lizard

Moggill Creek

Catchment Group

Bush Bites

Just another tree?

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Across Gold Creek from my hide, where I have been monitoring a breeding Platypus in recent years, is a Sandpaper Fig. Its notable feature is that it is old, but apart from that it is just another tree arching over one of the two large ponds of the creek.

I have taken an interest in this tree because there are long periods of waiting between sightings of the platypus, but there are many similar trees overhanging the creek.

How it got to be growing just in this position could probably be because one of the figs from further upstream was washed down the creek and was deposited in a recess in this section of the creek many years ago.

I have no idea how old the tree is, but it has clearly seen better days as it has lost many branches and shows several signs of old age including severe termite attack.  It would certainly have been around in the first half of the 20th century when this section of Gold Creek was the local swimming hole. It was probably around before the land was cleared and used as a dairy farm by the Dart brothers. I can imagine it existed when members of the Turrbal or Jagera aboriginal groups populated the area. Perhaps the aboriginal children snacked on its fruits before lollies were available from the Brookfield store.

Since the cattle went, Chinese Elms have invaded the cleared areas and the swimming hole is no longer used, but the creek banks have a good cover of Sandpaper Figs and Creek Lily Pillies and other natives, so this section of Gold Creek is in good condition and supports a wide range of wildlife.

The Sandpaper Fig has many decayed limbs, and one hole is the resting place of an elderly Northern Mountain Possum. He camps here during the day when he is visiting this part of his territory. The Sandpaper Fig is interconnected with other trees along the creek by several vines. When the possum wakes up in the evening, he climbs upwards and takes off on an aerial highway that covers much of the creek.

He is joined by many other inhabitants who also use this network. Young water dragons sleep along the thinner branches during the night where they are safe from cats and other predators.

If the Water Dragons sense danger, they just plop into the water and swim to safety.

 Many birds frequent the fig’s canopy. Lewin’s Honeyeaters are always present – not for nectar, but insects which form much of their diet. Whipbirds are also common, and the fig produces fruit for a range of fruit eaters including Pale-headed Rosellas, Figbirds, Satin Bowerbirds and Rose-crowned Fruit-doves. Brush Turkeys and Noisy Pittas feed on the figs that fall on the banks of the creek. Striated Pardalotes use the fig as a staging post as they excavate their many holes in the bank of the creek where they raise their young. One parent will wait impatiently in the tree with an insect in its beak while calling incessantly until the other parent leaves the hole and it is their turn to feed the hungry young.

Most of the figs fall into the water and there is always a team of Eel-tailed Catfish waiting below.

As well as fruit the Sandpaper Fig drops a considerable number of leaves throughout the year. These rot down in the water and start a food chain involving bacteria and fungi, which are eaten by worms and aquatic insects such as dragonfly, mayfly and midge larvae, which are then eaten by fish and platypus.

The creek is usually ankle deep in mulm derived from the leaves and fruit and the platypus’s bill with its electrified sensors is ideally adapted to sifting out the insects and worms contained in the debris.

When the creek floods the mulm is washed away and a new cycle develops where the whole process speeds up with the input of minerals and light. Floods undercut the banks developing suitable dens for the platypus and water rats. Here too, roots of the Sandpaper fig stabilise the bank. The underground extent of the fig is just as large as the aboveground branches and trunk and the fig produces two distinct types of roots. The structural roots support the trunk and branches and take up water. The fine roots collect the nutrients to feed the growth.

The trees along the creek are essential for the health of the creek and support an amazing amount of wildlife. Clearing to the edge of the creek destroys this habitat and leads to a breakdown of the ecology of our waterways. The work of the MCCG environmental restoration groups in revegetating our waterways is vital to maintaining Moggill and Gold Creeks in a condition that is as close to pristine as any waterway in Brisbane.

FOOTNOTE

The Sandpaper Fig was snapped off by the recent flood and washed downstream to the bridge at the junction of Adavale St. and Savages Rd. The Mountain Possum hole survived but it is very exposed, and it is doubtful it will be used again. A few young branches remain but the main trunk was severed about 2 metres above the ground. The entire root system survived and held the bank well so the old tree will rise again, but it will be many years before it plays its part in supporting the animals with food and the aerial highway above the creek. In the meantime, other young trees will take advantage of the extra light and take the old fig’s place in the canopy above Gold Creek.

Words and photos by Ed Frazer

Bush Bites – Wildlife in the Wet

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Surviving the floods has been a test of our resilience in recent times, but how do the local wildlife manage the storms and the flooded creeks?

The answer is surprisingly well. Many species have very attuned senses and they are in many cases better forecasters than Bureau of Meteorology when it comes to detecting imminent storms. Most of our birds can easily detect drops in barometric pressure, wind changes, temperature drops, lightning and thunder miles away and either fly off to safer locations or take shelter in dense foliage or in nooks and crannies of tree trunks. Small birds are experts at positioning themselves close to the trunks on the leeward faces of the trees.

The biggest danger for birds is during nesting when eggs or young can get flooded. It pays to check out your area after a big storm. Several years ago I was out inspecting the damage from a particularly heavy rain period and I heard some tiny chirps at the base of an Iron bark tree and found a pair of small chicks with only pin feathers. I knew they were parrots but after feeding them for several days I was amazed to find they were Major Mitchell Cockatoos. I was aware of the parents who regularly visited us after they were expelled from a flock of 6 that lived up near the Gold Creek dam. After the chicks were fully grown they flew up into a Grey Ironbark  and one re-joined the parents and the other cried for three days until I climbed about 12 metres up the tree to retrieve it.  After another storm I found a Black Bittern, a seldom seen bird in Brisbane, resting after sheltering from a particularly bad storm.

Many of the larger birds just sit out in the rain and take advantage of the feast of worms flooded out to the surface. Generally, the birds manage the storms quite well.

A bedraggled but very satisfied Australian Magpie after feasting on worms brought to the surface by the flooding rain.

With the huge volumes of water flowing down Gold and Moggill Creeks during the recent flooding you might wonder if all the fish were washed down the Brisbane River into Moreton Bay. Fish are also adept at handling the conditions. The main defence of the Eel-tailed Catfish is to find deep spots in the creeks where the water flow is less strong. Other species move to the edges of the water where they find slower water behind obstructions such as clumps of refuse, large tree bases and side channels. It is well-known that the small mosquito fish, Gambusia, swims up the edges of the flow in floods and this is how they successfully populate farm dams where they were never intentionally introduced. Some natives such as Firetailed Gudgeons also use this method. Flooding can be a bountiful time for fish as fast water can dislodge aquatic insect larvae such as Dragonflies and Mayflies making them easy food for the waiting fish.

Fish are also highly streamlined and coated with mucus which reduces the friction and makes them highly capable of swimming against strong currents.

Frogs are very well adapted to flood periods, which actually stimulate their breeding as their  calling  during the recent rains will testify. The constant wet weather makes it easy for them to travel and some species make use of flooding conditions. The Great Barred and the Great Brown Brood-frogs lay eggs well away from creeks under stones or in clumps of grass and rely on flood water to wash their eggs into the waterways. Other species such as the Ornate Treefrogs and Ornate Burrowing Frogs lay their eggs in temporary ponds where there are fewer predators. These species develop very rapidly with the Ornate Treefrog taking only three weeks in the tadpole stage as they feed on the algae and micro-organisms that develop rapidly in the ephemeral ponds.

The Ornate Treefrog lays eggs in temporary water after heavy rain. They go through metamorphosis in 6 to 8 weeks.

For our two aquatic mammals, platypus and water rats, big floods can cause some problems. Both are highly intelligent animals and they also have some heightened senses and quickly adapt to changing conditions.

The Platypus have two types of dens. Breeding Den entrances usually are at normal water level and rise upwards and go back a metre or two. Fortunately the young were out by about the end on November so there would have been no losses of pugs during the recent flooding.

