AFTER MINUS FIVE DEGREES: MT ROGERS IN WINTER

 Being on Mt Rogers by 09.20 was a delayed reaction to exploring a cold start to 8^th June, and, of course, our frosts are minimal compared to many other places. Last night the Field Naturalists enjoyed a ‘trip’ to Kamchatka where’s there’s an amazing mix of volcanoes and snow-falls of 10 metres and more! Part of the delay was caused by my watching a party of about 30 Silvereyes flitting between feasting on garden-based Privet berries and preening and sunning themselves in a nearby Bottlebrush. We’ve also had several “donations” of purple-poo here, on the concrete, suggesting that Currawongs are also enjoying berries from this highly invasive and allergenic species. Comparably there were photos of large purple “dollops” alongside paw-prints from the Kamchatka powerpoint file, linking Brown bears’ summer diet with harvested berries as a change from salmon-fishing.       

The danger from bears there is real, whereas hunters on Mt Rogers are mostly raptors. Black shouldered kites, Brown Goshawks, Australian Hobbies and Kestrels are the raptors seen recently. It’s worthwhile looking up when there’s a magpie-commotion as they could be protesting at these occasional visitors being in their territory. There are mice around again in some numbers and I found one under a sheet of galvanised left from a disused cubby.

About 50 m in from the Wickens carpark there are currently two wonderful cubbies. One’s a cone and the other a domed construction using gathered fallen branches. One is decorated with moss which may die if not touching soil and nearby is a circle of the decorated pebbles the Guides used to identify their now-flourishing plantings from August 2010. Purists might deplore the alterations caused by the builders but let’s applaud the creativity and artistry of the cubbies’ industrious makers.

Professionals from EnviroAg have altered the expectations of large clusters of Blackberry and Honeysuckle by spraying them with relevant herbicides. Being paid through a grant organised by Ginninderra Catchment Group they next spot-sprayed areas of African Lovegrass (ALG) and isolated tussocks of this monoculture-forming grass. The sprayers’ attention to detail is impressive as a quicker method would have been to boom spray the larger expanses using flupropanate, but that herbicide is lethal to other plants and is residual. Steve has complemented the spraying by many hours of volunteer spot-spraying and ALG seed-gathering alongside narrower tracks. He and Ann have each completed 8 hours of Chemcert training. Their time was, again, voluntary but the course was paid for out of the Parks and City Service’s budget — your rates and taxes at work in subtle ways.

Lorraine and I did some more ALG beheading & seed-bagging at the last working-bee. Margaret and Chris have worked on mattocking-out Mullein or Verbascum thapsus rosettes in an area they’d noticed. A week before, Flemming, Heather, Ivan, Sue and I worked on ALG and berried shrubs near the tanks’ main gate. Several volunteers apologised, but our volunteer landcarers’ enthusiasm always shows through as people help out when they can and they don’t feel guilty when their other lives intervene!

Ann, Steve and I have begun a process of naming the various places, tracks and paths on Mt Rogers so that we can better record activities and plan future projects. It would be interesting to gather-together all the names we each use for various parts of the reserve and probably quite amusing to hear the origins of those names. Perhaps that’s an activity for a white-board or newer technology next time we have an explorer day or a similar gathering? We volunteers will also be mapping where the native vegetation is of high and medium quality and conversely where it’s largely lacking. This data will inform the land’s managers and the Mowing and Fire Management units and lead to better management for conservation, rather than just managing Mt Rogers as an infrastructure and asset-protection area.

My after-frost walk today was really encouraging as I came across a Mixed Feeding Flock (MFF) of ten different small bird species. There were Scarlet robins, many Wrens and, even better, at least two Speckled Warblers. None seemed upset by my presence as they each sought their specific insectivorous or invertebrate food in a different layer of the bush. The warblers specialise as ground-feeders but prefer to forage through shortish grass. They are ground-nesters also making them vulnerable to predation by foxes and suburban cats. The species is in decline as a result and from habitat alteration.

The area the MFF was foraging in is part of the burnt section. At this time of the year the results of the Hazard Reduction Burn look promising in that relatively few introduced grass and weed species are present. Maybe the landcarers can annex this woody grassland area to their “attention-to-detail” program and continue to keep even trivial weeds under control.

