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Are you a lover of insects and spiders?

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If so, or even if you’re just curious, we can point you in the direction of a great reference website!

MCCG member Tina Heybroek told us about the site and she describes it as website created by “one little family with cameras and dedication”.

It has a wealth of info and GREAT photos on all sorts of LOCAL insects, including spiders, beetles, butterflies, moths, flies, wasps, damselflies and cockroaches.

There’s too much to describe here, so why not take a look yourself!

Head to the Brisbane Insects website.

Parasitic Snail Blowfly photographed in our catchment by Ed Frazer

 

Which bank?

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Back in March there was a huge influx of moths milling around the Commonwealth Bank building at Kenmore.

MCCG member and honorary fellow of the CSIRO Don Sands is an expert lepidopterist. He took some photos and described the reasons for the amazing swarm in a post on the CSIRO website.

It’s fascinating! Apparently more than 15 different species were identified at the bank!

Click here to learn more!

Working Bees Recommencing!

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Following the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions some of our bushcare groups are re-commencing on-ground activities. Group numbers will be limited to 10 people per group and will follow appropriate hygiene and social distancing precautions.

If anyone is interested in volunteering for working bees in their area, they should contact us at [email protected] and someone will get in touch with them to make arrangements.

Powerful Owls are calling!

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Listen up!  For the next month or so you are quite likely to hear the call of an adult Powerful Owl (Ninox strenua) just after dusk or early in the morning.

Their call is a very distinctive WOO-HOO!

Australia’s largest owl is the the subject of Jim butler’s May edition of Feather Fascination.

This is a wonderful read – thoroughly recommended!

Please click here to open it: Feather Fascination May 2020

Remember, Jim is happy to offer advice about birding and involvement in local bird projects.

The Powerful Owl Project, run by Birdlife Australia, is one such project in which you are encouraged to get involved! Even during the current pandemic, there are resources available to help you.

For more information, please visit the Powerful Owl Project website.

© Chris Read

Butterfly bonanza – Ed Frazer

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Lately we are having a Butterfly Bonanza! The seasonal conditions have been perfect for a build-up of butterflies to numbers we haven’t seen in years.

What is adding to their presence is they are being concentrated on the few plants that are in flower at this time.

There is the usual big influx of migrant species such as the Lemon Migrant and the Caper White.

Caper White – © Ed Frazer

The Caper Whites are very variable and all colour forms are present. The migration seems to be much later this year as they usually one of the first butterfly species to arrive.

The Lemon Migrants are also very variable and both the light and dark forms are present this year.

Lemon Migrant – © Ed Frazer

In 2020 we are seeing a few Yellow Migrants that are far less common. They have yellow underwings and white forewings on the upper-side.

Yellow Migrant – © Ed Frazer

This year has again been a bumper year for Blue Tigers. They are infrequent migrators, but when they do come they appear in large numbers. A few seem to be permanent, but migrations bring in the big numbers such as we have this year. Little is known of their migration movements.

Blue Tiger – © Ed Frazer

Another migrant is the Scarlet Jezebel. Some breed locally on Mistletoes, but large numbers come in from the south. When they are flying their upperwings are visible and they look like a plain white butterfly. When settled their spectacular colours are on display. They prefer the Red Bottlebrush flowers whose scarlet flowers show up that the butterfly’s colours are more crimson than scarlet as their name suggests.

Scarlet Jezebel – © Ed Frazer

Of the resident species the Varied Eggfly is doing well, with lovely blue rings on the male’s upper wings.

Varied Eggfly – male (left) female (right) – © Ed Frazer

 

Another spectacular resident is the Blue Triangle.

Blue Triangle – © Ed Frazer

Among the less common species that are around in good numbers this year is the Glasswing.

Glasswing – © Ed Frazer

There are two day-flying moths with the butterflies that are interesting. The Hawk Moth flies with very rapid wing beats – so fast that even with my camera on a shutter speed of one two thousandth of a second there is still some wing movement in the photo. It hovers less than a second at each flower and sucks nectar with its exceptionally long proboscis making it very difficult to photograph.

