birding-aus

Scaly-breasted Lorikeets in Mount Eliza

To: "'Sean Dooley'" <>, "'Stuart Cooney'" <>, <>
Subject: Scaly-breasted Lorikeets in Mount Eliza
From: "Philip Veerman" <>
Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:57:20 +1100
This has come up before and I have mentioned it before (sorry if this is
tedious). It amuses me that I (in Canberra) was I think the first to
raise this status change in print, although mostly about the Rainbow
Lorikeet but I did also mention the Scaly-breasted Lorikeets in my
article: (1991) 'The changing status of the Rainbow Lorikeet
Trichoglossus haematodus in South-east Australia: the role of wild and
escaped birds', Australian Bird Watcher 14: 3-9. 

Philip Veerman
24 Castley Circuit
Kambah  ACT  2902
 
02 - 62314041


-----Original Message-----
From: 
 On Behalf Of Sean Dooley
Sent: Monday, 26 October 2009 9:09 PM
To: 'Stuart Cooney'; 
Subject: Scaly-breasted Lorikeets in Mount Eliza


Welcome back Cooney! 

There has been a small population of Scaly-breasted Lorikeets in Mt
Eliza since the at least the end of the 70s. They were certainly there
in very low numbers when I first went to school there in 1981. A pair
used to breed at the Fulton Road Reserve (now known as Lorikeet Reserve
I believe) and I have a memory that there was a bird that hooked up with
a Rainbow Lorikeet for a number of years. 

It is interesting that back then, Mt Eliza was one of the few
strongholds of Rainbow Lorikeet and now they are all over Greater
Melbourne, whereas the Scalies have remained very thin on the ground. 

Sean

-----Original Message-----
From: 
 On Behalf Of Stuart Cooney
Sent: Monday, 26 October 2009 8:17 AM
To: 
Subject: Scaly-breasted Lorikeets in Mount Eliza

Hi Birders (in particular Vic birders),

 

After three years in Canberra (for a PhD on Hooded Parrots at ANU) and
18 months east of Alice Springs (working at an Aboriginal School at
Hart's Range), I have finally come back home to Melbourne (to work as a
Consultant Zoologist), to "settle down" for a while (wife's words: not
mine!).  

 

I have seen lots more birds around the country since my last posting
here and am looking forward to finally catching an OBP next winter
(other Victorian target birds are Red-lored Whistler, Little Bittern,
Ruff, King Quail, Ground Parrot, Plains Wanderer and Cape Gannet).  It's
great to see that Birdline Victoria continues to flourish under
Richard's guidance.

 

But on to the purpose of this message.  Yesterday, a pair of
Scaly-breasted Lorikeets were eyeing off a hollow at our Mount Eliza
house.  There seems to be more Patterson's Curse around Melbourne than
when I left, but what about Scaly-breasted Lorikeets? (I'm not
suggesting a connection)  Unlike the Cockatiel that I saw a couple of
weeks ago, or the Princess Parrot that I saw in Frankston on Christmas
Day 2004, I don't think they are escapees.  Any thoughts?  I was aware
of a good population at Beaumaris, but not the Peninsula.

 

I'm up to 41 species on the house list so far, including four cuckoos,
Tawny Frogmouth, nesting Little Ravens and Galahs and a Sugar Glider.
Our house is at the end of Claremont Street, with Mount Eliza Regional
Park across the back and a big patch of privately owned bush-land along
our southern fence.

 

I look forward to catching up with some old acquaintances in the months
to come,

 

Regards


Stuart

 

 

Dr Stuart Cooney
Consultant Zoologist

Ecology Partners Pty. Ltd.
Environmental Consultants

MELBOURNE

________________________________

PO Box 298, Brunswick, Vic 3056

420 Victoria Street, Brunswick, Vic 3056

P 

(03) 9940 1411

F 

(03) 9381 0700

M 

0448 496 000

E 



www.ecologypartners.com.au <blocked::http://www.ecologypartners.com.au> 


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