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 write to GPO Box 68A, Hobart, 7001.

Please be kind to your treasurer and send your 2005 Subs. in NOW ! Otherwis she has to spend all year chasing people. Please also note that due to increased venue costs and postage we have increased subs by $5.
Family Membership $35; Single Membership $30; Concessional Membership $25

Any queries please phone Anna on 62 396 326 or email on Anna.McEldowney@utas.edu.au

Inger Vilcins is undertaking a PhD project directed toward investigating the role ectoparasites (specifically ticks, mites, lice and fleas) play in the transmission of disease (bacterial, viral and rickettsial) in Australian animals. The information gained will be used to assess how these diseases may impact on the long-term survival and conservation of Australian natives. Ectoparasites are needed from any animals (domestic or native reptiles, fish, birds or mammals). Any samples can be stored in 70% ethanol in small vials, labelled with the animal of origin, site on the animal (if possible), location animal was found and date.

Don Hird can arrange to forward any samples collected. 

On a fine Sat. Dec. 4th. after being greeted on arrival at Recherche Bay by a Macleay’s swallowtail butterfly, 12 members had geared up in the car park by 11.30, and set out first to the Sculpture for magnificent views across Rocky Bay to the S.E. ranges, where some snowdrift remnants on Mt. La Perouse highlighted the scene.

Genevieve nominated Betty to record flowers, John to birds, Neil to things marine, Adrian to a social brief and David to Fungi, and we rest to roving briefs.

Proceeding through a bush track initially where an excited 'can this be a new Bolete?' was cooled by a remarkable number of 'radiata' perceived distantly through the Eucalypts. Dropping onto the beach a little further on it became apparent that we were horses of many paces, and as very much part of the rearguard I didnt meet the 'blotchy' Bluetongue or the handsome Tiger Snake. Out towards the Actaeon Ilsands a large flock of Silver Gulls and Gannets were having an excited early lunch, tho any sound they were making was drowned out by the muted roar of a crowd of 'off roaders' beating up a beach over by Blackswan Lagoon. Another sad note was that the rocks on this beach were growing slippery Algae, -one index of rising 'nutrient' levels, and popularity I suppose.

The sand and gentle slopes of the beach transformed with a short scrub walk to a steep rocky shore and swirling bull kelp on the exposed side of the Point, where we lunched in warm sunshine gentle breezes, and a 'sea show' of a large pod of dolphins which breached and leapt near and far across the view. The remains of a red brick structure (an old hotel) in the bracken scrub behind the 'light' with some Arums, Fuchsias and other garden plants persisting remarkably; -tho of course the whole area is disturbed.

Freshly dead specimens of little long nosed silver fish collected on the return walk with a fallen tide -seagull lunch leftovers?- were guessed as gars, but a closer look suggests mouths at the distal end of the proboscis; Closer examination suggested a Bellows, Neil may have an ID?

With a shower of Merry Xmasses we again faced the potholes and the road rage to restore balance to the pleasures of the day.

Plants (by BBM) I had trouble getting past the carpark, as there were a number of exciting looking tiny flowers in the turf, not all of which I managed to identify.

At carpark and whale sculpture
Shrubs: Melaleuca squarrosa, Leptospermum laningerum, L scoparium, Dianella tasmanica, Goodenia ovata, Westringia rigida, Acacia verticillata, Cassinia aculeata
Low, in turf Goodenia lanata, Veronica gracilis, Oxalis corniculata, Geranium solanderi, Viola hederacea, Utricularia sp? A small blue daisy Brachysome sp

After the whale sculpture we headed into some scrub with Olearia stellulata, Pomaderris apetela, Banksia marginata, Pultenea daphnoides, scrub and a rush Lepidosperma concavum ?

On the beach and rocks Leucopogon parviflorus, in flower and with green fruit, a pigface sp- not sure if it was an introduced, maybe Carpobrotus rossii), A small herb with5 petalled white flowers, maybe Samolus repens?, a sprawly herb at the top of the rocks with mauve 3 petalled flowers (haven’t ID yet)

Behind the beach Billardiera longifolia, Pittosporum bicolour with black pods, and Helichrysum reticulatum, a stand of which near the point.had a cloud of gold beetles flying round and landing on it.

A second section of scrub had Pimelia cineria (shrub), a low Pimelia sp., linifolia?, Stackhousia monogyna, Stylidium graminifolium(in bud), Wahlenbergia sp and quite a few ferns Blechnum nudum and Polystichum proliferum

Near the ruin, in my enthusiasm I picked a bit of what I immediately realised too late was stinging nettle, and admired the persistence of the arum lillies and fuschia. Behind us as we lunched at the signal was a sculpted rounded bit of shrub we realised after a closer look was hawthorn.

(PS Nearly back to carpark Adrian, Genevieve and I saw some leaves with lots of fur etc in which might have been owl regurgitations?)

Fungi: Bolbitius vitellinus; Mesophellia sp.; Rhizopogon sp.; Hypholoma fasciculare; Suillus granulatus.