Over the last few weeks, increasing numbers of Pied Currawongs, Strepera graculina, have arrived in Paluma. The onomatopoeic name currawong reflects the liquid, ringing tone of their call, heard all day throughout the village.
Pied Currawong
The currawong is a large, (42-50 cm long), handsome, black and white bird, with yellow eyes and a lilting, liquid warbling call. But do not be beguiled by the good looks and melodious carolling. Beneath the beauty lies a rapacious nature. Currawongs plunder the nests and feast on the chicks of other birds. The cruel beak says it all.
Currawongs are similar in appearance to magpies and butcher birds, and were once known as crow shrikes or bell magpies. They are found throughout eastern Australia from North Queensland to Victoria in diverse habitats including woodlands, coastal to alpine forests, rain-forests, scrublands and farmlands. They often form large flocks and are seasonally nomadic, ranging over large distances. In the breeding season, from July to January they are mostly seen alone, in pairs or in small family groups.
They tend to move into Paluma from the west as the weather becomes cooler. Sometimes a flock of fifty and more will move into the area. Today, I disturbed a gang of seven or eight on the roadside plotting their next raid.
Pied currawongs’ diet includes small lizards, insects, mice, caterpillars and berries. They also take large numbers of small and young birds. Larger prey, up to the size of a young possum can be taken and birds will sometimes hunt as a group. Prey may be stored in a tree fork or crack to be eaten later. It has been reported that pied currawongs eat more vertebrate material during the spring breeding season than they do during autumn and winter when berries are available. A pair may kill about 40 broods of small birds (up to 2 kg) to raise one brood of their own.
Raising young is a joint effort. Both sexes gather the material, sticks, grass and other soft vegetation, for the bowl-shaped nest which the female builds high in a tree fork. She incubates the eggs while he feeds her. The male supplies food to the female for the first week after the chicks hatch and she feeds them. Incubation time is 21 days and there are usually three chicks.
The dishes and trays of fruit put out by residents for the honey-eaters, rifle birds and other small birds have become fair game for the currawongs who swoop in, terrorising the other birds and taking all the food. They seem to be afraid of humans however and fly off as soon one appears. Perhaps they have a collective memory of being shot at or stoned by people! It was amusing, and surprising to see therefore, two rainbow lorikeets at my bird-feeder yesterday driving off a currawong. The attack was quite vicious with lots of pecking and screeching until the bigger bird retreated.
It will be no surprise to know that pied currawongs are not on the endangered species list: on the contrary, their numbers are increasing. They have adapted well to living in urban areas and their growing numbers have been implicated in the decline of smaller bird species.
Some information sourced from Google entries from Australian Museum and Birdlife
Beginning around the middle of last month (May) some of the tracks around the village had patches of colourful but strangely shaped fruit on the ground. These flattened orange to yellow fruit often have a single seed stuck in the middle. While most rainforest trees are difficult to distinguish based solely on the trunk or leaves, their fruit and flowers can often be distinctive and render them easily identified. Such is the case with McIntyre’s Boxwood (Xanthophyllum octandrum). The best example I have found (although it may now be finished fruiting) is on the H-track just uphill (towards Lennox Crescent) from the old mining test pit and creek lookout. Two mature trees stand near the track (on the left as you face uphill).
MacIntyre’s Boxwood is endemic (i.e restricted to) Queensland, occurring in rainforests from Cape York to the central Qld coast1. Flowering occurs in early summer but the flowers are fairly inconspicuous. The fruit are round, marble-sized and green to pale yellow. When ripe they split open (dehisce) while still attached to the tree to reveal a dark seed attached to the now flattened internal yellow flesh. At this stage the fruit are fairly conspicuous on the tree, and even more so on the dark leaf litter of the forest floor once they have fallen.
Two mature trees on the H-track. The trunk is relatively smooth with no buttress.
Ripe fruit are just discernible in the canopy of the two trees
The fruit is eaten by Cassowaries. The trees are slow growing and large specimens are likely to be very old. The timber has been used commercially and was commonly used to make wooden rulers.
While citrus trees around Paluma are full of fruit at present, providing sustenance more to the Cockatoos than human residents, there is also a native rainforest tree/shrub that is currently laden with large round fruit that are beginning to turn yellow or bright orange. From a distance the fruit looks very much like an orange. This is the Native Gardenia or Yellow Mangosteen (Atractocarpus fitzalanii – previously known as Randia fitzalanii1)
Native Gardenia is a native under-story tree in eastern Queensland rainforests. The star-shaped white flowers appear in spring and (unsurprisingly) look at bit like simple gardenia flowers (they share the same family) and have a pleasant perfume.
