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Water rats

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This article and accompanying photos were kindly provided by Ed Frazer (August 2017), who has lived in the district for 45 years and is well known for his award-winning photos of birds on his Brookfield property.

I regularly get photos of the native Water Rat with my infra-red triggered cameras around our Gold Creek boundary.


The Water Rat is about 1kg and 30cm long and has thick water repellent fur. It is our largest rodent and has taken the place that otters occupy in other countries. It and the Platypus are our only Amphibious mammals.It is a voracious feeder on aquatic insects, lizards and snails and feeds almost entirely through the night.


In the 1940’s a beautiful fur coat was made from 100 water rat pelts, but it is now a protected species. 


Going by the numbers I see in my cameras, they are quite plentiful in the Moggill Creek Catchment.


Tuans – Ed Frazer

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In addition to photographing the birds on my property I have a number of photos of mammals. Some are little known. The Tuan (Brush-tailed Phascogale) was one I hadn’t seen before.

It is reasonably common in the Brisbane Western suburbs and is a dedicated nocturnal carnivore. The Tuan in the first shot was throttling chickens when it was caught.

The second photo was taken at night with an infra-red camera. It shows a Tuan climbing an old Wattle tree.

Tuans eat insects they find in the rough bark. They are quite elusive and seldom seen.


Ticks – by Ed Frazer with a note from Gordon Grigg

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Last year after I had been in our bush taking photos I found I had a tick just above my ear. Not uncommon for me. I must have had dozens, even hundreds, over the 45 years I have been wandering around on our property in the bush.

I just pulled it out without thinking and within minutes I was pink and purple all over gasping for  breath. The ambulance was called and they pumped me with adrenalin and carted me off for the night at the Wesley.

I really felt OK even before we got to the hospital, but they wouldn’t let me go until they had me equipped with an Epipen and showed me the correct way to use it.

I was also referred to a very comprehensive Tick Removal website which said all the ways we have relied on for taking ticks out are wrong and I now have “Medi Freeze Tag Remover” (approximately $26.00) in the cupboard for next time.

I was talking to veteran bushman Geoff Mohr about my experience and his theory was that ticks have become a lot more dangerous these days because of the increase in the number of feral deer in the area.


Feral deer – Photo supplied by Ed Frazer

Some people are becoming allergic to eating red meat after tick episodes.  I’ve become a lot more careful in the bush now. I wear long trousers tucked into my socks and use insect repellent.

So, with tick season just around the corner watch out for the ticks and have some Tag Remover in the cupboard!

An additional note from Gordon Grigg

Aerostart is a cheaper alternative to the ‘Medi Freeze Skin Tag Remover’ or ‘Wartoff’, and one can will last for years and many many applications.  In sensitive areas, a cotton bud or even a moistened finger can be used as an applicator.  We were advised to use it by a doctor at Royal Brisbane Hospital years ago and have found it very effective.

The main thing to realise is that killing the tick is the important bit. Removing it is of secondary importance, and in the case of tick larvae there’s no need at all (realise that even a little squeeze in the removal process can inject fluid from the tick that may start a tissue reaction).

An article I wrote for the MCCG Summer Newsletter in 2011 about ticks and the use of Aerostart was modified and included in the July 2015 Land for Wildlife newsletter.

There’s also a lot of useful information about ticks and how to deal with them in an item on the ABC website.

In it I was pleased to learn that the usefulness of Aerostart, alongside other ether containing preparations, has been given approval by the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) as indicated in the Tick Removal website link provided by Ed above.

Click here to open the MCCG 2011 Summer Newsletter.

Note: Aerostart is available at SupaCheap Auto for $16.99.

Stick insects

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We have several stick insect species in the Moggill Creek Catchment living on a variety of trees and shrubs.
Nearly every winter we get a few Pacific Bazas (Crested Hawks), that come down from the higher land West of the Great Divide to feast on the various stick insects.

The Baza is the only hawk that doesn’t cause the local birds to make the usual fuss when they see a bird of prey as they seem to know Bazas only eat the stick insects and never baby birds.

This photo is of a pair of Spiny Leaf Stick Insects mating. The male is much smaller one and has a short lifespan – about 8 months, while the female will live about 18 months – that’s if the Baza doesn’t find her!

Dragonflies

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It’s winter as I write this and it won’t be long now before the Dragonflies and Damselflies start appearing.

They are a good indicator of the health of our creeks, dams and other waterways around the Moggill Creek Catchment.

There are a few species that breed in rather polluted water, but most species in the Catchment prefer water that is fertile enough that it supports the worms and insects that the larvae feed on, but clean enough that there is plenty of oxygen.

The adults will hatch out from early Spring to late Summer. It’s the adults that you will see flying around, often even quite a long way from the water. I see large numbers up our hill early in the morning, sitting on the tops of the grass stalks or on the Lantana, drying off the dew on their wings in the early morning sun.

As the day warms they then patrol the grasses and shrubs catching small moths, midges and, hopefully, any mozzies to fuel up before they return to Gold Creek to mate. Individual males patrol their own patch of creek and defend it with interesting aerial dogfights. Some pairs, especially of Damselflies, go about laying eggs in tandem flight.

