Nature – Page 7 – Paluma – our village in the mist

Paluma After Dark: Sugar Glider provides a grand finale to the latestnight walk

The recent “Paluma After Dark” night walk took place last Saturday night at Don Battersby’s place on Hussey Road. The walk was well attended, with 7 locals and 5 visitors. A quick tour of Don’s property revealed a few interesting fluorescing lichens and plants and several tiny prowling wolf spiders whose eyeshine seemed disproportionately bright for their tiny size.

Once into the forest behind Don’s block we were given a full tour of the track to Ethel Creek and back via Hussey Road.

Top Left: A green suppleljack vine (*Rhipognium album*) fluorescing bright blue.
Top Righ: An unidentified seedling with green leaves fluorescing bright red
Bottom Left: A common but beautiful night moth with bright eyeshine *(Bracca rotundata)*
Bottom Right: The jungle huntsman spider (*Heteropoda jugulans* is a common Paluma species
Top photos by Jamie Oliver; Bottom Photos by Juanita Poletto

Using the various UV torches on hand, we saw several glowing supplejack vines, many brilliant red tree seedlings and several spiders, including the common jungle huntsman. Several mossy logs also had a sprinkling of fluorescent bryophytes similar to ones we have previously found on the H-Track.A couple of us also heard and caught a fleeting glimpse of a native rat, but not enough to identify the species.

On the way back to Don’s, walking along Hussey road with heavy feet and flagging attention, Juanita spotted some eyeshine in a tree beside the road. Closer inspection showed it to be a sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps). Although about 5m up and partly obscured by branches it was nevertheless easy to make out the facial markings and skin folds between fore and rear legs that provide for fairly positive identification. It was a great ending to the evening and is the first arboreal mammal that many of us have seen in Paluma. As an added bonus, one of several leaf-tailed geckos (Saltuarius cornutus) living in Don’s shed came out to bid us goodbye as we prepared to leave. Below are pictures (not taken that night) that illustrate these last two species.

Left: A sugar glider near the Lake Eacham looking very similar to the one we saw
Right: One of the leaf-tailed geckos living in Don’s shed – taken last year
Photos by Jamie Olive

Many thanks to Don, for his enthusiasm and stamina in leading this walk.

Our next walk will be in August and will be advertised on the web.

Text by Jamie Oliver; photos as indicated

Reminder: Paluma After Dark this Saturday night – 6:30pm

The next scheduled Paluma After Dark evening walk will be this Saturday evening at 6:30pm. This time we will be exploring Don Battersby’s property and nearby forest for animals that he has seen around there over the last decade or more.

We will meet at 6:30pm at Don’s place just around the first bend of Hussey Road on the left. Bring a head torch and UV light if you have them – and warm clothes!

The UV lights have proven useful in highlighting some highly flourescent mosses, liverworts and other seedlings, but they are also known to pick up scorpions. I can testify that this is the case for at least one scorpion species that was spotted during my recent trip with Tony and Julie Bligh across the Simpson Desert. Paluma also has at least on species of scorpion so we might see one of these on the prowl this Saturday

Jamie Oliver

Australian King Parrot

The Australian King Parrot (Alisterus scapularis) is found from Cairns to Melbourne. This male was foraging by himself on the dried fruit of an Alphitonia tree (known locally as sarsaparilla tree) near the Paluma Community Hall. Birds from southern Australia are larger than the northern sub-species Alisterus scapularis (minor). Lloyd Neilsen (Birds of the Wet Tropics) says they are uncommon at Paluma and Mt Lewis, but Andree Griffin and Roy Mackay class it as a breeding resident in an area from Little Crystal Creek to Mt Spec and Taravale.

Text & Photos by Peter Cooke

Little Shrike-Thrush

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.

Text & Photo by Peter Cooke

Rufous Songlark

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.

Text & Photos by Peter Cooke

Macleays Honeyeater

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.

Text & Photo by Peter Cooke

Red-Backed Button Quail

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.

Text & Photo by Peter Cooke

BOM Rain Gauge Update

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.

A Skinny Serpent

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!

Photos courtesy of Lynda Radbone.

Wet Season Mushrooms: a recap

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.

**Entoloma hochstetteri** (**blue pinkgill**, **sky-blue mushroom**)

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!

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.

Text and photos (unless indicated) by Jamie Oliver