so far.

The younger eucalypt trees were planted in the seventies along with many shrubs. Quite a few of these species are not native to Mt Rogers but have survived the climate’s vagaries. There are several species of wattle in the reserve including Cootamundra wattle which would have been introduced in the planting era. As recently as last year an Aboriginal elder stressed the benefits of wattles in “the bush” alluding to the fact that their root nodules fix nitrogen in the soil and therefore improve fertility for other species including eucalypts.

Kirsty and I have had two very enjoyable treks through the Hazard Reduction Burn (HRB) area to see how the plants have reacted to the August 2011 event. I’ve also had a walk through with Adam who is an ecologist working with the Fire Management Unit. Whilst the introduced grasses seem just as dense as before, there is actually more space hidden between the regrowing tussocks. The native Weeping grass, Microlaena stipoides, has flourished in the two damp growing seasons even in the HRB area. Native wildflowers are also growing well although only yellow Guinea flower, creamy-yellow Urn Heath and a few determined Bluebells currently colour the bush.

The data from our volunteers’ surveys will provide an updated Mt Rogers record and also inform the agencies which manage the reserve. All around Australia and internationally the citizen science movement celebrates the recording of species and instances of change. We can contribute to understanding of the ACT’s natural estate.

You’ll know that rapacious exploitation and alteration of woodlands, forests, ‘scrub’, grasslands, wetlands and bush is causing species loss and extinctions. Sometimes these losses occur before the organisms, particularly the invertebrates and microscopic species, have been studied and their significance in the interconnected web of life understood.

Thankfully seeing Scarlet robins, Speckled Warblers, Wrens, Finches and Whistlers on Mt Rogers helps to deflect the despair that overwhelms optimism for the future. When the powerful are allowing Sporting shooters into  NSW National Parks what will these iconic places be like when all animals retreat terrified, from humans who come to see them? In spite of decades of scientists’ and ecologists’ data that show the effects of hard hooves on fragile vegetation and shallow soils, horse riding is also set to be allowed in interstate national parks. Rangers and volunteers have toiled for decades to eradicate weeds from national parks previously open to graziers and now horses are to bring in more non-native plants’ seeds in their dung. In theory equestrians can use Mt Rogers but instances of their leaving horse dung seem to be rare.

Mt Rogers folk experience the wonder and benefit of fresh air, calm or wild weather, the excitement of new flowers, regrowing trees and shrubs and the calls and behaviours of foraging and nesting birds. I wonder if any research has been done that shows those who spend time in the bush and their gardens live longer or are healthier? We’ve spread the word about these connections with nature to such an extent that a new printing of the brochure is necessary. That’s 2,000 in 3-4 years!

On 24^th June, in Crates Gully Aidan, Flemming, Ivan, Shane and Sue worked on long-neglected Cotoneaster, Privet and Pyracantha hidden amongst stands of wattles. The ground is covered with swathes of Weeping grass though we ran out of time to gather the seed-heads and scatter them amongst introduced grasses lower down. Crates Gully?  It was the setting for an elaborate cubby years ago with earthworks, roofing and milk and bread crates. On my eucalypt walk I found several other cubbies made with gathered dead branches. Numerous positives from planning, design, physical labour as the builders rearranged the bush material.

Negatively, I watched as a man took two branches home towards Magrath Crescent. It’s-only-me-people don’t realise that fallen timber is vital habitat and that firewood gathering from reserves is illegal. Have you come across Leaf Litter, a book by Rachel Tonkin? It’s a book to share with all who retain curiosity and wonder.  Through 14 double-pages of paintings Rachel traces the complexity, beauty and intricacy of life below the leaves and bark we used to call dead or decaying.  Microbes, fungi, ants, scorpions, spiders, worms, slaters and a range of vertebrates interact, by living and dying, to return nutrients to the soil in cycles much older than our dreams of recycling.

Kirsty and I grubbed out some Mullein or Verbascum rosettes on 24^th following Chris and Margaret’s example. Subtle progress, against a species that produces thousands of seeds per plant. Can you imagine my language when I discovered that several trailer-loads of weed grass clumps have been dumped in the best bit of Mt Rogers bush? When will people learn that the bush is not a dumping-space for weeds and Landcare volunteers don’t appreciate having to spend their working-bees cleaning up such rubbish so the clumps don’t regrow amongst the native grasses and wildflowers? During the working-bee Lorraine wisely pointed out that the dumper probably thought suburban grasses would rot down innocuously and improve the soil.

