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I have not been able to get down to the Cooks River for quite a while, until yesterday when I was lucky to spot this Nankeen night heron just outside his usual territory. If I am correct about this being the same bird, he is a voracious eater. I have sat watching him scoop up small fish with his beak and down them in one swallow only to do this again and again. I moved on after watching about 30 fish get swallowed and no sign of letting up. We are so lucky to have these birds living on the river.
Merry Christmas – Happy Holidays. I hope you are having a lovely day today whatever you are doing. I will be back to posting soon, hopefully before the new year. Thanks for your patience. Jacqueline 🙂
A Pied cormorant and a Little black cormorant sit together
City of Sydney are holding a Bioblitz on Friday evening 13th April & Saturday 14th April 2018 at Sydney Park.
What is a Bioblitz? This is where regular people of all ages become citizen scientists & get together to record all the living beings they see so the Council & the community can learn about the biodiversity at Sydney Park.
There will be workshops, science activities, lectures & bike safaris.
On the evening of Friday the 13th you can help survey the microbats or participate in a spotlighting survey looking for animals in the park. Or you could look inside nesting boxes with a camera on a stick or search for frogs in the wetlands.
At dawn on Saturday morning, there will be a bird survey & in the afternoon a bike safari up the Alexandria Canal looking at what animals and plants are living in this location. Learn also about the cultural & environmental history of the canal. On Saturday evening, there will be a spider spotting survey.
There will be a Bioblitz Hub manned by scientists & staff from Sydney’s Taronga Zoo. They will help you to record & identify sightings & be available for a chat. There will be microscopes to use, as well & drawing of plants found.
There is a list of events, plus cost & booking information here –
Raven in attack mode.
Getting closer
Moving to a different position
We saw nature in its rawness yesterday evening. We were riding along the Cooks River when we came across a flock of very rowdy shrieking Cockatoos. There were around twenty of them all gathered in the one gum tree. The noise was something else.
I stopped to take some photos when my husband said, “There is a mammal up there.” I looked around the canopy & saw a brushtail possum with two ravens nearby. It was about 7pm & the sun was still up, so we had a very good view of this possum. Being nocturnal, these animals are usually only seen after dark.
As we watched it became obvious that the ravens wanted to attack the possum. They are meat eaters, usually carrion. My guess is that the possum was seen as an opportunity for food because it was in such a vulnerable position. That is, if they could get him to fall to his death.
Whatever the reason behind their actions, the ravens were most certainly wanting to harm the possum. He was standing on a very thin branchlet, having put a branch between him & the ravens. His left foot was poised ready to strike any raven that came too close.
So, we had two strong black beaks that could have easily blinded the possum & the long claws of the possum, which would have caused injury to any raven that got too close.
The ravens took turns & tried to strike the possum from underneath, but they just could not get close enough. Meanwhile the Cockatoos were alerting everyone in earshot that a possum was in danger. We felt scared for the possum because he had nowhere to go.
Suddenly a large cockatoo entered the fray. Wings out & crest up, this cockatoo came between the ravens & the possum. Screeching & expanding his size by spreading those wings even more, he managed to push the ravens out & miracle of miracles, they gave up & flew off.
The cockatoo then moved away from the possum still making a performance until he had moved to a different part of the canopy. What a hero! Then the rest of the flock praised his bravery as loud as they could.
When we moved on, the possum was still standing in the same position probably getting over what was a near death experience & thinking he will never come out early again.
I am pleased that there are possums along the river. We need to keep in mind that trees offer both food & a home to wildlife & plant trees that will serve our native wildlife well. In other words, plant food producing trees as a first choice.
Big old trees are vitally important & I expect we will lose many of them to development. Then the accommodation crisis for homes between birds & animals will become obvious.
This was a great outcome for the brushtail possum & three cheers for the brave cockatoo who put an end to the fight.
Cockatoo to the rescue!
Look at how fierce I am
Moving away now that the ravens have gone
Taking a new position now the possum is safe.
A section of Landing Lights Wetland.
Today is an excellent day! I came home to a letter from Bayside Council in response to my submission opposing the 100-hectare development application for Barton Park & Landing Lights Wetland.
Developer John Boyd Properties wanted to build 5,000 new high-rise dwellings in what is currently the Kogarah Golf Course. They would rebuild the golf course in the wetlands & add a sweetener of a new St George Stadium sports stadium. Part of the heritage listed & fully functioning Arncliffe Market Gardens was to be claimed for the development as well.
