Ringwood Field Naturalists Club Inc.

THE RINGWOOD FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB Inc. NEWSLETTER

Issue No.26 - April, 2008

EDITORIAL: For the first time since the highly successful Labor Day Weekend at Marysville in 1998 that we ran jointly with Upper Goulburn FNC, our Club will be hosting the SEANA Spring Get-together at Healesville in October this year. The weekend will allow us to welcome Field Naturalists from Clubs all over Victoria and perhaps interstate. The organising committee is preparing a programme of excursions led by our members to some of our favourite places, showcasing their unique flora, fauna and natural attractions. For some, it may be their first opportunity to discover the mountains of the Great Dividing Range, to explore the diversity of the Yarra Valley, to hear the call of the lyrebird in the early morning, to walk in the towering Mountain Ash forests and to study the ferns and flowering plants east of Melbourne. All members are encouraged to participate and share with others in this unique and valuable experience.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Spring Camp in the Grampians - October 2007
by Leaders - Allison and Peter Rogers
Over the weekend 13-14 October, the Club held its annual spring 'camp-out', this year in the Grampians. Over the course of the weekend there were 29 members and 3 visitors in attendance. The majority of the members made their base in the Lakeside caravan Park just outside Halls Gap. Many members arrived early on the Friday afternoon and spent time orchid hunting only to find a very good patch 300 metres from the Caravan Park front gate.
The itinerary for Saturday was to visit Lake Wartook, a look around and morning tea at McKenzie Falls, lunch at Trooper Creek Picnic Area, afternoon tea and a walk around Heatherlie Quarry with various wayside stops in between. The Sunday plan included wayside stops heading towards Dunkeld with lunch planned for Wannon Crossing Picnic area. Saturday highlights included:
*     Checking out McKenzie Falls with some members making the effort to climb to the bottom and back again,
*     On the Roses Gap Rd, a stretch of bushland with a multitude of grasstrees in full flower where members spent a long time photographing them and the numerous other flowers, orchids and insects discovered there,
*     Lunch at Troopers Creek Picnic Area set against the rugged backdrop of the mountains and being serenaded by a variety of birds including a Sacred kingfisher,
*     A stop at the corner of Roses Gap Rd and Mt Zero Rd where the Thryptomene was in flower and again birds, including the White-winged triller, were seen,
*     The Heatherlie Quarry with its history set in stone,
*     The Saturday night BBQ (provided by the Caravan Park management) followed
by swapping of stories in front of a roaring fire.
Sunday highlights included:
*     Watching a Striated thornbill feed young in a nest high in a tree with a pair a Brolgas flying overhead,
*     The wayside stops especially those where the orchids were either budding or in flower and the flowering plants made the bush look like a garden,
*     A pleasant backdrop of Wannon Crossing for our lunch stop.
Overall weekend highlights included:
*     A total of 71 birds recorded,
*     A total of 21 orchid species identified,
*     The masses of Pink Fingers found throughout the Grampians,
*     The recovery of some areas following the bushfires,
*     The devastation of the countryside and the recovery yet to come but at the same time being able to view the rock formations more easily.

In all a great weekend was had by all members, with some members staying for a few extra days.

Field Trip to Bateman's Reserve 17th November 2007
   by Judith Cooke
The Club was indeed fortunate to have Dr Graeme Lorimer as leader for the November excursion. Members met at the reserve in Wantirna. After introductions and a reminder by Graeme of health and safety precautions in the bush, Graeme recommended a reference book for identification of grasses and a CD-ROM AusGrass produced by CSIRO.
Then, using a nearby weedy grass species as an example, he began to familiarise us with the mysteries of grass terminology. Soon we were examining the finer features of blades, sheaths, ligules, glumes and florets. This was a field few of us had had the opportunity to study in depth before and gradually we began to appreciate the differences in the microscopic structures that were aids to identification.
Graeme provided one piece of information valuable to those trying to eradicate weedy grasses when he demonstrated how to distinguish perennial (mostly native) grasses from annual (mostly introduced) grasses by showing that the latter could easily be pulled out, roots and all.
Our progress was slow, as the dominant ground cover comprised grass species and Graeme gave us lots of information about each one we found. Subtle changes in environmental conditions meant that within a comparatively short distance a different suite of plants was discovered. Some of the species we were able to examine included:
Natives - Wallaby Grass (Danthonia, Joycea), Kangaroo Grass (Themeda), Spear Grass (Stipa), Tussock Grass (Poa), Weeping Grass (Microlaena)
Weeds - Bromus, Briza, Sweet Vernal Grass, Panic Veldt Grass
We also compared other grass-like tufting plants, such as Gahnia, Lepidosperma, and Lomandra.
An enthusiastic vote of thanks was offered to Dr Lorimer for a fascinating and informative afternoon.