The eggs of both Dragonflies and Damselflies hatch into voracious ugly nymphs that eat worms, aquatic insects, tadpoles and even small fish and may take from a few months to three years to emerge as the beautiful Dragonfly we see. Damselflies are reasonably similar in behaviour, but quite a bit smaller. 

Dragonfly larvae are a most important food source for creek life. They are eaten by everything from platypus and water rats to water dragons, eels, fish and wading birds. They are a hugely important natural food for Trout and fresh water Bass.

  Graphic Flutterer 
 Pale Hunter  
  Red and Blue Damselfly 
 Scarlet Percher  
  Yellow-Striped Flutterer 

All images supplied by Ed

Check out our Dragonfly Identification List to see even more of our stunning local dragonflies!

Bites and stings

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This article and accompanying photos were kindly provided by Ed Frazer (August 2017), who has lived in the district for 45 years and is well known for his award-winning photos of birds on his Brookfield property.

Working in the bush has its hazards and biting creatures are one of the most painful and frequent! We have quite a few that you might encounter in the Moggill Creek Catchment.


Which is the worst? Well they have all had a go at me and this is my list rating from one to ten. What is your experience?


1. Midges:   Don’t really sting, but they certainly itch!
2. Bees:   Sting doesn’t last, but a problem if you are allergic
3. Hairy caterpillar:   Hurt and cause a rash that hangs around 
4. Scorpions:   The ones with the small pincers are the worst
5. Large paper wasp:   Sting is severe but doesn’t last long unless a lot get you
6. Jumping spider:   Bite is not the problem – the toxin rots the flesh from some bites
7. Small paper wasp:    Hurt more than the bigger ones and last longer too
8. Assassin bugs:   Really hurt and last a long time and the flesh around the sting rots
9. Bull ants:   One you’ll remember for a very long time …
10. Bullrout (in the creeks):  This one is a lifer – you’ll never forget it !!!

Hints and tips

Clothing

Wearing suitable clothing and using insect repellent helps avoid trouble.

Treatment

Ice, hot packs, vinegar, calamine lotion – nothing really works for me, but it can help distract you from the pain.

Anaphylactic reaction

Can be a serious problem for a small number of people. Get an ambulance – don’t muck around. 
Carry an Epipen if you know you may have a problem.

Ropalida romandi. I haven’t been stung by this little Yellow Paper Wasp and don’t care to!
 It swarms and chases intruders and stings multiple times with a very nasty sting.
Usually it is high in a tree, but can be attached to the walls of a house.
The entrance is at the bottom of the nest.

A feast fit for an Ibis – Ed Frazer

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Here are a few shots out of a large sequence of photos of a White Ibis eating a cane toad. They were taken in August 2017.

I watched the Ibis for about 5 minutes, during which time it made three trips to the dam to wash the cane toad. I assume it was washing off the poisonous secretions. It would be interesting to know if this actually neutralised the toad’s poison glands.

This is not the first time I have photographed a White Ibis eating a cane toad. Ian Muirhead advised me that it is not uncommon to hear about toads being eaten by wildlife.

 
 

 

 

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Waterway Health Assessment and Training – April

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Location: 681 Gold Creek Road Brookfield
Type: Workshop
Organiser: BCC – Community Conservation Partnerships Program
Contact: [email protected]
This workshop is part of the Waterway Health Assessment Training (WHAT) provided by Council’s Creek Catchment Program. Aquatic Ecologist Natalie Toon will guide participants through the requirements and methodology to undertake an aquatic macro invertebrate survey in your local creek. Training will include capture techniques, identification of macro invertebrates, and how the results relate to waterway health. This is a fantastic workshop for those interested in monitoring creek health, and providing and protecting aquatic habitat. RSVP by Friday 29th March to Michael Thorley via email at: [email protected]

Friars in our midst

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They look just like friars with their featherless faces and regal white gorgets! But they are certainly more chatty than our somewhat more sombre human religious clerics!

Also unlike their human counterparts, they are also prone to noisy, squabbly mealtimes – definitely lacking in table manners!

This month’s edition of Jim Butler’s Feather Fascination provides a fascinating insight into the behaviours and history of the Noisy Friarbird. 

Click here for a very entertaining read!

  Photo courtesy of Ed Frazer

Native Wildlife Carers Grants

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Here is an opportunity to acknowledge the tireless work of our wildlife carers.  Few people are aware of the many people tending to injured and orphaned wildlife right here in our catchment.

The dedication required for this wonderful round-the-clock volunteer work is remarkable. It requires passion, tenacity and a willingness to forego full nights of sleep!

Brisbane City Council has opened applications for Native Wildlife Carers Grants. These provide financial assistance to groups and individuals who are involved in rehabilitating and releasing orphaned, sick and injured native wildlife originating within the Brisbane City Council area. Funding amounts range from $200 to $5000.

Applications are open until Monday 4 September.


For more info, please visit the Brisbane City Council website.