Ringwood Field Naturalists Club Inc.

THE RINGWOOD FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB Inc. NEWSLETTER

Issue No.28 - April, 2009

EDITORIAL: The tragic events of Black Saturday have once again emphasised the nature of the land in which we live. The outcome of the 100+ km fire front that swept across the country east of Melbourne following the wind change on 7th February with terrifying and inconceivable rapidity has shocked and traumatised people everywhere. Several of the favourite places that this Club has visited regularly and shared with fellow naturalists have been severely affected. It will be many months before we can assess the effects on the bush and make decisions on what we may be able to accomplish that will benefit natural history study for people in the future.
The current fire regime has broken previous records and indicated that we must be increasingly aware of its dangers. Climate change and global warming mean a greater likelihood of extreme weather conditions. In terms of conservation of our natural environment, it may be necessary to support more stringent initiatives for the management of our bushland in order to protect lives and property.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

SOUTH EAST AUSTRALIAN NATURALISTS’ ASSOCIATION Inc. (SEANA)
SPRING WEEKEND FRIDAY 17TH – SUNDAY 19TH OCTOBER 2008
Hosted by Ringwood Field Naturalists Club Inc.
by Peter Rogers
The Club hosted the 2008 SEANA spring weekend at Healesville. We were based at the Badger Creek Hall. The weekend consisted of a number of full and half day excursions in and around the Healesville area. A particular highlight was the Saturday
night dinner at which Rodger Eliott was the keynote speaker. The weekend was very successful and the credit belongs to Club members. In particular, special thanks to the sub-committee members who spent long hours organising the weekend, as well as working hard the entire weekend. Also, thanks to the members who provided valuable assistance over the weekend including setting and packing up the hall, leading the various excursions, keeping the kitchen running smoothly and efficiently, donating biscuits and slices as well as general donations.
The feedback we have received from members of other Clubs has been very positive. Comments included being impressed with our professional approach and handling of the entire weekend, the variety of interesting excursions that had been arranged, our excursion leaders who provided great support, a wonderful dinner and marvellous speaker, and a shame that there was not more time to do more in the area.
Reports were written for all the excursions. These can be found on our own website and on the SEANA website. [http://home.vicnet.net.au/~seana/meetings/campouts.htm]

15th November 2008, Yea.
by Leader Graeme Fernandes
Twenty-five members and visitors travelled to the John Cummins Reserve at Yea on a fine and sunny day. After a cup of tea and a look around the parking area, we commenced a walk along the Franklin Track. The first section of the walk took us past attractive billabongs, red gums, the Yea River and its anabranch. After veering away from the Yea River, River Red gums dot the remnant grassy woodland. Some depressions retain water throughout this area, where birds such as darters, ducks, cormorants and kingfishers can be seen. In the ponds, frogs such as Peron’s Tree-frog (Litoria peronii), the Eastern Pobblebonk (Limnodynastes dumerilli) and the Common Froglet (Crinia signifera) can be heard. The ponds are an ideal habitat for the rare and vulnerable damselfly (Hemiphlebia mirabiles). At the northern end of the track we were able to get a good sighting of a Whitethroated Gerygone. On the walk back to the cars sightings included Varied Sittella, a Pelican and a Horsefield’s Bronze Cuckoo.
After a picnic lunch at the car-park we all headed to the Cheviot Tunnel atLimestone. This magnificently built Railway Tunnel under McLoughlin’s Gap, is 660 feet long and took two years to build. The railway line opened on 12th November, 1889. The railway line was used mainly for the transport of timber until the mid 1970’s. This area around Limestone is where some of the first plant life on Earth has been found. Known as the Baragwanathia Flora, named after one of the more common plants (Baragwanathia longifolia), these fossil deposits are estimated to be about 415 million years old and represent the oldest vascular plants recorded in Australia, if not the world.
On the return trip to Melbourne, some members stopped by the Yea River at the end of Frog Ponds Road. Here we sat by the river and enjoyed a quiet cuppa before returning home after a very enjoyable day.

