Green Space Our Place

OUR VOLUNTEERS VOICE

ISSUE 40 SEPTEMBER 2023 Green Space Our Place

Front Page:

Aerial view of the Mandala Garden at The Green Space education food garden on Greenslopes Street.

Back Page:

Mucuna gigantea, Burny Bean - a native Australian vine.

In this issue:

• From the Editor..................2

• Cattana Wetlands Open Day success....................3-5

• Green Space Our Place overview 2022-23............6

• Serving community for 10 years...............................7

• The Green Space Carnival on Collins festivities.........................8-9

• The Green Space education food garden.........................10-11

• Volunteer activities..12-15

• Catching up with FriendsCarnival on Collins...16-17

• Feathered Friends..........17

• Some unusual plants in North Queensland...18-19

• What is a duck?........20-21

S• Small Wonders nature in miniature..........................22

• Tours by our volunteers..23

• Volunteer CommentNicole Kermond.............23

From the Editor

Welcome, The program is in its 10th year and with a few changes to the team it was time to tell the story of our 10-years progress and to meet the current members. I’ve also included an overview of 2022-23 achievements (pages 6-7).

A bumper issue has been prepared for you this month with plenty of photos of our volunteers engaging in the various activities and enjoying a couple of new events.

In August, we held our first Cattana Wetlands Open Day to engage the community and celebrate this incredible man-made wetland and our Jabiru volunteers, now in their 10th year. Due to the success of this event, we plan to hold it every two years (pages 3-5).

The first Sunday in September is the muchloved Carnival on Collins at the Botanic Gardens. With popularity increasing at The Green Space education food garden, we decided to join in these huge festivities and take advantage of the many people who park in Greenslopes St. We opened The Green Space and activated Jess Mitchell Park with a variety of activities to showcase our impressive education food garden (pictured front page and on pages 8-9).

Editor - Volunteers Team Leader, Louisa Grandy

Proof readers - volunteers Sandy Long, Jenn Muir

Contributors - volunteers Tom Collis, Val Schier, Jennifer H Muir, John Peter, Barry Muir and Bridgette Gower. Louisa

The Friends of the Botanic Gardens, Cairns also share their event successes, with 550 people enjoying the annual Jazz Under the Stars night, and good sales and plant knowledge shared at the popular annual Carnival plant sale (pages 16-17).

O N T E N T

Popular event for all ages

Once covered in sugar cane and now an important nature conservation reserve, thousands of volunteer hours have transformed the Cattana Wetlands from a working farm to a wildlife haven.

The Cattana Wetlands Open Day, held in August, doubled as a 10-year celebration of the Green Space Our Place volunteer program and in particular, the Cattana Wetlands Jabirus.

Over the past decade, the Jabirus have invested 20,000 hours to tackle weeds, plant thousands of trees and shrubs, install nesting boxes for possums and maintain the area.

Around 150 people took part in the free tours provided by our volunteers, supported the Marlin Coast Meals on Wheels cake stall and learned about volunteering opportunities and native plants.

Mayor Bob Manning said Cattana Wetlands has gone from strength-tostrength since the site was purchased by the former Mulgrave Shire Council in 1993.

“Our predecessor council had the foresight to purchase the Cattana area to preserve 30 hectares of lowland rainforest,” Cr Manning said. “Through investment by Council, the State Government, Treeforce and the Jabirus, Cattana Wetlands has been rehabilitated to protect the many birds and native wildlife that have made the site their home.

“With its lakes, shaded boardwalk and interpretative signage, Cattana Wetlands is also the perfect sanctuary for humans wanting to connect with nature, right on their doorstep.”

Sugargliders and Striped possums were at home in the boxes provided by Denis Moser, pictured here during one of the tours. Stratford Nursery’s Horticulturalist Ryan provided plant advice and free native plants. Cattana Wetlands Open Day was enjoyed by all ages. Jabiru volunteer Dave with Daniel, Marley, Mason and Anna. Maureen, Michael and Darlene receiving their free native plants.

Cattana

Jude and Geoff Dawn and Val Graeme, Michael and Alex Jabirus Geoff and Sandy with Cattana family member Gerard (centre). Megan came prepared for both the weather and bird spotting. Scott with his kids Reggie and Elsie. Kerry, Lyn and Sue Bird expert Dave (centre) with bird spotting participants.

GSOP’s team leader Louisa with Dave, one of the original Council officers to begin the Cattana Wetlands revegetation project.

