Ringwood Field Naturalists Club

THE RINGWOOD FIELD NATURALIST CLUB NEWSLETTER

Issue No.29 - October, 2009

EDITORIAL:The Club held its 48th AGM in September and a new Committee was elected. As usual at this time it was an opportunity to reflect on past activities and look forward to those to come. Some of our early members have indicated that they enjoy reading the Newsletter as it keeps them in touch with the Club, even if they are unable to attend meetings and excursions. News of our activities brings back fond memories of their participation in years gone by. One of these is Life Member Gordon Coutts.
So here is a special greeting to Gordon from the Newsletter, as well as all our other Life Members who have contributed so much to the Club’s success and continuing progress.

PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL REPORT 2008-2009

Another successful year has gone by. Again we have gained a few new members who appear to be enjoying the friendship and ability to learn and share knowledge. As in previous years, we have again been complimented by outside speakers on our enthusiasm and willing to embrace nature.

Our program continues to be a high level and is still providing a range of topics and quality speakers. Topics included Tasmanian Devils, Little Penguins, Plant Life in Arid Conditions, Pelagic and Tasmanian Birds, a trip up to the tip of Cape York, a very moving and close-to-home look at bushfires, Birds their beaks and other things, and a wonderful night spent looking at art in nature. These were also complemented by a couple of member nights where members researched and presented information on Australian parrots, cane toads, volcanoes in Hawaii, Part 2 of the Solar System, and a look at a remote part of the Flinders Ranges. Again, we need to make special thanks to Alison Rogers and Marion King for the huge efforts in making our programs sosuccessful.

In October last year we, as a Club, undertook to host the SEANA Spring Campout, a big undertaking in itself. This was based at Healesville where we were able to showcase the surrounding area to SEANA members. A number of very successful excursions were conducted to Healesville Sanctuary and Coranderrk, Badger Weir, Mt Donna Buang, Fernshaw and Dom Dom Saddle, Murrundindi, Mt St Leonard, Wirrawilla Boardwalk and Donnellys Weir. In view of the recent bushfires we were fortunate that we were able to host this weekend last year rather than this year. We were complimented on our professional approach and organisation and the fact we
presented a wonderful array of interesting and exciting excursions. Our Saturday evening meal and speaker (Rodger Elliot) were also well received and appreciated. A special thanks to all members who devoted their time, especially the sub-committee who met for 12 months of preparation, the setting up and dismantling the hall, guiding people on the excursions and the general assistance required throughout the entire weekend.

In autumn we undertook a weekend field trip to St. Arnaud. There were 3 St. Arnaud visitors who joined the 23 Club members on two days of marvellous wandering through the various woodland areas. The St Arnaud people were amazed at just how much enjoyment we get from meandering and looking at anything and everything. Thanks to Graeme and Helen Fernandes for their efforts.

Our regular field trips were also popular although we had extremes of weather in some cases. Unfortunately due to bushfires in the area, our planned trip to Yellingbowas cancelled. At the other end of the spectrum, a rather wild, windy and rain-soaked
day caused the Seymour trip to be cancelled, even though 16 members and 2 visitors had turned up. However, the rain and thunderstorms did not deter 19 members from having a wonderful day at Newport Lakes and Jawbone Reserve.

Other less eventful trips (weather-wise) but enjoyed by all included Yea wetlands, Mt Baw Baw, Birdsland, a combined excursion with Peninsula FNC to the Gurdies, a cold but enjoyable breakfast with the birds in Sherbrooke Forest and a trip to Hawkstowe Park. Thanks to all who helped to make these trips a success. Again this year we participated in our field care days. The effort the Club puts in is appreciated at both places. However we need to do more and unfortunately it is getting left to only a few. We did have 7 members and 2 visitors at Warrandyte State Park but only 3 members in attendance at Hochkins Ridge. Thanks to those who
participated at either Warrandyte State Park or Hochkins Ridge Reserve.

Reports from all our activities appear in our 6-monthly newsletters. Thanks to Judith Cooke for her time and efforts in preparing this publication but she is always looking for more member contribution.

As always our members make our meetings through field reports and member digital images. Again, thanks to David Hewitt for his time and efforts, and patiencewith us all, in loading images and then providing the technical expertise to show them.

The Committee members have made major contributions to the running of the Club. Special thanks again to Ray Wall for his work as Treasurer, not only for the running of the Club finances, but also for his work with the SEANA weekend last year. Also a special thanks to Ray for his efforts in obtaining a grant to enable the club to purchase its own laptop. Thanks also to Loris Peggie for undertaking again the role of auditor.

