Hi All.
I would like to add my "two pennys worth", I used to
consider Striated Heron [at least] predominently a salt water species often
venturing into brackish water. About 2 weeks ago I saw one on Manly Dam
Resevoir on Sydney's Northern Beaches. Manly Dam is as near pristene fresh
water as any I know around my way.
Bruce.
Alan Morris wrote:
Hi Birders,
Mr Broubin on 24 April wrote about a Striated
Heron at Waverton Park, Berrys Bay and mentioned that the bird was between
750-1000 metres away from mangroves at Berrys Head, as if mangroves were the
habitat that the bird favours. However, mangroves are only one of the habitats
that the bird utilises in coastal NSW. Here on the NSW Central Coast we have
two large waterways, Brisbane Waterwhich has large seagrass beds and extensive
mangrove forests, and plenty of oyster racks. Further north is Tuggerah Lakes
where there are no mangroves, but plenty of sea grass beds and extensive
stands of Swamp Oak Casuarina glauca and Broad-leafed Paperbarks
Melaleuca quiquinerva fringing the lakes. The Straited Heron is equally
at home in both waterways, nesting in mangroves and Swamp Oaks in Brisbane
Water and in Swamp Oaks and Melaleucas in Tuggerah Lakes. To my way of
thinking the change in name from Mangrove Bittern to Straited Heron was
correct as the bird is found in many estuarine habitats not just
mangroves.
Alan Morris
