News Item - Birds Survey 2008

Submitted by :  Charles Ivin                Date Posted: 7 January 2009

Background

Dawn Muir (left) leading the bird survey group at
Kalinga Park on 13 January

Birding activities were carried out in 2008 as part of a comprehensive series of surveys of birdlife to be conducted along the Brook . Such recorded surveys conducted over time allow evaluation of the health and biodiversity of wildlife throughout the catchment.

Although we have a number of network members that are experienced birders, the leadership of Dawn Muir, Birds Queensland, added valuable experience in the conduct of these surveys and particularly in their recording. Valuable contributions by Leanne Bowden & Greg Miller, WPSQ Brisbane Branch with reports of their walks within the catchment are gratefully acknowledged. In addition, the attendance at one of the regular birding activities conducted by Birds Queensland produced a final survey at Maureen Lawrence Park on 25 November.

Program for 2008

Program details for some of this year are given in an attached small pdf file.

Details of Surveys

Dawn Muir led a small group of keen birders on 13 January from Kalinga Park down the northern side of the Brook to wetlands about 1.5 Km east of the Motorway crossing and adjacent to the Schultz Canal. The latter directs the flow from Kedron Brook into the Kedron Brook Floodway entering Moreton Bay just south of Nudgee Beach. Sixty species of birds were observed, similar to that observed by Greg Miller in November 2006 over the same area.

The second survey on 20 January, along Cedar Creek, in Ferny Hills, recorded forty one species, with the anticipated absence of salt- and fresh-water birds from the first survey. The tall trees and open Eucalypt forest atmosphere was most pleasingeven at the early hour of 6:30 am!

A third survey was conducted, by Dawn Muir, Charles and Jenny Ivin, on 2 February starting at Coble Park, Cnr Archdale St and Lantina Steet. It followed up Lanita street until opposite the Scouts Den on the northern side of the Brook off the Samford Road. A track lead from here up to the Tennis courts just short of entering the Maureen Lawrence Park. Rain at this point caused a hasty retreat but not until twenty three bird species were identified along the track. Twenty two species were noted around Wahminda Park alone though a majority had been observed from along the starting point up to the Park.

A fourth survey was carried out, by Leanne Bowden & Greg Miller, WPSQ Brisbane Branch, on 14 May am, starting from Kalinga Park and ending up at the Cressey Street Wetlands, at Wavell Heights. Thirty nine species of birds were noted over the two sites.

A fifth survey was carried out in generally open parkland, by Dawn Muir and Charles and Jenny Ivin, on 8 June am at Tomsett Park and Bob Cassimaty Picnic Ground Park, Ferny Grove. A sixth survey followed of the nearby Arbor Road Park (locally signposted as Ferny Grove Parkland). These results were separated from the fifth survey because of the size and diversity of vegetation at this important forest remnant. Recent periods of general rain produced good flows in Cedar Creek and the Brook.

On 9 June at 7:30 am, Dawn Muir, Rob Robbie, Robert Standish-White, Charles and Jenny Ivin covered the generally open parkland of Grinstead Park as the seventh survey. From there, they continued into the substantial forest remnant of the Sparkes Hill Reserve on the eighth bird survey. Recent rain and pleasant winter sunshine made these recent surveys most enjoyable with good birding.

On 14 July at 7:30 am, Dawn Muir, Helen Moriarty, Margaret Zalewski and Charles Ivin followed the Brook along the general line of the Greenway from Lansvale Street, Mitchelton, past the Pony Club and the Osborne Road Habitat Group area through to near Burwood Road, Everton Park. The Bridge was still restricted from access so cars were used to shift around to Osborne Road. (The Brook was both too wide and deep near the bridge for convenient crossing). The overcast conditions at 7:30 am eventually changed to a light shower around 10 am. It was noticeable how areas of lantana suited the small birds and the seed of the Japanese Sunflowers attracted some galahs but the huge areas of lush glycine, morning glory and madiera vine near the Pony Club did not appear as suitable a habitat.