As in other years we have been able to promote our Club to the Community through displays in public libraries. This is due to the efforts of Phil Daniell. So thanks again Phil for arranging times and venues, setting up the displays and ensuring stock of Club pamphlets are available.

As mentioned before, a good year has been had, and I’m sure the next will not be any different.
Peter F Rogers

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Field Trip to The Gurdies – 16th May 2009
Leaders – Judy Smart (PFNC) and Alison Rogers (RFNC)

Eighteen members from our Club arrived at The Gurdies on a cool and damp morning to meet with 10 members of the Peninsula Field Naturalists Club. After a quick morning tea in the top car park, the group walked down one of the tracks looking for orchids. The main finds were Pterostylis grandiflora (Cobra greenhood), Pterostylis sanguinea (Banded greenhood), Pterostylis melagramma (Tall greenhood), Chiloglottis reflexa (Autumn wasp or bird orchid) and Acianthus exsertus (Large mosquito orchid).
As we walked further into the forest, the wind calmed down and we started to hear a few birds calling. Although not many birds were sighted for the day we had a good look at a Crested shrike-tit, Golden Whistler and a flock of Varied Sitellas.
After a quick lunch in the carpark some members left for home and others braved the windy forest and headed down another track. The afternoon found us looking at much the same country as the morning walk. Good patches of the dark pink form of Epacris impressa (Common Heath) were seen in the recently burnt areas.
Seven flowering orchids were seen on the day and a few leaves of other varieties were also found.
There were 17 birds for the day along with some fungi and a lone wallaby.
This was a good chance to catch up with members of the Peninsula group. Thanks to Judy Smart for her leadership on the day.
Alison Rogers

Breakfast with the Birds at O’Donohue Picnic Ground Sherbrooke – 13th June 2009
Leaders – Alison and Peter Rogers

On a very cold and frosty morning, 13 members and one visitor braved the conditions to start the day with a BBQ breakfast in Sherbrooke Forest. A few birds were calling but it was even too cold for them. An interesting highlight at breakfast was the sighting of a Bassian Thrush moving about the carpark area.
The group then undertook the circuit walk to Sherbrooke Falls and back to O’Donohue’s Picnic Ground. Birds were keeping themselves scarce although a few lyrebirds could be heard in and around the bush. Brown Thornbills and Yellow Robins were easily sighted. A little fungi was scattered around with Mycena subgalericulata providing some interest on the trunk of a large Eucalypt.
An unusual highlight was a large, ugly-looking moth lying on the rail of the bridge across the Sherbrooke Falls. It did not want to move and appeared to be stuck on the rail. It was only later that Judith Cooke found out the moth was in fact dead and had
been taken over by a fungus that was in the process of sprouting fruiting bodies. Upon our return to the cars we met up with Alex, a local Sherbrooke and lyrebird expert, who offered to take us to see lyrebirds. This involved a short drive along the Kallista-
Emerald Rd. The group walked quite a distance before Alex recognised the call of “Mr G” (a known male lyrebird) off the track and in the bush. Some of the more hardy members “bush-bashed” and were rewarded with some good sightings of Mr G. The
others decided to listen to his repertoire as they moved back to the waiting cars.

Field Trip to Hawkstowe Park – 12th July 2009
Leaders Alan and Hazel Veevers

A cold winter’s morning greeted 10 hardy Members at Red Gum car park where we began our visit to Hawkstowe Park, a new venue for the Club. We were rewarded with a most enjoyable walk past the Park lakes, along the Plenty River Gorge, and circling back past the old Nioka Scout Camp.
Highlights included good sightings of both the Little and Wedge-tailed Eagles, interesting geological formations in the gorge, and many beautiful old Manna Gums alongside the river.
Fortunately the forecast rain held off and the sun shone at lunchtime, adding to the conviviality of the occasion. Afterwards, several Members looked around the grounds of the historic Le Page Homestead, bringing the excursion to a very satisfying conclusion.

Field Trip to Seymour Bushland Reserve – 16th August 2009
Leader – Marlene Lyell

What was going to be something different, going into a new area, turned out to be a non-event. Even before we left the Ringwood area we were in gusty wind and threatening rain. There were 16 members and 2 visitors who undertook the trip toSeymour for the excursion. Strong winds and heavy rain greeted us upon our arrival at the Reserve. The initial agreement by those attending was to wash-out the excursion but a break in the weather, with some blue sky and a little sunshine, saw the group decide to take a short walk through the reserve. Alas, we had not been walking for more than about 10 minutes when the heavens opened up yet again. Quickly we retreated back to the cars and decided to call it quits.
A couple of highlights were sightings of Pterostylis nana and many wattles in flower. Birds were scarce due to the wet and windy conditions, although a Grey fantail kept us company and a Grey thrush called from within the bush.
Thanks to Marlene for her work in preparing the excursion and maybe we can hold it again at some stage.

