Brilliant Blue Flowers of the Native Wandering Sailor perennial herb

I love to see the brilliant bright blue flowers of the "Wandering Sailor" (Commelina cyanea) when it is in flower during the Spring to Autumn period.  The "Wandering Sailor" is a perennial herb native to eastern Australia and is also known as two rather unflattering names being "Native Wandering Jew" and "Scurvy Weed".  This plant is often mistaken for an introduced weed with a similar looking leaf called "Tradescantia", however the introduced weed variety has a white flower.

You can find the bright blue flowers of the Wandering Sailor throughout the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, it is common in shady areas and at the bases of large trees.

J.G.

Wandering Sailor (Commelina cyanea) at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, Queensland.

Orange Spade Flower at Rogers Reserve Highfields 26/02/2014

This lovely orange flat flower is named Spade Flower (Hybanthus stellarioides). It is a perennial herb that has slender wiry stems.  Orange or yellow spade like shaped flowers emerge in September-February.  It is mostly found in shaded areas.  The Spade Flower is found in a variety of locations within the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields and can often be seen near the edges of the nature trail.

J.G.

Spade Flower (Hybanthus stellarioides) at Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields. 26/02/14

Spade Flower (Hybanthus stellarioides)

Showing how small the orange flower of the Spade Flower is.

Pacific Baza at Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve

On any day a walk through the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields is an enjoyable one for those interested in native birds and animals.  On this occasion I witnessed the panicked sound of alarm from the birds which is a tell-tale sign of a bird of prey in the area.  Sure enough before I knew it, I saw a Pacific Baza (aka Crested Hawk) flying low through the thick trees of the reserve - it was a spectacular sight.  Unfortunately I couldn't focus enough on the baza when it was flying as it was too quick (or I was too slow) but I managed a partly obscured picture of it when perched.  The Pacific Baza's favourite food is large insects, however it will eat fruits also, so it really wasn't a threat to the smaller birds in the reserve!

A Pacific Baza was also recently seen during the visit of Pat and Kath from the Toowoomba Bird Observers when they compiled a bird list for the reserve in January.

Along with the Pacific Baza, many other birds were witnessed during the short walk through the reserve and some of the ones seen are captured in these photos below including a juvenile Laughing Kookaburra and a Juvenile Pheasant Coucal and some cheeky Rainbow Lorikeets checking out a hollow in a large gum tree.

I would like to encourage any birders to submit their bird sightings and observations from their visits to the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve to the Eremaea eBird website for recording.  This site is managed by Birdlife Australia and can be found at: http://ebird.org/content/australia/ and is a great resource for collecting data on what birds live in the area.

Pacific Baza (Crested Hawk) at Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields.

This super-cute juvenile Laughing Kookaburra was witnessed high in a gum tree at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve practicing his laugh.  He would make his little attempt at the laugh, then his parents who were perched close by would show him how it was done.. it was a lovely sight and sound.

Rainbow Lorikeets checking out a hollow in a large gum tree at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve

White-browed Scrub Wren camouflaging well at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve

A very scruffy looking juvenile Pheasant Coucal playing hard to photograph at the Reserve

UPDATE:  There are less than 6 days left to save this bushland reserve please help by finding out more here: What can we do to help?

PROUDLY PARTICIPATING IN WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY

Clean Up Australia Day planned for the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve

Clean Up Australia Day Event has been organized for the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve.

Clean Up Australia Day is on Sunday 2nd of March, 2014.  This National Event is a simple way you can take action to clean up, fix up and conserve our prized Australian environment.

A Highfields Clean-Up Event is registered at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, 3 Community Court, on the corner of O'Brien Road, Highfields Qld. Any time that you could spare to participate this community clean-up would be greatly appreciated. All volunteers need to be registered and can do so online prior to the event at the link below or you can sign-up on the day.

Please wear a hat, suitable clothing, closed in shoes etc. Gloves and rubbish collection bags will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your own as well as any clean-up tools you would like to use.

Pre-Registration is required and you can do so online at the Clean Up Australia Day Website Here: http://www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au/Rogers+Bushland+Reserve

Narrow-leaved Orangebark fruiting at Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve 18/02/2014

Narrow-leaved Orangebark (Maytenus silvestris) is also known as Orange Bush and Orange Bark.  It is a native shrub that is found growing in the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields and it flowers in spring and the fruit (shown below) is ripe in January-February. There are a few of these shrubs in fruit currently on the southern side of the reserve near the edges of the nature trail.  

Orange Fruit of the Narrow-leaved Orangebark Shrub at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve 18/02/14.

The Orange Fruits of the Small-leaf Tuckeroo at Rogers Reserve 13/02/2014

There are quite a few plants flowering at the Preserve Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields at the moment. These vibrant orange fruits are from a Small-leaf Tuckeroo (Cupaniopsis parvifolia),a medium sized slow-growing evergreen tree found in dry rainforest areas. 