The Platypus have several other dens where they hole up during the daytime during the rest of the year. Along our part of Gold Creek there are lots of places where the banks are undercut from earlier floods and many go back a considerable distance and are well above normal water level. The Platypus use multiple dens along their range depending where they are feeding. During the recent flood most dens would have been underwater and the Platypus would have to move out. They are extremely strong swimmers and would have skirted around the edges of the flood and probably made temporary dens in the flotsam pushed up from the flood.

An undercut bank in Gold Creek which a Platypus has been using for several years. It goes back at least 1.5metres. The Platypus’ senses are so acute that it can detect movement at the lookout above.

The Water Rats are not as committed to needing an aquatic environment as the Platypus. They regularly raid our nursery buildings well away from the creek and steal goldfish and ornamental snails. They are very clever animals and would have had no difficulty in finding cover for their daytime sleeping quarters while the flood was raging. They would not have any problem keeping warm as they have one of the most dense waterproof furs of any animal.

A Grass Skipper butterfly sheltering from the rain

Butterflies are rather delicate creatures and small enough that a raindrop in comparison to their size would be like a 10-litre bucket of water hitting us. They have a number of defences, but foremost is simply perching on the undersides of a good strong leaf. Some shelter in nooks and crannies of trees and the common Evening Browns shelter under clumps of grass. Ladybirds also shelter on the undersides of leaves and some species congregate in large numbers under loose bark of Eucalyptus trees.

After the Flood.

Mostly our wildlife survive these periods quite well if they don’t coincide with their breeding season. But after the flooding there can be a period of where feed can be in short supply. Nectar and insect eating species can have problems, but unless it is just before winter it usually doesn’t take long before things get back to normal.

For seed eaters there can be a feast on the ground.

Fish in the creeks may have a shortage as the insect larvae live in the debris and mulm that will have been washed out. However, in a few weeks the build-up of mosquito and midge larvae will result in plenty. Without these periodical flooding events the creeks get overgrown and the water quality goes down so the cleanout and inflow of water from the land loaded with nutrients results in a bloom that starts a flush that benefits the environment and the animals living in our creeks. This recent event fortunately was during the warmer months so the recovery will be rapid.

Photos and  words by Ed Frazer.

 

 

Bush Bites with Ed Frazer

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Lacewings are a diverse and interesting group that are an important part of the insect fauna in the Moggill Creek catchment area.

They are equipped with highly effective “fangs” and are vicious predators of a wide range of insects including many pests.

The eggs are unusual in that the are usually laid in rows under leaves hanging from slender stalks.

Lacewing Eggs  Photo:Ed Frazer

The hatched larvae vary enormously. One group, the Ant Lions live in dry areas, such as under the eaves of a house, where they build an inverted cone in the soil with steep sides. Ants that fall into the cone struggle to get out and are captured and eaten by the Ant Lion, which lies concealed at the bottom of the cone.

Another group of species attach objects to their backs and move around on the ground or on the stems of plants, well camouflaged as they track down aphids and larvae of other insects.

Lacewing lava with camouflage  Photo: Ed Frazer

A primitive group of Lacewings that is now only found in Australasia is the Split-footed Lacewings. These relatively large sized lacewings are known outside this area only by fossil records. While some of their larvae adorn their backs with camouflage litter others live openly on the undersides of leaves, usually in the vicinity of creeks feeding on anything they can trap with their fearsome jaws. The larva look so different from their beautiful green winged adults it is hard to believe they can make such a transformation when they pupate and metamorphize into their winged stage.

Larva of a Green Spotted Lacewing – one of the Split-footed Lacewings  Photo:Ed Frazer

Adult Lacewings range in size from about 1cm to 5cm. All have in common translucent heavily veined wings. Most are highly predacious in both the larval and adult stages and have very efficient jaws. Little is published on the life history of this interesting group, which is well represented in this area.

Small lacewing about 1cm feeding on minute insects on a leaf of grass  Photo: Ed Frazer
Split-footed lacewing the size and appearance of a dragonfly  Photo: Ed Frazer

Bush Bites!

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Our Migrating Birds.

We give little thought to the several species of local birds that migrate massive distances twice a year to spend part of their year in our backyards.