Wetlands Open Day

Kerry and Prue GSOP’s Stratford Nursery team, Ryan and Mel. Cr Rhonda Coghlan gave a heart-felt opening speech. Dave helping Daniel take a better look at the Jacanas. Marlin Coast Meals on Wheels cake stall sold out. Members Jo and Dave. Denis Moeser, supplier of the possum boxes, with participants at the information stall.

Xaria, Ash, Azalea and Katy

2022-23 highlights

The Green Space Our Place volunteer program had a change of direction this year with the addition of the Straford Nursery and staff changes prompting a consolidation of their activities.

Team Leader Louisa Grandy is spending extra time in the field organising weekly groups with a ‘big picture’ focus on areas such as Cattana Wetlands and The Green Space, while also supporting the Friends of the Botanic Gardens and Sugarworld.

In addition to her focus on Pocket and Community Gardens, Sarah Gosling is also turning her attention on The Green Space, creating community resilience by educating volunteers, groups and school students in how to grow their own food.

Highlights and some interesting facts for 2022-23: The Green Space education food garden

• This space is ‘growing’ well with a regular attendance of volunteers each Wednesday and Friday afternoon and over 300 visitors dropping in.

• The garden is also gaining attention from schools and other groups in Cairns, such as Whitfield State School with 120 students coming along to learn about soils, Just Kids attending on a Friday morning and interest from the PCYC Life Skills Program group.

• We’ve given back to our volunteers through a series of workshops to provide new skills such as coconut weaving and basket weaving.

Partnerships

• Partnership hours are up from 242 to 2082 hours thanks to the return of Gapforce International volunteers joining the groups, and the Arc Disability Group regularly attending the Nursery on Tuesdays.

Weekly supervised groups

• The Down ‘n’ Dirty group have been making an impact by working alongside the Botanic Gardens’ staff to revamping the Tanks Art Centre, Freshwater Lake and Fitzalan Gardens through gardening and mulching.

• Cattana Wetlands’ Jabirus have increased in size with an additional 278 hours.

• Egrets at Russell St revegetation volunteer are also working hard, adding 100 hours of man power. This dedicated team has been largely self managed over the past six months, showing their passion for improving this area.

• Stratford Nursery volunteers continue to generate huge numbers of plant seedlings.

• The Esplanade Sandpipers and Mt Whitfield Tracks ‘n’ Trails groups are consistent with their hours and offer variety to the program.

Friends’ activities

• The monthly group, Sugarworld Friends & Gardeners, has increased membership reflecting the growing interest in the garden, while providing an activity in the southern corridor.

• We continue to provide support for Friends of the Botanic Gardens, Cairns by attending their meetings, advising them where required and supporting them with promotion such as combining efforts at EcoFiesta.

Other activities

• Botanic Gardens & Tanks Heritage Tours have had a consistent attendance record, averaging five tour guests each Thursday morning.

• Volunteer contributors provided 756 hours writing for the quarterly Volunteers Voice magazine and the Weekly News.

• Parks / residential volunteers consistently provide 500 hours with the Jalarra Park volunteers continuing to revegetate the creek with native plants, McHugh St maintaining the native plant island and a couple of dedicated individuals revegetating a Bramston Beach creek and foreshore.

Celebrating 10 years

The Green Space Our Place volunteer program this year celebrates a decade of serving the Cairns community.

Starting from humble beginnings, with just two volunteers (now the Down ‘n’ Dirty group) Louisa Grandy was appointed as the program coordinator in 2013 to increase volunteer opportunities across the region.

Louisa said: “I continue to be amazed at the volunteer culture of Cairns, with an estimate of two new volunteers registered each week!

“Within the role, I began with 16 volunteers in the Down ‘n’ Dirty group and by 2019 had a team of three Council officers to support the growth - 400 volunteers, nine weekly supervised groups and many individuals volunteering in their own time.

“I began by looking for gaps where volunteers could add value to the community and support Council. The Friends’ Gardeneers propagation group was receiving requests to join, but were at capacity at the time.

“I contacted the Stratford Nursery team to see if they would like a similar program. This is how the Cattana Wetlands group began. We initially started propagating at the nursery and sourcing seeds. While collecting seed at the wetlands, it became evident there was a greater need in this area than the nursery. In November 2013, we began a weeding and maintenance program now known as the Jabirus. Little Taccas was also created in the first year. Children seemed like a great way to engage volunteers and raise further awareness of the gardens with families. An email was sent to the existing Friends members and volunteers, asking if anyone had experience with children’s activities. Six volunteers raised their hand and Little Taccas was formed and has been fully booked ever since.

This role also filled a gap by providing a support officer for the many individuals who wanted to volunteer their time to revegetate and enhance

Council green space.

