South East Queensland JANUARY 2014 Volume 8 Number 1 Newsletter of the Land for Wildlife Program South East Queensland ISSN 1835-3851 CONTENTS 1 Big Greasy, big attitude 2 Editorial and contacts 3 Fauna Vignettes • There’s a Thingy looking at me! • Nature at Work 4-5 Fauna Profile Cicadas of SEQ 6-7 Flora Profile Aristolochia meridionalis: Hidden Treasure Amongst the Weeds 8 Weed Profile Dutchman’s Pipe: A fatal attractant for butterflies The female Clearwing Swallowtail (top Big Greasy, left) is dingy brown in colour and can fly 9 Fauna Profile long distances, while the male (top right Recovery of the Richmond big attitude and above) is white, black and red and is Birdwing highly territorial. he Big Greasy is one of Australia’s 10-11 My Little Corner Tlargest butterflies whose evolutionary the native and exotic Aristolochias. What is the value of one tree? path can be traced back to when the During spring and summer, the larger Australian, South American and Antarctic male Clearwing Swallowtails (up to 11 Letters to the Editor continents were all joined, making this one 80 mm in size) can be seen flying low, • Nesting in Weeds of the oldest surviving forms of butterfly. patrolling patches of Aristolochia. They • Wild Tobacco - Another View The common name, Big Greasy, I assume, will vigorously defend their patch and comes from the translucent, brown, oust any other butterfly intruder. Smaller 12 Membership Survey Results grease-proof paper looking wings of females will fly long distances in search of the female. The male’s wings are more Aristolochia plants and have reportedly 13 Book Reviews transparent and clear, hence their other travelled 7 kms in one day. common name, Clearwing Swallowtail. Like many butterflies, Clearwing 14-15 Property Profile In SEQ, the female lays her eggs on only Swallowtails are short-lived with captive Bringing Back the Platypus two native plants, Aristolochia meridionalis males surviving for an average of 38 days and Pararistolochia praevenosa. and females 25 days. So enjoy them while 16 Focus on Pittosporums Unfortunately, she also lays her eggs on they are flying and keep an eye out for the weed Aristolochia elegans (Dutchman’s their native Aristolochia host plants. Pipe), which usually kills the larvae. See pages 6-8 for more information on both Article and photos by Deborah Metters Published by SEQ Catchments, through funding from the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country In May 2014, we will be running an OPEN PROPERTY SCHEME with at least 26 Land for Wildlife properties from across SEQ available for you to visit. editorial Details will be in the April newsletter. itting on my back deck in the shade cease singing and time slows down as the Land for Wildlife Sof an old mango tree, I too appreciate sun’s heat intensifies. The male cicadas the value of one tree, similar to Land for have waited maybe a decade for this Extension Officers Wildlife member, Neil Schultz, reflecting moment to sing, and they are not going South East Queensland on the one large blue gum near his home to let a summer’s day pass without effort. (see pg 10). The mango tree cools my Thank you to all Land for Wildlife Brisbane City Council home by at least 5°C, is beautiful to look members who contributed to this edition. All enquiries, 3403 8888 at and attracts wildlife. The story of the Hare’s property (pg 14), Peter Hayes Catherine Madden This summer has broken records for which was ravaged by flood, stripped of Cody Hochen Scott Sumner being the hottest. Just like last summer, wildlife, and has slowly recovered (with Tony Mlynarik Fflur Collier and the one before it. It shouldn’t be much human effort) to support platypus surprising, I remember learning about once again, is heartening. Gold Coast City Council Darryl Larsen, 5582 8896 ‘global warming’ 20 years ago. I am again Finally, I would like to wish the team of thankful for the shade of one tree. Lexie Webster, 5582 8344 Land for Wildlife Officers on the Sunshine Todd Burrows, 5582 9128 We are lucky to live in an affluent country Coast smooth sailing during this period with meteorologists tracking weather of Council de-amalgamation. Dave Ipswich City Council and climatic patterns, and I encourage Burrows will be returning to Noosa Shire Stephani Grove, 3810 7173 readers to visit the Bureau of Meteorology Council after successfully managing website to observe the unprecedented the Sunshine Coast Conservation Lockyer Valley Regional Council documentation of climate change. I can’t Partnerships team for several years. The Kaori van Baalen, 5462 0376 help thinking that the answer to living in Sunshine Coast region has arguably the a climatically stable and