Linda and Roger's Bunhybee Grasslands - Animals

This is a page within Roger and Linda's Bunhybee Grasslands Web-Site.
Bunhybee Grasslands is a 49 hectare / 120 acre conservation property 35km south of Braidwood, in southern N.S.W.
You can follow through the internal links, or you may find it easier to use the Site-Map.

Information about Animals

This page contains information about animals that are known to be on the property, under the following headings:

Mammals

Species Lists: Wikipedia: Australia generally and NSW

We've seen Eastern Grey Kangaroos, often in 2008-10, but less so since then, never in large numbers, usually up close to the forest. They would seem to graze mainly the upper slopes – at least during the reasonable conditions that held in 2008 and into early 2009. In autumn 2009, they had been grazing the microlaena in the two patches in the NW corner and below the forest fence-line 100m south of the NW corner. Now that we realise how bushy and even high Microlaena grows, we also realise how much they nibble it down.

We've once seen what we'd loosely describe as a red-backed small kangaroo or wallaby in the forest beside the road, 2km north of Bunhybee (1 Mar 2010).

To date we've only seen a Wombat on the property once (and we probably won't see any more until we're there at night); but there's plenty of evidence in the form of paths, gaps under the bottom strands of fences, and a couple of holes in and adjacent to the property. Several new burrows have appeared in various parts of the property, including near Peppermint corner in late 2008, on the central block in 2010, and in the dam wall in 2012.

20 Feb 2010 Wombat ...	... Sick? Injured? Visibly breathing	... He'd started to dig in, but had stopped	It was a 29 degree day, and he was exposed. He was clearly playing possum, as the space was vacant 8 days later!

Monotreme

Reference info: Wikipedia

We've seen a very healthy echida six times in 30-odd visits in 2008-12, usually on the main ridge (which we now commonly refer to as Echidna Ridge), but also on the South Block and below the dam.

Lark and Echidna, Sep 2008	Echidna, Sep 2008	Echidna, 11 Nov 2009 (Martin Butterfield)	Echidna – 13 Nov 2010
Echidna – 22 Oct 2012 In the East of South Block

Reptiles

Recognition Sites: Australian Museum (Sydney)

Snakes

Recognition Sites: What Snake is That?

• Red-Bellied Black, on the rocks in the water-line near Parlour Grasslands (2008), and another 4-footer near the gate (1 Mar 2010)
• White-Lipped snake, Drysdalia coronoides, harmless (to people that is), c. 40cm, impossible to get a photo because it was so well-hidden in the tussock grasses

Lizards

• Blue-Tongue Lizard, under the snow-gums (2 photos below)
• A small dragon (photo below)
• Skinks, small, a couple of times

Shinglebacks are sometimes seen in the area, but unfortunately usually when they haven't made it across the road in time.

Blue-Tongue Lizard, Nov 2008	Lizard, Nov 2009	Dragon, Nov 2009

Turtles

Recognition Sites: ANGFA (Qld)

• Long-Necked Turtles, once, in the main dam (prob. Chelodina longicollis)

Frogs

Recognition Sites: Amphibian Research Centre

• At least two different kinds (based on their calls), in both main creek-lines, each time after rain
• Rainer recognised the sound of the Eastern Common Froglet, Crinia signifera, on 22 October 2012

Birds

Species Lists: Wikipedia

~ Resident / Sedentary:

• Grey Fantail (often, in the snow gums along the road)
• Eurasian Skylark, usually (around the ridge-area), singly, except in spring, when in pairs
• Richard's / Australian Pipit, usually (in the open grass-areas)
• Dusky Wood-Swallow, 2012-13, mostly at the NW corner of the southern block (Wombat Creeklet)

~ Migratory:

• Yellow-Faced Honeyeaters (migrating both ways along tree-lines, at opposite ends of winter, in large groups, and very reliably)
• Latham's / Australian / Japanese Snipe, once in late spring (in the kunzea. When disturbed , it flew low, down to the main waterline)
• Wattlebirds, presumably juvenile, in flocks of 20, 60 and once even 100, heading north along the snow-gums and east along Hart's Road – late April and mid-May 2009; and back again on 9 Sep 2009