Lorraine and Clare did valuable work on African Lovegrass  (ALG) which had escaped both the mowers and herbicide. Chris and Flemming sought out isolated tussocks and dug them out. Prior to that they searched for woody weeds and cut them back. Eleven bags of the dumped waste and two of ALG are now out at Canberra Sand & Gravel for mulching & high temperature composting.

On Saturday 30^th I was glad to disturb a Bronzewing pigeon in that several people had remarked about not seeing them. They and, for example, the Treecreepers are quiet now. Mixed feeding flocks are busy. Possibly there are two separate groups of small birds feeding together for safety. There may be a pair of Rainbow lorikeets not far from the northern playground but these beautiful birds could be a mixed blessing. Are there enough tree-hollows for another species to take up residence in the ACT? Around Perth the native species has become a pest as their over-assertiveness drives away smaller species.  It’s thought that a few birds were released from an aviary in Hawker and their numbers are gradually increasing and spreading from south Belconnen. 

Just when someone’s been asking where to find owls on Mt Rogers Ann discovered a Boobook peering in through one of their windows in Spence last week. That’s a reward for her work on the blog.       www.mtrogerslandcare.blogspot.com

But who knows where the Boobooks and Frogmouths are apart from Ann’s good fortune?

About 3 weeks ago I filled out an online form at FIX MY STREET asking that the ALG growing in cracks between the asphalt and the gutter in the Wickens Place carpark be sprayed so that the plants don’t produce seed. This has been done recently. So if you have problems about maintenance in your street try that avenue or try Canberra Connect 132281.

I’ve heard that it takes a while for Blackberry and Honeysuckle to show that they’ve been sprayed so don’t expect too much even two months later! There are also one or two patches none of us had discovered by April so they’re on the next list.

Keep out of the cold winds and enjoy winter’s briskness!

Rosemary, Mt Rogers Landcare…..6258 4724

AFTER MINUS FIVE DEGREES: MT ROGERS IN WINTER

 Being on Mt Rogers by 09.20 was a delayed reaction to exploring a cold start to 8^th June, and, of course, our frosts are minimal compared to many other places. Last night the Field Naturalists enjoyed a ‘trip’ to Kamchatka where’s there’s an amazing mix of volcanoes and snow-falls of 10 metres and more! Part of the delay was caused by my watching a party of about 30 Silvereyes flitting between feasting on garden-based Privet berries and preening and sunning themselves in a nearby Bottlebrush. We’ve also had several “donations” of purple-poo here, on the concrete, suggesting that Currawongs are also enjoying berries from this highly invasive and allergenic species. Comparably there were photos of large purple “dollops” alongside paw-prints from the Kamchatka powerpoint file, linking Brown bears’ summer diet with harvested berries as a change from salmon-fishing.       

The danger from bears there is real, whereas hunters on Mt Rogers are mostly raptors. Black shouldered kites, Brown Goshawks, Australian Hobbies and Kestrels are the raptors seen recently. It’s worthwhile looking up when there’s a magpie-commotion as they could be protesting at these occasional visitors being in their territory. There are mice around again in some numbers and I found one under a sheet of galvanised left from a disused cubby.

About 50 m in from the Wickens carpark there are currently two wonderful cubbies. One’s a cone and the other a domed construction using gathered fallen branches. One is decorated with moss which may die if not touching soil and nearby is a circle of the decorated pebbles the Guides used to identify their now-flourishing plantings from August 2010. Purists might deplore the alterations caused by the builders but let’s applaud the creativity and artistry of the cubbies’ industrious makers.

Professionals from EnviroAg have altered the expectations of large clusters of Blackberry and Honeysuckle by spraying them with relevant herbicides. Being paid through a grant organised by Ginninderra Catchment Group they next spot-sprayed areas of African Lovegrass (ALG) and isolated tussocks of this monoculture-forming grass. The sprayers’ attention to detail is impressive as a quicker method would have been to boom spray the larger expanses using flupropanate, but that herbicide is lethal to other plants and is residual. Steve has complemented the spraying by many hours of volunteer spot-spraying and ALG seed-gathering alongside narrower tracks. He and Ann have each completed 8 hours of Chemcert training. Their time was, again, voluntary but the course was paid for out of the Parks and City Service’s budget — your rates and taxes at work in subtle ways.