Imagine going from Kenmore to the Bunya Mountains and back on your own steam and you would get an idea of what some of our shortest distance migratory birds do each year. That’s what the Noisy Pittas and Pacific Bazas do.

Noisy Pitta, one of our ground feeding birds found along the banks of Gold Creek –  endangered by domestic cats.

Millions of tiny Yellow-faced Honeyeaters arrive from Victoria and Southern N.S.W. each year to feast on nectar from our flowering Eucalyptus in winter. They weigh only a few grams and yet they travel in such huge flocks that they can be detected by the weather radar on their trip of between 1000 to 2000km each way.

The beautiful Rose-crowned Fruit Doves, Scared Kingfishers, and Dollarbirds come from Northern Queensland and Papua-New Guinea each year to raise their next generation before flying back with their youngsters when they are only a few months old.

The real long-haul champions are the Latham’s Snipe, which arrive every winter from Japan and some even from Siberia. An enormous feat and fraught with huge dangers from weather conditions, bird shooters and loss of their regular stopover resting and feeding grounds on the way.

There are altitudinal migrants that spend the summer months out west and return east of the Great Dividing Range in winter such as the Pied Currawong.

Southern species like the Grey Fantail that head up north for the warmer winters, including the Swift Parrot that even reaches our area all the way from Tasmania.

Northern species such as the Koel (storm bird), Channel-billed Cuckoo, Sacred Kingfisher and Black-faced Monarch that fly down from PNG and northern Queensland to escape the hot wet season and breed in the summer months in southern Queensland.

Migration is the most dangerous time for birds, but the rewards of better food and climate must make the huge effort worthwhile as migration has been going on for millions of years.

However, recent studies show this may be changing, largely because of our interference. Habitat loss is obviously a major factor as migratory birds have well defined highways and stop-overs and these are being lost through our urban development.

Little research has been done on the complex migrations of birds in Australia, but a huge amount is known of the extensive migrations of hundreds of species between South America and North America.

What was of sombre interest was a recent report from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology on bird migration mortality because of human intervention. Their report of annual bird deaths from specific human-related causes (other than habitat losses) in the U.S and Canada are horrendous.

By far the highest mortality, a staggering 2.6 billion deaths annually, came from cats. Both feral and domestic cats that are allowed to roam at night. Windows accounted for 624 million, vehicles 214 million, power lines 57 million, communication towers 6.8 million and wind turbines 679 thousand.  Lights from towns distracting the birds’ amazing navigation sense are responsible for unquantified losses are also probably in the high millions.

Domestic cat on the prowl for early birds at 4.30am along Gold Creek

We can act on some if not all these problems as individuals and the MCCG habitat rehabilitation programmes are making a difference locally.

We can lock up the cat at night and turn off the outside lights to help. There are things to put on windows to prevent bird strikes. Not removing Lantana until replaced by appropriate natives and simply planting shrubs like Callistemons and Grevilleas around dams and not clearing to the edge of creeks so the birds can safely come in to drink will also save many of our birds from their greatest local danger roaming domestic cats.

Get in tune with the seasons and listen out for the Rain Bird (Koel) and watch out for the Flying Hockey Stick (Channel-billed Cuckoo) and say goodbye to the Grey Fantail and welcome the Sacred Kingfishers as the spring changeover of migrant birds takes place. Think of the huge perilous undertaking they are making. Enjoy them while they are here for the migration will be reversing in autumn; but by then the next group of migrants will be arriving.

 

Ed Frazer

 

Bush Bites – Freshwater Turtles

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There are four species of Freshwater Turtles found in the Moggill Creek Catchment. They are common in Moggill and Gold Creeks and Gold Creek Reservoir and these species are well established and under no threat.

Earlier information about these reptiles called them Tortoises, but recently that name has been reserved to land dwelling Tortoises, which are not native to Australia.

Broad-shelled River Turtle. This species often travels overland during mating season.  Photo: Ed Frazer

Freshwater Turtles can be quite long living though few reliable records have been kept. A span of 50 years or more seems reasonable.

