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Yellow Throat
The newsletter of BirdLife Tasmania
a branch of BirdLife Australia
Number 81, May 2015
May General Meeting
Life Sciences Building, UTas, Thursday, 14 May, 7.30 p.m.
The speaker for May will be Nick Mooney, who will be talking about the inaugural Eagle
Week, which will be held in July this year. He will be discussing how to establish point
counts for long-term population monitoring of Wedge-tailed Eagles in Tasmania.
‘Despite decades of management and research aimed at improving management of
Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagles, Aquila audax, there has been no monitoring of abundance besides some unofficial raptor road counts carried out since the early 1970s. I did
the vast majority of these, which give indices of abundance in various regions (the east
and midlands, the central highlands, the west and the north-west), but estimates of
variance is high, partly because of minimal route numbers and partly because of
variability in detectability of eagles by this method. We intend to establish a repeatable
point-count method for sampling more than sixty 20 km X 20 km grid squares (each two
separated by at least 20 km to control “auto correlation”) designed to give a population
index with improved estimates of variation across those same regions. On a day of
moderate–good weather in a nominated week (Eagle Week) between sunrise plus 30
minutes and sunset minus 30 minutes, experienced volunteers will visit eight predetermined vantage points within each grid for 30 minutes. Wedge-tailed Eagles, other
raptors and select other birds (e.g. Sulphur-crested Cockatoos) will be the focus, noting
absence or various measures of abundance (time to first observation, numbers observed).
Road counts will also be undertaken between sites and grids within regions. We intend to
undertake the first (pilot) survey in July 2015, a time when Swamp Harriers (a species
that can be confused with the eagles) are absent, when eagle activity is compressed into
short days, and when eagles are highly territorial and commonly displaying. We hope to
enlist the help of at least 30 experienced volunteers from Birdlife Tasmania and the
Tasmanian Field Naturalist organisations: the survey will be carried out under the
auspices of these groups and the Australasian Raptor Association (a specialist subgroup
of Birdlife Australia). I will be the coordinator’.
As usual, the discussion will continue over tea, coffee and biscuits after the meeting.
Meeting venue: Life Sciences Lecture Theatre 1, Life Sciences Building, University of
Tasmania, Sandy Bay. Access and parking are from College Road or from the parking
area outside the University Centre via the pedestrian bridge over Churchill Avenue.
On the subject of raptors...
Craig Webb, Raptor Refuge, Kettering
I say it in most of my articles and this will be no different: it has been a crazy busy time
with, sadly, many many birds finding their way to the refuge.
A few weeks ago on a lovely Sunday afternoon, I was getting off my little yacht on
the mooring when my phone rang at about 1.00 p.m. I won’t bore you with too many
details, but the thing didn’t stop ringing, and by 5.00 p.m. I had a Wedge-tailed Eagle, a
Masked Owl, a Brown Goshawk and a Brown Falcon in care. All these birds needed
rescues of different types, and I talked the rescuers through the various scenarios; it
turned into one of those busy but productive evenings — the birds were administered the
necessary treatments and a couple were readied for Monday vet visits.
And it hasn’t stopped: in three weeks about 12 birds came to the refuge with a wide
array of issues, from barbed wire to vehicle collisions to electrocutions. Sadly, some
didn’t make it, but thankfully some did.
These birds just keep coming and it often saddens me, but also brings out my
stubborn streak to keep on fighting to keep our feathered friends airborne or, at the very
least, in a comfortable place with the best help available. I believe a high work rate is the
gauge of how important the Raptor Refuge has become for Tasmanian birds of prey.
This pair of Masked Owls have palled up at the Kettering Raptor Refuge.
© Craig Webb
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The pictured beautiful Tasmanian Masked Owls (female on the left) can’t fly and the
handsome boy on the right has lost an eye, but they have simply lovely natures and are
an exceptional educational tool, so they are paired up and living the good life at the
refuge. Other options for them are almost nonexistent, but they seem happy. Needless to
say, all the birds here get a wide and interesting array of fresh and tasty tucker, from
quails to rodents, chicken to turkey, and rabbit to roadkill, with occasional treats of
salmon and any other morsels that find their way here.
Eagle news is very depressing; they are dropping like the proverbial flies, with
electrocutions from power line collisions being a big factor. (I will have more to say on
this topic in the near future.)
lethargic and skinny, but he has now beefed up, is flying perfectly, and looks handsome,
majestic and regal. But he is unreleasable due to a mechanical issue with the hallux or
rear talon on the left foot, which is the killing tool. It won’t operate and so, when the bird
stands on a perch, the huge talon is not spread backwards but is folded forward so he
stands on it and he has a nasty piercing puncture wound in the pad of his foot. This has
developed into Bumblefoot. The options are very limited; Nick Mooney and I removed
15 mm of the offending talon to minimise further trauma to the foot, but where to now?
This is a year-old bird... Sad.
I think that both the sea-eagles require new feathers on a wing. One is a definite, but
I’m unsure of the other.
On a happier note we have released two Brown Goshawks and a Brown Falcon is
almost ready, as is a Masked Owl that was hit on the road. A Peregrine Falcon (photo
below) is looking good. This falcon is exquisitely feathered and for me it was love at first
sight.
© Craig Webb
Happy birding from the Raptor Refuge.
Thank you all
Lynn Parlett, Chairman of the Board of the Raptor Refuge
Young Wedge-tailed Eagle. © Craig Webb
I have 11 eagles in care: 2 White-bellied Sea-Eagles and 9 Wedge-tailed Eagles. One
of the Wedgies (photo above) is simply stunning. When he came in he was weak,
On behalf of the birds and board of the Raptor and Wildlife Refuge of Tasmania, we
wanted to pass on to you our very sincere thanks for supporting us in 2015.
The annual calendar is our main fundraising program and raises much needed money
that is vital to our work. The calendar continues to raise awareness of the mission of the
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refuge, the beauty of Tasmanian raptors and the need to protect them.
This year we are proud to have rescued and released over 300 birds and we have a
dozen permanent residents living the good life at the refuge, including a breeding pair of
Masked Owls. Sadly we have also had to euthanase many birds that were either
accidentally or purposely harmed.
Our work to protect these glorious animals can only continue as long as we have
supporters like your organisation. Without sponsors to help us print the calendars and
outlets to sell them, this annual fundraising campaign would not be successful.
@BirdLifeTas Twitter update
Andrew Darby, Web Controller, Birdlife Tasmania
As we embrace social media, it’s often images that say most about our passions. This is
surely so with birds — and with Twitter.
ICYMI, as they say in the tweets, @BirdLifeTas is up, and spreading the word on bird
conservation.
We use the Twitter feed to network on bird issues, and are pleased to have already
drawn followers around the country, such as the national Threatened Species
Commissioner, Gregory Andrews.
But it’s the imagery from those we follow that opened a new window on bird conservation in Tasmania. This summer we watched as @teamswiftparrot shared the highs and
lows of research on sugar glider predation of Tasmanian tree hollow nesting birds:
Craig Webb and Rob Pennicott release an immature White-bellied Sea-Eagle.
© The Raptor and Wildlife Refuge
Our Education Centre has been an invaluable addition to the refuge and this year we
welcomed more school groups than ever before, and it is an honour to help educate the
next generation about Tasmania’s unique wildlife.
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We also gained new insights into the magnet that Melaleuca is becoming for birders
wanting to see the Orange-bellied Parrot. Underscoring the high profile of this species, it
even has its own Melbourne-based Twitter handle, @neophema99:
term signal on the state of the Silver, Kelp and Pacific Gull populations in south-east
Tasmania. No prior experience with gulls is required — the count package distributed to
all participants comprises an instruction sheet, an identification guide and the data sheet.
We are fortunate that we have the support and involvement of the aquaculture industry,
with their staff counting gulls at the various facilities around the coast.
