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Know Your Wildlife!

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Test your skills each month with MCCG’s Wildlife Identification Quiz!

You’ll find Know Your Wildlife towards the back of every month’s The Local Bulletin.  Answers can be found by searching in the MCCG Catchment Field Guides.

We will provide the answers to each quiz right here in the first week of every month!

Here is the April quiz:

Which of these butterflies is NOT classified as a swallowtail?

1.

2.

3.

Chequered

  1. Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus – photo Ed Frazer)
  2. Tailed Emperor (Polyura sempronius – photo Ed Frazer)
  3. Clearwing Swallowtail (Cressida Cressida – photo Ed Frazer)

 

Answer:

The Tailed Emperor (Polyura sempronius) is classified as a Nymph, NOT a Swallowtail.

 

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The Autumn Newsletter is out!

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Now is the perfect time to grab a cuppa and take a good few minutes to relax and read another great MCCG Newsletter.  The Autumn Newsletter is packed full with so many interesting stories. There are frogs, hairy nosed wombats, echidnas, spoonbills, egrets, whipbirds, yellow-tailed black cockatoos, azure kingfishers and info on our volunteer efforts with bush care groups, working bees and much, much more.  Honestly, there is too much to list here!

Go and check it out for yourself Autumn Newsletter

Or read all the Past Newsletters

Pssst! We are also on the lookout for more volunteers with all different skills to help us continue all the behind the scenes work of Moggill Creek Catchment Group.  Could you join the MCCG team? More info in the newsletter.

Echidna Photo: Dave Edwards

Plant up the dams and creek sides.

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The Moggill Creek Catchment is not well off for water to supply the district’s wildlife. Apart from the Gold Creek Dam and Gold and Moggill creeks there is little other permanent water. Even then the upper parts of Moggill Creek have dried out in recent droughts. The non- permanent creeks dry out rather quickly as most have porous, rocky bases in the upper reaches.

Little Pied Cormorant, Great Egret and Royal Spoonbill attracted to a well planted farm dam.  Photo: Ed Frazer

There were a few farm dams left over from the dairy and fruit farms in past times and recently a few dams have been built on private acreage. Unfortunately sites are often difficult and many have leaking problems and their water holding capacity is small. To make the most of what is available to encourage the wildlife and especially the small birds, reptiles and mammals that are dependant on reliable water sources, we need to improve the habitat around those existing water sources.

Dams with clear areas around their shores are only attract a range of aggressive birds such as Magpies, Butcherbirds, Magpie Larks, Ibis and Kookaburras. The same is true of the creeks where they have been cleared of overhanging vegetation. Ideally creeks should be planted with overhanging trees such as Sandpaper Figs, Mellalucas and creek Lillipillies. The trees should be reinforced with extensive plantings of shrubs, and patches of sedges, grasses and Lomandra.

Farm dams need similar treatment, but only the high side of the dam and where the water comes in need to be planted. Wattles make a useful planting higher on the banks and Grevilleas also do well around dams. Planting in the dams should include some broad-leaved plants for the frogs as well as sedges. Be careful with water lilies particularly if the dam is shallow.  Avoid Hardy waterlilies and use Tropical Waterlilies and Night Bloomers as they don’t spread and choke out the dam.

If you establish a good habitat around the dam or creek side you will be rewarded by a large range of beautiful birds such as Azure Kingfishers and a wide range of water birds, small mammals such as echidnas and water dragons. A well plated dam or creek side with a good tree canopy will go a long way to keeping out invasive water weeds. It will also contribute to making the creek a more suitable habitat for Platypus.

Azure Kingfisher taking advantage of a perch on a dead flower stalk over a farm dam.  Photo: Ed Frazer

Butterfly Talk Thursday evening 25th March with Cliff Meyer

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Find out about the 87 species of Butterflies found so far in Brisbane’s Big Butterfly Count 2021.

Guest speaker Cliff Meyer will show and tell all at our first 2021 MCCG public meeting. To read Cliff Meyer’s bio click here.

7pm Thursday 25 March Brookfield Showground Hall.

A wonderful talk to enjoy and it includes a static display of the 87 species recorded to date.

Blue Tiger Butterfly   Photo: Jim Pope

Brisbane Biodiversity Seminar series – Aquatic Anomalies Tuesday 9th March

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As the most biodiverse capital city in Australia Brisbane is home to some extraordinary rule breakers. Come and hear about current research and rehabilitation efforts for two of our most baffling aquatic creatures – a fish that has lungs and a mammal that lays eggs!

Event details

Date: Tuesday 9 March 2021

6.30pm – 8.30pm

Location: Kenmore Library Meeting Rooms – due to social distancing requirements, numbers are limited to 40 attendees, therefore this Seminar will also be Live Streamed online via “Teams”.

Schedule of events

6:15pm Doors open. Free Tea and Coffee will be available throughout the evening.