Not far away is a recently fallen-tree which is still hanging on to life.  It was a significant eucalypt in that birds used it as a vantage point and a stop-over between the houses’ gardens and the reserve. The perhaps 150 year-old tree had become isolated by clearing-for-mowers policies and the loss of its shrub layer. It was probably caught by a gust of strong wind. Almost immediately “vultures“ swooped on it and took away branches presumably for firewood.  Let’s hope the rest of the tree escapes their chainsaws and we can watch as the specialised epicormic buds produce vertical branches from the horizontal trunk; the indomitable spirit of Australian survival.

Ann continues to add material to the blogsite she’s set up for us.  If you check out newsletters written at about the same time last year there’s comparisons to be made!

THE NEXT FOURTH-SUNDAY WORKING-BEE WILL CONCENTRATE ON THE BUSH AREA WEST OF SCHEY AND McNOLTY PLACES. THIS WILL BE ON 24^THJUNE FROM 09.00am.

We will be on a seek-and-destroy-mission for Cotoneaster bushes which remain under trees and in the dense vegetation of the gully that drains into the New North Drain. There’s also plenty of Microlaena seed we can harvest and scatter the thatch lower down the gully, hoping it will out-grow the introduced grasses.

Keep up the walking and watching!

Rosemary

Mt Rogers Landcare Group  08.06.12.
6258 4724

MT ROGERS MID-MAY 2012 & WHY VISIT MT ROGERS?

Mt Rogers LANDCARE VOLUNTEERS managed an excellent harvest of berries and cutting and daubing of woody weeds on Sunday 22^nd April before the rain became serious. Monday 7^th’s working bee saw five volunteers walking and weeding as we sought out isolated African lovegrass (ALG) tussocks and those beyond the mowers’ reach. We also searched for Cotoneaster and Pyracantha berries and Briar rosehips (like those in the photo below) uphill of the path between Wickens and Mildenhall places. Usually the berries were hidden deep in other bushes or in un-frequented places under trees where the birds had perched. Where ALG was dug out we scattered local native grass seeds.

As a follow-up from this our next WORKING-BEE on SUNDAY 27^TH MAY, from 9am will begin from near the twin tanks’ track with parking available in Mildenhall place.  

Thanks to Ann, Anne, Andrew, Flemming, John, Lorraine and Sue for donating time to our land-caring. Matt took bags of berries and undesirable seeds to Canberra Sand and Gravel for mulching and high-temperature composting. If you follow the tracks cross-country you’ll see evidence of Ivan’s digging-out of ALG tussocks deeper into the reserve.

You’ll have seen that recent MOWING has created a neat park-like appearance between the gravel path and the suburbs’ properties that border the reserve. This serves as a buffer of land in the event of fire and might also deter snakes from reaching yards. With the last mowing event a broader band of mowing “above the gravel path”, mowing tracks that lead to the summit and the extension of mowing into the reserve’s native grassland “behind” Woodger Place, Fraser has caused major concern. It’s impossible to clean all ALG and other weed seeds off mowing machinery. The likelihood is that all these places will have been infested with ALG seeds whereas they were relatively free of ALG before.

Procedures have now been put into place for our volunteers to map the vegetation areas of Mt Rogers with the aim of properly informing mowing unit personnel and fire management teams so that similar damage does not re-occur. There are plans for some spraying for TAMS but even more positively Ann and Steve D. have agreed to attend a Chemcert course on May 9^th which will allow them to supervise spraying volunteers’ activities on Mt Rogers. We will be able to follow up what mowers and the “authorities” achieve in a more flexible timeframe.

In the last week a team from EnviroAg has SPRAYED the infestations of Blackberry and Honeysuckle that have engulfed native vegetation over the years. And in another positive development Lawrence has received approval for a Year 8 assignment to INVESTIGATE the effect of mowing on invertebrate populations. He will probably be working in the Mildenhall place area if you see some extra, small-scale mowing happening.

A few weeks ago there was a presentation about moths by Australia’s foremost moths expert, Ted Edwards. Two of his points were especially poignant: numerous moth species have larvae that are essential workers in the breaking down of natural LEAF-LITTER and the release of nutrients for other plants from this process….and there appear to be few, if any, lepidopterists joining scientists and researchers in unravelling the mysteries of Australia’s 30,000 moths species. Relevance? We need to be wary of attempts to Hazard Reduction Burn forest and native grassland areas unnaturally frequently. Ecosystems cannot afford to have soil sterilised and invertebrates decimated beyond recovery-points. It may well be that we’ll be seeing those dark moth caterpillars moving across the path soon. They’re larvae of Apina callisto moths (see the photo below) and have antifreeze within them to withstand winter’s freezing temperatures.