Lorraine and I did some more ALG beheading & seed-bagging at the last working-bee. Margaret and Chris have worked on mattocking-out Mullein or Verbascum thapsus rosettes in an area they’d noticed. A week before, Flemming, Heather, Ivan, Sue and I worked on ALG and berried shrubs near the tanks’ main gate. Several volunteers apologised, but our volunteer landcarers’ enthusiasm always shows through as people help out when they can and they don’t feel guilty when their other lives intervene!

Ann, Steve and I have begun a process of naming the various places, tracks and paths on Mt Rogers so that we can better record activities and plan future projects. It would be interesting to gather-together all the names we each use for various parts of the reserve and probably quite amusing to hear the origins of those names. Perhaps that’s an activity for a white-board or newer technology next time we have an explorer day or a similar gathering? We volunteers will also be mapping where the native vegetation is of high and medium quality and conversely where it’s largely lacking. This data will inform the land’s managers and the Mowing and Fire Management units and lead to better management for conservation, rather than just managing Mt Rogers as an infrastructure and asset-protection area.

My after-frost walk today was really encouraging as I came across a Mixed Feeding Flock (MFF) of ten different small bird species. There were Scarlet robins, many Wrens and, even better, at least two Speckled Warblers. None seemed upset by my presence as they each sought their specific insectivorous or invertebrate food in a different layer of the bush. The warblers specialise as ground-feeders but prefer to forage through shortish grass. They are ground-nesters also making them vulnerable to predation by foxes and suburban cats. The species is in decline as a result and from habitat alteration.

The area the MFF was foraging in is part of the burnt section. At this time of the year the results of the Hazard Reduction Burn look promising in that relatively few introduced grass and weed species are present. Maybe the landcarers can annex this woody grassland area to their “attention-to-detail” program and continue to keep even trivial weeds under control.

Not far away is a recently fallen-tree which is still hanging on to life.  It was a significant eucalypt in that birds used it as a vantage point and a stop-over between the houses’ gardens and the reserve. The perhaps 150 year-old tree had become isolated by clearing-for-mowers policies and the loss of its shrub layer. It was probably caught by a gust of strong wind. Almost immediately “vultures“ swooped on it and took away branches presumably for firewood.  Let’s hope the rest of the tree escapes their chainsaws and we can watch as the specialised epicormic buds produce vertical branches from the horizontal trunk; the indomitable spirit of Australian survival.

Ann continues to add material to the blogsite she’s set up for us.  If you check out newsletters written at about the same time last year there’s comparisons to be made!

THE NEXT FOURTH-SUNDAY WORKING-BEE WILL CONCENTRATE ON THE BUSH AREA WEST OF SCHEY AND McNOLTY PLACES. THIS WILL BE ON 24^THJUNE FROM 09.00am.

We will be on a seek-and-destroy-mission for Cotoneaster bushes which remain under trees and in the dense vegetation of the gully that drains into the New North Drain. There’s also plenty of Microlaena seed we can harvest and scatter the thatch lower down the gully, hoping it will out-grow the introduced grasses.

Keep up the walking and watching!

Rosemary

Mt Rogers Landcare Group  08.06.12.
6258 4724

MT ROGERS MID-MAY 2012 & WHY VISIT MT ROGERS?

Mt Rogers LANDCARE VOLUNTEERS managed an excellent harvest of berries and cutting and daubing of woody weeds on Sunday 22^nd April before the rain became serious. Monday 7^th’s working bee saw five volunteers walking and weeding as we sought out isolated African lovegrass (ALG) tussocks and those beyond the mowers’ reach. We also searched for Cotoneaster and Pyracantha berries and Briar rosehips (like those in the photo below) uphill of the path between Wickens and Mildenhall places. Usually the berries were hidden deep in other bushes or in un-frequented places under trees where the birds had perched. Where ALG was dug out we scattered local native grass seeds.

