In Russ Lamb's enjoyable report about his visit to the Lockyer Valley last
weekend, he mentioned: "the area is agricultural (predominately small
holdings of vegetable crops)".
I understand where Russ is coming from, because the agriculture, like the
roads, follows the alluvial flats - and that is what the visitor tends to
see. But in reality, less than 10% of the valley's 3,000 sq km catchment is
given over to agriculture.
As Russ also indicated, the waterbodies of the Lockyer are so rich in
resident and migratory birds, they tend to dominate in the minds of visiting
birders. And they do provide an ever-changing array of birds to admire and
sometimes puzzle over.
However, more than half of the valley is made up of forest or woodland,
including 23,000 hectares of State Forests, reserves and national parks. The
other 40% is mainly treed, unimproved grasslands, with an overall urban
component of around 0.1%.
With the secluded Helidon Hills forming the northern escarpment, the rain
forests of Mount Mistake the southern, and the richly forested escarpment of
the Great Dividing Range to the west, small wonder that 318 species from
pigeons and parrots to pittas have been recorded in the Lockyer Valley,
along with all 24 Australian raptors!
Of course, some of us around here have known all this for a long time - and
word is beginning to get out. Won't it be wonderful in just a few more
decades, when the Lockyer Valley, along with so many other special spots
around Australia is known and valued first and foremost for its natural
assets, instead of being regarded among the general public as primarily an
agricultural zone.
Another Oriental Cuckoo at Gatton State Forest this-morning (courtesy of
John Hadley), Collared Sparrowhawk on the verandah here chasing White-browed
Scrubwrens! Speckled Warblers have taken to daily bathing in the birdbaths,
but were chased away this-morning by a competing Eastern Whipbird!
Bill Jolly
"Abberton",
Lockyer Valley, Queensland.
Visit our website at http://www.abberton.org
Email:
Ph: (+61) 7 4697 6111 Fax: (+61) 7 4697 6056
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