Analysis of the long-term count data has shown a movement of gulls away from tips
and their traditional foreshore feeding and loafing sites to the d’Entrecasteaux Channel,
in particular to areas with aquaculture facilities. A detailed analysis of the data was
published in an international journal last year, with colleagues from CSIRO and Bureau
of Meteorology contributing — let me know if you would like a PDF of the paper.
We will be arranging permission from various Councils and Tip Site operators for
access to tips for the purposes of counting the gulls. All results are circulated to all
participants, Councils and other land managers such as PWS. BirdLife Tasmania is
committed to sharing the results of all surveys and monitoring efforts.
Please contact me if you are able to assist with any of the areas (or sections of areas)
listed on page 5. Please relate this information to others who you believe may be able to
contribute on the day. Contact Eric Woehler <[email protected]> to be included
in further emails regarding the count.
I look forward to your involvement in this valuable effort.
But whether the pictures on the feed each day come from Siberia, Cyprus, or
Woodbridge, Tasmania, it’s the infinite variety and beauty of birds we are enjoying on
Twitter. (See our final screenshot in the next column.)
2015 Winter Gull Count
Eric Woehler, Birdlife Tasmania
The annual BirdLife Tasmania Winter Gull Count will be conducted on Sunday, 7 June
2015. This is the Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend. The count will start at 9.00 a.m. and
most should finish by noon, certainly no later than 1.00 p.m. The count covers coastal
areas between the southern d’Entrecasteaux Channel and Bruny Island, northward to
New Norfolk and eastward to Marion Bay and the Forestier and Tasman Peninsulas.
The counts have been conducted since the early 1980s, and provide a valuable long4
East of the Derwent:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Bridgewater to Tasman Bridge East [Clarence] coast
South Arm Neck and beaches of South Arm to Shelly Beach, Opossum Bay
Paddocks between Cambridge and Richmond, including Hanslow Road
Seven Mile Beach
Five Mile Beach (western end)
Barilla Bay
Orielton Lagoon
Waterview Sanctuary and Oaks Point, including chicken factory
Sorell fields
Marion Bay, Blackman Bay, Copping Tip
Primrose Sands to Connellys Marsh to Dunalley
Murdunna/Sommers Bay
Eaglehawk Neck (east and west), Blowhole foreshore, EHN > Taranna, Taranna
foreshore
• Nubeena foreshore, White Beach
• Roaring Beach
West of the Derwent:
Bridgewater to Tasman Bridge West [Hobart] coast
Glenorchy Tip
Tolosa Street Reserve
Hobart Tip
Waterworks Reservoirs [Lower and Upper]
Tasman Bridge to Taroona, including Hobart port/wharf, Sandy Bay, Taroona High
School and Taroona Beach
• Cygnet area [limits/extents to be advised]
•
•
•
•
•
•
Bruny Island
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Bruny Lighthouse and Lighthouse Beach
Daniels Bay (Little Taylor’s Bay)
Adventure Bay area
The Neck beach
Bruny Neck (Simpsons Bay)
Cloudy Bay Beach (car park eastward)
any other beaches on Bruny Island where possible [limits/extents to be advised]
Winter Wader Counts 2015
The annual Winter Wader Count will be held in the south-east on Saturday 20 June. If
you are interested in being involved, please contact Eric Woehler (0438 204 565 or
[email protected]). The WWC for the north-west will be held on Saturday 12
June and is being organised by Hazel Britton ([email protected]). Contact Ralph
Cooper ([email protected]) for details of the north coast and Liz Znidersic
([email protected]) for details of St Helens counts, respectively.
Draft varied threat abatement plan for
predation by feral cats
Feral cats are a serious vertebrate pest in Australia, and have severe to catastrophic
effects on native fauna. They are recognised as a potential threat to 59 mammals, 40
birds, 21 reptiles and four amphibians listed as threatened under the Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Eradication of feral cats from
mainland Australia is not feasible with current or foreseeable resources and techniques.
Feral cat populations must instead be suppressed and managed to mitigate impacts in
targeted areas where they pose the greatest threat to biodiversity. Eradication may be
achievable in isolated areas, such as small reserves and offshore islands.
The draft varied threat abatement plan provides a national strategy to identify
activities to abate the threat and guide investment and effort by the Australian
Government, jurisdictions, research organisations and non-government organisations in
managing the impacts of feral cats on native species. The goal of this threat abatement
plan is to minimise the impact of feral cats on biodiversity in Australia and its territories
by:
• protecting affected threatened species; and
• preventing further species and ecological communities from becoming threatened.
Public consultation
The Minister for the Environment has released the draft varied ‘Threat abatement plan
for predation by feral cats’ for public comment. The public comment period closes on
8 July 2015. Also released is an associated background document.
Guidelines for submissions
In providing your submission, please complete a cover sheet. This will allow us to ensure
your comments can be accurately taken into account should further information or
clarification be required. Please note: a cover sheet must accompany all submissions.
Where possible, we would also appreciate if you could:
• include the objective or action of the threat abatement plan that the comment is in
relation to, and
• reference any published data that you refer to.
A template to assist you in providing comments is available for download. Please
note: the use of this template is optional — we welcome all other forms of submission.
For further information, or to request a hard copy of the document, please email
[email protected] or phone 02 6274 1294.
Where to send your submissions
Comments can be sent via email or post to the addresses below. If you are unable to
provide comments in writing please phone 02 6274 1294.
Email: [email protected]
Post: Director, Environmental Biosecurity Section, Department of the Environment
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
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Grey Fantail in flight
Peter Vertigan
These pictures are some of many that I snapped of a couple of Grey Fantails hawking at
the Peter Murrell Reserve.
What impressed me was the amazing agility of these birds and their ability to place
themselves in the air to best advantage and so quickly. Their bodies would change shape
— from a sleek streamlined missile shape to a full spread fan. It seems that lowering
their legs may have acted as air brakes. Again, one wing may be spread wide and full
while the other has pinions separated, spilling air to effect a rapid roll or turn. Tail
feathers spread or narrow as well as twist. Fast climbs, power dives, rolls, twists and
turns were all supremely executed.
I have a new found respect for the proficiency and agility of these small birds.
All Grey Fantail images © Peter Vertigan
I have always been intrigued by the antics of these little birds, also known, I believe,
as ‘cranky fans’ because of their apparent erratic aerial behaviour.
Book reviews
Bob Holderness-Rodham
Bats: a World of Science and Mystery, Brock Fenton & Nancy Simmons,
University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2014. Available in the State Library,
catalogue 599.4 FEN.
I took several shots and it wasn’t until I got the images up onto a computer screen that
I was able to see just what the birds were doing, which was hunting. The insects visible
on screen were certainly not visible to my eye on the ground!
Why would members of a group devoted to the study of birds be interested in a book
about bats? Well, they are both members of groups that have developed flight to an art
form, along with insects and pterosaurs!
This book is easy reading, with anecdotal information from the authors’ experience
researching bats around the globe.
The first chapter is largely spent comparing the anatomies of bats, birds and
pterosaurs, and itself makes interesting reading.
Subsequent chapters cover the gamut of bat fossil records, behaviour, habitat,
echolocation, diet, diseases, relationships with humans and conservation. The section on
bat origins is particularly interesting. The conventional view was that they were related
to shrews, but not so. DNA reveals their closest relatives to be cattle, horses and whales!
The authors, Brock Fenton and Nancy Simmons, are superbly suited to write this
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book. Fenton is emeritus professor in the Department of Biology at the University of
Western Ontario and Simmons is curator-in-charge of the Department of Mammalogy at
the American Museum of Natural History and professor in the Richard Gilder Graduate
School there. Between them, they have studied bats in many parts of the world. They are
experts, in the true sense of the word!
Apart from the fascinating information about bats, the stand-out features of this book
are the superb photographs of bats in flight and those comparing the anatomy of birds
and that of a range of bats.
