I’d be interested to hear from Aussie birders as to what non-native habitat is, in your observations, the most diverse in its birdlife. ~Kai *Kai Schraml* +61 (04) 9999 1240 Cell +61 (02) 9985 1901 Home kaischraml@gmail.com *Eagles’ Rest* PO Box 359 Galston, NSW 2159 Australia On Thu, Aug 6, 2015 at 10:51 AM, Peter Shute < pshute@nuw.org.au> wrote: > It was the plantations in the upper Ovens Valley arount Bright that I was > thinking of when I made the same comment earlier. As others have said, it’s > likely to be the density of the plantations that makes them unsuitable for > bird life. I once read a comment here that Spotted Quail-thrush can be > found in the thinned plantations, but I’ve never managed to see any. > > Peter Shute > > > —–Original Message—– > > From: Birding-Aus > > [mailto:birding-aus-bounces@birding-aus.org] On Behalf Of > > Steve Painter > > Sent: Thursday, 6 August 2015 8:56 AM > > To: birding-aus@birding-aus.org > > Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Emus and pines > > > > My experience with pines in the Chiltern area, where I spent > > my childhood and teenage years, is that they are completely silent. > > Fortunately there are not many pines in the Chiltern area, > > mainly around the Barambogie reservoir. I’ve had similar > > experiences in pines in the Bundanoon area of the NSW > > Southern Highlands. > > > > > > > >
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This is late due to my being overseas. In my local Aussie patch (Bayside, Melbourne) by far the most productive areas were those with several trees/large shrubs of Tree Lucerne/Tagasaste, with the nectar attracting at least 9 species of honeyeater, including Fuscous, (plus hunting Brown Goshawks!) and Rainbow Lorikeets, and the seeds providing for Eastern Rosellas, Galahs, and our largest gatherings of Common Bronzewings. A relic of market gardens, most is now gone due to development, aka destruction, and I’ve weeded thousands of seedlings out of our precious remnant Sandringham Heath. PS So sorry to see Bush Heritage giving minimal credit to John Young for his rediscovery of the Night Parrot. Tempted not to donate. Michael Norris
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On the NSW Central Coast, there is a lot of Broadleaf Privet and Camphor Laurel, especially around the Ourimbah area. Every fruiting season there is an influx of Topknot Pigeons. Great for the pigeons, bad for the environment, as the seeds are then spread widely. Carl Clifford
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Kai, In the Sydney basin, weeds such as privet, exotic flowering species & native hybridised species of the urban landscape support an artificially high density of Ringtail Possums. Unlike the natural native environment there is usually always something flowering even in hard times. This same urban environment supports an artificially high density of Powerful Owls – (it was 50 years after European settlement before PO’s were first recorded.) Chris Charles +61412911184 Licole Monopods http://www.licole.com.au
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Australian golf courses can be quite important as habitat for native species, especially in towns and cities. Vegetated areas along fairways and boundary areas of golf courses are often links within larger wildlife corridors, as well as providing important foraging, roosting, nesting and refuge habitat. A lot of mature trees along fairways often have hollows that are suitable for nesting, roosting or denning, presumably as a result of them being subject to increased weathering from tunnelled winds and physiological stress to the trees from fertiliser, herbicide and excessive water runoff. While these hollows may suit the larger, more aggressive hollow-using native species in our suburbs (e.g. Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Galahs, Rainbow Lorikeets, Laughing Kookaburras, Brush-tailed Possums), as well as exotic species (e.g. Common Mynas and Common Starlings), they are also used by other vertebrates such as microbats, reptiles and amphibians. Last year, a flock of at least 15 Swift Parrots were feeding on the nectar of Blue Box (Eucalyptus baueriana) on Riverlands Golf Course and the neighbouring Deepwater Reserve in Bankstown, western Sydney. These trees were providing an important food source for Swift Parrots when flowering of their preferred food tree species on the inland NSW slopes of the GDR was poor. So in this case the golf course was an important drought refuge for over-wintering Swifties. There are a couple of golf courses in metropolitan Sydney which have relatively large populations of the threatened Green and Golden Bell Frog (Litoria aurea), despite the