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February 20, 2024

Tuesday Bushcare Team growing.

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushcare, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , |
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By: Michael Fox

We welcomed five new volunteers today: Asitha, Andrew, Michelle, Kate and Tatiana, It was a perfect day to introduce volunteers to Bushcare … cool in the shade and so peaceful with the birds calling.

We added a new plant to our species list Sigesbeckia orientalis St Paul’s St Paul’s Wort/Indian Weed. I had this down as a weed but Kate was sure it is a native, so I checked with our Botanist Ann Moran who confirmed. I noticed that many of the leaves were chewed which is usually a good sign of a local native.

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We also found a Joseph’s Coat Moth Agarista agricolamoth feeding on Slender Grape Cayratia clematidea.

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A beautiful Silver Orb Spider Leucauge granulata was found in it’s web.

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I introduced the team to a Brown Eucalypt Sawfly Pergagrapta sp. explaining that this is not actually a fly. Sawfly is a common name for some species of wasp.

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A Eucalypt Leaf Beetle Paropsis maculata impressed with its interesting pallet of colours.

 

February 11, 2024

Mt Gravatt Outlook Reserve biodiversity hotspot

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By: Michael Fox

Tuesday Bushcare gave us more evidence of the value of Mt Gravatt Outlook Reserve as a key resource of species available to strengthen our urban habitat as our Pollinator Link project brings wildlife back to backyards.

Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp

We found three new insect species to add to our research: Flora and Fauna of Mt Gravatt Reserve.

The large Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp Radumeris tasmaniensis was a special find. Note that most Australian wasps do not sting humans rather the females use their ovipositor to lay eggs in beetles and caterpillars. Most of our wasps work 24/7 as natural pest controllers in our gardens.

Privit Hawkmoth Psilogramma casuarinae

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We found the Privit Hawkmoth Psilogramma casuarinae caterpillar feeding on the Bower Vine Pandorea jasminoides.

Hawkmoth caterpillars can be identified by their characteristic spike tail.

Leaf-footed Bug Pternistria bispina

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Leaf-footed Bug Pternistria bispina

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Iridescent Semi-slug (Peloparion iridis)

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Iridescent Semi-slug Peloparion iridis native snail.

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Blue Oides Leaf Beetle (Oides laetabilis)

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A Blue Oides Leaf Beetle Oides laetabilis was photographed feeding on Creeping Beard Grass Oplismenus aemulus. An native grass that is very effective as Living Mulch suppressing weeds, keeping the soil cool and reducing erosion.

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Small Dusky Blue (Candalides erinus)

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A Small Dusky Blue Candalides erinus butterfly visited the site.

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The potential to bring wildlife to our backyards is powerfully demonstrated in the ABC article: How three housemates in COVID lockdown discovered their Brisbane home was a biodiversity hotspot

“The number grew to more than 1,150 unique species of plants, animals and fungi counted over 12 months.”

Sign the petition to expand this highly diverse habitat SIGN PETITION TO COUNCIL

 

February 5, 2024

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Uncategorized
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Help expand Mount Gravatt Outlook Reserve
 

August 25, 2023

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Ausco Modular Team returns to Showgrounds
 

November 14, 2022

Japanese students help restore Reserve

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By: Michael Fox

Griffith Mates are back with five Japanese students visiting to help our Bushcare restoration work.

It is always a pleasure to show our international guests the unique Australian flora and fauna.

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Exocarpus cupressiformis Native Cherry

It doesn’t need to be spectacular flowers or Koalas to interest our guests.

Using magnifying glasses they were able to see our very smallest flowers: smaller than the head of a pin. Exocarpus cupressiformis Native Cherry

This interesting bush food typically occurs among Allocasuarina littoralis Black She-oak on which it is a root parasite.

Garden Jumping Spider

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This Garden Jumping Spider Opisthoncus parcedentatus fascinated the students who were impressed with the distance this tiny spider can jump to catch mosquitoes for lunch.

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Of course it helped that we found two Koalas in the trees beside the track to the Summit.

 

June 22, 2022

Koala spotting

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushcare, Uncategorized, Wildlife | Tags: |
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By: Michael Fox

How many Koalas are there in Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve? I am often asked that question.

As part of our 2021 Koala Drinker Research Project and work by Peter Demmers we know there are at least thirteen individual Koalas in the Reserve. We now have a couple with excellent Koala spotting skills they share with other visitors by marking sightings with an arrow on the track.

If you see an arrow on the track, pause look around and say hi to our special locals.

