World Heritage Listed Volcanic Rainforest

My absence from WordPress may have lead you to believe I’ve been digitally detoxing again, but I’ve actually been away, on holiday. Something I haven’t done for quite some time. I haven’t strayed too far from home though, visiting a delightful spot on the border ranges.

Ever vigilant for ticks and giant stinging nettle trees, (pictured below), which can prove nasty, I quickly extracted the vile little beast burrowing into the back of my shoulder blade but the tick site still remains itchy.

This is Australia. The bush is a dangerous place. [just kidding]

An hour’s drive from Brisbane is where you’ll find one of the best examples of the Shield Caldera volcanic remnant. The Tweed shield volcano is the only remnant in the world surrounded by World Heritage-listed subtropical rainforest. The breadth of the volcanic area is best seen at a lookout not far from Beechmont in the Lamington National Park, the location of the well-known bushwalk meeting spot, the Binna Burra Lodge.

Lamington National Park and Binna Burra

Devastated by fire six years ago, Binna Burra Lodge has been rebuilt and is a mecca for Australians and international tourists alike. In the photo below, you can look into the Numinbah Valley. Through the gap in the mountains, on the right, you might also spot Mt Warning, or Wollumbin, (the tip of which is covered by cloud in the photograph). Mt Warning, named by British seafarer Captain Cook, is a remnant volcanic plug from this ancient Tweed Shield Volcano.

Tourist Notes: Rosin’s Lookout is a popular spot to launch a Hang Glider and is located at Beechmont on the Nerang-Beechmont Road. There is barbeques and toilet facilities for travellers. Located opposite is The Flying Bean cafe, (closed on a Wednesday).

Side Note: I never did find out who Rosin actually was. Another invisible presumably Irish female, lost to history.

Geology

The Volcano that formed this landscape erupted 20 – 23 million years ago. Basalt and rhyolite lava spread out to Lismore to the south, Mt Tamborine to the north and Kyogle to the West, forming the rounded shape of some of the cliffs and escarpments, such as Springbrook and the Ship’s Stern, seen mid-picture in the below photograph taken from Rosin’s Lookout.

The deep valleys conserved moisture and provided a refuge for Gondwanaland rainforest plant and animal species from the Jurassic period.

Gondwana Nothofagus thought to be 2000 years old, in Springbrook National Park

Despite European civilisation and colonisation, this region still is one of Australia’s richest areas of biodiversity.

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After completing several walks around Beechmont, including the Binna Burra Rainforest circuit, a 1.5 km long trail, the final fauna score was: 2 Tawny Frogmouths, 2 Catbirds calling to each other, 1 mysterious yet-to-be-identified giant purple pigeon, 3 wallabies, 2 spotted Bowerbird and 2 Satin Bowerbirds, 6 Scrub turkeys, several King parrots, a mob of screeching Cockatoos and one swooping ‘urban familiaris’ Magpie or ? Currawong who swiped my chocolate biscuit right out of my hand as I drank my cup of tea.

This is Australia. It is a dangerous place.

Tawny Frogmouth

And for those who don’t know what a Tawny frogmouth is, here is a pair sitting in the tree at the guesthouse where I stayed. The perfect camouflage.

NB. A frogmouth is not an owl but an entirely different species that eat caterpillars, moths and occasionally mice, possibly leading to the misnomer.

Getting up close and personal with wildlife and nature is exciting, but do check yourself over for ticks.

It’s a dangerous place.

Only in Australia – Mini Schnauzer Dog versus Curlew Bird

Location: Shopping centre car park

Protagonist: A Mother Curlew

Supporting cast: Miniature Schnauzer Dog and Owners

Action: Curlew repeatedly confronts the Mini Schnauzer, screaming and batting its fully-spread wings. The Dog owners think this is mildly amusing. The Schnauzer is one minute brave, the next hesitant. The Bird follows the Schnauzer in a threatening manner, for around 3 minutes, before someone approaches:

Enter a uniformed bus driver heading home after finishing work:

“Leave the bird alone!”

“We are not touching the bird.”

“Step away from the Bird.”