The letter said – “Please be advised that the applicant has decided not to proceed with the development & accordingly the application has now been withdrawn.”
How wonderful is that! The migratory birds that fly all the way from Siberia say thanks. The Green & Gold frog say thanks. All the numerous other birds, animals & insects that call this remnant wetland home say thanks as well. If the community sat back & did nothing, I expect this development would have gone through, but they did not.
Thank you to all who opposed this development application. Now there is a chance that this vitally important part of Botany Bay can be left for the wildlife & for the many in the community who enjoy spending time in such undeveloped areas bursting with nature. To keep this precious area is so wonderful.
Bayside Council wrote the following on their website –
- “Although highly urbanised, the City has retained several small bushland and wetland areas which play an important role in terms of providing food, habitat and shelter for native animals. These areas are deemed to have ‘conservation value’ (meaning they are worth preserving for future generations) because they represent ecosystems that would otherwise be lost.”
- “These remaining natural areas are home to particularly diverse, endangered and/or vulnerable species of flora and fauna. A total of 180 native plant species and over 90 vertebrate species of terrestrial animals (not including marine fish) have been identified in the City’s bushland and wetlands.”
- “Landing Lights Wetland (also known as Riverine Park Wetlands), located at Spring Street, Banksia is one of Council’s most environmentally significant natural areas. The site contains some of the last remaining saline wetlands on the Cooks River and includes vegetation identified as threatened under NSW legislation (salt-marsh).”
- “The wetlands have aesthetic, heritage and environmental value. They form part of a system of tidal and freshwater swamps, and provide important habitats for a variety of animal and plant species, including common wetland birds and a number of protected migratory birds.”
I last wrote about this development application here – http://bit.ly/2jey4Xi
Letter regarding the Cook Cove Precinct DA
Ibis work for free aerating the park lawns & playing fields. I think they are a lovely sight down along the Cooks River.
Once again we have an opportunity to help the Office of Environment & Heritage know how many Australian White Ibis we have in Australia & where they are located.
Many people dislike Ibis & call them Bin Chickens because they are often seen picking through garbage. The truth is that they do have a particular like of your leftovers, particularly takeaway food items. However, if the Ibis could buy fresh items of takeaway they would. Instead they are forced to try to reduce landfill or deal with your eatable litter.
They are environmental refugees & because of this, I believe they deserve more tolerance from the community.
Prior to 1970 they lived in the inland lakes & rivers of NSW. But tragedy happened with a long persistent drought drying up these places of fresh water. Then bushfires claimed the large trees they nested in.
So, what does anyone do when their home becomes inhabitable? They move. The Ibis flew to the coast & what they found was a life of luxury & easy pickings because humans eat a lot, & throw tons of tasty food away – be it in landfill or in the park. An Ibis is not concerned with poking about in a bin. If there is a bit of hamburger down there, he/she wants it.
I often read comments in media & social media about how Ibis terrorize people for food. Truly, they are not violent birds. All you need to do is wave your hands or stand up or clap & the Ibis will run away from you as fast as their long skinny pink legs can carry them. Their long black beak may look intimidating, but it is not a natural behaviour for them to try & poke out the eyes of a human being. Even when they are being rescued they are desperate to get away from the person who is trying to remove string or fishing line from their legs or toes. They are terrified of being too close.
Yes, they stink sometimes, but if they have access to deep enough water they will line up for a chance to have a good long wash. We also stink if we don’t wash.
They are intelligent, loyal & friendly birds. If you have been kind to them, they will remember you. They move around a lot & have been seen all the way down in Victoria & as far as Papua New Guinea.
Probably the biggest misunderstanding I hear often is that they are an exotic species & should go back to Egypt. They are in fact an Australian native bird. Egypt has their own Ibis species.
Environment NSW are asking the community to report sightings of Ibis, especially those birds that are wing tagged or have a leg band. They want to know the numbers of the tags or bands, how many Ibis there are & their behavior.
You can download a free Apple app here – https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/wingtags/id1179274045?mt=8
Or for Android here – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.au.gov.nsw.rbgsyd.wingtags&hl=en
Or you can go directly to the website here – http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/surveys/WhiteIbisSurvey.htm
The survey happens during Bird Week from Saturday 21st to Sunday 29th October 2017.
