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< PreviousInteresting local bird sightings Observed at Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve, Elsternwick Photos by Danny Fog Gang Gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum) This family of Gang Gangs have been delighting visitors to the reserve with their playful antics. The adult males have a distinctive scarlet red head and crest and they can be located in their favourite food trees by the sounds of feeding and falling debris. Banksia Bulletin | Winter 202310Brown Quail (Coturnix ypsilophora) This Brown Quail was sighted sheltering among the sedges by Pond 2 and marked its first official bird survey record. Eastern Great Egret (Ardea modesta) The Eastern Great Egret is the largest of the Australian egrets, and this one has been happily fishing in the ponds at YWNR. Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae) This bird is found in wetlands and sheltered coastal waters and prefers smooth, open waters for feeding, with tree trunks, branches, stumps or posts fringing the water for resting and drying its wings. It has found an ideal home at YWNR. Banksia Bulletin | Winter 202311Observed at Red Bluff, Black Rock Horsfield’s Bushlark (Mirafra javanica) Words and photos by John Eichler This Horsefield’s Bushlark was spotted wandering amongst the grasses and weeds near the cliff top of Red Bluff. This smallish bird is about the same size as a House Sparrow and its colours and markings are like a female House Sparrow. This is an infrequently observed bird in Bayside with only two other records in the last 30 years. Local conservationist Michael Norris has been collating local bird records for decades and provided these details. •One bird was seen at Ricketts Point by Moira Longden and Michael Norris in November 1995. •Up to 60 birds were seen on the Elwood foreshore and upstream to the former Elsternwick golf course by GioFitzpatrick in September 2012. Michael also advises that Gio sees Horsfield’s Bushlarks in spring most years on the Elwood foreshore. Observed on the Beaumaris foreshore Spiny-Cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis) Words and photos by John Eichler The first sighting of the Spiny- Cheeked Honeyeater was between Ricketts Pointand Table Rock Pointandthesecondwas opposite WellsRoad. These sightings follow a report, posted by Sean Dooley on the Birdline Victoria website, of a pair of birds at Ricketts Point between 13 and 24 April. While this is an infrequently observedbird in Bayside, a Birdline Victoria moderatorcommented that Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters do roam atthis time of year. Banksia Bulletin | Winter 202312Local wildlife mural at Banksia Reserve A new addition to Bayside’s growing collection of public art murals has emerged on the water tanks at Banksia Reserve. Thefinal design by artist Jessica Kease was selected by a panel of members from the Bayside Arts & Gallery Advisory Committee and staff from Council’s Open Space and Arts & Culture units. Itdepicts two species of birds often seen locally in Bayside – theEastern Spinebill and Rainbow Lorikeet. Of her design, Jessica said: “I liked the idea of the background blending into the surrounding landscape with the birds being the pop of colour that catch your eye. I felt like this design would fit perfectly and specifically chose the birds that are native to the area.” The water tanks are located at Banksia Reserve in Beaumaris, and can be seen adjacent to the pavilion near the tennis courts – best accessed from Tramway Parade. Left: Artist Jessica Kease Banksia Bulletin | Winter 202313Photo by Danny Fog A visit from Maggie Goose By Natalie Davey President Yalukit William Nature Reserve A recent visit of Magpie Geese to Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve is a testament to the incredible memory animals have for Country, or at the very least a wonderful detective skill in discovering newish wetland habitats. It highlights how important wetland revival projects are and gives cause for the community to celebrate. N’arwee’t Carolyn Briggs, Boonwurrung Elder, was thrilled to hear the news. Such a positive sign of life returning to Country. The Magpie Goose, known as Anseranas semipalmata, is the sole living representative species of the family Anseranatidae. This is a very old species, emerging around 67 million years ago – a true living fossil! They love to eat mostly vegetation such as dry grass blades, grass seeds, spike rush bulbs and wild rice. Whilethis waterbird is commonly found now in northern Australia and southern New Guinea, it was once widespread in southern Australia as well. However, due to the drainage of wetlands where they once bred and over hunting by colonial settlers, the species all but disappeared from Victoria. By the early 1900s the Magpie Goose was declared to be extinct in Victoria. The behaviours of the colonists contrast with the