The fruit is edible and is reported to be good bush tucker2. It can be eaten raw or used in salads, tarts, cakes or other deserts. In fact one author reports that it is one of the few plants that was consumed for is aphrodisiac properties!1 Cassowaries also eat the fruit, but the literature is silent on whether these birds also use it to enhance their reproductive drive. Perhaps you should exercise caution if you see a large male Cassowary with a gleam in its eye when you visit our local grove!
The Native Gardenia is fairly commonly sold in nurseries for its lush foliage and perfumed flowers. The fruit can be quite sweet in some trees but this is quite variable. I confess I have not sampled the fruit but Wilfred had a quick taste of the one at Jourama Falls and found it unremarkable.
Listed below are the social events that the PDCA is organising for the year. The PDCA has decided to add a few new themed nights this year as well as continuing with popular ones from previous years. We hope they will be a success and encourage you to put these dates into your calendar.
Sat 8th June: Soup and Casserole – Country Music night with dress in jeans and check shirt etc.
Sat. 10th August: Dance the Night Away with music suitable dancing and a theme of “Glamour and Glitz”.
Sat. 2nd November: Music from Around the World with International Food as a theme.
Sat. 7th December: Tropical BBQ with Music from the Pacific . BYO meat as usual.
During this long weekend, the birds at our feeder have become more and more numerous, with Satin Bowerbirds making their first appearance for the year, and Catbirds sneaking in at dawn and dusk. But it is the Rainbow Lorikeets that have dominated the show. Since we first put up our feeder in 1996, I have recorded the same 10 species coming in for a feed (see list below). The species composition may vary at other feeders depending on the food offered (we consistently use dates, softened and mashed up in water). Originally, Lorikeets were almost never at our feeder, but since cyclone Yasi the Rainbow Lorikeets are often a dominant visitor, with the occasional Scaley-breasted Lorikeet thrown into the mix
Yesterday morning and this morning the Rainbow Lorikeets came in numbers I have never seen before. I suspect the entire population of the village was at or around my feeder. The picture below reminds me of the old competition one saw at fairs where you had to guess the number of jellybeans in a large glass jar. I reckon there are 24 in the first photo and 27 in the second (both images have been cropped to include the central mass of birds only). Any other estimates?
Here is my list of birds that I have recorded at my feeder (the last two I try to discourage). I would be interested to hear from other residents who could add to this list. Please also include what type of food you put out.
At its recent meeting, the Townsville City Council endorsed a recommendation from its officers that the opening of Lake Paluma to additional recreational/commercial opportunities will not be contemplated due to its low-key, nature based recreational activities and camping focus. This decision will ensure that the dam remains closed to motorised boating and other commercial activities. This is an excellent outcome. The PDCA has previously communicated to the TCC its strong opposition to any change in the use of the Dam. Margie Ryder, our local Councillor has made our views clear to the Council. We appreciate that her efforts on our behalf have helped to achieve this outcome.
Among the colourful visitors to my garden recently was this beautiful female Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly, (Papilio aegeus). This species is also known as the Large Citrus Butterfly because of the preference of its larvae for feasting on citrus leaves. The butterfly feeds on the nectar of plants, particularly lantana. This one however was resting on a flower-laden choko vine.
The Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly is found
in Eastern Australia, ranging from Victoria to Cape York and into PNG. Its usual habitat is lowland rainforest, dry
eucalypt woodlands, orchards and suburban gardens so it is not common to see
one here in Paluma. The female lays eggs
on the underside of leaves of host trees and the eggs hatch a week later. The larvae are patterned in green, brown and
a creamy colour and look remarkably like bird droppings: no doubt an excellent
camouflage from potential predators.
The female with a wing span of about 105 to
110 mm is slightly larger and more colourful than the male but both attract
attention when fluttering through the garden.
This butterfly is sometimes considered a pest because of its habit of
feeding on citrus leaves in suburban gardens.
Ever wondered what exactly the PDCA does during the year? I did before I joined the Executive Committee, but found that reading through past President’s reports was a very useful primer on how the PDCA works to improve facilities and services in the village. Several past reports can be found on our website, and I am posting my contribution to this here.