Seen in Gough Whitlam Park 2-3 months ago. WIRES were contacted. Unfortunately Ibis often get their legs & toes entangled in string (even the string from discarded tea bags), fishing line, balloon cords & any kind of cord left in the parks or waterways. Imagine tying something really tight around your toe. You can’t get it off. It causes you horrendous pain for months until either you die from infection or your toe drops off — and you might still die from infection. This is a routine experience for Ibis & other birds, so please do not take or leave these kind of things in the park. TY
A drowsy Pelican
It’s Spring & the Aussie backyard Bird Count is almost here. Birdlife Australia are asking people to count all the birds they see during a 20-minute period & then log this information onto their website or via their free app. Your information helps them assess the health of birdlife throughout Australia.
Your backyard can be the park, your real backyard, the grounds at school – anywhere & at any time of day. You can do one count or many counts, but each area needs to be logged on a separate count.
If you fail to see any birds, they want you to log this information too, as it helps the researchers know where birds are sparse.
The Aussie backyard Bird Count asks that you count birds within one area rather than walk for 20-minutes, because this can result in a large area. Best to target an area with a maximum 80-metre radius or an area 100-metres by 200-metres maximum.
400 birds are listed in a field guide to help you identify them.
The app & a list of FAQS can be found here – https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/faq/
The Aussie Backyard Bird Count runs from the 23 to 29 October 2017.
An extra way you can help is report any Cockatoos you see nesting, tagged & untagged to Hollows as Homes. See – http://www.hollowsashomes.com
A very happy pair of nesting Cockatoos.
The palm trunk above the Marrickville Golf Course Club House is the new home of a pair of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos. The white dot is a cockatoo.
Squee! Here I am!
I watched the decline & eventual death of an old palm tree behind the Marrickville Golf Course Club House with some sadness. Trees like this don’t get replanted in my experience.
Recently, I saw something happening at this tree that delighted me.
What is left is the trunk, which is quite tall. A pair of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos saw this trunk as an ideal home. I presume they made a new hollow or modified a hollow that was starting to form with the shedding of the fronds. Whatever way it happened, it is now a perfect hollow with a balcony & a clear view of the Cooks River & we all know the power of water views.
Behind the trunk is a large mature fig tree providing them a safe place to survey the area for any danger before entering the hollow.
In true Cockatoo style, once they realised they had my attention, the pair posed & acted out for my camera until I had enough & moved on. They seem very proud of themselves.
Even though this tree is dead, it is an incredibly important asset in the Cooks River Biodiversity Corridor. Trees with hollows are rare in the area, so every attempt must be given to retain this trunk. It should not be removed to “clean up the area” or similar.
Sulphur-crested Cockatoos nest in tree hollows. Once they find a suitable hollow they stay there indefinitely. The chicks they rear will remain with the parents as a family unit.
So, for me, discovering this hollow made up for the loss of yet another tree. Hopefully, a new palm will be planted behind the Club House. In the meantime, people who are aware of this pair, can have an occasional look to see if they can spot them & any chicks they are rearing.
To my mind, the Club House has been blessed with some mascots to screech & cavort above them. What fun!
A great home with a big fig tree behind and the river in front.
Bat box built especially to house microbats.
New research published 28th July 2017 titled, ‘Bat boxes are not a silver bullet conservation tool’ is a bit alarming when it comes to the future of urban bats. They are losing habitat at a rapid rate. Trees with hollows are scarce enough as it is, but all run the risk of being removed by development. Many of us think, myself included until recently, that providing a bat house will help. However, this research has found the opposite is the reality.
The abstract says, “a long-term bat-box monitoring project in south-eastern Australia, box occupancy was dominated by one common and widespread urban-adapted species, Gould’s wattled bat Chalinolobus gouldii. In contrast, the 13 other bat species in the area made little or no use of the boxes. Policymakers, land managers and conservation professionals working in the field of biodiversity offsets should be aware that bat boxes are unlikely to compensate adequately for the broad-scale loss of tree hollows caused by various forms of human disturbance.” See – http://bit.ly/2hlXNRj
Just one more reason why we must do our best to save trees, especially older trees. The information on the time it takes for a tree to develop hollows ranges from 100-150 years. Until recently, most articles I read stated that 150-years was the average time a tree takes to produce a hollow. The difficulty of achieving this is obvious. If there is no suitable hollow, there is no breeding.
A pair of Black Swans and their four cygnets at Black Swan Lake. Photo provided by community group ‘Gold Coast Destruction- Save Black Swan Lake-Bundall’ with thanks. You can find them on Facebook under this name.
Today is National Tree Day & all over Australia people are planting trees & revegetating areas to create better biodiversity places for wildlife.
