Lake MacDonald Thursday Outing 25/02/2021

Gahnia sieberiana

We met at the end of Hamiton Road, which is the start of Noosa trail No. 7. There were few birds in the open under the power lines, but a Varied Swordgrass Brown Butterfly fluttered by in the swordgrass, (Gahnia sp.) 

Varied Swordgrass Brown

The White Ash or Soap Tree, Alphitonia excelsa were flowering well.

Alphitonia excelsa

We were surprised to hear a Paradise Riflebird, but it didn’t show. From the Trail, we followed a track through tall trees, then past horse paddocks on one side and a little creek on the other. We heard Rose-crowned Fruit Doves and saw quite a few birds. We hoped for, but didn’t find, the Yellow-throated Scrubwren, which were seen here in December. However, we watched a frenzy of calling Shining Bronze-Cockoos, and in one Aphitonia tree in flower were Golden Whistler, Grey and Rufous Fantail, Scarlet and Honeyeaters. The birds were very active, probably eating insects. 

Grey Fantail

Rufous Fantail

Smaller plants included Melastoma, Dodder (parasitic), Native Raspberry, Zieria sp., Scrambling Lily, Five-leaf Water Vine, Alyxia, Morinda, Dianella with brilliant purple fruit, and sharp-eyed Ian spotted a Flowering Bonnet Orchid (Cryptostylis erecta.

Native Raspberry

Bonnet Orchid (Cryptostylus erecta)

We went back to the Noosa Botanic Gardens for morning tea with the melodious Grey Butcherbirds. We’d planned to go here to look for Barred Cuckoo-shrike, and Fruit-Doves, but Vince had already “cased the joint”, and reported he hadn’t seen these birds.  But his survey was not in vain.

Day Flying Moth

 

Kreft's Turtle

White-headed Pigeon

Koel - Female

This female Koel displays her striking array of feathers- whichever way you look at her.

We went around to the Jabiru Park and the Fearnley Bird Hide. This usually productive place was also bird poor, perhaps because of the high water levels, which covered the banks, islands and swampy places where we always see Jacana and Stilts. (The plan to virtually empty the lake, to undertake work on the dam wall, has been postponed). 

 However Lionel  led us back up the road to a pair of Tawny Frogmouths.

Tawny Frogmouth

So around to the Mary River Cod Park, where the Cod Hatchery was, until the plan to lower the dam forced this facility to close, and the hatchery to be re-located. An Azure Kingfisher was perched on the pontoon, and Pelicans were being escorted by a semi-submerged flotilla of Little Black Cormorants- it’s a fishing partnership, it seems.  Our numbers dwindling, a few set off to walk around the track back to Kookaburra Park, but walking with Bev McKay and Wendy means photographing every plant!  

We found some interesting plants, though. Crab Apple, or White Beech (Schizomeria ovata) has serrated leaves, small white flowers, and grape-like fruit. 

White Beech (Schizomeria ovata)

Bolwarra, (Eupomatia laurina), a small shrub/tree with long arching branches, and cup-shaped 25mm green fruit, looking like a plump gumnut. The interesting features of this plant continue. It is one of the primitive rainforest angiosperms, with complex and dynamic flower structures which open and close over a three-day period, during which the pollinator, a tiny weevil, enters the flower and lays eggs in the tissue of the flower parts which fall to the forest floor and provide nutrition for the weevil larvae. Amazing! 

Bolwarra (Eupomatia laurina)

Back at the picnic area, our Dragonfly expert, (“Don’t call me Dragon Lady!”) Kerrie, found a dragonfly entangled in cobweb. “They can bite,” says she, “it doesn’t hurt much”, soon followed by a little shriek as the ungrateful thing latched firmly to her finger with its strong serrated mandibles. Very interesting, especially as the Dragonfly Order, Odonata, means toothed ones! Not to be deterred, Kerrie captured her attacker on camera.

Australian Tiger (Ictinogomphus Australis)

What an appropriate common name.  This entertaining event and rescue completed the day.

Text: Rahima Farnham

Photos: Wendy Edmiston, Rahima Farnham, Vince Lee, Lionel Muir, Kerrie O'Donnell, Ian Smith  Archive.