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Springbrook Wildlife Appreciation Group

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25.01.2022 Springbrook local, Damon, managed to get this interesting footage of a predatory katydid eating an emerging cicada.

23.01.2022 Good weather for these guys. Blood suckers!

23.01.2022 Some good words sent to me about the parking issues. An issue that needs to be fixed! He worked with National Parks on a Sustainable Visitor Capacity Group back in the early 2000s. A document that seems to have disappeared. There was a simple basis: limit the parking and usage areas to a 'sustainable' number. When its full its full, and if so, come back another time. Simultaneously, fix the road edges & establish permanent roadside barriers and painted yellow lines (with e...nforcement) to combat illegal parking. No point doing one without the other. Or, better still, maybe someone can get modern and, just like a shopping centre car park but further away, have a sign at Wunburra showing how many cumulative car spaces are available, and if its zero, a big red flashing FULL sign at the top of the one-way with turn right arrows (go back down). But easier still, how about a boom gate with residents and limited pre-booked passes...

22.01.2022 This book is a must for anyone with an interest in the wildlife in our backyards and wild areas. The previous edition of Wildlife of Greater Brisbane has been out of print for awhile. It is great to see this new edition is now available. https://www.shop.qm.qld.gov.au//wildlife-of-greater-brisba

22.01.2022 Wow! A whole bunch of tickets and surveys have already sold out but there is still the opportunity to join some really cool surveys! Don't miss this chance to ...participate alongside experts in their field like Glenn Leiper (Mangroves to Mountain), Chris Burwell (Senior Curator Insects Queensland Museum), Dr. Tobias Smith (BeeAware Kids), Robert Whyte (Spiders of Australia), Peter Johnson (ANGFA), Hunter McCall (Frogs of Tamborine Mountain) and all the other fantastic survey leaders. Available tickets are as follows: Friday night - Night spotting Friday night - Frogs Saturday morning - Birds Saturday morning - Botany Saturday morning - Koalas Saturday morning - Fish Saturday morning - Spiders Saturday morning - Insects Saturday morning - Waterbugs Saturday morning - Guided tour at Twin fills with Mike Hall Saturday afternoon - Dragonflies Saturday afternoon - Native Bees Saturday afternoon - Botany Saturday night - Insect sheet survey Saturday night - Night spotting Sunday morning - Birds Sunday morning - Botany Sunday morning - Moss Sunday morning - Insect Sunday morning - Waterbugs Book your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/116079160895/ We are still busy fine tuning behind the scenes logistics but wow, it is going to one crazy fun event and we can't wait to share the hidden creatures of Springbrook with you!

21.01.2022 In follow-up to our previous post, here are some highlights from a recent camera trap deployment on a Land for Wildlife property at Springbrook on the Gold Coas...t. Images of all 26 fauna species captured by the camera are displayed. A wonderful diversity of wildlife visiting this watering hole in the rainforest! See more

21.01.2022 Third time lucky. Steve Wilson,the author of the Field Guide of the Reptiles of Australia will be giving a talk on the reptiles of our area at 2pm on the 25th of July in the Springbrook Community Hall. As Covid restrictions are still in place numbers will be limited to 50. Can you either message this page or email [email protected] if you would like to attend.

20.01.2022 Display footage of a Paradise Rifle Bird courting display is very rare. This YouTube clip is very much worth watching. https://youtu.be/i641Fat32Dc

19.01.2022 So special to witness this, this morning. A display by a male Paradise Rifle Bird to an attendant female. These birds are the Southern most species of Birds of Paradise. Seeing a display is very rare in these birds.

19.01.2022 Probably the local that causes more medical issues than anything else. Ticks can cause serious disease in humans as well as kill dogs. Tick bites in Australia can lead to a variety of illnesses in patients. These include infection, allergies, paralysis, autoimmune disease, post-infection fatigue and Australian multisystem disorder. Rickettsial (Rickettsia spp.) infections (Queensland tick typhus, Flinders Island spotted fever and Australian spotted fever) and Q fever (Coxiel...la burnetii) are the only systemic bacterial infections that are known to be transmitted by tick bites in Australia. Three species of local ticks transmit bacterial infection following a tick bite: the paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus) is endemic on the east coast of Australia and causes Queensland tick typhus due to R. australis and Q fever due to C. burnetii; the ornate kangaroo tick (Amblyomma triguttatum) occurs throughout much of northern, central and western Australia and causes Q fever; and the southern reptile tick (Bothriocroton hydrosauri) is found mainly in south-eastern Australia and causes Flinders Island spotted fever due to R. honei. Much about Australian ticks and the medical outcomes following tick bites remains unknown. Further research is required to increase understanding of these areas. https://www.abc.net.au//the-tick-debate:-how-shoul/7541358

