Mt Rogers’ first newsletter in the new decade, 2020


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

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