On a beautiful sunny Autumn day 8 OFF members assembled at the State Forest Information Centre at 9:30 am to explore the only State Forest in the Sydney metropolitan area, albeit a small one at 40Ha. Most of it had been cleared prior to State Forests purchasing the area in 1938 and then planting the majority of the tall trees. “Thus, the forest which now provides an island of greenery in a sea of suburbia is mostly only 60 years old or less” (Alan Fairly and David Waterhouse, West Sydney Wild, 2005).

Two of our group then left, before the remainder tackled the Palm Gully trail. The highlights of this short track were the many very tall Bunya and Hoop Pines. This track was closed until the day of our walk due to the danger of falling cones from the Bunya Pines. These cones are the size of a football, as could be seen by the large number of smashed ones at the base of the trees.

Report by Graham Lalchere April 1^st2012 

Click on photo box to see more photos

Pixie Caps	Acianthus fornicatus	Black She-oak	Allocasuarina littoralis (male)
Small ground orchid with 4-6 reddish green flowers on stem to 20cm tall. Leaf basal, heart-shaped and seen on the ground even when there are no flowers. Very common in sheltered understorey. .		Erect to spreading tree with pine-like leaves and teeth in a whorl around stem joints. Male and female flowers on separate trees. Male flowers along tan spikes at the end of branches. Common in Park.
Native Fuchsia	Correa reflexa	Tall Greenhood	Pterostylis longifolia
Erect shrub to 80cm tall with opposite stem-clasping leaves which are covered with hairs.  Flowers bell-shaped, yellow-green. Common in sheltered sites.		Ground orchid with up to 7 flowers on an upright stem to 30cm tall. Flowers pale green with a green and black labellum. Leaves along stem each 3 to 10cm long. Uncommon in Park on moist sites on lower slopes.

For More information on the Flora of Oatley Park and Sydney Region check out the publications below:

• Native Plants of Oatley Park Compiled by Alan Fairley, copies available at Oatley Flora and Fauna monthly meetings.

• Native Plants of the Sydney District an identification guide, by Alan Fairley & Philip Moore, available in book shops.

by observant OFF member David Koffel:

Striated Thornbill	Acanthiza lineata	Australian Hobby	Falco longipennis
Rarely seen in Oatley Park or LKB, 17.3.12.		Also known as Little Falcon 2 possibly 3 over Steam Roller Park on 29.3.12, together with an Eastern Osprey. They flew west (very fast) after sighting.
Scarlet HoneyEater	Myzomela sanguinolenta	Peregrine Falcon	Falco peregrinus macropus
Possibly 2 on 9.4.12 in Oatley Park		Female, seen twice during the day, 9.4.12. In the morning it had something white ( a pigeon?) in its claws. Seen flying west each time.

Mistletoebird	Dicaeum hirundinaceum	Rose Robin	Petroica rosea
The Mistletoebird eats a variety of different foods. It commonly eats the berries of mistletoes		Beautiful, mature male.Lime Kiln Bay, 9.4.12.
Rufous Fantail	Rhipidura rufifrons	White-naped Honeyeater	Melithreptus lunatus
9.4.12. LKB.Saw group of 3 recently!		With Yellow-faced Honeyeaters. 9.4.12

Eastern Rosellas	Platycercus eximius	Musk Lorikeets	Glossopsitta concinna
They had not been seen for some months in the area. 9.4.12		In 4 or 5 flocks of 5 or so.

Total of 43 birds on 9.4.12.Also observed 2 fresh Wallaby scats .Butterflies: 6 species on the day. I have now observed 26 species in the park in the last 18 months or so.

The spotlighting for geckos in Mortdale Heights Park on 27 April went very well. Leader Matthew Mo found 10 geckos on the rock walls and in crevices. There were 19 in attendance. Matthew spoke to the society last year on his research on the geckos at the park.

Info on Leaf Tail Gecko Pictured

Distribution -The Southern Leaf-tailed Gecko is found in the Sydney Basin and surrounds.

Habitat -The Southern Leaf-tailed Gecko lives in urban areas and coastal sandstone heath. It is quite common in Sydney and has been known to enter garages and houses in urban areas.

