New video about our local woodlands

Please have a look at this wonderful video, published by PadburyMedia on Youtube.  It is an overview of why Perth's banksia woodlands are so important, and why they should be protected from the relentless clearing for urban development that has occurred over the last decade.  

Many of the plants and animals in the video are ones that we commonly see on our bushwalks around Ellenbrook.  See how many you recognise...

Did you get them all?  Here is a short list of some of those flora and fauna.
Click on the links for more information about each one.

Menzies Banksia (Banksia menziesii)
Candlestick Banksia (Banksia attenuata)
Holly-leafed Banksia (Banksia ilicifolia)
Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus latirostris)
Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii)
Red and Green Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos manglesii)
Bobtail (Tiliqua rugosa)
Western Bearded Dragon (Pogona minor)
Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides)
Western Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus superciliosus)

A day of flowers and trees

Last week, my friend M. and I decided to go exploring in some banksia woodland to the north of Charlotte's Vineyard in Ellenbrook.  This is an area I have visited many times, but there's always something new and interesting to see.  The weather couldn't have been better for a winter walk - clear blue skies, warm sunshine; no sign of the rain typical for this time of the year.

Our first find was an adult Bobtail (Tiliqua rugosa) out sunning itself.  It's not uncommon to spot baby bobtails making the best of the sometimes-patchy winter sunshine, but adults are not usually out and about in winter because they take longer to warm up.  A cold slow adult is a dead adult if there are predators around.  This adult scooted away as quickly as it could, while still appearing nonchalant.  We had time to take a few photos before bobbie was under cover.

Bobtail (Tiliqua rugosa) in the sun

Once we were in the banksia woodland proper, we found that the Acacias (wattle) were flowering.  Acacias in this part of the world are either small woody trees, or delicate open shrubby affairs, and in this case it was the latter.  Masses of small yellow pom-pom flowers of Acacia pulchella and Acacia sessilis dotted the grey-green landscape. 

Acacia pulchella (commonly called Prickly Moses) in flower

A close-up of Acacia pulchella pom-poms

The Acacias weren't the only flowers around.  As we picked our way through the trees, down the hill towards the wetlands, we saw small soft-leaved Hibbertias growing in shrubby clumps, their yellow flowers almost the same shade and intensity as the Acacia blooms.  We found Hibbertia subvaginata and Hibbertia hypericoides in flower.  It seems that yellow is the colour of August!

Hibbertia subvaginata growing in a small clump (one plant)

Close-up of Hibbertia subvaginata flowers and leaves

Onward to the wetlands!  It was dry enough underfoot to wonder why on earth these are called wetlands, a question M. put to me during our meandering.  Shouldn't there be ponds, lakes or a creek somewhere? 
 
The area retains its typical wetland vegetation of Stout Paperbark (Melaleuca preissiana) and Swamp Sheoak (Casuarina obesa) trees, with various sedges and other water-appreciating understorey plants, despite not having had a decent winter's rain in thirty years.  It will be interesting to see what it looks like in fifty years' time.  The substrate is quick-draining sand, so even after a night of heavy downpours, we would have to get up early to see any water lying on the surface.

Wetland edge with Stout Paperbarks and Swamp Sheoaks, sedges and Hibbertias

One particularly spectacular individual of Stout Paperbark was featured in an earlier blog - see The Grandmother Tree.

About a kilometre further into the bushland, we found an area where some of the paperbarks had died.  These are the big twisty trees in the centre and right of the photo below; they were Stout Paperbarks (Melaleuca preissiana).  The whole patch seemed to be suffering, perhaps from the lack of rain.  However, I was heartened to see that Holly-leaved Banksia (Banksia ilicifolia) were growing there, so this may be just a case of natural succession.

Dead Stout Paperbarks (Melaleuca preissiana) with new growth of Holly-leaved Banksia (Banksia ilicifolia)

My friend M. found a Swamp Banksia (Banksia littoralis) in flower, and took some photos of the flower cones.  Guess what colour they are?  She remarked that these and many other plants in the area are food for Carnaby's Cockatoo.  (Later, we even heard and saw some cockatoos flying around in the distance; so they do use the area.)  We admired the beautiful foliage of this tree and its neighbours, glimmering silver and dark green as the breeze ruffled the leaves. 

Swamp Banksia (Banksia littoralis) attracts birds and photographers!