long and sustainable relationship held by First Nations people and they are still valued as a food source in the northern parts ofAustralia. Photo by Danny Fog 14Efforts have been made to reintroduce the Magpie Geese to certain areas, including the Bool Lagoon between Penola and Naracoorte. However, in Victoria, the species was listed as near threatened on the advisory list of threatened vertebrate fauna in 2007, and it is also included in the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act list of threatened fauna. There is a natural breeding population now in Tower Hill in south-west Victoria but biologists are still unclear if it is self- sustaining. The original Southern Magpie Goose may be lost to us forever as these large, black and white water birds with strong legs, partially webbed feet and a prominent lump on the forehead are from reintroduced birds taken from or flown here from northernAustralia. The migration patterns of the Magpie Geese are fascinating. Before the early 1900s, these geese were not uncommon in Victoria. However, due to habitat loss and hunting, they were pretty much wiped out. Reintroduction efforts in the 1960s and 1970s led to sightings of small flocks in wetlands across the west of the state. Over the years, there have been reports of varying flock sizes, with the largest being approximately 9,000 birds. While flock sizes in Victoria have declined since 2010, sightings of around 100 birds at various locations are still common. The arrival of large flocks in Victoria coincided with the end of a drought in 2010 to 2011, indicating favourable conditions in the state. However, it remains a mystery where these flocks of 400 to 1,000-plus Magpie Geese originate from. While records indicate their presence in New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory, there are no reports of their migration path from north of the Murray River before their arrival in southern Victoria. The ability of these large black and white geese to travel across multiple states without being widely reported raises intriguing questions. It is possible that they travel at night and spend limited time on the ground during the journey. Another possibility is that they undertake non-stop flights, allowing them to cover great distances in a short period. These mysteries surrounding their migration patterns and behaviour only add to the allure and wonder of these handsome birds. Regardless of origins, Magpie Geese visiting the Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve is an exciting development. Overour last two monthly bird surveys, there has been an increase in bird populations in the Chain of Ponds, particularly survey areas E and F, which have undergone significantrevegetationefforts. Thisachievement has been helped along by the dedication of numerous volunteers who laboured tirelessly alongside Bayside contractors and officers to propagate, plant, and protect the vegetation, enabling it to reach a stage of maturity that can support diverse wildlife. Such observations highlight the importance of ongoing monitoring and documentation to understand and appreciate the biodiversity within the wetland ecosystem that is developing in the reserve. It also marks a turning point in the fact that in a relatively short time, the newly established Chain of Ponds is now attracting more biodiversity that the original golf course pond. It’s incredible to think that not very long ago it was just an open space with a few trees! New visitors including the Pink-Eared Duck have increased the bird species count in the reserve to 124. GioFitzpatrick has been keeping tabs formany years and we keep his tally on our Facebook page. Twitchers are now alert to the growing biodiversity andhave been flocking fromall over to catch a glimpse of the next excitingvisitor. The return of the Magpie Geese to the Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve, albeit fleetingly, and to other wetland areas in Victoria, is a positive sign for conservation efforts. It demonstrates the importance of protecting and restoring wetland habitats. By preserving and regenerating this local urban ecosystem, we provide a home for diverse species, connect with Country and Culture and can, as a community, be witness and be involved in the process of this wonderful regeneration project of a neglected urban waterway. I wonder who will be our next visitor? YWNR working bee – planting indigenous plant species adjacent to the Chain of Ponds. 