Hi Birders,
Lina Holmes queried as to when the Pied Cormorants first started nesting at
The Entrance on the Central Coast of NSW. They are nesting (c.150 prs) in
a row of Norfolk Island Pines along the waterfront at the edge of the
entrance to Tuggerah Lakes and the tree are the pride and joy of the Wyong
Shire Engineer and the The Entrance Chamber of Commerce. Unfortunately the
Shire is pro Cocus Palms, Date Palms and Norfolk Island Pines as the first
choice of trees to be used in the urban landscape. However, in more recent
times, two local littoral rainforest trees Tuckeroo Cupaniopsis antarctica &
the Magenta Lilli Pilli Syzigium magenta , are now also being used in tree
plantings. The Pied Cormorants however like the Norfolk island Pines to nest
in, and at night up to 3-400 Little Black Cormorants (depending on the
season) join the Pied Cormorants in roosting in the trees.
Previous to this the Pied Cormorants during the 1990s and early 2000 nested
at Colongra Swamp, a freshwater swamp adjoining Lake Munmorah, the most
northern lake in the Tuggerah Lakes system. However due partly to the
drought, and partly to long-wall mining 30 years ago, which caused
subsidence under neath the swamp in the past 5 years, so that the bern
between the freshwater swamp, and the salt water lake collapsed. The
freshwater therefor more easily ran into the Lake, because the depth of the
freshwater swamp was lower and together with the drought, meant that there
was no longer sufficient water around the base of the Broad-leafed
Paperbarks that the Pied Cormorants usually nested in. Last nesting at
Colongra was 2001.
Council is very concerned about the damage to the trees that is taking
place, but Cormornats are not the only birds causing damage, because at
night, hundreds of Rainbow Lorikeets also come and roost in the Norfolk
island Pines and spend much time during their waking hours chewing the ends
of the branches!! I will attending a meeting today with Council, called to
discuss the damage problem and will keep you posted.
Alan Morris
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