As a follow-up from this our next WORKING-BEE on SUNDAY 27^TH MAY, from 9am will begin from near the twin tanks’ track with parking available in Mildenhall place.  

Thanks to Ann, Anne, Andrew, Flemming, John, Lorraine and Sue for donating time to our land-caring. Matt took bags of berries and undesirable seeds to Canberra Sand and Gravel for mulching and high-temperature composting. If you follow the tracks cross-country you’ll see evidence of Ivan’s digging-out of ALG tussocks deeper into the reserve.

You’ll have seen that recent MOWING has created a neat park-like appearance between the gravel path and the suburbs’ properties that border the reserve. This serves as a buffer of land in the event of fire and might also deter snakes from reaching yards. With the last mowing event a broader band of mowing “above the gravel path”, mowing tracks that lead to the summit and the extension of mowing into the reserve’s native grassland “behind” Woodger Place, Fraser has caused major concern. It’s impossible to clean all ALG and other weed seeds off mowing machinery. The likelihood is that all these places will have been infested with ALG seeds whereas they were relatively free of ALG before.

Procedures have now been put into place for our volunteers to map the vegetation areas of Mt Rogers with the aim of properly informing mowing unit personnel and fire management teams so that similar damage does not re-occur. There are plans for some spraying for TAMS but even more positively Ann and Steve D. have agreed to attend a Chemcert course on May 9^th which will allow them to supervise spraying volunteers’ activities on Mt Rogers. We will be able to follow up what mowers and the “authorities” achieve in a more flexible timeframe.

In the last week a team from EnviroAg has SPRAYED the infestations of Blackberry and Honeysuckle that have engulfed native vegetation over the years. And in another positive development Lawrence has received approval for a Year 8 assignment to INVESTIGATE the effect of mowing on invertebrate populations. He will probably be working in the Mildenhall place area if you see some extra, small-scale mowing happening.

A few weeks ago there was a presentation about moths by Australia’s foremost moths expert, Ted Edwards. Two of his points were especially poignant: numerous moth species have larvae that are essential workers in the breaking down of natural LEAF-LITTER and the release of nutrients for other plants from this process….and there appear to be few, if any, lepidopterists joining scientists and researchers in unravelling the mysteries of Australia’s 30,000 moths species. Relevance? We need to be wary of attempts to Hazard Reduction Burn forest and native grassland areas unnaturally frequently. Ecosystems cannot afford to have soil sterilised and invertebrates decimated beyond recovery-points. It may well be that we’ll be seeing those dark moth caterpillars moving across the path soon. They’re larvae of Apina callisto moths (see the photo below) and have antifreeze within them to withstand winter’s freezing temperatures.

Over the past 5-6 years many Mt Rogers walkers have become acute OBSERVERS of happenings and wildlife. They have become much more involved with NATURE or been able to revisit relationships with plants and animals from earlier decades. Minds become CURIOUS again in spite of the pressures of our “other lives”. The OUTDOORS has brought a sense of calm and wellbeing. None of us suffers from nature deficit disorder. Mind you we often have to concentrate on our feet as the path-track has suffered from the rain’s ravages and there’s many other ACT paths waiting to be fixed. Uneven surfaces probably give us more comprehensive EXERCISE and keep our bodies adjusting to the different levels. Once stamina is established going CROSS-COUNTRY is a new challenge.

Even from the circling gravel path the VIEWS are spectacular (for example, the view south in the photo above). Towards Black Mountain we can applaud suburban and town-centre development. Towards the north-east there’s our treed suburbs’ comparisons with Gungahlin-style suburbia. Looking to Hall we can muse about remaining farmland and the effort it took to clear the hills for grazing. Across to the west sunsets inspire especially with the light constantly changing on the Brindabellas. Walk up to the 704m summit and see this in 360 degrees.

SIGHTINGS recently have included Black-shouldered kites (BSK) hovering or watching for prey from the phone-tower. Scarlet robins (see photo below) are back to spend winter and reflect the sunshine from their breast feathers as no European robin is able to do. Over 80 bird species give people reason to watch for flights and seasonal changes. It’s worth scanning the skies for raptors other than the BSKs though I still haven’t got my head around recognising birds-of-prey from their flying patterns. Other birds are easier to identify from their flight especially if they’re calling at the same time. Butterflies also reveal their identity through flight.