Hawk Moth – © Ed Frazer

The Crow Moth mimics the Crow Butterflies. The wing pattern is very similar and when encountered it will spread its wings to show its full pattern.

Crow Moth – © Ed Frazer

Photographing butterflies is not easy. I find it more of a challenge than photographing birds. I use a 300mm lens, but any zoom lens would be suitable. I find with my 500mm lens it is too difficult to keep the butterfly in view as they don’t stay still very long.

They are active when warm in the middle part of the day which makes shadows a problem on sunny days, so warm overcast days are the best.

I find that later in the afternoon some species are slowing down and easier to capture.

I recommend setting the aperture well open at f2.4 to f5.6. This will allow the butterfly to be in focus and the background will be less distracting as it will be nicely out of focus. If you can find flowers at the edges of trees so there is a nice even background some distance away as in the Scarlet Jezebel photo above.

Plenty of patience is needed so a take a chair and wait and soon some butterflies will arrive on your chosen flowers. Don’t bother trying to take photos of butterflies in flight. Even if you succeed they don’t have much appeal.

Right now is your best and probably last chance to get some good photos of butterflies for entering in this year’s MCCG’s Photography Competition.

So many butterflies!

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Have you been noticing all the butterflies lately? You’re not alone!

ABC News describes an “explosion” and “breeding frenzy” of butterflies and moths in South East Queensland. The prolific influx has been produced by our prolonged summer drought followed by recent rain.

Our very own Ed Frazer has photographed 2 beauties, which he has not previously seen in our catchment.

This is the White Migrant (Catopsilia pyranthe), a tropical and subtropical butterfly which, as its name suggests, is a very strong migrant. In some years immense numbers of White Migrants fly south, reaching as far as Sydney.

© Ed Frazer

The second of Ed’s second photos is a Macleay’s Swallowtail (Graphium macleayanum). This exquisite butterfly lives in moist coastal and mountain areas of eastern Australia, from northern Queensland south to Victoria and Tasmania.  It is very rare to see them in our catchment.

© Ed Frazer

Maybe you can put social isolation to good use and take a closer around! You may find some equally beautiful butterflies at your place!

Head to the ABC News website to view their article.

Members, what a great time to plant!

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Although the nursery is closed due to the current restrictions, if MCCG members would like some free local native plants they are invited to contact Bryan Hacker.

Our Nursery is stocked with a wide range of trees, shrubs and understorey plants all looking for a good home, and free to MCCG members.

For a full list, click here: Grasses and other Herbaceous Plants

The list includes species which we have in some quantity; we do have smaller quantities of others so do ask if you want anything else.

Please email Bryan at [email protected] to arrange a time to collect plants for your property! (naturally we’ll be abiding by social distancing rules!)

Bryan can also arrange for renewal ($20) of your membership when you pick up your plants.

Butterfly bonanza!

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Photographing butterflies is not easy.

In his latest Bush Bites article, Ed Frazer shares some tips about nabbing that perfect shot of an elusive butterfly … just like his photo of a Scarlet Jezebel below, taken recently right here in the Moggill Creek Catchment.

Head to the article to read Ed’s expert advice and cast your eyes on a wonderful feast of his latest butterfly photos!  Butterfly bonanza.

© Ed Frazer

 

So, you think you know Brisbane?

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Looking for something to fill in time while you’re indoors?

Head to the Brisbane City Council website and put your local knowledge to the test by doing a quick quiz!

And while you’re there, browse their website for have other boredom-buster ideas.

Check the library catelogue of audio books and e-books or be inspired by the Clean and Green blog.

You can also bring yourself up-to-date with Council’s Creek Catchments program, browse documents about Brisbane’s creeks and catchments or plan a visit to our many bushland reserves.

 

Bush Bites is back!

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We have a wonderful Bush Bites article from Ed Frazer to entertain you whilst you’re social distancing.

Ed shares more of his trademark quality photos and some little known facts about Water Dragons, the animal for which our catchment has been named.

Take a look and prepare to be entertained when you click here!

Water dragon in Gold Creek – © Ed Frazer