Field Trip to Mt Baw Baw 17th January 2009
by Leaders – Alison and Peter Rogers
Nineteen members arrived at Tanjil Bren on a beautiful morning in preparation for the Mt Baw Baw excursion. After a quick morning tea, the group walked up the track looking for orchids. The main finds were Pterostylis decurva (Summer greenhood),
Pterostylis monticola (Alpine greenhood) and Microtis sp. (Onion orchid). Also of interest were a number of butterfly species and the very large fruit on the Exocarpus sp. (Cherry Ballart).
The group moved to the large carpark at the Mt Baw Baw settlement for lunch. Park management staff advised the summit loop walk would take around 1 hour. We decided to tackle this but due to the many interesting things we saw, we found we had only walked a third of the way in 2 hours. A decision was made to head back the way we had come, although a few hardy souls quickly continued to the summit before heading back. As always, the Herpolirion novae-zelandiae (Sky lily), Richea continentis (Candle heath) and Stylidium graminifolium (Grass trigger-plant) were a delight to see and photograph. Other interests included sightings of Monistria concinna (Spotted Mountain Grasshopper) and Graphium macleayanus (Macleays swallowtail). It was also noticed by members how the long dry spell had affected the alpine vegetation, especially the sphagnum moss/Richea flats. These were noticeably drier than previous years with less water, making it easier to walk through the bog area. In general, birds are less plentiful up at Mt Baw Baw with the majority being found around Tanjil Bren. Some of the more interesting birds found up at the Mt Baw Baw settlement area were a pair of Olive whistlers collecting insects to feed concealed young, a Crescent honeyeater and Australian pipits working the grassed areas.
Our bird list for the day was:
Welcome swallow, King parrot, Grey shrike-thrush, Magpie, Crimson rosella, Yellow tailed black cockatoo,
Red wattlebird, Superb fairy-wren, Pied currawong, Brown thornbill, Lewins honeyeater, Silvereye,
Flame robin, Little raven, Gang gang, Australian pipit, Grey currawong, White eared honeyeater,
Olive whistler, Striated pardalote, Crescent honeyeater.

Field Trip to Yellingbo 14th February 2009
Our scheduled field trip for February was cancelled in the aftermath of the Black
Saturday fires.

Field Trip to Newport Lakes and Jawbones Reserve 14th March 2009
by Leaders – Alan and Hazel Veevers
Nineteen members broke the drought and enjoyed the rare experience of walking in torrential rain at Newport Lakes Park. It was good to see the bush receiving a rejuvenating soaking, though our plant lists very quickly became papier mache, in some cases without being removed from the pocket! The range of indigenous trees, shrubs and plants to be seen around the lakes was a credit to those responsible for turning what was a bluestone quarry into a tranquil bush park. Bird highlights from a
list of 32 species included a Nankeen Night Heron flying low across the water, a Brown Goshawk chasing a rabbit and a female Darter fishing.
After lunch, we drove down Maddox Road to the Jawbones beach area. The rain had stopped and we were treated to magnificent views across the bay and to a wealth of bird-life on the sand flats and in the water. Easily seen were numerous Pelicans,
Black Swans, Cormorants and Gulls. Closer inspection revealed Royal Spoonbills, Greenshanks, Crested Terns, Pied Oystercatchers and both Little and Great Egrets. Altogether, 24 species were seen from this location.
We then walked along the Jawbones Reserve track, which doubles as part of the Bayside Cycle Track, past the lagoons which lie between the housing and the bay. Many birds were seen, including Australasian Shovellers, Hardheads, Blue-billed Ducks, and both Australasian and Hoary-headed Grebes. A bush-bird rarity was sighting a couple of Eurasian Tree Sparrows – a sight last seen more than 20 years ago for one of our senior members. A total of 36 bird species were seen here, making a grand total of 59 species for the day.
We returned to our cars just in time, as the rain began to fall again, leaving us to drive home in torrential rain whilst reflecting on a most enjoyable excursion.