“Listen, the Bird was the one attacking our dog.”

“Step away from the Bird!“

“We are not touching the bird.”

“I said leave the bird ALONE.”

Both creatures survived the encounter.

Curlew Conversation

“They have nasty claws.”

“Are you speaking from experience?“

“Yes, we used to put on hard hats to move around our workplace and run like hell, so the Curlews wouldn’t get us. They really hurt. They had a nest in our work compound that we had to pass to get anywhere.”

“It was just them just being super-protective, which is understandable. It was unfortunate that they decided to put their nest in the middle of our workplace.”

“I think Plovers are a bit the same?“

“But they screech…not mourn like the Curlews.”

“Given that they were just protecting their nest I understand their behaviour.”

Magpies – Fact or Fiction?

People also ask if magpies recognize humans?

A key reason why friendships with magpies are possible is that we now know that magpies are able to recognize and remember individual human faces for many years. They can learn which nearby humans do not constitute a risk. They will remember someone who was good to them; equally, they remember negative encounters.

theconversation.com

Sometimes Australian Magpies will swoop on someone as in this video clip and tragically can cause injuries:

Why Do Magpies Swoop?

Only 12% of male magpies are aggressive. During nesting season, the male magpie is simply doing his job defending its eggs and chicks, which are in the nest for about six to eight weeks between July and November in Australia.

Female magpies don’t swoop at all. Magpies swooping usually stops once the young birds have fledged and left the nest.

Having said that, if you get to know your local magpies, they probably won’t swoop you at all, as they recognize that you aren’t a threat to their nest.

Since moving to the Home by the Sea, I have had a Magpie family who nests near our house. Our street is their territory.

They frequently pop in with their young ones to check to see if I have some titbits for them. One of the elder birds often swoops in to reprimand the young ones for socialising with me. His actions are most likely altruistic. He prefers the kids to be independent and find worms for themselves rather than become dependent on human handouts. Who can blame him? Such a sensible chap!

Should I be feeding them at all? If so what?

Might it encourage them to swoop in nesting season?

I decided to find out.

The website- Magpie Alert – comes complete with an interactive map for cyclists to beware of popular swooping sites.

Cyclists seem particularly vulnerable to swooping attacks.

How do you get a magpie to trust you?

Taking a small morsel of meat or keeping your distance from a magpie nest may convey the message to a nervous magpie that you pose no threat. They may even become a ‘friend,’ as one young magpie did, inviting himself right into my kitchen!

Unfortunately, that was stretching the friendship a tad too far even for a bird-lover like me, so I had to ghost him/her for a while. We became friends again, but the addition of a lively puppy to the house meant this clever magpie now has a hunting dog to contend with and wisely he and his family now only greet me in the front yard – somewhere the Schnauzer has no access to.

What Can You Feed Magpies?

Lifehacker.com.au recommends feeding Magpies natural alternatives if you want to make friends with your local Magpies. This is much better for their tummies than chunks of bread or processed meat.

Rummage around in your garden; dig up some worms, turn over rocks, bricks, firewood logs, strip bark from trees, and you most likely will find some tasty tucker for the magpies.

Lifehacker.com.au

The Magpieaholic warns us not to feed Magpies raw meat, cheese and bread and exotic animal vet, Deborah Monks said raw meat and mince, although popular, did the most damage to magpie health.

What does it mean when a Magpie visits you?

Magpies are highly intelligent and can make interesting pets.

Animal Expert Dr Kaplan claims that once a magpie gets to know you and judges you to be a nice person, you will have earned a friend for life. “They will form very long friendships, like dogs,” she said. “They will introduce their young, [to you] and they will be the most charming birds. My Magpie Mate certainly confirmed this theory. She returns with his young introducing me to them every year.

Magpies have excellent memories. They can remember a face for up to five years.

Deterring Magpies. How to Scare Magpies?

I’d rather make friends with them but if you have a rogue, aggressive Magpie that terrorises you, it is possible to use something shiny or metallic to scare them away.

Hang CDs, metallic balloons, aluminium pie pans, and/or half-full plastic bottles 3 feet above the grass near any plants that the magpies are disturbing.

