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MELTON ENVIRONMENT GROUP 7No. AOO4OO49F

A.B.N 47 411575097

PO BOX 481 MELTON 3337

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2017 CORPORATE MEMBERS Western Land Services “Western Land Services are specialists in environmental management techniques, weed & vermin control.” Phone 03 9747 0855 or email [email protected];

MEG ONLINE Website: http://meltonenvironmentgroup.org.au/; Facebook: check for coming MEG events; :http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/MeltonAustralia/Melton-Environment-Group/139259387879;

Volume 139

MEG ACTIVITIES 2017 MEG Working Bees These will be the 1st Saturday of each month. Birdwatching in Melton 2017 Bird Walks will be held on the 4th weekend of the month alternating from Saturday and Sunday. All MEG walks (including bushland walks) are easy walking & child friendly, on defined paths, with no bushwalking skills required. Walks in bushland will be automatically cancelled on Total Fire Ban Days, in high dangerous winds or lightning activity. Eynesbury Melton Gilgai (Harkness Road) Strathtulloh Long Forest Mallee Bird Walk in Long Forest mallee

Nature out http://natureoutwest.wordpress.com/; MEG is a Child Safe organisation, with zero tolerance for child abuse & a commitment to children’s best interests. Physical or sexual abuse of a child is a crime & will be reported to police, including grooming for sexual conduct with a child under the age of 16 years. All allegations & safety concerns will be treated very seriously & consistently in line with our child safety policies and procedures.

XMAS END OF YEAR FUNCTION MEG’s Xmas end of year function on Sunday 3rd December at Wurdi Youang combining with PLEG has been postponed due to dire weather warnings. However PLEG have postponed the event till the following Sunday 10th December. MEG are again invited although the notice is short. An alternate function may occur later. Details TBA WILDLIFE RESCUE Ring: 13 000 94535

Mike & Pam in Long Forest Mallee On Saturday 25th November Pam, Mike & Daryl, with Annabelle & Evelyn visited Long Forest Mallee. The morning was overcast, muggy & uncomfortable with no wind among the mallees.

Winner of Melton Shire’s 2009 Community Achievement Award: Arnolds Creek Biolink Winner of KABV / Sustainable Cities Award 2013: Protection of the Environment: Arnolds Creek Biolink Finalist of KVB / Sustainability Cities award 2016: Protection of the Environment: Bird Week in Melton

2 Not surprisingly we saw hardly any birds. A few Little Ravens, Choughs, a Grey Currawong, Blackfaced Cuckoo-shrike, a few small unidentified birds calling in the foliage. The atmosphere was very oppressive. The birds must have felt it also. As we arrived we met Marilyn Hewish (one of the writers of 'Birds of the Long Forest') who was just leaving. Apparently her group had arrived at 5.30 in the morning! They saw a few birds but not many. Apparently they visited several sites there during the morning. Long Forest Mallee (LFM) is a unique Mallee remnant between Melton & Bacchus Marsh.

when the plants are a lot bigger! They are also good in a stir-fry. We also planted another edible local succulent, the related Bower Spinach. Some years back we also planted several Inland Noonflower (Pigface). The fruits of these are also edible. As well as providing bush tucker (albeit in small quantities) hopefully they may provide food for Blue-tongued Lizards. Bushland Pesto (adapted from the Wild Lime Cookbook by Juleigh Robins). This recipe for Bushland Pesto was supplied by Western Water’s Senior Environmental Engineer, William Rajendram some years ago. 250gm warrigal greens, blanched & squeezed dry ½ cup dry roasted pumpkin seeds (or macadamia nuts) 1 clove garlic, crushed 200ml light olive oil 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 100gm fresh parmesan, grated Combine all ingredients except the parmesan in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Add parmesan slowly until the pesto thickens. Makes approx 1.5 cups

Annabelle, Evelyn & Mike with old farm equipment Bush Tucker at Brookfield:

This Warrigal Green planted by MEG at Brookfield this year is obviously thriving. We planted several but this one is doing best, almost half a square metre in size. This is a locally indigenous edible plant. We hope to harvest some in years to come,

Child Safety legislation There was a workshop recently sponsored by City of Melton concerning the new Child Safe legislation. There was considerable lively discussion! We discussed this legislation & its implications on our environmental activities, at our MEG meeting on Wednesday 15th November. MEG will follow the Landcare Childsafe guidelines but will consult with other local community volunteer environmental groups to ensure consistency. OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS Wildflower Walk in Melton Gilgai Woodland On Saturday 4th November Melton environmental planner & botanist Sjaan Bidwel led a wildflower walk in Melton Gilgai Woodland in Harkness Road. Sjiaan pointed out the various woodland plants including the Turkey Bush which is one of the rare plants you can find around Melton. Most wildflowers had passed their prime, with a few Goodenias still flowering. The large yellow & brown pea flowers of the rare Templetonia

President: Daryl Akers Phone: 0438 277 252 email: [email protected] Secretary: Doug Godsil Brookfield rep: John Brewis Bird Advisor/First Aid : Geraldine Kelly OHS/ EEO/ Environmental Advisor: Peter Sell Website:http://meltonenvironmentgroup.org.au/ Meetings: 3rd Wednesday of the month at Don Nardella’s office in Alexandra St (beside Ambulance Station) at 7:

3 stenophylla had also gone but in their place were their large green seed pods. The Woodlands support a large number of birds many of whom nest in the tree hollows.

Magpie Lark,Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo, Brown Goshawk and Striated Pardalote

The large mud nest made by White-winged Choughs was the centre of attention of our resident flock of Choughs. The flimsy stick nest of a Dusky Woodswallow was spotted by Geraldine & Dave, its position high in a tree was given away by the bird returning to the nest. The Woodswallows regularly return here each year in spring to nest, then return north in autumn although their nests are more usually seen where a piece of bark has flaked from the tree trunk. White-browed Woodswallows sometimes come here also, usually in November to return northward the following February, although not every year.

White-winged Chough with mud nest

Seed pods of Templetonia stenophylla Although the wildflowers were disappointing the birdlife made up for their absence. Geraldine Kelly (MEG & Birdlife Werribee) & Dave Torr (Birdlife Werribee) were on hand to identify bird species. Due to the dull morning even bird numbers were less than expected but we still saw a healthy diversity of 18 birds. Peter Sell (MEG & environmental contractor Western Land Services) states that the wildflowers here flowered early, after rains Geraldine recorded 18 bird species: White-winged Chough, Magpie, Welcome Swallow, Willie Wagtail, Noisy Miner, Red-rumped Parrot, Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike, Dusky Woodswallow, Eastern Rosella, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Starling, Little Raven,Grey Fantail, White-plumed Honeyeater,

What looked like a raptor on a large stick nest was spotted by Geraldine & Dave. Its tail gave it away! This is where our resident pair of Brown Goshawks have nested for the last three years so the most likely suspect is a juvenile Brown Goshawk. The adult birds would have quietly left the nest at our approach.

Brown Goshawk on nest (tail visible at top left)

President: Daryl Akers Phone: 0438 277 252 email: [email protected] Secretary: Doug Godsil Brookfield rep: John Brewis Bird Advisor/First Aid : Geraldine Kelly OHS/ EEO/ Environmental Advisor: Peter Sell Website:http://meltonenvironmentgroup.org.au/ Meetings: 3rd Wednesday of the month at Don Nardella’s office in Alexandra St (beside Ambulance Station) at 7:

4 On our way out we observed a number of Striated Pardalotes noisily hopping about in the tree, beside the gate. Some appeared to be juveniles & someone thought they were in & out of a hollow. A Purple Meat Ant was spotted by a keen-eyed child, carrying an insect wing. It was observed that there may not be much meat on a wing.

