News

Aussie Backyard Bird Count!

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Make every bird count in the Aussie Backyard Bird Count from 9-25th October.

How to get involved

The #AussieBirdCount is a great way to connect with the birds in your backyard no matter where your backyard happens to be — a suburban backyard, a local park, a patch of forest, down by the beach, or the main street of town.

You can count as many times as you like over the week, we just ask that each count is completed over a 20-minute period. The data collected assists BirdLife Australia in understanding more about the birds that live where people live.

For more information on how to take part, head to www.aussiebirdcount.org.au

Photo credit: Tracey Read

 

Visit to MCCG Native Plant Nursery by Councillors Greg Adermann and Steve Toomey

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On Wednesday 30th September, Councillors Greg Adermann (Pullenvale Ward) and Steeve Toomey (The Gap) visited the MCCG native Plant Nursery at Gold Creek Dam. They were shown around by MCCG Chairman Jim Pope and Landcare Advisor Bryan Hacker, who together with Andrew Wilson is in charge of running the nursery. The nursery is run entirely by volunteers, with financial support from Brisbane City Council under the Lord Mayor’s Community Environment Grants. Working bees are held twice a month on the first and third Monday mornings and are typically attended by around a dozen volunteers. Last year the nursery produced over 15,000 native plants from around 200 species, including trees, shrubs and ground cover. Seeds are collected locally, also by volunteers and the plants are distributed free of charge to MCCG members. If you would like to volunteer at the nursery, or for more information, contact [email protected]

Cr. Steve Toomey (The Gap), Bryan Hacker (MCCG) and Cr. Greg Adermann (Pullenvale) – Photo Jim Pope

Our friendships with wild birds.

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There are many special friendships between wild birds and people. How often do our feathered friends pop in just to see what you are up to?

In his latest issue of Feather Fascination,  Jim Butler explores our changing relationship with birds and ecosystems and encourages us to make some new friends!

To find out more, head to Jim Butler’s Feather Fascination October 2020.

Laughing Kookaburra photo: Ed Frazer

Know Your Wildlife!

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Test your skills each month with  Jim Butler’s Wildlife Identification Quiz!

You’ll find Know Your Wildlife towards the back of every month’s The Local Bulletin.

We will provide the answers to each quiz right here in the first week of every month!

So, do you have your answers ready for the October quiz?  The correct answers are:

1. Little Black Cormorant
2. Australasian Darter
3. Dusky Moorhen
The first TWO  are fish eaters. The third is a herbivore.

ps: If you need some help, we’d recommend searching our digital field guides! Open them from the side menu:

These alphabetical lists provide a wealth of local information about wildlife. They feature thumb-nail images which expand to a larger view when you click upon them.

Keep an eye out for next month’s quiz!

Citizen Science in Action – Creek Monitoring

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Are you interested in participating in contributing to the health of Moggill Creek and learning about creek health monitoring?

Moggill Creek Catchment Group (MCCG) has been fortunate in gaining support from the Queensland Government to add a citizen science focus to the existing Creek Health Monitoring Program.  This program will introduce community volunteers to the factors that affect creek health and will emphasise the extension and importance of this information to the community.

Volunteers will take part in monitoring water quality, diversity of macro-invertebrates and fish, and nearby creek conditions; These data will be used to assess creek health at sites across Moggill Creek Catchment, and to emphasise the benefits of environmental health of our waterways.

 

We encourage those who want to learn by doing, to contact:

Adrian Webb (email – [email protected])

Lewis Peach (email – [email protected])

 

For more information go to the MCCG Creek Health Monitoring Program

School holiday fun with Wildlings Forest School

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Get the kids outside and dirty these school holidays.

During any Wildlings Forest School program, you are likely to find Wildlings up trees, sliding down mud slides, whittling with pocket knives, lighting fires and building rafts. We let kids, be kids – because children can’t learn to protect nature if they’ve never had a childhood in it.

NATURE PLAY SESSIONS FOR CHILDREN

AGES 7 & UP | $45 PER CHILD (PER 3 HR SESSION)

DROP OFF LOCATIONS | BARDON ESPLANADE (BARDON), SIMPSON FALLS (MT COOTHA) & CLIVEDEN PARK (FIG TREE POCKET)

For more information go to Wildings Forest School 

The Spring 2020 Newsletter is out!

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And what a FANTASTIC issue it is.  Here is a taster of what awaits:

  • Chairmans Report: Talks by experts have recommenced with the next one (Prof. Paul Roe) via Zoom on Oct 1st.
  • Nursery News: we have a hooting good solution to stop the rats eating the seedlings.
  • Dr Manda Page explains What ARE Threatened Species?
  • Working Bees: find out whats been happening at the Bush Tucker Garden and which Bushcare groups have been out planting trees.
  • Ed Frazer’s Bush Bites are always a delightful read showcasing our fabulous local birdlife.
  • Froggin’ Around What are our frogs trying to tell us?
  • The MCCG Photography Competition is open for entries now.
  • And so much more …

Sit down, relax and take some time to read ALL the news in from the Moggill Creek Catchment Group.

Click here to read the Spring Newsletter

Alternatively, you’ll always find the latest newsletter at the top right of your screen.

Our sincere thanks to Newsletter Editor Cathi Lawrence for continuing to delivering a jam packed, enthralling issue, and to our loyal and hard working contributors for their diverse and quality content. We acknowledge the skills and effort of so many MCCG members – we are indeed fortunate!

 

Noisy Pitta – Ed Frazer

 

11 Platypus sighted in the Annual MCCG Platypus Survey!

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The Annual MCCG Platypus Survey was held on September 13th with some restrictions in place due to COVID-19. Approximately 55 volunteer observers participated. There were 11 definite sightings, and in addition, several ‘possible’ observations. The number of platypus seen is similar to the last couple of years, but lower than some previous surveys over the past 15 years of annual surveys. This may be due more to a lack of rain, with platypus less mobile and remaining in pools, than to a declining population. We also may miss some animals because they simply do not appear on the survey morning!

To read the full report from the. 2020 survey click here

To see some of the platypus sighting videos go to the MCCG Youtube Channel

To learn more on how to protect our local platypus click here

Platypus hatchling late 2019 Photo: Ed-Frazer

What’s the difference between a Bunya & a Hoop Pine?

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In the winter 2019 issue of the MCCG Newsletter, a photo of a Bunya Pine was incorrectly labelled as a Hoop Pine. This was corrected by in the Autumn 2020 issue, where it was pointed out that the Hoop Pine (Araucasia cunninghamii) has much smaller leaves than the Bunya Pine (Araucasia bidwillii). These two types of native pine can also be readily distinguished even from a distance by differences in shape and form. The photo below shows a Bunya Pine (on the left) growing next to a group of Hoop Pines in Rowena St. park, just across the footbridge from the Rafting Ground Reserve.

Here is the link to read the Autumn Newsletter


Photo: Jim Pope