~ Occasional, in the open, and in the snow-gums along the road:

• Raptors:
  • Nankeen Kestrel pair (or whatever we're supposed to call the now) once in late spring, and a lone one on 9 May 09 and 13 Nov 10
  • Black-Shouldered Kite, once in mid-summer
  • Wedge-Tailed Eagle, in mid-summer, low, with clear markings and alone, so presumably newly mature; again on 9 May 09, and we found a large feather the same day; and again on 6 Sep 09, yet again alone, with clear markings (is his partner on the nest in early spring?); and again in Nov 10; and again in Nov 12 flying away from the dead wattle near the eastern fence south of Echidna Ridge
• Medium-Sized Birds:
  • Magpies
  • Australian Ravens, occasional, incl. chasing the eagle on 9 Sep 09
  • Little Raven (9 Nov 09)
  • Eastern Rosellas
  • Gang-gangs, Mar 2013, 2 families, each of a male, female and juvenile
  • Crested Pigeons, 8 of them once in early spring (at the small dam and in the snowgums along the road)
  • Noisy Friarbird, late summer (heard only)
  • Black-Faced Cuckoo-Shrike, a pair
  • Grey Shrike-Thrush, on two separate occasions in autumn 2009, heard again Nov 10, seen Mar 2013
  • Galah
  • Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
  • Crimson Rosella
  • Eastern Rosella
  • White-Faced Heron, in 2009 and again, in the southern waterline, in Nov 2012
  • Choughs, a family of about 10 (in the snow-gums beside the road, 10 Feb 2010)
  • Kookaburra (in the snow-gums beside the road, 10 Feb 2010)
  • Yellow-Tailed Cockatoos (flying from Deua to Tallaganda?, 28 Feb 2010; and 2 flying the other way, 5 Apr 2010)
  • Quail (28 Dec 2010, 2 Jan 2013), eastern edge of middle block
  • Golden Whistler (28 Dec 2010) western edge near the gate
  • [Red-Tailed Cockatoos were seen near the Tallaganda Pass on 1 Mar 2010]
• Small Birds:
  • Welcome Swallows over the main dam, late afternoon, late summer; and 9 Sep 09
  • Willie Wagtail, along the road
  • Diamond Firetails, once in early spring (in the snowgums along the road)
  • Yellow-Rumped Thornbills, in the centre-block snow gums, Mar 2013
  • Thornbills, probably buff-rumped (a group, low between trees and bushes, no yellow tail), on two separate occasions in autumn 2009
  • ?White-Winged Triller (black cap and cheek white-streaked eye, dark above, light below), autumn 2009, and again 11 Nov 09

~ Additional sounds heard in the top corner, coming out of the Bunhybee Peak forest:

• White-Throated Tree-Creeper (usually heard only)
• Satin Bower-Bird
• Striated Thornbill
• Yellow-Rumped Thornbill
• Spotted Pardalote
• Striated Pardalote
• Rufous Whistler
• other non-identified calls

See also the following Lists, below:

• Martin Butterfield's, on 11 November 2009
• Rainer Rehwinkel's, on 22 October 2012

Wedge-tailed eagle, Sep 2009	... closer-up ...	... and again

Insects

Recognition Sites: CSIRO Entomology

When you look closely, there are a lot of them.

Dragonflies, commonly over the main dam and the small dam

Recognition Sites: CSIRO Entomology

Dragonfly, Nov 2008

Moths and Butterflies

Recognition Sites: CSIRO Entomology and Don Herbison-Evans' Butterflies and Moths

Moth, Nov 2009 ...	... and Obverse	5 Apr 2010 Moth ...	... and another
13 Nov 2010 – A Beetle. Don Herbison-Evans says prob. Pollanisus viridipulverulenta (Jan 2013)

Grasshoppers

Recognition Sites: DAFF, CSIRO Entomology

We've been told that there could be 20 species of grasshoppers on a property like this, but all our untrained eyes have seen so far is:

• a moderate numbers of small grasshoppers, yellow-winged in flight, in late summer
• a single grasshopper, green-winged in flight, in Mar 2013
• a single large green grasshopper (photo below), in late summer
• a single small brown grasshopper (photo below), in November 2009

Green Grasshopper, Feb 2009	Brown Grasshopper, Nov 2009

Beetles and Bugs

Recognition Sites: CSIRO Entomology: 'True Bugs' and Beetles

Apr 2009 – A Bug	Sep 2009 – Water-Running Bug, Pond, Southern waterline	Nov 2009 – Luminous ...	... Golden and Green Beetles
30 Dec 2009 – Beetle on Banksia marginata	20 Feb 2010 – A Bug		28 Dec 2010 – A Beetle on the Leptosperm ...
... and a beetle during the seed-harvest ...	... with a spider ...	20 Mar 2011 – Bug on A. melanoxyon	2 January 2013 – Iridescent Beetle

Caterpillars

Recognition Sites: Don Herbison-Evans

28 Dec 2010 – Caterpillars ...	... from the harvest ...	... of the Kangaroo Grass	... and another

Mantis

Mar 2013 – found in the southern swamp ...	... but relocated to a dry area where the camera was ...	... and showing the green eye

Whose Handiwork?

20 Feb 2010 Snow Gum ...	... eaten ...	... by what?

Don Herbison-Evans suggests Christmas Beetles (Jan 2013).

Arachnids

Recognition Sites: Ed Nieuw, Wikipedia, Qld

From time to time:

• a striped grass spider, modest size
• a white-abdomened spider, small
• a vividly green spider, similar to the white-abdomened?
• a red-and-yellow spider, small, in a web, stretched between Kunzea
• a big brown bruiser, possibly a trap-door, body 4cm long, poss. Misgolas rapax (Sydney brown trap door)

Holes consistent with:

• wolf (most likely), but possibly mouse and/or funnel-web spiders
• a trap-door spider (now looking likely)

9 May 09 – Trap-door spider's hole, near fence, near NE corner	3 Mar 2010 – Spider	28 Dec 2010 – during the Kangaroo Grass harvest ...	... and another
2 January 2013 Poss. Brown Trap-Door ...	... disturbed while digging out a thistle

Ferals

Species Lists: Wikipedia

• Fox (dead)
• Pigs – mum, dad and four piglets; plus plenty of evidence in the form of scratchings

Examples of Pig-Damage

Nov 2008 (late spring) ...	... perhaps 1 year old ...	... in recovery mode ...	... fairly healthy, unassisted	Apr 2009 – 1-2 years old? E of the house-site

Here is a variety of pig-damage, shot in Nov 2012, in the process of repairing itself pretty effectively. After 2-1/2 wet years following a 9-year drought. the Schoenus apogon was particularly vigorous:

Martin Butterfield's Bird List on 11 November 2009

• Wedge-tailed Eagle
• Nankeen Kestrel
• Galah
• Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
• Crimson Rosella
• Eastern Rosella
• Laughing Kookaburra
• White-throated Treecreeper
• Satin Bowerbird
• Striated Thornbill
• Yellow-rumped Thornbill
• Spotted Pardalote
• Striated Pardalote
• Yellow-faced Honeyeater
• White-naped Honeyeater
• Noisy Friarbird
• White-winged Triller
• Rufous Whistler
• Australian Magpie
• Grey Fantail
• Willie Wagtail
• Little Raven
• Eurasian Skylark
• Australasian Pipit

Rainer Rehwinkel's Bird List on 22 October 2012

• Wedge-tailed Eagle
• Grey Fantail
• Australian Magpie
• White-throated Treecreeper
• Australian Raven
• Laughing Kookaburra
• Nankeen Kestrel
• Striated Pardalote
• White-eared Honeyeater
• Olive-backed Oriole
• Grey Butcherbird
• Golden Whistler
• Red Wattlebird
• White-winged Chough

This is a page within the Bunhybee Grasslands Web-Site, home-page here, and site-map here

Contact: Linda or Roger

Created: 2 October 2008; Last Amended: 21 March 2013