The eggs are laid on the banks of streams in soil which can vary from sand to clay. The incubation period can be from several months to two years and is influenced by temperature and rainfall.

Many eggs are lost to drought and predation by water dragons, goannas, water rats, birds and foxes. The hatchlings are also preyed on by catfish, eels and even Platypus, but a few survive and it is not uncommon to see a full range of sizes swimming together in the creeks.

The males are generally smaller than the females and they are often seen following the females for a considerable time in an attempt to mate.

Turtle eating a dead fish in Gold Creek.  Photo: Ed Frazer

They feed on a wide variety of items, but prefer shrimp, insect larvae like dragonflies, and clams which they crush by attacking the edges of the shells with their powerful jaws until they open. They also clean up any dead fish and aquatic plants and any fruit that drops into the creeks such as Mulberries.

A Saw-shelled Turtle climbing on driftwood to enjoy the sun in winter.  Photo: Ed Frazer

A Brisbane Short-necked Turtle climbing on a sunken log in Gold Creek.  Photo: Ed Frazer

Most of their feeding is in the two hours after sunrise and before sunset, but they will
respond to a feed of bread, fish or meat or better still floating fish foods or insects.
In the cooler months they can often be seen sunbathing on rocks or logs poking out from
the creek where they can drop back into the water if disturbed.

A Fresh Water Turtle Catchment Field Guide will be on the MCCG website shortly.

Platypus on the move

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It looks like a bumper year in Platypus activity in Gold and Moggill Creeks this year.

After several years of poor rainfall and little flushing out of the creeks, more consistent water flow has restored the aquatic habitat and the animals appear to be responding.

Platypus Photo: Ed Frazer

Ed Frazer has been monitoring part of Gold Creek that includes two large stretches about 400 metres long and 8 metres wide that were the local swimming holes in past years.

There have consistently been three breeding females in these ponds that have regularly been monitored in the annual Platypus Survey carried out each September. He suspects that they didn’t breed last year because of the poor condition of the creek.

“There has been a lot of activity up to mid-July with mating season starting” Ed said. “I regularly see the females feeding as late as 8am as they build up their condition for the egg laying and raising their two young. The good water conditions have resulted in a plenty of food, especially the Dragonfly larvae which I think is a major part of their food in our area.”

The females tend to move around the snags in the creek where there has been a considerable build-up of rotting down leaf matter where the insects feed. Luckily we haven’t had a strong flood in the creek that cleaned out this habitat as often has happened after a period of drought in the past. The females sighted had thick tails a sign of good condition for raising their young.

“The male Platypus behaviour is quite different at this time of year. I see them travelling through at impressive speed, sometimes on the surface, but often in shallow dives coming up for air every 45 seconds at a distance of about 30 metres. They are looking for mates at this time of year”.

By July 17 sightings suddenly ceased and Ed thinks that early egg laying had started and the females were in their dens incubating the eggs that take about 10 days to hatch.

In August the activity will slow down while the young are small and the females are using their reserves built up in the tails to supply food for the small puggles. 

By September the young will be more demanding and the females will be out more in the early morning and before dusk to keep up their food. This is when the MCCG Platypus survey is held while the activity is at its height.

There is plenty of other activity in the creek to watch while waiting for the Platypus to put in an appearance. There are a number of Striated Pardalotes building their tunnels in the banks of the creek this year as the soil is nicely moist from the recent rains. They are lining their nesting chambers with feathers and trying to out-compete their neighbours with their distinctive three note call.

Azure Kingfisher Photo: Ed Frazer

The beautiful Azure Kingfishers are flying rapidly along the length of the pools stopping to perch on overhanging branches ready to strike on any fish near the surface. Their activity seems to be co-ordinated with the Platypus as they appear to be taking advantage of the fish disturbed by the strenuous stirring up of the fish on the bottom of the creek. They too will start building their nesting chambers in the banks of the creek and they should have a good chance of raising 4 young with the ideal conditions this year. There is also a beautiful Grey Goshawk that patrols along about 2km of the creek looking for prey just under the overhanging trees.

