Our Big Bushland Backyard

Almost a decade of Bird Surveys comes to an end

Since 2012 the CPPA has been fortunate to have had the support of enthusiastic bird surveyors recording the presence and noting the absence of our fine-feathered friends along the Coal Point peninsula. Between 2012-2018 Tom Clarke (left) undertook quarterly surveys. He handed the baton to Rob Palazzi (right) and Michael Paver (centre) who upped the ante with monthly surveys until the recent COVID lockdown. The sightings and pictures have been a regular part of the Chronicle.

The dynamic duo is now moving on and we offer our sincere thanks to them for their enormous contribution to our understanding of the local birdlife. The CPPA has been provided with a fantastic record of our local birdlife. Knowing what we have in such detail means we can also try to protect it. To have bird surveys covering almost a decade is a rare gift. Sincere thanks to Rob and Michael for providing your expertise and insights.

If you like looking at birds October 18-24 is the Aussie Backyard Bird Count hosted by Birdlife Australia.

If you’d like to be involved in regular bird surveys please get in touch with Suzanne at coalpointprogress@gmail.com.

Neighbours noticing nature

Local wildlife carer Catherine recently mentioned there are some Painted Button-quail about in Coal Point and she had a quail in care that had been caught by a cat; luckily there were no major injuries and it was released a few days later. Catherine mentioned there always have been quail here, but they are declining in numbers.

Rob Palazzi commented “our bird surveys have no records of the Button-quail, but that is sort of to be expected given that we walk through for a very brief check each month, and it is unusual to flush them when we stick to the tracks mostly.

The Painted Button-quail are known to forage using a curious twirling behaviour that results in a saucer sized flattening of the grass - if you find these it's a good diagnostic for their presence - almost as good as hearing a whipbird and calling that a definite presence! Good that the cat did no serious damage (this time) to the bird you found.”

The other wildlife that flitted through our bushland forest recently was a small wallaby/pademelon/kangaroo. It was sighted bounding about Burnage, gambolling at Gurranba and caught on dashcam at Oakhampton Court. As with the July sighting of the quoll, it is so good to know that we still have the capacity to receive wildlife through the connectivity of our bushland.

A note of neighbourly distress. 

"Two large, seemingly healthy gum trees were

removed from the front yards of adjoining properties last week - by separate contractors. It was very distressing considering these trees were so majestic, providing homes for nesting magpies as well as a safety net for possums and other local wildlife.

In the 37 years we’ve lived here we’ve watched maggies nesting in these trees - so sad to see the huge gap that remains. And so sad to hear the chain saws and munchers so regularly in Coal Point now."