This year’s National Tree Days have been a celebration of community enthusiasm.
On Schools Tree Day 120 Stage 3 students and Kinder buddies from Coal Point Public School planted 240 Blue Flax Lilies and native grasses as a border to the expanding Squirrel Glider Garden that has been growing since 2015. The joy and skills exhibited by these students was inspirational.
On the community-planting day, Sunday, The Rotary Club Toronto Sunrise pitched in and
planted with perseverance and purpose, 1260 plants forming an instant forest on the site of the decommissioned water tank and Whitelocke Street edge of Hunter Water’s land.
Thanks go out to Hunter Water for providing the resources not only for making the planting possible but also for providing professional bush regenerators to tackle the weed infestation that was compromising the integrity of the West Ridge Reserve.
Overseeing the planting were our resident high profile Powerful Owl duo (Ninox strenua). The avian intel is that the pair have produced another chick this year due to the amazing hundred year hollow that is home-sweet home.
Rod Warnock, Wildlife Photographer, captured some amazing photos of the Powerful Owl on National Tree Day. He’s also taken this photo of a Regent Honeyeater that was at Blackalls Park recently, just a flutter away. The Regent Honeyeater is listed as endangered because it has been badly affected by land clearing. A lot of the planting of winter flowering plants that has been undertaken for the Threatened Species Last Stand project is an attempt to increase the numbers of nectar producing trees for Regent Honeyeaters and Squirrel Gliders. If you see the Regent Honeyeater please share the joy it’s quite rare.
More information about it is on the Birds in Backyards website http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Anthochaera-phrygia.
Long distance pollinators such as the local Regent Honeyeater, Grey-headed Flying foxes and Squirrel Gliders play a major role in mixing up the genes of many plant species across the landscape. This aids the overall ability of sedentary vegetation to adapt and cope with human-driven changes such as habitat fragmentation and climate change.
To keep the pollinator networks strong long term plantings are needed for:
- Bridging plants that ensure food during bottlenecks, shortages of nectar and pollen, especially over winter
- Framework plants that support diverse pollinator networks by providing food resources to a large number of species
- Magnet plants that provide rich resources of nectar and pollen that attract large numbers of pollinators
Long-distance pollinator plantings also need long-term planning
- It takes 20 years for some species to begin flowering
- Planting at low densities speeds the canopy development and increases the rate of flower production with age, it’s quality not quantity that’s needed.
- Planting near water and on fertile soil can also increase flower production and enhance creek corridors.
- Planting less than 1km from existing mature habitat is more likely to attract hollow dependent pollinators and have a better chance of being visited by greater numbers and varieties of pollinators.
Local plants that long distance pollinators love are Swamp Mahogany, Turpentine, Broad-leaved Paperbark, Grey Ironbark, Northern Grey Ironbark, Coastal Banksia, Spotted Gum, Forest Red Gum. If you have space for a tree one of these beauties will not only provide a lifeline for the local wildlife but also grow our local forest and give some shade for you to escape the summer heat.
A Regent Honeyeater was formally recorded on the Coal Point peninsula a few years back and as a Critically Endangered Species, with only 800-2000 known birds, it is certainly worth seeing what we can do to support its ongoing survival by increasing its foraging habitat. Additionally what’s good for the Regent Honeyeater is also good for the Squirrel Glider.
Regent Honeyeaters are generalist foragers that need nectar producing trees, being a honeyeater, There are quite a few local trees and shrubs that would be just thing to lure this visitor to your bigger backyard and give it chance for surviving into the future. Local Eucalypts which are to its liking include Swamp Mahogany-Eucalyptus robusta, Grey Gum-Eucalyptus punctata and Spotted Gum-Corymbia maculata. Insects make up about 15% of their diet and a shrubby understorey provides the right habitat for bugs as well as for nesting materials.
Trees In Newcastle has produced A local resource on Creating Stepping Stones for Nectar Feeders outlines what plants you can supplement your garden with if you have
- A large block in coastal forest or sheltered gullies
- A large coastal garden on sandy soil
- A courtyard on sandy soil
- A large garden on swampy soils
- A small garden on swampy soils
A Regent Honeyeater fact sheet is available online.