Run through a list of the SOUNDS made by some Mt Rogers bird species: screeching Cockatoos, Magpies (such as in photo below) having a “domestic’ or upset by a Goshawk, their carolling at more relaxed times, scolding, alarmed Eastern rosellas, laughing or mocking Kookaburras, the “ooming” of the Bronzewing pigeons, piping calls from King parrots and Eastern spinebills, duetting Peewees and chatter from Sparrows. At home our “gang-of-four” magpies have a particular, recognisable chorus which seems to be made up of the “signature tunes” of individual birds. They use this combined song to declare and protect their territory.

Sometimes our canine companions HEAR the rustle of reptiles’ movement but they, and kangaroos are masters of “freezing” to avoid discovery. One of the long-felled trees’ stumps used to be a basking-place for a Bearded Dragon lizard as it waited for the sun to warm its body (like the lizards basking in the 2nd and 3rd photos below). Striped skinks (as in the top photo below) may make enough noise for us to hear them as they scuttle away. Snakes rely on their sensing of vibrations rather than hearing. Unless “cornered” they will usually slither away from our approach.

Perhaps the SILENCE of the bush is the best sound of all. It may be punctuated by wind passing through leaves, by conversation between friends Mt Rogers has brought together and by birds’ and crickets’ contact calls. Sometimes the noise of traffic wafts up 704 m to Mt Rogers but this illustrates the freedom from roads, vehicles and fumes that the reserve offers; FRESH AIR with the occasional influence of eucalyptus, rain and damp soil.

WINTER shouldn’t be too off-putting as we all have to warm-up uphill to begin our circuits. Previous “newsletters” are available on the blog that Ann has established at mtrogerslandcare.blogspot.com (this blog site) and there’s also information through the Ginninderra Catchment Group’s website (http://www.ginninderralandcare.org.au/).

Thank you to all those APPRECIATORS who don’t necessarily have the time or physique for landcaring. Your caring shows how you support the Landcare Group’s volunteers with thanks and encouragement.

Rosemary, Convenor, Mt Rogers Landcare Group. 6258 4724
(In case you were wondering, Parkcarers volunteer in Canberra Nature Park, and Landcarers volunteer in other reserves. It is to be hoped there will be a merging of the apparent dichotomy soon!)

As Winter begins? Mt Rogers, April 2012

As I begin this update we’ve all been surprised to find that an overnight forecast of one degree actually translated as a degree or two of frost! With the cold southerly it was definitely bracing on Mt Rogers this morning (10 April).  

Have you heard a ‘new’ bird call from home or whilst on Mt Rogers? The Grey Butcherbird’s song seems to me to be simultaneously mocking, joyous and sometimes as melodious as magpies’ best efforts. I did see a young Grey Butcherbird watching for edibles from a tree above Bingley crescent on 6^th March. I’d heard the far-carrying calls from mid-Flynn and Mt Rogers before then and since. Last Saturday (7^th April) there was an early serenade from a magnificent Eucalypt that reminds a few of us of the grassy woodlands that Flynn’s Welch and Wyles Places replaced.

The Butcherbird, Cracticus torquatus (the photo above is courtesy of Barbara), is known to impale prey on twigs or lodge it in forked branches. They also raid small birds’ nests but mostly feed on small lizards and invertebrates grabbed from the ground after a swift dive. Photos and good binoculars will show the curve on the bird’s strong beak. At 26 to 30 cm they’re smaller than a wattlebird. Adults have grey plumage, with young birds being much browner. Three other species of butcherbird are found in Australia including the Pied butcherbird whose range is to the ACT’s north. A new book on magpies makes the point that some ornithologists group magpies in the butcherbirds’ genus Cracticus. Whatever their precise taxonomy the two birds are closely related.

I wonder if the Butcherbird’s appearance this time will herald its becoming established as a Mt Rogers resident species? In the last 10 years we’ve noticed how Common Bronzewing Pigeons have gradually spread around the reserve from the Wickens Place carpark area. Despite their name they are far from common and nowhere near as ubiquitous as the Crested Pigeon. The sudden influx of a species is known as an irruption. We have witnessed this in 2011–2012 with the millions of Plague Soldier beetles, but Crested pigeons suddenly appeared in the ACT region in the 1930s. Their stay then didn’t last but another irruption in the sixties led to the gradual expansion of their numbers that we’ve seen in recent decades. Both pigeons have gloriously coloured, sun-highlighted bands of feathers in their wings.