Over the past 5-6 years many Mt Rogers walkers have become acute OBSERVERS of happenings and wildlife. They have become much more involved with NATURE or been able to revisit relationships with plants and animals from earlier decades. Minds become CURIOUS again in spite of the pressures of our “other lives”. The OUTDOORS has brought a sense of calm and wellbeing. None of us suffers from nature deficit disorder. Mind you we often have to concentrate on our feet as the path-track has suffered from the rain’s ravages and there’s many other ACT paths waiting to be fixed. Uneven surfaces probably give us more comprehensive EXERCISE and keep our bodies adjusting to the different levels. Once stamina is established going CROSS-COUNTRY is a new challenge.

Even from the circling gravel path the VIEWS are spectacular (for example, the view south in the photo above). Towards Black Mountain we can applaud suburban and town-centre development. Towards the north-east there’s our treed suburbs’ comparisons with Gungahlin-style suburbia. Looking to Hall we can muse about remaining farmland and the effort it took to clear the hills for grazing. Across to the west sunsets inspire especially with the light constantly changing on the Brindabellas. Walk up to the 704m summit and see this in 360 degrees.

SIGHTINGS recently have included Black-shouldered kites (BSK) hovering or watching for prey from the phone-tower. Scarlet robins (see photo below) are back to spend winter and reflect the sunshine from their breast feathers as no European robin is able to do. Over 80 bird species give people reason to watch for flights and seasonal changes. It’s worth scanning the skies for raptors other than the BSKs though I still haven’t got my head around recognising birds-of-prey from their flying patterns. Other birds are easier to identify from their flight especially if they’re calling at the same time. Butterflies also reveal their identity through flight.

Run through a list of the SOUNDS made by some Mt Rogers bird species: screeching Cockatoos, Magpies (such as in photo below) having a “domestic’ or upset by a Goshawk, their carolling at more relaxed times, scolding, alarmed Eastern rosellas, laughing or mocking Kookaburras, the “ooming” of the Bronzewing pigeons, piping calls from King parrots and Eastern spinebills, duetting Peewees and chatter from Sparrows. At home our “gang-of-four” magpies have a particular, recognisable chorus which seems to be made up of the “signature tunes” of individual birds. They use this combined song to declare and protect their territory.

Sometimes our canine companions HEAR the rustle of reptiles’ movement but they, and kangaroos are masters of “freezing” to avoid discovery. One of the long-felled trees’ stumps used to be a basking-place for a Bearded Dragon lizard as it waited for the sun to warm its body (like the lizards basking in the 2nd and 3rd photos below). Striped skinks (as in the top photo below) may make enough noise for us to hear them as they scuttle away. Snakes rely on their sensing of vibrations rather than hearing. Unless “cornered” they will usually slither away from our approach.

Perhaps the SILENCE of the bush is the best sound of all. It may be punctuated by wind passing through leaves, by conversation between friends Mt Rogers has brought together and by birds’ and crickets’ contact calls. Sometimes the noise of traffic wafts up 704 m to Mt Rogers but this illustrates the freedom from roads, vehicles and fumes that the reserve offers; FRESH AIR with the occasional influence of eucalyptus, rain and damp soil.

WINTER shouldn’t be too off-putting as we all have to warm-up uphill to begin our circuits. Previous “newsletters” are available on the blog that Ann has established at mtrogerslandcare.blogspot.com (this blog site) and there’s also information through the Ginninderra Catchment Group’s website (http://www.ginninderralandcare.org.au/).

Thank you to all those APPRECIATORS who don’t necessarily have the time or physique for landcaring. Your caring shows how you support the Landcare Group’s volunteers with thanks and encouragement.

Rosemary, Convenor, Mt Rogers Landcare Group. 6258 4724
(In case you were wondering, Parkcarers volunteer in Canberra Nature Park, and Landcarers volunteer in other reserves. It is to be hoped there will be a merging of the apparent dichotomy soon!)

As Winter begins? Mt Rogers, April 2012

As I begin this update we’ve all been surprised to find that an overnight forecast of one degree actually translated as a degree or two of frost! With the cold southerly it was definitely bracing on Mt Rogers this morning (10 April).  

