30/03/12 - Brooms Head Family Toad Night

Well, Brooms Head family toad night ended up being 5 CIA toadbusters and 2 Brooms Head Landcare members, so well done to Robyn and Paul Sharp for coming out to help us. It was wonderufl to pick up some local knowledge (like where to stand to get phone service) and a nice joint activity for two Landcare groups from the area.

Paul & Robyn Sharp from Brooms Head Landcare with CVCIA Landcare member Sharon Davidge

We picked up 68 toads for the night but most concerning was the large females we collected right near the Brooms Head shop.

Sharon Robbins with large female cane toad collected in Brooms Head village.

I lost my voice at the end of the night which made everyone very happy and Bevan, Rob and Sharon R saw a lovely carpet python at Lake Arragan to top the night off. Thanks to the 4 CIA vols that came all that way and thanks to Paul and Robyn for coming out with us. Sharon.

Carpet Python at Lake Arragan. Photo: Bevan Pugh

Brooms Head Toad Bustin' - 16/03/12

The same Magnificent 7 cane toad busters from the Yamba Roundup (so proud of myself for thinking of that one!) set out last Friday night to do some new areas in Brooms Head. Bevan's rent-a-crowd took the village and saw a beautiful Carpet Python (who did not want his photo taken!).

Photo: Carpet Python at Brooms Head. Taken by Bevan Pugh.

They also bagged 63 cane toads around the village including 46 juveniles at the back of the shop. That is at least twice they have bred in the drain behind the village in the last month.

My group visited some new properties on Brooms Head Rd which was exciting. We think we can accurately map the line of the front as we found all males who were sitting in their new areas and calling the ladies in loudly.

Glenis and Max with some of the males caught from one dam on Brooms Head Rd.

We saw a Brown Tree Snake (well, Max saw it first as I was too busy gasbagging and nearly trod on it) but my photo was too fuzzy. He was a lovely size but the landowner was a bit freaked out.

Bucket of male toads from the frontline. No fun for you tonight boys!

All up we got only 84 cane toads but visited some new areas and gathered a wad of juveniles. Everyone gather your strength for the Family Cane Toad roundup at Brooms Head Friday 30th March. Cheers, Sharon.

17/02/12 - Brooms Head Wildlife Night

With a rip-snorting 13 volunteers turning up for Brooms Head last Friday night, we only bagged 112 cane toads, but saw a heap of wildlife. All up we saw 1 Barn Owl, 1 Dingo, 1 Bandy bandy, 1 Water Rat, 1 Samll-eyed Snake and 2 White crowned Snakes. How cool is getting out in nature at night??

White crowned snake at Brooms Head

Not many toads, but the boys picked up a pile of 2-3 week old juvenilles that had obviously just hatched behind the shop and RFS station. Good catch guys! Next weekend Warregah and then the Yamba Roundup. Thank you to everyone that turned up - great effort! Cheers, Sharon.

Caleb has a maths lesson in counting cane toads.

9/4/11 - Brooms Head Family Toad Night

Well Brooms Head Family Toad night was well promoted in the media and locally at Brooms Head but we still only picked up two local lads for the night - Tom and Brock. But these guys made up for the lack of interest from the rest of the community and I predict they are going to be great toadbusters into the future!

Mel and I did our bit for "family toad night" by dragging the rest of our households out and Rob had a particularly anti-family night by coming out on the night of Carol's birthday! I chidded him suitably Carol (even I am not that keen!).

Tom, Rob, Brock, Izzy, Steph and Tom enjoyed family toad night.

We hit the village hard and found water lying in places I have never seen it lying before. People welcomed us into their yards (thanks Brooms Head!) and others praised our efforts. Rob, Tom, Brock and I did a trip up Sandon Rd and found a large male right up near wire fence gate, which is quite concerning.

Funniest moment of my night was when we found a roadside culvert on Sandon Rd with a male floating in it. We were trying to work out to get at him without getting wet when Rob started telling us he could see eels in the water. Tom, Brock and I were squinting saying "where?". "There!" he kept calling, "baby eels". They were leeches. Needless to say I did not get in, but we got the toad.

