Heavy machinery has been used to clear shrubs and understorey in
the land north of Fraser and parallel to Kuringa Drive. In spite of the
invasive weeds that have taken advantage of this grassy woodland remnant it was
a linear haven and connectivity space for native fauna. Kangaroos and birds
paused and foraged there between Mt Rogers and the broad open spaces of CSIRO
land, Hall’s habitats and the grazing country around Gungahlin.
We’ve heard that the clearing is to protect assets and lives from
potential fires.
When we
despair at the devastation the 2019 – 2020 summer has wrought in Australia here
is a link that may bring some hope.
It’s also an example of the thousands of
effective, grassroots actions that are not newsworthy enough for the majority
of media outlets.
And, with case studies in our region, follow another line of
visionary practice through regenerative agriculture and rehydrating soils: the
Mulloon Institute, Martin Royds and Charles Massy … though I’m not sure how they
have been affected by fires in the Braidwood area.
And close to the subject of fires, there was post from Steve
Taylor, Invasive Species Officer, on the ACT and SE NSW Invasive Plants
Facebook page. He said that the fire that swept rapidly towards Queanbeyan from
near the airport was burning large areas of African Love Grass that his weeds unit
had mapped.
Mt Rogers’ folk were among the first to respond to the humane
logic of putting water out for wildlife. They included partially submerged
sticks or flat rocks in the water for animals with short legs.
Maybe you’ve noticed unusual visitors in your gardens?
Some young and later adult Eastern Spinebills had a great time on
an orange-flowered Grevillea. They behave like L-plated Humming Birds at times
hovering whilst protruding their tongues into the flowers’ tubular petals. I
suspect they may be ‘high’ on the nectar’s sugary content but then burn off
energy chasing each other around. Our Correas are flowering now and the
Spinebills visit them.
Twice now we’ve heard a Koel fledgling calling from shrubs near
the back fence.
I watched out for the cuckoo chick’s host and saw it being fed by
a Red Wattlebird. The adult Koels are still heard from time to time. I wonder
what benefits come from having other birds incubate and raise cuckoos’ chicks?
Less appealing, we’ve also had flocks of Indian Mynas and
Starlings around due to two-doors-down’s indiscriminate feeding of birds.
Anyone been trapping Mynas recently? With food so scarce we can’t afford
poachers!
Lyndon
reported “3 Straw-necked Ibis on Mt. Rogers, Flynn, at 5 pm today. My first
ever sighting of these birds on Mt. Rogers in the 43 years I have lived here.”
We’ve seen the Ibis flying over Mt Rogers and on school ovals but never digging
amongst the reserve’s grass.
Barbara
photographed Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos in their Bainton Crescent garden
also on 6th January. It’s early, I’d suggest, for the big cockatoos
to be back in Canberra foraging.
I finally ‘got round to’ sending reports of my Echidna sightings
to Echidna Watch on Kangaroo Island. Peggy Rismiller and her team have been
studying these iconic monotremes for many decades and welcome sighting reports
from our region. I went back through photos and filled out forms for each
memorable event. The Pelican Lagoon Research Centre has a website but the
online reporting facility isn’t working at the moment. Thank you for the
several Mt Rogers sightings you’ve mentioned to me. Let’s ensure the Mt Rogers’
echidnas are on Peggy’s maps. Sightings can also be sent to Canberra Nature
Map.
Far less happy are the reports of dead trees on Mt Rogers. Each of
our gardens shows similar effects of the drought and the desperate lack of soil
moisture that is even killing long-established species. We have had some rain
but the soil has been hydrophobic for months, preventing rain from soaking into
the soil to restore thirsty plants if it falls too quickly.
Ted
commented that Mt Rogers has been “in survival mode”. It will be interesting to
see which invasive species are the first to spring back to being green after
the rain we’ve had. Mustard, Prickly Lettuce and Skeleton weed are three
species I’ve seen most frequently green and flowering with a background of
beige on pulverised nature strip grass.
Phil
seems cautiously optimistic about the after-the-rain-state of the erosion
run-offs he tirelessly creates and monitors on Mt Rogers. The main path would
be much more uneven were it not for Phil’s efforts. The ACT budget would be
redder without the thousands of volunteer hours people contribute to Landcaring
and the hundreds of other ways volunteers support the communities they believe
in.
We
will resume our customary 4th Sunday and 1st Monday
working bee sessions on Monday February 3rd. Angharad, Ted and Phil
have already contributed activity suggestions based on their regular walks and
the observations they’ve made. Thanks to feedback from them, we’ll meet at the
Wickens Place carpark at 08.30am unless anyone’s forecast suggests it will be cooler
than Friday 31st’s 39 degrees.
If
there is a Total Fire Ban or the forecast is for temperatures above 35 degrees
the working bee will be cancelled. In December we created a coffee-based
planning meeting out of the cancelled Monday working bee. So a pleasant
precedent has been set!
A revised introduction to Mt Rogers is now on the Ginninderra
Catchment Group’s website, as our Landcare Group’s volunteering happens in the
catchment of Ginninderra Creek.
Thanks
again to Ann who diligently updates the Mt Rogers blog:
mtrogerslandcare.blogspot.com for us.
Rosemary
25.01.20. 6258 4724
