Two species of shrike-thrush are commonly seen at Paluma — the Little Shrike-Thrush (Colluricincla megarhyncha) and Bowers Shrike-Thrush (Colluricincla boweri). They are not easy to disambiguate even with a clear picture and a few bird books, as colour and distinguishing features vary quite a lot by gender and age for both species. The name doesn’t help as the Bowers Shrike-Thrush is smaller than the Little Shrike-Thrush.
This specimen posed for the camera on one of Jan Cooke’s tomato plants in April. Jan thinks this is probably a Little Shrike-Thrush.
The Paluma area bird list (compiled by Andree Griffin and Roy Mackay) lists the Rufous Songlark(Magalurus mathewsi) as an occasional visitor to Paluma, although its range covers most of Australia. This bird was one of a pair seen near the Community Hall in April. The Australian Bird Guide says the Rufous Songlark breeds in South Australia in spring and summer but migrates inland, or to north Australia in autumn and winter. The distinguishing ‘rufous rump’ is mostly hidden by wing feathers, but can be seen in photo 3 below.
Macleays Honeyeater(Xanthotis macleayanus) is a charming and friendly little bird endemic to the Wet Tropics and a common visitor to feed tables in Paluma. They are not shy and at places they visit regularly may perch on a hand that offers something to eat.
The Red-Backed Button Quail(Turnix maculosis) is a regular resident in the Paluma Village but is secretive, and most commonly observed exploding from cover and flying rapidly away.
This female was with a juvenile in tow across the road from the Community Hall in March, but scurried off down the back of Cooke’s place. She next appeared walking away by herself. It seems she planted the youngster under a bush and stayed in plain sight walking away to lead interest away from the bub.
The total rainfall recorded in May (to date) in the BOM gauge at the Village Green is impressive.
Paluma Village (at the BOM gauge) has had a total of 343.2 mm of rain as of today (Friday 13th May). Some 296 mm of that total was recorded this week alone.
The word (from a very reliable source) is that Paluma Dam is at about 80% capacity and about 1 m below the spillway and still rising.
Thanks to Barry for passing on these rainfall figures today.
This rather skinny python was spotted recently by Lynda Radbone on the back verandah of a residence at the western end of Paluma Village. The poor python was a bit lethargic and quite reluctant to move from the deck. It certainly looks like this snake could do with a good feed of scrub turkey or perhaps a rainforest rodent. We hope it has made its way back into the forest and has found something nourishing to eat.
If anyone knows a wildlife carer who might be able to assist with regard to the welfare of this poor python, please contact Lynda for the location of the recent sighting of this snake. It retreated under the house so perhaps it is still there and in need of care. It’s times like this that we miss our resident wildlife expert and herpetologist Roy Mackay who would have known exactly what to do!
The wet season was late to start this year and in the forest this was reflected in the relative paucity of mushrooms and other fungi during the initial months of this year. The recent late season rains have partly made up for this, although the cooler weather may have inhibited growth in some varieties. I have been keeping record of any mushrooms I have seen since January when I got back from travelling out west and decided to compile a gallery of the results, together with any preliminary identifications I have been able to glean from various references.
One of the highlights for me this year was a blue mushroom that I had seen in previous years but never photographed. This species is quite different from the one that Michele photographed last year (and which I misidentified as being the one pictured here). It has a more mat surface and more muted colour but is quite striking nonetheless.
Entolama hochstetteri is also referred to as E. virescens (a Japanese species) on many web pages and there may still be some uncertainty over which name is most appropriate (or indeed whether it is a separate possibly undescribed species). If you care to do some further reading there is a very readable article in the Queensland Mycologist 12(2):5-8. It’s an unusually fun read with historical anecdotes as well as a brief diversion to discuss the national origin of Pavlova! In New Zealand, where the species was first described, the indigenous name for E. hochstetteri is called “Werewere kokako” which translates as “Kokako’s wattle” referring to the similarity in colour between the mushroom and the facial wattle of the Kokako, a native wattlebird, both of which are featured on the NewZealand $50 note.