15Too much of a good thing? By Rob Saunders Convenor, Friends of Long Hollow Heathland Before European settlement, what we now call Bayside had a patchwork of different vegetation types. Inland from the sandy beaches and coastal dunes a variety of wetlands, heathlands and grassy woodlands would have been evident. In many places the pattern of the original vegetation was based around sand dunes running roughly parallel to the shore of the Bay. But natural systems are intrinsically dynamic, so the detail of the vegetation and the habitats it created would also have changed with the cycles of the seasons. Longer-term cycles of droughts and floods would also have come into play, as would the cultural burning practices of the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation. Most of that natural environment has disappeared in the last 200 years. Themost rapid change has been due to the development of our suburbs, and much of that has occurred in my lifetime. But some tiny remnants can still be seen. The area reserved as Long Hollow Heathland Sanctuary originally included several pre-1750 vegetation types, as can be seen from the pre-1750 Ecological Vegetation Class map available online in NatureKit. Some of this information is known from early records, while some has been interpreted from remnant vegetation and other evidence. Zooming in to the area around the intersection of Balcombe and Reserve Roads in Beaumaris (seeFigure1), the blue SSW area was once Sedgy Swamp Woodland, the yellow-green GWm was a mosaic of Grassy Woodland and Damp Sands Herb-rich Woodland, and the orange-brown HWm areas were a mosaic of Sand Heathland and Heathy Woodland. A critical element shaping the vegetation, particularly at Long Hollow, was, and still is, water. Within the lifetime of older residents still living in the area, the main oval at Beaumaris Secondary College was a swamp. It was filled in with sand when Beaumaris High School (now Sandringham Secondary College) was built in 1958 (aswas the oval at Balcombe Park nearby). More recently, the hydrology of this area was further altered when storm water drains in Balcombe and Reserve Roads were enlarged to capture and divert run-off and prevent flooding in residential areas to the south. The Millennium Drought exacerbated this loss of moisture from Long Hollow. Water was no longer seen under the boardwalk during winter and some of the local plants that rely on ample moisture began to disappear. Those adapted to very dry conditions survived, but the overall richness and complexity of Long Hollow began to deteriorate. One solution proposed at the time was an artificial wetland. When Beaumaris Secondary College (BSC) was being designed, the Friends of Long Hollow met with the project architect and the concept was implemented. Rainwater run-off from the car parks and multi- purpose pitch is now collected and channelled to a wetland in the school grounds right next to Long Hollow. Figure 1. Pre-1750 EVCs near Long Hollow Figure 2. Gonocarpus micranthus (Creeping Raspwort) flourishing in a regeneration area at Long Hollow 16From there it seeps into the ground and effectively replenishes the water table. Since the BSC wetland first filled in 2017, some moisture-loving species have returned. One example is Creeping Raspwort (Gonocarpus micranthus), which hadn’t been seen at Long Hollow for 20 years (see Figure 2). Some trees, such as Eucalyptus ovata (Swamp Gum), Acacia melanoxylon (Blackwood Wattle) and Viminaria juncea (Golden Spray) are also loving the moist conditions and growing better than they have for many years. But there have also been unintended consequences. In the last few months, we have noticed die-back in some of the mature Coast Manna Gums (Eucalyptus viminalis ssp. pryoriana) (Figure 3) and several other species near the boardwalk. We think the problem is that the soil in places is now too wet for too much of the year. Instead of a seasonal cycle of wet and dry, parts of Long Hollow are now wet for most of the year. The challenge will be to manage the water seeping into Long Hollow from the BSC wetland in a way that more closely replicates a natural pattern. Hopefully that will ensure the entire diversity of indigenous vegetation found at Long Hollow (approximately 120 different plant species including some that are rare on a metropolitan scale) can flourish long-term. Note: Council officers are currently in discussion with Beaumaris Secondary College regarding the wetland drainage into Long Hollow Heathland. We are looking forward to working with the school to ensure there are no long-term detrimental impacts to the heathland from changed hydrological conditions. Figure 3. Die-back of Eucalyptus viminalis ssp. pryoriana (Coast Manna Gum) at Long Hollow Habitat corridor works complete Creation of the habitat corridor between the Tulip Street Pond and Sandringham Golf Course has recently been completed as part of the associated landscape plan for the new basketball stadium, which is under construction. Friends of Native Wildlife Inc (FONW) raised concerns with Council during community consultation around the new stadium development about the movement of native fauna between the golf course and the pond. A variety of terrestrial, semi-aquatic and arboreal animals move between these two sites including Wood Ducks, skinks, geckos and frogs, which also use the area for shelter, breeding