The story of the Common or Indian Myna is currently making headlines again as these introduced pest birds have also shown how species increase and spread through an area. Their invasion wasn’t natural however, and by approximately 2005 their numbers were threatening the survival of native bird species and hollow-using small mammals. I remember noticing that it took several years before Mynas completed their invasion of Flynn. After backyard trapping Indian mynas moved from being third most common Canberra bird to 13^th or 14^th currently. Flynn, Fraser, Melba and Spence folk were effective trappers.

A much more attractive species also gradually spread through Flynn and onto Mt Rogers: the Australian King Parrot. Like Currawongs it appears that ‘Kings’ have changed their behaviour to remain in the suburbs during winter, enticed by Cotoneaster, Privet, Pyracantha and Hawthorn berries. They apparently breed in the high country so they’re classed as “altitudinal migrants”. In recent weeks there have been inspiring sightings of robins moving through areas like Shepherds Lookout beyond Holt as they leave the high country’s winter weather behind. This means that we’ll be able to see Scarlet Robins around Mt Rogers for the next few months. Eastern Spinebills are piping! Can you believe that “a flock of four seen once“ was an observer’s entry covering the period 1913 to 1928 about the Galah?

If you need a change and a more rugged walk (also dogs off-leash) Shepherds Lookout offers a short walk with spectacular views of the Murrumbidgee after it’s been joined by the Molonglo River’s “interesting” contribution. Drive along Stockdill Drive towards the sewage treatment works and look for a collection of boulders that mark the way to the lookout.

Shepherds Lookout is also interesting because it has the most incredible smorgasbord of weeds alongside the track. It is therefore an example of what happens to a nature reserve when there is no money for adequate maintenance and no caring group of volunteer stewards to show their appreciation by action.

If you visit Shepherds Lookout, dogless, on Fridays or the weekends you could call in to Strathnairn Homestead Gallery to reward yourselves with morning or afternoon tea, a glimpse of the current exhibition and a walk around the property and its studios. Anyone who’s lived the rural life will enjoy a step back in time, rural and Brindabella views and close encounters with Fairy Wrens, Sparrows, Magpies and the chooks.

Several Mt Rogers folk exhibit at Strathnairn and contribute to the handcrafted artefacts that make unique gifts. Jill, no doubt assisted by Bernard, is about to have a display of her artwork there. Steve has a wonderful painting of New Holland Honeyeaters currently on display at CSIRO Discovery and there’s a glorious collage featuring Frogmouths there for free-appreciation also. At the Botanic Gardens there’s a display of botanical art by artists from the Gardens’ Friends Group. Their paintings feature local species too.

It might well be time to appreciate the parklike appearance of Mt Rogers whilst it lasts in its current greenness! The mowing crews have been through again and made the edges look neat and enticing. We know that this isn’t the real bush and that it’s the “organised chaos” of our ecosystems that actually support, shelter and feed local species and maintain their complex inter-relationships. Strathnairn shows how farming families created oases amongst the paddocks that replaced grassy woodlands. Mt Rogers is a bush oasis amongst the suburbs.

Our next two working-bees will continue our voluntary land-caring maintenance. No previous landcaring experience needed, and all are welcome!

SUNDAY 22^ND APRIL FROM 9AM, ASSAULTING BERRIED-WEEDS

MONDAY 7th MAY FROM 9AM, FROM NEAR WICKENS PLACE’S CARPARK.

Encourage everyone to keep walking and observing in spite of the cooler days!

Rosemary
10-15 April 2012
Mt Rogers Landcare Group, 6258 4724

Reference
Wilson, Steve Birds of the ACT: Two centuries of change. Canberra, Canberra Ornithologists Group, 1999.

So much life! - 20 February 2012

This morning I walked up to Mt Rogers arriving by about 08.45. As I passed #11 Schwarz place I noticed a "blob" in a green (introduced & deciduous later) tree in their garden....one of the Frogmouths was roosting there.