Behaviour and adaptations -The Southern Leaf-tailed Gecko feeds at night and shelters during the day in crevices or under rocks.

Other behaviours and adaptations -When the Southern Leaf-tailed Gecko is threatened or attacked, it discards its tail so it can escape to safety. It will re-grow another tail and the missing tail will decompose.

Information from the Australian Museum

Red Bloodwood	Corymbia gummifera	Hedgehog Grass	Echinopogon caespitosus
A medium to large tree with characteristic rough tessellated bark often blackened from fire. White flowers borne at the ends of the branches. Fruit urn-shaped. Widespread and common. Usually flowers Feb –March, but late flowering in 2012.		Tufted grass with slender sandpapery stems to 60cm tall. Leaves mostly basal. Flower spike cylindrical. Common in open forest on sandy soils. Flowers from November to April.
Native Olive	Notelaea longifolia	Australian Bluebell	Wahlenbergia gracilis
Tall shrub with lance-shaped leaves. Young branches softly hairy, becoming hairless with age. Flowers small, yellow and borne in clusters from leaf axils. Fruit a blue-black berry. Scattered throughout the Park.		Small many-stemmed plant to 50cm tall. Leaves sparse at base of stems. Flowers blue, bell-shaped to 6mm across. Scattered in the Park in sheltered shaded locations.

Woollsia	Woollsia pungens	Hairy Xanthosia	Xanthosia pilosa
Shrub to 2m tall. Leaves crowded, ovate, tapering to a pungent point. Flowers white borne in attractive clusters in the upper leaves. Conspicuous as it flowers in autumn and winter. Common in sheltered spots.		Small plant to 40cm tall, wholly clothed in long weak hairs. Leaves toothed, to 50mm long. Insignificant cream-green flowers borne in the leaf axils. Widespread and very common. Some flowers all year round.

For More information on the Flora of Oatley Park and Sydney Region check out the publications below:

• Native Plants of Oatley Park Compiled by Alan Fairley, copies available at Oatley Flora and Fauna monthly meetings.
• Native Plants of the Sydney District an identification guide, by Alan Fairley & Philip Moore, available in book shops.

Common Silkpod	Parsonsia straminea	Pomax	Pomax umbellata
Robust climber on bushes and over ground. Leaves and stems with watery sap when broken. Leaves broad, opposite. Flowers yellowish and bearded, tubular and with exserted stamens borne in irregular clusters. Sheltered areas especially below cliff lines. .		Low plant with minute reddish flowers in umbels at the ends of branches. Widespread and common but often overlooked.
Sharp Greenhood	Pterostylis acuminata
Ground orchid with stem to 24cm tall. Flower solitary, 25mm long, translucent green and distinguished by 2 long erect pointed lateral sepals. Mostly flowering in April-May, but flower spotted in early March on Headland Track.

For More information on the Flora of Oatley Park and Sydney Region check out the publications below:

• Native Plants of Oatley Park Compiled by Alan Fairley, copies available at Oatley Flora and Fauna monthly meetings.

• Native Plants of the Sydney District an identification guide, by Alan Fairley & Philip Moore, available in book shops.

THE KU-RING-GAI WILDFLOWER GARDEN
420 Mona Vale Road, St Ives
NSW Australia

Most of us take leaves for granted, and it’s not as if our lives depended on them, or do they? The story of leaves is one of great variety and complexity. Using leaves from the Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden you will be given the opportunity to dip into their workings, and learn how you can use leaf morphology to help identify plants.

For other interesting talks and walks organised by the  North Shore Australian Plant Society.