Unfortunately this excellent book is let down by questionable design and lax editing.
In keeping with the nocturnal lifestyle of bats, the designers have elected to use black
pages with reverse (white) text. This has long been regarded as being more difficult to
read than conventional black text on a white background. [The only research I have seen
on this has proved it to be. Good to fair comprehension of black on white was 89%
compared with only 12% fair comprehension of white on black. Ed.] At least they have
used a serif typeface, which is recognised as being easier to read than sans serif faces.
But the captions are a disaster! Sans serif type in red on a black background. My eyesight
with spectacles is pretty good — but reading the photo captions was a real challenge!
The editing let through several obvious errors, such as (p. 276): ‘Research teams are
assembling of libraries of bat calls…’ An even worse example was an unfinished
paragraph (p. 278), ‘Much to our surprise, our bat trap did not just catch bats coming
from inside the tree — it also…’. (Oh, the suspense!)
The Unfeathered Bird, Katrina van Grouw, Princeton University Press,
Princeton and Oxford, 2013. ISBN: 978 0 691 15134 2. RRP US$49.95.
This is a bird book with a difference. The reader gets to see the subjects in the ‘raw’, so
to speak. The author is a former curator of ornithological collections at the Natural
History Museum, London. She has used her brilliant artistic ability and her specialised
knowledge of bird anatomy to bring us a series of 385 exquisite illustrations of birds in
various stages of undress — no feathers, skinned and just the skeleton.
After a brief introduction to the generic bird design (part one) the author proceeds to
deal with the various bird families. Each family group is introduced, followed by a series
of drawings illustrating various aspects of bird anatomy — beaks, feet, wings or whole
skeletons.
For example, one page is devoted to the skulls of Darwin’s finches from the
Galapagos, illustrating the variation in beaks. Another page illustrates the variety in the
feet of waders.
Many illustrations have been chosen to illustrate specific anatomical features — for
instance the extraordinary coiled windpipe of the Trumpet Manucode (Phonygammus
keraudrenii). Yet other illustrations show the extraordinary variety developed in domestic
pigeons by breeders.
Weighing in at two kilograms, this is not a book you would take into the field with
you — but then again, you probably would not see many unfeathered birds that it would
help you to identify!
This brilliant book is available in the State Library of Tasmania (Dewey: 598 VAN).
The following article on Seagrasses is quite long and so it will be published in sections
over the next three editions of Yellow Throat.
Native vegetation doesn’t stop at the beach
Part 1
Phil Watson
The day was a cracker; bright, warm sunny weather and an ideal day for enjoying
nature’s treasure troves. Deciding to leave the pack, walking boots, gaiters and jackets in
the cupboard, I instead fossicked around for my bathers, towel, mask, snorkel and
flippers. With a quick check on the tides I headed out to a favourite sheltered beach that
had, fortunately, remained relatively unscathed from urban development.
With flippers in hand I tiptoed cautiously into the shallow water, being careful not to
disturb the sensitive Hooded Plovers and Pied Oystercatchers that were prying for
pippies and other sediment dwellers in the intertidal flats while Black Swans fed further
out on the seagrass leaves. The biggest challenge was walking out to where it was deep
enough, knowing that there was a curious world waiting to be explored under the water’s
mirror-like surface. Finally, a few deep breaths and then — wow, that was cold!
A cool seagrass meadow wonderland
Although I was at first gasping for air in the chilly water, I quickly adjusted and slowly
phased into the gentle art of snorkelling. Slowly relaxing as I floated over the lush front
lawn of the sea, its remarkable diversity of life began to reveal itself. Feeling comfortable
as my back warmed under the hot sun, I soon became enthralled with the animal life
crawling every which way beneath me. I watched intently as the numerous sea urchins
with their hard jaw plates scrapped away at the seaweed leaves that seemed to host an
array of encrusting epiphytes: many different algae, sea sponges, sea mosses, sea fleas
and sea lice. Segmented worms crawled over the grass in search of food. Curiously, it
became clear that numerous snails, amphipods, limpets, isopods and gastropods were not
eating the leaves but were grazing on the epiphytic plants and algae growing on the
seaweed leaves.
I was interested to see that there appeared to be two different species in the seagrass
lawn growing over the thick accumulation of sediment trapped beneath the plants. The
dominant seagrass seemed like groups of eels swimming along with their elongated
strap-like leaves wavering in the current — the names ‘eelgrass’ or ‘strapweed’ seemed
to need no more explanation — whilst the other species had leaves much more like grass
and appeared to be common in the wrack thrown up on the beach, which again explained
the common name ‘grass-wrack’.
My observational powers became more acute as this miniature forest of the sea
revealed more of its secrets. Many common stationary (sessile) invertebrates were
attached permanently to seagrass leaves and sandy surfaces. Reverting to my childhood
days, I was tempted to poke at some of these filter-feeding mussels, oysters, barnacles,
sea squirts and clams, but the urge soon waned as my eyes began to follow the tiny
shrimps and crabs that were scavenging on seagrass detritus. As I noticed the remains of
partially eaten invertebrates, I began to wonder wonder what types of carnivores were
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active. It appeared that the molluscs such as squid, octopi, whelks and other crustaceans
were some of the culprits.
Unheralded contributions to our planet’s health
The crystal clear conditions allowed me to see bubbles of oxygen working their way to
the surface, which prompted me to recall the ‘Seagrass Fact Sheet’ that I read at breakfast. This explained that the seagrass meadows can be considered as lungs of the sea and
are possibly the most effective carbon sinks in the biosphere.
I was fairly impressed by these facts:
• We can breathe easier knowing that just one square metre of seagrass generates up to
10 litres of oxygen by photosynthesis each day.
• Remarkably, seagrasses provide the world with an undervalued long-term carbon
storage system that traps most of the carbon (blue carbon) in the sediment rather than
in the seagrass plants themselves. Whereas carbon in a forest is mostly released by
logging and fire before 100 years, blue carbon remains locked away in the sediment for
up to 8000 years and is protected from fires.
• One hectare of southern strapweed meadow has up to 10 times more carbon dioxide
storage (sequestration) capacity than a pristine hectare of Amazonian forest whilst,
amazingly, it is reported to store carbon up to 60 times faster than rainforests.
• It is estimated that seagrasses offset around 2% of Australia’s annual greenhouse
emissions.
It’s smelly, bit it’s the lifeblood of the foreshore
I was so engrossed in this underwater wonderland that I was slow to notice that I had
begun to shiver. It was time to get out and get warm, so I wandered onto the beach and
staggered over the heaps of decaying, smelly seagrass (wrack). I realised that for most
folks this wrack must be the only indication that there are seagrass meadows offshore.
Southern strapweed (Posedonia australis) seagrass meadow. © Professor Gary Kendrick
Could fish survive without seagrass meadows?
Without warning my heart jumped into my throat as I became aware of a large dark
shadow lurking to the side of me. ‘Good grief,’ I gasped under my breath; it was a
monster skate, or maybe a ray? Whatever it was, I was scared rigid! Gracefully it
nonchalantly glided past. Thank heavens for that!
Meanwhile, my attempts to recognise and recall the names of all the fish darting in
and out of the seagrasses became an all-consuming obsession. The habitat provided by
the seagrass seemed to offer a superb fish nursery, as was revealed by the many species
of juvenile fish that I saw; these included fish such as mullet, flounder, garfish, whiting,
flathead and trumpeter, as well as, most importantly, crayfish, oysters and mussels. I
wondered what the fisher folk would do if this hidden seagrass meadow and fish
breeding ground ended up having the same sad fate as have had many of Australia’s sea
meadows during the last 50 years.
