The plantations I've birded in (in Victoria) had virtually no understory, just
a carpet of pine needles.
The owls you've seen may only have been roosting there, but I don't know
whether there's mammal prey for them in the plantations. I guess a pine
plantation could be a good roost for owls, as they might be less likely to be
found and mobbed there.
Peter Shute
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Birding-Aus
> On Behalf Of Chris Corben
> Sent: Wednesday, 5 August 2015 8:00 AM
> To:
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Emus and Pines
>
> Well in southern Qld, you can get lots of bird in Pinus
> plantations if an understory has developed well, which often
> happens along old drainage lines and sometimes much more extensively.
>
> But don't write it off too easily! I have found lots of
> Masked Owls in older Pinus plantations. They seem to be
> residents there, and Barn Owls can out number them at certain
> times (their numbers seem to fluctuate a lot more).
>
> But do be careful! Pinus plantations can be really boring! I
> still show an injury where a famous birder hit me in the
> eyebrow with a Xanthorrhea spear! Stupid things people get up
> to when the birding is slow.... And yes, I was hardy blameless!
>
> Cheers, Chris.
>
>
>
> On 8/4/2015 4:45 PM, Peter Shute wrote:
> > Are there any Australian birds that use pine plantations
> for anything other than refuge? The few times I've bothered
> birding in them, birds have been almost totally absent. I
> made a morning recording on one, and captured only distant calls.
> >
> > Peter Shute
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Birding-Aus
> >> On Behalf Of
> David Clark
> >> Sent: Tuesday, 4 August 2015 8:20 PM
> >> To: Geoff Ryan
> >> Cc: birding-aus
> >> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Emus and Pines
> >>
> >> Geoff
> >>
> >> Emus are quite common in the coastal area west of Portland right
> >> through to the Murray mouth. However, I suspect that the
> pines (and
> >> they are *Pinus
> >> radiata*) are only used as a refuge. The generally wide areas
> >> between the plantations and roads provide forage but there
> would be
> >> slim pickings for emus in the plantations themselves.
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>
>
> --
>
> Chris Corben.
>
>
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