The effect of silver and green ruffling is best photographed with the sun behind you.  Perhaps a photo doesn't really do it justice - video would be better!

Swamp Banksia (Banksia littoralis) in the breeze

Eventually we decided it was time to go home.  It took us an hour or so to walk to back to the car.  Of course, there were still things to look at on the way; carnivorous plants (known as sundews) which supplement the meagre soil nutrients by eating insects, weird bulbous fungi with cracked skins, and ancient cycads (Macrozamia fraseri) with their lush green fronds.

An unknown (to me) species of sundew (Drosera sp.) growing in sand

Fungi fruit, about the size of a golf ball (any mycologists out there want to identify this?)

Macrozamia fraseri, a cycad native to Perth

On arriving home, we found we had taken about a hundred photos, walked about 6km in a couple of hours, and discovered only three kangaroo ticks on our persons at the end of the trip.  The walk had also given us a good appetite for a very late lunch. A worthwhile day indeed!

Planting Day

Hi everyone!  We will be having another planting day soon.  With all the wet cool weather we've had lately, it's a perfect time to be putting another batch of local native plants into the ground.

Tentative Date: 30 July 2012 (Monday)
Location: Moulton Wetland Park, off Brookmount Drive, Charlotte's Vineyard, Ellenbrook
Time: probably from 9:30am onwards (to be confirmed)

We will be planting baby wetland trees and shrubs next to the lake.  Participants need to bring a trowel.  

Details will be confirmed as we get closer to the date.

turtle frogs waiting for the winter rains

I recently found this wonderful video about Turtle Frogs (Myobatrachus gouldii).  These frogs are one of our beautiful iconic species, relatively common on the Swan Coastal Plain in good quality banksia woodland around Perth.  They're not something most people would see though, because these unusual amphibians spend a lot of their lives in sand burrows.  Unusual, because they are brown, they eat termites, and they hatch from eggs as tiny frogs rather than tadpoles.

The video outlines research conducted by Nicola Mitchell with The University of Western Australia, and is titled "The Sex Life of the Turtle Frog". 



It's amazing to think that there are frogs sitting patiently in their little burrows, and have been waiting since late spring for the winter rains... Who would have thought that there would be so much going on under our bushwalking feet?

Carnaby's Cockatoo stars in documentary

Next week, the ABC is screening a new documentary about Carnaby's Cockatoo. Here are the details (courtesy of the ABC, and the many people who forwarded emails about it to me!)

The Wild Ones: On a Wing and a Prayer

"On a Wing and a Prayer follows the incredible life cycle of the Carnaby's Cockatoo through the engaging story of one small cockatoo family. Capturing a remarkable, never before filmed journey of life and hope for one of Australia's most loved but critically endangered birds. This film has been made by Perth-based company Seadog International. 

"Only found in the south-west of Western Australia a tiny pocket of birds remains and these are permanently under threat. Some are still being smuggled for private collections. Others are illegally shot. Together with land clearing, loss of native food habitat and injury from man-made structures, the Carnaby's cockatoo is plummeting towards extinction.

"Species recovery is an uphill struggle. While it is thought they pair for life, the birds are lucky if they raise one chick a season. The odds are against them and hope for their future lies in the hands of the local community, and one man in particular, DEC Senior Wildlife Investigator Rich Dawson.

"This year Rick is determined to protect one small family of Carnaby's cockatoos at a 'high risk' nesting site. With their species numbers halved over the last forty years, it is vital for the survival of their kind that they breed and Rick will do whatever it takes to make it happen."

For more information, please check out the ABC website - The Wild Ones: On a Wing and A Prayer.

This documentary will be telecast on Tuesday 13 March on ABC-TV1 at 8.30pm. 

If you miss the telecast, you can still watch the documentary as it will be available for about two weeks on ABC iview - http://www.abc.net.au/tv/iview


 

Clean Up Australia Day 2012

Congratulations to the wonderful volunteers across Australia who participated in the annual Clean Up Australia Day, and collected an absolute mountain of litter - over 16,000 tonnes from more than 7000 sites!  


