Red Natal Grass Melinis repens | Mount Gravatt Environment Group

By: Michael Fox

Clearing Guinea Grass Weeds busted

Red Natal Grass Busted

I welcomed the Australia China Youth Association (ACYA) team yesterday to weed the 2015/16 National Tree Day planting.

The Small Bird Planting is thriving, however, the Guinea Grass Megathyrsus maximus and Red Natal Grass Melinis repens that covered the site before restoration are still regrowing from seed. By clearing the weed grasses before a new crop of seed sets we will break the cycle of infestation.

The team got stuck right in bagging the seed heads for removal off site before they removed the grasses.

Common Crow sex brand

The ACYA team are always interested in finding native wildlife when they come to Bushcare.

The first find was a handsome male Common Crow Euploea core butterfly. I explained that some male butterflies have sex brands they use to store pheromones impress the girls.

Blue Tiger - claws 1 - 6 Feb 2015 cropped

Blue Tiger butterfly claws

Common Crow butterflies use their claws to scratch the leaves on Parsonsia vines. Butterflies taste with their feed to check they have the correct species of plant and males store alkaloids from the leaves to help with breeding.

Imperial Hairstreak - Jalmenus evagoras - butterflies - 27 April 2019

Imperial Hairstreak butterflies

We also found lots of Imperial Hairstreak Jalmenus evagoras butterflies at the 2018 National Tree Day planting site.

Imperial Hairstreak - Jalmenus evagoras - chrysalis - 27 April 2019

Imperial Hairstreak chrysalis

We found Imperial Hairstreak chrysalis on the Brisbane Fringed Wattle Acacia fimbriata planted in July 2018. The caterpillars and chrysalis are protected by native Small Meat Ants in return for sugary extrusions.

Variable Ladybird Beetle

A number of Variable Ladybird Beetles Coelophora inaequalis were found by Wento.

It is very encouraging to find bugs visiting the replanted habitat. The more insects the more insect eating small birds will return.

Stingless Native Bee - Tetragonula sp. - hive - 27 April 2019

Stingless Native Bee hive

To finish the morning I showed the team a Stingless Native Bee hive in an old log.

Stingless Native Bee

They had heard about our Stingless Native Bees but they were surprised to see how small they are: small than a house fly.

While these tiny bees are stingless they have very powerful jaws.

ACYA team

Thank you team. It is always a pleasure to welcome you to Bushcare, hear your stories and share my knowledge.

Help build on our success. Register for 2019 National Tree Day.

Federation Track – 1.9km to top of mountain

By: Michael Fox

Part of preparing an accurate and useful map/walking guide for Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve is actually walking all the tracks to check times and signs.

This week I walked the Mt Gravatt Lookout Look starting at Gertrude Petty Place I followed the Federation Track. The track leads through the Gertrude Petty Place Bushcare site where a group led by Sue Jones has been removing weeds and restoring native grasses, vines and trees.

Ironbark Track junction – link to Logan Road

The section of the Federation Track through to the junction with Ironbark Track is very easy walking with no steps or steep climbs. The Ironbark Track currently connects through to Logan Road via the Hillsong Carpark off Rover Street. The long term plan is to bridge the gully at the Rover Street Bushcare site creating a wheelchair accessible track from Gertrude Petty Place through to Mt Gravatt Showgrounds.

Federation Track steps past Ironbark junction - 10 Feb 2014

Track climbs to reach Federation Lookout

From the Ironbark Track junction the track starts climbing to reach Federation Lookout.

Federation Lookout junction

Looking back to Federation Lookout

A short side track to the right takes you Federation Lookout with excellent views over the city to the east..

From Federation Lookout the track goes downhill over grey-white quartzite. Large quartzite rocks scattered beside the track create some interesting photographic opportunities.

Scribbly Gum Track junction – links to Logan Road at old Scout Hut

The Scribbly Gum Track links through to Logan Road at the old Scout Hut opposite Wishart Road. You can park at the Scout Hut to walk directly to Federation Lookout. The walk is quite interesting as it crosses Jo’s Creek before climbing towards the lookout..

Scribbly Gums

From the junction the track winds though Scribbly Gums Eucalyptus racemosa one of our iconic Australian trees that look like someone has been scribbling on the bark. “That can’t be scribbling, it is right up there metres above ground.” The scribbling is the work of moth larvae feeding on photosynthetic tissue just below the epidermal cells in the tree trunk.

Jo’s Creek Bridge

Pause on the timber bridge crossing Jo’s Creek and watch for small forest birds..

Granby Street junction

The Granby Street Track leads to Logan Road via Granby Street.

Federation Greebung junction - 10 Feb 2014

Federation Geebung Track junction

The track to Mt Gravatt Outlook is a solid climb gaining 55 metres in height over half a kilometre.

I stopped where the Federation Track joined the Geebung Track to check restoration work on the degraded weedy area beside the track.

: Hairy Indigo – Indigofera hirsuta

I am always pleasantly surprised at the resilience of our native flora and fauna species that hang on despite massive disruption by man and weed invasion. Among the metre high Guinea Grass Panicum maximum v maximum, Cobblers Pegs Bidens pilosa and Red Natal Grass Melinis repens, I found Slender Flat-sedge Cyperus gracilis, Creeping Beard Grass Oplismenus aemulus, Scrambling Lily Geitonoplesium cymosum and a healthy stand of Hairy Indigo Indigofera hirsuta an attractive native shrub which is caterpillar food plant for the Long-tailed Pea-blue and Common Grass-blue butterflies.