6:30pm Welcome

6:45pm – 7:30pm Tamielle Blunt (UQ PhD candidate & WPSQ Project Officer)

Platypus an Elusive Enigma – Tamielle will speak about all things platypus from history, biology, ecology, conservation, latest DNA sampling technologies and her PhD research. Tamielle hopes through research and community education, protection for this iconic species will become a priority because they are a species that may disappear right under our noses.

7:45pm – 8:30pm Mark Waud (Senior Scientist, Healthy Land and Water)

Lungfish Rehabilitation Project – Mark is heading up an exciting project which is giving the Australian Lungfish a helping hand by restoring their critical breeding habitats in the Brisbane River, significantly damaged by recent floods. He will take you through the surprising twists and turns in a project which is focussed on re-establishing the submerged aquatic plants that are vital for lungfish breeding.

RSVP: Bookings are essential. Book your spot through Eventbrite by noon Tuesday 9 March. If you register for the Live Stream, you will be sent the link and instructions on how to join the online event once you’ve registered.

For any enquiries, please call Tony Mlynarik on 0414 784 222

Wildlife Matters – Frogs!

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The new Frogs in our Catchment field guide is up on our website and well worth a look – after you have read Phil Bird’s Wildlife Matters March column. Here you’ll find out why ephemeral pools are so important and when World Frog Day is!

Green Tree Frog (Litoria caerulea) Photo: Ed Frazer

Have you ever wondered what frog is making that call in your backyard? Use this link to discover the fabulous frogs near and far on the Frog ID website.  The aptly named Motorbike Frog (Litoria moorei), although not native to Moggill Creek sadly, is particularly awesome.

 

All Wildlife Matters columns can be found in the Media Centre

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Know Your Wildlife!

by

Test your skills each month with MCCG’s Wildlife Identification Quiz!

You’ll find Know Your Wildlife towards the back of every month’s The Local Bulletin.  Answers can be found by searching in the MCCG Catchment Field Guides.

We will provide the answers to each quiz right here in the first week of every month!

Here is the March quiz:

Can you identify these three frog species?

Which of these frogs has a call that has been likened to a 1-second burst from a dental drill?

(answers below the photo set)

1.Photo by Paul Campbell

2. Photo by Ian Muirhead

3. Photo by Ed Frazer

 

ANSWERS:

Question 1.

  1. Bleating Tree Frog (Litoria dentata)
  2. Graceful Tree Frog (Litoria gracilenta)
  3. Broad-palmed Rocket Frog (Litoria latopalmata)

Question 2.

The Bleating Tree Frog has a call that has been likened to a 1-second burst from a dental drill!

Wildlife Matters

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In this month’s edition Jim Pope brings our attention to the importance of our local creeks and how we can be involved in looking after them through the MCCG Creek Health Monitoring Project.

Swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri) – Top: Male, Bottom: Female – Tim Howell

Read all about it here:  Wildlife Matters February 2021

 

All Wildlife Matters columns can be found in the Media Centre

Published in

 

Know Your Wildlife!

by

Test your skills each month with MCCG’s Wildlife Identification Quiz!

You’ll find Know Your Wildlife towards the back of every month’s The Local Bulletin.  Answers can be found by searching in the MCCG Catchment Field Guides.

We will provide the answers to each quiz right here in the first week of every month!

Here is the February quiz:

Which of these fish are natives and which are exotic species?

  1. Platy
  2. Male Crimson-spotted Rainbowfish
  3. Male Empire Gudgeon

Platy (Xiphophorus maculatus) Photo: Tim Howell

Male Crimson-spotted Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia duboulayi) Photo: Tim Howell

Male Empire Gudgeon (Hypseleotris compressa) Photo: Tim Howell

 

ANSWER: The Platy is exotic, while the Crimson-spotted Rainbowfish and Empire Gudgeon are natives.

Persistence pays off – Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

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In the latest Bush Bites, Tim Spencer shares his recent experience with a Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo.

Loving birds is one thing, but photographing them is a completely different matter. It can be endlessly frustrating but once in a while something unexpected occurs.

Several weeks ago I wandered up the back of my place near the end of Savages Road, camera and 300mm lens on my shoulder. I heard a close-by noise and looked to my left and there, not more than 3m away and at head height was a Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo. This bird had an agenda and was in no way concerned about my close proximity. A tall but narrow Wattle tree was the focus of attention. Half the tree had been stripped of bark and wood exposing a cavity within.

Went back to get my wife Carolyn, “hey, you got to come and see this”  We spent about 20 minutes watching as the bird diligently removed large fragments of wood and bark, there was no way I would put a finger anywhere near that beak! I stayed on another 10 minutes, had trouble lining up under trees as I was a bit too close for the camera lens focus.

Anyway, as I said, Persistence pays off and the bird was finally rewarded for this with a fat, juicy, Witchetty Grub. After devouring the grub the bird flew off in answer to a mate. Looking at the tree and damage, it was clear the bird had extensive knowledge about getting such treats. The amount of damage and a similar place on the other side but lower down where the bird had initially tried led me to believe that at least an hour had been spent in securing the grub! Yum!

 

Words and Photographs by Tim Spencer