After parking in
Schwarz Place, Flynn, I aimed to walk through the reserve checking known areas
of weed infestation to assess the species’ status as spring approaches. It
wasn’t surprising to see the main track was busy with people escaping, with and
without dogs, from the confinement yesterday’s wild winds and cold had induced.
At first it was
sunny and the winds were light but by 10.15 the winds were stronger and from
the south. Their coldness came straight off the snow in the Brindabellas,
though visible whiteness decreased as the warm sun melted a couple of days’
worth of precipitation; at most sleet for us in the suburbs but snow to excite
the winter sports enthusiasts in the high country. And to think that if
overseas folk know where Australia is at all most of them wouldn’t know that
our modest mountains attract snow.
African
Lovegrass (ALG) shows up to the east of Schwarz Place usually along the tracks
and paths. There are a few woody weeds to attend to. I was more than delighted
to hear 3 hours later that the new people at the end of the street had taken
out many trailer loads of overgrown plants including Cotoneaster, Jasmine and
Periwinkle since they moved in. Their weeds went to Canberra Sand & Gravel
at Parkwood to be mulched and composted. We’ll be able to reward them with free
native plants from the next Weed Swap on 4th & 5th
November.
Although some
plants here have been sprayed before I think there’s still Chilean Needle Grass
growing in this part of the reserve. The St John’s Wort patch I knew of seemed
to either be clean or a bit behind in the rosettes developing.
North of Snow
Gum Corner’s views above Jacob Place, masses of Wild Oats have already
germinated. By summer the plants will be over a metre tall. The oats were part
of pasture improvement practice when land around the embryonic Canberra, including
Mt Rogers, was grazed. There’s a curious 4 m square space in the oats
where a white-flowered, tiny native Asperula
conferta grows. Common Woodruff is its common name. I wonder whether its
chemistry has some inhibitory effect on the oats or perhaps where it grows is
too wet for introduced plants. There’s another area of Woodruff on the way to
the creek in Flynn and this is clayey and wet after rain events.
Much of Mt
Rogers shows remnants of Grassy Woodland where there are species of shrubs,
Acacias (wattles) and Eucalypts interspersed with native grasses and wildflower
species. Decades of grazing after settlement in the 1840s displaced the groundstorey
native plants. Often places that had rocks or boulders protruding from deep
under ground protected native grasses and wild flowers. Mt Rogers has several
examples of these refuges. Some have had Urn Heath flowering with pale yellow
bells all winter and they’re now welcoming the Hardenbergias’ purple flowers. Aidan has written an interesting
article on Mt Rogers’ geology. It’s available on the Blog that Ann curates for
us: www.mtrogerslandcare.blogspot.com
I wondered
whether Mt Rogers had been cleared of younger trees during the grazing period?
Some 70 magnificent triple-century Eucalypts remain. Nola and Graham
volunteered to photograph them several years ago. Griffin and Angharad have
volunteered to GPS the gum trees more recently … fine examples of the diverse
contributions members of the Mt Rogers community make to the reserve that gives
hundreds of us so much pleasure.
I met Bob and
his canine Beau at one point. Bob recalled discovering Mt Rogers in the 1980s after
moving into Spence. He recalled how he collected and filled the equivalent of
several wheelbarrow loads of rubbish in those days. With great attention to
detail Bob also picked up broken glass. These days the rubbish situation is
better. Chris is one of those who now picks up litter when walking with
Margaret and canines Cayenne and Pepper. He remarked that he’d found a
perfectly serviceable toothbrush the other day: possibly his most inexplicable
find so far.
As Bob and I
chatted a flock of small birds came through. The mixed flock of insectivorous
birds were exploring the copious Cootamundra Wattle blossoms for insects and
larvae. Wrens, Grey Fantails, Silvereyes, Thornbills foraged at different
levels of the trees and on the ground. They need fine bills to secure their
prey species. They’re a contrast to the several photos (below) I took that showed the
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos had moved through the reserve in recent weeks.
