On Thursday 16th and
Sunday 19th June, I took time to stroll around the reserve cross-country.
I was ‘on site’ in each case by about 10.15; after a severe frost on Thursday
and with another strong, wet front forecast for ‘late morning’ on Sunday. As I
type, the front’s rain has begun and the Currawongs are calling loudly around
mid Flynn. Some say this calling heralds rain but others equally attribute
these choruses to other species. After a long dry spell it’s wonderful to see
each bird species’ reactions to the rain. They delight in showers to cleanse
their feathers and possibly upset the populations of mites that live amongst
their feathers.
ICON Water have contracted
clearing of trees and shrubs inside the reservoirs’ fences and for 3 m
outside from the fences. Some of the prickly Hakea plants inside the twin tanks’ fence will be reprieved as
having low fire risk. This is very good news as their prickliness makes them
good predator-proof habitat for small birds. The aim of Thursday’s walk past
the reservoirs was to see what, if any, tree removal had been carried out. All
was intact.
I became aware of a mixed feeding
flock (MFF) of small birds in the trees beyond the Summit track and to the
single tank’s south-west. Even better, I realised there was extra activity
along the branches and trunks of the trees and ‘Sittellas’ came into my mind.
I’d seen a small flock of them nearby but years ago in a sleety snow-storm. The
binoculars confirmed Varied Sittella, Daphoeopsitta
chrysopter, and that this species-which is under-threat in the ACT was utilising
the area scheduled for some tree removal. The photo below shows the ordinary trees where the Sittellas were foraging on Thursday 16th June. Th single tank's fence is on the right. Camera is facing NNW.
Search on-line for Varied
Sittella and you’ll see that they are attractive, almost-wren-sized birds.
Their conformation is quite different; part of their appeal is that they search
bark for insects and larvae by moving rapidly down the trees’ trunks. The White-throated Treecreepers we
occasionally see and hear in the reserve forage just as busily but move up the trunks.
How different their blood supply mechanisms must be. I think there were 7–10
Sittellas moving through. I came across them again doing pest-control duties
around the Flynn playground’s lerp-attacked eucalypts.
Sunday’s birding luck came as I
was almost leaving. I glanced up at the trees near the drain barricade and
there were two Tawny Frogmouths snuggly roosting against a eucalypt trunk 10 m
above the ground. Finding the Sittellas was pure chance but if you look up into
the playground’s trees, seeing the camouflaged blob of the Frogmouths might
bring you frogmouth-luck. The photo below shows their roost tree. I took the photo with my back to the Schwarz Place entry gate.
If you come across a MFF see
whether Thornbills, White-eared Honeyeaters, Grey Fantails, Golden Whistlers,
Wrens, Scarlet Robins and Pardalotes are part of the insect-seeking action at
different levels of the woodland’s vegetation. Speckled Warblers may be on the
ground, seeking insects amongst the grasses alongside Yellow-rumped Thornbills.
Like the Sittellas, the Scarlet Robins and Mt Rogers’ other small foragers, the
Speckled Warblers aren’t fazed by watchers’ presence but it does take patience
to see which species are present!
The same is true in our gardens.
We had a male Golden Whistler in the backyard recently, in Flynn, gleaning for
insects along with Silvereyes and the dizzyingly quick Eastern Spinebills.
Birds’ pest-control services beat insecticides every time!
Some years ago my Mt Rogers list
of bird-sightings exceeded 80 species. It did include occasional sightings of
Wedgetailed-eagles and Cormorants, Ducks and even Pelicans flying over from one
water-body to another. In the 20 years or so patterns of sightings have
changed at Mt Rogers, as they have around home. If you’d like to go through
your own Mt Rogers list and see what’s changed that would be very useful.
Numbers of species such as Grey Butcherbirds, Pee-Wees, Quail, the Frogmouths,
Satin Bowerbirds, Superb Parrots, Indian Mynas and Noisy Miners have fluctuated
over time in the reserve and in the nearby gardens that partly sustain some of
them. Sunday brought two Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos with their inimitable
flight and unmistakable calls. And we’ve even more occasionally seen Gang Gang
Cockatoos. Both species have very specific diets.
Similarly the vegetation patterns
have changed. Winter is a time when the huge efforts that our landcarers have
made really show up, because the germination of wild oats is only just
beginning. On any bare ground there’s mass germination of introduced annual
weeds such as Capeweed, Proliferous Pink, Flatweed, clovers, and Hairy Mustard.
Once the sap’s running again we’ll renew our Wander and Weed journeys taking
out woody weeds. ICON Water will engage a contractor in spring-summer to cut
& daub the spreading infestation of Tree of Heaven that has been bugging us
for decades. This is as a trade-off for the necessary removal of vegetation
around the reservoirs. (The photo below shows Ivan and David working to remove a Viburnum tinus bush, during landcare work.)
I noticed a 3 sq.m patch of native
Common Woodruff again today. It seems dense enough to deter the grass species
that are rampant beyond the patch. Does the Woodruff have inhibiting chemistry
that prevents other species from taking the space, water and nutrients the
little ground-covering plants need? There’s a field of research for someone:
the inhibiting or allelopathic factors shown by common plants and the possible
application of this chemistry beyond what we know about eucalypts. I suppose
it’s a concept related to the companion-planting that wise vegetable growers
practise.
Also noticed was an increase in
the native violet population around boulders in the bush not far from the
Frogmouth tree. Viola betonicifolia is
an attractive addition to Mt Rogers’ floral list. It’s not rare generally but
is on Mt Rogers. Let’s hope this species continues to spread and has a robust
root system that would not be affected when scheduled Hazard Reduction Burns
reach its habitat. With Ginninderra Catchment Group’s help we’re marking maps
with electronic data of special native species, plantings, quality woodland and
grassy habitat and invasive weed incursions. Nola and Graham have made an
extensive photographic study of the seventy ancient eucalypts to which I need
to add GPS co-ordinates.
We’re so lucky to have Mt Rogers
as an escape and restorative venue. All-year-round there’s plenty to notice,
observe and marvel at…and I haven’t even touched on the lichen and fungi
forests that keep invertebrates sheltered, busy and fed. Take a mirror with you
(or an extendable tradies’ mirror) and look underneath the toadstools for
gill-patterns and colours. We all know, from experience, that damp timber and
bark is slippery but that very slippery-ness aids the breakdown of the timber
cells. Nutrients are provided and chemical balances restored through the
actions of teeming numbers of beneficial bacteria, fungi, microbes and algae.
If you have young people around, Rachel Tonkin’s Leaf Litter contains a wonderful series of paintings that show and
explain what’s happening in woodlands and underground.
There’s also 365 Outdoor activities you
have to try! From Dorling Kindersley.
It’s full of suggestions for observing, exploring, creating and discovering in
yards, gardens and reserves. It’s of British origin but easily ‘translated’ for
the Australian bush. Both titles are available at the Botanic Gardens Bookshop
for about $18. The gardens are hosting dinosaurs again at present…and The
Spiders exhibition at Questacon is on until October. It’s a brilliant display
about habitats and the spiders which have mastered every environment. …Other
ideas and venues for engaging young and curious minds!
From our suburbs, add to the
adventure by catching 300 series buses to Barry drive ANU and the Albert Hall
stops respectively and then observing whilst walking to the venues.
Rosemary 6258 4724
Mt Rogers Landcare coordinator
