| The tall and slender profusely flowering young eucalypt that the Swift Parrots have been feeding in is a planted Eucalyptus leucoxylon. Some of its common names are Blue Gum, Yellow Gum and White Ironbark. Taxonomically, it is seen as an ironbark, hence the third (apparently aberrant) common name. Interestingly, Yellow Box E. melliodora is very close to the ironbarks too.
As I walked north from this plant this morning, I noticed in the back yard two north from the Fisher St entrance, a beautiful (more normal) mature planted Ironbark, with bluish foliage and dark trunk. It would be worth keeping an eye on this plant, as it is just coming into flower and is covered in buds. There was one young or female Superb Parrot poking around in its canopy today.
There is a planted E. leucoxylon var. rosea in full flower in the vicinity too. It may be too small to attract the Swift Parrots.
Isobel Crawford
Australian Botanical Surveys, POB 6031,
O'Connor ACT 2602.
02 6257 1860
0429 798 887
On 18/05/2015, at 4:16 PM, Con Boekel <> wrote: At 9.20 there were eleven of them in the Flowering Tree, Preening Tree vicinity.
While most of the flights seem to be between the flowering trees, some trees immediately adjacent thereto, and the Preening Tree, some trees immediately adjacent thereto, and a group of Yellow Box around 400m to the NE of the Flowering Tree, this morning a flock of around 4 Swifties arrived at the Flowering Tree from a Southerly direction. So it might be worth while keeping a weather eye out for them in that general direction.
On a side, but nevertheless apposite, note this morning, onsite, a person conversant with eucalypts, opined that the tall straight flowering tree - which some observers had believed perhaps not to be a Yellow Box - was indeed a Yellow Box but one having a different form from 'our' Canberra Yellow Box. I must admit that when searching for Steve's 'flowering Yellow Box', I at first walked straight past a certain tree with a straight, clean bole and with bark that was vaguely reminiscent of E. camaldulensis.
On another side note, a couple of Superbs flew past the group of Birdos and Photos this morning and did not rate a second glance. How the mighty have fallen!
On yet another side note, a passing Birdo told me that one of the issues facing the Swifties in their existential struggle, is the Sugar Glider. Apparently, someone has improved on Nature by importing the gliders to Tasmania. Apparently, these charismatic minivertebrates are small enough to enter Swifties' nest holes and eat the young and the eggs. I don't know. I am, for all I know, rumour mongering.
Regards
Con
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