Notes on the Fauna of a Small Western Plains Woodland Remnant near Winchelsea, Victoria

3 Pages·1993·0.83 MB·English

by  L E Conole

y
Contribution.
Fauna Survey Group Contribution No. 16
Notes on the Fauna of a Small Western Plains Woodland
Remnant near Winchelsea, Victoria.
L.E. Conole*
Abstract ofthesegrassyecosystemsremain inVic-
Casual and limited observations were toria (Lunt 1991).
made of fauna occurring in a small The briefinvestigation ofbiological re-
woodland remnant on the western plains sources of a block of grassy woodland
nearWinchelsea, Victoria. The woodland near Winchelsea reported herein, was
includes one of the last identifiable conducted in support of a local
remnants of the Drooping She-oak community's desire to see the privately
(Allocasuarina verticillata) commun owned block transferred into public own-
that previouslyoccurred along thecoastiatl ership as a conservation and education
plains/volcanic plainsecotonccasttoPort reserve.
Phillip Bay at Williamstown (Damien This 2.8 hectare linear block of grass-
Cook pers. comm.). The remainder is land and grassy woodland lies 6
grassy woodland of Manna Gum kilometres east of Winchelsea on the
(Eucalyptus viminalis) and Sweet Princes Highway, at the junction with
Bursaria (Bursariu spinosa var. mac- Buckley School Road at the base of the
rophylla), A total of 16 species of ants, road bridge over the Geelong-
Warrnambool rail line. At the western
eight speciesofbutterflies, five speciesof
end, a large area now covered with Kan-
frogs, two species of reptiles, 37 species
garoo Grass (Themeda triandra) (similar
ofbirds and six speciesofmammals were
to the adjacent rail reserve) was scraped
recorded. These preliminary results
during the building of the road bridge.
indicate the potential value of small, ProgressingeastthroughanareaofManna
isolated, native vegetation remnants for Gum (Eucalyptus viminalis) woodland
biological conservation, and point to the with scattered Sweet Bursaria (Bursaria
continuation of natural ecological spinosa var. macrophylla). Black Wattle
processes in such small remnants. (Acacia mearnsii) and Silver Wattle (A.
Introduction dealbata), the eastern end has denser
The landscape between Geelong and woodland in the form of an almost pure
Winchelsea has been comprehensively stand of Drooping She-oak (Al-
clearedforagriculturesinceEuropeanset- locasuarina verticillata). An ephemeral
tlement- Areas of remnant natural wetland on the rail reserve encroaches
vegetation are few, and are clustered slightly ontothe block, and contains such
characteristic aquatic species as Water-
around natural topographical features
such as the Barwon River, and con- milfoil (Myriophyllum elatinoides). A
more exhaustive description ofthe vege-
structed features such as rail lines and
roads. These remnant natural vegetation tation can be found in Conole, Cook,
communities are valuable sites for the Lynch and Stewart (in preparation).
continued survival and conservation of
Survey Methods
indigenous plant and animal species. Na-
tive grassland and grassy woodland are Casual observations and brief searches
the most threatened ecosystems in Aus- for fauna in the block were conducted on
tralia,andonly0.5%oftheoriginalextent 21 July, 13 October and 22 November
99 22 November 992 and 28 January
1 1, 1
* 2/45 VirginiaSireet. Ncwiown.Vic, 3220 1993 (Table I). Birds seen and heard in
Vol. 110(3)1993 125
" " 1
Contributions
Table 1.SpeciesRecorded
CLASSJNSKCTA liliqua scincoidesCommon Blue tongued Lizard
ORDEKHyMENOPTERA Pseudemoiaext/ecasteauxiiTussock Skink
FAMILYFORM1CIDAL
CLASSAVES
SUB-FAMILYMYRMLCIINAL
Myrmeciacf. rectidans( inundibutuns'GROUP.) SWthriatwe--fnaeccekdedIlIebrisonTAbrredsekaiontonviasesbpoilnliactoullLisae
Myrmeciapiriformis BulldogAnt
GreatCormorantPbalacrocoraxcarbo
.MvSnUnBe-cFiAaMI'pLdYosPulOuN'LJRumIpNiAngEJack LittlePiedCormorantPbalacrocoraxmelanoleucos
AustralianShfilducfeTadornatadommdes
Rhyudoponeratusmanwnsis
BlackSwan Cygnuxatratus
Hhytidoponeravtcionae
Brown FalconFalcoberigora
Trachymesopussp.