I walked up the gully from the "new drain" as Arjen & Jazz turned up that way. He said they'd been close to the summit a few days ago & Jazz "pointed" to a large dragon lizard. A few steps afterwards & three quail exploded away from them. Good news that ground-nesting birds are surviving.

Further up the gully a Willie wagtail was trying to catch a largish moth/fly/butterfly in mid-air. Three or four Grey fantails didn't seem impressed at this incursion into their territory. It's my impression that Willie wagtails are rarely seen actually on Mt R though they may be in nearby gardens from time to time.

Up and over the ridgeline and brown movement in the distance turned out to be a rabbit. There's a species we can do without. I'd seen their droppings in the regrowing burnt area some months ago but never actually seen the culprits. Let's hope someone's dog or the resident foxes will account for the rabbit soon.

Do you think people (other dog-walkers who don't share our views) encourage their dogs to chase the kangaroos? Arjen & I agreed it's so good to have a resident family of roos rather than only hosting animals which have been terrified into coming to Mt Rogers from Kuringa Drive or the creek or where-ever.

A "community meeting" between Nancy, John, Peter, Trisha, Benji and Teddy evolved near the northerly "new drain" and we noticed a wonderful white mushroom-shape amongst the grass. Later we found about seven more deep in from the end of Keane place and again, each solitarily, amongst the grass.

Whilst we have several photos of them between us I haven't identified them yet from Bruce Fuhrer's book. I found an attractive website Bill Leithhead's Website but out of the thousands of Australian fungi that's fascinating but not helpful.

With this extraordinary summer we should see more fungi emerging in response to the dampness & warmth of the soil rather than waiting for autumn.

Perhaps we should create a Mt Rogers Fungi Gallery?

Mt Rogers in February 2012

Colin, the inventor of the dog-poo-bag dispenser, has turned his hands to five notice-holders and now a brochure holder. To install the latter, permission had to be sought from City Services because it was being installed on public land. Philip Selmes as ACT Parkcare co-ordinator, helped with the concreting-in, impressively using one of the Fire Unit’s light vehicles as a water source. Colin’s also continued the African Lovegrass (ALG) cutting & bagging from where we left off after the Sunday 22^nd working bee. 

Several of our landcarers have signed up as members of Ginninderra Catchment Group. This free membership, plus signing on with an ACT Individual Volunteer Sign-on Sheet, allows landcarers to be insured whilst working on specific tasks outside official working-bee times. All of our landcarers learn about the work and the Mt Rogers species “on the job”. The next dates for volunteering Sunday 28^th Feb. &  Monday 5^th March.

Ginninderra Catchment Group’s co-ordinators are arranging for the spreading Blackberry and Honeysuckle patches to be sprayed by contractors in April. They may also be able to follow-up our ALG work by spraying the tussocks and there are areas of Chilean Needlegrass to be treated, particularly north & east of Jacob Place. Christine and Johan organised a family working-bee recently, making a dent in stands of St Johns Wort by pulling it from the soil (unexpectedly damp from this unusual summer). Morris has mown near his home for years keeping the ALG in check in a practical way by preventing it seeding.  

Today’s working-bee saw us working on ALG again but we also cut & bagged the wonderful Salsify heads to prevent their seeds ‘parachuting’  further into the reserve.  Two couples passed by. They (and Chris later) asked about the small piles of shredded paper placed regularly along the track. Perhaps they are the remains of someone’s treasure hunt. Other people use flour in such circumstances knowing that enterprising invertebrates will eat it if our dogs can ignore it. At our place snails and slugs might eventually eat the shiny paper but I wonder how long it will take to break down on Mt R.? At least it’s not plastic.

The second couple were concerned about sighting a healthy fox realising that young, inexperienced birds might easy be victims of these introduced predators. It was valuable to have their report as it helps build a picture of fox behaviour and movements. Cats also hunt on Mt Rogers as well as in their neighbours’ gardens. They’re bad news for native birds, skinks, and lizards. Keeping cats in at night doesn’t help daytime’s reptiles and many cats learn to move without activating the bells on their collars.