I am sad to say that, as much as our neighbourhood needs to again have the litter hauled out of our local parks and green spaces, the Ellenbrook Bushland Group did not participate in Clean Up Australia Day on March 4th.  After our clean up efforts over the last three years, I have decided that March is too dangerously hot during the day to be picking up rubbish.  I am wary of the risk of heatstroke or hyperthermia, particularly in the retirees and very young who make up the majority of our volunteers.  And I couldn't face asking volunteers to start earlier, to avoid the heat, on their precious Sunday morning, in the middle of a long weekend.  So I didn't....

For those of you not familiar with Perth, here is a snapshot from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (www.bom.gov.au) showing the weather forecasts for major cities for tomorrow (Tuesday 6th March).   Is this typical for this time of the year?  It is for Perth. 

from the Bureau of Meteorology - compare those temperatures!

We will probably organise some local clean up activities later in the year, when the weather is cooler. September and October is a much more pleasant time to be working outdoors, particularly in areas where rubbish seems to collect; along retaining walls and fences, and in shrubs along pathways and roadsides, where shade is scarce or non-existent.  

Have a look at previous diary entries to see what we've done in the past during those months, such as the Big Spring Clean Up and our Wildflower Photography Safari.  Stay cool!

exciting new projects

Yesterday I met with Denise, and her assistant Zoe, from The Greening Project, to talk about planting trees and shrubs in Ellenbrook.  The Greening Project aims to connect local community volunteers with schools to grow tree seedlings and plant them at selected landcare sites.  (View The Greening Project website here.)

We went for a drive around the suburb looking at some local parks and bushland areas. We saw a lot of beautiful native trees, Carnaby's Cockatoo habitat, and public open space used by local residents for exercise and recreation.  Many of the bushland places are intact and healthy.  But there are some patches that definitely need some baby plants to fill in gaps in the understorey.   

Moulton Wetland Park needs some understorey shrubs

Imagine groups of schoolchildren learning about their local environment and getting their hands dirty with some wholesome outdoor activities, under the guidance of their teachers and trained field officers.  Seniors and anyone else in our neighbourhood could get involved in growing seedlings for appropriate landcare sites in our area.  These activities could have ongoing positive effects in our young people; instilling of a sense of stewardship, an understanding of natural processes, creating an interest in our local flora and fauna, meeting kind and responsible people and being put in contact with good role models.   

I am really looking forward to being involved in this kind of project!  I will post more details as they come to hand.

the bane of bushwalkers

It's a couple of months since I've been for a walk in our local bushland.  Yet, I don't feel compelled to visit my favourite places for a few more weeks.  It's not the heat - that can be largely avoided by walking early in the morning or just on dusk.  

The problem is that I'm a "tick magnet".  Walking, for me, is an off-the-beaten-track exercise, and this puts me into contact at this time of the year with, literally, thousands of tiny invertebrates that want to suck my blood.  Little vampires, in effect.  At the end of each bushwalk, I need to decontaminate my clothes and body of these freeloaders, before I end up with scores of unbearably itchy and weeping sores.

Read on if you dare!

Most people will be familiar with ticks, but there are so many myths and inconsistencies in what people think about them.  

For a start, lets look at "pepperticks".  Pepperticks appear in the hot months of the year, around the south west, and get their name from their appearance; a sprinkling of pepper.  They usually travel in swarming herds, or whatever a large number of ticks is called.  They are difficult to spot on clothing, and unlikely to be felt travelling across one's naked skin, due to their miniscule size.  They have six legs; when they have eaten a "blood meal", they can grow, and moult their skin to grow some more.

pepperticks - on cotton drill

These ticks are actually baby versions of the well-known "kangaroo tick" (Amblyomma triguttatum) of Western Australia.  The adult tick has eight legs, and looks superficially like a spider.  These ticks normally dine on the blood of kangaroos, hence the name.  Unfortunately, some bushwalkers smell sufficiently like kangaroos to confuse the poor hungry little things!  (Ok, I'm just being sarcastic now.)  But it does seem that, like mosquitoes, ticks will target some unlucky human individuals while ignoring others.  It's also possible that ticks avoid people who use insect repellent.

kangaroo tick, coming to get you

Kangaroo ticks seem to reach their adult size around the end of the year, just in time to lay eggs and start hatching out pepperticks for summer and autumn.  The adults are reddish-brown with yellow joints, and some have yellow marks on the back.  In winter, ticks are sluggish and not as prevalent, which is another reason for bushwalkers like me to enjoy being out in the cold.

Ticks, mites and spiders are in a class of animals called Arachnids, but whereas spiders are in a group called Araneae, ticks and mites belong to the group called Acarina.   