BIRD LIST LOCATIONS
A: Newport Lakes Park
B: Jawbones Foreshore
C: Jawbones Walk

Blue billed Duck C, Masked Lapwing B C,
Black Swan A B C,    Pacific Gull B,
Pacific Black Duck A C, Silver Gull A B C,
Australasian Shoveller C, Crested Tern B,
Grey Teal A B C,    Rock Dove [I] C,
Chestnut Teal B C,    Spotted Turtle Dove [I] A C,
Hardhead C,    Crested Pigeon A,
Australasian Grebe C,    Musk Lorikeet A,
Hoary headed Grebe C,    Superb Fairy wren A,
Darter A,    Yellow rumped Thornbill B C,
Little Pied Cormorant A B C, Red Wattlebird A,
Pied Cormorant B C,    Little Wattlebird B,
Little Black Cormorant B C, Singing Honeyeater B,
Great Cormorant A,    White plumed Honeyeater A C,
Australian Pelican B C,    New Holland Honeyeater A,
White faced Heron A B C, Magpie-lark A,
Little Egret B, Grey Fantail A,
Great Egret B, Willie Wagtail A,
Nankeen Night Heron A,       Australian Magpie B C,
Australian White Ibis A B C,    Little Raven A B C,
Straw necked Ibis A C, House Sparrow [I] A C,
Royal Spoonbill B, Eurasian Tree Sparrow [I] C,
Brown Goshawk A, Welcome Swallow A C,
Purple Swamphen A C, Clamorous Reed warbler C,
Dusky Moorhen A C, Little Grassbird C,
Eurasian Coot A C, Common Blackbird [I] A,
Common Greenshank B, Common Starling [I] A C,
Pied Oystercatcher B, Common Myna [I] A C,
Black winged Stilt B C, Hybrid Duck [I] A,
Black fronted Dotterel C,

OBITUARY

EDWIN (TED) A SCHURMANN
7.8.1917 - 1.2.2009

Members present at the meeting on 11th February 2009 were saddened to hear the announcement of Ted’s death. Ted was a foundation member of the Ringwood Field Naturalist Club, joining with his mother, children and a niece. Ted lived in Ringwood with his wife Vicki and worked as a manager in the local timber yard on Whitehorse Rd (Ringwood Trading). His love of Australia, the Australian Bush and particularly birds, was evident in his writings. Ted, after writing short stories for some years and newspaper articles, then concentrated on writing many books. These included 'No Trains on Sundays', 'Shop', and 'The Showie', to name a few. He also wrote 'Bird Watching in Australia' (considered required reading for Field Naturalists) and the text for the best-selling, 'Every Australian Bird Illustrated'. Ted left the RFNC when he and Vicki moved to their bush retreat in Wehla near Inglewood. He and Vicki stayed in touch with long time club members until he became unwell in recent years. Ted was 91. A message of condolence will be sent from the Club.

NATURE NOTES

Comocrus behri (Mistletoe Moth) Peter Rogers

In February this year, a weekend at Inverloch revealed a multitude of moths, wasps and other insects gorging themselves on Eucalyptus nectar. One of the more spectacular moths was the Mistletoe Moth. The adult moths have wings that are black with white straight and zigzag lines. The abdomen is black on top with orange stripes underneath, and a scarlet tuft on the tail.
The adult is a day-flying moth, with a wingspan of up to 5 cm. It is found all over Australia. The female mistletoe moths have more white in their upper front wings and more black in the lower hind wings than the male.

Dates for your Diary
RFNC Weekend Field Trips

29-31 May 2009 St Arnaud
25-27 September 2009 Horsham

SEANA

2-4 October 2009 FNC Hamilton at Dunkeld
19-22 March 2010 FNC Ballarat
16-19 October 2010 FNC Latrobe Valley at Foster