Lang Lang Bushland Reserve

Despite being surrounded by development and sand quarries, weed infested, a repository for household waste and an illegal  firewood source, the Lang Lang Bushland Reserve is also a little biodiversity hotspot.

Lang Lang Bushland Reserve

Some encounters on a recent visit included:

Mayfly Orchid - flowers July-October, coastal woodlands, shady situations

Wax Lip Orchid - flowers September-December, widespread in a variety of habitats

This tiger found a log in a sunny spot 

 

Pink Finger Orchid - a common, variable Caladenia

Mistletoebird - always a delight to encounter

Echidna - just strolled past with little concern

Just have to close your mind to some of the things going on around-about.

Rhubarb Bolete

Boletellus obscurecoccineus is a distinctive, brightly-coloured member of the bolete genus of fungi. Instead of gills on the fertile surface under the cap like ‘normal’ mushrooms, boletes have pores.

The bolete genus is quite large and very widespread. Rhubarb Boletes are found in Australia, New Guinea and many Asian countries. In Australia they are usually found growing in eucalyptus leaf litter. Some references describe them as uncommon.

In this district, I have recorded Rhubarb Boletes at Lawson Falls in Bunyip State Park, Nangara Reserve at Jindivick, Mt Worth State Park Allambee, Morwell National Park and Edward Hunter Reserve at Moe.

Bell Miner

Like the Eastern Whipbird and many others, the Bell Miner, Manorina melanophrys, is almost always heard before it is seen. ‘Manorina’ is from the Greek for ‘large nostril’ and ‘melanophrys’ is for ‘black eyebrow’. The diagnostic ‘ping’, bell-like call of the Bell Miner often resonates throughout patches of eucalypt bush in our district and has inspired lines of poetry, particularly by early settlers – Bellbirds by Henry Kendall, 1869.

The Bell Miner, or just Bellbird, is a common honeyeater that feeds on lerp, the sugary coating of a tiny sap-sucking insect called a psyllid. Psyllids are closely related to aphids, whiteflies and scale insects.

Lerp and psyllid

Bell Miner feeding on lerp

Some references suggest that the Bell Miners have learned to ‘farm’ the psyllids: they take only the sweet lerp and leave the insect to continue with its sap-sucking and lerp production lifestyle. Also, like many honeyeater species, the Bell Miner is an aggressive bird and chases away others, including the insect-eating small canopy birds like pardalotes and thornbills that could help keep the psyllid population under control.

In this way, the psyllid numbers can build until the trees begin to lose their foliage. This can sometime happen to the degree that the trees begin to die and the phenomenon is known as Bell Miner associated dieback. (video).

Possible/probable Bell Miner associated dieback - Bellbird Park Drouin

Bell Miners are gregarious birds and are often present in large colonies. They are sedentary provided the psyllid food source remains. The psyllid population declines as the dieback takes hold. The birds then seek another source further afield. This may then allow the trees to recover.

Most ecologists say there isn’t much that can be done to combat Bell Miner associated dieback. One suggestion being that dense understorey is promoted to provide cover for smaller birds that ultimately might help control the psyllid infestation in the canopy.

With its pleasant ringing call, and its association with eucalypt dieback, the Bell Miner is something of an enigma in the bird world.

 

 

Spoonbills

‘A Bill for the Cutlery Drawer’ by GL

Instantly recognisable and strangely beautiful, the spoonbill is a wonderful waterbird. In Victoria we have two species: the Yellow-billed Spoonbill and the Royal Spoonbill (whose bill is black).

Yellow-billed Spoonbill (yellow bill and legs)

Yellow-billed Spoonbill, Platalea flavipes: platalea is Latin for spoonbill and flavus is Latin for golden/yellow. Royal Spoonbill, Platalea regia: regia is Latin for royal.

Royal Spoonbill (black bill and legs, obvious nape-plumes)

The spoon-shaped bill is perfectly suited for its method of feeding which involves wading in shallow water and swishing side to side with the sensitive bill partially open. When something edible is encountered – a fish or frog or pond creature – the bill snaps shut and is lifted so the morsel slides down the long neck.

Feeding technique

I am unaware of any difference between the two species other than the colour of the bill except that the Royal Spoonbill displays some impressive nuchal plumes at the back of its head in the breeding season. Breeding also intensifies the yellow colour of the eyelids and a red forehead patch as this photo shows.

In the last century, the Royal Spoonbill has colonised New Zealand: several thousand now breed regularly where there were none in earlier times.

