Michael Hines wrote:
>
> The TWS- List would probably be a better venue but it is mostly U.S.A.
>
> The spread of the exotics has often been done by birds...The Brisbane City
> Council has a very good poster " BUSHLAND WEEDS" showing 29 weeds of which 10
> are spread by birds, if I have added correctly. The poster shows how to
> eradicate the offending plants, in many cases possible only by digging out by
> hand.
Dear Mike
Thanks for that - quite right. My local problem (by the bay in
South-east Melbourne) is that some exotic plants MAY be important to
rare local birds: Boxthorn (spread by birds - its fruits are still
available in autumn when wintering honeyeaters arrive) and Tree Lucerne
(spread mainly by homo sapiens). I have records of both being eaten by
uncommon birds near or in native bushland, which we are trying to
preserve (and have written articles in 3 successive years for the Bird
Observer on Tree Lucerne observations).
One solution is just to rip them out and see what happens (maybe the
uncommon birds did not belong here and just came for the food - most of
our grey-headed flying fox sightings relate to Morton Bay Figs -
definitely NOT local). But I would prefer to identify indigenous
substitutes. I've read some books (including the Reader's Digest book
(which seems to have a possible solution re the White-headed
Pigeon/camphor lauurel nexus raised to me via birding-aus) but such
problems are often difficult and involve collaboration with botanists
(I've had one very helpful offer through birding-aus).
Interference by introduced bird species may be the most difficult issue
to solve (STOP the Collared Doves.....) and could be more important than
substituting for exotic plants.
Michael Norris
PS What is the TWS-list ??
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