Frances displaying Pinkerton time capsule

Purple Meat Ant carrying insect wing Birding at Pinkerton & Eynesbury On Sunday 19th November PLEG & Birdlife Australia invite the community to join them birding at Pinkerton & Bush's Paddock in the morning, Eynesbury Forest in afternoon, led by Geraldine Kelly. These sites are not usually open to the public & are home to a large variety of woodland birds. About 127 bird species have been recorded at Pinkerton & about 152 at Eynesbury to date.

Mystery eggs on ground in Pinkerton Forest

Geraldine writes: ‘Hi Everyone, Had a wonderful day out counting birds. Great to see the White-browed Woodswallows in Bushs and the Rufous Whistlers at Eynesbury. Western Water 17 Checklist S40587511 Bushs Paddock 26 Checklist S40587556 Pinkerton Forest 38 Checklist S40587490 Eynesbury Forest 50 Checklist S40587651 Details of birds observed on: https://natureoutwest.wordpress.com/2017/11/20/b irding-at-pinkerton-eynesbury-sunday-19thnovember-2017/; Pinkerton Forest was recently the site of a large ceremony whereby a time capsule placed by the Pinkerton family was opened. Details on: https://natureoutwest.wordpress.com/2017/11/20/ti me-capsule-opening-in-pinkerton-forest-8thnovember-2017/;

Discarded eggshell on Pinkerton Forest floor A mystery was several intact eggs (possibly Starling eggs by their turquoise colour) lying upon the ground. Broken eggshells are common enough on the ground this time of the year. Birds usually remove newly hatched eggs & drop them some distance from the nest, possibly to prevent drawing the attention of predators to their nest & nestlings.

President: Daryl Akers Phone: 0438 277 252 email: [email protected] Secretary: Doug Godsil Brookfield rep: John Brewis Bird Advisor/First Aid : Geraldine Kelly OHS/ EEO/ Environmental Advisor: Peter Sell Website:http://meltonenvironmentgroup.org.au/ Meetings: 3rd Wednesday of the month at Don Nardella’s office in Alexandra St (beside Ambulance Station) at 7:

5 However, several of these eggs were intact, & some only cracked, which posed something of a mystery; not to mention a feast for the Purple Meat-ants. This photo of a group of four Red-rumped Parrots feeding on the forest floor illustrates how well camouflaged they are, despite the bright colours of the male birds.

Mulla Mulla Grassland is the jewel in the crown of grassland reserves in the Western Region, having been restored by City of Melton over many years. It is the best local example of what our vast native grasslands must have once looked like. Unfortunately seed from uncontrolled Serrated Tussock blows from surrounding properties. Serrated Tussock blown into Mulla Mulla Grassland from other properties will be in the reserve for a considerable amount of time and will cost council a substantial amount of money to control.

Red-rumped Parrots in Pinkerton Forest 2018 survey calendar 18th February 20th May 19th August 18th November Eynesbury Bird Walks 2017 ‘Whether you’re a bird nerd or just bird curious, join us as we explore the Eynesbury Grey Box Forest and discover why it is one of the most important woodlands in Western Melbourne. Time: 10am – 12pm Location: Meet in the car park outside the grocery store What to bring: Long pants (in spring/ summer), comfy walking shoes, water, binoculars, camera Cost: Free! All ages welcome’ Dates: Sunday 24 September Sunday 26 November Contact: Chris 0422 441 488, [email protected]; OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS Serrated Tussock Serrated Tussock is a noxious weed that is a constant threat to both environmental reserves like Mulla Mulla Grassland as well as grazing & farming land. City of Melton, Western Water & local environment groups devote much resources to eradicating this weed.