likely runoff of pesticides and excess nutrients into wetland areas. If my memory is correct, I think the 2nd largest known Green and Golden Bell Frog population in Sydney, second in size to the population at Sydney Olympic Park, is in a wetland area of the Kogarah Golf Course in Sydney’s southern suburbs. So while native biodiversity of golf courses may be less than in natural bushland areas, they still play a very important ecological role, especially in urban environments. Stephen Ambrose Ryde NSW —–Original Message—– Martin Butterfield Sent: Thursday, 6 August 2015 2:05 PM Cc: birding-aus NEW I am not sure about Australian golf courses but where I lived in Ottawa in 1991 was next to a golf course with lots of trees which I thought would be good for birds. Unfortunately not. From December to April it was covered with snow (great for skiing after work). As my Canadian friends explained once the snow melts the green keepers soak the place with insecticide to protect the grass and no bugs = no food for birds so they go elsewhere. WRT to cemeteries I suspect it depends on the attitude of the cemetery managers. The one at Gypsy Point (VIC) seems to be left unmown away from the headstones and has a good collection of birds (and an excellent collection of orchide in Spring). By contrast the one at Mongarlowe (NSW) often gets mown to bedrock (apparently because the adjacent RFS Unit feels it looks bad for them to have vegetation nearby) and the one at Dalton (NSW) gets lit up regularly by the RFS because they think….(?). Neither of these are good birding or botanising spots when those policies are in effect. Martin Butterfield http://franmart.blogspot.com.au/
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Hi All, I always seem to get more birdies with the binoculars than with the clubs when I’m wandering around a golf course…. Haven’t done it for awhile though! Regards John *Yours in all things* “*GREEN”* *John Harris BASc, GDipEd* *Croydon, Vic* *Director – Wildlife Experiences Pty Ltd* *Principal **Zoologist/**Ecologist* *Nature Photographer* *Wildlife Guide* *wildlifeexperiences@gmail.com < wildlifeexperiences@gmail.com>* *www.flickr.com/photos/wildlifeexperiences* *0409090955* *Past President, Field Naturalists Club of Victoria* *(www.fncv.org.au )* On 6 August 2015 at 14:05, Martin Butterfield < martinflab@gmail.com> wrote:
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Totally agree with Jeremy, the WTP is arguably the best ‘artificial’ habitat in Victoria. — ******************************** Ian (Tom) Tarrant Hawthorn East 3123 Victoria http://www.aviceda.org ********************************
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Oh, what about sewage ponds!
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Oh, what about sewage ponds!
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That’s true that it will vary, Martin, but we had a talk at our BirdLife meeting and some golf course managers do consider wildlife. The course at Townsville is great. One cemetery group manager contacted BirdLife Melbourne about putting in some nest boxes, so there are some that are environmentally conscious. Sonja
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I am not sure about Australian golf courses but where I lived in Ottawa in 1991 was next to a golf course with lots of trees which I thought would be good for birds. Unfortunately not. From December to April it was covered with snow (great for skiing after work). As my Canadian friends explained once the snow melts the green keepers soak the place with insecticide to protect the grass and no bugs = no food for birds so they go elsewhere. WRT to cemeteries I suspect it depends on the attitude of the cemetery managers. The one at Gypsy Point (VIC) seems to be left unmown away from the headstones and has a good collection of birds (and an excellent collection of orchide in Spring). By contrast the one at Mongarlowe (NSW) often gets mown to bedrock (apparently because the adjacent RFS Unit feels it looks bad for them to have vegetation nearby) and the one at Dalton (NSW) gets lit up regularly by the RFS because they think….(?). Neither of these are good birding or botanising spots when those policies are in effect. Martin Butterfield http://franmart.blogspot.com.au/ On 6 August 2015 at 12:50, Sonja Ross < sonja.ross7@gmail.com> wrote:
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I think the observation is important. I am new enough in Aus to not be able to contribute to an Aussie perspective with any depth. However, in my native Southern California, I can point to many non-native plant communities (both mixed and monoculture), and even contrived physical habitats which are much more diverse and important to the health and sustainability of both common as well as some desperately endangered species than 90% of the surrounding relatively intact native habitat. Of course, the most stunning example of contrived physical habitats is the Salton Sea. Amazingly productive, diverse, and full of rare and endangered birds…also completely contrived by humans. This is, to be sure, a grand example, but an important one (and may be a special case for various reasons, not the least of which is the geological history of the area). On the strictly plant community side, I’ll give one example. Oddly enough, Australian Gums are, in parts of Southern California, much more numerous than the native oaks they so often replace and outcompete, often over large areas. Many of these areas are essentially gum-tree monoculture areas, yet they can be incredibly important to bird populations. One in particular is called the “Coronado Seep” in Santa Barbara. A gum forest on a coatal bluff with a bit of water on the floor is the best birding spot for all types of songbirds in Santa Barbara during the spring and most of the summer and then again in the fall, although it is less important in the winter (to the birds, but they are replaced by Monarch Butterflies). There is almost nothing native in that spot. Of course, the best place for any species is its original context where it evolved. And it seems to me, the single largest threat to the diversity of life on the planet is a “loss of habitat,” but it does not mean that human intervention or action is wholly or even mostly detrimental, necessarily. At least, that is my opinion and experience. Kai *Kai Schraml* +61 (04) 9999 1240 Cell +61 (02) 9985 1901 Home kaischraml@gmail.com *Eagles’ Rest* PO Box 359 Galston, NSW 2159 Australia
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Possibly golf courses and cemeteries too. Sonja
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Off the top of my head, without looking at any lists, I think Botanical Gardens can be very good. Obviously most have native plants too, but even in areas of completely introduced plants you can get better bird life than the surrounding areas. Jeremy
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Are we speaking of “pines” here (as in genus Pinus), or something else? In either case, it occurs to me that you may be on to something. We have regularly condemned any non-native, self-replicating species as “invasive.” Where in reality when alone, or mixed with natives, unique habitats are formed in which some species may find a niche and prosper. Are we selling new combinations short? -TATE James Tate, Jr. 2031 Huidekoper Pl NW Washington, DC 20007 T 202-841-2056 [1]jim@tate-tate.us Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. –Mahatma Gandhi ——– Original Message ——– Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] The Most Productive Non-Native Habitats in Aus From: “Jeremy O’Wheel” < [2]owheelj@gmail.com> To: Kai < [3]kaischraml@gmail.com>, [4]birding-aus@birding-aus.org Off the top of my head, without looking at any lists, I think Botanical Gardens can be very good. Obviously most have native plants too, but even in areas of completely introduced plants you can get better bird life than the surrounding areas. Jeremy On Thu, 6 Aug 2015 at 12:09 Kai < [5]kaischraml@gmail.com> wrote: > I’d be interested to hear from Aussie birders as to what non-native habitat > is, in your observations, the most diverse in its birdlife. ~Kai > > *Kai Schraml* > a+61 (04) 9999 1240 Cell > +61 (02) 9985 1901 Home > [6]kaischraml@gmail.com > > *Eagles’ Rest* > PO Box 359 > Galston, NSW 2159 > Australia > > > On Thu, Aug 6, 2015 at 10:51 AM, Peter Shute < [7]pshute@nuw.org.au> wrote: > > > It was the plantations in the upper Ovens Valley arount Bright that I was > > thinking of when I made the same comment earlier. As others have said, > it’s > > likely to be the density of the plantations that makes them unsuitable > for > > bird life. I once read a comment here that Spotted Quail-thrush can be > > found in the thinned plantations, but I’ve never managed to see any. > > > > Peter Shute > > > > > —–Original Message—– > > > From: Birding-Aus > > > [[8]mailto:birding-aus-bounces@birding-aus.org] On Behalf Of > > > Steve Painter > > > Sent: Thursday, 6 August 2015 8:56 AM > > > To: [9]birding-aus@birding-aus.org > > > Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Emus and pines > > > > > > My experience with pines in the Chiltern area, where I spent > > > my childhood and teenage years, is that they are completely silent. > > > Fortunately there are not many pines in the Chiltern area, > > > mainly around the Barambogie reservoir. I’ve had similar > > > experiences in pines in the Bundanoon area of the NSW > > > Southern Highlands. > > > > > > > > > > > >