Grey Goshawk Photo: Ed Frazer

There are a lot of good photo opportunities around the local creeks and MCCG holds its annual Photography Competition in October each year, so a good turnout should be expected after two lean years of near drought.

 

Words and all photos by Ed Frazer

Ladybirds, Ladybirds and more Ladybird Beetles!

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When I started on this project of producing a Ladybird Field Guide for the MCCG I thought I might find about 8 species on my property. In a relatively short time I found over twenty species, some of which are very small and can only be reliably identified by taxonomists looking at their minute differences with a microscope.

The really colourful ones are relatively large, but are easily overlooked. Ladybirds are just as prevalent in the gardens in Kenmore as the large properties of Brookfield and Pullenvale so they are easy to find if you look closely.

Many are important beneficial insects helping control pests of citrus and some organically grown vegetable crops such as broccoli and cucumbers. There are also two species locally that eat plants, but their damage is minimal and one, the 28-spotted Ladybird, seems mainly to eat Deadly Nightshade on my property and while it should also be interested in Tomatoes and Potatoes though I have never seen one on my Tomatoes.

The rarer, almost identical 26-spotted Ladybird eats leaves of Pumpkins and I found one and a larva on a neighbour’s pumpkin patch.

28-Spotted Ladybird showing marks where it has been rasping the surface of a Deadly Nightshade weed. The big piece cut out of the leaf was probably by a grasshopper.

Many of the most colourful species feed almost exclusively on Aphis on a wide range of plants including Roses and Hibiscus and several vegetables. They lay their eggs usually on the underside of the leaves near the Aphids and when the larvae hatch they also feed on the Aphids and consume up to about 50 a day as they grow larger. The adults also eat other small insects and some supplement their diet on pollen during hard times.

A Common Spotted Ladybird feeding on Aphids which are oblivious of the danger and even climbing over their predator.
The upright standing eggs of a Three-banded Ladybird under a Milk Thistle leaf.
A final instar larva of the Variable Ladybird that has just shed its exoskeleton.

 

Another important group of Ladybirds eats scale insects which are important pests of Citrus, Roses and other crops and several native plants. They eat the young scale before they develop their hard waxy coat. Where scale are present they are usually attending ants that feed on the “honey dew” that scale excrete. The ants protect the scale from predators, including Ladybirds, but the Ladybirds pull in their heads and feet under their domed exterior and the ants can’t get to them. They lay their eggs under the scale to protect them and their larvae have many spines.

A Red Chilocoris Ladybird feeding on young scale insects on a grapefruit leaf. This species is sold for biological control of several varieties of scale in their citrus industry.

The fourth group feed on Mealybugs, which are an important pest of a wide range of commercial crops and even native plants.

A Mealybug Ladybird on a Ficus leaf searching for mealybugs.

They are most easily found on some of our Brisbane Box trees. Their larva are an amazing imitation of a mealybug.

The larva of a Mealybug Ladybird, which looks almost identical to the Long-tailed Mealybug but moves much faster.

The Fungus-eating Ladybird is the sole fungus specialist and eats Powdery Mildew a major crop disease of a number of vegetables and other plants when temperatures fall and moisture condenses on the leaves in the mornings. It is commonly found under the leaves of pumpkins as the fruit are ripening. It is thought that the beetles can detect powdery mildew by smell.

A Fungus-eating Ladybird grazing on powdery mildew under a pumpkin leaf.

A number of Australian Ladybird species have been distributed to New Zealand and the U.S.A. to control pests in horticultural crops. One of our Ladybirds (which are called Ladybugs in the U.S. but they are really a beetle not a bug) has saved the U.S citrus from the particulaly destructive Cottony Cushion Scale.

 

The only problem is that we exported the Cottony Cushion Scale to the U.S in the first place!