The mushroom below (Schizophylllum commune – split gill fungus) is currently still visible growing on old pine logs (ask Lynda Radbone if you would like to see it). Michele Bird first noticed it and its unusual shape led us to think it might be something rare and unique. However it turns out to be a common cosomopolitan species often seen growing on dead wood in gardens and forests. has a shape and texture quite unlike most other mushrooms. it gest its name from the fact that the gills on the undersurface can split lengthwise. The upper surface can be covered in fine white “fluff” and its colour ranges from brown or cream to pale green. This mushroom is considered pathogenic with recent research indicating it can cause respiratory diseases. DO NOT SMELL IT!
UndersurfaceSchyzophyllum commune
Coral fungi are always a joy to see, and this one found by Juanita on the H-track is no exception. It is probably a member of the genus Aphelaria.
Aphelaria sp – Coral Fungus, photo by Juanita Poletto
Identification of a mushroom usually requires a check of the undersurface of the cap to determine if it has gills (Agarics) or fine pores (Boletes or Polypores) The mushroom below is a typical bolete. It most probably belongs to the genus Boletellus and looks like the “shaggy cap” B. emodensis. I’ve found this a couple of times along dryer sections of the Witts lookout track and the Bluegum track. Its attractive pink flakey cap and yellow undersurface are very distinctive.
Boletellus cf emodensis – Shaggy cap
Little red mushrooms are a common sight along the forest tracks poking up from the leaf litter. This one is probably Hygrocybe miniata, which has a mat red surface, a cap that becomes flattened or even concave as it grows larger.
Hygrocybe cf miniata – vermillion waxcap
A few other specimens found over the last few months are set out below – with names where I have found something likely.
Hygrocybe cf proceraHygrocybe cf proceraRussula spRussula spEntoloma pamelae?Entoloma pamelae?Laetiporus sulphureusLaetiporus sulphureus Chicken of the woodsMycena chlorophosMycena chlorophosFiloboletus manipularisFiloboletus manipularis
Text and photos (unless indicated) by Jamie Oliver
Anyone who spent some time at Paluma Village over the ANZAC Day long weekend doesn’t need me to tell them it was wet, wet, wet!
Finally there has been some respite from the relatively dry weather over the early months of 2022 with good rainfall totals in the BOM gauge at the Village Green over the past few days. In case you were wondering how much rain we’ve had in the village, here’s a quick snapshot of the weekend totals, noting that these recordings are made each morning between approximately 7.30 am and 8.30 am. Recorders are Barry Smith, Peter Cooke and/or Michele Bird.
Friday 22 April – 145 mm
Saturday 23 April – 48.5 mm
Sunday 24 April – 24.8 mm
Monday 25 April – 65.4 mm
Tuesday 26 April – 144 mm
That’s a whopping total of 427.7 mm over the past five days!
The good news from around the village is that many of the empty rainwater tanks on the outer village blocks (in the Republic) are now overflowing. Don at Hussey Road reported that his dam is full and that was early on Monday morning before the additional 144 mm of rain over the 24 hours to Tuesday morning.
Fortunately, the rain eased off slightly at 6 am Monday morning just in time for fifteen very hardy Paluma residents to mark ANZAC Day with our version of the Dawn Service. Daylight broke with the raising of the flag, the Last Post and a minute of silence. We shared ANZAC biscuits and then headed home for a hot cuppa. Special thanks to Len and Lynda for their efforts in contributing to the Dawn Service.
An added note is that the good rainfall means that the drive up and down the Paluma Range Road is pretty spectacular just now with all creeks and waterfalls in rapid flow. I snapped a few iPhone photographs yesterday (25 April) at some of my favourite spots along the way.
Twin Falls 1Twin Falls 2. Looks like the geotech guys have added some notes to the rock wall!Crystal Creek Bridge 1Crystal Creek Bridge 2The beautiful Fairy Falls.
Text & Photos by Michele Bird with recent rainfall readings contributed by Barry Smith and Michele Bird.
