Wild BNE

Last week, while exploring a patch of forest near Caboolture Airport, I disturbed an enormous flying insect that whirred past my head and landed a short distance away in the undergrowth. My first impression was that of a large, dark metallic blue wasp which was carrying something. Raising my binoculars to my eyes, however, revealed that I was looking at a huge, predatory fly—the giant blue robber fly (Blepharotes splendidissimus). What it was carrying was a poor, unfortunate scarab beetle, the spotted flower chafer (Neorrhina punctatum). It had been stabbed between its hardened wing cases by the fly’s mouthparts, receiving a dose of toxic, protein-destroying saliva in the process. With the beetle’s insides liquidized, the fly was slurping up the contents like some kind of entomological milkshake. The beetle is no shrinking violet itself and is only a little smaller than your average Christmas beetle in the same family. Hopefully that puts the size of the fly into perspective! Robber fl...

Photo by Trina McLellan; For more of Trina's photography and environmental work, visit Nature Watch - Albany Creek . After 48 hours of torrential rain, I was relieved to be woken by sunlight last Sunday morning, the day of a Wild BNE meet-up that I had been planning for weeks! Seven dedicated wildlife fans came out to join me at North Lakes, where we explored a small lagoon and an adjacent environmental park for an hour-and-a-half.

Dragonflies like the chalky percher  (Diplacodes trivialis)  abound at this location.  Thanks to Narelle Power for the ID. Wombat berry (Eustrephus latifolius). One thing I really believe in when it comes to wildlife and nature is that it isn’t necessary to jump in the car and drive somewhere remote and pristine to connect with it. Some really beautiful and fascinating animals and plants live right here in the suburbs with us, and for this year’s first Wild BNE meet-up, I’m going to host a walk in one of these places: North Lakes!

White-faced heron (Egretta novaeholandiae) , Burpengary East. With the exceedingly hot start we’ve had to 2017, I’ve spent most of my “wildlife time” searching either for frogs in the comparative cool of the night , or in the water looking at fish . This week, however, a slightly cooler, unstable air mass swept in, and I decided to make the most of it with a full day of birding north of Brisbane.

Beautiful flowers are appearing in the bush once more, thanks to the increasing length of our daylight hours heading into spring. Last weekend, I sought out blossoms at two of my favourite places from the past year, Dawn Road Reserve at Albany Creek, and Bribie Island National Park at Woorim. Dawn Road patron Trina McLellan has written a wonderful account of what we found together at Albany Creek on Saturday, that you can read here . Sunday's Bribie adventure was a solo occasion, however, and I spent most of the morning in the wallum heath beyond McMahon Street, protected as part of the island's National Park. Walking a few kilometres down the gravel road, I came to a small sandy track branching off to the east that I had been wanting to explore better for quite some time. The first flowering shrub I came across was the wallum hakea (Hakea actites) . Wallum hakea, Woorim.

A curious golden whistler greets the group; Photo by Matteo Grilli Wild BNE’s winter meet-up was held this past Sunday and it was a great success. A variety of exotic and ornamental plants grow along  the fenceline between the reserve and suburbia; Photo by Aaron Wiggan. I co-hosted a walk through Dawn Road Reserve (which has its very own website ) with local bushcare patron Trina McLellan, whose detailed knowledge of the area was of immense value on the day. Together, we took a group of ten lovely people through the reserve, looking at suburban encroachment, eucalypt woodland and the gorgeous gallery rainforest growing along the creek. Ten highlights from the day included:

Tawny frogmouths (Podargus strigoides) are common in the reserve—maybe you can spot one on the day? Photo by Trina McLellan.  Paperbark sawfly (Lophyrotoma zonalis), Albany Creek. Last year, Wild BNE fan Trina McLellan introduced me to her ‘local patch’, Dawn Road Reserve in Albany Creek. I became instantly infatuated with the place; I had no idea that such a beautiful forest was tucked away in what has become a busy suburb over the years! I will always be grateful to Trina for informing me about this great little ‘secret spot’. Now I want to pass the favour on to you!  Trina and I would like to take you on a walk through the reserve this month, pointing out all the interesting plants , birds and animals we can find, letting you know about the history of this beautiful

As a subtropical city, Brisbane has a rich and visible frog fauna, with forty-one native species (and one cursed toad) calling it home. Familiar to most people would be that friendly windowsill giant, the green treefrog (Litoria caerulea) , and anyone with a garden pond would also perhaps be acquainted with the striped marsh frog (Limnodynastes peronii) . Sharing our suburbs and green spaces, however, are a whole host of other fascinating amphibians that many South-east Queensland residents may never notice or know much about. It’s a fair assumption to make, for example, that Kippa-Ring locals wouldn’t ever suspect that on balmy spring nights, patches of nearby sandy soil suddenly erupt with ornate burrowing frogs (Platyplectrum ornatum) . Nor would dog-walkers along Bulimba Creek deduce that among the streambank rubble on which their puppy plays lives a little fellow called the stony-creek frog (Litoria wilcoxii) , who turns a bright lemon-yellow colour when he’s ready for some ...