SUB-FAMILYMYRMIC1NAE Australian KestrelFalcocenchtoides
Black-sboulderedKiteElanusnotatus
Crematogastetsy,
SUB-FAMILYFORMICINAE StubbleQuailCoturuixnovaezelandiae
Cumpanotus 'conxobrmus' SugarAnt Yellow-tailedBlack-CockatooCalyptorbyncbus
SUB-FAMILYDOLICHODLRINAL Junereus
Ooluhoderus "atistralis" Sulphur-crestedCockatooCacatuagalerita
Dohcboderus"srubruhts Long-billedCorcllaCacatuatenuirastris
Iridr/myrmexsp, CialahCacatuaroxeicapilla
I"tlinddaommvyrrmmeexxl"upiumripluurseaAsr"geMnetailneAAmm CRreidmsrounmpReodscPlalanoPtlaPtsytepebroctuussebleageamnastonotns
Iruhmxrmex "bukneUt LasternRoscllaPtatycercuxeximiux
liulomxnnex "foetans" WelcomeSwallowHitundoneoxena
lechitomvrmewp 'SkylarkAlaudaurvensts
ORDKKLEI'IDOIMERA Black-facedCuckoo-shrikeCoracmunvvaebollafidiae
FAMILYNYMPHALIDAL "Stockbird Itodusinenda
VanessaiteuAUJITaiiaflAdmiral WillieWagtailHbipiduraietnop/ays
VanessakersbawtAustralianPannedLady GreyShrike-thrushCollunanciabatmo/uca
JnnoiuuvtllidaMeadowArgus SuperbFairy-wrenMalurascvaneux
HetenmvmphametopeCommonBrown Ycllow-rumpedThornbillAcantbizacbrysorrboea
FAMILYPILRIDAL While-plumedHoncycatcrLicbenostomuspenicillatus
*PUmtapaeCabbageWbile Yellow facedHoncyeatcrLicbenostomuscbnsops
Attaphuei$j6tvuCap9tWhita RedWattlebirdAntbovbaeracurunculata
FAMILYLYCAENIDAE NoisyMinerManonnamelanocepbabi
f'uralmiaannferaBrigbiCopper Red-browedFiretailEmblematemporalis
ZirinalabiadusCommonCrassBlue •HouseSparrowPasserdomeshtus
CLASSAMPHIBA 'EuropeanGoldfinchCu/dueliscarduelis
ORDERSALIENIA "CommonStartingStttrmd vulgaris
FAMILYHYIJDAE AustralianMagpie-lark(iialimacuintdeu,a
UFtAoMrImLwYtoMfYtiOBSoAuTthReArnCBHrIoIwnMFTree-hog AAuussttrraalliiaannRMaavgepnieCoGtvvmitixiocurrbomnaoitdiebiscen
Crime,sig»ifemCommonEasternFfOgfe] LittleRavenCon-usinellon
IjmnodvnastesdmneriliiPobblcbonk CLASSMAMMALIA
LimnndynustestasnwmenstsSpottedMarsbFrog CommonBrushtail Possum Trubosutusvulpecula
l-tnmodsnnsu'spenmuStripedMarshFrog "Brown RatHattusmnxeguus
CLASSREPTILIA •European RabbitOryctolaguscumedus
ORDERSQUAMATA *Fox Vulpes sulpex
LAMII.YSCINrilMF "CatFeltsratus
White-stripedMaslilf-batTaduridaauxtrahs
dwJ"oCihuveWer,erergebehnlieilorlaioceyd,ukmn.onannwdid.eMnurbasneymdRnmeeionrpsatdetleiraUrdolsee,sccsktawssesaaariwnnngeednddrsdetesviattuommehccbcophaetshlreeaiidsblsolisa,bykaifoenbontlysnh-H (aeACicn1dnote9ddinm5etoNmri1nofs)soivooneenfdfmao(aunbr1snte9idsr9nfwgW1ie1n)at9rethf9eroee2r,mrsmhatraooadensunsedodtslaieitunrdatdeO(xinc1aoir,9tine8ofla2bien)ereod.derfnCuCc1lsoe9ailt9rnhlokge-f
handcaugh,orrecoo,niscdlnnjghtiUnd mMyardmeectoiiGnraeec.nsSlaodmee(1r9e7f9e)r.ence was also
126
Victorian Nat,
'
Contributions
Discussion those described by Anderson (1990) to
These results are clearly an incomplete evaluate change in terrestrial ecosystems
inventory of the fauna of the block, as wouldbeaviabletechniqueforevaluating
comparatively little survey effort was and monitoring environmental change at
expended, and no spotlight survey or live the Winchelsea block, as ants are easily
trapping was included. It is equally clear collected and lend themselves especially
though that a number of native fauna well to the monitoring task. Two species
species utilise this 2.8 hectare block in of Rhytidoponera were detected during
some way, including some that only visit thesurvey,andthisgenusisaparticularly
for foraging purposes. Little can be sensitiveindicatorofdisturbance (Ander-
concluded from these results other than son 1990). However, Myrmecia which
that the block represents an important seems less suited to highly disturbed en-
island of semi-natural habitat in a vast vironments is still represented by at least
threespecies(M reciidans,M.pyriformis,
agricultural area. .