 

Photographing such tiny animals with a high powered macro lens in the field has been a challenge. I found mid-morning was best as the Ladybirds were warming up in the sun and not moving around as they do later in the day when they tend to hide on the back of the leaves when they detect movements and shadows. I collected some of the 1 to 2mm black ones on the native trees by shaking the branches over an upturned umbrella and staging the photographs on a leaf while they are playing dead but that doesn’t last long before they take off and they are hard to keep in focus. It is possible to collect the Ladybirds and cool them in the fridge and stage the photos with good lighting to allow well focussed photos with a full depth of field. I prefer not to as I enjoy the challenge of using the natural light and conditions in the field and, if possible, show them in action feeding.

All photos and text by Ed Frazer.

Plant up the dams and creek sides.

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The Moggill Creek Catchment is not well off for water to supply the district’s wildlife. Apart from the Gold Creek Dam and Gold and Moggill creeks there is little other permanent water. Even then the upper parts of Moggill Creek have dried out in recent droughts. The non- permanent creeks dry out rather quickly as most have porous, rocky bases in the upper reaches.

Little Pied Cormorant, Great Egret and Royal Spoonbill attracted to a well planted farm dam.  Photo: Ed Frazer

There were a few farm dams left over from the dairy and fruit farms in past times and recently a few dams have been built on private acreage. Unfortunately sites are often difficult and many have leaking problems and their water holding capacity is small. To make the most of what is available to encourage the wildlife and especially the small birds, reptiles and mammals that are dependant on reliable water sources, we need to improve the habitat around those existing water sources.

Dams with clear areas around their shores are only attract a range of aggressive birds such as Magpies, Butcherbirds, Magpie Larks, Ibis and Kookaburras. The same is true of the creeks where they have been cleared of overhanging vegetation. Ideally creeks should be planted with overhanging trees such as Sandpaper Figs, Mellalucas and creek Lillipillies. The trees should be reinforced with extensive plantings of shrubs, and patches of sedges, grasses and Lomandra.

Farm dams need similar treatment, but only the high side of the dam and where the water comes in need to be planted. Wattles make a useful planting higher on the banks and Grevilleas also do well around dams. Planting in the dams should include some broad-leaved plants for the frogs as well as sedges. Be careful with water lilies particularly if the dam is shallow.  Avoid Hardy waterlilies and use Tropical Waterlilies and Night Bloomers as they don’t spread and choke out the dam.

If you establish a good habitat around the dam or creek side you will be rewarded by a large range of beautiful birds such as Azure Kingfishers and a wide range of water birds, small mammals such as echidnas and water dragons. A well plated dam or creek side with a good tree canopy will go a long way to keeping out invasive water weeds. It will also contribute to making the creek a more suitable habitat for Platypus.

Azure Kingfisher taking advantage of a perch on a dead flower stalk over a farm dam.  Photo: Ed Frazer

Persistence pays off – Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

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In the latest Bush Bites, Tim Spencer shares his recent experience with a Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo.

Loving birds is one thing, but photographing them is a completely different matter. It can be endlessly frustrating but once in a while something unexpected occurs.

Several weeks ago I wandered up the back of my place near the end of Savages Road, camera and 300mm lens on my shoulder. I heard a close-by noise and looked to my left and there, not more than 3m away and at head height was a Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo. This bird had an agenda and was in no way concerned about my close proximity. A tall but narrow Wattle tree was the focus of attention. Half the tree had been stripped of bark and wood exposing a cavity within.

Went back to get my wife Carolyn, “hey, you got to come and see this”  We spent about 20 minutes watching as the bird diligently removed large fragments of wood and bark, there was no way I would put a finger anywhere near that beak! I stayed on another 10 minutes, had trouble lining up under trees as I was a bit too close for the camera lens focus.

Anyway, as I said, Persistence pays off and the bird was finally rewarded for this with a fat, juicy, Witchetty Grub. After devouring the grub the bird flew off in answer to a mate. Looking at the tree and damage, it was clear the bird had extensive knowledge about getting such treats. The amount of damage and a similar place on the other side but lower down where the bird had initially tried led me to believe that at least an hour had been spent in securing the grub! Yum!

