In 8,000 responses to a national survey conducted during October by BirdLife Australia, the Superb Fairy-wren was voted as Australia’s favourite bird. The Guardian newspaper reports:
It’s bright blue, sexually promiscuous and just 14 cm long – and it’s officially Australia’s favourite bird. The superb fairy-wren has won a national poll to identify the country’s most-loved feathered animal. … The males of the species, which are coloured a vibrant blue, have been dubbed the ‘least faithful birds in the world’ owing to their rampant promiscuity. Female birds have been observed being courted by 13 males in a half-hour period.
We have received no definitive sightings of wrens in Glebe this year.
About 10 volunteers attended the working bee organised by the Orphan School Creek Bushcare Group on Sunday 20 October and photos were taken of the Park to document the growth of recently planted native flora. On Saturday 9 November seeds were collected from native plants growing in the Park, soaked in hot water and distributed around the Park. The Glebe BushcareGroup continues to meet on a weekly basis each Wednesday and is currently planting native species in Federal Park north-east of the Rozelle Bay Nursery in Chapman Rd and weeding near the corner of Johnston St and The Crescent.
The City is investigating structural problems in the retaining wall on the western side of John St Reserve; as a safety measure it has erected temporary fencing to keep people away from the wall. The wall may need to be fully rebuilt. In Paddy Gray Reserve, local residents are continuing to water the newly planted native seedlings every couple of days using the hose purchased by the Subcommittee. So far their efforts have been successful and the seedlings are thriving. Jan Craney and Judy Christie had an onsite meeting at the Glebe Town Hall Garden with Deputy Mayor Robyn Kemmis, Stephen Merchant and Chris Johnson (landscape architects from the City of Sydney) on 11 October to re-commence work on a master plan for native plantings in the garden. The current plantings do not conform to the originally accepted plan.
A spring bird survey commencing at 6.45am on Sunday 3 November was attended by nine enthusiastic members of the Society and Sophie Golding, the Urban Ecology Coordinator, City of Sydney. A survey sheet that contained a check-list of local birds was drawn up by Sophie, with local advice, and Sophie addressed the safety issues (including the registration of participants) at the start of the event. Seven parks and reserves were surveyed and the highlights included sightings of two Sharp-tailed Sandpipers (Calidris acuminata), migratory waders which breed in Arctic Siberia, in the saltmarsh wetlands adjacent to Johnston’s canal, a pair of noisy Willy Wagtails (Rhipidura leucophrys) near Johnston’s canal and three Masked Lapwings (Vanellus miles) on Jubilee Oval. Sophie will analyse the collected data which will form a base-line study to be used in the future to assess the success of current native plantings to re-introduce habitat for small birds, including blue wrens, in our suburb. After the survey, all gathered for a well-earned breakfast at a local restaurant.
Reference: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/nov/07/superb-fairy-wren-australia-s-favourite-bird
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Gods birds
Birds Free Look nice
Your efforts re restoring habitat for blue wrens is highly commendable and we here at Basin Birdwatchers on the South coast at St Georges Basin will watch with interest for positive outcomes. I have loved these beautiful birds since I first saw them as a child and am now involved with restoring these little birds to local gardens here in our own area, with great success over the last two years. It is much easier in our own area as the area has only been heavily developed over the last thirty years. When we moved here from Sydney twenty five yeas ago we developed a native garden and fifteen years later started Basin Bushcare and went on to claim three neglected reserves as natural Bush land sites. We work on these sites one half day per week. Three years ago we planted a street scaping that runs the length of our short street and also hides four large and ugly colourbond fences. The street scaping is now dense and most attractive, but best of all our efforts have been very rewarding as we now have two families of blue wrens in the street; one family spends most of their day in our back garden and the other family spends most of their day in the street plantings and our front garden. Their have been five breeding events so far since spring; three clutches in the street scaping ( in a large lomandra longifolia ) and two in the back garden. The street scaping wrens have raised nine young and the back wrens raised six but have lost five. We now wake up at dawn to the territorial trill of the front wrens and enjoy their company for the rest of the day.
We believe that you will be successful in your efforts, given time as these little battlers can survive in difficult situations and should return when the time is right. Good luck with your efforts. Norm and Maureen Webb.