Serrated Tussock infestation OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS Promoting Native grasses in our pastures Wednesday 6thDecember 10am-3pm 517 Ironbark Road, Ingliston Anthony Dufty, PPW CMA writes: ‘Pasture cropping is a sustainable farming practice that gives graziers the potential to maintain summer active perennials and carry more stock through the summer. Another technique, spray topping, can also be used to promote native grasses with a similar aim. At this workshop, we’ll look at a pasture cropping trial site which established predominantly indigenous pasture species in 2015-16. Hear from farmer Colin Seis, the winner of National Landcare Award in 2015 for his innovation of pasture cropping. You will also be able to speak to the farmers about what works on the ground and see the data that came from the trials. Lunch is provided. Please check the location on google maps before registration as it is a long travel for some of you. I

President: Daryl Akers Phone: 0438 277 252 email: [email protected] Secretary: Doug Godsil Brookfield rep: John Brewis Bird Advisor/First Aid : Geraldine Kelly OHS/ EEO/ Environmental Advisor: Peter Sell Website:http://meltonenvironmentgroup.org.au/ Meetings: 3rd Wednesday of the month at Don Nardella’s office in Alexandra St (beside Ambulance Station) at 7:

6 apologise for its remoteness but it is a specific volcanic grassland trial that may still be of interest to some of you. 517 Ironbark Road, Ingliston Feel free to give me a call on 0439 003 765 or 0402 894 576 if you need any further information Participants will need to register online at: https://register.eventarc.com/39650/promotingnative-grasses-in-agriculture; ‘ Anthony Dufty, Sustainable Land Management Coordinator Phone: 03 9971 6506 Mobile: 0439 003 765 Email: [email protected]; PO Box 2435 Level 1, 36 Macedon Street, Sunbury, Vic, 3429, www.ppwcma.vic.gov.au; MELTON WILDLIFE Kingfishers nesting beside Werribee River

Koel calling from Little Blind Creek. Pam has heard one calling from here in previous years. They seem to be regular if not common visitors to Melton in the last few years as they have been heard calling from both Arnolds Creek (at Brookfield) & twice now from Little Blind Creek. ‘I can hear a Koel calling I think he is at Little Blind Creek: I can hear his clear intermittent series of 'coo-ee' calls from over my fence. I couldn't walk around just now to try and spot him, Steve is not home he is the best at sourcing the direction of sounds. Anyway I think he is at the end of Little Blind Creek that I can see from my garden as I look across the Melton Primary School oval. Of course if he stays he may travel along the creek. Cheers, Pam It would appear that bird species usually associated with locations further north, or to the east of the state are being seen further south & west. Melton’s Environmental Services Coordinator Laurie Conole suggests that as more wattlebirds are attracted by more native plants in garden: these in turn are attracting Koels which parasitise Wattlebirds.

While participating in the Pinkerton family reunion picnic/BBQ, Werribee Wagtails bird observers (Geraldine Kelly & Kevin Madigan) noticed the sharp cries of a pair of Sacred Kingfishers that were discovered nesting beside the Werribee River, beside the ruins of the old Pinkerton family homestead They were constantly flying in & out of a hole in the tree branch, & making angry noises. Their continually loud calling gave them away. Unfortunately the hollow in which they are nesting faces the other side of the river! There were numerous small Garden Skinks scurrying through the grass so there should have been plenty of food for a growing family. The very next tree held an old Wedge-tailed Eagle nest, some three years old. Coo-ee bird at Little Blind Creek! MEG’s Pam Hadley has once again reported a

Scarlet Honeyeaters are being photographed in a wide range of locations this spring, as far west as Werribee Park & Bacchus Marsh. A ‘strange new bird call’ was also heard in a Bacchus Marsh garden near Darley. It was said tentatively to sound like the Scarlet Honeyeater call on the Pizzey & Knight bird app. Snipe in Melton Botanic Garden Geraldine’s snipe monitoring team has again recorded Lathams Snipe in the Botanic Garden: ‘we sighted 5 snipe same as a few weeks ago’. On Sunday 29th October Geraldine gave a presentation on the Latham’s Snipe and its migratory path to Japan and Russia (including personal stories of a recent trip to their breeding grounds). Geraldine then led a walk through the Garden, where five Lathams Snipe were recorded, again confirming that Ryans Creek in the Botanic Garden is an important resting place for the snipe on their epic migration between southern Australia & Siberia!

