I joined up with the Friends of Queens Park Bushland to go on one of their night stalks. Sian, the organiser wasn’t sure if it would just be a couple of people. It ended up being a rainy day that cleared later in the afternoon and there were maybe 12-15 people who joined. I got there late after getting the kids in bed. I came with my friend Hodgey.
The Queens Park bushland is a number of reserves about 36 hectares in total with a number of different habitats. The group has done a huge amount of work re-vegetating, weeding, surveying and even constructed a wetland where an old drain used to be.
When we got there the bigger group was already spotlighting and we looked at what had been attracted to a light trap that had been set up. The trap was simple enough – a tall clothes airer draped with a fine white mesh with a UV light inside. All the local bugs flocked to it!
I am not so great on my bugs – but the community at iNaturalist have been helping me get some ID’s – see all my observations from that night.
The group came back and enjoyed drinks and fruit mince pies – the night stalks are really well organised and I encourage you to to go to one. Join up the mailing list to find out when the next one is on – or you can ask me 🙂
A few of the group stayed on for more spotlighting and we headed out – 6 in all. Almost immediately I spotted a Southwest Spiny-tailed Gecko.
This was a much paler specimen from the one I found with my bro Joel a few weeks back. The eyes are so amazing.
The reserve doesn’t have many large animals but it does have really cool invertebrates as above.
Moaning Frog
This moaning frog just sitting on the side of the track.
We disturbed a Collared Sparrowhawk from a tree near the path but was able to get this shot when it landed nearby – a lifer for me!
Collared Sparrowhawk
Sian showed us this little hole in the sandy path which I never would have noticed. With a little encouragement from a twig – out popped a huge black wish-bone spider – a type of trap door spider but it has a web like a sock around the top of the hole.
We then found this little banjo frog – another lifer for me – I have heard them but have never seen one before.
Banjo Frog
We then found another black wish-bone spider also in the middle of the sandy path. They get their name from the shape of their burrows.
All in all a great night – new species of vertebrates for me and heaps of inverts too!
Wildlife Watching in Australia 