How do Magpies Communicate?

Magpies sing to reinforce their claim on their territory, mostly at dawn and dusk. But while we are all familiar with the magpie’s melodious carolling, we are perhaps less familiar with their other calls. Magpies use many different calls, including grunting noises, to communicate. www.environment.sa.gov.au

Above all, they are considered a positive omen of good luck and are known as “birds of joy.”

An Invitation to an Old Friend

Since I moved to a Home by the sea, I have had a beautiful friendship with a young wild bird who lived in the area. Recently, you may have read how I had to end the friendship with this wild bird. You may also be wondering what happened since then.

The fact that a wild bird could be so trusting as to voluntarily come into my house and sit on my dining room table, without fear, should have been a real compliment and I began to think I shouldn’t be angry at him. He was just doing what he could to survive in a suburban environment.

If truth be told, I was as fearful for his safety as I was for mine when he began fluttering around inside the house. And no, he didn’t drop any messages anywhere nor knock a single item over in his flurry. What dexterity!

Old Mate, as I dubbed him did come back the day following his tour of my abode and he sat outside on the fence singing for me to bring him his regular treats. I ignored his pleas. I did feel mean.

The next week went by and Old Mate didn’t visit me at all. I heard him but never saw him.

Yesterday, I heard him in the neighbourhood.

I relented.

I placed a piece of ham (his favourite), on the fence for him. It was still there the next day. Was this a sign he was gone for good?

I had to admit I still wanted a relationship with him but wanted him to respect that he could not enter my house. I would meet him in the yard.

Today, he arrived again and so I extended an invitation to him and his lady partner and offered him ham from my hand. He took it willingly.

We are friends again.

Birds are wonderful creatures.

#Socs

Ending a Friendship

Recently at the Home by the Sea, I met a new friend. So that he can remain anonymous, I’ll call him, ‘Old Mate,’ (as we sometimes do in Australia).

Most people who met Old Mate, thought him brash and cocky, but I was utterly charmed by his youthful exuberance. He’d entered my world uninvited and I’d welcomed and even encouraged him to visit me whenever he liked. “My door is always open. Come over anytime,” I told him nonchalantly.

Perhaps that was my mistake? I can be naive about such things.

Being a good neighbour, or so I thought, I’d offered him food and refreshments whenever he rocked up. He really did like that. So much so, that he brought his partner over to meet us. We were chuffed.

Both Old Mate and his partner were talented singers and would regularly entertain us when they popped in. It was obvious they were planning to settle nearby and start a family. I was looking forward to sharing their world and continuing our wonderful friendship.

I had no inkling that Old Mate would take liberties with our friendship in a way no one else has done before.

It came to a head this week.

Jumping around on my Dining table was, to say the least, extremely unsettling, so I was forced to do something I’ve never done before: I told Old Mate he had to leave – ordering him out of my house.

He didn’t take my announcement well: becoming angry and flustered, making excuses to check out several rooms in the house, before finally agreeing to leave.

That was the final straw. I abruptly terminated our friendship.

I feel bad. I miss him, but it has to be this way.

My door is now closed.

Pelican Poetry

 

Pelican’s Morning

Flapping and fluttering of feathery wings.
Winging their way, on fluffy fantastic down,
Down on the lake they begin to preen,
Preen in the reflected face of the shimmering water
Water is their life, their food, their all,
All of them, families young and old preening and feeding together,
Together they fish, float, flap, flurry and flounder on the rocks they call home.

 

 

Something to Ponder About

Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Macro

With the ubiquitous phone cameras accumulating an over-abundance of photos, joining in with the Phoneography challenge, over at lensandpensbysally , is almost a given.

Here is my macro submission! Cropped but no other filter applied.

Taken with my new Galaxy S4 note

and the original for comparison, (and cuteness) :

Hello there!

Macro photography –

revealing in its detail,

stunningly artistic in its form

and surprising in its (original) format

Join in over at Lensandpens

Something to Ponder About

Michelle’s Weekly Pet Challenge – ( Week 19) – in the Wild