Have you heard a ‘new’ bird call from home or whilst on Mt Rogers? The Grey Butcherbird’s song seems to me to be simultaneously mocking, joyous and sometimes as melodious as magpies’ best efforts. I did see a young Grey Butcherbird watching for edibles from a tree above Bingley crescent on 6^th March. I’d heard the far-carrying calls from mid-Flynn and Mt Rogers before then and since. Last Saturday (7^th April) there was an early serenade from a magnificent Eucalypt that reminds a few of us of the grassy woodlands that Flynn’s Welch and Wyles Places replaced.

The Butcherbird, Cracticus torquatus (the photo above is courtesy of Barbara), is known to impale prey on twigs or lodge it in forked branches. They also raid small birds’ nests but mostly feed on small lizards and invertebrates grabbed from the ground after a swift dive. Photos and good binoculars will show the curve on the bird’s strong beak. At 26 to 30 cm they’re smaller than a wattlebird. Adults have grey plumage, with young birds being much browner. Three other species of butcherbird are found in Australia including the Pied butcherbird whose range is to the ACT’s north. A new book on magpies makes the point that some ornithologists group magpies in the butcherbirds’ genus Cracticus. Whatever their precise taxonomy the two birds are closely related.

I wonder if the Butcherbird’s appearance this time will herald its becoming established as a Mt Rogers resident species? In the last 10 years we’ve noticed how Common Bronzewing Pigeons have gradually spread around the reserve from the Wickens Place carpark area. Despite their name they are far from common and nowhere near as ubiquitous as the Crested Pigeon. The sudden influx of a species is known as an irruption. We have witnessed this in 2011–2012 with the millions of Plague Soldier beetles, but Crested pigeons suddenly appeared in the ACT region in the 1930s. Their stay then didn’t last but another irruption in the sixties led to the gradual expansion of their numbers that we’ve seen in recent decades. Both pigeons have gloriously coloured, sun-highlighted bands of feathers in their wings.

The story of the Common or Indian Myna is currently making headlines again as these introduced pest birds have also shown how species increase and spread through an area. Their invasion wasn’t natural however, and by approximately 2005 their numbers were threatening the survival of native bird species and hollow-using small mammals. I remember noticing that it took several years before Mynas completed their invasion of Flynn. After backyard trapping Indian mynas moved from being third most common Canberra bird to 13^th or 14^th currently. Flynn, Fraser, Melba and Spence folk were effective trappers.

A much more attractive species also gradually spread through Flynn and onto Mt Rogers: the Australian King Parrot. Like Currawongs it appears that ‘Kings’ have changed their behaviour to remain in the suburbs during winter, enticed by Cotoneaster, Privet, Pyracantha and Hawthorn berries. They apparently breed in the high country so they’re classed as “altitudinal migrants”. In recent weeks there have been inspiring sightings of robins moving through areas like Shepherds Lookout beyond Holt as they leave the high country’s winter weather behind. This means that we’ll be able to see Scarlet Robins around Mt Rogers for the next few months. Eastern Spinebills are piping! Can you believe that “a flock of four seen once“ was an observer’s entry covering the period 1913 to 1928 about the Galah?

If you need a change and a more rugged walk (also dogs off-leash) Shepherds Lookout offers a short walk with spectacular views of the Murrumbidgee after it’s been joined by the Molonglo River’s “interesting” contribution. Drive along Stockdill Drive towards the sewage treatment works and look for a collection of boulders that mark the way to the lookout.

Shepherds Lookout is also interesting because it has the most incredible smorgasbord of weeds alongside the track. It is therefore an example of what happens to a nature reserve when there is no money for adequate maintenance and no caring group of volunteer stewards to show their appreciation by action.

If you visit Shepherds Lookout, dogless, on Fridays or the weekends you could call in to Strathnairn Homestead Gallery to reward yourselves with morning or afternoon tea, a glimpse of the current exhibition and a walk around the property and its studios. Anyone who’s lived the rural life will enjoy a step back in time, rural and Brindabella views and close encounters with Fairy Wrens, Sparrows, Magpies and the chooks.