Sarah Gosling joined Louisa in 2015. This was a successful partnership with good brainstorming sessions between them, developing many ideas to further engage the community and to support the environment.

Sarah instigated the Pocket Gardens model (additional to the Community Gardens initiative already in place) by trialling a space near her home. It was a success and has initiated a further five pocket gardens around Cairns.

Sarah also started the revegetation group, known as the Salties, at Mt Whitfield’s Yellow Arrow entry - a six-year project creating a protection layer at the base of the hill to prevent grass fires in the dry season. This city program supported individuals and also the CentaCare migrant groups who did not have access to transport and could easily walk or bicycle to the space. This was a successful partnership for a number of years, creating a space to practice English and share their skills.

Christian Cluver was hired for a Tracks ‘n’ Trails three-month trial program to support maintenance on the Mt Whitfield Arrow Tracks. Due to its success, Christian was employed full time from 2017.

Christian also engaged the Esplanade Sandpipers, a gardening program easily accessible to city dwellers, and supported the South Side Mountain Bike Club, Edmonton with their track maintenance.

Due to an ever increasing need for a full-time ranger with a particular skill-set for Mt Whitfield, Christian transferred to the Cairns Works team to support the Mt Whitfield tracks full time and continues engaging volunteers.

Louisa and Sarah began weekend planting projects at Barron Waters and could see a need for ongoing weekend support.

Sarah Olds was hired to develop weekend activities and revegetation projects. In her time, Sarah began the

Egrets reveg program at Russell St Environmental Park, which continues today, and also developed a good relationship with the Jabirus when she was asked to support this program. Sarah also created beach revegetation projects at Kewarra and Clifton Beach. This year, Sarah joined the Cairns Works team to support Mt Whitfield and track maintenance projects. With an increasing interest in growing food and food security, The Green Space education food garden was created in 2020. With Sarah Gosling’s vast knowledge in this area and also a commitment for continual development in this subject, The Green Space has grown from strength to strength. This has steadily increased in popularity since it opened to volunteers and the public.

Stratford Nursery and Ryan Zihrul joined the Green Space Our Place team in 2022. Ryan has singlehandedly managed this extensive native plant nursery for four years, supporting Council projects and external revegetation programs. Following the changes within the team, a review of the program outlined the greatest need being within the nursery.

The Volunteer and Nursery Support Officer position was developed and Melanie Constable was employed in May this year. Mel brings passion and a dedication for continuous learning and experience of working with a variety of persons in the community. This partnership is working well.

INSET: Team members Sarah Gosling, Ryan Zihrul, Melanie Constable and Louisa Grandy.

The Green Space Carnival on

Collins festivities

Crop swap activity. Crop Swap Cairns & Surrounds group was a great support in activating the park early. Crop Swap Cairns & Surrounds created plenty of opportunity to share produce, plants and seeds. Flute music drifted through The Green Space and Jess Mitchell Park. Ryan offered advice and gave away free native plants. Louisa discussing volunteer opportunities. Marian’s drawing and painting workshop were enjoyed by all age groups.

Maureen with her origami Heliconia.

Basket creations Saltwater Creek Basketry Group shared their skills in the park Yuka taught all ages how to make origami flowers. Visitors were inspired by the lush growth and size of the produce. INSIDE THE GREEN SPACE: Sarah (centre) talked with over 150 visitors in The Green Space education food garden during the Sunday event, answering many questions, offering advice for best production and sharing ideas with other growers. Visitors were pleased with their tour of The Green Space and free plants.

The Green Space education food garden

Biosecurity information session

Biosecurity team member with Donna. Biosecurity team member providing information to participants.

Catherine and Rikki Rosi, Sandy and Penny cutting up material for compost. We have quality compost, using green and dead plant material, left over cafe coffee grinds and juice pulp, and mushroom compost. Bernie planting strawberries. Louisa and Helen planting the front entrance flower beds. Ian with the left over mushroom blocks. Front entrance gate.

Jen and Brett planting Lomandra in Jess Mitchell Park. Janine planting the entry flower beds. Louisa chatting with one of the many visitors to The Green Space.

Sue preparing green waste for composting. Sarah with the Just Kids Friday morning group ready to pot up seeds. Sarah looking for a frog with the Little Sprouts. The Green Space volunteers Marian, Soumya and Johnwe couldn’t have created this education garden without our volunteers. Brett and Sandy doing the weekly maintenance. Sarah reading to the Little Sprouts kindy kids group. Suzy and Helen planting lettuce in the bamboo garden.