Crab in seagrass wrack. © Vishnu Prahalad
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Although I gave consideration to lying on the beach and warming up, the smell was a
bit overpowering and the beach teemed with myriad creepy crawlies moving in and out
of the decaying wrack. Besides that, I would have been in the way of the folk who were
energetically shovelling seagrass onto a trailer. I wondered whether they were authorised
to do so, because wrack not only acts as a horizontal seawall supplying an important
protective barrier to storm tides and rising sea level, but is also a habitat and food supply.
It swarms with little crabs and small crustaceans such as pipis, cockles, amphipods,
worms and burrowing bivalves, all feverishly feeding on the decaying organic matter as
it is being broken down by bacteria and fungi to be recycled as nutrient for the saltmarsh,
intertidal and seagrass food chains. Shorebirds seemed to be enjoying this invertebrate
feast.
Red-capped Plover amidst wrack.
I finally made a bee line for the car, elated by my morning’s experience, inspired
enough by it to do some follow-up research later in the day on this unheralded yet
enigmatic native vegetation community.
Part 2 in July’s issue.
BirdLife Tasmania’s archive
Over the years, Birdlife Tasmania, in all its various incarnations, has amassed a vast
archive. This is particularly important for retaining some of the historical materials: there
are photographs, count records, editions of old Yellow Throats and its predecessors,
archival copies of the Tasmanian Bird Report and copies of other reports completed by
Birdlife Tasmania and its members. This has grown to be in excess of 100 archive boxes,
and was in danger of forcing our convenor, Dr Eric Woehler, out of his house. (Yes, as
well as all his other tasks, he has provided free storage for all these years.) There was the
added danger that fire or another catastrophe might destroy the archive. Consequently,
the executive committee has taken up a secure space at AAA Self Storage. Our precious
records can rest there safely while still being close at hand for reference.
BirdLife Tasmania has, under the auspices of BirdLife Australia, released the following
position statement on the status of the Swift Parrot. Forestry Tasmania has been apprised
of this position, as will be the FSC auditors and other ENGOs in Tasmania.
Update on the conservation status of Swift
Parrots, May 2015
A recent study (Heinsohn et al. 2015) identified severe threat to Swift Parrots (Lathamus
discolor) in Tasmania as a consequence of predation by Sugar Gliders (Petaurus
brevipes). The study was undertaken by researchers from the Australian National
University (ANU) and was recently published in an international, peer-reviewed journal.
Based on the Population Viability Analysis (PVA) of available and contemporary
data, the Swift Parrot population is predicted to decrease by between 84% and 95% over
the next three generations (16 years).
Critically, the decrease was predicted in a best-case scenario that did not include other
factors that add to the mortality of swift parrots (e.g. habitat loss from logging, collision
with man-made structures and disease). Logging has been the single greatest loss of
habitat for the species in the last decade, and earlier work by ANU had drawn a link
between deforestation and the increased predation of Swift Parrots by Sugar Gliders.
Based on the PVA, the ANU team nominated the Swift Parrot to be up-listed to
Critically Endangered under the Federal Government’s Environment Protection and
Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The species is presently listed as Endangered under
various jurisdictions and by the IUCN (http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/
public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=744); this Federal assessment is expected to be
complete in the second half of 2015.
In addition to the Federal process, the ANU team approached the BirdLife Australia
Threatened Species Committee to assess whether the species met the criteria for uplisting as Critically Endangered under IUCN Red List criteria (see http://
www.iucnredlist.org/static/categories_criteria_3_1). The Threatened Species
Committee’s recommendation for up-listing was accepted by the BirdLife
Australia Research and Conservation Committee on Friday, 24 April 2015.
In recognition of the conservation status of the species, BirdLife Australia and
BirdLife Tasmania have adopted the position that there must be an immediate
moratorium on all logging of Swift Parrot breeding habitat (i.e. nesting and foraging
habitats) in order to reduce the risk of extinction of the Swift Parrot.
Reference cited:
Heinsohn R, Webb M, Lacy R, Terauds A, Alderman R, Stojanovic D 2015. A severe
predator-induced population decline predicted for endangered, migratory swift parrots
(Lathamus discolor). Biological Conservation 186, 75-82.
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Little Penguin Community Knowledge
Sharing Conference
monitoring. These efforts will be undertaken in close collaboration with IMAS PhD
students and CSIRO and IMAS researchers.
BirdLife Tasmania was invited to present the introductory talk at the Little Penguin
Community Knowledge Sharing Conference held in Bicheno on 13 March. More than 50
people attended the event organised by Glamorgan Spring Bay Council, Parks and
Wildlife Service and NRM South. Attendees were drawn from the local community and
farther afield, particularly businesses that provide penguin tours in the area and around
the state.
Senate Inquiry into fin-fish aquaculture
The Australian Senate is undertaking an Inquiry into the fin-fish aquaculture industry in
Tasmania. BirdLife Tasmania expects to make a submission based on its collaboration
with the various aquaculture companies in recent years. Aquaculture staff are involved in
the Winter Gull Counts and we have provided data on the presence of threatened species
around leases in the d’Entrecasteaux Channel and Storm Bay. The Terms of Reference
for the Inquiry are available at: http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/
Committees/Senate/Environment_and_Communications/Fin-Fish.
Clarence Cats
State of the Derwent Estuary launch
The Derwent Estuary Program hosted a one-day symposium on the science and
management of the Derwent Estuary at CSIRO on 23 April. Almost 100 attendees heard
talks on efforts to improve water quality and natural habitats. The five-yearly ‘check up’
is available at http://www.derwentestuary.org.au/stateofderwent2015/.
Little Penguins
Surveys and monitoring of Little Penguins continued during the 2014–15 summer, with
the focus on mapping colonies in the south-east and on assessing breeding effort. The
breeding season was significantly better than the very poor season in 2013–14, which
saw very low breeding numbers in colonies. Planning is already underway for extensive
surveys in the south-east and on the east coast in 2015–16, as well as for continued
BirdLife Tasmania attended a meeting with Clarence City Council to discuss potential
cat-related management issues in the municipality. Clarence, and other municipalities
around the State, are increasing their efforts regarding cat management as required under
State legislation. The meeting was the first to discuss options for community engagement
and education efforts in both urban and rural contexts.
Feeding association between Sulphurcrested Cockatoo and Spotted Turtledove
Dr Eric J Woehler
I have frequently seen a strong feeding association between Sulphur-crested Cockatoos
and Spotted Turtledoves in and around Hobart, where the cockatoos feed on ripening
walnuts in domestic gardens and where they are associated with Spotted Turtledoves that
10
feed on the discarded and lost half-eaten walnuts.
The cockatoos are very messy and inefficient in their consumption of walnuts. They
peel the pulpy husk with their beaks and then break open the two shells to access the nut.
They often drop the opened shells with partially-eaten flesh as they balance in trees on
one foot, the other foot being used to hold the nut during feeding.
These discarded nuts are particularly attractive to Spotted Turtledoves who forage
under the walnut trees while the cockatoos are feeding above. The cockatoos are very
noisy during these feeding bouts, and it is possible the cockatoos’ calls bring in the
turtledoves. The turtledoves would be unable to open the walnuts and are opportunistically feeding on the partially eaten walnuts discarded or dropped by the cockatoos.
Have readers seen this elsewhere outside of Hobart? Perhaps this association is seen
more widely than just around Hobart? I would be interested to hear of other observations,
or of similar feeding associations involving other species of birds and/or food species.
([email protected])
Community engagement
BirdLife Tasmania was present at several community events in the last two months,
providing opportunities for members of the public to talk to us about their interest in
birds. Our stalls are always popular and the wide range of materials disappears quickly!
Our thanks to the various members who gave up time on weekends for the Bream Creek
Show, Love Living Locally Festival and SeaFest.
Cape Deslacs Wildcare
BirdLife Tasmania gave a presentation on the biology of the Short-tailed Shearwater to
members of the Cape Deslacs Wildcare group who are working to protect the shearwater
colony. The group was recently successful in obtaining a grant to remove weeds and
undertake some rehabilitation work at Pipeclay Lagoon. This lagoon is an important
shorebird site in southeast Tasmania and we will be collaborating with the group on this
project.
