Drouin Bird Surveys

Birds are beautiful. Birds are interesting. Birds connect us with nature. Birds lift our spirits.

Birds can be very good environmental indicators. The number and variety of birds in a given location, measured over time, can reveal the effects of habitat degradation (or rejuvenation), pollution (or purity), climate change, introduced species, weeds, urbanization and more.

Twice a year in spring and autumn, the Friends of Drouin’s Trees conducts surveys of bird species and numbers at six core sites and other selected spots in and around Drouin. A small group of volunteers walk the sites with binoculars, field guides and ears attuned, to determine the presence of different bird species and their numbers.

Bellbird Park: Great Egret, Sacred Kingfisher, Superb Fairy-wren, White-plumed Honeyeater

Drouin’s tree canopy, understory areas and wetlands provide diverse habitat for a variety of bird species (and other fauna no doubt). Our records indicate that 100+ bird species either call Drouin home or they visit periodically in their migratory or nomadic movements.

Street trees and parklands: Raven sp, Musk Lorikeet, Rainbow Lorikeet, Spotted Pardalote

The Friends of Drouin’s Trees bird survey results are uploaded to the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas – “Together, collecting and sharing species observations and surveys our information makes an impact locally, nationally and globally driving benefits for biodiversity.”

Alex Goudie Park Lake: Australasian Grebe, Pelican, Little Pied Cormorant, Hardhead family

Birds are important, not just because they feed our spirit or that they inspire us or link us to a little bit of wilderness. Birds pollinate plants, eat pest insects, disperse seeds, scavenge carcasses, return nutrients to the soil and they can reveal what’s happening to our environment.

Birds are the world’s biological barometers.

'Regional Plans' - should we be worried?

The Guardian 15^th March 2022 LINK:

“The Morrison government has announced it will remove the need for developments in some areas to receive project-specific approval under national environment laws, in a step conservationists fear will further weaken nature protection.”

“…the government was considering using a little-used section of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act to allow some developments to be given the green light as part of a regional plan without consideration of the impact of the project itself.”

“A review of the EPBC Act led by the former competition watchdog head Graeme Samuel last year found the environment was suffering from two decades of failure by governments to improve protection and called for an overhaul of Australia’s conservation laws to address a “trajectory of environmental decline. The Coalition is yet to formally respond to his review.”

The Guardian 16^th Mar 2022 LINK:

“Environment groups have described a Morrison government plan to remove the need for federal environmental approval for developments in some regions as a “step towards an industry free-for-all” rather than an effort to protect nature.”

“The Wilderness Society (TWS) said it was deeply concerned the Coalition was pledging funding with the apparent aim of “circumventing environment protections for some of Australia’s most iconic and sensitive natural landscapes and wildlife”.

“The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) called for more information from the government about its proposed regional planning approach and where the 10 priority areas would be. ‘We are concerned the government’s approach appears to focus on making things easier for resource extraction industries, rather than protecting nature,’ Power said.”

 

 

Small eucalypts

A eucalypt should not always be thought of as a ‘giant gum tree’, not that there is anything wrong with giant gum trees. Large, old eucalypts are awe-inspiring, wonderful habitat, great at sequestering carbon, providing shade, mitigating strong wind, absorbing runoff, preventing erosion and much more and we should be doing all we can to protect them.

In today’s world though, where large homes are being built on small blocks, there isn’t room to safely plant a 30m eucalypt. It’s worth noting that over half of all eucalypt species are described as small trees, multi-stemmed mallees or shrubs. Mallee is an indigenous word for a group of eucalypts less than 10m high which have multiple stems growing from a lignotuber.

Some eucalypts can even be grown in containers and at Cranbourne Botanic Gardens they are experimenting with espalier eucalypts.

There are many references (see the end of this post) that can recommend small eucalypt species to suit all sorts of situations. New cultivars are becoming available very frequently – check with your favourite nursery.

Just as large gum trees do, small eucalypts provide food and shelter for insects and birds. Some small eucalypts, given time, are capable of developing hollows that wildlife can use.

Many small eucalypts are quick growing, have colourful flowers and bark, open canopies that provide dappled shade, grow in a variety of soil types, have fragrant foliage and readily accept being pruned to shrub size.

Many mallees can be coppiced if they get a bit large – chop them off at ground level and they will vigorously re-shoot from a lignotuber just under the ground.

Give a mallee a go!

 

References:

“Smaller Eucalypts for Planting in Australia”, Dean Nicolle, ISBN 9780646957906.

“Small Gums for Small Gardens”, Brian Walters, Australian Native Plants Society, LINK.

“Small Gum Trees”, Gardening Australia Factsheet, LINK.