CGRes visit report plus request for help on GSM sightings(see bottom)
HI All,
Yesterday I had a lovely day at Craigieburn Grassland (F&F) Reserve,
Craigieburn, just north of Melbourne.
The initial reason for my visit was to monitor if the newly emerged (for this
flight season) Golden Sun Moths (GSMs) were flying on this, not entirely ideal,
day.
The first and most obvious birds were lots of Ravens and Magpies (and
regrettably *starlings and *Indian Miners) in groups stalking through the
grasslands - hunting, amongst other things, no doubt, the Critically Endangered
(EPBC Act) GSMoths. (Of course we humans and our un-checked growth is a far
greater risk to GSMs than ANY other animal's activity).
While checking weed regrowth/cover in some re-veg plots (and still keeping an
eye out for GSMs) I noticed 2 small birds on the plot fence with large food
items - checking predators when the GSMs are not up flying is a good way to
monitor for them. I eventually could see the 'prey' were not GSMs but large
Anthelid caterpillars and the birds were of course a couple of Hornsfield
Bronze Cuckoos using our fence as a handy vantage point to spot prey from! They
and Pallid Cuckoos were also calling from the scrubby creek escarpment all day.
I also glimpsed a pair of ?Pallids (also get Fan-tails there) fly overhead
while I was amongst the scrub later in the day.
Flushed a Stubble Quail in an area of Gilgai.
Richards Pipits and Songlarks displaying, foraging and flushing in the
grassland.
As breaks in the thin cloud cover allowed warm spells I did see some male GSMs
tentatively flying (it wasn't a good GSM flight day). Also Grassland Copper
Butterflies and many White Stripe Grass Darts. Newly emerged Smokey Buzzers
(grassland cicadas) were calling and flushing in the grassland areas. Lots of
lovely big yellow Anthelid caterpillars - plenty of Cuckoo food!
On the woody Merri Creek escarpment there were Superb Blue Wrens, Yellow Rump
Thornbills, Grey Fantail, Pardalotes in Gum Tree tops, White Plumed
Honeyeaters, *Goldfinches. In the creek reedbeds energetic Clamorous
Reedwarblers, one carrying about a large white crouton sized object - nestling
refuse??
A pair of the Ravens had a nest in a gum tree there containing very small young
- I could not see beaks when they were being fed. I was astonished by the
commotion the pair made as they arrived together to feed the young. They must
have known I was there. I'm far more accustomed to silent, furtive nestling
feeding behaviour from birds, not broadcasting it to the world, and continuing
this AS you feed the young! Perhaps I could not glimpse the young as they were
cringing in embarrassment due to their raucous parents!!!
Common froglets were calling from the creek as well as 2 groups of Growling
Grass Frogs (also EPBC sp) and I think occasionally Striped Marsh Frogs. I had
wonderful time observing a fairly laid back Large Striped Skink Ctenotus
robustus.
While in some tall dense woody veg (~2m tall) I had a wonderful encounter with
a young Y R Thornbill. I'd presumed there was a nest about judging from the
warning calls from the adults, I was peering about looking for it and caught
glimpses of the 2 adults. Then I found I was being approached, through the
bushes at eye level, by a tiny (bantam-egg sized) inquisitive ball of mostly
yellow fluff. The now unseen parents were frantically trying to call it away
but the baby was on a mission of exploration and not listening to its frantic
parents. When it had got to within a foot or so of me a desperate parent
alighted beside it and let it away. Lets hope it doesn't try that stunt with a
snake or something!
As I was leaving a pair of WP H'eaters were enjoying an afternoon dip in the
creek. They were sitting on fringing reeds then flying out to the open water
and dropping in, often fully submerging, then flying back to the reeds and
fluffing, fluttering and rubbing themselves down. They repeated this over and
over. It brought to mind the discussions from a while back on "tadpole fishing'
by wattlebirds. 3 New Holland Honeyeaters flew past.
I was rather surprised to see a Black Shouldered Kite, that had until then been
hunting over scrubby grassy flats, move to hover for some time over a creekside
reed-bed! I'd not seen them hunt on the creekside before. Then it took off and
was last seen seeing off a larger pale greyish raptor - I had poor views but
can only imagine (from relative size and wing shape) it was a very pale Brown
Falcon.
Anyone visiting (NSW, ACT, Vic, ?SA) grasslands from now till about mid Jan,
(on hot, still, cloudless days, from 10am-2pm in particular) should keep a
lookout for dark coloured moths, the ~ size of bogong moths, zooming
(patrolling) over the grass tops like small jet aircraft. They are very obvious
when you get them! These could be Golden Sun Moths (or if you are up C Vic -
Pale Sun Moths). These are listed as endangered under Vic, NSW, ACT and EPBC
legislation. Please let me know if you see anything like this and I will pass
on the information the relevant experts.
all the best
Wendy Moore,
Coburg, Melb.
==============================www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
send the message:
unsubscribe
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to:
=============================
|
