November 21, 2022

Water for forest wildlife

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushcare, Wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |
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Preparing the installation.

By: Michael Fox

The Mt Gravatt Environment Group team installed a second Koala Tree Troff in the forest this morning.

Artwork by Chrys O’Hare

Laurie, Alan, myself management the installation with the valuable help of David Fechner, Koala researcher from Griffith University, who we recruited on-site.

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The Tree Troff is installed beside a Tallowood Eucalyptus microcorys a favourate Koala food tree. Note the scratching of the bark.

This innovative design by Robert Frend of Wildsip, and manufactured by local Gunnedah business and donated by WIRES NSW.

The Tree Troff simply balances against the tree with the weight of 220 litres of water transferred directly to the ground.

Koala Drinker Research Project

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Bottle Brush Grass Tree

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While we were on-site I showed our team the Bottle Brush Grass Tree Xanthorrhoea macronema. This has been the best flowering I have ever seen in sixteen years with more plants spreading near the Eastern Outlook Track.

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Sago Flower

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We also checked the July National Tree Day planting where Ozothamnus diosmifolius Sago Flower is already in flower.

Sago Flower is an attractive garden plant with leaves that can be used in cooking as a substitute rosemary.

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Laurie and I also found the pretty Pandorea jasminoides Bower Vine at the site.

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Thanks to Alan Moore for the photos.

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Pandorea jasminoides Bower Vine

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November 23, 2014

Rain brings life to Eastern Outlook Track

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushwalks, Flora, Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve, Mt Gravatt Tracks, Wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |
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Xanthorrhoea macronema - 22 Nov 2014

Bottle Brush Grass Tree

By: Michael Fox

After the long dry period it is a pleasure to see the bush come back to life. Walking the Eastern Outlook Track this morning we found a number of the uncommon Bottle Brush Grass Trees Xanthorrhoea macronema in flower or getting ready to flower.

Xanthorrhoea macronema - 9 Oct 2014 - Alan Moore low res

New flower ready to burst into life

The Bottle Brush Grass Tree is very different to the better known Grass Tree Xanthorrhoea johnsonii. The johnsonii has tall flower spike (scape) reaching up to 1.9 metres with flowers covering most of its length and over time the tree develops the characteristic fire blackened trunk. The Bottle Brush Grass Tree on the other hand has a scape reaching only 1.6 metres with a striking cream-white bottle brush shaped flower that is only about 13cm at the top of the scape and it remains just a crown of leaves at ground level never developing the characteristic fire blackened trunk of other species.

The furry bottle brush flowers are very popular with native bees both the small black Stingless Native Bees Trigona carbonaria and the solitary Blue Banded Bees Amegilla cingulata.

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If you are walking keep an eye out for the new flower spikes … they will be ready in a couple of days.

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Drynaria rigidula - 22 Nov 2014

New life in Basket Fern

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The Basket Ferns Drynaria rigidula are all sending forth new leaves after dying off in the long dry.

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Coracina novaehollandiae - 22 Nov 2014

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike

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A little further along the track you may be lucky to see or hear the Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae we met on our walk. Listen to the call on Birds in Backyards site.

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Todiramphus sanctus - 19 Nov 2014

Forest Kingfisher

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Or you might see the handsome Forest Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus.

Please let us know if you have any sightings and photos to share – megoutlook@gmail.com