Trip report - Falls Creek, Victorian Alps, 17-23 Feb 2002

["Lawrie Conole" <>]

Hi birders

 

Just back from a few days of fauna survey in areas of the Falls Creek Alpine Resort in the Victorian Alps.  We were focusing on mammals and reptiles, but the observations include birds.  The alpine area is characteristically depauperate of birds in diversity terms, though with individuals of some species being quite numerous.  This led to the inevitable discussion amongst us of "Why aren't there any alpine specialist birds in Australia?".  Mammals have the classic example of alpine specialisation in the form of the Mountain Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus), and reptiles too with skinks such as Alpine Water Skink (Eulamprus kosciuskoi), Alpine Cool-skink (Pseudemoia cryodroma) and Alpine Sheoak Skink (Cyclodomorphus praealtus).  The Corroboree Frogs (Pseudophryne corroboree & P. pengilleyi) in NSW are other obvious examples.  Any thoughts from the masses?

 

List follows:

 

BIRDS
White-necked Heron                   Ardea pacifica
Brown Falcon                         Falco berigora
Nankeen Kestrel                      Falco cenchroides
Latham's Snipe                       Gallinago hardwickii
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo         Calyptorhynchus funereus
Gang-gang Cockatoo                   Callocephalon fimbriatum
Crimson Rosella                      Platycercus elegans
White-throated Needletail            Hirundapus caudacutus
Spotted Pardalote                    Pardalotus punctatus
Striated Pardalote                   Pardalotus striatus
White-browed Scrubwren               Sericornis frontalis
Brown Thornbill                      Acanthiza pusilla
Striated Thornbill                   Acanthiza lineata
Yellow-faced Honeyeater              Lichenostomus chrysops
White-eared Honeyeater               Lichenostomus leucotis
Crescent Honeyeater                  Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera
Flame Robin                          Petroica phoenicea
Olive Whistler                       Pachycephala olivacea
Satin Flycatcher                     Myiagra cyanoleuca
Grey Fantail                         Rhipidura albiscarpa
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike            Coracina novaehollandiae
Australian Magpie                    Gymnorhina tibicen
Pied Currawong                       Strepera graculina
Little Raven                         Corvus mellori
Australian Pipit                     Anthus australis
Silvereye                            Zosterops lateralis
*Common Starling                     Sturnus vulgaris

 

MAMMALS
Dusky Antechinus                     Antechinus swainsonii
Common Wombat                        Vombatus ursinus
Mountain Pygmy-possum                Burramys parvus
White-striped Freetail-bat           Nyctinomus australis
Bush Rat                             Rattus fuscipes
*Dingo and Dog                       Canis lupus
*Fox                                 Vulpes vulpes
*Brown Hare                          Lepus capensis
*Rabbit                              Oryctolagus cuniculus

 

FROGS
Common Eastern Froglet               Crinia signifera

 

LIZARDS
Alpine Sheoak Skink                  Cyclodomorphus praealatus
Alpine Water-skink                   Eulamprus kosciuskoi
Cool-temperate Water-skink           Eulamprus tympanum
Tussock Cool-skink                   Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii
Alpine Bog-skink                     Pseudomoia cryodroma
Alpine Cool-skink                    Pseudomoia pagenstecheri

 

SNAKES
White-lipped Snake                   Drysdalia coronoides

 

FISH
Mountain Galaxias                    Galaxias olidus

 

BUTTERFLIES
Common Brown                         Heteronympha merope
Alpine Silver Xenica                 Oreixenica latialis
Correae Brown                        Oriexenica correae
Australian Painted Lady              Vanessa kershawi
*Cabbage White                       Pieris rapae

 

50 species

 

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L A W R I E   C O N O L E
2/37 Myrnong Crescent, Ascot Vale, Victoria 3032 AUSTRALIA.
Phone AH (03) 9370 3928; Mobile (0419) 588 993.
E-mail:  m("bluep.com","ocoineoil");">

 

Senior Zoologist
Ecology Australia Pty Ltd
88 B Station Street, Fairfield, Victoria 3078 AUSTRALIA
Phone BH (03) 9489 4191
E-mail: m("ozemail.com.au","ecology");">
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