On Sunday
25th September we'll have our regular
working-bee meeting at the Wickens Place, Fraser carpark at 09.30. The ground is
very wet and there's no let-up in the sequence of rain events it seems. The wild
oats and weed species are growing rapidly, encouraged by the spells of warmer weather.
We'll mostly be aiming to remove weeds without too much soil disturbance, but there
are a few stubborn species we'll try using the weeding wands on.
On Monday 3rd the monthly weekday working-bee would be scheduled
but it's a public holiday.
On Monday 5th September I let Ted down by not taking down the
'meet here' notice after posting a different meeting place at Rechner Place. Phil
& I moved through the bush mostly being able to pull out 50 privets,
cotoneasters and Viburnum, and cutting & daubing larger or pricklier weeds.
Chris and Margaret have been digging out Patersons Curse plants under the powerlines.
We'll likely keep up the pressure on that species on Sunday.
Thanks to Elan and Don's observations relayed by Jane, one of
this season's Frogmouth nests has been found in the huge eucalypt near the ‘new-looking
white house’ between Fraser's Deasland and Avery Places.
The other day I was lucky enough to be able to share the sighting
with a couple visiting from Washington DC.
It was most unusual to see two people walking along with binoculars and, at about
14.00 hrs, also unusual to find ourselves surrounded by a mixed feeding flock
of small birds. It was as if the local Field Guide to Birds had come alive! Our
visitors had seen Frogmouths in the Atherton Tablelands but they were delighted
to have them close to where they were staying with their daughter in Spence.
Thanks to Lyndon and Barbara who have sent over magnificent photos
of the daytime-incubator on the Frogmouth's nest.
Above: Lyndon's photo of a nesting Tawny Frogmouth on Mt Rogers, first spotted a week ago
Above: Lyndon's photo of a nesting Tawny Frogmouth on Mt Rogers, first spotted a week ago
Above: Barbara's photo of the first Frogmouth nest & incubator found so far this year
Mt Rogers has featured on Canberra Nature Map (CNM), as a keen
photographer has sent in a photograph of Early Nancy blooms inland from 'Mildenhall
Place, Fraser'. There are more in the bush behind Woodger Place, and the Bulbine
Lilies are just beginning to show their yellow flowerheads. It's hard to walk through
this area with so many blooms to avoid. Honeyeaters were visiting the flowering
Grevilleas planted by unknown hands many decades ago. Sending in photos of plants
and animals to CNM is a great way to be a citizen scientist and improve identification
skills.
It was near the Grevilleas that I also came across this Bearded
Dragon below, defending itself from this thoughtless and unobservant intruder. I've
heard that the Water Dragons have emerged from winter at the Botanic Gardens.
Bearded dragon, Pogona barbata, at Bridget's
There are Common Bronzewing Pigeons in the bush here ...
though nowhere near as common as the Crested Pigeons which’ve only been in the region since the 1980s.
Frogs are busy calling as a result of the ample rainfall. Spotted
Burrowing Frogs have been heard and seen at one of the Strathnairn Homestead Gallery's
dams. They're not often seen because they stay burrowed away until there's significant
rain.
If you'd like to become a Frog-watcher, now's the time! Anke-Maria
is calling for individuals and families to adopt a local pond or dam and learn how
to recognise & record the frogs through their calls. Frogwatch is another way
to become a citizen scientist as the data is then available to researchers.
Google 'Frogwatch census', or visit http://www.ginninderralandcare.org.au/frogwatch/frogwatch-census/.
There are introductory sessions starting at 6 pm
tomorrow 21 September at the Botanic Gardens, and on 22 September and 1 October
at Jerrabomberra Wetlands followed by a field walk.
Anytime now, nature strips and areas
of Mt Rogers will be seas of pale yellow as the Capeweed plants bloom. Watch out
for bees, but otherwise the stems are thick enough to help young people learn the
gentle art of daisy-chain making. Cockatoos and Galahs are still busy digging for
Onion Grass bulbs around Flynn.
At Floriade's Bush Friendly Garden (near the tasting tent) there's a demonstration Bee Hotel to show how to offer shelter to native bees. Look
for actforbees.org for more information about native and Honeybees and plants we can grow to
for them to feed in our gardens.
Enjoy spring when it decides to settle-in.
Rosemary