11
Media releases
BirdLife Tasmania has issued several media releases over the last few weeks, dealing
with Swift Parrots, the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and the issuing of
licences to collect Short-tailed Shearwaters (Tasmanian Muttonbirds) to three-year-olds.
All of our Media Releases can be found at:
http://birdlife.org.au/locations/birdlife-tasmania/media-tas.
insects or grubs, or excavated by water. The wildlife that uses these hollows may modify
the inside of the hollow or entrance further using beaks, teeth or claws. The points of
attachment exposed when branches have been shed from eucalypts, either through strong
winds or self-pruning, provide sites for hollows to develop.
Natural tree hollows
Iona Mitchell, Gardens for Wildlife
One of the rarest types of nest sites used by wildlife are natural hollows in the trunks and
branches of old trees, the loss of which can lead to local extinction of populations or
endanger an entire species such as the Masked Owl. The decline of birds from an area
can go unnoticed for many years. If food resources are still sufficient, the birds may
remain for many years as an ageing population with little to no recruitment if they have
been unable to breed effectively because they lack suitable nest sites. Unfortunately,
activities such as land clearing for agriculture or urban development, firewood collection
or wildfires and burns that are too frequent or intense have drastically reduced the
number of old hollow-bearing trees (or ‘habitat trees’) that are traditional nest sites.
Tree hollows offer refuge from the weather and predators, safe sites for nesting and
breeding, or warmth and shelter. Hollows are selected carefully by wildlife with features
such as entrance size and shape, depth, degree of insulation, frequency and seasonality of
use all carefully considered and assessed. A range of hollow shapes and sizes are
necessary to cover the different species that use them. Generally most hollow users
prefer entrances through which they can just fit: this provides protection from larger
predators. A single hollow may be used by more than one species in a year, or a single
individual may use several hollows in an area.
In Tasmania, species dependent on tree hollows include all eight bats, Masked Owl,
Southern Boobook, Owlet Nightjar, Little and Eastern Pygmy-possums, Sugar Gliders,
Common Ringtail and Common Brushtail Possums, all cockatoos and parrots, and most
ducks and robins. Fallen trees or bigger branches with hollows that are lying on the
ground can also be used by other species such as Tasmanian Devils, Echidnas, quolls or
wombats.
The rate of hollow formation is dependent on the tree species and its environment
with eucalypts being one of the major hollow-producing genuses. It can take at least 100
years for small hollows suitable for Sugar Gliders or pygmy-possums to develop, and
another 100 years for larger hollows suitable for small parrots, to 200+ years for the very
large hollows that are ideal for Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos and Masked Owls to
develop.
Hollows develop in mature trees and continue to develop as the tree ages. As trees age
they are subject to the natural forces of wind, fire, heat, lightning, weathering and attack
from insects, fungi, bacteria and grubs. The outer living surface of the tree remains
healthy, but the dead inner wood of branches or the trunk is eaten or removed by fungi,
Fallen old trees can also provide shelter. Unfortunately this fine old tree had been cut for
firewood. It shows the size and depth of the hollow and also provides proof that old hollow trees
do not provide high yields of firewood. © Iona Mitchell
The need to protect old trees, given their importance and the time it takes for hollows
to develop naturally, is critical. Indeed it is a valuable strategy to provide sufficient trees
that can be allowed to mature so that they will provide a source of future recruitment of
natural hollows.
But, sadly, many landowners may have only a few old trees with hollows or their
trees may be too immature to have these features — nevertheless, if these trees are left to
age, they will provide valuable habitat and hollows for wildlife in the future (unfortunately, most likely way past our lifetimes).
One of the biggest and fastest increasing threats to old trees is the firewood collection
industry. In Tasmania it is estimated that 720,000 tonnes of firewood are cut per year.
Most of this comes from the old growth dry eucalypt forests and woodlands of the east
coast, midlands and central plateau regions. Cutting less mature trees and thinning can be
12
a more sustainable way of harvesting firewood rather than taking big, old trees.
The preservation and protection of stands of old trees, the larger the area the better,
and spreading these areas across the landscape are major factors in the conservation and
protection of hollow-dependent wildlife species. The destruction of these trees in urban,
agricultural or forested areas should be avoided as much as possible.
Nestboxes for wildlife can help, but they are no substitute for natural hollows. The
priority should be to retain and protect large, old, hollow-bearing trees (standing or
fallen) that are an invaluable resource for hollow-dependent wildlife species.
steady, soaking kind, but we had our wet weather gear and were undeterred. We walked
out to the edge of the saltmarsh to see that the tide was very low and there were few
water birds in close apart from some Chestnut Teal on the creek and several gulls on the
mudflat. A Great Egret, some White-faced Herons and some Pied Oystercatchers could
be seen further out. We crossed the creek along the eastern side of the reserve and walked
along the roadside. The rain stopped, the sun came out, and we soon warmed up. We
could hear the distinctive call of a Grey Shrike-thrush in the eucalypt trees and we
became quite excited at the sight of a flock of small birds flitting around on the ground
only to find as we got closer that they were House Sparrows! A small flock of Sulphurcrested Cockatoos was perched on the wires above us and, from the end of the road, we
could see Black Swans and Australian Pelicans out on the water. There were Superb
Fairy-wrens and Common Greenfinches in the hedges on the other side of the road as we
retraced our steps to the car park. Worth the drive despite the rain.
Bird list: Tasmanian Native-hen, Masked Lapwing, Silver Gull, feral ducks, Chestnut
Teal, Great Egret, White-faced Heron, Pacific Gull, Kelp Gull, Forest Raven, Sulphurcrested Cockatoo, Pied Oystercatcher, Yellow Wattlebird, Grey Butcherbird, Grey
Shrike-thrush, Australian Pelican, Little Wattlebird, House Sparrow, Common Starling,
Common Blackbird, Superb Fairy-wren, Common Greenfinch, Black Swan.
GARDEN
for
WILDLIFE
Dru Point Park, Margate
Excursions
Maureen Duffy
Burton's Reserve Cygnet
14 February 2015
Four of us arrived at the reserve in drizzly rain to be met by Tasmanian Native-hens,
Masked Lapwings and a few feral ducks foraging on the grass. The rain increased to the
1 March 2015
It was cool and overcast when we arrived at Dru Point Park. There was a pair of Galahs
perched on overhead wires and the usual Masked Lapwings on the lawn. A small flock of
Australian Wood Duck appear to be permanent residents as they have been here on
several trips now. Not so nice to see were Rainbow Lorikeets flying by. We walked over
to the water’s edge where there were several Chestnut Teal and a lone White-faced
Heron.
We continued along past the trees and spotted a Scarlet Robin on a branch. We could
also hear the distinctive trill of a Fan-tailed Cuckoo. The highlight of the walk then
occurred: we encountered several Dusky Woodswallows. These were a first for me at
Dru Point as was the Fan-tailed Cuckoo. We continued on around the corner into
Northwest Bay, where we could see out on to the sandbank with its large population of
Masked Lapwings, Black Swans and Pied Oystercatchers. We returned to the car park via
13
the dog-walking track where, despite its use, there is always plenty to see: Superb Fairywrens, Grey Fantails, Brown Thornbills and also a female Flame Robin.
Bird list: Galah, Masked Lapwing, Rainbow Lorikeet, Silver Gull, Australian Wood
Duck, Chestnut Teal, White-faced Heron, Tasmanian Native-hen, Little Wattlebird,
Dusky Woodswallow, Scarlet Robin, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Black Swan, Pied Oystercatcher, Kelp Gull, Great Cormorant, Brown Thornbill, Forest Raven, Little Pied
Cormorant, Eurasian Coot, Superb Fairy-wren, Grey Fantail, Spotted Pardalote, Flame
Robin, Yellow-throated Honeyeater, Australian Magpie, Common Blackbird.
