COG does the Bald Hill Fire Trail
I have put a post showing the plans for this visit by members of COG in an earlier post. The trip was held as scheduled on 17 September 2011 and attended by 12 members and guests.
NOTE: this post refers to Breeding behaviour - explicit on occasions!
In terms of plans fitting reality site 6 did not happen (it appeared too exposed to the gathering winds) and we visited two of the queried sites. In total we recorded 36 species as listed below.
Common Bronzewing
Wonga Pigeon
Gang-gang Cockatoo
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Crimson Rosella
Eastern Rosella
Pallid Cuckoo
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Laughing Kookaburra
White-throated Treecreeper
Superb Fairy-wren
White-browed Scrubwren
Striated Thornbill
Buff-rumped Thornbill
Brown Thornbill
Spotted Pardalote
Striated Pardalote
Eastern Spinebill
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
White-eared Honeyeater
Red Wattlebird
White-naped Honeyeater
Spotted Quail-thrush
Varied Sittella
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Golden Whistler
Grey Shrike-thrush
Australian Magpie
Pied Currawong
Grey Fantail
Australian Raven
White-winged Chough
Scarlet Robin
Flame Robin
Eastern Yellow Robin
Silvereye
We observed some interesting breeding behaviours. At site 2 a Striated Pardalote was flying in and out of a hollow in a burl carrying nesting material. At the same site, but across the trail we noticed 2 female (? hard to tell immature males from females) Flame Robins building a nest in a cavity in a tree: the cavity was about half filled with spider webs and similar material. (I have no idea why I didn't take a photograph of this!) At the final site before departing we observed Striated Thornbills copulating: the performed several times so I suppose they enjoyed it!
In terms of records per site we recorded 12 species at site 1, 15 at site 2, 19 at site 3 (a 500m survey rather than 2Ha), 12 at site 4, 6 species at site 5, 10 species at the lunch site and 8 at the final spot before heading for home. We also recorded 2 Species (Laughing Kookaburra and Womga Pigeon) during the trip, but outside any of our sites. The Yellow faced Honeyeater was recorded at all 7 sites and Crimson Rosella at 5 sites.and 6 species were recorded at 4 sites.
I did not get a single image of a bird as such. The nearest I got was this shot of a Superb Lyrebird display mound.
It seemed like a very rocky mound, but I guess the birds have to make do with what they could find. Several mounds were found during the trip, but no lyrebirds were seen or heard.
Amongst the plants there were many samples of Leucopogon lanceolatus
while Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) was obvious throughout the trip.
This magnificent Eucalyptus viminalis was not flowering but well worth a snap.
The plants of the day were found by Frances. At the 4th spot she came across a group of about 8 Pterostylis pedunculata or "Maroonhoods". As can be seen from the images they are like greenhoods, but - not surprisingly - maroon in parts!
NOTE: this post refers to Breeding behaviour - explicit on occasions!
In terms of plans fitting reality site 6 did not happen (it appeared too exposed to the gathering winds) and we visited two of the queried sites. In total we recorded 36 species as listed below.
Common Bronzewing
Wonga Pigeon
Gang-gang Cockatoo
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Crimson Rosella
Eastern Rosella
Pallid Cuckoo
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Laughing Kookaburra
White-throated Treecreeper
Superb Fairy-wren
White-browed Scrubwren
Striated Thornbill
Buff-rumped Thornbill
Brown Thornbill
Spotted Pardalote
Striated Pardalote
Eastern Spinebill
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
White-eared Honeyeater
Red Wattlebird
White-naped Honeyeater
Spotted Quail-thrush
Varied Sittella
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Golden Whistler
Grey Shrike-thrush
Australian Magpie
Pied Currawong
Grey Fantail
Australian Raven
White-winged Chough
Scarlet Robin
Flame Robin
Eastern Yellow Robin
Silvereye
We observed some interesting breeding behaviours. At site 2 a Striated Pardalote was flying in and out of a hollow in a burl carrying nesting material. At the same site, but across the trail we noticed 2 female (? hard to tell immature males from females) Flame Robins building a nest in a cavity in a tree: the cavity was about half filled with spider webs and similar material. (I have no idea why I didn't take a photograph of this!) At the final site before departing we observed Striated Thornbills copulating: the performed several times so I suppose they enjoyed it!
In terms of records per site we recorded 12 species at site 1, 15 at site 2, 19 at site 3 (a 500m survey rather than 2Ha), 12 at site 4, 6 species at site 5, 10 species at the lunch site and 8 at the final spot before heading for home. We also recorded 2 Species (Laughing Kookaburra and Womga Pigeon) during the trip, but outside any of our sites. The Yellow faced Honeyeater was recorded at all 7 sites and Crimson Rosella at 5 sites.and 6 species were recorded at 4 sites.
I did not get a single image of a bird as such. The nearest I got was this shot of a Superb Lyrebird display mound.
Amongst the plants there were many samples of Leucopogon lanceolatus
Comments
Can you indicate altitude? Informed guess is fine.
Good collection of birds on that list.
Cheers
Denis
The altitude was around 1140m.
The plants were on a rather dry ridge above a dampish gully. They were in a somewhat sheltered spot between some logs so perhaps had a soggier microclimate.
Martin
David Jones records Pt. pedunculata in NSW and the ACT (I realise Bald Hill is outside the ACT). He gives the altitude range as 5 m to 1000 m. So perhaps yours is a bit high for the known range.
An altitude record might therefore be claimed.
As Alan Stephenson keeps saying, "the Orchids don't read books".
PlantNET shows few records in your area.
Text provided says: "Common in moist sheltered sites in sclerophyll forest of coastal and near-coastal districts."
Cheers
Denis