Previous glider surveys

We don’t always see gliders on our surveys, but we do always enjoy lovely evenings with good companions  and starry skies, and see a variety of other creatures along the way. We record not only glider sightings but all observations, so that we can gradually put together a clearer picture of where all species of wildlife live in our region. And when we do see a glider, the feeling’s great!

The Knoll, Tamborine Mountain December 2013

GliderSurveyKnollNo gliders

We haven’t identified all the invertebrates yet, but we saw or heard:

  • birds – sooty owl, boobook owl, tawny frogmouth
  • amphibians – (unfortunately) a cane toad
  • insects – fireflies (late in the season), woolly caterpillars, mantid, orthopteran (cricket/katydid relative), red “bull ant”, others
  • spiders – mygalomorph (i.e. a relative of trapdoor and funnelweb), wolf spiders, others
  • other arthropods – a strange kind of harvestman we’ve not seen elsewhere, millipede
  • other invertebrates – native slug with minimal shell, native snail

harvestmanGliderSurveyTheKnoll   camouflageinsectGliderSurveyTheKnoll

 

Minjelha Dhagun, Seidenspinner Rd, Mount Barney (and a brief visit to Mt Barney Lodge) January 2014

White-throated Nightjar

White-throated Nightjar

No gliders

Mammals – rednecked wallaby, brush-tailed possum, megabat (unidentifid flying fox), microbats (unidentified)
Birds – white-throated nightjar, tawny frogmouth
Arthropods – sleeping monarch butterfly, whip spider, orb-weaver (brown?)
bleating treefrog, Mt Barney Lodge

bleating treefrog, Mt Barney Lodge

 

Home of Linda Cross, Mont Alford, April 2014

sunsetMontAlfordNo gliders

Mammals – wallaby (probably red-necked), brush tail possum

Birds – wood duck (calling from dam), tawny frogmouth

Arthropods – wolf spider, huntsman spider, brown orb-weaver, leaf-curl spider

Motion-sensing camera. Linda has her own and is setting it up to point at a eucalyptus with small, glider-like scratches on the trunk

MontAlfordGliderSearch  MontAlfordGliderSurvey

Home of Tracy and Susie, Wonglepong, April 2014

GliderSurveyWonglepong No gliders

Mammals – unidentified fruitbat, unidentified microbat, unidentified wallaby

Birds – boobook owl, masked lapwing

Frogs – great barred frog, copper-backed broodfrog, eastern sign-bearing brood frog, striped marshfrog

Arthropods – hawk moth, brown orb-weaver, leaf-curl spider

Banksia flowers - a good food source for gliders

Banksia flowers – a good food source for gliders

Motion-sensing camera.  One of the Scenic Rim Wildlife cameras was left pointing at a eucalyptus trunk, with honey and banana to attract gliders. Tracy is to move this after a few days to point at the blossoms of a banksia

 

 

Duck Creek Road, home of Tracy and Mark Finnegan – May 2014

No gliders

Mammals – red-necked wallaby, plus an echidna on Kerry Road on our return journey.

Reptiles – Stephen’s banded snake

Frogs – clicking froglet, copper-backed brrodfrog

Stephens Banded Snake

Stephens Banded Snake

We were surprised to find the Stephen’s banded snake, a threatened species because of habitat loss. I have seen them in the Border Ranges NP a few times, but this was the biggest I’d ever seen, almost a mete in length. Thee is a danger that people could mistake these for the harmless bandy-bandy, but they are far more venomous.

 

We were afraid the echidna would be hit by a motorist on its rather laborious journey along the long wooden bridge, so Darren offered it a helping hand to safety in the grass

echidna Kerry Valley

Later, Tracy sent us the results of one of their motion-sensing cameras: some great photos and videos of a squirrel glider not far from their house:

squirrelgliderDuckCkMay2014

Between Rathdowney and Maroon, home of Pietro and  Desley – May 2014

No gliders (although feather tails and either sugar or squirrel have been seen there in the past)

Mammals – brushtail possums (several), koala, whiptail wallay

Birds – tawny frogmouth (several)

 

Destiny Eco-Cottage – May 2014

Gliders – squirrel glider

Other Mammals – koala, whiptail wallaby, red-necked wallaby (phascogale droppings found)

Birds – masked lapwing

Heike took us for an amazing ride in her tough little vehicle up and down the slopes of the property, and we set up a motion-sensing camera aims at a honey-splattered tree trunk, to check n a couple of weeks. There were acacias that may provide sap as well as a variety of eucalypts and their relatives.

Squirrel glider at Destiny property: photo by Linda Cross

Squirrel glider at Destiny property, identified by size and very bushy base of tail: photo by Linda Cross

Search by torch and moonlight - photo by Linda Cross

Search by torch and moonlight, and the vehicle that safely took us up and dan the rugged hills – photo by Linda Cross

Heike & Wombat: photo by Linda Close

Heike & Wombat: photo by Linda Close

Continue to other 2014 surveys, from July onwards

 

Reported sightings at other times:

Sugar glider, Mt Barney Lodge, January 2014

Feathertail glider, Mt Barney Lodge, April 2014

Yellow-bellied glider, Skywalk, Tambourine Mountain

Sugar glider, Beaudesert, August 2014

Sugar Glider, Tamborine Mountain

Feather-tailed glider, Gleneagle

Squirrel glider, found after possible cat attack, did not survive, near 1464 Running Creek Road. April 2015.