Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis | Mount Gravatt Environment Group

May 29, 2017

Sherwood Scouts visit Fox Gully Bushcare

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushcare, Creeping Lantana Lantana montevidenses, Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve, Wildlife of Mt Gravatt Reserve | Tags: Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula, Habitat Brisbane, Hollowlog Homes, Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus, Sherwood Scouts, Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis, Stingless Native Bees Trigona carbonaria, threatened species |
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On patrol on Farm Fire Trail

By: Michael Fox

It was a pleasure to welcome the Sherwood Scouts to Fox Gully Bushcare on Saturday.

Scout Leader Kate had a range of activities prepared to build skills in reading contour maps and using a compass.

Ringtail family

First stop was the Federation Track to see a family of Ringtail Possums Pseudocheirus peregrinus. High in a tree with strong backlighting the two adults and a joey were hard to photograph.

Checking Glider box with GoPro camera

Scout Ed tried his hand using the GoPro camera on a pole to check one of the new Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis nest boxes.

Nest box installation is an important part of habitat restoration as till July 1893 the mountain and surrounds were designated as a railway timber reserve. My intial survey of the 2ha of Fox Gully Bushcare reflects this history with only thirty six trees older than 100 years and only five old enough to have a 50% chance of having nest hollows. Many bird species and arboreal marsupials like Giders depend on tree hollows for breeding. Nest boxes provide a interim solution for these species as the forest recovers and natural tree hollows develop.

Squirrel Glider at home

The initial installation of ten Hollowlog Home nest boxes 2012 was so successful that BCC Habitat Brisbane organised installation of an extra ten boxes last year.

So it was particularly special to find our find a Squirrel Glider in one of the new boxes. Squirrel Glider are listed as threatened by Brisbane City Council and families typically use up to five nest hollows.

Mother Brushtail at home

With installation of nest boxes the initial one family of Squirrel Gliders has been breeding and there are now two families living in the Bushcare site. Evidence that the Gliders have now started using the new nest boxes is a sign that the population of these special creatures may expand further.

Continuing on down the Geebung Track we checked on mother Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula in the Kookaburra nest box. Mother Brushtail moved in shortly after the initial installation and has since raised at least two joeys in her home.

Returning via the Eastern Outlook Track we examined the seam of quartz rock that runs through the mountain, the natural regeneration in the area where Creeping Lantana Lantana montevidenses has been cleared and the Stingless Beehive Tetragonula sp. in a fallen tree.

The Scouts had a good time and we hope to welcome them back for National Tree Day on 30 July

May 3, 2015

Griffith Mates clear the last weeds

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushcare, Fox Gully Bushcare, Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve | Tags: Common Aeroplane Phaedyma shepherdi, Common or Varied Eggfly Hypolimnas bolina, Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA), Fishbone Fern Nephrolepis cordifolia, FWR Group, Griffith Mates, Native Cherry Exocarpos cupressiformis, Spotted Gum Corymbia citriodora, Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis, Weeds of Australia |
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Griffith Mates (l-r) Laura, Lothar, Vikram, Sienna and Herman

By: Michael Fox

The Griffith Mates team helped us reach an important milestone last week. The final stage of a five year project was reached as the last patch of Fishbone Fern Nephrolepis cordifolia has been cleared at our Fox Gully Bushcare site Zone 13.

Lost in Fishbone jungle

A team from FWR Group started the daunting task of clearing the Fishbone jungle from the gully.

In its natural environment, Fishbone Fern is usually found growing in rocky areas, on rainforest margins, or as an epiphyte on palm trees in the wetter parts of tropical and sub-tropical Australia. (Weeds of Australia)

Conservation Volunteers (CVA) team

In urban areas where Fishbone Fern has been cultivated as a garden plant it has escaped into remaining patches of bushland crowding out indigenous species. Six species of native fern are indigenous to the Fox Gully habitat. Removal of the weed is allowing natural regeneration of indigenous grasses, ferns and vines.

Removing Fishbone Fern is a time consuming job so the support of a team from Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) was a major boost for the project.

Common or Varied Eggfly Hypolimnas bolina

It is a particular pleasure to welcome Griffith Mates back as they always have a great interest in our local wildlife. They even insisted on walking through the forest from Mt Gravatt Campus.

So it was good to be able to show this perfect specimen of Common Aeroplane Phaedyma shepherdi butterfly posing on a Spotted Gum Corymbia citriodora.

Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis

We finished the morning by checking the nest-boxes introducing our visitors to some of our cutest wildlife.

“That is a tiny flower.” Photo: Herman Kai

And Australia’s smallest flower on Native Cherry Exocarpos cupressiformis. Looking for flowering bushfood trees is difficult when you need to carry a magnifying glass.

September 6, 2014

At home in Fox Gully Bushcare

Posted by Mt Gravatt Environment Group under Bushcare, Fox Gully Bushcare, Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve, Mt Gravatt Environment Group, Wildlife | Tags: BCC Habitat Brisbane, Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula, Hollow Log Homes, Kookaburra, Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis |
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(l-r) Marshal, Alan, Saki and myself. Liz is on the camera

By: Michael Fox

Kyoto University student, Saki, joined Marshal, Alan, Saki, Liz and myself at Bushcare on Wednesday to check the nest boxes providing important habitat for hollow dwelling wildlife.

We the GoPro camera to drop in on the Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis family were at home in one of the glider boxes.

Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis family

A bundle of Gliders.

Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula & baby

Then we visited mother Brushtail and her baby (called a joey like Kangaroos) in the Kookaburra nest box. The Brushtail took over the nest box not long after the installation by Hollow Log Homes. The Kookaburras took over the Boobook Owl box to raise their family.