Royals mating.                    Yellow-billed at nest with young

The Yellow-billed seems the more common in West Gippsland, but both can be found, sometimes together.

Of the many amazing shapes birds’ beaks come in – each one adapted to specialised use – a bill shaped like a yellow or black wooden spoon is certainly one of the strangest.

Geoff Leslie

 

Cattle Egret

The Cattle Egret, Ardea ibis, is a bird with an interesting background. It is found (at this time of year around West Gippsland) in conjunction with flocks of domestic cattle where it feeds on small invertebrates, worms, frogs and lizards stirred up by the feet of the moving cattle. It is also not unusual to see the bird on the backs of cattle taking ticks and flies from the hide.

Cattle Egrets are gregarious, often seen in very large flocks. They are also considered to be strong, long-distance fliers.

The origin of the species is probably northern Africa, Spain and southern Asia. They perhaps visited northern Australia for many years but didn’t establish in this country until the arrival of white settlers and their cattle herds.

Cattle Egrets are not native to Victoria. They first appeared in 1949 near Lake Colac.

They are regular visitors to Gippsland in winter, which is intriguing. They breed in northern NSW, NT and south-eastern Qld, so just why they migrate south in winter to colder and presumably less fertile foraging grounds, seems inexplicable. Their populations are on the increase whereas other egret species are considered to be in decline.

Adult breeding birds gain an orange-buff plumage to the head and neck giving the bird a strikingly beautiful appearance.

Ducks in trees

By guest contributor GL

A sunny week at the start of August and the ducks get busy. Among the earliest breeders, Wood Ducks and Black Ducks are landing in all kinds of trees looking for a home. Wood Ducks make a strange churring sound when they’re perched in trees seeking a hollow.

The Australian Wood Duck, Chenonetta jubata, used to be called the Maned Duck or, erroneously, Maned Goose and the image below of an adult breeding male shows his mane and undeniable beautiful markings.

The sunny week at the start of August heralded a different season for some aboriginal groups. I think we should acknowledge the season has turned – the wattles are blooming, the birds are courting, the trees are budding. Someone suggested we have Winter (June-July), Spring (October- November) and in between: Sprinter (August-September)!

Wood Ducks often have large broods and when the ducklings are active little fluff-balls they get pushed out of the hollow, falling quite a few metres. They don’t seem to hurt themselves – they only weigh a few grams and the fluff would slow their fall.

Come late August and September, we will see pairs of wood ducks escorting ducklings around the paddocks – they graze on grasses and herbs and sometimes insects. We often see wood ducks with massive broods, like the above image with a brood of 20. This is probably because (like emus) successful parents attract the ducklings of less effective parents into a nursery.

Humans do that also to some extent through the foster care system. But I don’t know anyone who is raising 20 children at a time!

Thanks Geoff. 

Some recent fungi finds

‘Tis the time for fungi.

Here’s a few I have found on some recent walks. I do not guarantee the identifications. I always find fungi hard to ID, even down to what families they belong sometimes. The fruiting bodies can appear very different as they degenerate. Many different species can appear very similar. I gave up long ago with the Mycenas. Happy for anyone to suggest otherwise to my efforts…

Stereum Ostrea - Golden Curtain Crust

This large, oyster-like, orange fungus grows on old logs and branches. There are some spots in Uralla Reserve at Trafalgar where this stunning, photogenic species is quite abundant.

Armilaria sp (luteobubalina?) - Honey Fungus

Armilaria grows on the wood of living trees and is an aggressive plant parasite. Often seen growing on lawns and nature strips and garden mulch (this image was taken in McGlone Rd Drouin), the fungus will be in association with the roots of a nearby tree or shrub.

Pycnoporus coccineus - Scarlet Bracket

This small, common orange bracket is found growing on dead branches on the ground. Turn it over to see the stunning scarlet red underside of tiny pores. Scarlet Brackets are not hard to find in our district – this one was at Rokeby Crossover Regional Park.

Clavaria amoena - Yellow Club (or Yellow Coral)

Often seen growing in moss beds where the yellow contrasts brilliantly with the green. It grows in the soil. This one at Uralla was barely 3-4cm tall but it can reach 10cm at times.

Boletellus obscurecoccineus – Rhubarb Bolete

This Bolete is not particularly common and so is always a delight to come across, usually in a eucalypt woodland. This was at Edward Hunter Reserve in Moe recently.

The variety of fungi is astounding…

Just need to live a little longer!