Superb fairy wren (Photo: Patrick Kavanagh, Flickr)

By Andrew Wood, Convenor, August 2025, from Bulletin 6/2025

The Blue Wren Subcommittee has 12 members and met on six occasions during the year. We report the sad news that David Watson, a long-time member and enthusiastic supporter of the subcommittee passed away in July – we will miss his contributions to our group.

There are three biodiversity care groups in Glebe and Forest Lodge – the Orphan School Creek Bushcare Group (led by Judy Christie), the Glebe Palmerston and Surrounds Landcare Group (led by Anna Szanto and Ros Vaughan) and the Harold Park/Johnstons Creek group (led by Nick and Janice Sangster). More than 20 volunteers work for these groups undertaking regular plantings of native flora and park maintenance.

Members of the Society and other residents are always welcome to join us. Group members also liaise with Council urban ecology staff to ensure biodiversity and bush regeneration plantings are well maintained.

We continue to look out for blue wrens and, although none were observed in Glebe during the last year, three were seen at the Rozelle Parklands and wetlands in February. This is not so surprising as we know there are family groups along the light rail corridor and our sighting 18 months ago at the western end of Rozelle Bay confirms that they are moving around. It is great, however, that the new parklands are providing suitable habitat again. A few more habitat ‘stepping stones’ through the Glebe Parklands could bring them closer.

In November, Judy Christie led the Society’s 11th spring bird survey. A total of 514 individual birds were seen with 30 different species identified – including three introduced species (spotted dove, rock dove and common myna) and both our regular summer cuckoos, the eastern koel and channel-billed cuckoo. The rock dove or feral pigeon, as many know it, seems to be outnumbering the local native crested pigeon but the ever-present native noisy miner is most definitely increasing and harassing other native birds like the magpie-lark and even aggressively dive bombing the brush-turkey. As in previous years, the rainbow lorikeet was the most common species seen, just edging out the noisy miner. 

Glebe’s Hill viewed from Johnstons Canal (Photo: Andrew Wood)

As members may recall, in 2022 the Society was awarded a $45k Innovation and Ideas Grant by the City of Sydney; it was entitled ‘Glebe’s Hill – unravelling its biodiversity secrets and potential’. The funds were transferred to the University of Sydney’s School of Life and Environmental Sciences, where Professor Dieter Hochuli’s group investigated the flora and fauna of the site with the view of determining whether The Hill could become a wildlife refuge. Also, remember that the 0.6 ha Hill was a former garbage tip and the site is said to be contaminated with petroleum, heavy metals and asbestos.

In July 2024, 55 Glebe locals gathered to hear Dieter Hochuli, Genevieve Heggarty and Manuel Lequerica Tamara present their interim findings, field questions and later lead a walk around The Hill via Jubilee Park and the Johnstons Creek wetlands. Their cameras installed on The Hill revealed a range of ‘wildlife’, thriving in a mix of weedy vegetation. Although sadly no blue wrens were sighted by the cameras, life on the site has been varied and includes foxes, cats, rats, a brushtail possum, small birds such as silvereyes and fantails, common noisy miners and pied currawongs – as well as evidence of humans who have strayed onto the site bringing milkcrates for seating. The vegetation on The Hill currently includes large trees (primarily Celtis and palms) as well as some lantana, which is enjoyed by small birds, and a range of smaller weedy plants.

In a further event associated with the Grant, Judy Christie led an interpretative walk in September for 23 Society members along Johnstons Creek. The first species seen in the Creek was a male magpie-lark, later joined by three white ibises. The most common birds around were the usual noisy miners and fast overflying rainbow lorikeets. A possible nest in the casuarinas along the Creek appeared on closer examination to most likely be a ringtail possum drey. Not far from a previous site of figbird nests, about 10 figbirds, several males and six or seven females, were seen at the top of a tall palm tree. Finally, as the walk ended up at the mangroves at Rozelle Bay, a white-faced heron walked carefully around the edge of the rocks giving everyone a good view.

