Working-bees
We
had a successful working-bee on Sunday 26 October tackling woody weeds in the
peninsula of Mt Rogers that leads up from Jacob Place, Flynn. Aisha and
Michelle from Mt Rogers Guides contributed whilst clocking up hours for
their Queen’s Guide Award. Anne and Glen sought out isolated Privet, Cotoneaster,
Pyracantha and Chinese Pistachio plants. I marked Chilean Needle Grass (CNG)
tussocks and have reported them so that the spray teams will come to follow up
on the supportive work they’ve already done in the area and the reserve as a
whole. It’s great to know that this area has recently been treated, because
there are patches of remnant vegetation within it.
For
decades Morris has mowed grasses near the street. Steve D has been out with the
spray backpack tackling CNG, African Lovegrass (ALG) and Serrated Tussock. All
of these are significantly invasive grass weeds and our aim is to reduce their
spread into Mt Rogers which is relatively weed-free in comparison to other
places. CNG is turning up in nature strips where ALG is already present and
also unrecognised for its insidiousness in many suburbs.
On
Sunday 28 September Glen and I worked on isolated but previously ignored Cotoneasters,
Privets, Briar Roses and Pyracantha north of Jacob place and Snow Gum Corner. These
two working-bees point to the change of Mt Rogers Landcare methods in that
weeding usually now means walking and hunting the weeds down in the process.
There are clusters of Ivy and Honeysuckle to tackle but we may have Green Army
help for those and there are many young bird-introduced seedlings hidden under
trees by the huge growth of Wild Oats spring has encouraged.
Subtleties
On
28 September we also caught up with Phil reporting on his drainage
contributions. Phil’s work is a prime example of Landcaring that doesn’t
necessarily make headlines…work that brings considerable benefits to
Mt Rogers but isn’t specifically part of the official working-bee schedule. Those who collect the litter left by the thoughtless are other contributors to land-caring. Jill, Dennis, Lyndon, Kevin, Arjen have reported sightings including a rare visit by Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos (YTBCs). Walkers are also donning gloves and pulling out isolated Patersons Curse plants as they find them on their journeys…the succession hopes of thousands of seeds are ruined by this valuable, incidental weeding!
Mt Rogers but isn’t specifically part of the official working-bee schedule. Those who collect the litter left by the thoughtless are other contributors to land-caring. Jill, Dennis, Lyndon, Kevin, Arjen have reported sightings including a rare visit by Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos (YTBCs). Walkers are also donning gloves and pulling out isolated Patersons Curse plants as they find them on their journeys…the succession hopes of thousands of seeds are ruined by this valuable, incidental weeding!
Un-subtle
For
several weeks the spreading of Capeweed along the paths we and our canines use
has become obvious. Although the pale yellow blooms show they’re daisies the
seeds aren’t parachute-like and seem to be covered in tangles of pinkish-brown
fluff. Presumably these adhere to clothing, laces and fur like Velcro. I’ve
seen Rosellas and Galahs eating amongst Capeweed, perhaps taking the seeds as
food but they are another dispersal method for the plants.
Weedy observations
Gardeners
are noticing a weird, colourless plant growing in their yards. It grows as a pinkish-beige
spike from a bulb. Try Googling Orobanche
minor or Broomrape to find out more about its parasitic habits especially
amongst northern hemisphere agricultural crops.
Have
you noticed another numerous, purple-flowering species in bloom amongst the
grasses and trackside? Alas this is another introduced plant amongst colleagues
and the local native vegetation: it is Wild Sage, Salvia verbenaca. It belongs to the same family as Aluminium plant,
Lavender, Horehound, Thyme, the mints and Stachys or Lambs’ears.
You’ll
have realised by now that I’ve become fascinated, if not obsessed, by weeds. With
time to Google and wonder it’s amazing to tease out the details of migratory
plants’ possible routes into the island continent. Some may have been here long
before the ‘documented European arrivals’ and, if we think beyond what we see
and know, towards the next phases of evolution the possibilities may be more
endless than we can imagine.
