Yes, I don’t think these get the
attention they deserve. The following points summarised here are all in
the archive somewhere.
1.
They are expanding
into new areas, and multiplying.
2.
Entry into Callum
Brae was about 15 years ago (v small number at first, probably from Mt Mugga),
with continuous expansion since then.
3.
There is some
evidence they don’t like a dense understorey. At Callum Brae and over the road
on the Mt Mugga reserve they dominate open woodland but are absent from the
thicker stuff. Note that at Campbell Park they like the car park but don’t
invade the shrubby areas. They like golf courses,
schoolyards.
4.
They are very hard
on small birds, much more than C Myna (if that’s any danger at all)
- see ref in archive to Kris French’s work.
5.
The related Bell
Miner on south coast was seen as such a danger to eucalypts from exclusion
of pardalotes etc. that an eradication experiment was approved, near
Merimbula.
I expect many open woodland
areas around Canberra will lose all their small birds, with subsequent dieback
being quite likely.
From: Julian Robinson [
Sent: Wednesday, 2 May 2012 9:04 AM
To: canberrabirds
chatline
Subject: [canberrabirds] Noisy Miners taking
over
Things seem to be changing quickly regarding Noisy Miners in
some parts. I reported what an interesting place ‘Nursery Corner’ is a
couple of months ago with so many different interesting bush species around and
breeding. I’ve been going to that patch for six years now and saw my first
Miners there early this year, one miner inside the patch and two nesting just
outside at different times.
But yesterday I was shocked to see Noisy Miners
everywhere – that had taken over the whole patch and surrounds. I counted
36 departing two trees, but believe there could have been up to 60 in the
area. It was quite amazing, I’ve never seen so many.
The only other birds there were rosellas,
magpies, two starlings, four Crested Pigeons in a dead tree
a bit out of the way, and two Grey Butcherbirds feeding. Not a
single small bird, not even a Willie or a Grey Fantail. The grass that had
supported the finches now had Noisy Miners rustling through it, something else
I’ve not seen before (Miners in long grass).
Perhaps the effect was heightened by time of day (lunchtime)
and season, and it may be temporary, but still this represents something quite
new. I think Geoffrey Dabb reported not having seem miners there in past years
and he’s been visiting the area for much longer than 6 years.
Julian
www.flickr.com/photos/ozjulian/