Check out their Web page with Walks and Talks Programme 2012

For a pdf  of program click here  – Aust Plant Soc Nth shore program

Autumn Epacris	Epacris pulchella	Brown Stringybark	Eucalyptus capitellata
A small to medium shrub with pointed heart-shaped leaves. Flowers tubular, white and in clusters along the stem. Flowering mainly in autumn but often beginning early. Widespread.		Small to medium tree, with stringy bark. Adult leaves broad-lanceolate, thick and dark green. Buds in clusters of 7 or more; fruit compressed-spherical in tight clusters with enclosed valves. Flowers white, abundant. Uncommon in Park. One tree in oval parking area.
Love Creeper	Glycine clandestina	Love Creeper	Glycine tabacina
Weak twining plant with leaves in three. Middle leaflet up to 80mm long and 5mm wide; all leaflets on stalk of the same length. Pea flowers mauve. Widespread and common. Flowering most of the year		Weak twining plant with leaves in three. Leaflets 20mm x 5mm (sometimes larger), ovate, centre leaflet on stalk longer than side leaflets. Pea flowers mauve. In shaded sites and roadsides.

For More information on the Flora of Oatley Park and Sydney Region check out the publications below:

• Native Plants of Oatley Park Compiled by Alan Fairley, copies available at Oatley Flora and Fauna monthly meetings.

• Native Plants of the Sydney District an identification guide, by Alan Fairley & Philip Moore, available in book shops.

Report by OFF member and National Parks Officer Debbie Andrew:

The bird photographed is an Osprey, listed as vulnerable under the Threatened Species Conservation Act of NSW.  It was banded on the Clarence River in 2003.

This is a second banded Osprey to the one regularly seen roosting on Gertrude Point Lugarno (left leg yellow over red, right leg green) which was also banded on the Clarence River in 2005 and appeared here in 2008.  Both these birds may be females due to the pronounced brown collar. I have not seen the new bird roosting anywhere near the established bird at Gertrude Point although did see a second Osprey over Jewfish Bay about 2 weeks ago.

There is a pair of Osprey we see regularly on the Botany Bay wader count at Towra Point so if this last bird stays it could be 4 Osprey for Botany Bay / Georges River.  As yet we have not observed breeding for any of these Osprey.

Yesterday I did observe an aerial tussle between a Sea Eagle , Crested Tern and Osprey.  The Sea Eagle was chasing a Crested Tern that had a small fish in its bill, this lasted at least 5 minutes, then the Osprey came in and was chasing the Sea Eagle, repeatedly diving on it, while the Sea Eagle continued chasing the Crested Tern, and the Sea Eagle would repeatedly roll over on its back and present its talons to the Osprey.  The Osprey distracted the Eagle enough for the Tern to get away then the Osprey and Eagle gave up and went to their respective corners, the Osprey to Gertrude Point and the Eagle to Illawong Point.  Both these species can be seen regularly on the Georges River at Oatley and the Osprey may be seen bathing on the sandflats at Gertrude Point , or roosting on some of the wooden posts on the sandflats at Gertrude Point so it is worth glancing across from Oatley Park with Binoculars, or watching out if you are canoeing in the area.

Reply to Peter Hayler from Australian Museum :

Wow…what an awesome photo you sent to the Australian Museum, of the Osprey you recently sighted on the Georges River (near Oatley Point), which happened to be carrying three powder-coated numbered metal bands.  >From these colours, I was able to successfully determine this critter’s individual identity. The band that you found was placed on a(n) : Osprey or scientific name: Pandion haliaetus on: 18/09/2003 at: SOUTH OF THE BROADWATER CLARENCE RIVER NSW It was banded by : DR GP CLANCY. The time between banding and recovery is 8 years 5 months 6 days. The bird had moved a distance of : 540 km with a

For any future sightings of colour marked birds, please feel free to contact the Australian Bird & Bat Banding Scheme directly: abbbs@environment.gov.au

If you would like to learn more about what we do, there is some interesting reading available on our website: www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/science/abbbs/index.html

Comment from Dr Greg. P. Clancy, Ecologist and Wildlife Guide, Coutts Crossing, NSW

I have been colour banding Ospreys on the NSW North Coast since 1990.

We have received earlier reports of a colour banded Osprey along the Georges River but yours is a different bird.  One bird was observed at Lake Tabourie on the South Coast.  Others have been recovered (observed) within a few kilometres of their hatching place. I have had three papers published on the Osprey as a result of my studies for a Master’s degree.  I can send them to you if you are interested.