Today, 4th August,
seems to be the second of the Canberra winter days that have reached us
recently. The old MAX - MIN thermometer here in mid-Flynn said minus 8 degrees
overnight yesterday and today, and the ensuing sunshine created brilliant winter
weather each day. Last week there was the opportunity to photograph snow on the
closer hills and it lingers to the south in the far distance. People have been
drawn out into the sunshine to enjoy the cheering light and to see what’s
happening in their gardens and the outdoors.
Claire was no exception, bringing
her young twin granddaughters towards our Monday working-bee. “This is why I
can’t volunteer at the moment” she said. But she could! As the stroller
vibrated the little ones to sleep Claire went round to check the notice box for
me. There were no leaflets left so I knew what my next task would be. Until they stirred again Claire
helped by mattocking out a dozen African Lovegrass tussocks after we’d cut off
and bagged the seed-heads. Angharad and Lorraine worked in the area east of the
Wickens Place carpark digging out mostly-small Flatweed rosettes from the damp
soil. This will prevent 120 seeds coming from each dandelion-like flower and ruining
the natural biodiversity of this small part of Mt Rogers where we’ve weeded
and planted in the past.
The work was a hands-and-knees or
bending-over job so we varied the volunteering by looking around. The native
shrubs the Guides planted in 2010 are doing well. Prickly Early Wattles have
been in flower for weeks, their pale yellow flowers contrasting with the yellow
Box-leafed Wattles’ flowers and, of course, the Cootamundra Wattles’ profusion.
From time to time small birds came through with a Grey Fantail coming quite
close. Earlier I’d seen a pair of Scarlet Robins checking out the site for
insects and larvae…much prettier pest control than a bottle of Roundup.
A native Clematis with pale
yellow flowers, was sprawling over the grasses near a eucalypt that it was also
climbing. Weeping Rice Grass is spreading well in this area adding to the
“tally” of native species. The Indigofera
adesmiifolia planted here are ready
to flower. We found several rosettes of a small native daisy Solenogyne dominii which I first noticed
after the drought. It seems to prefer open areas of woodland and has
mauve-tinged petals on insignificant-looking flowers. At this stage it looks
like the Flatweed but the leaves have serrations at the edges.
Later we walked over to Bridget’s
patch, a great piece of natural bush behind Woodger Place. More Indigofera, including some originals, were in bud. Swathes of a native plantain thrive on
whatever the soil’s chemistry gives them. Purple Hovea are in flower and yellow
Bulbine lilies are just beginning their flowering and growing the flower-stalks
higher so pollinators can reach them.
We found several white and purple
Early Nancy lilies, so keep an eye out for these elsewhere in the reserve near
the edges of the paths. There are also reports of Frogmouths, elsewhere,
daytime-roosting in their pre-nesting trees. Patient checking of flowering
trees and shrubs might bring rewards of post-winter bird sightings.
To our
horror we also discovered a pile of earth to which grass-mowings had been added
recently. There were also other plant trimmings and an old conifer at the pile.
Large pieces of tree trunk were also dumped nearby. Some people go to great
lengths to desecrate our reserve. Rocks had been taken for their lichened
appearance and smaller rocks removed from their habitat to fill the holes left.
Not long ago a couch and chairs were dumped beside Wickens Place, as well as
other household rubbish.
Your reporting of such dumpings to Canberra Connect 13 22 81 will activate action, as will going on-line
to Fix My Street.
As we walked back to the cars there was a TAMS ute
driving along the gravel path. Seething about the dumped pile we were able to
attract the driver’s attention. Andrew then explained that he was one of the
TAMS arborists and was trying to find a branch that had been reported to
Canberra Connect as being across a track. He tries to save trees whenever he
can but sometimes removal is the only option in public places. It was great to
meet another ranger who works with us and for Mt Rogers. TAMS litter patrols
come to the car-park regularly.
On the previous Sunday working-bee Ann, Flemming,
Ivan and I worked on the Serrated Tussock (ST) tussocks I’d found in the gully
up from the northerly, newer concrete drain. The ACT Government has organised
winter spraying of this nationally significant weed species, and dead tussocks
are evidence all over the reserve. As volunteer landcarers we can complement
this tax-payer-funded work by searching the reserve for and removing grass
tussocks that they have missed or those that have since grown to a recognisable
size and shape.
Just
when we needed reinforcements William and Sally were able to take over the
grass-tussock removal to the north of and below the summit. I’d cut off and
bagged the African Lovegrass (ALG) seed-heads weeks ago but needed William’s
strength to take out the older tussocks.
On
7th July Glen and Zazie tackled a newly-found cluster of ALG deeper
in the bush near the twin tanks. In comparison to other reserves and even
suburban nature strips, Mt Rogers’ infestation of ALG, ST and Chilean Needle
Grass is currently minor. The ACT Government’s aim, together with Steve’s
spraying and our manual tussock removal is to keep the reserve as ‘clean’ as
possible and constantly monitor the spread of seeds on feet, paws, wheels and
the wind.
For
every working-bee there are always several apologies when Mt Rogers dates and
commitments from our everyday lives clash. One date for your diaries is Friday 31st August. Ginninderra
Catchment Group’s Damon has a group
of Telstra staff who volunteer for landcaring work. Angharad, Ann and Steve
made project suggestions and it’s been decided to work on removing the smaller
Cootamundra Wattles.
You’ll
have noticed that when there’s been a fire a thicket of these Cootamundra
natives grows into a dense monoculture where little else can grow. The wattles
have provided excellent habitat for small birds over many decades and delight
us with their cheering blooms every late winter. As mentioned there’s
caterpillars, insects and nectar in these wattles now. Later the pods will feed
Cockatoos, Rosellas and Superb Parrots and other species check out the bark for
borers and beetles and larvae. The skeletal remains of the trees provide small-bird-refuges
from raptors and Currawongs and lookouts for species that watch the ground for
food.
We will begin a very gradual removal of Cootamundra
Wattles with the visitors’ help but will have 100 Greening Australia propagated
local wattles to plant as replacements for the removed non-flowering wattles. Please come along to help with the planting
and to show Mt Rogers to the group. We’ll be meeting in Mildenhall Place at 9 am
for a 9.30 am start, Friday 31 August.
Chris reported today that he’d been swooped by magpies
on Mt Rogers. They approached assertively when he reached into a pocket,
refusing to understand that he had no food for them. Chris reckoned “someone’s
feeding magpies on Mt Rogers”. We’ve had opportunist Magpies turn up at working
bees if we’ve been digging. They watch expectantly but haven’t swooped for
food. Real magpie-season will begin
soon. Phone 13 22 81 to report locations
of swooping birds.
Cliff
reported seeing Rainbow Lorikeets on Mt Rogers recently. Are they checking out
potential nest hollows? I’ll leave you
to decide whether this spring activity is early!
There
has been a ministerial reply to our outrage over the vehicle track-widening
(see the first May 2014 blog post: ‘A letter has been sent…’). Whether it’s a
valid response is open to discussion.
Rosemary, Convenor, Mt Rogers
Landcare Group 6258 4724
P.S. Ann’s done some rearranging
of the blog pages, and we’re working on the new Mt Rogers brochure.