Each species of tick has a specific host, such as kangaroos, or in some countries, deer or cattle.  There are even species that live solely on birds, or on reptiles such as bobtails. (By the way, bobtail ticks aren't interested in people.)

Ticks have very sharp mouthparts, perfect for drilling through skin into blood capillaries lying just under the surface.  They inject a fluid to prevent coagulation.  Some species of tick carry diseases which can infect people, pets and farm animals.  For example, in the USA, "lyme disease" is spread by a tick that has a deer as host, but can bite humans.  Along the east coast of Australia, there is a species known as the "paralysis tick" (Ixodes holocyclus), which can cause paralysis and death in small mammals such as dogs and children.  Fortunately, we don't have that tick or its disease in Western Australia. 


Ticks do not "jump" down from overhanging branches.  At best, they can climb up to your head and drop down from there, which may give that impression.  Ticks do clamber around on the ground, and they do climb up low vegetation.  I recently found some dead branches sticking up about 10cm above ground level, swarming with pepperticks.  Then I noticed that about two hundred of the ticks had climbed onto the lower legs of my trousers, when I'd brushed against the branches.

time to grab a scrubbing brush or a handful of dirt

There are many ways of removing ticks once they have started feeding, but I haven't found any method to be 100% effective in all cases.  Some of the more "scientific" approaches include twisting the tick out, using tweezers.  I have tried this and it sometimes works.  

Small ticks can be picked off with fingernails.  Big ticks are problematic, especially if they have been feeding for a few hours before being discovered, and have their head burrowed into your body.   Things I would definitely not recommend are burning the tick out with a lighted match or cigarette lighter, or using toxic solvents such as kerosene - these could cause you serious injury.  (Where do people get such crazy remedies?) 

Perhaps it would be better to treat the tick as you would a splinter, and use a sharp needle to dig the mouthparts out, then clean the small wound with salty water or some antiseptic wash.  I have had to resort to this method on occasion. 

There are also lots of home remedies for tick bite, but I have tried most of them and found them lacking in desired outcomes.  I have noticed that having a hot shower aggravates the sores, and when I have a fresh bite, all the previous unhealed sores will start itching - an interesting physiological effect, but quite unpleasant.  I have tried putting on dabs of various creams on fresh bites, and slapping a sticky bandage on them to stop me scratching them, but most of my scratching is done when I'm asleep...so that doesn't work as well as it should.

Worried about ticks on your pets?  Read this brochure from the Dept of Agriculture and Food. 
And please leave your dog at home when you go bushwalking.

Anyway, another month or so and the horror (!) of peppertick season will be gone, and I can look forward to heading out bush again.


P.S. I am not responsible for any injury or damage caused by following any procedure outlined in this blog.  Your safety and health are your responsibility.
 

first day of summer

Welcome to Summer!  

Today also marks the first day of the indigenous season known as Birak, one of six seasons in the year.  Birak is a time of flowering for many plants, as a response to spring rains and warmer weather.  

Visit Federation Walkway in Kings Park to learn more about indigenous culture

It seems to make more sense to me that we should follow the indigenous seasons, as these describe our natural surroundings much better than the northern-hemisphere-focused four seasons.  But I digress...

The next few weeks will see an explosion of yellow and white flowers in our bushland.  My garden, too, boasts a riot of fluorescent orange flowers, namely Morrison Featherflower (Verticordia nitens).   

Morrison Featherflower (Verticordia nitens) in bushland

This gorgeous verticordia should be the emblem of the northern suburbs.  It has distinctive umbrella-shaped flower heads, and the stunning colour is echoed in the flowers of the WA Christmas Tree (Nuytsia floribunda).  A great place to see these wildflowers is Whiteman Park, and the drive along Lord Street or Beechboro Road is often a richly rewarding experience.

Once upon a year, such flowers existed by the acre and were collected for Perth's flower markets, as were many other native species across the South West. 

a time for butterflies

In my travels lately, I've seen a lot of butterflies about the place.  It's seems to be the perfect time of year for them - not so hot as to cause dehydration, warm enough to fly, and fairly good sources of leaves and nectar available. 

Butterflies in Western Australia are not as flashy as those of some other parts of Australia.  Look at the magnificently iridescent show-offs of the tropics, such as the Cairns Birdwing and Ulysses Swallowtail.  