Please contact me (or add a comment) if you have any questions about what has been reported, or if you have any suggestions for what we need to concentrate on this year.
Jamie Oliver
PDCA President’s Report – 2018-19
Over the last year several important milestones have been
achieved in Paluma. For each of these the insights, planning and management
needed to achieve these outcomes has been the result of the efforts of many
people over the course of more than just one year, including all members of the
PDCA executive. I think that all Paluma residents should feel very proud of
what a small community such as ours can achieve across a range of issues if we
work together with a common vision.
Key outcomes for the year that I would particularly like to
highlight include:
Completion
of the new Community Hall Extension. All members of the PDCA executive
contributed significantly to this outcome but it is the early work of previous
executive members such as John Tubman and Michael Drew that was important in
designing the hall, finding funds, developing plans, and managing the building
contract. Without Michael’s effort we would never have had sufficient funds to
start this extension, and without his efforts in chasing up a builder who could
do the work within our budget it would never have been completed. In appreciation of the efforts of John
Tubman, on this and a myriad of other contributions to the PDCA, we named the
extension the John Tubman Room. All members of the Executive, especially
Wilfred and Lynn, also played a crucial role in identifying areas requiring
attention during the constructions, thus ensuring a Room that will serve our
purposes for many years to come.
Completion
of the new Water Treatment Plant.
This had been a prolonged and controversial project that might never
have happened without the persistence and determination of most Paluma
residents to hold the council to its obligations in providing clean potable
water. The quality of our water now exceeds that of Townsville and many of its
suburbs.
Opening
of the High Ropes Course. It was
fantastic to see the opening of the first new commercial facility at Paluma in
many years. The PDCA cannot claim any responsibility for this but we have been
enthusiastically supportive of the efforts and vision of Sam Stedman and Wilfred
Karnoll who partnered in developing the facility. It appears to be a success with regular use
by schools and other private groups
Repair of
the Hussy Rd turnoff and paving of the beginning of Hussey Rd. This has been an ongoing issue for many years
but thanks to the efforts of Michael Drew and other residents of the “Republic
of Hussey Road” it has now been completed.
Installation
and commissioning of the new Telstra Mobile phone tower. This has had a major impact on our community,
providing high quality digital and voice communication throughout the village
and out to Hussey Road. The ground work for this project was laid by several
previous PDCA executive members.
Construction
of a new Website – Paluma.org. We now have a highly functional website that
provides information on the attractions and history of Paluma. It also allows regular contributions from our
prolific nature and social bloggers (Colwyn Campbell and Michele Bird) as well
as other residents. A review of website usage indicates that we get about 350
visits per month. Most of this traffic is directed at the various posts, but we
have also had more than 1000 downloads of documents from the Maps and History
sections of our library. Currently the
website has of 54 pages of information (separate from regular posts) and more
than 200 photographs that can be displayed in slideshows or used for illustrative
purposes.
In addition to these major
milestones, the PDCA has also continued to carry or promote our annual program
of social, cultural and sporting activities. These include:
Paluma Push – our role was to provide assistance
at check points and hold a end of event BBQ for all volunteers
Paluma Races –provided a venue for the start,
assistance with promotion, logistics and checkpoints
Our regular Social Nights organized by Lynn and
Les Hyland with help from many others
Garden Competition
Bush Dance with Wattle and Gum
Sunday Markets
Lynn continued to do a fantastic job managing hall bookings
this past year. We have attracted a number of interesting groups up to Paluma (Blankets
of Love, Buddhist Retreat, Plant Identification course) and this not only helps
to enhance our visibility as a great place to hold workshops or retreats, but
also continues to make an important financial contribution to the Association.
In addition to the construction of the new Hall extension,
the Paluma Community Centre Management Committee (SES, PDCA, PRFS) has reviewed
the need for major maintenance of the rest of the building and has arranged for
the existing roof to be re-screwed, gutter brackets replaced and new skylights
installed. Further maintenance and
improvement works such as a covered walkway between the back SES door and the
back stairs to the new Hall extension, and the installation of a concrete slab
under the hall for a generator, is being planned for this year.
The PDCA spent some time looking at safety issues this year.