Several Mt Rogers folk exhibit at Strathnairn and contribute to the handcrafted artefacts that make unique gifts. Jill, no doubt assisted by Bernard, is about to have a display of her artwork there. Steve has a wonderful painting of New Holland Honeyeaters currently on display at CSIRO Discovery and there’s a glorious collage featuring Frogmouths there for free-appreciation also. At the Botanic Gardens there’s a display of botanical art by artists from the Gardens’ Friends Group. Their paintings feature local species too.

It might well be time to appreciate the parklike appearance of Mt Rogers whilst it lasts in its current greenness! The mowing crews have been through again and made the edges look neat and enticing. We know that this isn’t the real bush and that it’s the “organised chaos” of our ecosystems that actually support, shelter and feed local species and maintain their complex inter-relationships. Strathnairn shows how farming families created oases amongst the paddocks that replaced grassy woodlands. Mt Rogers is a bush oasis amongst the suburbs.

Our next two working-bees will continue our voluntary land-caring maintenance. No previous landcaring experience needed, and all are welcome!

SUNDAY 22^ND APRIL FROM 9AM, ASSAULTING BERRIED-WEEDS

MONDAY 7th MAY FROM 9AM, FROM NEAR WICKENS PLACE’S CARPARK.

Encourage everyone to keep walking and observing in spite of the cooler days!

Rosemary
10-15 April 2012
Mt Rogers Landcare Group, 6258 4724

Reference
Wilson, Steve Birds of the ACT: Two centuries of change. Canberra, Canberra Ornithologists Group, 1999.

So much life! - 20 February 2012

This morning I walked up to Mt Rogers arriving by about 08.45. As I passed #11 Schwarz place I noticed a "blob" in a green (introduced & deciduous later) tree in their garden....one of the Frogmouths was roosting there.

I walked up the gully from the "new drain" as Arjen & Jazz turned up that way. He said they'd been close to the summit a few days ago & Jazz "pointed" to a large dragon lizard. A few steps afterwards & three quail exploded away from them. Good news that ground-nesting birds are surviving.

Further up the gully a Willie wagtail was trying to catch a largish moth/fly/butterfly in mid-air. Three or four Grey fantails didn't seem impressed at this incursion into their territory. It's my impression that Willie wagtails are rarely seen actually on Mt R though they may be in nearby gardens from time to time.

Up and over the ridgeline and brown movement in the distance turned out to be a rabbit. There's a species we can do without. I'd seen their droppings in the regrowing burnt area some months ago but never actually seen the culprits. Let's hope someone's dog or the resident foxes will account for the rabbit soon.

Do you think people (other dog-walkers who don't share our views) encourage their dogs to chase the kangaroos? Arjen & I agreed it's so good to have a resident family of roos rather than only hosting animals which have been terrified into coming to Mt Rogers from Kuringa Drive or the creek or where-ever.

A "community meeting" between Nancy, John, Peter, Trisha, Benji and Teddy evolved near the northerly "new drain" and we noticed a wonderful white mushroom-shape amongst the grass. Later we found about seven more deep in from the end of Keane place and again, each solitarily, amongst the grass.

Whilst we have several photos of them between us I haven't identified them yet from Bruce Fuhrer's book. I found an attractive website Bill Leithhead's Website but out of the thousands of Australian fungi that's fascinating but not helpful.

With this extraordinary summer we should see more fungi emerging in response to the dampness & warmth of the soil rather than waiting for autumn.

Perhaps we should create a Mt Rogers Fungi Gallery?

Mt Rogers in February 2012

Colin, the inventor of the dog-poo-bag dispenser, has turned his hands to five notice-holders and now a brochure holder. To install the latter, permission had to be sought from City Services because it was being installed on public land. Philip Selmes as ACT Parkcare co-ordinator, helped with the concreting-in, impressively using one of the Fire Unit’s light vehicles as a water source. Colin’s also continued the African Lovegrass (ALG) cutting & bagging from where we left off after the Sunday 22^nd working bee. 

Several of our landcarers have signed up as members of Ginninderra Catchment Group. This free membership, plus signing on with an ACT Individual Volunteer Sign-on Sheet, allows landcarers to be insured whilst working on specific tasks outside official working-bee times. All of our landcarers learn about the work and the Mt Rogers species “on the job”. The next dates for volunteering Sunday 28^th Feb. &  Monday 5^th March.

Ginninderra Catchment Group’s co-ordinators are arranging for the spreading Blackberry and Honeysuckle patches to be sprayed by contractors in April. They may also be able to follow-up our ALG work by spraying the tussocks and there are areas of Chilean Needlegrass to be treated, particularly north & east of Jacob Place. Christine and Johan organised a family working-bee recently, making a dent in stands of St Johns Wort by pulling it from the soil (unexpectedly damp from this unusual summer). Morris has mown near his home for years keeping the ALG in check in a practical way by preventing it seeding.  

Today’s working-bee saw us working on ALG again but we also cut & bagged the wonderful Salsify heads to prevent their seeds ‘parachuting’  further into the reserve.  Two couples passed by. They (and Chris later) asked about the small piles of shredded paper placed regularly along the track. Perhaps they are the remains of someone’s treasure hunt. Other people use flour in such circumstances knowing that enterprising invertebrates will eat it if our dogs can ignore it. At our place snails and slugs might eventually eat the shiny paper but I wonder how long it will take to break down on Mt R.? At least it’s not plastic.

The second couple were concerned about sighting a healthy fox realising that young, inexperienced birds might easy be victims of these introduced predators. It was valuable to have their report as it helps build a picture of fox behaviour and movements. Cats also hunt on Mt Rogers as well as in their neighbours’ gardens. They’re bad news for native birds, skinks, and lizards. Keeping cats in at night doesn’t help daytime’s reptiles and many cats learn to move without activating the bells on their collars.

We’d not even begun working this morning (06.02.12.) when we were delighted to see the Owlet Nightjar peering out of its daytime roost in a nest-box near the Wickens Place carpark. Other birds were active as we worked: a White-throated treecreeper, Superb fairy wrens, Grey fantails, Silvereyes, Magpies, Rosellas, Wattlebirds, Weebills, Thornbills and a Bronzewing pigeon called. Lorraine reported seeing a couple of Superb Parrots within the last week. This is another important report as birdwatchers have been wondering whether the species has moved out of the ACT by now. Up to 170 Superbs in family groups, have been reported, some at the AIS and others near Cook Horse paddocks in mid-January. Perhaps the species is re-writing its history books! Several species of birds have been reported as having at least two broods of young in response to the food-plentiful summer.

The main bird-story for January has come from Helen & Chris’ garden where a Boobook used their Claret ash as a daytime roost. They and Lyndon managed some photos and they’re on the blogspot Ann has created and is adding-to: www.mtrogerslandcare.blogspot.com   Over time there were two Boobooks, then three and finally four. The young were much paler than their parents, colouring that seemed to accentuate the sense of amazement in their gaze. We have heard Boobooks call from mid-Flynn during many summer nights. There was never any doubt that we could “claim” them as Mt Rogers’ residents but this is the first time live ones have been seen by Mt R. community members. The birds’ list we have for the reserve reflects the species I have seen so it’s likely that others will have species to add or at least sightings such as the Painted Button Quail whose ‘platelets’, whilst foraging in leaf litter, are evidence of their visits. Cormorants, Eagles and Pelicans feature on the list because they’ve been seen flying over the reserve. Just imagine how light reflecting on dams & lakes guides the waterbirds to new habitat or food supplies.

We have held two guided walks showing 25 people where special species and favourite places were, away from the gravel path. The weekday walk led us into hot weather. This and our naturalists’ slow pace was a bit much for the children. Perhaps we can persuade them to come on a specific ‘treasures’ hunt or a spirited “race” to the summit some time. Would spotlighting appeal?

I have one or two photos of clusters of Soldier beetles clinging to vegetation in hundreds. They are so named because the colours of their bodies reminded some of soldiers’ uniforms and possibly the numbers resembled armies. The beetles have been hatching at a phenomenal rate with swarms of them around trees canopies at times. Google Plague Soldier Beetles for more information and images.

Orchard butterflies are quite often in gardens seeking citrus & Choisya plants for the caterpillars which will emerge from their eggs. Common Browns, The Australian Painted Lady, Meadow argus, Caper and Cabbage whites, Common Grass Blue and several Skippers are locally common amongst grasses and flowering plants at their specific times of the year. Ogyris and Delias species specialise in visiting mistletoe clusters in a range of Mt Rogers trees. Australia hosts some 400 species of butterflies but moth species are far more numerous. Don’t be put off by their possibly duller colouring…moths’ wings have the most exquisite patterns and variations on brown and beige themes, ideal for camouflage. There are over 20,000 moth species in Australia and 30,000 beetles may live here including weevils, scarabs, dung beetles, chafers and leaf beetles.