President: Daryl Akers Phone: 0438 277 252 email: [email protected] Secretary: Doug Godsil Brookfield rep: John Brewis Bird Advisor/First Aid : Geraldine Kelly OHS/ EEO/ Environmental Advisor: Peter Sell Website:http://meltonenvironmentgroup.org.au/ Meetings: 3rd Wednesday of the month at Don Nardella’s office in Alexandra St (beside Ambulance Station) at 7:

7 Hybrid Corella/Cockatoo

Melton’s Nora Peters tells us of yet another suspected hybrid Corella/Cockatoo: has once more ‘Hi all Pete [Gregory] was in the kitchen at 5-30am today and looked out of the window, upon seeing two Cockatoos there he got the camera over, he got three photos. When I downloaded just now found that he had taken photos of a Hybrid, like the ones I found in Eynesbury two years ago. (Orange/yellow Crest small, Blue eye ring, bill not overly long…. maybe same one? Regards, Nora’ Werribee Wagtails’ Dave Torr advises: ‘Nice photos! Could be the same one I guess as not far to fly. But maybe the same parents are still together? Or I wonder if this is a recognised hybrid produced by breeders and they escape?? One of life's mysteries’

Port Lincoln Ringnck Parrots at Eynesbury

Nora Peters writes: ‘Hi all Pete and I visited Eynesbury this afternoon around 5-30pm went to our favourite spots to look for the Diamond Firetails but instead spotted these two. I told Pete to get some shots for ID and then I got out of the car to get closer views managed to get to within 15ft, there was a dog in the garden of a nearby house started barking so the two flew off towards the waterfall area. When I got home searched Google for Ringnecks and found photos similar to the Port Lincoln & Twenty-eight Parrot, one of the birds had a lot of yellow on its belly but the other one didn’t, that one was larger than other so assumed that it was the male. The photo Pete took the larger one (male?) was at the back, the photo that I took was of the female? They must be escapees or maybe on a holiday trip J to the east!  Any ideas anyone? Regards Nora’ Dave Torr (Birdlife Australia & Werribee Wagtails) confirms their identification: ‘Yes, they have been reported before from Eynesbury - along with a turquoise parrot with strange colours. I suppose they could have blown over on a strong wind but most likely escapees. The four subspecies of ringneck readily interbreed so don't always get pure specimens - and of course aviary ones may have been bred for specific colours’

President: Daryl Akers Phone: 0438 277 252 email: [email protected] Secretary: Doug Godsil Brookfield rep: John Brewis Bird Advisor/First Aid : Geraldine Kelly OHS/ EEO/ Environmental Advisor: Peter Sell Website:http://meltonenvironmentgroup.org.au/ Meetings: 3rd Wednesday of the month at Don Nardella’s office in Alexandra St (beside Ambulance Station) at 7:

8

Birds at Melton Botanic Garden These birds were photographed by Nora Peters at Melton Botanic Garden

Greater Egret

Juvenile Noisy Miner Possum at Brookfield

Another photo of our Brush-tailed Possum that has taken up residence in our painted nestboxes at Brookfield, this time illuminated by the morning sun. These boxes were built for us by Melton Mens Shed from recycled timber, painted by Coburns Primary School students & placed in the trees by Western Land Services. Unfortunately the poor critter seems somewhat cramped in there. We’re going to need a bigger box perhaps! MEG are considering more boxes for placement at Brookfield. MERRY CHRISTMAS Merry Christmas to everyone from MEG & Happy New Year! Take care on the roads!!

Magpie-lark with nest

President: Daryl Akers Phone: 0438 277 252 email: [email protected] Secretary: Doug Godsil Brookfield rep: John Brewis Bird Advisor/First Aid : Geraldine Kelly OHS/ EEO/ Environmental Advisor: Peter Sell Website:http://meltonenvironmentgroup.org.au/ Meetings: 3rd Wednesday of the month at Don Nardella’s office in Alexandra St (beside Ambulance Station) at 7: