Hi All
Forgot to mention in post just sent that I have just completed a post-fire
bird survey of Flinders Chase NP on W end of Kangaroo Island, SA (mostly
burnt out in December 2007) for the SANP&W, DEH. I surveyed 40 x 20 ha sites
over 8 weeks (July-August) and saw some very interesting things. Amongst
other things, I saw/heard 62 Shy Heathwren, 30 Western Whipbird, 87 Southern
Emu-wren, 1 Painted Button-quail, 11 Bassian Thrush, 75 Beautiful Firetail
and 127 Tawny-crowned Honeyeater. This was in both burnt and un-burnt. Shy
Heathwren had ventured back into burnt areas and was feeding on infestations
of Psyllid insects and larvae on new re-growth mallee shoots - along with
other insectivorous birds (wrens, thornbills, robins and the like).
Honeyeaters penetrated into burnt areas also as Tate's Grass Tree (Yacca)
had put flowering spikes up all over the park (1,000s of them) and the
creamy-white flowers were an attractive nectar source - as were the psyllid
insects, larvae and associated honeydew. Whipbird, Emu-wren and Bassian
Thrush were restricted to closed structure of un-burnt vegetation. Painted
Button-quail was almost impossible to find (no feeding platelets to be seen
either) and I fear it is in trouble on KI. Habitat alteration/degradation,
feral cat predation and frequent fierce bushfires appear to be taking its
toll. Have recommended follow up study of this species.
Cheers
Chris Baxter
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www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
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