All in all we bagged 128 toads and really mucked up some male toads' night by dragging them mid-croak from ponds. It was lovely to only have to drive 2 km back to our campsite at LA and have a glass of wine with my hubby around the campfire. Family night is the best!

21/03/11 - Townsend Tiger Snakes and a bucket of toads

This fabulous report (and disturbing photo!) from Jo of the Townsend Tigersnakes...

Since the wet weather has been hampering our toading activities we decided on a new game plan - RAINCOATS !! We are now armed for all toading situations.

Wednesday night Mel and I headed out to Yamba to see what was out and about. The sewer works road was fruitful with many morphs popping up out of the grass into the light. The best toad of the night was on Middle Rd Palmers with a 330gm female bagged late in the night. In all we collected 49 toads that night.

Saturday night saw plenty of rain cancel the training session so we donned our raincoats and went out anyway. Mel, Julie and I did a lap of the Red Cliff area and came up with a whopping 315 toads which is a new record for us in one night.

Cane toads collected from Yuraygir National Park by CIA Vol Jo, Mel and Julie.

There were dozens of males in the water staking their patch to call in the ladies. We just put a dampener on their plans as they now have a one way ticket to Freezer Island. It was also lovely to see so much native frog spawn in many of the water holes and no toad spawn : ) also a beautiful juvenile carpet python popped out of the bushes.

Cheers, Jo

P.S. We have caught 997 toads in 5 weeks guys – YAY!!

Thanks Jo. You guys are amazing!! And yes, I will be packing my waders for this Friday at Mororo. :)

Report from the Townsend Tigersnakes - 26/02/11

Townsend Tigersnakes 25th and 26th Feb


The Townsend Tigersnakes have had a BIG weekend!

We popped out to Brooms Head on Friday night and scooped up 109 toads in 35mins at the Bowling Club!! Awesome.

Saturday night we needed to get our quota for the DNA study so we hit Townsend. What a great night, Mel and Jared started at Townsend and scored 47 toads in less than an hour! That seemed like a teaser so Torsten and I joined them and we went out to Red Cliff for a drive thru. We stayed on the roads the whole time and they were just everywhere, we ended up getting 201 toads on a full circuit of Red Cliff.

It was a bumper weekend for us with 357 toads caught all up! Yay!

Now its time to have a rest so we can do it all again next week.

Cheers

Jo, Mel, Jared and Torsten.

Mel and Jared compare toads. Photo: Jo Vestergaard.

These large cane toads were found in the Townsend area Feb 2011. Photo: Jo Vestergaard.

Townsend Tiger Snakes launch assault

Jo and Mel are proving to be a force to be reckoned with and I think there would be many toads quaking in their little amphibian flippers in the Townsend area. These girls attended and helped out at the Yamba Roundup Sunday 20th Feb (oh the humidity!) and then dropped into Carrs Drive on the way home for a little more toadin'!! 13 toads picked up there. They then went out wednesday 23/02 and picked up 8 toads in the Townsend area,  Toads - you have been warned. The Townsend Tigersnakes are out of the bag.

New CIA member Mel's son ready for action at the Yamba Roundup.

Toadbust 10 - Lake Arragan - 12/02/11

Jo headed out to Lake Arragan with new member Mel Saturday night and bagged a whopping 118 toads! They saw 2 dingoes and a white-crowned snake. What else would you do on a Saturday night?! Way to go girls!!

Toadbust 5 - 15/2/10 - Brooms Head

A keen crew of 8 met up at the Brooms Head Bowling Club for a night of intense competition. As I drove into Lake Arragan I was telling Bevan and Rob that "we never see cane toads down this road" - think again! We picked up a heap from the paperbarks camping area near Lake Arragan. Very concerning. The toads are going gang busters down there this season.

Our team headed back to the bowling club, very smug with our 128 toads, to meet up with Kath and Jo's team. They also had 128 toads from the village (go figure!) but as we were gloating, Beth picked up another 1 to add to the village team so they creamed us! 257 for the night.

Frogs legs for dinner anyone?