Noisy fragments

A few days back I stopped along the Muckleford Valley Road to inspect  a mass of Yellow Gum blossom strewn across the bitumen. A small flock of ‘Muskies’ – Musk Lorikeets, were busy feeding in the canopy, the most likely cause of this floral carpet. The lorikeets however were having a difficult time with the resident Noisy Miners Manorina melanocephala, keen to evict them from their patch!

Noisy Miner, Walmer, 27th July 2011

Noisy Miners are a native species of honeyeater with a well deserved reputation for aggression towards other birds, including larger species such as wattlebirds and kookaburras. In recent years their ecology and behaviour has been well-studied and some interesting findings have emerged. In the box-ironbark region they favour small remnant patches without understorey and roadsides and it is unusual to find them in areas of larger, intact and better quality bush. They generally live in communal groups, up to 100 individuals and will dominate their territories at the exclusion of other birds, especially honeyeaters. Experiments have shown that removal of Noisy Miners from linear and fragmented patches actually allows smaller birds to return and recolonise these areas. An experimental study (Grey 1997) concluded “The removal of the majority of noisy miners from a site, or even the removal of only part of a noisy miner colony from a site, resulted in a major influx of honeyeaters and other insectivorous birds to these sites in the following three months”. In our local district Noisy Miners are not that common and I seem to see them most often in fragmented roadside areas.

Aerial image of part of the Muckleford Valley near Walmer, 2008

Reference: Merilyn J. Grey, Michael F. Clarke and Richard H. Loyn (1997). Initial Changes in the Avian Communities of Remnant Eucalypt Woodlands following a Reduction in the Abundance of Noisy Miners Manorina melanocephala. CSIRO Wildlife Research, 24 (6) 631 – 648

A pair of kestrels

Nankeen or Australian Kestrels Falco cenchroides are a familiar sight on the Moolort Plains. These small falcons do a marvellous job feeding on mice and insects … it would be fascinating to quantify exactly what impact they are having on rodent numbers at the moment. Like many raptors this species starts its breeding activity in late winter and I came across a courting pair yesterday, on the edge of the plains.

Nankeen Kestrel pair (male at top), Moolort Plains, 26th July 2011

Female Nankeen Kestrel, 26th July 2011

Nankeen Kestrel in flight, 26th July 2011

The sexes are quite different in Australian Kestrels, with the male smaller than the female and grey on the crown and tail. The female is also more strongly marked on the upper-parts and breast, with distinct barring on the tail.

Chasing winter nectar

It’s a tough time of year for many birds with food supplies low and daylight hours short. Honeyeaters depend on a cocktail of nectar and insects throughout the year but cold weather reduces the availability of insect prey. Fortunately there is some flowering happening at the moment so the birds are pretty energetic in seeking out sources of nectar, native and exotic. Nectar flow is generally greatest in the morning and late afternoon and the activity of nectarivorous birds is geared to these cycles. Just before dusk this evening, along Mia Mia Track I observed a flurry of activity from New Holland Honeyeaters, feasting on ornamental eucalypt flowers before settling for a long, frosty night.

New Holland Honeyeater, Mia Mia Track, 26th July 2011

Chasing winter nectar!

A Powerful update

by Patrick Kavanagh

Walking under the Black Wattles beside the Loddon late today, a rustle of large wings above alerted me to the presence of the resident Powerful Owl. Quite apart from the extraordinary experience of this large bird fixing its piercing gaze upon me, I was very curious about why it seems to have a late afternoon snack it its talons. Has it been hunting by day, or is it hanging on to it from last night?

Powerful Owl, Loddon River @ Newstead, 25th July 2011

Ed. note: The prey appears to be the remains of a Galah. Powerful Owls specialise in taking medium to large arboreal mammals such as Common Ringtail Possums, but also roosting birds. They are known to roost during the day with the remains of prey captured during the previous evening. The remains of their meals are ejected orally as pellets containing bones, fur, feathers and insect exoskeletons – the pellet shown in the photograph below shows the bones of a Common Ringtail Possum.

Powerful Owl pellet with Common Ringtail Possum bones and fur, Loddon River Newstead, 20th May 2011. Photograph courtesy of Isabelle Canty.