This Saturday’s Paluma After Dark walk along Lennox Cr and the start of the H-Track was a success with a small but enthusiastic group of residents and a bit of luck with the inclement weather. Colwyn Campbell was able to joint the group, together with Michele Bird, Jodie Pace, Juanita Poletto and myself. Fortunately, the rain paused just before our scheduled walk and started up again just as we finished. The wet forest floor was covered in gleaming droplets lit up by our torches, but we were still able to see eyeshine from some huntsman spiders and a nocturnal moth. There were several larger items on display as well, including a medium-sized amethystine python crossing the path in front of us, a native rat glowing bluish in our UV lights, a small colony of glow worms (and a minute luminous mushroom) along Lennox Cr. and a large log covered in brilliantly fluorescing liverworts.
One of the things we learned on the walk was that when it comes to using UV light to bring out fluorescence, “torches ain’t torches”. The common inexpensive UV torches available in Townsville stores emit light that is only just within the UV range and also produce substantial visible violet light that can mask or mute the fluorescence. A recently purchased (but more expensive) UV light that emits more light fully in the UV range (365nm) induced more brilliantly blue fluorescence in the liverworts, but also created stunning red fluorescence in some mosses and the new leaves of small seedlings in the forest floor.
Here are a few photos from the walk that will hopefully inspire others to join our next walk in June.
The second “Paluma After Dark” night walk is scheduled for this Saturday at 7pm, starting at Potters Park (27 Lennox Cr).
In the weeks since the inaugural walk in March, there have been a number of unofficial night walks around the village that has uncovered some additional features that can be easily seen along Lennox Cr or the H-track. The most spectacular is the discovery of brilliant green fluorescent liverworts along the H-track. These small moss-like plants are not normally visible in the dark, but suddenly glow electric blue when illuminated with UV light. On the H-track, these liverworts can cover entire logs, mostly as an understory plant beneath and between moss and other non-fluorescing liverworts. Andi Cairns, who is a local expert on liverworts organized a dedicated collecting trip with me and Will Cairns as collectors (the most conspicuously fluorescing logs were just out of wheelchair access range for Andi.) Andi has identified the species as Bazzania vittata.
A rotten log on the H-track. Top left: Illuminated by normal torchlight. Top Right: Illuminated with a UV torch. Bottom: Using both torches to show how the fluorescent species is a relatively inconspicuous component of the surface of the log, which is dominated by a moss and a larger liverwort, Photos by Will Cairns.
After consulting her network of experts from other states and countries it appears that this phenomenon is a recently discovered property of just a few species. And her posts and pictures have motivated other bryologists to go out with UV torches to see what they can find! There is active speculation (but no firm conclusions) on what adaptive advantage this fluorescence confers on the liverwort. It is possible that it provides some protection against UV damage as the fluorescence serves to absorb potentially harmful UV and re-emit it as safe visible light, but there may be other possible explanations.
Another log glowing brightly under UV illumination. Left: under normal torch light. Right: Illuminated with UV torch only. Photos by Jamie Oliver
I have been out on 4 occasions over the last month and have seen these glowing liverworts each time, so I am pretty sure they will be visible during our next Paluma After Dark walk this Saturday.
The other discovery (at least for me personally) is that there is a small colony of glow worms living on a low vertical earth cutting just before the first left-hand bend in the crescent (starting from Potters Park). Several residents have mentioned to me that they have seen glow worms in the past around Paluma, but it’s great to find some right along the road near my house. unlike the fluorescent liverworts, glow worms are bioluminescent and emit light during the nighttime to attract small insects that they feed on. Glow worms are actually the larval phase of a small fly (several species of fungus gnat) belonging to 3 genera. In Australia & NZ there are nine species belonging to the genus Arachnocampa. Here in Queensland the predominant and endemic species is Arachnocampa tropica, which can be found throughout the wet tropics. The larvae of all glow worms produce a series of horizontal and vertical threads with viscous droplets that act as a fly trap for small insects. The larvae live and grow for about 6-11 months while the adult is very short-lived.
Left: No torch lighting-Close up of the luminous larvae (top centre) and adjacent threads and droplets . Right: the entire trap illuminated by torchlight with larva top centre. Photos by Jamie Oliver
I will certainly ensure that we check these out as well during our next night walk.
Text by Jamie Oliver, photos as indicated
The next Paluma After Dark walk will be at 7 pm, Saturday, April 23, at Potters Park (27 Lennox Cr). Bring a head torch and a UV torch if you have one. I will have several UV torches to share.