Our local butterflies are smaller, often cryptic (i.e. camouflaged), and typically sparing with bright colours.  Here's an example; the Western Xenica (Geitoneura minyas). 

Western Xenica - adult female

The adults are light orange-brown with dark brown markings.  The little green larvae (caterpillars) feed on grasses, so the adults are often seen looking for mates or resting in shady patches of grass under Acacia or Eucalypts. 

Once, when I was birdwatching in the shade of some eucalypts, a cheeky butterfly landed on my notepad and I managed to take several photos.  I think he was attracted to the white surface of the paper, for some reason - he would fly away, then return to rest on my notepad.

Western Xenica - adult male

If you're interested in finding out more about butterflies, you might need a field guide such as Michael Braby's "The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia", and a digital camera with macro capabilities so you can take photos of the beautiful little creatures you see.  

The days of catching butterflies in a net and pinning them to boards has long gone, although this method is still used by entomologists to help in their biological studies.

Pepper and salt, mistletoes and insect interactions

We're heading into the time of year in which the bushland lights up with a thousand shades of yellow, orange, pink, gold and purple, and I simply can't go for a bushwalk without my camera.  There are so many different flowers to delight the photographer; orchids, hibbertias, leschenaultia, hakeas, native peas, acacias, cottonheads and kangaroo paws, to name a few*.  

One plant I particularly like (among these hundreds of species) is known colloquially as "Pepper and Salt".  The scientific name for it is Philotheca spicata.  It isn't the most spectacular flower in the bush, not by a long shot, but it makes up for being somewhat photogenically challenged by having a pleasant and elusive perfume, and always seems to have a posse of insects flittering around the delicate flowers.

Flowers of "Pepper and Salt" (Philotheca spicata)

The plant itself grows as an upright shrub, usually no taller than 50cm, with a slightly weeping habit especially when in flower.  (The gracile branches seem to be weighed down by the flowers.)  It is fairly widespread in our local bushland such as the Bush Forever sites, in banksia woodland, or amongst jarrah and marri trees.

"Pepper and Salt" (Philotheca spicata)

Pepper and Salt is found along much of the Swan Coastal Plain and further south (at least where it hasn't been cleared for roads and buildings.)  It would make a fine addition to a bush garden, but in nurseries you might have to search for it, or order it, under the old botanical name of Eriostemon spicatus.

Satin-green Forester moth (Pollanisus viridipulverulenta)

The little moth in attendance could be mistaken for a butterfly - it moves around in broad daylight, its iridescent green, blue and copper wings glittering in patches of sunlight.  Due to its romance with the Philotheca flowers, and its general reluctance to move from a good position, I find this species not too difficult to photograph.  

Satin-green Forester Moth

According to my field guides, this species is the Satin-green Forester Moth (Pollanisus viridipulverulenta).  Entomologists, please correct me if I'm wrong! The wikipedia entry doesn't mention that it is found in WA, but the CSIRO website shows that it is. 

Insects such as butterflies and moths are usually reliant on specific plants for food and drink.  Some of these little animals are entirely dependent on just one or two species.  Some have had deserved scientific attention.  For example, caterpillars of the Satin Azure butterfly (Ogyris amaryllis) dine on mistletoe (Amyema species).  Unfortunately, many people remove mistletoes, believing that their parasitic qualities will weaken and kill their trees.  See this ABC website for a great expose on the myths and facts of mistletoe.

Here is a fact sheet you can download about the Satin Azure, written for South Australia.  Interestingly, although the Satin Azure is found across Australia, in each area it feeds on the local Amyema species available.  In the factsheet, it mentions Wireleaf Mistletoe (Amyema preissii) as a favourite food plant, and Stalked Mistletoe (A. miquelii) as a back-up; these are two mistletoe species we have around Perth.  The butterfly also needs "attendant" ants to complete its life-cycle.

Wireleaf Mistletoe (Amyema preissii) grows on Acacia trees

Can you see the ecological links here?  In this case, the butterfly lays its eggs on a plant that is totally reliant on another plant (i.e. wattle trees).  The caterpillars of the butterfly are protected from predators by the attendant ants .  Do the mistletoes benefit from this arrangement?  And what do we know about the ants' requirements?  What do they feed on?  Does the wattle provide an ideal habitat in the way of leaf litter?  What are the requirements of the wasps that might parasitise the caterpillars?  We know a little, but not very much really.  (At least there are a few articles of interesting research listed on the internet about this!)

