By Michael Fox
A beautiful sunny morning and in the sky two beautiful Square-tailed Kites Lophoictinia isura soaring wings spread wide as they do lazy loops above the trees.
The kites have returned for the forth year to their nest in the Spotted Gum and now have two chicks poking their heads up. The kites are top level predator feeding on small birds, insects and lizards so to have a pair breeding in the forest provides some evidence of a healthy habitat providing sufficient food.
Tuesday Bushcare is always an adventure in spotting flora and fauna. Spring breeding season however is special.
Koala Spotter Steph found a Mum and Joey in a tree above where we were working.
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We also spotted a handsome Beaded Dragon Pogona barbata hiding in plain sight. Good camouflage.
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Butterflies are also thriving. We found this Australian Painted Lady Vanessa kershawi getting a drink from the damp ground. Note the distinctive club antenna.
Plant native daisy species like Golden Everlasting Daisy Xerochrysum bracteatum to attract and feed the Painted Lady caterpillars.
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The beautiful Rosella Hibiscus heterophyllus attracts native bees, insect eating birds and is also edible.
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Spring means the weed Mickey Mouse Plant Ochna serrulata is covered in seed: one bush completely filled a weed tub. Recent rain also softened to ground so we were able to use the TreePopper to remove the weed with minimal disturbance to the soil and no use of herbicide.
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Most of our work at this season is removing Corky Passion Vine Passiflora suberosa which has spread aggressively in areas where we have cleared other weeds. Corky Passion Vine can have very different leaf shapes so we are careful to follow the vines to the base so we can check for the corky stem and remove the roots to stop re shooting.
Mount Gravatt Environment Group 
