Earthcare News

June 2005

Water Quality
at West Beach
30th June 7.30pm
EcoCentre

Planting, Weeding and Plant IDentification
at H.R. Johnson Reserve
Corner of Cowderoy and Longmore Sts.
St Kilda West
Saturday July 9th 1-3pm

Johnson Reserve is a beautiful indigenous grassland with many
pretty flower and lillies.
Absolutely the best place to take photos when it is in bloom

Rakali Watch Symposium

We are still going ahead with our Rakali Symposium in October this year. We have several speakers lined up on Saturday 29th and in the evening we will visit St Kilda breakwater for some Rakali observation and a look at some of the Rakali middens.
On Sunday we are planning a Public Awareness Day at the Rotunda St Kilda Pier. The idea is to inform interested members of the public about Rakali - we are going to revamp the excellent Rakali booklet published some time ago. Our idea is to aim the booklet more towards a younger audience.

More information as the year unfolds.
Rakali Sightings
My work has just relocated to Box Hill - which makes getting to winter Rakali Watch impossible. So we have changed the day we meet to a Sunday. We will go back to Wednesday evenings as soon as the daylight increases.

Sightings
Over the last month or so we have observed Rakali in the Elwood Canal again. Food seems to be plentiful at the moment. Around the St Kilda breakwater sightings have been really poor for several months - ever since the big storm in January. We have looked at lots of middens and it shows us quite clearly that Rakali around the breakwater are feeding mainly on Fanworm and very small crabs. However on Penguin Research last night (5th June) we had several really good sightings again and middens indicate they are feeding on small crabs, shellfish and fanworm. We have a sneaky suspicion that Rakali may be take the odd chick or egg and last night we saw two nesting penguins with eggs - so the increase in Rakali numbers around the breakwater may increase during the egg laying season. It's a little thought we will keep in mind.
Albert Park sightings have been almost non existent these past six to eight months. Not sure why - our next visit there is on Sunday 12 June at 5.15 pm

Elwood Primary
Elwood Primary have invited us to talk to their students about Rakali - looks like Tiana, Alyson and myself will do the presentation - we're not sure at this stage who will be wearing the Riki Rakali costume!
Bob and Alyson

SUPERB FAIRY-WREN COASTAL SURVEY

The Port Phillip EcoCentre is a community-managed 'umbrella' group based in St Kilda Botanical Gardens. The EcoCentre provides support for other community environment groups in the region and conducts its own projects. One such project is the Superb Fairy-Wrens Coastal Survey which aims to map SFW coastal populations between Altona and Black Rock. These coastal reserves are popular recreational spaces for people and are managed and maintained for this purpose in addition to being bird habitat. Within the City of Port Phillip, as with the rest of Melbourne urban development has fragmented the general population into smaller localized populations.

Blue wrens feed on a broad range of small animal life, mainly insects and other invertebrates. They have been recorded eating seeds to a much lesser extent. They build a spherical nest with a side entry consisting of grass stems, moss, rootlets, twigs, spiders web, and lined with feathers well hidden in tussocks, low shrubs, or occasionally in dense foliage up to 6 metres.
This study aims to examine the behavior and local habitat preferences to inform future management plans and ensure that competing uses do not eliminate the Wrens and other native bird species. The blue wrens, which stay all year round within a local territory, are an important indicator species for other bird species, which inhabit or visit these territories at different times of the year.

In addition to individual reserve surveys, at least 2 designated 'regional survey' days (autumn and spring) are planned each year. We hope to recruit sufficient numbers to simultaneously have survey teams in all of the reserves where wrens occur. This will allow conclusions to be drawn as to whether any movements occur between populations.
This information will build on past surveys conducted in Bayside and be published on the EcoCentre website www.ecocentre.com

STOP THE DREDGE!
Dredging scheduled for August 2005

The Independent Panel recommended extensive further environmental
and economic assessments.

In spite of this, the Port of Melbourne Corporation plan destruction at The Rip, South of the Bay, and risk disturbing toxic sediments in the North of the Bay - during 9 weeks of "trial dredging" costing us a further

$32 MILLION

DON'T DIG IT

This is it!