M. pilosula).
Thetotal of37 species ofbirdsrecorded A co-ordinated effort by local residents
ishigherthantheaverageof30speciesfor
(with support of the landowner), Colac
blocks of2 to 20 hectares in the Geelong
regionoftheDepartment ofConservation
area (Conole in preparation). However,
and Natural Resources and the Victoria
the proportion of farmland and wetland
ConservationTrust is proceeding to have
birds is higher at this block than at others theblockacquiredasaCrownLandnature
surveyed.
conservation reserve. The Fauna Survey
Birds such as Yellow-tailed Black-
Groupassistedthiseffortbysurveyingthe
CockatoosvisitfromtheOtwayRangesto
biota on the block.
the south to feed on fruit ofthe Drooping
She-oak, and other parrots roost in trees Acknowledgements
ontheblock.TheCommonBrushtail Pos- ThisprojectwassuggestedtotheFaunaSurveyGroup
sum is probably a resident, although the O(fFfSiGce)r.byDeSpiaervtemeSnmtitho,f FCloornaseravnadtiFoanunaandGuaNraatnutreael
aerial feeding White-striped Mastiff-bat Resources,Colac.
and Welcome Swallow may only forage Project Manager for the FSG was Lawrie Conole.
overhead, perhaps roosting elsewhere. Assistance to the project manager in vertebrate survey-
The While-faced Heron and Straw- wasprovidedbyRussellThompson,Alex KutiandPeter
Lynch. Invertebratessurveyedby Lawrie Conole. Flora
necked Ibis forage in the small wetland, surveybyDamienCook,PeicrLynch,JasonStewartwith
and likeothertransientvisitorssuchasthe assistancefromFelicityGardeandAndreaDennis.
Grey Shrike-thrush and Red Wattlebird,
References
are not resident there. While-plumed Anderson, A.N. (1990). Theuseofanlcommunities lo
Honeyeaters arcpresent mosi ofthe time, evaluatechangeinAustralianterrestrialecosystems:
as are the ubiquitous Noisy Miners. The areviewandarecipe,ProceedingsoftheEcological
frogs and reptilesareresident, as aremost AndeSroscoine,tyA.oNf.Au(s1t9r9a1li),a'1T6h:e3A4n7t-s3o57f.SouthernAustralia
of the insects. There are ongoing natural (CS1RO: Melbourne.)
ecological processesoccurring within the Clark,J.(1951) TheFontticidaeofAustralia, VolumeI,
SubfatnilxMynneciinae'(CS1RO: Melbourne.)
remnant grassy woodland ecosystem of Common,I.FB andWatcrhousc.D.F.(1982) Butterflies
the block. ofAustralia(FieldEdition)'. (Angus& Robertson:
The element of the fauna that has the Sydney.)
Conole. L.E. (in prep.). Birds of grassy woodland
greatest potential as an indicator of the remnantsintheGeelongarea,south-westVictoria.
degradationoftheecosystem,andofmon- Conole, L.E., Cook, D„ Lynch, P. and Stewart, J. (in
itoring its condition in future, is the ant pplraeipnasrawtiooond)l,aNnodtreesmonnantthenefalrorWainocfhaelssmeaal,lVwicetsotreiran.
fauna. I recorded 16 epigaeic species in Greensladc, PJ.M. (1979) 'A Guide to Ants ofSouth
approximately 2.5 hours of searching on Australia (SouthAustralianMuseum: Adelaide.)
the ground for worker ants, but made no Lunl,graIsDs.lan(d1s991)a.ndMagnraagsseymenwtooodflarnedmsnanftorlonwaltaunrde
attempt to survey nocturnal, arboreal or conservation; a review. The Victorian Naturalist
cryptic species. Using methods such as 108(3):56-66.
Vol. 110(3)1993 127