Down ‘n’ Dirty Botanic Gardens

VOLUNTEER

Although the Down ‘n’ Dirty vollies do a lot of mulching, this activity seems to be a drawcard with some of our largest groups recorded at these projects. It is a well rehearsed orchestra with those who love the work of shoveling and barrowing and those who enjoy the finessing of spreading and beautifying the garden beds.

Ric, Amanda and Rhonnie gardening at Freshwater Lake Garden. Down ‘n’ Dirty volunteers enjoying a catch up after their annual Carnival on Collins road closure notice letter-box drop: from left: Graeme, Jenny, Maureen, Catherine, Brigette, Sandy, Christopher, Pat and Jim. Hard at work mulching Fitzalan Garden bedsCorben, Jim and Graeme. Combining their efforts, Down ‘n Dirty and The Green Space groups created the front entry planting in Jess Mitchell Park. Jenny, Graeme, Ric and Jan removing Trandescantia.

The Botanic Gardens ‘Lakes team’ have been joining in with the Down ‘n’ Dirty activities, providing a great team effort to complete some of those larger projects, such as removal of the weedy Tradescantia that had taken over the tropical orchard garden beds. Newest recruits: Jan and Jenny

ACTIVITIES

Sandpipers Esplanade

Sandpipers have been provided with a variety of gardening activities this year. They’ve spent some time detailing Muddy’s Playground garden beds and also some planting to help stablise the Esplanade sand.

Egrets Russell St Reveg site

Egrets getting ready for a morning of weeding at their reveg site. This dedicated group has been consistently meeting each Monday morning in Russell St, Edge Hill for the past three years.

Tracks ‘n’ Trails

You need to be fit to join this bunch!

Tracks ‘n’ Trails volunteers continue to work at improving Mt Whitfield’s Arrow Tracks - a major feat considering the effort involved hauling the equipment up the hill and skills involved in each project.

From left: Hiromi, Patrick, Rob, Renee and Brigette.

Jim planting along the foreshore. Hiromi and Peter tamping down the cold mix. Combined effort - staff and volunteers resurfacing a track on the Yellow Arrow. Bagged deco ready for resurfacing. Jim, Chris and Bernie Russell, Peter and Hiromi rebuilding the steps on the Red Arrow.

Jabirus Cattana Wetlands

Little Taccas Children’s Nature Activities

VOLUNTEER

Trevor and Dave gearing up for some brushcutting. Little Taccas team: Patrice, Jeannette, Bridget and Rosemarie. Jeannette helping with the Laminated Picture activity. Rosemarie and Bridget running on the back lawn with the little ones. The only way to capture the Jabirus in a group is at morning tea. From left: Mandy, Martin, Phil, Jenny, Louisa, Rikki, Prue, Dawn, Elaine and Kerry. Great to have Tony return after a number of years away - welcome back. Always plenty of weeding to work on - Prue and Rob. Jabirus’ latest recruit, Bernadette loves to weed, especially Sensitive Weed - music to our ears! Bridget encouraging flower arrangement creativity.

Bridget answering Little Tacca questions. Patrice engaging the kids at story-time.

ACTIVITIES

Little Sprouts Kindy Kids Program

Stratford Nursery

Sugarworld Friends & Volunteers

Jeannette supporting Little Sprouts. Marian teaching clay creativity at the Little Sprouts. Cutting back sugar cane for the new season. Best way to do that is cut it to the ground to encourage new canes. Bob, Ryan and Rob lifting plants. Johnson carts a load of green waste. Nursery volunteers with two flowering orchids: from left, Bob, Donna, Lyn, Bernadette, Rob, Pauline, Diana, Elaine and Ryan. Ryan and the volunteers with the new bee hive. The huge shelter keeps irrigation & sun from entering the hive. Sarah teaching Little Sprouts about bugs.

John clearing out a weedy garden bed. Cr Kristy Vallely (front), Louisa, Mel, Cr Rhonda Coghlan, Director Lifestyle & Community Destry Puia and Ryan at a visit to the nursery.

Catching up with Friends

Carnival on Collins

The Carnival on Collins weekend is always the biggest weekend of the year for the Friends, with Jazz Under the Stars on Saturday evening followed by the big plant sale on the Sunday. This year we were blessed with excellent weather, bringing in a large crowd.

Bernie Lee Long and his team from the Cairns Tropic Jazz Club put together a show that attracted 550 people who picnicked, relaxed under the stars with family and friends, danced, waved their arms and were delighted with a couple of encores.

Committee member Sue McCulloch managed the Jazz event, ably assisted by other Friends members who checked off pre-bookings, took cash, wielded the eftpos machine and guided people to seating. Over $8,000 was raised as profit, as the sponsorship from Global Foliage Management, Tree Arrangements and Nuleaf more than covered the cost of the musos and security.