18.01.2022 Surely it's a sustainable Saturday today? A day to visit the park but leave no trace? Take only photos and leave only footprints? Take your rubbish home and dont leave the track. It's a way of helping make sure the park is still here and as wondrous in years to come. If you're a visitor to Springbrooks National Park this weekend and plan to visit the famous Purlingbrook Falls, check out a well hidden secret parking spot instead of joining the hordes of people parking illegall...y and dangerously around the entrance. Go a further kilometer up Springbrook Rd to Carricks Rd, turn down Carricks rd, go past the hall and a few hundred meters down the road is a giant area, with toilets and a picnic area that no one uses! The Settlement Day Use Area is THE best kept secret parking spot on the mountain. AND it has a lovely wee track that comes out right by the Falls lookout. But shhhhh, dont tell anyone! If you are continuing up the mountain. Car pool at the Settlement day use area if you are coming in a group to do walks further up the mountain. Parking illegally at Twin Falls Trail heads is not on.

18.01.2022 I see entitled behaviour all the time in our national park all the time. I also hear from the experts about new species and rare species being found all the time as well. Entitled behaviour can destroy thos new species very quickly. https://mypolice.qld.gov.au//25/do-you-recognise-these-men/

18.01.2022 A report will be presented to the Gold Coast Council shortly that will undoubtedly say that the Gold Coast’s tourism industry needs a Cableway to Springbrook as post Covid boost. This idea has been knocked back a number of times on environmental, social and economic grounds. Any further proposal will not be any different. The talented Sani Bolton wrote and recorded this song for that last battle we had to stop a Cableway. We will continue to fight to protect the incredibly special environment of World Heritage listed Springbrook National Park. https://youtu.be/7Y9j11HTno4

18.01.2022 Here is why our National Parks are suffering from overuse. Queensland has less land in the protected estate than any other State in Australia.

18.01.2022 New fauna and flora species are being added to Springbrook’s list all the time. It is only because knowledgeable people are out there looking. What this proves is we just won’t know what we will lose if a cableway, new walking tracks or new look outs are built. National Parks are for the preservation of nature first and foremost. These Top-knot pigeons were nearly hunted to extinction. Let’s not do the same to something we don’t even know is there.

18.01.2022 There are still a few places left for Steve Wilsons talk on the 25th of July at 2pm in the Springbrook Community Hall. Steve really is Australias foremost Reptile expert. Steve will be talking on the reptiles of the area. This talk will be one not to miss. How He will have his latest book on the Retiles of the Scenic Rim for sale. Plus his updated Australian Reptile Field Guide. Please indicate in comments if you would like to attend. Numbers are limited as per Covid guidelines.

17.01.2022 These videos are very much worth watching if you have any interest in climate change and fire in rainforest. The discussions relate to the 2019 Nightcap Range bushfires. Even if you dont watch the panel discussions at least watch Nan Nicholson talk about her long connection to Gondwana Rainforest and her experience with these fires. Dr. Mike Kooyman, a Gondwana Rainforest ecologist, is very impressive. https://www.bigscrubrainforest.org/panel-discussions/

17.01.2022 We all know that everyone loves Springbrook. Some more than others unfortunately. Could those that leave rubbish, graffiti trees, take short cuts, build rock stacks, park illegally and dangerously and generally behave badly please stay at home.

16.01.2022 How much would it cost to stop extinctions? Australians spend about $13 billion a year on pet food, pet accessories and medical treatments for their pets, according to a survey by Animal Medicines Australia in 2019. It would cost $1.6 billion to improve the status of all of Australias threatened species and return their health to the point where they can be removed from lists of at-risk flora and fauna, through protections from land clearing and invasive species, habitat re...storation and other means, a scientific paper published in October in Conservation Letters estimated. But spending on Australias threatened species by the federal government dropped from $86.9 million in 2017-18 to $49.6 million in 2018-19. The researchers forecast it would grow to $54.6 million this financial year.

16.01.2022 One of our prettier leeches. I asked around for an name but scientists studying leeches are in short supply so never got one. The leeches are back after being knocked around by the drought. The tracks are wet and muddy from a couple of weeks of showers. It is 10 degrees and drizzling on Springbrook today.

15.01.2022 Back to some of our wonderful spiders. Whitebacked Mouse spiders (Missulena bradleyi) . The bite is considered medically significant so first aid should be given. Thank you again Adam Maund for the stunning photo. https://www.qm.qld.gov.au//Primitive+Spiders/Mouse+Spiders

15.01.2022 Update. A koala lost its life after being hit by a car on Nerang Murwillumbah Road near the Nerang River bridge. Who ever hit him did not stop. Luckily he was picked up by the good people at the Environment Education Centre and taken to Currumbin Wildlife Hospital.Please slow down on all roads leading to Springbrook and on Springbrook its self. There have been a number sightings in the last couple of days with koalas needed to be moved off the road.

