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Next Meeting. Friday 30 th August 2019 at 7:00 PM Sue Morris – Flying Foxes Sue Morris from Bat Conservation & Rescue Queensland will be giving a presentation on flying foxes and the essential role they play every night as nature's gardeners. Over millions of years Australia's native trees and megabats have co-evolved to the point that many of our forest, coastal and riparian ecosystems have come to rely on the nightly services of flying foxes for pollination, seed dispersal and (yes) fertilisation! Sue has a background in healthcare and education and now channels much of her past experience into working with these misunderstood environmental superstars. She will also discuss the challenges faced by Australia's megabats and microbats in an increasingly urban existence and the work of Bat Conservation & Rescue in orphan raising, rehabilitation and release, and environmental protection. A special appearance will also be made by licensed education flying foxes Bonnie and Phoebe, who will happily demonstrate their fruit- and nectar- eating abilities! Where: Redlands Multi Sports Club Cnr. Bailey & Randall Rd, Birkdale 4159 Gold coin donation. Enjoy the club facilities beforehand. For more information phone Steve 0423036676 Wildlife Queensland Bayside Branch In this edition 2 From the executive President’s Report STEVE 3 Grass Wren of the Grey Range Recycling 4 Wetland Wonders 5 Fires & beetles GIS tools 6 Celebrate Science 7 Save our Flora 8 Re-usables 10 Backyard Wildlife 11 Resources Committee and Contacts Membership Form Volunteering Opportunity! This years Witta Nature Refuge Working Bee's are coming up! We hope to see you on both days or at least one! Contact [email protected]
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Wildlife Queensland · fascinating world and colours of Butterflies and Moths, it is worth taking a closer look at the insects in your own backyard. As with most our wildlife they

Jul 22, 2020

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Page 1: Wildlife Queensland · fascinating world and colours of Butterflies and Moths, it is worth taking a closer look at the insects in your own backyard. As with most our wildlife they

Next Meeting.

Friday 30th August 2019 at 7:00 PMSue Morris – Flying Foxes

Sue Morris from Bat Conservation & Rescue Queensland will be giving apresentation on flying foxes and the essential role they play every night asnature's gardeners. Over millions of years Australia's native trees and megabatshave co-evolved to the point that many of our forest, coastal and riparianecosystems have come to rely on the nightly services of flying foxes forpollination, seed dispersal and (yes) fertilisation!

Sue has a background in healthcare and education and now channels much ofher past experience into working with these misunderstood environmentalsuperstars. She will also discuss the challenges faced by Australia's megabatsand microbats in an increasingly urban existence and the work of BatConservation & Rescue in orphan raising, rehabilitation and release, andenvironmental protection.

A special appearance will also be made by licensed education flying foxesBonnie and Phoebe, who will happily demonstrate their fruit- and nectar-eating abilities!

Where: Redlands Multi Sports Club Cnr. Bailey & Randall Rd, Birkdale 4159Gold coin donation.Enjoy the club facilities beforehand. For more information phone Steve 0423036676

Wildlife Queensland Bayside Branch

In this edition

2 From the executive President’s Report

STEVE

3 Grass Wren of the Grey Range

Recycling

4 Wetland Wonders

5 Fires & beetles

GIS tools

6 Celebrate Science

7 Save our Flora

8 Re-usables

10 Backyard Wildlife

11 ResourcesCommittee and ContactsMembership FormVolunteering Opportunity!

This years Witta Nature Refuge Working Bee's are coming up! We hope to see you on both days or at least one! Contact [email protected]

Page 2: Wildlife Queensland · fascinating world and colours of Butterflies and Moths, it is worth taking a closer look at the insects in your own backyard. As with most our wildlife they

From the Executive Team... Presidents Report

In July 2016 the State government announced with the usual fanfare that they would be setting up a Koala expert panel as there was “a need for an urgent policy change if these catastrophic declines are to be reversed and the long-term persistence of the Koala is to be secured”. The panel passed its recommendations on to the Koala Advisory Council made up of leading experts, in November 2018. Reporting date due April now postponed to later this year, meanwhile threats to Koalas continue unabated, we will be lobbying our elected representatives to expedite the commitment that was made. In the Redlands this week we have heard of Koala deaths on the railway and council voting to downgrade Koala bushland at Ormiston, so that it can be fully developed, this in a pilot “Koala Safe Neighbourhood” area– go figure. The state of fencing along the railway line is of concern despite that we are being told it is regularly inspected.