The Carnival on Collins plant sale attracted its usual buyers, along with others who came for the first time and wandered in from the stalls on Collins Avenue. A huge effort was put in by 11 dedicated volunteers who had been in to set up on Saturday and were back on deck by 6.30am on Sunday.

People came in steadily over the six hours. There was also time to chat with customers about caring for their plants. This is one of the key roles that Friends play in improving knowledge of tropical plants, creating goodwill and helping to beautify the city and region.

The $7,600 takings have added to funds raised to purchase plants and enhance the Botanic Gardens. A big thank you to Council staff who assisted.

Val Schier Gardeneers James and Val organising the plant sale. Gardeneer Lee at the plant sale.

Feathered Friends

JOHN PETER BirdLife Australia

Emerald Dove

Many pigeons of the rainforest seem almost impossible to see, as they spend so much of their time way up in the canopy, hidden by the leaves. Often the only tell-tale sign that they’re there is their disembodied calls or the sound of some dislodged fruits falling earthwards. A glaring exception to this rule is the Emerald Dove.

Emerald Doves are far more accommodating, being easily seen as they toddle along the forest floor — when they’re often quite tame — all the while pecking at seeds and fallen fruits among the leaf litter. They’ve even been seen foraging on the ground below a noisy colony of Metallic Starlings, gorging on the discarded seeds. They also occasionally feed on fruits up in the trees but not nearly as regularly as the fruit-doves.

Although they’re easy to see when foraging on the ground, when they are sitting on a nest their soft brown and iridescent green plumage makes them surprisingly difficult to spot. The nest itself is a frail platform of sticks, so sparsely built that their cream-coloured eggs are often visible from below. There are usually two eggs laid, which are incubated by both sexes for a couple of weeks. They usually breed in the wet season.

Emerald Doves give a soft, repeated ‘oom call, which can be heard in rainforests across many parts of eastern and northern Australia, and they’re familiar birds in the Wet Tropics, including Cairns, in bushy places such as the Botanic Gardens.

Rod chatting with a customer at the plant sale. Over 550 attended the Jazz Under the Stars event at Cairns Botanic Gardens. Val directs traffic.

Sue and Elaine selling tickets to Jazz Under the Stars.

Ant Plant - Myrmecodia beccarii Resurrection Plant - Borya septentrionalis Ant Plant - Myrmecodia beccarii

Viscum

, an unusual

Bladderworts - Utricularia spp.

articulatum

mistletoe.

Resurrection Plant - Borya septentrionalis

North Queensland’s Unusual plants

There are thousands of plant species in Far North Queensland, all adapted to a variety of different habitats. Some plants have evolved in strange ways and are often not easily recognised as tropical plants. For example, one species looks more like a fungus than a flowering plant and another plant provides a home for ants and a rare butterfly. One plant is so well adapted to the dry periods that, despite appearing to be dead, is able to ‘resurrect’ after rain. Some species have no leaves and rely on minute underground invertebrates as a source of food. And even stranger is a mistletoe that is only found growing on other parasitic plants such as mistletoe.

Fungus Root, Balanophora fungosa is an unusual plant, not actually a fungus at all, and is rarely noticed until it flowers. It grows on the rainforest floor, parasitising the roots of nearby trees. It is almost leafless and has no chlorophyll. Most of the plant is underground and in winter it produces odd flowers that look like a puffball mushroom. The globe-shaped part of the flowering structure is covered with thousands of tiny female flowers, barely visible and some of the smallest known. The male flowers are white and much larger, growing in a ring below the female flowers. This photograph (right) of two Fungus Root flowers was taken on the Blue Arrow Track in the Mt Whitfield Conservation Park. If you have ever been energetic enough to climb to the top of Walsh’s Pyramid near Gordonvale, or Kahlpahlim Rock behind Lake Morris, you might have noticed these unusual plants. The low growing prickly Resurrection plants Borya septentrionalis are also called Porcupine bush or Pincushion plants. Our local species is one of 11 endemic to Australia belonging to the family Boryaceae. They tend to grow and spread across bare rock and during the dry season the plants

turn a brilliant orange. When the rain returns in the wet season the plants turn green again and continue to grow, hence the common name Resurrection Plant.

Ant Plant, Myrmecodia beccarii, is a highly specialised plant with a lifecycle that relies on a host tree, ants, butterflies and a bird. It is an epiphyte (like an orchid) that is mostly found on soft-barked trees such as paperbark. Inside the prickly, bulbous plant are a series of hollows and chambers used by Golden Ants, Iridomyrmex, as a safe place to live. In return, the ants defend the plant from insect attack and provide nutrition by depositing their excreta in the hollows.