Several people have been delighted to see these birds that make regular
cockatoos look small. Mt Rogers doesn’t have many cone-bearing trees but they
use their massive beaks to break open the galls on some wattles. Other trees
had had their bark peeled back so the cockatoos could reach the invertebrates
underneath. Especially fascinating were instances when superficially healthy wattles
had borers in their trunks. The birds had ‘bitten’ the trunks open and exposed
the insects and their tunnels
As we’ve found
and recorded before, there were several old trees covered with Ivy. They thrive
in shady and damper places making the woodland look almost English in places.
There were also known Blackberry patches to check. Deeper in from the ‘Tudor’
house in Spence there was a large Honeysuckle infestation. I stopped to watch
after noticing small brown birds flying into the Honeysuckle mass and then back
into nearby trees. Were they building in the shelter of the Honeysuckle or
taking something from there into a nest being made in the trees? They were too
quick for the binoculars but may have been White-browed Scrub Wrens.
The damp ground
made pulling out isolated Serrated Tussock plants possible; I didn’t have tools
with me. Steve has diligently sprayed ST and ALG whilst walking systematically
through the reserve with his backpack kit. His voluntary work complements what
we achieve on our twice-monthly working bees and helps to ensure that
infestations ‘uphill’ of the main gravel path are recorded and dealt with.
The ACT only has
two Weeds Officers but Mt Rogers is very fortunate that Jenny Conolly is able
to organise funding for a contractor to spray the grasses I’ve mentioned;
principally where they occur between the gravel path and residences and along
the main access tracks. Persistence is the best solution for achievements
against weeds, as we also know from our gardens.
The wattles are
magnificent at the moment and I hope you’re able to walk round Mt Rogers soon
to see them. The most numerous species is Cootamundra Wattle (two photos below) which originated
in the Cootamundra area. It was widely planted decades ago and forms dense
thickets after a fire event as can be seen on Mt Rogers. Silver Wattle is also
in flower with Red-stemmed Wattle about to come into flower. All provide food,
shelter & habitat for a range of insects, birds & other animals.
Ginninderra
Catchment Group, with Southern and Molonglo catchment group colleagues, is
working to achieve adequate and reliable long-term funding for landcaring and
the support of the volunteers who are stewards for reserves and Urban Parks
around the ACT. Funding for Landcare has principally come from the Federal Government
whereas Canberra Nature Park reserves Parkcarers and rangers are funded through
the ACT Government.
I tried to
locate the Frogmouths. We may come across their daytime roosts in a range of
places, possibly depending on the prevailing winds or likelihood of sunshine. All
the previous years’ nest trees I passed were bird-less. I did hear a Bronzewing
Pigeon’s “Boom” once or twice. The Magpies that I came across all seemed
preoccupied with foraging. Here in mid-Flynn the normal routines are changing
as pairs begin nest building.
Let Access Canberra 13 22 81 know if you
need signage warning of swooping birds.
Let’s hope the
weather settles down for Phil Nizette of Wellspring Environmental Art &
Design when he begins engraving MT ROGERS on the rock-sign on the edge of the
Wickens Place carpark.
We are working
on wording for dog-behaviour signs at entry points around Mt Rogers. These are
to inform newcomer dog-carers about managing their canines’ behaviour whilst in
the multi-use reserve. Following the review of dog exercising areas in 2014 we
expected that the Government would provide educative signs for all areas where
dogs are allowed. You may have noticed no
smoking signs near playgrounds. Signs that might help protect us from
poorly managed dogs are more difficult it seems.
The next
Working-bees are on Sunday 27th August and Monday 4th
September from 09.30. We’ll meet in Mildenhall Place and at Wickens Place
respectively. Contact 6258 4724 for
details.
Rosemary,
Convenor, Mt Rogers Landcare Group 21.08.17.