biodiverse world highest concentration of Land for Wildlife Logan City Council also depends on people seeing the value properties in Australia and I hope that the Lyndall Rosevear, 3412 4860 of each and every tree. two new Councils continue to offer the Nicole Walters, 3412 4859 outstanding conservation services that Rachel Booth, 3412 5321 As well as the mighty trees, it is the small their landholders value so highly. Rebecca Condon, 3412 4979 plants and animals that make the world go round, so to speak. This edition looks I wish you all a shady (by trees that is), Moreton Bay Regional Council at some iconic summer invertebrates – prosperous and happy 2014. Enjoy! Danielle Crawford, 5433 2240 butterflies and cicadas. As I write this, the Noosa Shire Council cicadas are going-off. Sprinkler systems, Deborah Metters Dave Burrows, 5485 0229 stuck CDs, electrical hums and typewriters Land for Wildlife all moving in sound waves across my yard Regional Coordinator Redland City Council from left to right and back again. Birds SEQ Catchments Maree Manby, 3820 1106 Scenic Rim Regional Council Landholder Registrations, Land for Wildlife SEQ - 1/12/2013 Keith McCosh, 5540 5436 Registered Working Towards Total Area under Somerset Region Total Area Retained Properties Registration Restoration Trevor Page, 5424 4000 Sunshine Coast Council 3044 751 54,904 ha 4,791 ha Alan Wynn, 5439 6477 Marc Russell, 5475 7345 Forward all contributions to: Land for Wildlife South East Queensland is Nick Clancy, 5439 6433 a quarterly publication distributed free of Stephanie Reif, 5475 7395 The Editor charge to members of the Land for Wildlife Land for Wildlife Newsletter program in South East Queensland. Toowoomba Regional Council SEQ Catchments All enquiries, 4688 6611 Print run - 4760 PO Box 13204 George Street QLD 4003 Back copies from 2007 - 2013 available for download from 07 3211 4404 www.lfwseq.org.au [email protected] Back copies from 1998 - 2006 available upon request to the Editor. Burnett Mary Region ISSN 1835-3851 Gympie, Fraser Coast, Land for Wildlife is a voluntary program North & South Burnett, that encourages and assists landholders Bundaberg and to provide habitat for wildlife on their Baffle Creek Regions properties. For all regions contact the Burnett Mary Regional Group, 4181 2999 www.lfwseq.org.au 2 Land for Wildlife South East Queensland January 2014 PRIZES! SEQ Catchments is giving away free copies of Field Guide to the Frogs of Queensland (released November 2012) RRP $45 to selected Land for Wildlife members who contribute published fauna articles in 2014. Limit of three free books per newsletter edition. Please vignettes send your article and/or photographs to the Editor (details pg. 2) There’s a Thingy looking at me! ell I had heard that there are lots scampering amongst all my heaped up Wof different cute, little marsupial treasures stored haphazardly in my old ‘thingys’ living in the Mount Barney area. shed. I do hope it finds a suitable nest - be My Land for Wildlife 50 acres near Mt it in my sleeping bag or not. If it happens Barney Road, has some trees and remnant to mean that I don’t disturb the camping vegetation and so far I’ve encountered gear over Christmas, then not to worry as Sugar Gliders on the rope swing, I am delighted to have a furry visitor for antechinus in the wood heap and very friendship over the festive season. small bats living in the exhaust of “Gus” my However, I can’t get too attached as old Ferguson ‘49 model tractor. But none apparently the females don’t live much of these sightings had prepared me for an past 12 months of age and the males much encounter with the fast and furious rat- less as they basically mate and then die thingy with an enormous brush tail. from the stress. It darted so soundlessly, but so quickly around the inside of my storage shed and Kylee Mallinson then just sat there looking down at me Land for Wildlife member at about 7pm one evening. A bit more Mount Barney, Scenic Rim of a wide-eyed look, a couple of clicks of my camera, followed by an eager google Photos top to bottom: search and I was soon lead to believe the • Perched on my sleeping bag looking like thingy looking down at me was in fact a a grey rat with a white tummy. Brush-tailed Phascogale, and most likely a female hunting for a nest. • So cute in amongst my books. How lucky I thought, not only to see • When you see the tail, it ain’t no rat! the beautiful little creature, but how • Almost impossible to photograph at the lucky for it to have survived the perils of speed with which it flings itself around. Nature at Work ven the narrowest strip of regenerated seedling! The neighbouring properties Evegetation can be very rewarding.