We held meetings with Transport and Main Roads to discuss the need for upgrades
of the range road at several spots and have been informed that efforts will be
made to include this work in the next bid for road funding in 2019-20. The PDCA
has had several discussions with relevant authorities about speeding in the
village and we will continue to lobby for appropriate signage and other
realistic measures to make are village roads safer. We have also reviewed arrangements
for the location of the Royal Flying Doctor Service kits. It will remain at the
Ivy Cottage with Ian Marshall acting as the key contact person. We have also investigated options for access
to a defibrillator. Currently there is a defib (currently being serviced) in
the Paluma Fire Brigade vehicle, and Michael Drew has arranged for a second
unit (in service) to be made available over the Easter weekend in the Hall. To
cater for other injuries, Juanita Poletto has organized the placement of a St John’s
Ambulance first aid kit (with additional kits for burns and snake bites) in the
hall, together with appropriate signage.
Building on the capabilities of our new website, we have
undertaken a major revision of the format for Turkey Talk. Given that our web
posts now cover over 90% of traditional Turkey Talk content, the newsletter is
now circulated as a quarterly digest of new information posted to the Website.
Although the PDCA has accomplished quite a bit during the
year, we still have a list of issues and jobs that we started to address but have
not reached full completion or resolution. Some of our priorities for next year
include:
Finalize discussion with TMR on road closure
policies during and after road slips, vegetation clearance schedules, and on
funding for a major works program to address safety hotspots on the road
Construction of a platform and interpretive
signage for the Star Valley Lookout
Development of new garden beds along the main
roads of the village
Construction of a walkway with Platypus viewing
platforms
At the recent PDCA Annual General Meeting the following people were elected:
President
Jamie Oliver
1st Vice President
Sarah Swan
Treasurer
Wilfred Karnoll
Secretary
Michele Bird
Committee Member
Lynn Hyland
We welcome Sarah as a new member to the Committee (and to Paluma) and look forward to her contributions and perspectives on how we can ensure Paluma lives up to, and enhances, its reputation as a key destination for locals and interstate/overseas visitors, and as a small patch of paradise for those of us who are residents.
The position of 2nd Vice President is currently vacant (it is an optional position) but we are keen to fill it if there is someone who is interested in getting involved with the PDCA. Please contact Michele or anyone above it you would like further information.
Colwyn Campbell and Juanita Poletto decided not to seek re-election this year in order to concentrate on other work. The meeting thanked both outgoing members for their contributions on the Committee. Colwyn in particular has been on the committee as Vice President or Treasurer. Her calm and considered voice on key matters during Exec meetings will be missed. Colwyn will continue to play a key role in the History Project as well as maintaining her important contributions to the Web site and Turkey Talk (as editor). Juanita was also thanked for her work in securing new first aid kits for the hall and in conducting a review of the Royal Flying Doctor medical kit arrangements (which remains at Ivy Cottage under the stewardship of Ian Marshall).
The full minutes of the AGM and General Meeting will be published shortly in the members section of the website.
Some recent, and unexpected encounters with Red-bellied (or Common) Black Snakes have prompted me (Colwyn Campbell) to write this article about the slithery reptile. I regularly meet these creatures in my garden and whilst out walking. My most recent encounter was last week at 7.30 in the morning after a night of heavy rain.
I was sweeping leaves off the front veranda and had left the door open so that Flossie (my dog) could follow me out. Becoming aware of activity behind me I turned to see, between me and the door, Flossie engaged in a vigorous pas de deux with a very large red-bellied black snake. Without thinking, I used the broom to drag Flossie close enough to grab her by the collar and throw her inside the house, while at the same time trying to fend off the snake and foil its apparent intention of entering the house. I then leapt inside and slammed the door. Poor thing – it probably only needed a warm, dry place to escape from the cold and rain-sodden garden. But I didn’t want it inside my house! I watched it coil up near my firewood box, then promptly rang my neighbour (Len Cook) who sent the snake on its way by turning the hose on it. This is the largest red-bellied black snake I have seen in my area so naturally, I am concerned that Flossie does not meet up with it again.
The red-bellied black snake is so much part of the Paluma rainforest environment that most of us take its presence for granted. Gardeners know to make a few thrusts with a rake to move snoozing serpents away before starting to weed the garden, but what do we really know about these beautiful (but to some, evil and rather terrifying) creatures?
Red-bellied black snake basking in the sun in a Paluma garden (Photo by Jamie Oliver).
The red-bellied black snake is a member of the Elapidae Family – venomous snakes with fixed poison fangs at the front of the upper jaw. They occur mostly in the tropics, however the red-bellied black snake ranges through much of south-eastern Australia and up to the Atherton Tableland, inhabiting well-watered areas such as woodlands, swamps, creeks, river banks – and Paluma gardens. Its preferred diet is frogs and small lizards, but fish and small mammals may also be included on the menu. A handsome creature, growing to an average of 1.25 metres, the snake’s sleek, glossy black scales shimmer on the upper surface, while the underbelly can vary from a brilliant red to a pale, creamy pink.