Field Trip to Hillcrest and Huggins Road Reserves – 12th September 2009
Leader – Cecily Falkingham

About 16 members met at the Lisbeth Road entrance to Hillcrest Reserve where Cecily briefly introduced the habitat where we would be walking. We set off past the vent at the western end of the Mullum Mullum Tunnel and examined restoration works still in progress. Once in the bushland we were soon immersed in the diversity of this very special reserve along the Mullum Mullum Creek. Patches of colour indicated the flowering of various wildflowers – Love Creeper, Daviesia, Hardenbergia, and several Wattles. But the main objective was to see the different species of orchids in flower and Cecily and Reg had worked hard to locate up to ten different species. It was a delight to see so many plants in flower and photographers were kept busy on hands and knees attempting to get that special close-up.
After spending two hours in Hillcrest, we returned to the cars and drove to Yarran Dheran where we found a well-positioned picnic table for lunch. In the afternoon we paid a visit to the Huggins Road reserve where we marvelled at the richness of the indigenous flora, finding more orchids and many other wildflowers. Despite spending much of the time looking at the ground, an impressive bird list of 30 species was also achieved for the day. At the conclusion of our ramble a vote of thanks to Cecily and Reg was enthusiastically applauded. Members then made their way home with lots of wonderful sights to remember.
Judith Cooke

NATURE NOTES

BIRD LIST FOR THE GURDIES FIELD TRIP 16-5-09

Australian Raven, Grey Fantail, Golden Whistler,
Striated Thornbill, Superb Fairy-wren, White-throated Tree-creeper,
Grey thrush, Yellow Robin, Crimson Rosella,
Crested Shrike-tit, Lewin's Honeyeater, Kookaburra,
Magpie, Eastern Spinebill, Brown-headed Honeyeater,
Varied Sittella, Wedge-tailed Eagle.

BIRD LIST FOR HAWKSTOWE PARK FIELD TRIP 12-7-09

Australian Wood Duck, Pacific Black Duck, Hardhead,
Australasian Grebe, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Little Eagle,
Purple Swamphen, Dusky Moorhen, Eurasian Coot,
Masked Lapwing, Galah, Long billed Corella,
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Rainbow Lorikeet, Eastern Rosella,
Red rumped Parrot, Laughing Kookaburra, White-throated Treecreeper,
Superb Fairy wren, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Pardalote,
White-browed Scrubwren, Brown Thornbill, Yellow-rumped Thornbill,
Red Wattlebird, Noisy Miner, White-plumed Honeyeater,
Eastern Yellow Robin, Golden Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush,
Magpie-lark, Grey Fantail, Australian Magpie,
Little Raven, Red-browed Finch, Welcome Swallow,
Silvereye, *Common Blackbird, *Common Starling,
*Common Myna.

ORCHID LIST -HILLCREST AND HUGGINS ROAD FIELD TRIP 12-9-09

Caladenia carnea Pink Fingers
Chilolottis valida Bird Orchid
Diuris chryseopsis Golden Moths
Diuris pardina Leopard Orchid
Glossodia major Waxlip
Lyperanthus suaveolens Brown Beaks
Pterostylis curta Blunt Greenhood
Pterostylis melagramma Tall Greenhood
Pterostylis nutans Nodding Greenhood
Pterostylis pedunculata Maroonhood
Thelymitra sp in bud

BIRD LIST (1) HILLCREST/MULLUM MULLUM PARK/ YARRAN DHERAN
AND (2) HUGGINS ROAD FIELD TRIP 12-9-09

Red Wattlebird (1)(2) Bell Miner (1) Rainbow Lorikeet (1)(2) Eastern Rosella (1)
Galah (1) Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (1) Gang-gang Cockatoo (2) (Little) Corella (1)
Australian Magpie (1) Grey Butcherbird (1) Pied Currawong (1) Magpie-lark (1)
Little Raven (1)(2) Common Bronzewing (1)(2) *Spotted (Turtle) Dove (2) Superb Fairy-wren (1)(2)
Grey Fantail (1)(2) Brown Thornbill (2) Striated Thornbill (2) White-browed Scrub-wren (1)(2)
Laughing Kookaburra (1) Fan-tailed Cuckoo (1) Crested Shrike-tit (1) Golden Whistler (1)
Rufous Whistler (1) Grey Shrike-thrush (1) Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (1) Varied Sittella (1)
Spotted Pardalote (1)(2) *Common Myna (2)
Jack Airey

From Friends of Warrandyte State Park Newsletter November 1999
The Western Weather Lore (written at the turn of the century)

When rings are seen around the moon
When kookas laugh mid afternoon
When storm birds call, be sure that soon
There’ll be some rain.

