Long Billed Corella at Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve

These photos were taken of a lone Long-Billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris) high in a large eucalyptus tree at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve last month (20th June 2014).  Long-Billed Corella's are normally found in the extreme south-east of Australia, from south-eastern South Australia through western Victoria, to southern New South Wales. However, these short-crested birds have established populations in other parts of eastern Australia, including Highfields, predominantly in the Reis Road vicinity.  Some may confuse the Long-Billed Corella with the similar Little Corella which is locally common, however they can be distinguished easily by the long, slim upper bill and the bright orange and red patches around the birds bill and on the upper chest.

Long-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris) at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields - 20/06/14

The Toowoomba Bird Observers Club have been keeping records about the Highfields, Reis Road, Long-Billed Corella population for some years (which are suspected to have begun from escaped avian pets) and started looking into this further from August 2006, requesting photographs and submissions of  "rare-bird reports" for records of sightings in the Highfields area, to confirm once and for-all if the local species of Long-Billed Corella's were "ridgy-didge" and not cross hybrids as some suspected.  Since this research has begun, the Long-Billed Corella has been added to the local area bird list by the Toowoomba Bird Observers Club.

Long-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris)

Looking back on our own records, 3 Long-Billed Corellas were witnessed within the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reseve at 5.30pm on the 19th of September 2006, resulting in  rare bird report being submitted for this sighting to the Toowoomba Bird Observers Club.  (See past photographs from December 2011 and our own personal sightings of the Long-Billed Corella in the Highfields area here.)

The preferred habitat of the Long-Billed Corella is grassy woodlands and grasslands, and including parks in urban areas.  Nests are made in the hollows of large old eucalyptus trees and eggs are laid on a lining of decaying wood. Long-billed Corellas form monogamous pairs and both parents prepare the nest, incubate the eggs and feed the young.

With thanks to Mick Atzeni from the Toowoomba Bird Observers Club for supplying the historical information for this blog post.

J.G.

(INFORMATON SOURCES:  Mick Atzeni - Toowoomba Bird Observers Club, birdsinbackyards.net, beyondourpatch.blogspot.com )

Long-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris)

Joining with Wild Bird Wednesday - 9th July 2014.

A walk through the Reserve after the rain 20/06/14

Pair of Galah's perched in the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve.

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Female Golden Whistler (thanks to Mick Atzeni from the Toowoomba Bird Observers for assisting with the identification of this bird)

Nature is beautiful at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve

Juvenile Australian King Parrot

Long-Billed Corella

Common Grass-Yellow Butterfly on a Tape Vine

Native Tape Vine Fruits

Red and yellow fruits of the native Tape Vine

During a meeting for the Friends of Rogers Reserve, Barbara brought along a plant sample from her Highfields Property to be identified by Trish Gardner.  The plant was identified as Stephania japonica "Tape vine" which is a native to the local area.  Trish explained how this plant has a beautiful bunch of multi-coloured fruits after it flowers, but that they are only often seen on plants that have been established for some time.  After the meeting had concluded I went for a walk through the reserve and was delighted to see the very plant that Trish had described earlier that day in fruit.  The red and yellow fruit cluster stood out on the edge of the nature trail on the western side of the reserve and was easy to access to photograph.

Stephania japonica (Tape Vine) is a light climber with thin wiry stems  Leaves alternate and grow to 12cm. Clusters of small yellow flowers appear during spring to summer, followed by red and yellow fruits of 6mm.

The Stephania Japonica is a favourite plant of the Fruit Piercing Moth (Eudocima salaminia)  which feeds on it's leaves.

More information on the Stephania Japonica at the Toowoomba Plants Blog Here...

INFORMATION SOURCES:
Trish Gardener - Toowoomba Plants Blog
Wildlife of Greater Brisbane - Queensland Museum Wild Guide
Mangroves to Mountains Revised Edition - Field Guide to Native Plants of South East Queensland

Stephania japonica (Tape Vine) Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields

Fruits of the Stephania japonica (Tape Vine) at Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields 20/06/14

Large Grass-yellow Butterfly at Rogers Reserve

These bright yellow butterflies are a regular sight when walking along the nature trail at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields.  The Large Grass-yellow (Eurema hecabe) is also known as Common Grass-Yellow.  The wingspan of the male is 37mm and 40mm for the female.  These butterflies like a wide variety of habitats especially woodlands where larval food plants grow and the Rogers Bushland Reserve is home to many of their favourites.

This photo taken today at the Reserve is of a Male Large Grass-yellow butterfly which has stopped on a native Tape Vine (Stephania japonica).  

J.G.

Information Source:  The Complete Guide to Butterflies of Australia by Michael F. Braby.

Male Large Grass-yellow Butterfly on a native Tape Vine (Stephania japonica) at Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, Queensland.

Juvenile Australian King-Parrot at Rogers Reserve 20/06/14

After the patches of rain this morning in Highfields, I took a walk through the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve and saw this lone Juvenile Australian King-Parrot (Alisterus scapularis) calling out within the reserve.

The patchy colouring of the juvenile King-Parrot is very distinctive and can be easily identified as a juvenile compared to it's parents of which the Adult Male has a predominantly red head and body with green wings and a dark blue rump, while the adult female has a predominantly green head and wings with red belly.

A pair of Australian King-Parrots were photographed emerging from a large hollow at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve earlier this year (see previous post here).

J.G.

Juvenile Australian King-Parrot at Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reerve 20/06/14

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Juvenile Australian King-Parrot at Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields.