White-browed Woodswallows et al at Wamboin

[martin butterfield <>]

I have commented previously that if horses are swine flu, trail bikes are ebola.

My memory of visiting the area to try (and fail) to find Heathwrens in a a gale is that the main understory is Kunzea ericoides, which isn't really great native vegetation.

Martin

On Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 5:54 PM, Suzanne Tunks <> wrote:

It could really be worthwhile to have the conservation value of these blocks advertised more widely, if it isn't already occuring.  With so much good bird habitat already degraded or destroyed, and with so much more to occur with the forecasts of 35 million Aussies by 2050, we need to work as hard as we can to protect what remains.  I agree with you about the travesty of horses or other livestock trashing the place.  Even if a syndicate could get together to obtain the money.  I'm guessing there is a pretty good understory of native grasses and shrubs.  Are there a lot of old remnant trees on the blocks as well?  That list of species, with breeding as well, speaks for itself.

David Cook wrote:

Following on from David McDonald's post, yesterday I went to the area of Birchman's Estate in Wamboin where the Chestnut-rumped Heathwrens were last year (blocks 15, 16, 17 and 18 for those in the know). It was cold and blowing a gale, but despite that there were both White-browed and Dusky Woodswallows feeding young, as well as Hooded Robins, Brown-headed and White-eared Honeyeaters, Varied Sittellas, Superb Fairy-wrens, White-throated Treecreepers, Mistletoebirds, and many of the more common species.

I went back this morning, the weather being both calmer and warmer, and struck avian gold!

Again I found both species of woodswallows feeding young, but this time also found some sitting on nests at less than head height.

Additionally, the Chestnut-rumped Heathwrens are still there and apparently thriving; Diamond Firetail juveniles very evident; Southern Whitefaces everywhere; White-winged Trillers feeding a fledgling; likewise Rufous Whistlers; Brown-headed Honeyeater adults and juveniles; several pairs of Hooded Robins and at least one pair feeding a fledgling. And many other species, eg Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes, both rosellas, Buff-rumped and Yellow-rumped Thornbills, Magpies, Fairy Martins, etc.

All in all, a great morning, and hopefully some good photos to boot.

None of these blocks have sold as yet, so if any of you cashed-up Coggies are looking for a tree change, this is the place! It would be a travesty to see these wooded blocks get trashed by horses or other livestock.

Here are a couple of White-browed Woodswallow shots from yesterday for those interested:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kookr/4283711410/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kookr/4282966917/

David

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