Field Trip to Lake Mountain 12th January 2008
by Leaders - Alan & Hazel Veevers
Twenty-two members and visitors gathered at the Cascades Picnic area on a fine summer's day were entertained by a pair of Flame Robins in nearby trees. We then drove up to Snowy Hill car park where another pair was spotted as we observed and photographed good specimens of Mountain Greenhood (Pterostylis monticola). From Gerraty's car park we walked along the ski trail to Helicopter Flat, enjoying the alpine flora beside the track, including the Grass Trigger-plants (Stylidium graminifolium) and Alpine Mint-bush (Prostanthera cuneata). On the Flat we found our target species, the Mauve Leek Orchid (Prasophyllum suttonii) in plentiful supply. There were many multi-coloured butterflies and moths, which held our attention. Not many birds were seen, though several White-eared Honeyeaters gave us good views.
After a late lunch back at Gerraty's car park, about half the group climbed to the summit of the mountain to be rewarded with superb views from both the Marysville and the Alps Lookouts. Some magnificent Snow Gums (Eucalyptus pauciflora) provided a backdrop to the many flowering plants, once again adorned by multicoloured moths and butterflies.
Members went home with much to reflect upon and check in reference books.

Field Trip to The Western Treatment Plant, Werribee 13th February 2008
Guest Leader - John Barkla
Twenty-three members and friends enjoyed a perfect day bird-watching under the
expert leadership of John Barkla. A grand total of 102 species was seen or heard
during the day. Amongst the unusual sightings were 50+ Great-crested Grebes
gathered just offshore, male Musk Ducks swimming on their backs like otters, and a
Black Falcon being harassed by a Black-shouldered Kite. John took us to lagoons and
mud flats filled with waders of many kinds and explained the differences to those less
experienced participants. Walsh's lagoon provided excellent views of Red-necked
Avocets, Black-winged Stilts, Black-tailed Godwits, Whiskered Terns and a few
White-winged Black Terns amongst the array of Duck species and Pelicans resting
there. A first for several members was a good look at a flock of Zebra Finches early in
the proceedings. Seven different species of raptor was another of the many highlights
of a great day.   Alan & Hazel Veevers

Field Trip to Fernshaw and Dom Dom Saddle 15th March 2008
by Leaders - Allison & Peter Rogers
On a very hot day, 18 members met at Fernshaw under the shade of the established oaks, pines and other introduced trees. After a quick cup of tea and a look around the car park at the trees and notice boards we commenced a walk up the main track. This walk was held in the relative cool of the morning and the shade of the tall trees. Highlights on the walk included the multitude of very small spiders and their intricate and delicate webs, numerous small butterflies and moths and a few leeches.
On returning to the cars we drove through the tall trees and tree ferns up the Black Spur to have lunch at Dom Dom Saddle. Following lunch we decided to climb Morley's Track. Staying in the shade of the trees made the walk more bearable. Highlights were the tall trees and a multitude of Golden Whistlers calling through the bush. As the temperature climbed we decided to call a halt to the excursion in the middle of the afternoon.

NATURE NOTES

Epic Journeys Ruth Christensen
Of the many species of small waders observed on the excursion to the Werribee Treatment Plant there were several whose migratory journeys are of epic proportions.
The smallest wader was the Red-necked Stint, Calidris ruficollis, — about 15cm and weighing around 45 grams when fully prepared for migration. Having spent the warm months of our summer in wetlands around Australia, the huge flocks of stints depart in March - April for their breeding grounds in Siberia. They then return to Australia in September - October — a round trip of up to 30,000 kms in a year for some of them.
To provide the reserves of energy required for the flight, the birds gorge themselves on food from the shallows, building up stores of highly concentrated fats in special sacs between the tissues and organs. This fat is absorbed during the long flights without muscles and organs being adversely affected. The fat can also produce water by combining with oxygen, thus enabling the birds to fly for long periods without drinking.
Some species of waders do make a stop, or stops, on the way but as much of the mid-part of the route is over oceans they must fly continuously for long distances. The flocks returning to the southern summer are augmented by the new generation so trying to estimate the rate of attrition on the flights is not simple.

SEANA Weekend - Naracoorte
On the Labor Day weekend in March 2008, 13 members of the RFNC attended the SEANA camp at Naracoorte, South Australia.
It was an extremely hot weekend with each day reaching 40°C. Some excursions were cancelled due to extreme fire danger in the areas. Varied excursions were offered including Mary Seymour Conservation Park, Big Heath Conservation Park, Bool Lagoon, Creek Walk, Bourne Bird Museum, Naracoorte Caves, an all day excursion to find the elusive Red-tailed Black Cockatoo and more.
Two evening lectures were provided in one of the caves itself, a beautiful backdrop to listen to a speaker. One evening was also spent with the Rangers as they used the infrared cameras to observe the bats inside the caves followed by watching the bats exit the caves at dusk.
A great weekend was had by all, including meeting with members from other Clubs, as Naracoorte members did a great job of showcasing their area under extreme conditions.
Peter Rogers.

OBITUARY
MARYBELL FLENTJE
23.4.1916- 15.2.2008

Longstanding members of the Club will be saddened to hear of the passing of Marybell Flentje. Marybell was the wife of the late Fred Flentje and both were Foundation members. Fred was the Club's first Secretary. Together they were instrumental in helping the Club secure the North Ringwood Uniting Church hall, which served as our venue for the monthly meetings for 44 years before our move to Federation Estate. Marybell, who had lived all her life in Wonga Rd North Ringwood, was 92 years old.

Dates for your Diary
23-25 May - Weekend Field Trip, Inverloch
Field Care Days - June, Friday 15 August
17-19 October 2008 - SEANA Spring Camp Healesville, hosted by our Club