Will the rain periods and warmth prompt a new crop of toadstools and other fungi? They’re essential recyclers of decaying material. Lichens and mosses adorn the rocks, boulders and forest floor revealing they’re subtle but varied colours once a few millimetres of rain penetrate their outer cells. Thousands of tiny Rock ferns have begun life in the past few months. Berlinda has pointed out a strange, almost evil-looking, algal mass at a seepage point between boulders. We haven’t begun investigating what it might be in spite of our photographs.
 
Thank you to all who sent messages of support and or comments on the situation when it was revealed that the Rural Fire Service (contracted by TAMS) would hold a Hazard Reduction Burn (HRB) in the two hectares between the Wickens Place carpark and Woodger place in Fraser. With the intervention of ecologist Margaret Kitchin, the HRB  was called off and proposed for its correct scheduling for autumn 2011 to 2013. We will persist in our quest for parkcarers, landcarers, catchment groups and nearby residents to be adequately informed of such plans and for better communication between the agencies involved. It’s also essential, I think, that a brochure explaining the whole HRB issue, procedures and responsibilities be available to Canberrans and especially those whose lives and properties are connected with “the bush”.  To us Mt Rogers and other reserves aren’t just resources or land for infrastructure. Mt Rogers is a large part of our wellbeing.

Rosemary, Convenor
Mt Rogers Landcare Group
6258 4724

A MAGICAL MORNING: NINE PEOPLE MAKING A BIG DIFFERENCE ON MT ROGERS

Of course our morning involved more than the nine of us. Barbara & Chris had left slumbering visitors and walked rather than weeding this time. Anne was a visitor elsewhere and we all, probably, neglected spouses and families and gardens whilst working in the “big garden”! I drove in, rather than park in Mildenhall Place. This proved to be a real advantage as we could use the car as a base & it eventually filled up with more than a dozen ‘Clean-up’ bags of grasses.

 

We began at 8am expecting the day to be hot by 10am. The strong easterly kept us almost cool at first & then provided an excellent working-temperature even if it may have deterred curious small birds.

Heather joined us for the first time after seeing the notices. As an experienced land-carer elsewhere she’s no stranger to African Lovegrass (ALG) and Serrated Tussock (ST). She concentrated on a particular area with scissors and long-handled mattock (double-ended hoe).

We reckon there’s 10-14 days before the ALG really starts to disperse seeds on the wind and our paws and feet so our aim was to behead and bag the seed-heads from tussocks “uphill” of the gravel path. The Mt Rogers “bush” has only isolated ALG tussocks away from the edges of paths and tracks.

The area we worked on southwest of Schey Place continues the work of Jude and Steve a few weeks ago and, most importantly, took in two dense (3m by 3m) patches which are a soul-destroying prospect for solo-weeders.

We beheaded two ALG species: Eragrostis curvula, and what I call Tall Lovegrass because it’s taller and more robust than the common ALG. If Mt Rogers is anything to go by it’s probably just as invasive as there were only about a dozen plants 2-3 years ago.

If you Google what might be Tall lovegrass, Eragrostis chloromelas (Boer Grass) you’ll find a revealing site which also lists Mexican Feather Grass as an appealing grass to buy. The website is American however and Mexican Feather Grass was the subject of a frantic “re-call” campaign two years ago as authorities attempted to trace purchasers of this potentially extremely invasive grass. This all goes to show the situation we are in when overseas plants are wanted and sought-after but could be disasters for Australia’s fragile and unique biodiversity.

We occasionally digressed to distinguish other weeds such as Skeleton weed, Flatweed, Prickly lettuce and Salsify. Again, if you search on their names but add images, you’ll recognise the species we came across. Salsify can be used like a parsnip if pulled up before too much greenery has developed. On the Guided walks on 15 and 19 January we marvelled at the Salsify’s huge, lustrous flower heads. Their symmetry and delicate parachutes-in-waiting show the power of design-for-dispersal of the huge “daisy” family’s seeds.