These fauna-flora interactions are not widely studied, and have not been fully considered in our planning for conservation reserves, rehabilitation of industrial areas, and revegetation of urban landscapes.  Part of the problem in the past has been that people have studied plants (i.e. botany) or insects (i.e. entomology) and not the link between the two sciences (i.e. ecology).  In fact, botanists have tended to look askance at insects as a threat - something with the potential to destroy the perfect plant specimen, or wreck a photo of an ideal flower (where some little critter has chewed one of the petals, for example.) 

Horticulturists have moved one step further from nature, with their arsenal of poisons to deal with their unwanted fauna in the form of bug sprays.  It saddens me to think how many caterpillars might be being sprayed today in my suburb, because they are not recognised as being butterfly larvae.  Ecological links are broken.  No caterpillars; no birds to feed on them = Silent Spring.  (Yes, it's a book; read about it here.)

Entomologists have in the past sometimes lacked the botanical skills to record the plants on which their study animals have depended.  At the present, following little animals around in bushland still requires patience, time and a lot of skill, so it does not fare well in the cut-throat budgets and high-pressure timelines of a typical land "development" or mining project.  Why on earth would a high-flying developer think they need an entomologist?  Add in the "emotional care factor" (i.e. cute fluffy animals versus scaly ones or buzzy flitty ones) and it's difficult to get people to realise their importance.  Maybe in another fifty years we'll have a better idea of ecological links.  So our Bush Forever sites and little urban parks may be more precious than we yet realise, especially at their current rate of disappearance.

There is a lot more to be learnt about our local bushland. . . 

* Note to the people who maintain our local Public Open Spaces - August is NOT the time to prune these plants!  You will be removing the recent winter's growth and flower buds, and depriving us of our coming show of spring flowers.  Please wait until late summer or autumn next year before getting out your pruning equipment.

cats in Western Australia - where do we stand?

Debates about cats, the effects of cats on wildlife and the environment, and the rights of cat owners, have been on-going for many years.  There has been a lot of discussion in the media lately, regarding cat laws in Western Australia. 

The most recent discussion started late last year, when the City of Swan selected three public parks in Ellenbrook for a trial Cat-free Zone. The parks were Woodlake Park (in Woodlake), Mornington Park (in Coolamon) and Moulton Wetland Park (in Charlotte's Vineyard).  A survey conducted by City of Swan in the three areas found that more than three-quarters of local residents gave their support for the zoning.  You can read about the survey responses in this November 2010 article in The Advocate newspaper.  A further article in December 2010 in The Advocate talked about the use of warning signs, and the impounding of cats found wandering around in these parks.  

In June 2011,  Western Australia brought in state-wide Cat Laws, encouraging responsible pet ownership, You can download the new Cat Bill from this link.  The City of Swan put out a statement in June 2011 in The Advocate, outlining how the new Cat Bill makes it unnecessary for local councils to have Cat-free Zones.  They are therefore abandoning the three proposed Cat-free Zones in Ellenbrook.  However, the Cat Bill allows authorised persons to impound cats found in a public place, which includes parks, so it effectively gives the City of Swan the same level of control over cats in parks. 

In July 2011, the ABC picked up the story and conducted some interviews with people from various backgrounds.  Although I don't agree with some of their viewpoints, the article makes an interesting read.


You might be thinking, why am I so interested in all this?  

Well, as a passionate bushwalker and wildlife photographer, I often see cats in places where they shouldn't be.  

someone's pet in a bushland park in Ellenbrook

The problem isn't just in Ellenbrook, of course.  I have seen cats wandering around in bushland and parks all over Perth, and even further afield. 

Question: What's wrong with this picture of Burns Beach Nature Reserve?

Answer:  It contains a cat.

Most of these are obviously household moggies - well-fed, often with collars, and not really caring if I take their picture, so long as I don't get too close.  It wouldn't be so bad if this was all cats do, just sit around under bushes or on logs enjoying the view.  But even a cat owner should admit that cats aren't in the park just for the fresh air.  


A common misconception is that cats only hunt when they are hungry, and that well-fed cats don't kill birds, therefore pet cats don't do any damage in bushland.  This is just not true.  Cats hunt because they are cats, and hunting is what they do, hungry or not.  Another misconception is that cats hunt only at night.  Not true; if it was, cats would not hunt birds during the day (which they do).  A third urban myth is that belling a cat warns birds and other animals of the cat's presence.  Not true; the only bird that would associate the sound of the bell with a warning of impending danger would be the bird in the cat's mouth.  Too late for that bird.  But I digress....


I often find tracks of cats, both feral and domestic, in bushland, sometimes many kilometres from the nearest houses.  Lately I've made a habit of recording these, because they seem to be on the increase.

domestic cat tracks in moist sand, very easy to see

cat tracks in a Bush Forever site, a LONG way from the houses  
(dry sand makes the track indistinct and difficult to see)

I also see first-hand how irresponsible pet ownership impacts on bushland and its wildlife.  Sometimes the victims are not in bushland, they're in my garden.  It's not pretty, finding a patch of feathers or a piece of a deceased skink, or worse.   

I was going to put a gruesome photo of the remains of a bird killed by a cat in here, but I decided against it. Instead, here's a photo of a very-much-alive skink on a burnt-out tree stump.

Cats are famous for being very efficient predators of rats and mice, which endears them to the human race for their ability to keep vermin at manageable levels around our buildings and farms.  Amazingly, cats can kill animals up to the size of a rabbit.  But this ability also makes them quite good at killing a range of other animals as well, such as frogs, lizards, small snakes, pygopods (legless lizards), and of course, birds.


Unfortunately, much of our native wildlife is at risk, because it is in the same "size and weight range" as a rat or mouse.  In Ellenbrook, we have many marsupials, and small birds that like to feed and nest on or near the ground.  We have a large number of little frogs and lizards that live in leaf litter or burrows at ground level.  These are all susceptible to cat attack.

Here is a list of some of the animals in our local parks, at risk from cats:

Mammals (these are in our Bush Forever sites)

Quenda (Southern Brown Bandicoot)

Honey Possum

Brush-tailed Possum
Ash-grey Mouse (a native, not a pest)

Southern Bush-rat (a native, not a pest)

Water Rat (a native, not a pest)
White-striped Freetail Bat


Birds (in bushland, and some of these are in suburban gardens)


Painted Button-quail 

Red-capped Parrot

Crested Pigeon 

Common Bronzewing

Splendid Fairy-wren
Yellow-rumped Thornbill

Grey Fantail

Brown Honeyeater

White-cheeked Honeyeater

New Holland Honeyeater

Western Spinebill 
Silvereye



Reptiles (in bushland and suburban gardens)


Spiny-tailed Gecko

Burton's Legless Lizard
Fraser's Legless Lizard
Keeled Legless Lizard
Western Bluetongue

Fence Skink
Common Dwarf Skink
Western Pale-flecked Morethia (a skink)
Southern Pale-flecked Morethia (a skink)
West Coast Ctenotus (a skink)
West Coast Four-toed Lerista (another skink)
Western Bearded Dragon
Western Heath Dragon
Black-striped Snake (a small inoffensive creature)



Frogs (in bushland and, if you're lucky, in your garden)


Motorbike Frog
Banjo Frog (Pobblebonk)
Slender Tree Frog
Red-thighed Froglet
Moaning Frog
Squelching Froglet
Glauert's Froglet




Sadly, even if an animal survives the initial attack by a cat, it's very likely to succumb to post-attack shock or fatal infection from the wounds inflicted.  Cats carry a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii, which doesn't affect the cat itself, but can cause a disease called toxoplasmosis in other animals, as well as in people.  The effects of toxoplasmosis can be fatal.  The Australian Wildlife Health Network has an excellent factsheet which lists the effects that toxoplasmosis has on Australian wildlife. 

After all I've said, I still appreciate that cats are beautiful animals, and they make great pets.  Due to their intelligence and adaptability, they are undoubtedly one of the stars of the animal world.  But they don't belong in the Australian bushland, and they certainly don't have the "right" to go around killing our wildlife.  

If you have a cat, please follow the responsible pet ownership guidelines, and keep your pet on your property.  Don't let it loose to stray across roads, into other people's yards, and into parks, where it can get into trouble. 

birds watched at Woodlake

It was a cold breezy overcast day for our bird walk last week at Woodlake.  Despite that, a keen group gathered for a one-hour stroll around the lake perimeter.  The cold weather didn't deter the birds.