Although the red-bellied black snake’s venom is capable of causing significant illness, fatalities in humans are rare, its bite being less venomous than other Australian elapids, such as the king brown snake or taipan. The venom contains neurotoxins, myotoxins, coagulants and has haemolytic properties. Fortunately, the red-bellied black snake is not an aggressive species and will move out of the way rather than face an unpleasant encounter. When provoked, it will assume a striking stance, hiss loudly and flatten the neck and body in a display that is mostly bluff.
That Flossie has not been bitten during the course of her many confrontations with black snakes is proof to me of their docile nature.
Red-bellied black snake at Paluma (Photo by Jamie Oliver).
Snakes entered Australia millions of years ago from Asia, probably when the continental land masses were still joined. Two main groups of Elapids developed – one group comprised small nocturnal species with specialized feeding habits; and the other group, larger snakes, diurnal (active by day) and with more general diets. This group includes some of the deadliest snakes in the world: brown snakes, black snakes and taipans.
Live-bearing arose in two different lineages of Australian elapids. In one lineage, only a single species is viviparous: the common red-bellied black snake. It is alone among its closest relatives in bearing live young and because of this was able to expand the range of the genus into cooler, south-eastern parts of the country, whereas most egg-laying elapids such as taipans and king brown snakes, are found in warmer or tropical regions.
In bearing live young the female has the advantage of a shorter pregnancy. Eggs retained inside the mother’s body are kept warmer and develop faster than eggs laid in the earth, where in cold climates a low soil temperature impedes development of the embryo, even to the extent of preventing hatching before the arrival of the frosts of autumn. Live bearing benefits the young: enabling them to be born much earlier in the season, thus allowing them to feed and find shelter before the colder weather arrives. The baby snakes are born in a clutch of between ten and twenty, each encased in an amniotic sac from which they emerge within a few minutes ready to fend for themselves.
Black snakes like to maintain a body temperature close to 30 degrees Celsius. Many factors will determine how quickly a snake heats up: the intensity of solar radiation, wind, air temperature and the amount of the snake’s surface that is exposed to the sun. They can regulate their temperature by selecting a warm or cool position to lie, often by moving only a few centimetres, from lawn to beneath a shrub, for example. The snake can position its body so that only a small part is exposed but the warmed blood will carry heat to the rest of the body. If food is scarce, the snake benefits by being inactive and cool rather than expending energy and heat by hunting.
In spring, black snakes emerge and bask in the morning, heating up rapidly. They maintain their optimum body temperature all day even though the air temperature may drop below 20 degrees. In summer however, they generally do not bask, even if the morning is cool and their body temperature is quite low. Rather than heat up immediately they choose to remain cooler. Black snakes are actually cooler when the weather is hotter.
Pregnant females bask longer than non-pregnant females as warmth accelerates development of the embryos and is advantageous to both the mother and the young. An interesting observation is made by herpetologist Rick Shine (whose excellent book Australian Snakes: A Natural History, I have delved into for most of this information regarding black snakes). He describes the gathering together in summer of small groups, of two to six pregnant females when near to giving birth. They share a common night-time retreat, usually a burrow, and emerge together in the morning to bask. Female black snakes in late pregnancy do not feed so they remain in the vicinity of their burrow for weeks.
Although tending not to roam far from their own territory during the year, males in the spring mating season may travel up to 1 km in a day in search of a female. That is when you are most likely to come across one on the Paluma walking tracks!
Snakes have an undeservedly bad reputation, starting from the Biblical serpent who tempted Eve, to the wicked Mrs Black Snake who menaced Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. Other cultures have revered the snake and for many it was regarded as a symbol of knowledge and wisdom. Next time you come across a red-bellied black snake in your garden, pause and admire it for the beautiful and complex creature it is.
Article by Colwyn Campbell
References & More Information:
Rick Shine – Australian Snakes: A Natural History and Graeme Gow – Complete Guide to Australian Snakes.
This drawing of a red-bellied black snake in 1794 was said to be the first scientific illustration of an Australian snake. (Image reproduced from Zoology and Botany of New Holland (1794) from an article on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-bellied_black_snake).