Even more unusual is the relationship with the Apollo Jewel Butterfly that lays its eggs on the Ant Plant. In a remarkable trick of nature, the butterfly eggs smell like the ant’s eggs so the Golden Ants carry them into the chambers of the plant. The ants look after the butterfly larvae that pupate and eventually emerge from the plant as adult butterflies.

The Ant Plant produces small seeds enclosed in sticky fruits, and relies on birds to spread them. This fruit is a favourite of the Mistletoebird that excretes the sticky seed on other trees in the area. The Ant Plant is protected in Queensland and is listed as a vulnerable species under Australian Government legislation. Bladderworts are carnivorous plants found in wet sand or mud in wetland areas. Instead of leaves they have numerous stems that are found entirely under the surface. Tiny bladders are attached to the stems and act like trapdoors ‘sucking in’ microscopic animals, such as rotifers or mosquito larvae. The plant creates a vacuum within the bladder and any small invertebrates nearby trigger the trapdoor. The trapdoor action is known to be the fastest movement of any plant. The microscopic creatures

are digested within the bladder providing nutrients for the plant. The only above-ground parts of a bladderwort are small orchid-like flowers that appear mostly in the winter. All bladderworts belong to one genus, Utricularia, and there are 18 different species in this genus in North Queensland.

Square-stemmed Mistletoe, Viscum articulatum, is a parasite on other mistletoe. All mistletoes borrow water and nutrients from their host plant but also produce their own food through photosynthesis. Viscum can also produce its own food through photosynthesis but borrows water and nutrients from its host mistletoe (that is in turn taken from the host tree). Leaves are often absent or very small, leaving the square stems to perform the function of a leaf (called a cladode). The tiny flowers are orange-coloured and grow on the leaf nodes. The fruits are a small yellow or orange berry and both the flowers and the fruits can be seen in the photograph.

TOm COLLIS

Fungus Root - Balanophora fungosa

What is a duck?

Simple, you would think? Maybe not. Ducks are a group of birds with many variations. What makes a duck a duck?

Here’s an introductory definition: the word ‘duck’ is the common name used for numerous, variable species of birds in the family of waterfowl called Anatidae. As well as ducks, this family includes swans and geese, which have webbed feet, but larger bodies and long necks, and are not classified as ducks. Ducks generally have large flattened bills, short necks and are relatively small with elongated, broad bodies. Their feet have webs between the front three toes, creating paddle-like feet that assist them when swimming and diving. At times, if running from a predator such as an uncontrolled dog, they can trip up on their wide feet and fall over. Although perhaps an amusing sight, this means the bird is terrified. A terrified bird can go into shock and die, even if not caught and killed.

DIVING DUCKS mainly dive for their food in relatively deep water which can be fresh, brackish, or salt, depending on the species. Australia’s diving ducks include Hardhead, Musk Duck and Bluebilled Duck (above).

Hardhead (aka White-eyed Duck, Aythya australis) is an Australian open-water diving duck that prefers deep freshwater wetlands such as lakes, large farm dams and sewage ponds.

Two Wandering Whistling-Ducks showing us their large flattened bills, general body shape, and wide tootsies with webs between the front three toes.

During non-breeding, many species of duck are temporarily flightless while moulting (‘eclipse’ plumage): they seek out protected habitat with good food supplies for this time. Australian species are adapted to Australia’s unpredictable rainfall. They are highly mobile and able to track rainfall and floodwaters over vast regions. They can breed rapidly once conditions are good. All true ducks, except shelducks and sea ducks, mature in the first year and pair only for the season.

Ducks are sometimes confused with several types of unrelated water birds with similar forms, such as grebes and coots. Feeding styles, feeding times (eg nocturnal rather than daytime), location and food types within a wetland, vary between species and help reduce competition.

There are several major groups of ducks, based on their characteristic feeding style. These are mainly diving, surfacedabbling, filter-feeding, up-ending for underwater grazing, and terrestrial grazing. Within these major groups is a wide variety of species such as wood ducks, shelducks, shovelers, pintails, teals, mallards, black ducks, sea ducks, whistling-ducks, tree ducks and more. Many vary their feeding styles, and ‘overlap’ into more than one of these feeding groups. These divisions are based on their characteristic behaviours that are adapted to their food type, feeding method, and niche in which they live. Some are discussed below.

Both Musk Duck and Blue-billed Duck are also known as ‘stifftailed ducks’ or ‘stiff-tails’ for their distinctive small and stiff, often upright tails. Both species are normally recorded south of the Tropics.

The Musk Duck (Biziura lobata), occasionally seen at sea, mainly inhabits deep freshwater wetlands with patches of dense aquatic vegetation. It’s carnivorous and dives in deep water to hunt aquatic invertebrates, but also occasionally eats ducklings and other small vertebrates.

The almost fully aquatic Blue-billed Duck (Oxyura australis) spends most of its time in deep freshwater wetlands diving for aquatic invertebrates. It’s omnivorous, as it also strips seeds and leaves from aquatic plants.

SURFACE-DABBLING DUCKS are aptly named for their primary method of ‘dabbling’ for food at the water surface. They are often referred to as the ‘true ducks’. Their legs are set back from the front of their bodies and the term “waddle like a duck” ‘fits the bill’ nicely in describing the way they walk on land. Many ‘up-end’ to graze in suitably deep water.

Australia’s dabbling ducks include the common and widespread Pacific Black Duck which surface dabbles, filters, and up-ends in almost any type of wetland including puddles, wet pasture, large open lakes, urban ponds, and sheltered seas. Other examples of Australian dabbling ducks include Chestnut Teal, Grey Teal and Australasian Shoveler.

Blue-billed Duck JENNifEr H Muir

FILTER-FEEDING DUCKS include Australia’s Pink-eared Duck, which swims or walks in shallow wetlands and floodwaters, immersing its specialised bill to filter tiny aquatic invertebrates. Groups sometimes swim in ‘V’ formation following the front bird, reaping the rewards of the disturbance the leader causes in the water. At times in deeper water, small groups swim in tight circles creating a vortex to concentrate prey into gyrating water columns (known as ‘vortexing’).

TERRESTRIAL-GRAZING DUCKS graze along wetland margins close to water, or far from water, finding food that’s not just restricted to water. They are able to find food in niches many other duck species don’t normally feed in.

WHISTLING-DUCKS are among the wider varieties of ducks. Also called ‘tree ducks’ and generally classed as ducks, they are more closely related to geese and swans. Australia’s species are Plumed Whistling-Duck, Wandering Whistling-Duck, and a New Guinea species, Spotted Whistling-Duck, which recently colonised Cape York to Cairns area, and Darwin NT, from south-east Asia and New Guinea.

Although the Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata) resembles a small goose, it’s classed as a duck. Being vegetarian, it grazes short green herbage near water such as swamps, urban wetlands, farm dams, reservoirs and even sports-fields. It also nests in tree hollows not necessarily near water.

Plumed Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni) is able to find food in niches that many other duck species don’t generally feed in. It grazes at night on the grassy margins of wetlands close to the water, or on short-grass plains far from water. Thus it reduces competition by feeding nocturnally instead of by day, and is not restricted to just finding food in water. It swims reluctantly, and rarely dives and therefore doesn’t need to compete with other ducks that dive to feed underwater. Plumed WhistlingDuck is quite different in appearance, posture, and behaviour from its close cousin, Wandering Whistling-Duck.

Wandering Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna arcuata), also fairly common in TNQ, dives often and prefers freshwater and estuarine wetlands, feeding mostly on aquatic vegetation and seeds. It swims readily and dives often, unlike the Plumed.

These two closely-related whistling-duck species are excellent examples of ‘niche selection’, in this case within a wetland, where life-forms use sub-habitats within the same wetland, in ways that reduce competition for their life-supporting resources. As discussed above, the two species will feed in different parts of the same wetland and feed differently, eg. one rarely diving, the other diving often.

SHELDUCKS in Australia include Radjah Shelduck (Tadorna radjah), well known in Tropical North Qld (TNQ) and Australian Shelduck (Tadorna tadornoides), a southern Australia species.

Mostly coastal, the Radjah Shelduck prefers brackish waters such as estuaries, mudflats and mangroves. It prefers to walk rather than swim, perches readily, and is omnivorous. By dabbling in shallow water or grazing in damp grassland, it feeds on aquatic plant and animal matter. It nests in tree hollows near water.

Plumed Whistling-Ducks

Two adult Wandering Whistling-Ducks in their ideal habitat: water deep enough to dive in. An adult Radjah Shelduck. Note the rich green (sometimes purple depending on the light) speculum on the wing, long and sometimes easily seen when in flight. Radjah Shelduck Possible pair of Australian Wood Duck happily grazing with the male at back.

Small Wonders nature in miniature

Barry Muir Bridgette gower

This peculiar-looking fruit is from a Mattress Button plant (Dorstenia elata). They are so named because the fruits look like the buttons that used to hold old-fashioned mattresses together.