There are a few of these trees at the Rogers Reserve, you can find the one pictured easily on the edge of the reserve on Community Court.

Small-leaf Tuckeroo at Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve 13/02/2014

The vibrant orange fruits of the Small-leaf Tuckeroo at Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve 13/02/2014

The "pumpkin" shaped  orange fruits on the Small-leaf Tuckeroo at Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve 13/02/2014

Small-leaf Tuckeroo at Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve 13/02/2014

Grey-Crowned Babblers at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve 12/02/2014

Yesterday Grey-Crowned Babbler Birds were identified on the edge of the Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields on O'Brien Road. Local Highfields residents are lucky to see these family orientated birds on a regular basis, but did you know that in other parts of Australia they are declining rapidly?

A survey by Birds Queensland in 2009 found that the Queensland Grey-Crowned Babblers are "holding on" but the eastern Grey-crowned Babblers, have been recognized as: * Extinct in South Australia * Endangered in Victoria, and * Threatened in New South Wales. Birds Queensland said that the decline in the Babbler population appears to be gradually moving north.

The Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields is an ideal habitat for Grey-Crowned Babblers as they like leaf litter, fallen bark, old rotting logs and branches, garden mulch (eg sugar cane mulch) – ground cover harbouring invertebrates. They may use water for drinking and bathing, and they take dust baths. They are vulnerable on roads, and also to cats. Keep an eye out for these happy birds locally.

Grey-crowned Babblers were seen at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve on 12th Feb 2014

Rogers Reserve Petition in Two Page Feature Article in Highfields Own Magazine 07/02/14

Highfields Own Magazine published a two page feature article on the Petition to Preserve the future of the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields in their February Issue published on 7th Feb 2014.

Journalist and Editor of Highfields Own, Tayla Arthur interviewed petition organizer Judi Gray about the reason for the petition and why the reserve is an important asset to the Highfields community.

Front Cover of Highfields Own Magazine - February Issue 2014 - featuring a two page article on the Rogers Reserve Petition.

Locally threatened plant species growing at Rogers Bushland Reserve Highfields.

"Brush Senna" (Senna acclinis) (a local threatened species) and a vital butterfly host plant is growing well at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields.  Also known as the "Rainforest Cassia", this near threatened shrub grows to 3m and is usually found near the edges of rainforest and but is now only found in small populations between Gloucester NSW and Gladstone Queensland.  The Brush Senna bright yellow flowers show between spring and summer and has flat pods 15cm to 5mm in size.  The Brush Senna is a butterfly host plant for the Yellow Migrant (Catopsilia gorgophone), Small Grass‐yellow (Eurema smilax) and Large Grass‐yellow (Eurema hecabe) butterflies*.

Senna acclinis can easily be mistaken for introduced Senna (formerly Cassia) species which are environmental weeds.

J.G.

(Information Sources:  Ecological Survey on Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Mangroves to Mountains Field Guide to Native Plants of South-east Queensland, www.butterflyplantsforpoverty.org)

"Brush Senna" (Senna acclinis) at Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields
Photo taken: 01/02/2014

"Brush Senna" (Senna acclinis) at Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields.
Photo taken: 01/02/2014

Orangebark fruit at Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve 01/02/2014

The fruits of the Orangebark (Maytenus bilocularis) are aplenty within the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields at the moment.  This beautiful tree is endemic to eastern Australia and is found in dry rainforest and eucalyptus scrub.  The shrub or small tree grows to 12 metres high and the fruit are a favourite of the Lewin's Honeyeater.  You can view many of these Orangebark Trees covered in fruit currently at the Rogers Reserve at Highfields. 

Orangebark (Maytenus bilocularis) fruit at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields 01/02/2014.

Magnificent Red Bloodwood Eucalyptus in Flower at Rogers Reserve 01/02/2014

This beautiful flowering tree in the Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields is a Red Bloodwood (Corymbia gummifera). It is a hardwood tree native to Eastern Australia. The flowers and large clusters of gumnuts are beautiful. Flower nectar production attracts a wide range of both invertebrate and 

vertebrate fauna. Fruit (seed) is eaten by cockatoos. Glider possums actively scar this tree’s trunk and branches to access the sap flow for food. Older trees develop hollow bearing branches which provide
breeding and roosting opportunities for a diverse range of species. It is thought that the longevity of this Red Bloodwood tree species is well over 100 years!  You can see this young flowering tree on the edge of the reserve on Polzin Road.

Red Bloodwood (Corymbia gummifera) at Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve 01/02/2014

Sunset through the trees at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve 01/02/14

As the sun goes down over Highfields, it casts a beautiful orange colour over the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve.  These photos taken at sunset 1st February 2014.

Sunset at Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve 01/02/14

Sunset behind the reserve at Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve 01/02/14