Here's a list of what we saw, with links for more information on each species.

Australian Magpies

Silvereyes
 

Western Wattlebirds (sometimes called Little Wattlebird)

"Twenty-eights" (Port Lincoln Parrots or Australian Ringnecks)

Galahs

White-cheeked Honeyeaters

Singing Honeyeaters

Brown Honeyeater

Eurasian Coots

Pacific Black Duck

Australasian Grebes

Spotted Turtledoves (an introduced species)

The bird highlight of the day, for me, though, occurred when returning to the carpark.  There in the shrubs was a Splendid Fairy-wren, shining out in his iridescent blue feathers.  We watched for a couple of minutes, then a female appeared and the pair descended to the ground to forage for insects. 

birdwatching at Woodlake

Our next event is a Bird Walk around Woodlake Park, on Sunday 10th July.

We will meet at the carpark next to the Woodlake Community Centre, in Highpoint Boulevard, at 9 am. 

The walk will be an easy stroll around the lake-side path, with frequent stops to look at waterfowl, honeyeaters, and perhaps many other kinds of birds.  We expect to be back at the carpark around 10 am.

Australian Wood Ducks, female on the left, male on the right

Bring binoculars and a camera.  Remember to wear a hat.  Children are welcome (with their parents or carers, of course), but pets are not.  If there is heavy rain, we may need to postpone to another day (or bring an umbrella!)

Here's a link to this event on Facebook, if you wish to share the details with friends.

The Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata) is just one kind of bird that can be seen at Woodlake Park.  The smart grey wings and chocolate head and neck are distinctive.  It is also known as the Maned Goose, because of long feathers on the back of the head and neck of the male.  This duck foregoes the usual duck habit of nesting amongst reeds on the ground; it nests in tree hollows near water.  It has a peculiar un-duck-like call, too; to me, it sounds like "meoooow"!  Although usually seen swimming around on the surface of the lake, they can also be spotted out on the lawns around the water's edge, nibbling the grass.

our planting day success

On Sunday the 12th June, some of us headed out to Aveley to help with some bush rehabilitation. Check it out if you're in the area - it's on the corner of Torres Parade and Argent Street.

Before we started, we were given a quick demonstration of how to plant the tubestock by David and Luke from Natural Area Management & Services. They supplied all the plants that we put into the ground. Luke also dug the holes for the plants, which made the planting really quick for us; it took only an hour or so for us to plant 300 plants. 

David shows how to remove a plant from its pot

The two little boys in our work crew did a great job running around and picking up rubbish from the site.  They helped Luke with watering the plants with water from a big tank on a truck.  I think it's good to see kids getting involved like this - it gives me hope for the future of the environment in the hands of the next generation.

gloves on, let's get to work!

We planted local trees, including Banksia attenuata, Corymbia calophylla and Melaleuca rhaphiophylla, and some local shrubs (such as Allocasuarina humilis, Beaufortia elegans and Regelia inops) as well as native sedges (such as Baumea articulata). The planted area is on the edge of a paperbark wetland, and these local species should blend in well with the existing trees and shrubs. When the trees and shrubs grow bigger, they should provide good habitat for birds such as Grey Fantails, Splendid Fairy-wrens, Yellow-rumped Thornbills and Brown Honeyeaters. These smaller birds depend on local plant species for shelter from predators and the elements, places to nest, and the insects and nectar the plants provide. 

We put some stakes and plastic around some of the smaller plants, to protect them from the wind and hungry rabbits. (Yes, unfortunately we have rabbits! They are one of Australia's infamous feral pests - read more about rabbits and the damage they do to bushland here.)

At the end of our planting, we posed for a photo, and had a sausage sizzle and some cool drinks to celebrate having put all the plants in the ground.

some of the less camera-shy work crew

The day was organised by Kellie from Brookfield Vale, who also did a great job supplying the food and drinks, and cooking up the sausages for us all. (Kellie took all these photos too!)  The sausages on rolls were delicious!

And since then, we've been having rain this week, so the timing couldn't be better for the plants to get their roots down into the sand and start growing. I want to thank everyone involved for making this planting day a pleasure and a success.  I hope we have another planting day soon.

Stay tuned, as I intend to go back periodically and take photos of “our” plants as they grow to maturity.