They are also called Congo Fig, but they come from South America, not the Congo (which is in Africa).

Dorstenia is a small (approx. 40cm) leafy herb-like plant which grows from a bulbous root. It is in the same family (Moraceae) as the figs, which they do not resemble in any way. They are native to south-eastern Brazil and are endangered in their natural habitat, but we have quite a few in the Botanic Gardens. The fruit (pictured) has male, female and sterile flowers inside, and tiny seeds are released.

This is the fabulous eyes of Plecia ornaticornis, a member of a slow-moving group of flies, the larvae (maggots) of which live in soil and decaying plant matter.

The eyes of insects, called compound eyes, are made of many independent hexagonal units that consist of a cornea, lens, and lightsensitive structures which can distinguish brightness and colour.

The units point in slightly different directions, so they have poor image resolution but a very large view angle, and the ability to detect fast movement. That’s why it’s so difficult to swat them!

So-called Bird’s Nest Fungi are common in the Gardens during wet weather. They grow on mulch and consist of tiny 5 to 6mm cuplike ‘nests’ with black ‘eggs’ inside. Initially, they are covered with a little protective cap which later drops off.

Rainwater droplets hit the inside of the nest wall and, because of the cup shape, flick the eggs out. Each egg has a tiny thread attached and this catches on grass blades or twigs. The egg skin then decays and the spores are released.

Striped Possums

at Cattana Wetlands

denis Moeser

Normally the Striped Possums are solitary for most of the year, but at the moment hanky-panky is going on at Cattana Wetlands. Two of the nestboxes have two Striped Possums in each. We have been checking the boxes daily and have observed them staying together for four to nine days mating.

Striped Possums breed all year round. Females are ready to breed after 12 months of age. They give birth after 18 days gestation with the young remaining in the pouch for four to five months. They then spend one to two months on the mother’s back.

Striped Possums are only found in Far North Qld and New Guinea. They have an elongated fourth finger for getting grubs & beetles out of trees. Their tail is longer than their body and they have the biggest brain to body ratio of any marsupial.

This photo is taken from a video which was downloaded from the nestbox camera donated by the Friends of the Botanic Gardens, Cairns.

Volunteer comment

Join the Friends

Friends of the Botanic Gardens, Cairns

Membership details email - phone 4032 3900 or email info@botanicfriendscairns.org.au

After joining you can support the Friends in many ways; as a committee member, in the Friends Shop, as a tour guide or assisting with events.

Friends of Sugarworld Botanic Gardens

Contact Fran Lindsay frantastic10@bigpond.com

Magazine Contributions:

Please submit articles (must be volunteer or nature based) by first week of November for the next quarterly publication in December.

Email: l.grandy@cairns.qld.gov.au Please note articles are subject to editing.

Like us on Facebook to keep up to date with all events or visit our websites:

- Green Space Our Place

- Cairns Botanic Gardens

- Friends of the Botanic Gardens, Cairns

Nicole Kermond

Thanks to the Green Space Our Place team.

I thoroughly enjoyed volunteering at the Native Plant Nursery and spectacular Sugarworld Gardens.

I leave with additional plant knowledge, hard yakka weeding techniques and friendships that keep the connection alive with community and environment. All the best.

Green Space Our Place

• Mondays - Russell St Environmental Park Egrets 9am-noon

• Tuesdays - Cattana Wetlands Jabirus 9am-noon

• Tuesdays - City Sandpipers, Tuesdays 9am-noon

• Wednesdays - Botanic Gardens Down ’n’ Dirty volunteers 9am-noon

• Wednesdays - Tracks ‘n’ Trails 9am-noon

• Thursdays - Stratford Nursery 9am-noon

• Thursday (once a month) - Sugarworld Gardeners & Friends

• Fridays - Saltwater Creek ‘Salties’ 9am-noon

• Fortnightly Thursdays - Children’s Nature Activities Program - Little Taccas

• Visitor Enhancement Volunteers - rostered hours to suit individual

• Heritage Tour Guides - Thursday 10am

Interested in becoming involved with your local park, reserve or tracks in your community? Contact us to register as a Council volunteer and be involved in beautifying your park (enhance planting, weed management, litter clean-up), reporting on issues (graffiti and vandalism, anti-social behaviour, maintenance issues) and building community participation (networking activities) with Council support.

If you are interested in supporting any of our weekly groups or volunteering in your local area contact Volunteers Supervisor Louisa Grandy 4032 6648 or email greenspaceourplace@cairns.qld.gov.au