For me National Tree Day is a day of hope. Hope that attitudes to the environment & wildlife improve drastically. Hope that green spaces will be protected. Hope that the community will not always have to fight all levels of government to retain trees & green spaces & hope that community attitudes will change from being tree adverse to tree positive.
So, I want to tell you a story that has (temporarilly) sucked out my hope. I first read about this on Facebook & thought it was a joke because it seemed so improbable. I expected Joni Mitchell to come out singing. Unfortunately, the story was nothing like that, just the sad, stiff ending that a lake was going to be drained & filled to create an “overflow” parking lot.
The Gold Coast Show used to be held at the Parklands Showgrounds. The Gold Coast Show Society was forced to move the Show & they relocated to the equine precinct at Bundall. Problem is, there is not enough parking for the expected 50,000 people who will attend this annual event.
So, the Gold Coast Show Society, in its wisdom, said they wanted to drain & fill Black Swan Lake, an established bird sanctuary located in the Gold Coast Turf Club, to create the necessary parking. In 2014 the Gold Coast Turf Club put in a DA, which was approved by the Gold Coast Council. Black Swan Lake would be turned into a car park. Unbelievable to my mind.
About Black Swan Lake –
- It is located in the grounds of the Gold Coast Turf Club in Bundall on the Gold Coast, Queensland.
- The lake is 2.75 hectares of freshwater.
- The lake is man-made & was created 30-years-ago in a bid to improve on biodiversity.
- They were successful because 40 species of wild birds call this lake home. “…more than 400 birds were counted in only one hour.” See – http://bit.ly/2vhPcoU
- In 2014 the Gold Coast City Council approved a DA to fill the lake & create a car park. The community fought to save the lake & won.
- “….just before Christmas 2016 the Council gave the Turf Club control of the Lake and the right to fill it. The Deputy Mayor is a Turf Club Board Member and several Councillors have honorary memberships of the Club.”
- “…Mayor Tom Tate refusing to call the “borrow pit” a lake during debate about whether it would be filled.” See – http://bit.ly/2vhRRiE
- On Wednesday 26th July 2017 pumping to drain the lake commenced. They want the car park ready for the Gold Coast Show late August 2017.
- Right now black swans are nesting. The solution? According to the community group ‘Gold Coast Destruction- Save Black Swan Lake-Bundall,’ the swans will be euthanised. You can’t have black swans stuffing up plans for an overflow carpark, can you?
- This is at complete odds to the Black Swan Lake Proposed Wetland Management Plan viewable here – http://bit.ly/2eX4ysb “The primary aim of the Management Plan is to conserve the natural environment of the area while allowing compatible community access for appreciation and passive recreation.”
At the time of writing 6,238 people had signed a petition to save Black Swan Lake. You can help by signing here – http://bit.ly/2v3Xlg6
Thank you to all those organisations & people who are trying to save this habitat. Next I will post something positive for National Tree Day.
Black Swan sitting on eggs at Black Swan Lake. Terrible to think this bird may be euthanised. Photo provided by community group ‘Gold Coast Destruction- Save Black Swan Lake-Bundall’ with thanks.
Marrickville Golf Course
Inner West Council has given notice that they intend to remove & work on trees located in Marrickville Golf Course.
Council says it plans to do the following –
- “Tree removal– includes the removal of several dead trees or trees present significant defects and/or structural issues.
- The creation of habitat trees– where trees are reduced down to safe limbs and boxes and hollows are created for use by native fauna.
- Tree pruning– to remove defective or dead branches to reduce risk.”
Council do not give the location or number of trees to be removed. We should be told about each individual tree & why they must be removed.
Nor do they give the number & location of trees they intend to prune or those they intend to make into Habitat Trees. Council goes on to say that –
“All trees to be removed will be replaced (and more) as part of a planting program to be developed in collaboration with Council, Marrickville Golf Course and the community.”
Again, Council does not tell the community how many new trees will be planted or what species.
This is not something I understand. I think it is in Council’s interest to tell the community how many trees they will plant because this is positive information that makes people who care about the local environment happy. If Council had informed the community that they planned to plant 15 new native trees for example, everyone would feel happy about it, which is good for Council.
It is called transparency. It is their duty. Open & full communication is the only thing that instills trust in the community for what its government does. You can’t have words about believing in open government & consultation, but fail to inform your community.
On a positive note, I think it is wonderful that more habitat trees are being created, especially in this important biodiversity corridor along the Cooks River. I also think it is great that more trees will be planted. The golf course has plenty of room for more trees.
SAVING OUR TREES - Marrickville municipality 
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