Excursion Report QNC excursion to Coochiemudlo Island, Sunday 14 July 2024

 Coochiemudlo Island, Sunday 14 July 2024 – Report by Susan Nelles

On a perfect day, our group of 14 set out to enjoy a day of naturalising.

This included six Toowoomba Field Naturalist Club members who were staying on the island, two visitors from Canberra who had just joined QNC and come for the day, and local members.. The Toowoomba group met Lollipop, a 21 year old donkey out walking with its carer; it was celebrating its birthday with a party later that day.

We decided not to record all plant and other obvious sightings, as there are comprehensive plant and bird lists and inaturalist records from previous visits.

 https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/qnc-2022-july-coochiemudlo-island

This link gives all of the observations on iNaturalist for Coochie and the surrounding waters: Observations · iNaturalist

There are currently 959 observations for 399 species.

We explored the eastern shoreline at low tide, found several white hammer oyster shells Malleus albus and coral looking pieces. Libby, a marine scientist, said they were coraline algae, with calcium deposits.

It seemed appropriate to be learning about galls on Bastille Day.

Penny has studied and knew this genus of scale insect, Apiomorpha pedunculata. The female and male insects provoke a specific shaped gall reaction by the eucalypt. A

We saw several fungi on dead wood and few small gilled species in the dry leaf litter,

 and enjoyed the diverse bird sightings and sounds.

It was a most convivial time together exploring the various habitats, with more to see on another visit to this special island.