 

June 19, 2022

National Tree Day 2022

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By: Michael Fox

National Tree Day Planting Team 2021

Let’s take advantage of the amazing rainy season and restore more Koala and wildlife habitat in Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve. We have added at least twenty new flora and fauna species this year.

Join us to plant another 600 wildflowers, grasses, vines and shrubs.

Date: Sunday 31 July

Time: 8:00AM – 12:00PM

Location: Eastern Outlook Track

The 2022 planting site is small so please Register early to ensure a place for this year’s National Tree Day.

 

April 15, 2021

2021 Photo Workshop: line and form, shapes and silhouettes

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Painting with Light

Sunday 16 May 2021

Workshop leader Alan Moore, will challenge you to break the Golden Rule and utilise contre jour style to intensify line and form, shapes and silhouettes, allowing you to see detail in the clutter.

Gift your Mum, or yourself, with place at our annual Photography Workshop where Alan will introduce you to painting with light – artistry and aperture. Then discuss planning and pre-visualisation before we go on assignment in the bush.

Location: Fox Gully Bushcare – Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve

Registration form

 

February 28, 2021

Giant mosquitoes are invading my backyard!

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Beat the Bites: Mosquito Research and Management

Toxorhynchites_TessSpillekom_Newcastle

“I’ve never seen anything like it. I actually heard it before I saw it!”

I get more than a dozen emails, tweets, or phone calls every summer like this. Excited (terrified?) correspondence asking about the “giant” mosquito captured in the backyard or buzzing about windows.

Toxorhynchites speciosus is as “good” a mosquito as there can be. First, it is a gorgeous creature. Almost four times the size of a typical mosquito, it is a large dark and shiny mosquito with bright metallic patterns.

There are around 70 species of Toxorhynchites mosquitoes around the world but only a few species found in Australia. The mosquito is reasonably common, but rarely very abundant. It is found along the eastern and north coast of Australia, stretching from Sydney through to Darwin.

Toxo_larvae The larvae of Toxorhynchites speciosus are large and easily spotted in water-holding containers around the backyard

This is one of the few mosquitoes…

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April 14, 2020

Exploring Wildlife of Mt Gravatt

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |
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By: Michael Fox

I’m lucky to be able to get my exercise exploring the wildlife of Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve.

Squirrel Gliders Petaurus norfolcensis are good at staying home even if they are not into social isolation. Glider families typically occupy a number of different nest boxes going out at night and sleeping during the day.

White Tangle ~ Callopistria maillardi - Fox Gully Bushcare - 24 Mar 2020

White Tangle moth caterpillar

 

Butterfly and moth caterpillars are typically selective feeders able to digest only a very limited range of plant species.

So I was interested to find the White Tangle moth caterpillar Callopistria maillardi which feeds on ferns like the invasive garden escapee: Fishbone Fern Nephrolepis cordifolia.

Transverse Moth - Xanthodes transversa - caterpillar 2 - 29 Mar 2020

Transverse Moth caterpillar

 

Moths often have to most interesting and colourful caterpillars like this Transverse Moth Xanthodes transversa caterpillar I found feeding on the Native Hibiscus Hibiscus heterophyllus planted by a National Tree Day team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are some impressive adult moths Erebus Moth Erebus terminitincta  with its 100mm wing span and owl like eyes on the wings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Domino Coukoo Bee - Thyreus lugubris 2 - 1 April 2020

Domino Coukoo Bee

 

I also found a new solitary native bee to add to the species list for the Reserve. The well named Domino Coukoo Bee Thyreus lugubris means we have now identified ten species of solitary native bees in the Reserve.

 

Domino Coukoo Bee - Thyreus lugubris 3 - 1 April 2020

Cute white furry whiskers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paperbark Sawfly - Lophyrotoma zonalis 2 - 8 April 2020

Paperbark Sawfly

 

This Paperbark Sawfly Lophyrotoma zonalis is another new species identified in the Reserve. Adult Sawflies are not often seen as they live only one to two weeks in which time they do not feed but mate and lay their eggs on leaves of Melaleuca species.

 

 

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike - Coracina novaehollandiae - 17 Mar 2020 lr

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike

 

 

The handsome Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike Coracina novaehollandiae is another addition to the species list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally I found this cute Koala Phascolarctos cinereus watching us install a Koala Drinker on Tallowwood Eucalyptus microcorys.

A lot of walkers are getting their exercise in the Reserve at the moment. Map of walking tracks.

 

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