The rare, remarkable Orange-bellied Parrot
Shannon Troy, Sophia Callender, Rosemary Gales
With fewer than 70 individuals remaining in the wild, the Orange-bellied Parrot is
Australia’s most endangered bird. One of just two parrots in the world that undertakes
long-distance migrations, every year these tiny (45 g) birds make two extraordinary
journeys, covering a distance of over 500 km. In autumn, they head north from Tasmania
to over-winter and forage in their non-breeding coastal habitats of south-eastern
mainland Australia. In spring, the parrots return south to Tasmania, where they now
breed in only a single location, Melaleuca, deep within the Tasmanian Wilderness World
Heritage Area.
Figure 1: Wild Orange-bellied Parrot at Melaleuca. © Tasmanian OBP Program
Since the early 1900s the Orange-bellied Parrot population has suffered a serious
decline, and is now listed as critically endangered. For the past 35 years, biologists from
the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment
(DPIPWE) have been monitoring the breeding population at Melaleuca. Every autumn,
we wait with bated breath to see how many parrots return, and who. Wildcare Inc.
Friends of the Orange-bellied Parrot/DPIPWE volunteers monitor the birds daily,
recording the presence and identity of individual birds at feed tables throughout the
summer. In September, DPIPWE biologists climb trees to prepare the 70+ artificial
nestboxes provided for the parrots to breed. In January, the trees are climbed again, this
time to check the contents of the nests. When Orange-bellied Parrot nests are discovered,
eggs and nestlings are counted to allow estimation of breeding effort and success. Once
they are two weeks old, nestlings are banded with unique colour and letter combinations
to allow future individual identification, and assessment of breeding and survival.
Figure 2 (see page 15): Checking a nestbox and, inset, an Orange-bellied Parrot nestling.
© Tasmanian OBP Program
In Spring 2014, 35 orange-bellied parrots returned to Melaleuca (18 females and 17
males). Notable returns included four captive-bred birds released in 2013–14 that have
now survived both a northern and a southern migration; 15 fledglings from the previous
season; and one seven-year-old male (amazing as the mean lifespan for these birds is
only 2 to 3 years). These adults were joined by a further 27 captive-bred adults that were
released into the wild during October and November 2014, almost 70% of which
survived the season. The high number of returned wild birds and high survival rate of
captive-bred Orange-bellied Parrots made for an exciting start to the season.
When the Orange-bellied Parrots started to pair off for breeding, nestboxes were
monitored for signs of activity and to try and determine the likely parents of future
clutches. These observations suggest that pairs of captive-bred birds released in 2014
were the likely parents of four of the clutches, meaning that these birds are already
making a substantial contribution to the productivity of the population.
Nestbox checks and observations in January and March revealed a total of 30
fledglings: 23 fledglings from 12 clutches in nestboxes; and a further 7 unbanded
fledglings from at least three clutches observed at the feed table. These additional
birds fledged from either natural nests, or nestboxes that could not be checked this
year. Given the high number of adults in the population, we were hoping for more
fledglings, but regardless, in the context of previous years, 30 fledglings is still an
encouraging result.
The last Orange-bellied Parrots were seen at Melaleuca in late April, with an
estimated 64 birds undertaking the journey north. We again wait with anticipation, this
time to hear who has been seen where on mainland Australia. Back in the Hobart office,
winter will be spent entering and analysing data, looking at camera trapping images, and
planning for the 2015–16 breeding season.
From the arrival of the first Orange-bellied Parrot on 28 September 2014 until 30
April 2015, 29 WILDCARE Inc. Friends of the Orange-bellied Parrot/DPIPWE
volunteers undertook Orange-bellied Parrot observations and assisted with management
actions at Melaleuca.
14
This monitoring and support is critical to the success of the Tasmanian Orange-bellied
Parrot Program, and we gratefully acknowledge all of our volunteers for their efforts this
season. We also thank the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife for a grant that
allowed for the construction of new nestboxes and a new aviary.
Please email Orange-bellied Parrot observations or information to:
[email protected].
To contribute to Orange-bellied Parrot conservation, including research projects, onground management projects and captive-breeding and release programs that will
enhance the survival prospects of the Orange-bellied Parrot as a wild species, make a tax
deductible donation to Wildcare Inc. at:
http://wildcaretas.org.au/donations/wildcare-save-the-orange-bellied-parrot-fund/.
For more information on the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife, visit:
www.fnpw.org.au.
A Good News Story, but...
Margaret Bennett, King Island
On a typical showery King Island day in February I visited the Fairy Tern colony at
Yellow Rock. What an amazing sight. There were fledglings on the water’s edge with
some practising diving in the shallow water and others begging for food. There were
birds incubating eggs in the same area as the others had previously, and there were small
chicks running around amongst the colony. As soon as they stopped moving, they were
camouflaged in the old dry kelp.
Figure 2
Fairy Terns from the colony at Yellow Rock. © Ken Gosbell
15
It was 2 January when I discovered the Fairy Tern were incubating at Yellow Rock
beach, which must have been the fledglings I saw on 16 February. There were also birds
incubating on this visit. I would suggest the birds who were on late eggs may have been
from the colony that was covered by high tides and therefore unsuccessful in January at
Lavinia Point. Plus additional Fairy Tern had hatched between these two dates. There
were at least 20 nests with eggs so I didn’t linger as I was being dive bombed by the
birds. It is extremely hard to count birds in the air but there were at least 60 Fairy Tern
flying about. I didn’t see any Little Tern amongst them.
On 4 March I received news from a bird observer at Yellow Rock who reported 7
Fairy Tern fledglings on the shore with the rest of the colony abandoned.
The breeding season for the Fairy Tern on King Island was about 50–60% successful,
but why did the rest of the birds leave their eggs?
Jason Graham from Bonorong sent this ‘funny photo of a New Holland Honeyeater I snapped
mid-preen in my Rose Bay backyard’. © Jason Graham
The King Island Brown Thornbill
(endangered)
Margaret Bennett, King Island
On Friday 13 March I went to the Pegarah Forest with a visitor from Hobart to look for
bush birds. It was a dull, cloudy, late afternoon following rain during the morning. We
both saw various bush birds: Yellow Wattlebird, Yellow-throated Honeyeater, Blackheaded Honeyeater, New Holland Honeyeater — the Crescent Honeyeater was heard but
remained shy — Brush Bronzewing, Grey Shrike-thrush, Olive and Golden Whistler,
Superb Fairy-wren, Dusky Robin, Flame Robin (both male and female), Green Rosella,
Spotted Pardalote, Tasmanian Scrubwren and Tasmanian Thornbill. However the highlight of the day was us both watching a King Island Brown Thornbill (endangered) as he
went about foraging in the bark of a eucalypt. This was a first sighting for me and we
both had plenty of time for a good look at him as he was oblivious to our presence. The
bill of the KI Brown Thornbill is much larger than the Tasmanian Thornbill and there are
no white feathers on his flanks, whereas the white feathers on the Tasmanian Thornbill
are quite prominent.
Membership lists
Every month, our Secretary, Sue Drake, gets an updated membership list (all members of
Birdlife Australia who are resident in Tasmania) from National Office. This spreadsheet
gives all members’ e-mail addresses if they have them as well as their postal addresses.
Sue checks through the list to update our mailing list, which is a tedious but not too
arduous job. (Any entry that has a blank in the e-mail column should be on our mailing
list; anyone who was on the previous month’s list, but is not on this month’s list, should
be deleted.)
However, this does not take into account people who were on the mailing list but who
now have an e-mail address. Sue tries to check for these, but they are easy to miss and
the amount of time it takes to do an absolutely thorough check of the full membership
list is extraordinary (Sue already devotes many hours a week to the other secretarial
duties for Birdlife Tasmania, as well as helping to coordinate wader counts, man stalls
and give talks).