 

Words and Photographs by Tim Spencer

Colin the Sparrowhawk by Ed Frazer

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Late one afternoon my grandson arrived at the door with a noisy bundle of feathers.  The bird, a Sparrowhawk was found on the road that is adjacent to our properties and services the Goldmont Estate off Gold Creek Road.  I warmed the bird up and placed it in a heated Lizard Terrarium to stabilize it overnight.  From its awareness of my movements and his screeching it obviously needed food, so I tried pinkie mice and de-frosted quail chicks which I halved. It didn’t need much encouragement and two hours after he was pushed out of its nest it was taking what seemed enormous amounts of food in relationship to its size.

Colin when we found him, 13/11/2019

I had heard the parents calling and had ideas of releasing the bird near them in hope they would continue to raise the chick.  I couldn’t get near enough to them mainly because the Mickey Birds (Noisy Miners) were seeking us out and making screeching runs on the parents. I found their nest which was very sparse for a hawk and inexplicably right over the roadway in the middle of Mickey Bird territory. I am pretty sure the Mickies were responsible for pushing the youngster out of the nest.

I have never experienced a bird eating so vigorously or so much for its size. A week later and it was exercising its wings and nearly ready for flying. I made a nest out of a used packing case with shade cloth, an approximation of a “hacking box” that the raptor people use. It was located not far from the house in a densely planted area of wattles and taller eucalypts.

Colin in the Hacking cage 21/11/2019

The bird took to it almost too quickly and after only one night in the bush it took off and left me worried it wouldn’t have enough time to adapt to the wild.  I find it difficult to write about “him” or more correctly “it” as I have no idea of its sex. I had such a close and intensive relationship with it that it was named Colin by Michelle Johnston with whom I shared my experience. Of course, it was just as likely to be a Coleen.

Later in the afternoon I heard the familiar vigorous calling, so I took out some defrosted quails and placed them in a hanging dish. A soon as I moved back, Colin came flying in and grasped at the food without stopping at all and made a clumsy landing in a dense branch of a large wattle.  This became a regular routine and Colin would cry from a high point until I came out with some food. He got better at grasping the food and landing and in no time, I would throw a half-grown quail in the air and Colin would appear from his hiding spot and catch the quail before it hit the ground. After about two weeks Colin would be missing in the early morning but turn up later in the day for a feed. It became clear he was gradually finding his own food.

Colin diving in to catch a defrosted quail before it touches the ground, 21/12/2019. This was one of the last times we saw him until his three appearances chased by the Mickey birds in October 2020.

Forty-two days after Colin was found he didn’t come back and I thought that was the end of a brilliant interaction with one our wildest predators that I’m sure I will never forget.  I wondered what impact my rescuing him was. Was he taking one duckling a day? I see several Black or Wood Ducks which usually start with about 12 day-old ducklings and every day this reduced until they have only 2 or 3 survivors. Sparrowhawks would be number one suspect for these losses. My act of saving Colin in the last year would possibly be responsible for more than a hundred ducklings, finches, wrens, and even rarer ground birds such as Button Quails, Pittas and Thrushes dying every year.

But I thought he may not have survived.

However almost exactly a year after Colin released himself, I was out in the garden near the Hacking Cage and I heard the unmistakable strident call from the Wattle clump near the tray on which I used to feed him. It was the same bird. I was just about to go and get Colin some food when the Mickies came in and pushed him from one perch to another until he had had enough and flew off. This has been repeated twice since, so I am sure he is doing well, but he is just another bird that the Mickies can run off. By planting trees and mowing or grazing the grass underneath we are encouraging Mickies and other vigorous birds. They are excluding less dominant species such as finches, wrens and small honeyeaters and making our enjoyment of our flora poorer.  However, I didn’t realize their impact on larger birds although I regularly see them chasing other raptors including the closely related Brown and Grey Goshawks.

Small acts like mine in saving this Sparrowhawk or larger programmes of removing weedy habitat and planting mainly trees, have rather large and not necessarily positive impacts on the fauna of our catchment. It is rather humbling to be involved but it is very clear that we must be careful when we choose to be involved as we are not in control of the consequences.