A rainbow surprise

Late this afternoon along Cemetery Road I came across a small flock of what I thought were Musk Lorikeets Glossopsitta concinna. To my surprise there was a single Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus amongst the party. The birds were feeding on flowering Yellow Gum. Lorikeet numbers have been much lower this year than last, with winter nectar flow from gums and ironbarks only a fraction of what was seen in 2010. As a consequence the numbers of lorikeets locally are well down, suggesting many birds have dispersed elsewhere in search of food.

Rainbow Lorikeet feeding on Yellow Gum flowers, Cemetery Road Newstead, 23rd July 2011

Musk Lorikeet, Cemetery Road Newstead, 23rd July 2011

Rainbow Lorikeets are not that uncommon around Newstead but are less often sighted than Musk, Purple-crowned and Little Lorikeets, all of which are about in small numbers at the moment.

The spectacular colours of the Rainbow Lorikeet

Striated Pardalote observations

by Patrick Kavanagh

The air around our place has been thick with the calls of Striated Pardalotes Pardalotus striatus. Sure enough they were starting to check out the nesting boxes near our house today.  These boxes provide a great way to get up close to these gorgeous birds and are well used each year. The birds only seem to be interested when the boxes are installed with a south-easterly aspect.

Striated Pardalote inspecting nest box, Strangways, 22nd July 2011. Photograph Patrick Kavanagh

The orange-red wing-spot and broad white stripe in the wing indicates this bird belongs to the race substriatus, which is resident in our district throughout the year. It is not unsusual to also see Striated Pardalotes with yellow wing-spots and narrow wing stripes belonging to the race striatus. They breed in Tasmania, over spring and summer, migrating to the mainland in the autumn and early winter. It’s always worth looking for the taking a close look to decide which race our local birds belong to!

Striated Pardalote (race substriatus), Strangways, 22nd July 2011. Photograph Patrick Kavanagh.

Babbler families

The area around Spring Hill Track and Mia Mia Track is a great spot for woodland birds, where some of our less common species such as Hooded Robins, Diamond Firetails and Crested Bellbirds can be reliably spotted. It’s a hotspot also for White-browed Babblers Pomatostomus superciliosus, with numerous family groups in residence – their ragged stick nests are dotted throughout. White-browed Babblers live in family groups and build both breeding and roosting nests. They are renowned co-operative breeders, the family groups comprising an adult breeding pair and numerous helpers, generally the offspring of previous nesting efforts.

White-browed Babblers, Mia Mia Track area, 16th July 2011

Gathering nesting material is a regular activity for White-browed Babblers.

Winter bathing

I was somewhat surpised yesterday to come across a myriad of honeyeaters bathing in a small dam along Mia Mia Track. The birds, predominantly Fuscous and Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters were gathering in the small eucalypts beside the water, prior to plunging in for an icy bath.

Fuscous Honeyeaters shaking dry after bathing, Mia Mia Track, 15th July 2011

Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters, Mia Mia Track, 15th July 2011

Why do birds bathe even in cold weather? Bathing is a means of maintaining the plumage in good condition. After bathing they shake the feathers dry and then preen to complete the job. As well as the aforementioned species, there were a few White-naped and Yellow-faced Honeyeaters and a lone Crested Shrike-tit also doing some maintenance.

Kites at Tangey’s Lane

For great views of Black-shouldered Kites I’d recommend a visit to Tangey’s Lane, Newstead. A family group of four, parents with two juveniles has been in this area for quite some time now. They are comfortable with visitors, happily perching on dead trees by the roadside. Last evening they looked terrific, lit up by the setting sun.

Juvenile Black-shouldered Kite, Tangey's lane, Newstead, 15th July 2011

The same bird in flight

Hooded Robins doing well

Hooded Robins Melanodryas cucullata are regarded as a vulnerable woodland bird species, with numbers known to be declining in the woodlands of south-eastern Australia. Locally they seem to be doing quite well and I see one most times I visit areas of suitable habitat – the Muckleford bush is one of their strongholds. Today I spotted a pair at the junction of Spring Hill and Sullivan’s Track and another pair along Mia Mia Track.

Male Hooded Robin, Mia Mia Track, 15th July 2011

Female Hooded Robins are similar to another declining woodland bird, the Jacky Winter Microeca fascinans - a good way to identify the latter is to look out for white trims on the outer tail feathers and an endearing habit of wagging its tail each time it perches.

Female Hooded Robin, Mia Mia Track, 15th July 2011

Jacky Winter, Mia Mia Track, 15th July 2011