We are very keen for anyone who can to have Yellow Throat sent to them electronically: it saves paper, which should be a prime consideration for a conservation body, and
postage and envelopes, which means we have more money in our coffers for conservation and research projects. If you get an e-mail address and were previously on our
mailing list, please let us know. Not only will you join those who are saving resources,
but you will be sure of getting your notices and electronic YTs from Sue — she said she
recently found that she’d missed someone’s changed status. This poor man went off the
mailing list but did not make it onto the e-mailing list. You can contact Sue at:
[email protected].
Links
Nicole Gill set up a great blog during her recent stay at Melaleuca:
https://tasbiophiliac.wordpress.com/category/tasmanian-wilderness-world-heritage-area/
Here’s a link to a sad piece from the New York Times about the decline of migratory birds
on the North American–South American route:
h t t p : / / w w w. n y t i m e s . c o m / 2 0 1 5 / 0 5 / 0 2 / o p i n i o n / s i l e n t - s e a s h o r e s . h t m l ?
hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=c-column-top-span-region&region=c16
column-top-span-region&WT.nav=c-column-top-span-region&_r=0
Next, a good news piece. This is the link to a film about the Bonorong release of the
Snares Penguin that apparently got into trouble near Tasmania when moulting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogv2WnhoCuM
exploring coastal litter and marine debris perceptions, education responses, and how
people work and learn together.
‘Turning the tide: Exploring education responses to coastal litter and marine debris in
Tasmania through collaborative learning and participation’ is being conducted within the
Faculty of Education, University of Tasmania, and supported by the Alcorso Foundation
and the Bookend Trust.
The survey is a mixture of multiple-choice and comment questions. It should take no
more than 30 minutes to complete. Some questions are optional. You may provide
contact details if you wish to receive the survey results or you may choose to remain
anonymous. You will not be identified in any results, reporting or publications of the
survey findings without your written permission.
You can take the survey by following this link:
The Tasmanian Coastal Litter and Marine Debris Survey
Please get involved and help inform future education responses to coastal litter and
marine debris in Tasmania.
With thanks
Leah Page
PhD Candidate, Faculty of Education, University of Tasmania
[email protected]; 0438 454 260
Devils on Maria
So, continuing with the theme of ‘good/bad...’, here’s a very depressing story about a
bird whose body was so contaminated it was flameproof:
http://www.sciencealert.com/the-world-s-most-polluted-bird-was-so-contaminated-itwas-flameproof
The latest Inverawe Native Garden newsletter was published in April:
http://www.inverawe.com.au/news.html
My daughter sent me this set of lovely owl pictures by photographer Sasi Smith, and I
thought you might all like to check them out as well:
http://www.boredpanda.com/owls-by-sasi-smith/
Here is the address of a blog about A Guide to the Birdsong of South America, a
crowdfunded musical project to record the song of threatened bird species woven in
various ways into the music of sundry performers in order to help make money for
conservation projects:
http://rhythmandrootsblog.com/label/birdsong/
(Some of the music is fabulous, as is the artwork for sleeves and accompanying material.
I haven’t listened to it all.)
Can you help?
You are invited to take an online survey about your views and experiences with coastal
litter and marine debris in Tasmania. The survey is the first stage of a PhD study
The following snippet is from Vince Scoleri, who will be speaking to BirdLife Tasmania
at one of the year’s later meetings. It is the transcript of an e-mail that he originally sent
to Eric Woehler and Peter Vertigan.
Just returned from Maria trip and it looks like the devils have made short work of the
shearwaters at Point Leseur again. We surveyed 200 burrows (approximately half the
colony) and did not find one bird. Camera footage reveals they got smashed,
predominantly by devils digging them out. In comparison, Ile Du Nord had ~50%
occupancy.
Interestingly, it looks like I have the same number of cats although there were no
kittens this year recorded on Point Leseur — that’s not to say I won’t record kittens on
other cameras around the island from the summer surveys, but I have not retrieved those
cameras yet. It will be interesting to see what I find there, but my overall gut feeling is
that cat activity is definitely lower this year on Point Leseur when compared with 2012.
On controlling cats
Biosecurity Tasmania has just published an 8-page booklet, Cats and Wildlife: How You
Can Protect Both, which will be distributed around the state on occasions like AgFest
and at places like pet shops. Birdlife Tasmania made a donation to help double the print
run and has been given 500 copies to hand out.
Talks are being held at federal, state and local council levels to develop Cat Management Plans, which will help mitigate cat damage to our wildlife and agriculture.
17
Biosecurity Tasmania updates
Little Curlew migration again
Throughout February and March we received a number of BioSecurity alerts about the
discovery and control of myrtle rust (Puccinia psidii). This plant disease pathogen is
considered a considerable threat to members of the Myrtaceae family. It appears that it
has been isolated and that control measures are proving effective; however, vigilance is
still needed. This fungus was identified as affecting Lophomyrtus, a common hedge,
screening and potted plant marketed under names including Black Stallion, Red Dragon,
Rainbow’s End and Krinkly. If you have any plants that could be affected by such
infestations, always contact Biosecurity Tasmania (03 61653777). More information can
be found on the website:
www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/biosecurity
Biosecurity Tasmania’s Myrtle Rust Fact Sheet provides more information that will
assist in identifying the disease.
The following articles are from the Australian Wader Study Group. They are variously
contributed to by Clive Minton, Inka Veltheim, Chris Hassell and Roz Jessop. Doctor
Minton has kindly given permission for Yellow Throat to reproduce these updates.
Many of you will recall that we deployed five satellite transmitters on Little Curlew at
Roebuck Plains in November 2013. We followed their tracks for varying periods of time,
including the three birds that migrated to the Northern Hemisphere (one reaching the
breeding grounds). One of these birds is still transmitting, having spent the last four
months in Australia at Kununurra, Roebuck Plains, Anna Plains, and now back again at
Roebuck Plains [17 March 2015].
Incursion advice: African lovegrass
Biosecurity Tasmania has identified African lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula) on roadsides
in and around Hobart, and on the east coast. African lovegrass is a Zone A weed under
the Weed Management Act 1999 and requires eradication statewide.
African lovegrass is a densely tufted, perennial (long-lived) grass that can grow up to
1.2 m tall. It can germinate at any time of the year but typically germinates in autumn or
spring. It prefers disturbed sites on roadsides, riverbanks and waste places, from which it
can rapidly spread over degraded pastures and native grasslands. African lovegrass can
be easily confused with other tussock-like grasses such as Poa species.
African lovegrass is regarded as a serious threat to the Tasmanian environment.
Biosecurity Tasmania is working with roadside managers from the Department of State
Growth to eradicate the infestations.
The community is asked to be vigilant and be on the lookout for this grass. If you see
what you think might be African lovegrass, please take a photograph, record the location
and details of the suspect plants, and contact Biosecurity Tasmania on 03 6165 3777.
Biosecurity Tasmania’s African Lovegrass webpage provides more information to
assist in identifying this species.
The community is also reminded of the need to adopt appropriate weed hygiene
measures to prevent the spread of weeds in Tasmania. Further information about weed
hygiene can be found here.
Prohibited wildlife via TT-Line
Biosecurity Officers conducting clearances at the Spirit of Tasmania barrier have noted
an increase in passengers’ vehicles carrying prohibited wildlife birds for import; these
birds have included Rainbow Lorikeets and Indian Ringnecks, and are usually family
pets. Lack of education on the part of the passenger is cited as the usual cause for this
when officers inform them they are in breach of import requirements. If family or friends
are planning a driving holiday to Tasmania, please make sure they are aware of the
regulations about bringing animals and plants to the state.