Our speaker last month John Moss took us to the fascinating world and colours of Butterflies and Moths, it is worth taking a closer look at the insects in your own backyard. As with most our wildlife they are vulnerable to land clearing, chemicals and particularly wildfires that can wipe out their specific feeding plants.

Parts of Brisbane and surrounds have just experienced their hottest July on record since last year, this must be critically affecting our wildlife and its water sources. I have filled up an old fish pond with water only and it is attracting plenty of birds happy for a dip and a drink.

A reminder that this year WPSQ is holding their AGM in the Redlands Saturday 7th September at the Redland City Lions Club, phone the office 3844 0129 to book or just check the website for details. As part of a full programme Debbie Pointing will be talking on Koala tracking and we will be walking to G.J Walter Park, to view the threatened Koala and marine habitat.

Nature doesn't need people - people need nature;

nature would survive the extinction of the human

being and go on just fine, but human culture,

human beings, cannot survive without nature.

Harrison Ford

Yard visitor Thornlands this week

Photo Narelle Watson

Yard visitor Thornlands this week

Photo Narelle Watson

Day visitor this week Hilliard State School

Photo Chelsea Homewood

Page 3: Wildlife Queensland · fascinating world and colours of Butterflies and Moths, it is worth taking a closer look at the insects in your own backyard. As with most our wildlife they

Grey Range Thick-billed Grasswrens.

BirdLife Australia has teamed up with Western LocalLand Services to conduct surveys in the White Cliffsregion to confirm the presence of Grey Range Thick-billed Grasswrens.

The Grey Range Thick-billed Grasswren has beenidentified as one of the 20 Australian birds most likelyto go extinct in the next 20 years.

Thick-billed Grasswrens are reputedly the least vocalof all the grasswrens, and this, combined with theiroften furtive nature, makes them rather difficult tofind across the arid shrublands they inhabit.

When this is added to their rarity, it makesconducting surveys for them difficult in the extreme.Nevertheless, despite these hurdles, a small team ofscientists, guided by the landholder’s observations,were successful in finding some grasswrens.

In early April over a five day period, the scientistsdetected grasswrens in six of the seven sites wherethe landholders had reported seeing the birds, aswell as an additional site that the scientists thoughtlooked ‘promising’.

While it is too soon to estimate the size of thepopulation of Grey Range Thick-billed Grasswrens.

Western Local Land Services Senior Land ServicesOfficer, Brian Dohnt was pleased with the outcomefrom the surveys.

This project was coordinated by Western Local LandServices in conjunction with BirdLife Australia,through Catchment Action NSW funding, and workedclosely with local landholders in the region. Surveyswill continue, and workshops for various stakeholderswill be conducted in the near future.

http://birdlife.org.au/media/grasswrens-found/

Report Littering

On your mobile or on the webhttps://report-littering-

dumping.ehp.qld.gov.au/

Page 4: Wildlife Queensland · fascinating world and colours of Butterflies and Moths, it is worth taking a closer look at the insects in your own backyard. As with most our wildlife they

Wetland Wander - FREE EVENT

Immerse yourself into the beauty and wonder of our wetlands

Wetlands are one of the most valuable ecosystems on Earth. They store three times more carbon than terrestrial forests, improve water quality, and are home to a diversity of species. Wetland Wander is an art-science collaboration that aims to inspire engagement and conservation of these critical ecosystems.

Led by wetland ecologist Fernanda Adame, sound artist Leah Barclay, walking/media artist James Cunningham, and multimedia artist Suzon Fuks, Wetland Wander incorporates knowledge from current and traditional landowners within Quandamooka(Moreton Bay), and Nywaigi, Gulgnay and Girramay countries (Queensland, Australia).

Explore these valuable ecosystems in this immersive 360-degree duel channel video projection that features 3D soundscapes, as you are taken on a walk through these wetland habitats and flown into species’ niches. As you get up close and personal with the swamp, you can sense the beauty and complexity of this wondrous place, and admire the intrinsic, environmental and timeless values of wetlands.

You can also enjoy more of Wetland Wander at Redland Art Gallery, Cleveland from Sunday 8 September until Sunday 27 October.Performance Times:Exhibition Open: Mon 16 - Sat 28 September, Mon to Fri 10am–4pm & Sat 10am–1pm

Floor Talk: Fri 20 September, 6.30pmWorkshops: Mon 23 September, 10am & 1pmVenue: RPAC Gallery Foyer

Booking Information:No bookings required unless attending the Floor Talk or Workshops. RSVP for these events via the RPAC Box Office on 3829 8131.

