Some of you may have noticed the creation of trail bike tracks in Tuckett/Huntington parks by kids. Initially they simply dug obstacles in the grassed area opposite Boyd Terrace.

We believe a neighbour reported this to Council who levelled it out, but the area is still bare of grass. 

The culprits then seem to have moved to Tuckett St. Park where they are using part of the steep creek bank near the old trailer. 

They have destroyed several quite mature native trees that we planted several years ago on the upper banks by pulling them down and snapping the trunks. They have also caused considerable erosion to the bank.

The damage has been reported to the Council (11 September). They will send someone out to inspect it as a matter of urgency.

If anyone living in the area or passing by sees the culprits, PLEASE phone the Council hotline on 3403 8888.

These pictures tell a story of crude destruction:

Note: we have also noticed a number of trees cut down near the Western end of Creekside Park, close to where we did our July working bee. There is a point there where people have placed logs across the creek, but the track is now partially blocked by the fallen trees. Does anyone know anything about this? If so, please contact our Chairman, Jim Pope, or send an email to the MCCG Secretary at:  [email protected]

The tiny White-browed Scrubwren is only 12cm long. Yet  the male bird exhibits some remarkable behaviour when it comes to reproduction.

The White-browed Scrubwren is a cooperative breeder, with the male birds sharing reproduction rights based upon their paternity. 

Jim Butler’s latest issue of Feather Fascination explains the concept of Reproductive Skew Theory. This dictates how the male birds assume their place in the group’s hierachy and it also determines their mating frequency. 

Click here to learn more! 

Image courtesy of Ed Frazer

If you’d like to collect plants from our Nursery between late August and early October, please contact Damien on 0400 737 122 (rather than our usual contact, Bryan Hacker). 

Additionally, plants can be collected as usual at the Nursery when it is open – ie: first and third Mondays of each month.

We’ve just released a new field guide!    

Mammals found in the Moggill Creek Catchment

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To our knowledge, this is the first list of mammals in the area. It has been methodically crafted by our own local wildlife photographer, Ed Frazer.

There are nearly 50 photos in the list, taken by Ed and other MCCG members and local residents. Each listing includes a photo, together with a localised description of the animal.

The result is a comprehensive listing of mammals living beside us right here in the catchment!  

You will see native fauna of all shapes and sizes, animals with fur and animals with scales, water-dwelling and ground-dwelling mammals like this Red-necked wallaby with her joey:

Some photos are of nocturnal mamals, taken with a camera trap at night. And we have shots of feral animals as well.

You can open the guide from the Catchment Field Guides menu item on the home page. Click on each thumbnail to open a larger photo.

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CAN YOU HELP US BUILD OUR LIST? 

If you have any photos you’re willing to share, we’d love to include them! Please send an email to Ed at:  [email protected]

Photo courtesy of Ed Frazer

Time is ticking away and Spring is nearly upon us! Unfortunately, the warmer Spring weather often brings with it an increase in ticks and tick bites! 

We have found a video about these little parasites which feed on human and animal blood: 

Interestingly the creators claim that it doesn’t matter if the mouth parts of the tick are left behind when it is removed, provided that it is pulled straight out as close as possible to the surface of the skin and is not squeezed or twisted in the process.

The best way to avoid tick bites, however, is to spray the skin with insect repellent, which we always provide at our MCCG working bees.

Click here to view the video.

We have some additional info on our Ticks page and some useful tips and observations from Ed Frazer and Gordon Grigg in a Bush Bites article about ticks.  

Each 12-18 months,  THECA holds a community forum. 

The aim of these day-long events is to discuss significant environmental issues. The forums are renowned for the quality of their content, with a number sessions delivered by expert speakers. 

This year’s forum will be held this Saturday 11 August at QCAT, Pullenvale. 

The theme is Citizen Science: Challenges and Benefits for Biodiversity Conservation. 

For more information about the day and to enquire about registration, please visit the THECA website.

*THECA – The Hut Environmental and Community Association Inc.

Which bird is responsible for the dispersal of around 70% of seeds in Australian rainforests?

Quite remarkable!

The name of this news item (“Two Pigeons“) provides a little clue, but perhaps this picture will  provide the answer for you:

To learn the answer whilst enjoying an entertaining read, please click here to see Jim Butler’s August issue of Feather Fascination.

2018 has been the fourth – driest April to June period  since the Bureau of Meteorology started tacking records in 1900. 

Lower-level soil moisture this July 2018 has also been below average. 

ABC News has this week published an article which may be of interest. It provides the definition of a drought and describes in layman’s terms different types of droughts and the reasons behind our increasingly arid climate. 

You can read the article by clicking here: What you need to know about droughts:  why they happen and how they are defined.

You may also wish to view the Bureau of Meteorology’s recent Youtube video: August-October 2018 Climate and Water Outlook.  It reports on the reasons behind our most recent weather conditions.

And finally, you can monitor national rainfall deficiencies and soil moisture each month by viewing the Bureau of Meteorology Monthly Drought Statement.  

Approximately 10 million tonnes of litter ends up in our oceans EACH YEAR!!!

The theme of Keep Australia Beautiful Week 2018, which runs from Monday 20 August to Sunday 26 August is Marine Litter.

Get involved by participating in the Keep Our Waterways Beautiful competition.

For all the details, and to see more facts about marine litter, visit the Keep Australia Beautiful website.

Moggill Creek, Tuckett Street Park – photo courtesy of Janine Nicklin