In mid-February we deployed a further five satellite transmitters on Little Curlew, this
time at Anna Plains station (two) and on the adjacent 80 Mile Beach (three). We have
received regular transmissions on each bird over the last three weeks, and I attach the
five relevant tracks superimposed on Google Earth maps. You will see that all five birds
have roamed around quite widely over Anna Plains station (which is 100 km long by
30 km wide). There has been a tendency for birds to move a little southwards from the
original capture sites, with the furthest travelling 80–100 km to the border between Anna
Plains and Mandora stations, opposite the Sandfire Roadhouse.
We interpret these movements as indicating that there is no real hotspot region on
Anna Plains station grasslands this year, with the density of large insects appearing to be
rather lower than usual (few locusts, for example).
18
significant rainfall from the cyclone that is now brewing off the coast. I suspect the
It will be interesting to see if the movement pattern changes if Anna Plains receives
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cyclone is perhaps located a little too far west to have much effect at Anna Plains.
It will also be interesting to see if these Little Curlew move northwards to Roebuck
Plains later this month prior to their expected departure on migration from Australia in
April. The 2013–14 birds all move back to Roebuck Plains after visiting Anna Plains, but
of course they had all been originally marked at Roebuck Plains.
17 March 2015
This is just a brief note to advise you that we’ve just started to see the beginning of the
northward migration of the little curlew in north-west Australia. The attached map shows
the current location of all six birds, which are carrying satellite transmitters.
Five of the transmitters were put on little curlew in February this year on the plains
about 30 km south of Anna Plains station (two) and on the adjacent 80 Mile Beach
(three). Since then these birds have moved around on Anna Plains station between an
area close to the station itself right down to the southern end of the station (where it
adjoins Mandoora station, about 100 km south), opposite the Sandfire station. After yoyoing around and mostly being at the northern end of this area last week, three of these
birds have this week [27 March 2015] returned to the southern end of the station.
More interestingly, the other two have moved 200–300 km northward in what appears
to be the first stage of their northward migration. One is on Roebuck Plains (latest fix at
04:00 this morning) and last night roosted on the plains only just behind the Broome Bird
Observatory. The other bird has moved rather further north and is on the Fitzroy River
floodplain close to King Sound at Derby. Similar northward movements from Anna Plain
station were recorded last year in the second half of March.
We also have one transmitter still operating from the five Little Curlew on which
satellite transmitters were deployed in November 2013. You will recall that this bird has
spent most of the 2014–15 nonbreeding season on saltmarsh to the north-west of
Kununarra. In recent weeks it moved first down to Roebuck Plains, then to Anna Plains,
then back to Roebuck Plains, and then back again to Anna Plains! It is now at the
southern end of the station in the same area as the other three Little Curlew that are
carrying satellite transmitters put on this year.
It will be interesting to see if all of the Little Curlew move up to the Roebuck Plains–
Fitzroy River floodplain before their departure from Australia. We will keep everyone
informed of any further significant movements. Do please be patient — no news is NO
NEWS! One of the frustrating parts offsetting the excitement of following migration with
satellite transmitters on birds is the long periods when nothing happens because a bird is
resting at a stopover location or is only moving around locally in an area. Hopefully there
will be plenty of highlights, however, over the next few weeks with six birds now
carrying satellite transmitters in circulation.
27 March 2015
Very exciting news [26 April 2015] — two of the Little Curlew with PTTs deployed this
year during the AWSG’s expedition–NWA2015 have departed Anna Plains (IDs 61 and
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65). This timing of departure matches well with a bird from 2014 (24/4/14), which
reached the breeding grounds.
The two Little Curlew are travelling together, presumably in a flock, and at 10 p.m.
last night (24 April) were 210 km north-west of Anna Plains.
Last fixes for these birds were at 4.27 a.m. (65) and 5.20 a.m. (61) this morning (25
April), roughly 560 km north-west of AP. More updates to come as the migration
progresses. Exciting times ahead!
Birdlife Tasmania excursions, South, 2015
July–September
Sunday, 13 July 2015, Campania — Meet at the park 8.30 a.m. Ring
Maureen on 0409253834 or 62750832.
Saturday, 22 August 2015, Royal Tasmanian Botanic Gardens —
Meet at Gardens, main entrance, 8.30 a.m. Ring Maureen on
0409253834 or 62750832.
Sunday, 13 September 2015, Peter Murrell Reserve — Meet at
Huntingfield Avenue entrance, 8.30 a.m. Ring Maureen on
0409253834 or 62750832.
Saturday, 26 September 2015, Kaoota Tramway — Meet at Denison
Street carpark, Kingston, 8.30 a.m. Ring Andrew on 62296609.
July meeting
Katherine Cooper will be the speaker at our July meeting, which will be held on
Thursday, 9 July 2015, at 7.30 p.m. Katherine is an artist who is one of the exhibitors at
Vanishing Point, the current exhibition at IMAS. This a collaboration between art and
science designed to highlight the dangers to the environment of plastic rubbish, and its
inherent beauty. She has spent time in the Shetlands and will touch on this in her talk.
More exciting news [2 May 2015] — five of the Little Curlew have now left Australia
and are on northward migration, having departed between 24 and 28 April.
It appears that the first two birds departing Australia (61 and 65) hit some bad weather
and briefly turned back before landing on islands of Indonesia (Roti and Sulawesi). A
low pressure system with thunderstorms between north-west Australia and Indonesia
around the time of migration probably affected this first leg of their journey.
It is also exciting to have 47 on migration. We tracked this bird last year, but this year
it has left about two weeks earlier than in 2014. This bird, and bird 63, quite likely
departed from Roebuck Plains on the same day. Similar trajectories of their tracks would
certainly suggest this. Bird 62 was the last one to leave from Anna Plains, around the
28th April, and has the most direct path of the five. It is currently tracking towards
Borneo. More to come as the birds progress northwards.
Northern Fulmars. © Katherine Cooper
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BirdLife Tasmania Directory 2015–16
GPO Box 68, Hobart 7001
www.birdlife.org.au/tasmania
Dr Eric Woehler <[email protected]> 62231980
and 0438204565
Secretary
Sue Drake <[email protected]> 62391468 and 0402741399
Treasurer
Allan Patman <[email protected]> 62663673 and 0448429204
Excursions
M. Duffy 62750832 <[email protected]>, J. Holmes,
M. McKerracher
Shorebird Count Coordinators
South-east
S. Drake <[email protected]> 62391468 and 0402741399
Dr E. Woehler <[email protected]> 62231980
and 0438204565
East
L. Znidersic <[email protected]> 0409123322
North and NE R. Cooper <[email protected]> 63301255
North-west
H. Britton <[email protected]> 64252785
Database
c/- The Secretary, GPO Box 68, Hobart 7001
<[email protected]>
Systematic list Position of compiler is currently vacant.
Editor
Wynne Webber <[email protected]> 62674963 (Yellow Throat
and Tasmanian Bird Report)
Library
c/- The Secretary, GPO Box 68, Hobart 7001
Equipment
c/- The Secretary, GPO Box 68, Hobart 7001
All images that appear in Yellow Throat are, unless acknowledged otherwise,
© Dr Eric J Woehler, and remain his property.
Maps drawn from the BirdLife Tasmania database remain © BirdLife Tasmania.
Please make use of our material, but we ask that you acknowledge BirdLife Tasmania
as the source.
Chair
We thank the office of Mr Andrew Wilkie, MHR, for assisting in the
production of Yellow Throat 81.
BirdLife Tasmania is a regional branch of BirdLife Australia.
TASMANIA
Yellow Throat is produced every alternate month beginning in January. Contributions,
including articles, sightings, bird-watching sites, letters and news, are welcome, and will
be published subject to space and interest or relevance to BirdLife Tasmania members, at
the Editor’s discretion. Views expressed in Yellow Throat are not necessarily those of
BirdLife Tasmania, or of the Editor, unless explicitly stated.
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