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TASMANIAN FIELD NATURALISTS
CLUB INC.
established 1904.
BULLETIN
http://www.tased.edu.au/tasonline/tasfield/
Editor : Don Hird. (email
hirdd@primus.com.au )
Bulletin No. 301
(quarterly) January 2001 The Tasmanian Field Naturalists
Club encourages the study of natural history and supports conservation.
We issue our journal The Tasmanian Naturalist annually in October.
People with a range of ages, background and knowledge are welcome as members.
Contact Genevieve Gates (6227
8638) for further information or GPO Box 68, Hobart, 7001.
Program
General Meetings start at 7.45 p.m.
on the first Thursday of the month, in the Life Science Building at the
University of Tasmania. Outings are usually held the following weekend,
meeting outside the to the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery entrance in
Macquarie Street. Bring lunch and all-weather outdoor gear.
If you are planning to attend an
outing but have not been to the prior meeting, phone to check as to the
timing of the excursion (with Genevieve Gates; 62 278 638 or Don Hird;
62 344 293). Unforeseen changes sometimes occur.
Program
Thurs. 1 February. 7.45p.m.:
Clare McArthur, University Zoology Dept., will speak about alternative
strategies to the extensive use of 1080 poison against browsing mammals
in Tasmania.
Sunday 4 February 10.00 a.m.: A
general purpose excursion to an interesting area of “remnant rainforest”
at Yarlington Tier, east of Kempton Quoin. A short but slightly scrubby
walk gains access to the area of interest. Afterwards we plan to
visit another botanical outlier, this time an isolated stand of Spinning
Gum, Eucalyptus perrineana, near Tunnack.
Thurs. 1 March. Annual General
Meeting and President's Address..
Sat. 3 March. 9.00 a.m.:
Collins Cap is both accessible via a moderate walk and a fine viewing platform
over the middle Derwent estuary. On the way to the dolerite summit
are some very interesting habitats of subalpine vegetation over Triassic
sandstone substrates.
Thurs. 5 April. Rob Allison
will speak on Three Hummock Island, off NW Tasmania, where he runs an ecotourism
facility.
April Excurs. We are planning
a weekend away, possibly based around the Forestry house at Adventure Bay,
Bruny Island. More details will be provided closer to the excursion.
2001 SUBS. DUE NOW
Subscriptions are normally due by
the end of the prior calendar year. Rates for 2001 are
Adults $25 Junior /
concession $20 Family $30
The Peter Rankin Trust for Herpetology
offers financial assistance to worthwhile research projects on the biology
of reptiles or amphibians. Committee members can provide details
of how to apply.
We are saddened to report the passing
of two prominent Tasmanian naturalists, Marcus Hurburgh of this club and
Mary Cameron of Launceston Field Nats. Obituaries will appear in
the next Bulletin.
Federation News
The next meeting of the Federation
of Tasmanian Field Naturalists' Clubs will be held on the weekend of 16
– 18 March 2001 at the Carnacoo Scout Camp at Paper Beach on the
West Tamar.
The agenda includes a visit to a
local bird reserve on the Saturday morning and to Mt George in the afternoon.
There will be a catered meal in the evening, following the formal federation
meeting (for delegates).
On the Sunday there will be a microscopy
session followed by a visit to the native plants garden of John and Marian
Symmons.
Marine Naturalists
On the March long weekend the Marine
Naturalists' Group is organising an excursion to Waterhouse Island in NE
Tasmania. Committee members can provide contact details.
EXCURSION REPORTS
Koonya - 4/5 November 2000 Tom Terry
By Saturday morning our group of
ten had settled into the University accommodation at Koonya. A good
selection of bush birds were evident around the site.
Our first stop was the the Coal
Mine Historic Site. A crow chasing a juvenile White Bellied Sea Eagle
and a Striated Pardalote attending a nest in a sandstone wall were highlights.
Driving onto Lime Bay we carried our lunch to Lagoon Beach. There
was a modest range of orchids along the track together with sea-birds in
the appropriate places. We returned to the car along the southern
side of Sloping Lagoon. A late circuit from the car park turned up
more orchids and weary limbs. After dinner we commenced the evening
on a scientific note with microscopic observations of plant parts.
A very social and humorous evening followed.
Sunday commenced with very heavy
rain which cleared before we left. An interesting observation during
breakfast was a pair of Ground Thrush carrying nesting materials.
First stop for the day was the start of the Cape Pillar Track where the
'Fungi Folk' were starting to get into the swing of things. Second
call was Fortescue Bay where we turned up some particularly noxious brown
toadstools (Leprocybe sp.). Close to where we had lunch on
the beach a Pied Oyster Catcher was sitting on two eggs. On the way
home we stopped at the Camp Creek Nature Reserve near Taranna and enjoyed
wandering through an attractive piece of rain forest.
It was a very enjoyable and varied
weekend. I am sure many other members would have enjoyed the trip.
Orchid list: Saltwater River and
Lime Bay track to lagoon, 04/11/00.
Acianthus pusillis (finished)
Caladenia atrata
C. gracilis
Caleana major (immature)
Chiloglottis grammata
Chiloglottis sp. (leaves
only)
Cyrtostylus robusta (leaves
only)
Dipodium roseum (immature)
Diuris sulphurea
Gastrodia sesamoides
Glossodia major
Prasophyllum sp. (seed pod
stage)
Pterostylus nutans
P. plumosa
Thelymitra ixioides
T. juncifolia
T. pauciflora
T. rubra
Orchid list: Fortescue Bay and Cape
Pillar Track, 05/11/00.
Caladenia fuscata
Pterostylus nutans
Orchid list: Taranna Forest Walk,
05/11/00.
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