When stars are blazing clear and high,
When pink and grey the dado’d sky,
When fogs the breath before the eye,
There’ll be a frost.

When magpies’ carols lilt and run,
When mare’s tails veil the morning sun,
When spiders’ webs are overspun,
There’ll be a wind.

When whirlwinds rise and fall again,
When heat haze shimmers on the plain,
When south winds ride the weather vane,
There’ll be a drought.

FIELD CARE DAYS

Pound Bend Reserve, Warrandyte State Park - 26th July 2009

Seven members and 2 visitors joined Ranger David van Bockel and his two children for a shrub planting day at Pound Bend in the Warrandyte State Park. When we arrived David told us that some other groups had already done some recent planting and he was concerned with the watering and care of these during the coming summer.
So his suggestion for us this time was to continue with the Smilax pulling/digging which we had started last year. It was evident that the work we had completed last time had been really successful with only a few areas being taken over again. Our very willing helpers got ‘stuck into’ the area and over the next couple of hours filled many bags with this invasive weed.
At the completion of our task we had filled the back of David’s vehicle with bags of weeds.
Thanks go to members Alan and Hazel Veevers, Alison and Peter Rogers, Marion King, Judith Cooke and Marguerite Lawrinson with visitors Gavin Masters and Mal Chicksen (second time visitors) for their commitment to our Field Care endeavours.
Alison Rogers

Hochkins Ridge – 21st August 2009

Only 3 members braved the wintry damp conditions to join Helen Moss for our morning’s work in the Reserve. Helen had decided that we should attempt to remove the invasive weed Myriophyllum aquaticum from the pond. This proved to be muchmore difficult than expected as the weed had formed a solid mass entangled with other water plants. We struggled valiantly for an hour dragging armfuls of dripping vegetation from the pond until we were utterly exhausted. Eighteen large garbage bags were stuffed and carried up to the gate for collection. We also did some weeding of a patch of Vinca nearby and removed several large items of rubbish. Our efforts were rewarded when two Pacific Black Duck arrived and started making use of the cleared part of the pond.
The Club extends its appreciation to Judith Cooke, Ruth Christiansen and Christine di Palma for the tremendous effort they put in.

OBITUARY

BRENDA MURLIS
19-3-1922 -9-7-2009

When Brenda and her husband Mick joined the Club they soon became active and valued members. Their involvement with the Victorian Wader Study Group benefited the Club significantly as Brenda and Mick led a number of successful excursions to locations such as Werribee to view waders and their extensive knowledge was passed on to fellow members. Many of us were able to observe the birds closely through their bird-spotting telescope.
Brenda and Mick both served on the Committee for a number of years. At the AGM in September 1985, Brenda was elected the Club's first woman President, and served a two year term. Committee meetings at the Murlis’ home were lively and good-humoured affairs. Brenda later also served as Treasurer.
Sadly in recent years Brenda was unable to attend the Club’s programme, first because she was caring for Mick and later as her own health declined.
Ten members of the Club attended the memorial service held at All Saints Church Mitcham where Brenda’s enthusiasm, infectious good humour and caring attitude were remembered with gratitude. A message of condolence has been sent to her family from the Club.

*****

The Club has also been advised that Dee Stephenson’s husband, Neil, died recently.

*****

MEMBERS' CONTRIBUTIONS

And, for the last word, Club member Ray Wall has contributed the following item.

Thought this may give our members a chuckle!

Did you ever wonder why there are no dead penguins on the ice in Antarctica - where do they go?
Wonder no more! It is a known fact that the penguin is a very ritualistic bird which lives an extremely ordered and complex life. The penguin is very committed to its family and will mate for life, as well as maintaining a form of compassionate contact with its offspring throughout its life. If a penguin is found dead on the ice surface, other members of the family and social circle have been known to dig holes in the ice, using their vestigial wings and beaks, until the hole is deep enough for the dead bird to be rolled into and buried.

The male penguins then gather in a circle around the fresh grave and sing, "Freeze a jolly good fellow."

Dates for your Diary

SEANA
19-22 March 2010 FNC Ballarat
16-19 October 2010 FNC Latrobe Valley at Foster

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October 2009. Editor, Judith V. Cooke