Boards
I
felt dispirited and affronted when I noticed that several boards had been
nailed to the magnificent Apple Box tree near the notice box, presumably so
youths could more easily climb up into the tree. How dare anyone treat a 300-400
year old marvel like that? But, of course, I realised that “’Twas ever thus”
and the next tree up the eroded track there, The Bench-Mark tree, has been similarly
attacked over several years, as have others in the reserve. I’ve heard that
nailing into trees’ barks introduces infections which can be fatal but I
suppose infection depends on the thickness of each species’ bark.
News on dogs
Mary
has received notification that the access easements to Mt Rogers are also to
remain DOGS OFF LEASH areas. I also received the following email.
‘Hi
Rosemary
Two
things really turn my stomach — dog-pooh on shoes, and bags of dog pooh left
beside the path or thrown into the bushes. Neither would be happening if all
dog owners were responsible, and cared for their environment and other users of
Mt Rogers.
The
idea that off-lead means you can leave your dog’s faeces freely anywhere seems
to be prevalent. In one of your newsletters can you please ask all dog-owners
to clean up after their dogs, as is required by the legislation.
Regards,
Jenny & David’
Birds
Dennis
reported the gruesome sight of a Bronzewing pigeon wedged into the fork of a
Bottlebrush and wondered whether a Raven or Currawong might be guilty as they’d
been active in the area recently. Butcherbirds are known to impale their
victims on branches, hence the species’ name. Jill and Kevin reported the
YTBCs’ visits, and Dennis also saw Gang-gang Cockatoos on 23 October…even rarer
visitors. The summer migrants have returned, including Noisy Friarbirds with
their black heads distinguishing them from Wattlebirds, but I’ve not stumbled
on any of their nests this year. My hope that Kookaburras might be nesting near
Miildenhall Place seems to have been false. Superb Parrots have been seen and heard,
as have Rainbow Lorikeets. Orioles’ calls came to me earlier in October but not
recently. We assume that ‘Superbs’ are nesting in the ACT again as groups and
flocks without females have been seen. Possibly the first ‘Mt Rogers area’ Koel
call was heard in the east from mid-Flynn on Sunday 12 October. Their presence
seems to have been more sporadic this season so far but I’ve been in and out a
lot and may have missed daytime passings-through.
Both
Barbara and Dennis took part in COG’s bird blitz by recording the species
they’d observed on Mt Rogers on 25 or 26 October. I wonder how many species
they found? I recorded 31 whilst at the Strathnairn open day on 25 October
and didn’t have time to check the Thornbill species.
Welcomes
A
bonus of the 26 October working-bee was meeting Cathy who said that
their family had moved into the area a few years ago because of the views and because
Mt Rogers is less than 100 m away from their new home. Cathy’s comment
joins those of Tim and several others that emerged during the ‘dogs
submissions’ — that Mt Rogers is a major attractant for itself and not just for
real estate values.
I
also met Dennis for the first time actually on Mt Rogers but have enjoyed his
reporting of bird activity on the Canberra Ornithologists Group’s (COG’s) email
line for several years.
The
Frogmouths have two wriggly chicks to contend with this year, as shown in the photo here by Lyndon who has
followed their progress photographically.
When Ann has recovered from the exciting Friends of Grasslands Forum (30 October – 1 November) she’ll be getting to work on Mt Rogers’ new welcome-brochure and checking out the photographs Lyndon and Pamela have taken for the new edition.
When Ann has recovered from the exciting Friends of Grasslands Forum (30 October – 1 November) she’ll be getting to work on Mt Rogers’ new welcome-brochure and checking out the photographs Lyndon and Pamela have taken for the new edition.
Rosemary
Convenor, Mt Rogers Landcare Group. 6258
4724 .01.11.14