In November, 71 Society members attended the presentation of the University of Sydney’s final report in Glebe Town Hall. Councillors Sylvie Ellsmore and Matthew Thompson represented the City of Sydney, and Kobi Shetty, MLA for Balmain, also joined us. Cr Yvonne Weldon sent a video of her ‘Welcome to Country’. On The Hill, Professor Dieter Hochuli and his research colleagues identified 31 plant species with a dominance of non-natives (Chinese hackberry and lantana). Twelve bird species were found, including a grey fantail and silvereye, which have not been seen in Glebe for many years. Three free-roaming mammals (fox, domestic cat and brushtail possum) were captured on camera, as well as three species of reptile (skinks) and 21 species of invertebrates (including spiders, butterflies and moths, bees and wasps, flies and hoverflies, beetles, weevils and ladybirds).

The University’s main recommendations were:

  • the gradual removal of invasive plants and their replacement with native species
  • planting native species with staggered flowering periods to support pollinators and other wildlife
  • creating a fenced area to limit disturbance to the newly established urban forest
  • involving local residents and schools in the project to foster a sense of ownership and support.
  • regular monitoring of The Hill to assess the effectiveness of interventions and adapt strategies as needed.

Their report also stated: ‘The Glebe’s Hill project presents a significant opportunity to enhance urban biodiversity in the City of Sydney in a way that supports nature and people. By transforming this degraded site into a thriving greenspace, the project aims to create a model for urban ecological restoration that can be replicated in other cities’.

What are the next steps to be taken in making Glebe’s Hill a wildlife refuge? The Society recommended the following priority actions for Glebe’s Hill in 2025-2026:

  1. Secure the site – the perimeter fences to Glebe’s Hill should be secured to ensure that its future use by rough sleepers, exploring school children, and others is prevented.
  2. Remove toxic and contaminated surface rubbish but leave in place structural habitat elements (e.g. rocks, old logs and metal sheeting to provide continuing habitat for lizards [page 24 of the University’s Report]).
  3. Review all the recommendations of the University’s report and develop a plan to progress core issues including ensuring existing biodiversity elements are maintained, community engagement and monitoring is facilitated and site constraints are investigated. The latter could involve predeveloping a soil contamination and remediation report consistent with the site’s proposed future use as a wildlife refuge with controlled access by the public.

Following the presentation and publication of the University’s report, it became important to make its findings widely known in the City and to communicate the extensive support in the local community for the establishment of a wildlife refuge on The Hill. The Society sent copies of the report to the Lord Mayor, all Councillors and the City’s CEO. We also met with Councillors Ellsmore and Thompson at the Town Hall, and meetings at The Hill were held with Councillor Jess Miller, Joel Johnson (Manager, City Greening and Leisure) and Jacqui Brooks (Parks Assets and Service Manager). We have also been trying to establish what, if anything, the Council has decided to do about the reported contamination of The Hill. As with any major innovation, we expect the introduction of the proposed changes to Glebe’s Hill will take years rather than months!

During the year, the subcommittee wrote the Society’s submissions, which are available on our website, about the following documents and enquiries:

We decided not to write submissions to the City about its Draft Pesticide Use Notification Plan and Draft Weed Management Policy as we agreed with them.

The Subcommittee has been delighted to receive $690 in donations during the year. In May, the funds supported the Society’s 9th Annual Biodiversity Lecture at Benledi, Glebe Library entitled ‘Where have all the insects gone? Why insect declines matter and how cities can make a difference’.  It was given by Associate Professor Tanya Latty, a Research and Teaching Fellow in Entomology in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney; 36 people attended.

Tanya outlined the many important roles that insects and invertebrates play, including as food crop pollinators (30% of our food crops, including chocolate, are pollinated by insects); as general plant pollinators and conservators; as scavengers; in helping to break down waste; and in keeping crops healthy.

As well as knowing very little about the basic ecology of our insects, we have still only given names to about 30% of the insects in Australia and are losing them before we even name them! And although we live on an insect planet of over 20,000 trillion ants, we don’t have much data on which insects are declining in number or are threatened species. 

Tanya has been researching Australian insects and invertebrates and is familiar with the Glebe–Forest Lodge area (where there are 9 species of hoverfly in Glebe and 40 species of native bee!) Tanya makes a point of always taking her camera with her and she delighted the Benledi audience with her photos of colourful and unusual insects taken around Glebe, including on the Glebe Foreshore.