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On 3 August at 7:00 am, Dawn Muir, Mick Wilson, Charles and Jenny Ivin surveyed Benelong Park and then the Cressy Park Conservation Wetlands system. It was a wintery but sunny morning that continued to the end of this part of the survey about 8:45 am. Our group was privileged to be able to watch a pair of striated pardalotes preparing a nest within a hole within an earth wall beide the Greenway path. Clear views were obtained of these colourful birds as they relayed back and forth with pieces of dry grass from a sunlit tree across the path to their nest. After this, the group, minus Mick, went over to Grange Forest Park from near the corner of Mornington Street and Alcester Street. We followed an eastern path beside the small rivulet that runs towards the Brook from the start. There is a huge Fig near the beginning. We then returned via a forest path on the western side of the rivulet. The sun was rather warm and may have affected the bird count.

Bush Stone-curlew

A repeat survey was conducted by Charles and Jenny Ivin along identical paths in Grange Forest Park section (a bushwalk with the grandchildren) a week later. The results are reported together with the Grange results from the 3 August survey. A feature of this walk was the large number of small birds flitting around in the tall grasses near the Greenway path.

On 7 September at 6:30 am, Dawn Muir, Esther Townsend, Charles and Jenny Ivin surveyed Bellbird Grove, in Brisbane Forest Park. This includes a significant headwater source of Cedar Creek, a main tributary of Kedron Brook. The habitat covers both thick Eucalypt forest and open parkland. Hence there is a good mix of both common urban and forest birds. The forest area along Cedar Creek was particularly rewarding. There was a nesting Spotted Pardalote pair, a Large-billed Scrubwren, a Red-browed Finch, a Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, a Rufous Fantail, and the opportunity to watch a Whipbird feeding a young one near the parkland path. A Grey Shrike-Thrush was heard imitating the "clack clack" call of the Eastern Yellow Robin. The latter colourful bird itself was most friendly and was thought to be feeding its young though this act was not directly sighted.

On 5 October, at 6:30 am,Dawn Muir, Ester Townsend, Charles and Jenny Ivin, and for half the morning, Jean Weaver and Olive Costeloe surveyed from Hedley Ave, Toombul to the lake adjacent to theSchultz Canal previously covered on 13 January 2008.

A regular birding activity conducted by Birds Queensland was held on 25 November in Maureen Lawrence Park adjoining the Wahminda Grove area towards the top of the Brook adjacent to Brisbane Forest Park . Since Dawn Muir was also the activity leader, there was continuity of the procedures conducted with the previous surveys. and so the results should be comparable. This event took place just over a week after severe storms had destroyed much of the trees and general vegetation from The Gap through Upper Kedron, Keperra, Ferny Grove and Arana Hills. Many trees were fallen or topped and smaller branches and leaves removed throughout these suburbs. It was surprising the group were able to identify over 35 different bird species about the Park area.

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The following table provides links to the results of the surveys completed.

Detailed results

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Wet  Tawny Frogmouth  near

Everton Park during  summer

Rains       (Photo: Neil Fordyce)

General Conclusions

Fifteen birding surveys were carried out along the brook in 2008. The full results of these surveys, indicated above, indicate that a moderate level of biodiversity of bird types occurs in the few remaining forest remnants along the Brook. Some of the more exciting discoveries during the year were the whip birds, stirated pardalotes, a Black-shouldered Kite, Bell Miners and Dollar birds.

However, the major areas of urban parkland tended to be dominated by the common Australian icons such as the Australian magpies, willy wagtails, rainbow lorrikeets, kookaburras, Torresian Crows, Pied Currawongs, especially the noisy minors and unfortunately, our recent pests, Common Mynas.

Most of these surveys were led by Birds Queensland Life Member, Dawn Muir, and she will again take the main lead in 2009 with ten surveys planned to date. It is extremely helpful to have such a knowledgeable person assisting us, and all participants from 2008 were rewarded by learning from her extensive experience. WPSQ-Brisbane Branch members, Leanne Bowden and Greg Miller, also have led surveys to determine the bird species still living along the Brook.

These surveys need to be carried out in small groups to reduce disturbance of, often, quiet elusive birds. It takes members of reasonable experience to be able to observe and identify birds correctly. Factors such as weather and availability of leadership mean that the initial surveys were sometimes conducted at rather short notice. However, there is opportunity for new keen birders to join and learn the ropes in our future surveys.

Contact

Please contact Jenny Ivin on phone 3851 0160 for further information.

CI 14/10/2011 - 7/01/2009