In April 2013 my son purchased the large house 'Avalon' in Rowe St,
Alphington. The huge neglected garden ran down to Darebin Creek and the
cycle path. The former owners originally kept a mini-zoo there (I
recall an Emu sometimes seen in the front garden), with Peafowl, and
many aviaries of parrots and other birds. I do not know if they ever
kept Satin Bowerbirds, but my son's family report that in early 2013
there was a bower full of blue plastic on the creek-flat under a
tamarisk bush. Work on the neglected garden included much grass-cutting
and weed removal, and the bower did not survive goats, a flood, and
lawn-mowing, though there are still several productive plum, peach,
apple and pear trees nearby, and much blackberry. SBBs are notorious
fruit-stealers and I am told they also rely on cicadas, particularly as
food for nestlings. This has been an excellent year for cicadas.
It seems quite possible that escaped or liberated SBBs could maintain
themselves as a free breeding population, and be the source of birds
recently seen in the area. There may well be more observations made if
observers look out for them along the Yarra and the Creek. The bird I
saw seemed to have a normal bill and no rings or bands on the legs.
Anthea Fleming
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