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[17]http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org References 1. mailto:jim@tate-tate.us 2. mailto:owheelj@gmail.com 3. mailto:kaischraml@gmail.com 4. mailto:birding-aus@birding-aus.org 5. mailto:kaischraml@gmail.com 6. mailto:kaischraml@gmail.com 7. mailto:pshute@nuw.org.au 8. mailto:birding-aus-bounces@birding-aus.org 9. mailto:birding-aus@birding-aus.org 10. mailto:Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org 11. http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org 12. mailto:Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org 13. http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org 14. mailto:Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org 15. http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org 16. mailto:Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org 17. http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
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Are we speaking of “pines” here (as in genus Pinus), or something else? In either case, it occurs to me that you may be on to something. We have regularly condemned any non-native, self-replicating species as “invasive.” Where in reality when alone, or mixed with natives, unique habitats are formed in which some species may find a niche and prosper. Are we selling new combinations short? -TATE James Tate, Jr. 2031 Huidekoper Pl NW Washington, DC 20007 T 202-841-2056 [1]jim@tate-tate.us Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. –Mahatma Gandhi ——– Original Message ——– Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] The Most Productive Non-Native Habitats in Aus From: “Jeremy O’Wheel” < [2]owheelj@gmail.com> To: Kai < [3]kaischraml@gmail.com>, [4]birding-aus@birding-aus.org Off the top of my head, without looking at any lists, I think Botanical Gardens can be very good. Obviously most have native plants too, but even in areas of completely introduced plants you can get better bird life than the surrounding areas. Jeremy On Thu, 6 Aug 2015 at 12:09 Kai < [5]kaischraml@gmail.com> wrote: > I’d be interested to hear from Aussie birders as to what non-native habitat > is, in your observations, the most diverse in its birdlife. ~Kai > > *Kai Schraml* > a+61 (04) 9999 1240 Cell > +61 (02) 9985 1901 Home > [6]kaischraml@gmail.com > > *Eagles’ Rest* > PO Box 359 > Galston, NSW 2159 > Australia > > > On Thu, Aug 6, 2015 at 10:51 AM, Peter Shute < [7]pshute@nuw.org.au> wrote: > > > It was the plantations in the upper Ovens Valley arount Bright that I was > > thinking of when I made the same comment earlier. As others have said, > it’s > > likely to be the density of the plantations that makes them unsuitable > for > > bird life. I once read a comment here that Spotted Quail-thrush can be > > found in the thinned plantations, but I’ve never managed to see any. > > > > Peter Shute > > > > > —–Original Message—– > > > From: Birding-Aus > > > [[8]mailto:birding-aus-bounces@birding-aus.org] On Behalf Of > > > Steve Painter > > > Sent: Thursday, 6 August 2015 8:56 AM > > > To: [9]birding-aus@birding-aus.org > > > Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Emus and pines > > > > > > My experience with pines in the Chiltern area, where I spent > > > my childhood and teenage years, is that they are completely silent. > > > Fortunately there are not many pines in the Chiltern area, > > > mainly around the Barambogie reservoir. I’ve had similar > > > experiences in pines in the Bundanoon area of the NSW > > > Southern Highlands. > > > > > > > > > > > >
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[17]http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org References 1. mailto:jim@tate-tate.us 2. mailto:owheelj@gmail.com 3. mailto:kaischraml@gmail.com 4. mailto:birding-aus@birding-aus.org 5. mailto:kaischraml@gmail.com 6. mailto:kaischraml@gmail.com 7. mailto:pshute@nuw.org.au 8. mailto:birding-aus-bounces@birding-aus.org 9. mailto:birding-aus@birding-aus.org 10. mailto:Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org 11. http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org 12. mailto:Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org 13. http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org 14. mailto:Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org 15. http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org 16. mailto:Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org 17. http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
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