In this article I wish to share with you some of the fauna that live on our Land for Wildlife and Voluntary Conservation Agreement property at Stony Creek, by focussing on priority fauna species of Moreton Bay Regional Council (MBRC).
There is a great document available that details all of the 119 priority flora and fauna species occurring in the MBRC area. If you are a MBRC Land for Wildlife member, just ask your Land for Wildlife Officer for a copy. It describes in detail the process by which flora and fauna were chosen as priority species.
First a little background information about us and how our property became registered with a Voluntary Conservation Agreement (VCA).
My wife and I (both named Kym, although I refer to her as the ‘Boss’) purchased our 16 ha, ex-dairy and logging property at Stony Creek in 1990. We aptly named it ‘Prickle Farm’ and began the task of removing large tracts of Lantana, Groundsel, Camphor Laurel, car and caravan bodies, and a household rubbish dump in a gully.
For ten years we attempted some hobby farm ventures, such as cattle and lychees, which were not very successful or rewarding. Then we began to realise that instead of working against nature we should work with it. This attitude greatly changed how we viewed where we live.
Our enthusiasm became stronger with positive feedback on the diversity of species on our property from visitors such as Anna Muscat (local Platypus expert), Ric Nattrass (former Queensland Parks and Wildlife ranger and naturalist), Caboolture Bird Observers, NatureSearch, SEQ Water and many other experts that visited. In addition, we were a soft release site for possums and gliders from local wildlife carers for several years.
In 2003, we decided to increase our involvement becoming a VCA property with a conservation covenant on our land title. We have since worked tirelessly to improve the environmental significance as custodians of our land.
We have planted and maintained thousands of trees, installed numerous nest boxes and, of course, are stillattempting to keep the multitude of weeds at bay. Grants and advice from MBRC have been invaluable in educating and enabling us to continue our work.
We are fortunate to have a wide array of habitats ranging from wet sclerophyll and dry rainforest, which are present on hills, gullies and creek flats. Stony Creek, at the far end of our property, is a pristine waterway, containing the elusive Platypus and Water Rats. While we fight to maintain the riparian zone and an environmental flow, it is continually under threat from excessive water extraction for irrigation.
The photos in this article have all been taken by myself on our property. They represent just some of the priority fauna we have been privileged to observe and photograph over many years as some are not regular visitors.
Fauna that we have seen but haven’t yet photographed include the Grey-headed Flying-fox, Little Red Flying-fox, Black Flying-fox, Feathertail Glider, Square-tailed Kite and the Australian River Mussel (the largest freshwater mussel in Australia).
What fauna do we dearly want to see on our property from the MBRC priority species list?
Our ‘bucket list’ includes the Spotted-tailed Quoll, Powerful Owl, Coxen’s Fig-parrot, Swift Parrot, Green-thighed Frog, Giant Barred Frog, Common Death Adder, Regent Honeyeater, Long-nosed Potoroo, Marbled Frogmouth, Pouched Frog and the Sooty Owl.
We still have a long way to go but we know we are on the right track!!
Article by Mr Kym Rawson
Land for Wildlife member
Stony Creek, Moreton Bay