Aidan, Pat, Bomber and Buddy came past but also queried the weeds they’d noticed from several tracks. Aidan showed me what they meant and the weed turned out to be St John’s Wort (SJW). Aidan is happy to pull out some of this for the group. This is a very worthwhile contribution because the capsules of thousands of seeds are pre-dispersal-green at the moment. If the pulled plants are left in the sun to “cook” the remains will eventually rot down and return nutrients to the soil. However gloves should be worn for contact with SJW as the handled plants can give flu-like symptoms. The plants need a steady almost gentle pull as the rhizomes and roots spread extensively through the soil. It’s easy to leave fragments in the soil but at least we can reduce the numbers of viable seeds waiting in the ground for the growth-triggering conditions this spring-summer has presented throughout the local region.

At one point Ann noticed that Ivan & Sue were working within a few metres of a pair of Common Bronzewing pigeons. Some years ago these birds were quite timid and would fly away at our intrusions near the main carpark. As the families have dispersed many of them seem to be less nervous. Their “ooming” calls can be heard, seasonally, from any point of the reserve. The bars of iridescence on their wing feathers show how recent our knowledge of light and colours is but don’t explain why the play of sunlight on their plumage is important to the birds. Even the more common Crested pigeon has some wing-colour if the angle of the sun is right.

At about 10.30 we moved towards what I call the Cryptandra patch, trackside on the track that passes above the twin reservoirs. There aren’t any others on Mt Rogers as far as I know and the original 7 or 8 have been joined by offspring. This is just as well as three of the older plants have died since spring. Cryptandra amara have delicate, heather-like white bell-shaped flowers, which the butterflies, as pollinators, just can’t resist.

The ALG along the track here has been brought in by mowers moving along from the infested carpark area. We can illustrate the Bradley method of weeding here by preserving what is a fine woody grassland area and weeding out invading species, working out from the natural vegetation in the centre.

A few flowers such as Bluebells, Chrysocephalum daisies, Yellow autumn-lilies, Kangaroo grass and unopened Columbine were visible even today. In due season Hardenbergia, Melichrus and Dodonea will add colour. The small amount of rain we’d had refreshed the Rock ferns near and Lichens on the rocks.

Just happening to glance up at blue sky, I chanced on a large raptor. The Binoculars confirmed that it was a Wedge-tailed Eagle using the wind to soar high above the southern edge of Mt Rogers. What a reward for our efforts. Sue, Ann, Aidan M., John and Ivan were in luck whereas Colin, Heather and Lynn had returned to their weekend lives. Previously Sue had watched a small lizard scuttle away but the sun wasn’t consistent enough to see others or the Dragon lizards sunning on the rocks.

There were plenty of appreciative dog-walkers enjoying the coolness this morning. Many have commented on how good the reserve looks now that the mowers have caught-up again. The small mower’s operator went as close as possible to trees and fences giving such a neat appearance. There is a renewed feeling of safety even though we need to be vigilant as the snakes are around, anywhere, in their habitat.

We’ll be monitoring the effects of the various methods we applied and whether the seeds Aidan M. spread round will colonise the inevitable areas of bare soil. Keeping as much ALG out of areas like Mt Rogers as possible is a balancing act between the need for mowing and maintaining mower-hygiene to reduce seed-spread. It was absolutely magical for me to see the enthusiasm and dedication of today’s volunteers and the way they toiled to protect the land we appreciate and need. Thank you all!

Rosemary

22.01.12.

January walks and working bees - and owls!

Chris & Helen are happy to share this photo of these delightful Boobooks with us. Just like the Boobook at Strathnairn last year the owls were discovered because their guano had collected on the ground below the tree. Obviously Mt Rogers would have Boobooks, but knowing where they roost is always the riddle. We've heard them regularly this summer calling "Mo-poke" from mid-Flynn but not known which tree hosted them. Are these the same birds I wonder?

Imminent events at Mt Rogers that might interest you are:

GUIDED WALK on Sunday 15th January from the Wickens Place carpark at 9am,

GUIDED WALK on Thursday 19th January from the Wickens Place carpark at 9am,
each for about two hours.

WORKING-BEE on Sunday 22nd January from 8am if hot.

WORKING-BEE on Monday 6th February from 9am.
Meeting places to be announced later.
The recent mowing has altered the priorities a bit but we may continue with work against African lovegrass if the seeds haven't dispersed by then.

For the GUIDED WALKS wear long pants, sturdy footwear, hats, sunscreen and bring water to drink + a snack. If you have binoculars & want to take photos bring the respective lenses!