Establishing habitat that allows threatened and declining woodland birds to forage, shelter and reproduce across landscapes used for primary production, was the focus of the Bush for Birds afternoon at Hariet Gully near Kelly’s Plains recently.
Ruth Trémont, from Southern New England Landcare said, “A bus tour of local properties showcasing tree and shrub plantings, gave participants opportunities to hear and see how individual landholders had tackled revegetation on their properties.”
“Hariet Gully is central to a 20 km-wide gap in habitat that extends from Invergowrie in the west to Dangars Gorge in the east.
“Diverse tree and shrub plantings that connect together and link creeks with hilltops and other vegetation are really important,” she said.
Dr Andrew Huggett, an ornithologist from InSight Ecology attended the event as a guest presenter. Andrew explained that plantings 20-40 m wide and blocks of native trees and shrubs support more birds and a greater variety of bird species.
“We saw different species of birds and more individual birds in blocks of trees and shrubs and well-established planted linkages than in open paddocks and new plantings,” he said.
“This reflects the wider range of food, roost and nest sites usually available to woodland birds in plantings of greater than 6-7 years old than in the new plantings and open paddocks.
“Blocks of older plantings such as along Stoneleigh Road and on the corner of Old Gostwyck and Hariet Gully Roads also provide important stepping stones for birds to move through this part of the Hariet Gully landscape, adding to the biodiversity value and overall ecosystem health of the area,” said Andrew.
A highlight of the event for one participant was witnessing other peoples’ enterprises with their plantings and achievements.
Another appreciated the collaborative local approach to tackling the problem, while yet another reported changing their perception of their own enterprise because they can now just take time to listen and get to know the birds in their patch.
One participant enjoyed learning of the importance of small patches of vegetation and blocks rather than just ‘fringing’ windbreaks.
Andrew explained that blocks of vegetation provide much more protection from edge effects such as predation by Grey Butcherbird and Pied Currawong and competition from aggressive species such as Noisy Miner.
Low biodiversity and lower ecosystem health can be indicated by generalist birds such as Australian Magpie, Eastern Rosella, Grey Butcherbird, Noisy Miner and the introduced Common Starling.
More complex and larger established areas of native trees and shrubs are used by birds including Rufous Whistler, Grey Fantail, Scarlet Honeyeater, Grey Shrike-thrush, Striated Thornbill, Yellow Thornbill, the threatened Diamond Firetail and, in time, Eastern Yellow Robin.
Birds are great indicators of how healthy the ecosystems of an area actually are, and, as one participant said, even young plantings attract birds!
The Bush for Birds event was part of the Environmental Trust "Closing the Gap" project. The afternoon was run by Southern New England Landcare, with funding support from the NSW Environmental Trust and input from local landholders.
Image – A Grey Fantail, recorded in 8 year-old revegetation in the Hariet Gully area, Kellys Plains. Image courtesy of InSight Ecology.
