Hello field nats and friends,
Next outing May 11th: The Briseis Water Race track : Branxholm.
Meet at 10am at the beginning of the track. Turn off the highway at Donald Street in Branxholm, and the entrance to the track is sign-posted about 1.8km from the turnoff. The walk is easy, approximately 10kms return, with options for a shorter walk. If there has been rain, there should be fungi. Fungi and a little tin mining history. Though, if it doesn’t rain it’ll be the other way round. We are prepared for both. Leader : Lloyd Reeves.
June outing – Exploring the tracks around Sloop Lagoon and Big Lagoon
Alex and Pam have collaborated on this one, planned coincidentally so that those who are interested in the art scene might be able to visit the Bay of Fires Winter Art Festival.
More details next update.
Report from East Sandy Cape.
We had a successful outing to East Sandy Cape last month. Read the report here
Thanks for your research and leadership Ross.
Guide to Tasmanian Fossils.
Well known author, geologist, and photographer, Peter Manchester has released a new book, Guide to Tasmanian Fossils
https://www.fullersbookshop.com.au/event/peter-manchesters-guide-to-tasmanian-fossil
Many of us have Peter’s book ‘Created from chaos : a geological trail of 100 sites in Tasmania’ on our book shelves.
News from the Launceston Field Nats.
They will hold their Skemps Memorial Lecture on Tuesday 7th May. Geoff Shannon, the speaker,recently got into the Australian Geographic for spotting not one but four Australasian bitterns in the central highlands. His talk looks at how to be more scientific with our observations. Here is the flier. There will be a light supper after the talk, all visitors are welcome.
Here is a link to read what the Guardian had to say about Geoff’s sightings.
Nigel Forteath who is the Patron of the Launceston Field Naturalist Club, has published a book under the auspices of that club. Titled “A Photographic Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Tasmania”, it is a lavishly illustrated book resulting from twenty years of study of Tasmania’s aquatic insect fauna. It will be launched at Fuller’s bookshop in Hobart on Thursday the 9th May.
Invasive Fungi
Thanks Pam for sending this bit of news. A striking orange fungus popped up in bushland reserves around Melbourne in 2004 and is causing quite a stir because it is not native to Australia and has spread from south-east Queensland to Tasmania and also in south-west Western Australia quite quickly.
“AUSTRALIA HAS A CATASTROPHIC CAT PROBLEM”
This heading was noticed by Jay in the New York Times recently. The article was about the latest attempt to control feral cats and as it turns out, it’s been in operation in Tasmania since may 2023. A trap called the Felixer uses four sensors and an artificial intelligence camera to identify cats from non-target wildlife and humans. When the device identifies the animal passing in front of its camera as a cat, it squirts a dose of gel containing 8mg of 1080 poison (sodium fluoroacetate) onto the animal’s fur. The poison is then ingested when the animal grooms its fur. This takes advantage of the fact that feral cats are often reluctant to enter traps, but they do instinctively and fastidiously groom themselves, unlike native animals.
An Australian Government funded project being led by NRM South is working to control feral cat populations on Bruny Island. These traps will be deployed and regularly serviced by licensed professionals, warning signs will be displayed at entrances to the reserve and within 50m of each trap.
Regarding planning ahead.
Just lately I’ve found myself planning only a couple of outings ahead. I’d prefer to try some longer term planning. So if you are able to volunteer to organise an outing three or four months ahead, that would be appreciated.
See you Saturday,
Louise.