We’d not even begun working this morning (06.02.12.) when we were delighted to see the Owlet Nightjar peering out of its daytime roost in a nest-box near the Wickens Place carpark. Other birds were active as we worked: a White-throated treecreeper, Superb fairy wrens, Grey fantails, Silvereyes, Magpies, Rosellas, Wattlebirds, Weebills, Thornbills and a Bronzewing pigeon called. Lorraine reported seeing a couple of Superb Parrots within the last week. This is another important report as birdwatchers have been wondering whether the species has moved out of the ACT by now. Up to 170 Superbs in family groups, have been reported, some at the AIS and others near Cook Horse paddocks in mid-January. Perhaps the species is re-writing its history books! Several species of birds have been reported as having at least two broods of young in response to the food-plentiful summer.

The main bird-story for January has come from Helen & Chris’ garden where a Boobook used their Claret ash as a daytime roost. They and Lyndon managed some photos and they’re on the blogspot Ann has created and is adding-to: www.mtrogerslandcare.blogspot.com   Over time there were two Boobooks, then three and finally four. The young were much paler than their parents, colouring that seemed to accentuate the sense of amazement in their gaze. We have heard Boobooks call from mid-Flynn during many summer nights. There was never any doubt that we could “claim” them as Mt Rogers’ residents but this is the first time live ones have been seen by Mt R. community members. The birds’ list we have for the reserve reflects the species I have seen so it’s likely that others will have species to add or at least sightings such as the Painted Button Quail whose ‘platelets’, whilst foraging in leaf litter, are evidence of their visits. Cormorants, Eagles and Pelicans feature on the list because they’ve been seen flying over the reserve. Just imagine how light reflecting on dams & lakes guides the waterbirds to new habitat or food supplies.

We have held two guided walks showing 25 people where special species and favourite places were, away from the gravel path. The weekday walk led us into hot weather. This and our naturalists’ slow pace was a bit much for the children. Perhaps we can persuade them to come on a specific ‘treasures’ hunt or a spirited “race” to the summit some time. Would spotlighting appeal?

I have one or two photos of clusters of Soldier beetles clinging to vegetation in hundreds. They are so named because the colours of their bodies reminded some of soldiers’ uniforms and possibly the numbers resembled armies. The beetles have been hatching at a phenomenal rate with swarms of them around trees canopies at times. Google Plague Soldier Beetles for more information and images.

Orchard butterflies are quite often in gardens seeking citrus & Choisya plants for the caterpillars which will emerge from their eggs. Common Browns, The Australian Painted Lady, Meadow argus, Caper and Cabbage whites, Common Grass Blue and several Skippers are locally common amongst grasses and flowering plants at their specific times of the year. Ogyris and Delias species specialise in visiting mistletoe clusters in a range of Mt Rogers trees. Australia hosts some 400 species of butterflies but moth species are far more numerous. Don’t be put off by their possibly duller colouring…moths’ wings have the most exquisite patterns and variations on brown and beige themes, ideal for camouflage. There are over 20,000 moth species in Australia and 30,000 beetles may live here including weevils, scarabs, dung beetles, chafers and leaf beetles.

Will the rain periods and warmth prompt a new crop of toadstools and other fungi? They’re essential recyclers of decaying material. Lichens and mosses adorn the rocks, boulders and forest floor revealing they’re subtle but varied colours once a few millimetres of rain penetrate their outer cells. Thousands of tiny Rock ferns have begun life in the past few months. Berlinda has pointed out a strange, almost evil-looking, algal mass at a seepage point between boulders. We haven’t begun investigating what it might be in spite of our photographs.
 
Thank you to all who sent messages of support and or comments on the situation when it was revealed that the Rural Fire Service (contracted by TAMS) would hold a Hazard Reduction Burn (HRB) in the two hectares between the Wickens Place carpark and Woodger place in Fraser. With the intervention of ecologist Margaret Kitchin, the HRB  was called off and proposed for its correct scheduling for autumn 2011 to 2013. We will persist in our quest for parkcarers, landcarers, catchment groups and nearby residents to be adequately informed of such plans and for better communication between the agencies involved. It’s also essential, I think, that a brochure explaining the whole HRB issue, procedures and responsibilities be available to Canberrans and especially those whose lives and properties are connected with “the bush”.  To us Mt Rogers and other reserves aren’t just resources or land for infrastructure. Mt Rogers is a large part of our wellbeing.

Rosemary, Convenor
Mt Rogers Landcare Group
6258 4724