15.01.2022 PLEASE SHARE Exudative Dermatitis in Brushtail Possums Brushtail Possums are often rescued suffering from Exudative Dermatitis, a skin condition thought ...to be caused by stress. Brushtail Possums are territorial and stressors such as competition for dens to live in, as well as food sources, are contributing factors to developing dermatitis. If you see one of your local possums exhibiting red lesions, often described as burns please contact our Hotline immediately on 07 5527 2444 The condition is treatable if caught in the early stages but can spread rapidly. Our volunteer rescuers are here to help

14.01.2022 One busy Brush- turkey. The cars were out of the carport for less than 4 hours. Hopefully the ladies will appreciate his work and eggs will be laid in his impressive mound he is building.

12.01.2022 Please sign and share. Our koalas are in a desperate situation. https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au//petit/petition-details

12.01.2022 I just had to share this. We do have Greater Gliders on Springbrook.

12.01.2022 It is very much worth following the link below and reading the article on female Superb Lyrebird behaviour. I suspect no one has studied our Alberts Lyrebirds to see if the same is true for them.

12.01.2022 A FIRE BAN will start at midnight tonight (Friday 27th Nov) until midnight Wednesday (2nd Dec) for GOLD COAST & surrounding areas. Gas bbqs, fires in safe fire pits (suburban areas only) are permitted but please keep water close & don't leave them unattended.

11.01.2022 This is the little girl I picked up and transported to Currumbin Wildlife Hospital on Sunday. Hopefully she recovers well.

11.01.2022 Another bitey beastie of the Springbrook bush. A scorpion. This is probably one of the Mottled Scorpians. The sting will hurt but it not known to be dangerous.

10.01.2022 Wet, cold with slippery muddy tracks. Not a day for upper Springbrook.

09.01.2022 So good to see such a positive outcome.

09.01.2022 Tickets are on sale. There is a lot of information on this page. Please enjoy reading it and working through what you may like to attend.

08.01.2022 As Springbrook is home to many venomous snakes this is very good advice. Interesting read on Australian Snakes... DO NOT try to catch, kill or identify the snake!!! This is important....Continue reading

08.01.2022 This year we have seen a large number of butterflies on the Gold Coast. This comprehensive document gives a lot of information about butterflies found on the Gold Coast. https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au//Backyard-Biodiversity-%2

08.01.2022 A very lucky local came across this very vocal Albert’s Lyrebird on his morning walk. The unusual call is usually a warning call and is made when a bird is disturbed. A younger bird was seen close by. Both birds scurried away after about 3 minutes.Thank you,Graham, for the footage.

08.01.2022 So beautiful to see. These days Regent Bowerbirds are only seen on private properties on Springbrook.

06.01.2022 Not much to see at the top end of Springbrook today. Beware the walking tracks will be very slippery after overnight rain. There have been two emergency rescues already this morning from accidents on the wet, slippery tracks.

06.01.2022 An app well worth downloading. Also help even more species to be recorded this weekend.

06.01.2022 Get ready to get your tickets so you can join these amazing experts as the lead small groups into the field.

06.01.2022 An interesting article about a tree that is quite common in Springbrooks rainforest. https://www.abc.net.au//stinging-tree-toxins-simi/12669088

06.01.2022 Come along and enjoy a catch up over tea coffee and Christmas cake next Sunday the 29th of November at 2pm in the Springbrook Community Hall. If you have a plant that you would like an identification of please bring along a branchlet. Reference books will be available to pursue as well. There are very few BioBlitz tickets left so get online and have browse and see what you would like to do. https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/springbrook-bioblitz-2020-t

