Beautiful Native Birds at the Rogers Reserve

23rd October 2018

Just a few photos I managed to take while doing fauna surveys and rubbish collection at the Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields today.  Many other bird species were heard that I didn't manage to photograph as they were too elusive.

J. Gray.

Brown Thornbill with tiny insect meal at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, 23/11/18

Tawny Frogmouth trying to get some shut-eye while the lorikeets noisy squark in the tree above him - at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, 23/11/18

Tawny Frogmouth trying to get some shut-eye while the lorikeets noisy squark in the tree above him - at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, 23/11/18

Galah Pair at the entrance to their tree hollow home -  at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, 23/11/18

Grey Butcherbird spots a tasty meal on the edge of the walking track-  at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, 23/11/18

Grey Butcherbird with its meal - a portion of a Giant Earthworm!   at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, 23/11/18

Scaley-breasted Lorikeet -  at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, 23/11/18

Scaley Breasted Lorikeet at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, 23/11/18

Scaley Breasted Lorikeet at entrance to its tree hollow home -  at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, 23/11/18

Red-necked Wallabies at Rogers Reserve

9th April 2018

Thanks to David Penhaligon for sending through this photo of two Red-necked Wallabies at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields, taken on 9th April 2018.  The wallabies are on the western side of the reserve.

Red-necked Wallabies, Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve Highfields, 9th April 2018 - Photo thanks to David Penhaligon.

Sean McCarthy Way - Renaming of Community Crt Highfields

17th March 2018

Community Court has been re-named Sean McCarthy Way in memory of the Highfields Soldier.

Almost a decade after he was killed while serving in Afghanistan, Sean McCarthy will be honoured with a formal naming of a Highfields street. An arduous fight led by the Highfields Sub-Branch RSL with Toowoomba Regional Council to rename Community Court in memory of the former Highfields soldier killed in action, aged 25. The petition leading to the community memorial and official opening of Sean McCarthy Way has taken almost four years to come to fruition.

"The Honourable Dame Quentin Bryce, AD CVO the 25th Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia will be officiating. Ben Roberts-Smith VC, MG as well as Mark Donaldson, VC who was a member of the Patrol on which Sean was killed are also attending. A military parade is being provided by the 7th Signal Regiment - Electronic Warfare and the Defence Force School of Signals - Electronic Warfare Wing. Sean served at both these Cabarlah based units during his career. We are also being joined by The Mayor, Councillors, Senior military commanders, as well as the current Commanding Officers of the 3 units Sean served in during his career."  Source - Highfields RSL

The official opening was held under the shade of the gum trees of the Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Resreve at the entrace. These photos below thanks to Councillor Bill Cahill.

Correct way to remove Taiwan Lily pest weed

Taiwan Lily Removal at Rogers Reserve, Highfields.

Taiwan Lily Removal at Rogers Reserve, Highfields.

During Clean Up Australia Day 2018, Judi discovered a Taiwan Lily in flower at the Rogers Reserve.  This is the first time that this environmental weed has been found within the bushland reserve and correct removal of this fast spreading plant was imperative.

Greg was on hand to show and demonstrate the correct way to remove all of the plant including the bulbs at the bottom of the roots. 


More information on the Taiwan Lily and how to remove it here:


Common name: Taiwan lily, Formosa lily 

Botanic name: Lilium formosanum
The species name formosanum is Latin, meaning ‘from Formosa’. The island of Formosa is now Taiwan.

Description: A bulbous plant with upright, straight, flowering stems 1-1.8m (up to 6′) tall in summer. Clusters of 1-3 lightly scented, trumpet-shaped flowers are borne at the top of each stem. The flowers are white with a pale yellow throat, and some have pink staining on the outside of the petals or when in the bud.

Problem areas: This plant has escaped from gardens and naturalized in southeast Australia from Queensland to Victoria and also on Lord Howe Island. It is usually found along roadside verges, drainage ditches, on wasteland and in bushland.
Reasons for success

The Taiwan lily grows from seed, bulbs and fleshy leaves (called bulb scales). The plant grows from seed to flowering stage in around 6-9 months (most lilies take two years from seed until flowering). Each flower produces hundreds of seeds. As the seeds mature, the seed pods are held upright and open slowly. Seeds are released over a 4-8 week period to take advantage of good conditions. Seeds are light and travel long distances on the wind. Even a single plant dumped in bushland can become the nucleus of a new weed infestation.
Control

Hand weeding. This is the best option for home gardeners. Cut down the flowering stem before the plant sets seed. Remove the bulb, taking care not to leave any bulb scales in ground. You may have to remove some of the surrounding soil to catch small bulblets that break away from the parent plant.

Note: don’t just pull the plant up. The bulb is quite deep in the soil and all you’ll get is the stem with some roots (called stem roots).

INFORMATION SOURCE: https://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/fact-sheets/in-the-garden/weeds-and-garden-pests/taiwan-lily/

Taiwan Lily Removal at Rogers Reserve, Highfields.

Taiwan Lily Removal at Rogers Reserve, Highfields - it is important to use a shovel to remove all of the bulb roots.

Taiwan Lily Removal at Rogers Reserve, Highfields - showing the bulb roots of the Taiwan Lily Weed.

Taiwan Lily Removal at Rogers Reserve, Highfields - Ensure the whole plant and roots and bulbs are disposed of in a refuse bin, do not place them on the ground  as they will regenerate. 

Clean Up Australia Day 2018 - Celebrating 5 Years of Volunteering

Friends of Rogers Reserve participate in Clean Up Australia day for the 5th year in a row.


We met at 9am at the entrance signage at 3 Community Court (aka Sean McCarthy Way) to begin Clean Up Australia Day at the Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields for the fifth year in a row. Rubbish collection bags for refuse and recycling were provided along with gloves, and the clean-up began. This year we trialled the Clean-Up Day on the friday instead of the Sunday morning which clashes with the local Peak to Park Community Event.


Each year we see less and less rubbish collected than the previous one. This year we know this has been helped by the installation of a rubbish bin at the front of the reserve thanks to Toowoomba Regional Council, at Greg's request, and for the many local volunteers who pick up rubbish weekly within the reserve.


Some of the usual offending items found continue to be the same with cigarette butts, plastic straws, lids and cups from McDonalds, soft drink cans, and most disappointingly bags of dog poop from people who have taken the time to pick up their dogs waste on their walks, but then throw the whole bag of poop into the reserve... volunteers really find this revolting to have to clean up.


We thank you to everyone for attending - your small amount of time will do a tremendous amount for the environment and our local community. We are very proud that this is our 5th annual Clean Up Australia Day event at the reserve.

Some of the hard working volunteers at Clean Up Australia Day 2018 at Rogers Reserve, Highfields.

Some of the hard working volunteers at Clean Up Australia Day 2018 at Rogers Reserve, Highfields

McDonnalds Cups discarded in the bushland found an picked up on Clean up Australia Day 2018 - Rogers Reserve, Highfields.

Bags of Dog Poop continue to be part of the rubbish found in the Bushland Reserve on Clean-Up Australia Day!

Main Offender found at Clean-Up Australia Day 2018 - Plastic Lids and Straws from McDonalds Drinks.

Rubbish removed from the 2018 Clean Up Australia Day Event at Rogers Reserve, Highfields.

Results from the efforts of Some of the hard working volunteers at Clean Up Australia Day 2018 at Rogers Reserve, Highfields