Russell Ridge Stoneleigh

Sightings anywhere within a 250 km radius of Toowoomba, but excluding the local survey area (see above), for the period 1 March 2011 - 31 May 2011.
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sburke
Posts: 158
Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 10:30 am
Location: Townsville Region

Russell Ridge Stoneleigh

Post by sburke »

Well I have started to move my belongings into the new digs at Stoneleigh. The property is called Russell Ridge. It is a mix of open grazing and vine scrub pine country. Got five new birds for the property list yesterday. The property backs onto McEwan State Forest which also has a good mix of topography and vegetation types.

Collared Sparrowhawk, "Russell Ridge", Stoneleigh 13/2/2011
Wedge-tailed Eagles, "Russell Ridge", Stoneleigh 13/2/2011
Black-shouldered Kite, "Russell Ridge", Stoneleigh 13/2/2011
Nankeen Kestrel, "Russell Ridge", Stoneleigh 13/2/2011
Tawny Frogmouth, "Russell Ridge", Stoneleigh 13/2/2011

I also found another family group of Variegated Fairy-wrens, which appears to be the dominant species of Fairy-wren away from the house and sheds. This brings the number of Variegated groups within a kilometre of the house to five.

BTW Gloria. We have identified some flora on "Russell Ridge", with your help, including Sandlewood.

Cheers for now :D
Rod Hobson
Posts: 509
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:03 am

McEwans State Forest Fauna

Post by Rod Hobson »

Steve,

You sure have moved into an interesting area. I've had the good fortune to have been involved in two fauna and flora surveys of McEwans State Forest over the last few years. I now have a good though not comprehensive list of the flora and fauna of the place that might be of interest to you. I have another ten-day survey planned for spring this year when I hope to add to this tally. For your interest these are the animals that I've recorded to date on McEwans:

MAMMALS:

Narrow-nosed Planigale
Koala
Brush-tailed Possum
Eastern Grey Kangaroo
Red-necked Wallaby
Whip-tailed Wallaby
House Mouse
Brown Hare
Dingo
Fox

BIRDS:

Stubble Quail
Brown Quail
Crested Pigeon
Peaceful Dove
Tawny Frogmouth
Australian Owlet-nightjar
Black-shouldered Kite
Collared Sparrowhawk
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Nankeen Kestrel
Galah
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Cockatiel
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
Pale-headed Rosella
Red-rumped Parrot
Pheasant Coucal
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Laughing Kookaburra
Dollarbird
Superb Fairy-wren
Weebill
White-throated Gerygone
Yellow Thornbill
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Brown Thornbill
Spotted Pardalote
Striated Pardalote
Lewin's Honeyeater
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
Noisy Miner
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
Striped Honeyeater
Grey-crowned Babbler
Varied Sittella
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Ground Cuckoo-shrike
Rufous Whistler
Grey Butcherbird
Australian Magpie
Pied Currawong
Spangled Drongo
Grey Fantail
Willie Wagtail
Torresian Crow
Leaden Flycatcher
Magpie-lark
Apostlebird
Eastern Yellow Robin
Horsfield's Bushlark
Golden-headed Cisticola
Brown Songlark
Silvereye
Mistletoebird
Zebra Finch
Double-barred Finch
Australasian Pipit

SNAKES:

Eastern Brown Snake
Spotted Black Snake
Australian Coral Snake

LIZARDS:

Burton's Legless Lizard
the gecko Diplodactylus vittatus
the gecko Gehyra dubia
the gecko Heteronotia binoei
the skink Anomalopus verreauxii
the skink Carlia pectoralis
the skink Cryptoblepharus pulcher
the skink Ctenotus robustus
the skink Lampropholis delicata
the skink Lerista fragilis
the skink Lygisaurus foliorum
the skink Morethia taeniopleura
Common Blue-tongue
Lace Monitor
Bearded Dragon

FRESHWATER TURTLES:

Eastern Snake-necked Turtle

FROGS:

Litoria caerulea
Litoria peronii
Limnodynastes tasmaniensis
Limnodynastes salmini

LEPIDOPTERA:

Orchard Swallowtail
Chequered Swallowtail
Common Crow
Blue Tiger
Wanderer
Lesser Wanderer
Small Grass Yellow
Caper White
Meadow Argus
Striated Pearl White
Nysa Jezebel
Chequered Copper
Pea Blue
Common Grass Blue
Fruit-piercing Moth (Eudocima salaminia)
Joseph's Coat Moth (Agarista agricola)
Crow Moth (Cruria donowa)
Heliotrope Moth (Utetheisa pulchelloides)
Semi-looper Moth (Trigonodes hyppasia)

OTHER INVERTEBRATES:

the huntsman Delena cancerides
Garden Orb-weaver (Eriophora transmarina)
Redback Spider (Latrodectus hasseltii)
Net-caster (Deinopis subrufa)
Jewel Spider (Austracantha minax)
the orb-weaver Nephila edulis
the scorpion Lychas variatus
Long-headed Grasshopper (Acrdia conica)
Bulldog Ant (Myrmecia pyriformis)
Wandering Percher Dragonfly (Diplacodes bipunctata)

Regards,
Rod Hobson
sburke
Posts: 158
Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 10:30 am
Location: Townsville Region

Post by sburke »

Thanks very much Rod. We had a close call with a Spotted Black Snake in the garden a couple of weeks ago. I had never heard of this species before so it was an interesting sighting. I am looking forward to formulating lists for this property. You would know the property. The front gate is right next to the McEwan S/F front gate.

Cheers

PS Do you need an offsider next Spring :D
Rod Hobson
Posts: 509
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:03 am

Some Flora of Mc Ewans State Forest

Post by Rod Hobson »

Steve,

I'll give you a yell when I set a date for Mc Ewans - you'd be more than welcome to come along. I've just disinterred the plant survey results for this place. The majority was done by Don Butler from the Queensland Herbarium. I was along for the trip but am not a plant person so acted mainly as Don's scribe. There are a few additional species that have been picked up since by QPWS staff including me, and from a recent field day there with the Toowoomba Field Nats ably assisted by Trish Allen and Ian Menkins. Flora list as follows:

Mc Ewans Traverse - AGD 56J E 365414 x N 6937467 of 28.08.07:

Grasses (roughly in order of abundance):

Aristidia leptopoda (White Speargrass)
Austrostipa aristiglumis (Plains Speargrass)
Themeda avenacea (Oat Grass)
Cymbopogon refractus (Barb-wire Grass)
Panicum decompositum (Native Millet)
Aristida ramosa (Purple Wiregrass)
Dicanthium serecium (Queensland Bluegrass)
Eriochloa crebra (Cup Grass)
Elymus scaber (Wheat Grass)
Panicum queenslandicum (Yabila Grass)
Bothriochloa decrepiens (Pitted Bluegrass)
Chloris ventricosa (Tall Chloris)
Sporobolus creber (a rat's-tail grass)
Paspalidium globoideum (Shot Grass)
Austrostipa verticilliata (Slender Bamboo-grass)

Forbs (roughly in order of abundance):

Mentha satureioides (a mint)
Geranium solanderi (Solander's Geranium)
Verbena sp. (a verbena)
Dianella brevipendunculata (a flax-lily)
Lomandra multiflora (Many-flowered Mat-rush)

Small Shrubs (roughly in order of abundance):

Sclerolaena muticata (Black Roly-poly)
Pimelea subspicata (Spiked Sida)

Tall Shrubs and Trees:

Acacia salicina (Sally Wattle)
Eucalyptus orgadophila (Mountain Coolabah)

Naturalised Plants (all exotic - roughly in order of abundance):

Zinnia peruviana (Zinnia)
Lamium amplexicaule (Dead Nettle)
Opuntia tomentosa (Velvety Tree Pear)
Opuntia stricta (Pest Pear)
Gomphocarpus fruticosus (Balloon Cotton)
Verbena aristigera (Maynes Pest)
Cyclospermum leptophyllum (Marsh Parsley)

Mc Ewans Traverse - AGD 56J E 356431 x N 6939461 of 28.08.07:

Grasses (roughly in order of abundance):

Aristida leptopoda (White Speargrass)
Cymbopogon refractus (Barb-wire Grass)
Panicum decompositum (Native Millet)
Dicanthium serecium (Queensland Bluegrass)
Elymus scaber (Wheat Grass)

Forbs (roughly in order of abundance):

Camtacra barbata (a daisy)
Geranium solanderi (Solander's Geranium)
Verbena sp. (a verbena)
Dianella brevipendunculata (a flax-lily)
Senecio brigalowensis (a senecio)
Fallopia convolvulus (a twiner)

Small Shrubs (roughly in order of abundance):

Pimelea neoanglica (Poison Pimelea)

Naturalised Plants (all exotic - roughly in order of abundance):

Chloris gayana (Rhodes Grass)
Silybum marianum (Variegated Thistle)
Anagallis arvensis (Scarlet Pimpernel)
Gomphocarpus fruticosus (Balloon Cotton)

Mc Ewans Traverse - AGD 56J E 365033 x N 6939492 of 28.08.07:

Grasses (roughly in order of abundance):

Aristida leptopoda (White Speargrass)
Cymbopogon refractus (Barb-wire Grass)
Panicum decompositum (Native Millet)
Aristida ramosa (Purple Wiregrass)
Dicanthium serecium (Queensland Bluegrass)
Borthriochloa erianthoides (Satin Top)
Borthriochloa boloba (Lobed Bluegrass)
Chloris ventricosa (Tall Chloris)

Forbs (roughly in order of abundance):

Rhynchosia minima (Rhynchosia)
Verbena sp. (a verbena)
Dianella brevipendunculata (a flax-lily)
Senecio brigalowensis (a senecio)

Small Shrubs (roughly in order of abundance):

Pimelea neoanglica (Poison Pimelea)
Sclerolaena muticata (Black Roly-poly)
Senna barclayana (a senna)

Tall Shrubs and Trees:

Acacia saliciana (Sally Wattle)

Naturalised Plants (all exotic - roughly in order of abundance):

Cyclospermim leptophyllum (Marsh Parsley)
Gomphocarpus fruticosus (Balloon Cotton)
Bidens pilosa (Cobblers Pegs)

Other Trees and Shrubs recorded Mc Ewans various dates and sources:

Alectryon diversifolius (Scrub Boonaree)
Alphitonia excelsa (Red Ash)
Auranticarpa rhombifolia (Holly-leaved Pittosporum)
Brachychiton populneus (Kurrajong)
Callitris glaucophylla (White Cypress Pine)
Carissa ovata (Currant Bush)
Cichorium intybus (Chicory, an exotic)
Dodonea tenuifolia (Hopseed Bush)
Dodonea viscosa (Hop Bush)
Elaeodendron australe (Red Olive Plum)
Eucalyptus crebra (Narrow-leaved Ironbark)
Eucalyptus melanophila (Silver-leaved Ironbark)
Eucalyptus orgadophila (Mountain Coolabah)
Geijera parviflora (Wilga)
Jasminium simplicifolium (Jasmine)
Maytenus bilocularis (Orangewood)
Notolea microcarpa (Small-fruited Mock Olive)
Picris evae (Hawkweed - designated vulnerable)
Psydrax odorata forma baxifolia (Stiff Canthium)
Rhagodia parabolica (Berry Saltbush)
Rhaponticum australe (Austral Cornflower - designated vulnerable)
Santalum lanceolatum (Sandalwood)
Tragopogon porrifolius (Salsify, an exotic)

Regards,
Rod Hobson
sburke
Posts: 158
Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 10:30 am
Location: Townsville Region

Post by sburke »

Saw my first Varied Sitella's here yesterday. The property list seems to be growing daily and I am looking forward to seeing the change in bird species over the next couple of seasons.
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