05.01.2022 Ros Bates has posted out a letter asking for feed back from Springbrook residents on the mayors proposal for a cableway. At present there is no formal proposa...l to build a cableway to Springbrook. What we do have is a mayor that wants one. He got approval to use rate payers money for an initial feasibility study last year. About $180,000. As part of his electioneering he said he hoped that this years council budget would include $1,000,000for a further environmental impact assessment. Again rate payers money. There have been two previous serious attempts and a few half baked ones to get a cableway built. The 1998 approval failed on environmental grounds. 22 years later and those environmental grounds would be tougher to meet. The proposals involved starting along Springbrook Road, with the last one proposal starting at Pollys Kitchen. There were always forests stops along the way at the top of various hills. The end point has been past the Rangers station on Carricks Road. Council own Conservation land along there. The last proposal had a build depot on Pine Creek Road with building to take 18months to 2 years. Construction would include the stations plus up to 20 forty metre pylons. Now pylons need footings and access to build the footings. There was to be a large amount of helicopter work over those 2 years of build time. We all know what a racket helicopter make. Their down draft also destroys tree canopies as seem when helicopters were used to build the bridge at the bottom of Purling Brook Falls. The operators will want to keep all profits in house. So their own cafes. The last proposal had their own walking track and lookout. So no opportunities for customers to access cafes on the mountain. I spoke with people at Kuranda. The end point of the Cairns Skyway. The skyway killed off the accomodation market plus the rainforest community market. Rather than having tourists come and stay they ended up with a row of crappy tourist shops that open between 10am and 3pm. The cost is likely to be about $100 return. So all those visitors we have seen up here lately wont pay it because they know they can still easily drive up. The parking issues will remain. The $1.2 million the mayor wants to spend on a cableway feasibility would go a long way to working out how to fix our parking issues. See more

05.01.2022 The Green Grocer cicadas have dug themselves out of the ground, moulted and now looking to mate and lay eggs. Their median total life cycle length is around six to seven years, this being from egg to a natural adult death.Most of this spent as a nymph. The cicada spends seven years in nymph form drinking sap from plant roots underground before emerging from the earth as an adult. The adults, who live for six weeks, fly around, mate, and breed over the summer. The loud calls of the male are heard over the summer months; harsh and high-pitched, these may reach 120 decibels.The sound is made by the rapid buckling of the timbal ribs, and amplified by resonation in an air sac; the frequency is around 4.3 kHz.Calls occur in the afternoon and dusk of warm days

05.01.2022 An event worth attending.

03.01.2022 Watergum has been a bit quiet over the last week or so but... We are still here! We are very busy behind the scenes with the last BioBlitz tasks to bring the ev...ent together and to make sure that everyone is well informed! There are still a few tickets available, with only 7 more days to purchase them: SATURDAY MORNING Birds (Easy fitness grade) 1 ticket Botany (Mountain goat fitness grade) 2 tickets Koala (Easy fitness grade) 3 tickets Fish (Easy fitness grade) 5 tickets Insects (Easy fitness grade) 1 ticket Waterbugs (Easy fitness grade) 9 tickets SATURDAY NIGHT Nightspotting (Easy fitness grade) 2 tickets SUNDAY MORNING Moss (Easy fitness grade) 5 tickets Waterbugs (Easy fitness grade) 7 tickets Don't forget there is a FREE basecamp program all weekend long including workshops, presentation, bookshop, kids craft, bonfires, museum set and more! See you in two weeks!

03.01.2022 Thank you Steve Wilson for the wonderful talk on the Reptiles of our area.

03.01.2022 This is very good news. Hopefully the recommendation is passed. Thank you Gold Coast City Council. https://www.abc.net.au//gold-coast-council-inves/12806738

02.01.2022 This is a very interesting post. So often our native rodents are killed as residents think they are introduced rats or mice. Springbrook has Bush and Swamp Rats plus Fawn Footed Melomys. We may have a native mouse species as well. I have seen a Rakili, water rat, in the past. Please never use any rat poisons on Springbrook. The chance of killing a native is likely. Plus secondary poisoning of the owls etc taking the sick rodent is probable.

02.01.2022 The Environment Defenders Organisation have always been there for the Natural Environment of Springbrook. Their knowledge is helping with the Planning and Environment court case underway at present against taking even more of the forests precious water for the greedy bottled water industry. Honestly the LNP and Environment protection just don't go together. https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au//lnp-has-environmental-de

01.01.2022 Spring has always been a dreadful time to be a reptile on Springbrook. This Spring is no different. Reptiles are becoming more active. Part of this activity is to find warmth. Unfortunately roads retain heat after the sun goes down so reptiles seek them out. In the last 3 weeks 4 pythons have died on our roads. Please slow down and be aware of wildlife on the road. A couple of koalas were also seen on the roads today. Plus an echidna was taken to Currumbin Wildlife Hospital due to poor condition. Always ring Wildcare if you see any injured wildlife. 55272444. The hotline is manned 24/7.

01.01.2022 Update. The little koala has had her broken bones pinned and is doing ok. It will a long road to recovery. I picked up another koala this morning who had been hit by a car on Nerang Murwillumbah Road. As usual, who ever hit her left her there. A passing motorist picked her up and got her to safety. This is 3rd koala hit by a car on this road in 10 days. Todays little girl, named Rose, is only about 18 months old. She has a shattered back leg, internal bleeding and a ruptured eye orbit. Currumbin Wildlife Hospital are trying hard to save her. Our region needs as many chlamydia free breeding age females as possible to hopefully maintain some sort of population of these beautiful animals.