CONSEQUENCES: MT ROGERS IN DECEMBER 2014

A Mt Rogers walk on 8th December was my first for some time and there was another gap before today’s circuit amongst Sunday regulars and dogs out before the expected 28 degrees.
On Monday 8th I went bush with sneakers and gaiters replacing sandals worn to reach the Frogmouth Tree area. Gaiters prevent grass seeds reaching socks and are some preparation for snake encounters. Alongside and in from the Lily track I pulled up several St Johns Wort (SJW) plants to prevent them flowering. There were only a few of them because Steve’s spraying with Starane had been effective this time last year.
Under the tree debris, so despised by those who want the bush to look neat and park-like, were two Senecio plants of the same species Kirsty discovered in 2011. Nearby, the uncommon native Blue Grass Lilies Caesia calliantha were in flower among the grasses. They are one of the 3 or 4 special ‘protected’ plant species recorded at Mt Rogers and entered on the Canberra Nature Map website (http://canberranaturemap.org/). Canberra Nature Map is a relatively new initiative where the occurrence of plants can be recorded, with photographs, by those who find them. There is also an on-going list recording plant species for the ACT. It makes an interesting resource. The first sightings of species are noted, be they native or introduced.
I beheaded and bagged seeds from a few well-hidden Serrated Tussock (ST) plants near the Benchmark Tree. There was a dense patch of ST in this area before the Guides and William dug up the tussocks 3–4 years ago.
Our last working-bee for the year (23.November.14.) also focussed on ST but these were closer to the Notice box. As the temperature prepared to rise to 29 degrees Anne & I didn’t dig up the plants in case the metal tools struck rocks in the soil and ignited the other dried grasses. (Today I wondered about the same fire potential when a Mt Rogers neighbour in Flynn was trying to cut down the tall oats and grasses with a conventional mower. They were growing amongst the fruit trees planted decades ago outside the property’s fence. No doubt TAMS wouldn’t have mown the grass in that normal mowing zone because of the fruit trees’ presence…they can only do so much to protect properties.)
On 23rd November, Sally and William took out about 10 woody weeds. At least two of these small trees had germinated from cast-away pear or apple cores.
You’ll have noticed the huge amounts of wild oats, tall and beiged-off, on Mt Rogers and anywhere else not mown or whipper-snipped. The ancestors of these oats are a consequence of post war policy to fertilise the land and to use the oats as pasture-improvement species along with other introduced grasses.
Butterflies don’t seem to mind the height of the introduced grasses. At least three species are active, hill-topping, leaving the shelter of the grass stalks and perhaps laying eggs. Common Brown butterflies seem to be a bit later hatching out than the Meadow Argus and the Australian Painted Lady.
On shorter grass there’s likely to be the small Common Grass-blue butterflies whose scientific name is Zizina labradus. The caterpillars may be attended by small ants. A consequence of looking through Michael Braby’s field guide to Butterflies of Australia is noting the array of common names that butterflies have been given. There are Albatross, Crows, Owls, Admirals, Jewels, Opals, Awls, Skippers, Darts, Darters, Jezebels, Swifts and Triangles. A palette of colours is used beyond the use of Blues.
Kirsty is sharing the development of a Hawk moth caterpillar with grandchildren and later they found the chrysalis in leaf-litter near the back door. With over 20,000 species of moths in Australia (and just over 400 butterfly species) perhaps we can be forgiven for being overwhelmed at the number of small beige moths we come across amongst grasses. Once we move away from the need for brash colours we could be ready to appreciate the subtleties of moths’ colours and patterning.
As each summer day warms up the noise from Cicadas increases. John, Morris, Nancy and Peter shared experiences of being deafened by Cicada choruses. In some species the ‘musicians’ spend years underground before emerging to fly, mate, lays eggs and die in a short few days above ground. We’d all noted another season of countless Soldier beetles in the reserve and our gardens.
I became interested in Hangay and Zborowski’s Guide to the Beetles of Australia after finding thousands of Christmas Beetle carcases under a favourite eucalypt on the Pinnacle’s western edge. They live two weeks or less in spite of munching their way through thousands of eucalyptus leaves. Beetles make up 40% of all insects known to science, and 350,000 beetle species have been described worldwide. Of the 30,000 that may occur in Australia only 20,000 have been scientifically described including weevils, scarabs, dung beetles, chafers and leaf beetles. Only a small proportion of beetles are damaging, with huge benefits coming from their larval lives including the recycling of leaf litter and the conversion of dead plant material into nutrients.
Quite a few societies include insects in their diets, including Indigenous Australians. Most of us would have to overcome hang-ups about the consistency and unexpected nutritional factors of these other foods because we’ve been taught otherwise for so many generations. How many lifetimes would we need to even begin to study, research and find the species of invertebrates which we depend on for keeping ecological balance and habitats liveable?
Mulligans Flat’s Bettongs have been in the news this year. They have been re-introduced into the Sanctuary. They are already having an improving effect on the reserve’s soils through their digging behaviour. Numerous species of small Australian mammals played vital roles in opening up and turning over the ancient soils. This returned humus, water and air to the soils until the obsession with grazing hard-hooved animals compacted soils into infertility. Evening wildlife-spotting visits to Mulligans Flat are now available each first Friday. The Bush-Stone Curlews are nocturnal so they might be seen also.
Perhaps local bird-watchers will come to Mt Rogers again to hear and see the Superb Parrots that Dennis has reported from near his Fraser garden. There were several families with noisily begging young on the northern and western edges of the reserve this morning. The Superbs’ visits are the highlights of the ‘there’s-always-something-to-see’ situation in our bushland. Will they move into the suburbs to feed once the loquats and other fruits ripen? Lorikeets are vocal and busy in mid-Flynn: are they nesting or just roosting near us?
Dave and Glenda, Pat and Max are among those Mt Rogers regulars I’ve heard of who have planned moves to different lifestyles. We’ll miss them! Who will we welcome to our Mt Rogers community in 2015? Let’s hope they also find that walking on Mt Rogers gives them time to think, time to unwind and time to explore the natural world for their health’s sake.
Enjoy the holiday period, especially if it brings you closer to those who need your company…via visits, phones or Skype.

Rosemary

Convenor, Mt Rogers Landcare Group, 6258 4724