RSVP for the Floor Talk or Workshops via the RPAC Box Office on 3829 8131.

Page 5: Wildlife Queensland · fascinating world and colours of Butterflies and Moths, it is worth taking a closer look at the insects in your own backyard. As with most our wildlife they

The response of cerambycid beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) to long‐term

fire frequency regimes in subtropical eucalypt forest

Fire has a varied influence on plant and animal speciesthrough direct (e.g. fire‐induced mortality) and indirect(e.g. modification of habitat) effects.

Our understanding of the influence of fire regime oninvertebrates and their response to fire‐inducedmodifications to habitat is poor.

Research aimed to determine the response of a beetlefamily (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) to varying firetreatments and hypothesised that the abundance ofcerambycid beetles is influenced by fire frequency dueto modifications in habitat associated with the firetreatments.

Over the sampling period the long unburnt treatmenthad significantly lower species richness than thetriennial and wildfire treatments. Cerambycidabundance was significantly higher in the trienniallyburnt treatment than in all other fire treatments.Ipomoria tillides was more abundant in both frequentlyburnt treatments, Adrium sp. was more common intriennially burnt areas, whereas B. signiferum, was morecommon in the wildfire affected treatment.

Some, but not all, cerambycid beetles were morecommon in areas with a more open understorey (i.e.resulting from frequent burning), and lower tree basalarea, as this likely influences their ability to fly easilybetween food sources. Cerambycid abundance waspositively related to the volume of coarse woodydebris and healthy tree crowns.

Cerambycid beetles were clearly influenced by historicfire regime, suggesting that changes in fire regime canpotentially have a profound influence on arthropodassemblages, and subsequent influences on ecosystemprocesses, which are currently poorly understood.”

Read more:https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aec.12702

Source: Austral Ecology, June 2019Author/s: Martyn Eliott, Simon Lawson, Andrew Hayes,Valerie Debuse, Alan York ,Tom Lewis

European Space Agency – free software toolsESA undertakes a wide range of activities in the field of Earth Observation education, training and capacity building. The scope of these activities ranges from high level training in state-of-the-art processing for the next generation of Principal Investigators to more general outreach activities and Earth Observation education for schools.

The aim of this website is to provide a single portal that supplies information about these activities, and enables access to resources produced in their framework.

If you are interested in using satellite imagery to learn about or explore landscape scale environmental issues they provide a range of free tools and software to help you. https://earth.esa.int/web/guest/eo-education-and-training https://earth.esa.int/web/guest/software-tools

QGIS – free GIS toolQGIS is a user friendly Open Source Geographic Information System (GIS) licensed under the GNU General Public License. QGIS is an official project of the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo). It runs on Linux, Unix, Mac OSX, Windows and Android and supports numerous vector, raster, and database formats and functionalities.

https://qgis.org/en/site/about/index.html

Page 6: Wildlife Queensland · fascinating world and colours of Butterflies and Moths, it is worth taking a closer look at the insects in your own backyard. As with most our wildlife they

Celebrate Science!National Science Week is held from 10-18 August andwill feature events, both large and small, across thecountry to celebrate science and technology.

This month's action is to get involved and learn moreabout some of the amazing science changing andshaping our world around us! The goals of NationalScience week include "to encourage an interest inscience pursuits among the general public, and toencourage younger people to become fascinated by theworld we live in". That's a goal we can really get behind -and we hope you will too!

Reef CheckFollowing on from the massive success of their last event, Reef Check Australia is excited to be part of the next, bigger and better, Brisbane Science Festival!

The festival will run for 3 days, from 16-18 August, with the first day being a high school careers day, followed by community days on the Saturday and Sunday.

RCA will be there along with other amazing scientists for all the action, including science shows, reptile encounters, robotics, drones and science challenges. RCA ambassadors will have the ever popular green screen available for photos with your favourite marine buddies, as well as other interactive activities. The festival will also offer the opportunity to win a chance to be part of Australia's first science themed escape room experience!

Come along and chat with the RCA team and enjoy an incredible program of events and activities.

For more information and to book your ticket, head over to the Brisbane Science Festival website now.

http://www.brisbanesciencefestival.com.au/

National environmental indicatorsThe combined pressures from habitat destruction, climate change, and invasive pests and diseases are taking their toll on our unique plants and animals. Another 54 species were added to the official list of threatened species, which now stands at 1,775. That is 47% more than 18 years ago and puts Australia among the world’s worst performers in biodiversity protection. http://wald.anu.edu.au/australias-environment/

Page 7: Wildlife Queensland · fascinating world and colours of Butterflies and Moths, it is worth taking a closer look at the insects in your own backyard. As with most our wildlife they

https://saveourflora.weebly.com/

Page 8: Wildlife Queensland · fascinating world and colours of Butterflies and Moths, it is worth taking a closer look at the insects in your own backyard. As with most our wildlife they
Page 9: Wildlife Queensland · fascinating world and colours of Butterflies and Moths, it is worth taking a closer look at the insects in your own backyard. As with most our wildlife they
Page 10: Wildlife Queensland · fascinating world and colours of Butterflies and Moths, it is worth taking a closer look at the insects in your own backyard. As with most our wildlife they

Tachyglossus aculeatus – EchidnaBody length to 450 mm; weight to 7 kg. Fur dark brown; quills yellow with black points. Young females and males have a small non-functional spur on inside of each ankle.

Habitat and Range, anywhere with ground cover and ants. Usually absent from inner city suburbs, however, one recently recorded from Highgate Hill; reasonably common in surrounding shires. Australia-wide. Can be seen around the bushland areas of the Redlands.

Australia has no porcupines, hedgehogs or tenrecs to confuse with the Echidna. Active day or night. Eats only ants and termites (but incidentally ingests a lot of dirt).

Threats include cars and dogs.

Traces:

Shed quills; long droppings are cigar-shaped, smelly, clay-like and filled with shiny ant remains (up to 130 mm by 18 mm wide).

https://www.qm.qld.gov.au/Find+out+about/Animals+of+Queensland/Mammals/Common+mammals+of+south-east+Queensland/Monotremes/Echidna#.XUqn0HtS-Uk

Ninox novaeseelandiae – Southern BoobookThe Southern Boobook is the smallest and most common owl in Australia. It is identified by its plumage, which is dark chocolate-brown above and rufous-brown below, heavily streaked and spotted with white. The bill is grey with a darker tip, and the feet are grey or yellow. The facial disc is chocolate brown and the eyes are large and yellowish. Tasmanian birds are smaller and more heavily spotted with white, while birds of the Cape York rainforests are slightly larger and darker. Young Southern Boobooks are almost entirely buff-white below, with conspicuous dark brown facial discs. Like other owl species, the Southern Boobook is nocturnal. Birds are often observed perched on an open branch or tree-top. It is also known as the 'Mopoke’.

Southern Boobooks are seen in a variety of habitats from dense forest to open desert.

The Southern Boobook feeds on insects, small mammals (such as the House Mouse, Mus musculus) and other small animal species. Feeding takes place mostly at night but some afternoon and morning activity may occur, especially on dull days. Most prey is detected by listening and watching from a suitable tall perch. Once detected, flying prey, such as moths and small bats, are seized in mid-air, while ground-dwelling prey animals are pounced upon.

Source: http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Ninox-novaeseelandiae

Backyard nativesAcross the bayside there a many species who live in and around our backyards

and local parks, here are some.

Page 11: Wildlife Queensland · fascinating world and colours of Butterflies and Moths, it is worth taking a closer look at the insects in your own backyard. As with most our wildlife they

Resources

Page 3: http://birdlife.org.au/media/grasswrens-found/Page 5: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aec.12702Page 6: http://www.brisbanesciencefestival.com.au/Page 10: http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Ninox-novaeseelandiaehttps://www.qm.qld.gov.au/Find+out+about/Animals+of+Queensland/Mammals/Common+mammals+of+south-east+Queensland/Monotremes/Echidna#.XUqn0HtS-Uk

Membership ApplicationWildlife Preservation Society of Queensland

Committee & Contacts

President Steve Homewood 0423036676

V President Vacant

Secretary Simon Baltais [email protected]

TreasurerMaureen

Tottenham0418 197 160

Executive Don Baxter

Janelle Devery

Bayside Newsletter Editor Alix Baltais/Simon Baltais

Wildlife Diary Editor Simon Baltais

Email: [email protected]

Web: http://www.branches.wildlife.org.au/bayside

Keep Up to Date Online!

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/WPSQBB/

Blogs:

Wildlife Queensland Coastal Citizen Science

https://wpsqccs.wordpress.com/

Wildlife Bayside

https://wildlifebayside.wordpress.com/

Curlew Watch

https://curlewwatch.wordpress.com/

Websites:

Wildlife Bayside

http://branches.wildlife.org.au/bayside/

Cicada Film Festival

https://cicadafilmfestival.com.au/