|
Care for Cardinia Creek |
Rare and Threatened Species in Beaconsfield Flora and Fauna Reserve |
|
| HOME
Beaconsfield Flora and
Fauna Reserve
*Intro
to BFFR
*LocationMaps Friends of Cardinia Creek Sanctuary Managing the
Beaconsfield Flora and Fauna Reserve
|
 FLORA
Hooker's Fescue (Austrofestuca hookeriana) State Significance This indigenous species of grass (pictured) grows in the Swamp Gum Riparian Woodland and under the power transmission lines. It is listed as a Victorian Rare or Threatened Species. The bright green grass grows in tussocks 10-30 cm high, with flower stems up to 1.8m. It grows in Swamp Scrub and Valley Sclerophyll (Eucalypt) Forest. It likes moist soil and occasional flooding, and can tolerate drought in Summer. It flowers in November to January. Found in Victoria, NSW and Tasmania.
The reserve also contains: see Flora species lists **33 flora species of Regional Significance ( in the Gippsland Plains Bioregion) **7 species of Local Significance (in the Berwick-Pakenham area) FAUNA Dwarf Galaxias (Galaxiella
pusilla)
This endangered species of fish is found in swamps and billabongs in the
reserve. The Dwarf Galaxias is listed under the federal
Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 as a vulnerable
species (i.e. vulnerable to becoming endangered if no action is taken to
conserve the species). In Victoria, it is listed as a
threatened species under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee 1988. It grows to
only around 4cm in length. The males have a bright orange Powerful Owl (Ninox strenua)
Wedge -tailed Eagle (Aquila audax)
The wedge-tailed eagle is considered as a Regionally Significant
species, as it is rare within our region, the Gippsland Plains
bioregion. This list may be extended as more is learned about species in the reserve. The high quality habitat in the BFFR is hoped to be home to other threatened species, such as the threatened Swamp Skink (Egernia coventryi). Further research is required into the occurrence of such species in the reserve. |
stripe.
They live in slow flowing fresh water such as swamps and the
backflow of streams, hiding in aquatic vegetation. They spawn in
Winter-Spring each year, laying eggs on aquatic vegetation which hatch
in around three weeks. They are threatened by the loss and degradation
of their habitat, eg. draining of wetlands, water extraction for
irrigation and stock, and through the siltation of waterways, which is
caused by silt and soil particles eroding from the land and flowing with
surface water runoff into waterways. This affects water quality,
particularly light penetration into the water. In the reserve, the Dwarf
Galaxias is found in backwaters and billabongs that are only connected
to the creek in times of high flow, providing a flushing effect to
maintain high water quality. 
This
large species (up to 65cm high) of owl is sedentary, territorial and can
have a home range of more than 300ha. It is considered Rare in
Australia, and is listed as threatened in Victoria under the Flora and
Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. It is threatened by the destruction of its
forest habitat. It nests in large tree hollows and feeds on ringtail
possums, sugar gliders, birds and large insects. The Powerful Owl is a
regular visitor to the BFFR, and the reserve also contains a number of
large hollows for possible nest sites. The species is believed to nest
upstream in a bushland reserve, and is able to
move through vegetation along the creek, making the Cardinia Creek an
important 'wildlife corridor' for the species. It can be identified by
its call at night...."whoo-hooo"
The Wedge-tailed Eagle is a large bird of prey, averaging
around 90-100cm in height when perched, with females being larger than
males. It is brown to black in colour with some streaks of lighter
brown, particularly on young birds. It can be identified from other
raptors by its wedge-shaped tail. It hunts small to medium sized prey
such as wallabies, kangaroos and rabbits. It builds a large nest high in
a tree, made of twigs and branches, laying eggs in June to August. They
are often seen flying over the reserve, particularly on a fine day when
the weather provides perfect conditions for gliding around in search of
food. Whilst the photograph is not totally clear, you can recognise this pair of Eagles photographed in 2003 in a dead pine tree
opposite the BFFR near Holm Park Road. This breeding pair were later
seen with one offspring flying over the reserve. They are believed to
nest in bushland nearby. Wedge-tailed Eagles have also been known to
nest in wetlands south of the freeway in Beaconsfield. Their decline
over time has been due to habitat loss and hunting, as they are
perceived as a threat to stock, particularly sheep and lambs. Once the
subject of bounties for their carcass, they are now protected by law.