It was a long weekend of unusual weather given the time of year—with temperatures reaching a high of 27C, and the humidity giving rise to brief thunderstorms on Monday evening, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was still summer—but with my schedule clear, I was champing at the bit for three days of stellar South-east Queensland birding, and I was not disappointed! Beach stone-curlew, Wellington Point.

It may have been less than ideal weather for anyone camping or heading to the beach, but the cooler temperatures and wet conditions this Easter were received with enthusiasm by Brisbane's birds, especially coming off the back of a long, dry summer . On Sunday I briefly called into Dawn Road Reserve in Albany Creek, and though I was intending to take a closer look at the amazing plant life there, the surprising amount of bird activity on display quickly captured my full attention. Tawny frogmouths, Albany Creek. Most pleasing to see were a pair of tawny frogmouths (Podargus strigoides) , huddled up in the mid-canopy.

A fish survey I conducted in the North Pine River last weekend was productive, with seven different species being found in a quiet stretch of water alongside Mungarra Reserve. Common silverbiddy,  Lawnton. Most numerous were estuary glassfish (Ambassis marianus) , a native species which studies suggest is  just as good at controlling mosquito larvae as the introduced eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki), also present. Another mosquito predator occurring in smaller numbers was the  Pacific blue-eye  (Pseudomugil signifer) ; between these fish species and recent aerial spraying, not a single mosquito bothered me all afternoon.

A male indigo flash, patrolling his territory at Pine Rivers Park. A butterfly survey I conducted in the first week of 2016 acquainted me with a little-known species I had not encountered before, the indigo flash (Rapala varuna) . This species is a predominantly Asian butterfly, found in tropical areas of countries such as India, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea, but it also extends patchily down the Queensland coast.

I spent 2015 exploring every intriguing corner of South-east Queensland, from the NSW border, right up to the Noosa hinterland and west of the coastal ranges too. So imagine my surprise and hometown pride when some of the top-ranking natural places turned out to be just a short drive away through Brisbane's suburbs! I can't wait to get to know these wildlife hotspots better in 2016— maybe you'd like to join me? 1. Tamborine National Park (MacDonald Section), Eagle Heights. Piccabeen palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana)  groves are particularly stunning to walk through at Mount Tamborine. Tamborine Mountain has long been the getaway of choice for many South-east Queenslanders, and yet for some reason, I've always overlooked it as a wildlife destination. My mistake, because an early morning stroll along the 1.4km rainforest circuit track in the MacDonald section is like wandering through a wildlife metropolis, full of local specialties like the land mullet (Egerni...

Goodbye Sweltering Summer, Hello Wildlife! Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus), Bribie Island I think April might be my favourite month for wildlife watching. It was particularly productive last year  and I've met with similar success just now. I think as animals and birds come out of their spring and summer breeding seasons, their numbers are temporarily boosted and they relax and wander more, leading to increased viewing opportunities.

Island Life, Local Birds and Eucalypt Study. Magpie Geese, Bribie Island. I consider myself a 'summer person', but I have to say that for the first time ever, I am eagerly awaiting cooler weather. This year, we seem to be leaving summer behind only on the calendar, as the daytime temperatures this month have consistently

Marcia! Greetings from cyclone-ravaged Queensland! Whether you're reading this from Brisbane, interstate or overseas, you have probably heard the news of Severe Tropical Cyclone Marcia bearing down on the central Queensland coast, unleashing havoc and fury as a category five storm.

The Blue Swarms of Summer Above: Blue Blubber swarm off Surfers Paradise. Photo by Grahame Long. Below: Blue Tiger, Ferny Hills. South-east Queensland has had a wet, warm and humid start to 2015, receiving twice the average amount of monthly rainfall for this time of year. A well-nourished landscape is currently allowing our wildlife to flourish; a casual walk in a National Park, suburban reserve or even your own garden will reveal huge numbers of insects, birds, reptiles and frogs.

Northern Brown Bandicoot; Photo by the Queensland Museum Bandicoots had their fifteen minutes of worldwide fame in 1996, when Sony released a popular videogame on their Playstation platform called  'Crash Bandicoot'.  To me, the protagonist looked more like a tail-less fox than our native marsupial, but I like to think it raised the profile of bandicoots to koala-like levels for a generation of youths around the world. Last week, I caught up with the real thing when I carried out a quick mammal survey

Having a car and a Driver's license this year greatly increased my scope for potential wildlife locations around South-east Queensland. How ironic then that my number one spot ended up being a tiny reserve near the main road of a busy suburb! Nature always finds a way to surprise me, no matter how well I think I've become acquainted with it. Thank you to each and every one of you who read this blog and/or follow the 'Wild BNE' Facebook page - I've loved sharing my adventures with you this year and look forward to a 'Wild' 2015! 1. Chelsea Street Environmental Reserve, Kippa-Ring. Resident Tawny Frogmouths (Podargus strigoides)  become active in the reserve shortly after sunset. How beautiful that among the swiftly expanding suburbs of the Redcliffe Peninsula, Chelsea Street Environmental Reserve  remains to preserve so much iconic Australian wildlife. Moreton Bay shire residents would do well to ensure that the

To increase my knowledge of the local area as well as my identification skills, I try and head out once a month to a new location to undertake a wildlife survey. Collected and published here are my surveys for 2014, just in case they are of interest to any researchers, surveyors or wildlife enthusiasts.