andfeeding. Council has ensured the retention of an important link between the golf course site and Tulip Street Pond will be retained by creating a habitat corridor. The large swale incorporated into the design serves a dual purpose to take any overflow from the Tulip Street Pond away from the new building while creating ephemeral habitat for local fauna. The habitat corridor has been planted with indigenous plants and will provide improved biodiversity outcomes for native flora andfauna. The Tulip Street Pond has also had a minor makeover with the former sleeper wall edge of the pond removed and replaced with a more natural looking sloped interface between the reserve and the pond. This area will soon be planted out by FONW. Please register your attendance via this link if you would like to come along and join in! Council will continue to undertake weeding and other minor vegetation improvements over the coming months to enhance the aesthetics of the Tulip Street Reserve precinct, and create improved opportunities for the community to experience the natural character of this area. The Habitat Corridor Landscape Plan for the basketball stadium aims to: • improve Tulip Street Reserve and pond environs • protect and potentially relocate existing wildlife (burrowing frogs) during construction of the basketball stadium • provide a suitable landscape plan for wildlife to continue to access and flourish at the site. 17George Street Reserve sightings There were almost daily sightings of a single Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis ) darting in and out of the grasses and shrubs within George Street Reserve throughout May. This is not a common sighting as there is no water source within the reserve. The Buff-banded Rail is considered a water bird and often seen in dense vegetation bordering different types of wetlands. Theyarequite a shy bird, mostly silent, which makes them hard to spot unless breeding, when they make a loud creaky squeak. They forage on the ground for insects, worms, fruit, seeds, and other vegetable matter in the morning or evening. Nesting in grasses between September and February, surprisingly the young leave within 24 hours but remain with the parents. Photo by Belinda Raymond, Citywide Bush Crew Pauline Reynolds photographed this magnificent web on a recent Saturday morning after the fog lifted. While there is no sign of a spider, they are tiny and might be hiding, only to come out at night. Banksia Bulletin | Winter 2023182023 controlled ecological burn at Balcombe Park Words by Jo Hurse Citywide Bushland & Nursery Operational Supervisor Photos by Pauline Reynolds Citywide Service Solutions held a controlled ecological burn on Tuesday 11 April 2023, at Balcombe Park Reserve, Beaumaris. Each year Citywide, on behalf of Bayside City Council, conducts ecological controlled burns in the heathland reserves to stimulate the soil stored seed. The surrounding Tea-Tree (Leptospermum laevigatum) and Coast Wattle (Acacia longifolia subsp. sophorae) is cut down and used as the primary source of fuel for the fire. The area of this controlled burn was approximately 4000m 2 plus firebreaks. Atotal of 23 Citywide staff were stationed at all paths leading into the park to ensure the community was kept a safe distance away. Staff were positioned at all four flanks, on water trucks, roaming the reserve for spotting, taking weather readings and the important lighting crew. While the weather conditions on the morning of the burn were perfect – nice and cool with a slight wind – the previous rain over Easter, and the large Cypress trees in Royal Melbourne Golf Club were the big challenges for the day! When it came to ignition at around 10am, the fuel was not catching, or it would catch and burn out. The fuel was damp, and the Cypress trees cast shade on the ignition site until after 10am. After so much work, however, we were not giving up, and eventually we got it going. Ecological burns are known to be highly beneficial to many Australian ecosystems. This is particularly relevant to the heathland vegetation communities of which Balcombe Park Reserve is a part. In many cases, plants from heathland vegetation communities require fire to survive. Without the natural fire regime to stimulate plant cycles these communities can senesce and die, causing a drop in plant diversity. The burn site was patrolled overnight by the Bushland crew for flare ups and the following weeks were spent scorching the unburnt ground in the firebreaks when the weather permitted. The area has also been fenced to prevent any disturbance to the ash bed and emerging seedlings. After this year’s autumn and upcoming winter rains the indigenous seedlings will emerge. This is an exciting time, and we look forward to observing and recording what locally indigenous plant species regenerate. It is rewarding work to know that you are contributing to the health and preservation of Bayside’s bushlands. 19Next >