PUT THE POMC ON TRIAL
at the rally on
Sunday July 10th
1pm - 3pm
Sorrento Pier & foreshore

Wear Red, carry Red, fly Red and see Red
Boats, kayaks, surfers, whales, dolphins, penguins and seals welcome

Transport details - buses from Melbourne and Frankston
Call 0410 113 900 Booking essential by Monday 27th June

Underwater News Robby Mort

There has been quite a lot of action under the surface of Port Phillip Bay over the last couple of months. In mid May Freddie Leong sent me photos of spider crab (Leptomithrax gaimardii) aggregations under Rye Pier on the Mornington Peninsula. A couple of weeks later a crew from the Melbourne Museum were down there taking footage which some of you may have seen on news bulletins. The phenomenon is observed in shallow waters throughout their range (Albany, WA to Sydney) and scientists believe it may involve mating behaviour.
Two recent whale sightings in Port Phillip Bay also got cetacean enthusiasts excited. On Monday 23rd May a Humpback Whale was sighted in northern PPB. The whale was around 12m in length and had rounded the top end of Port Phillip Bay by 3pm and was last seen heading down the western side of the bay. While on Tuesday 31st May Pt Lonsdale Lighthouse reported a large whale in Port Phillip Bay around Hovell Pile. I have also had reports from divers that many baby Port Jackson sharks (Heterodontus portusjacksoni) were observed freshly hatched off shore from Rosebud as well as baby seven-gill shark pups (Notorynchus cepedianus) being caught off the spoil grounds in the northern end of the Bay.

Andrew McCutcheon and Robby Mort attended a Northern Pacific Sea Star management forum convened by the Dept of Sustainability and Environment on April 14th, at DSE. If anyone would like to read the Agenda or Workshop notes they can contact Robby Mort on mortymail@bigpond.com.au.

The Channel Deepening Proposal has also been in the news lately. The Age reported during the week that the proposed trial dredging is set to cost double that budgeted and is set to start in August 2005. The Port of Melbourne Corporation has called for interested parties that wish to be a part of the Project Stakeholder Advisory Committee to file an application before June 10. Applications can be downloaded at www.portofmelbourne.com.au Obviously this project poses many real threats to the marine life of St Kilda and if anyone wants to help the campaign against this threat they can contact Robby Mort on mortymail@bigpond.com.au.

Port Phillip Nature Watch

Over the last three weeks I have been away on a cruise exploring the north coast of Papua New Guinea, a great experience of that country's ancient culture and diverse natural world. More on that later, as I will give a presentation about this trip to Earthcare at a general meeting in the near future.

The most notable observations were all made in April, when it seems that many birds are in a mode of migrating from one area to another and pass through City of Part Phillip in the process. All observations were made along the foreshore in Elwood and St Kilda. The most obvious and plentiful birds were Grey Fantails on 15 April, which were present almost anywhere one looked in the natural vegetation for about 2-3 days before they all completely disappeared. On the same day I also observed a pair of Flame Robins at Point Ormond and a single juvenile Blue-winged Parrot along Elwood Canal near Marine Parade. I received an email from Colin Smith reporting Grey Fantails in Albert Park on 6 April, a week before they appeared along the foreshore.

One day later (16 April) I observed a single Richard's Pipit at Point Ormond, and three days later on the 19 April a Brown Songlark (see picture) along the St Kilda foreshore just north of the mariner. The songlark and Blue-winged Parrot are two birds rarely seen in CoPP, and were of enough interest to the Bird Observers Club of Australia when reported to them, that the birds are recorded in the Interesting Sightings section in the clubs June edition of the Bird Observer magazine.

Nature Watch If you see any wildlife no
matter how
insignificant they may seem to you, please Contact Andrew on
9531 2270 or email amccutcheon@
melb.globaldial.com

St Kilda Breakwater Penguin Report May 2004 to April 2005

Thank you to all volunteers for your support, We only got bad weather and very wet twice, which is not bad really. It has been another successful year in the penguin colony with an increase in the penguin population.

The detailed information we were able to give the government about the various stages of penguin breeding, moulting, fishing etc. made a valuable document in the case against Channel Deepening. The subsequent delaying of the Channel Deepening project was good, but there is still a lot of lobbying to be done about the proposed trial dredge and any follow on from there.

The huge storm in February did a lot of damage to the surface of the breakwater and has made life difficult for humans but the penguins seem to have survived and apart from a couple of nests being full of small stones all is well.There are a few changes in penguin behaviour since the storm. They are nesting on the seaward side in many more places from' P' to' U 'and are coming onto the breakwater from the same side. The male that always lived at ' j ' on that side now brings a group ashore from the seaward side, and they climb over the path onto the boardwalk area.
Closure of the breakwater due to storm damage has allowed the penguins to roam freely in the evening and this will have to be taken into consideration when the breakwater is reopened to the general public.
A problem with a dog killing a couple of penguins gave us a bit of publicity, which has gone in our favour. Many more of the general public are now concerned about penguin welfare.
Some of the Commercial fishermen have been talking to us and are interested in the penguin colony. Neil Blake and Zoe Hogg have been talking to George Beazley and Phil McAdam, whose families have been fishing in Port Phillip Bay for generations. They gave us background information on penguins in St Kilda prior to the construction of the breakwater. The commercial fishermen also donated fish for a fish BBQ, to raise money for microchips to replace bands on older penguins.
We have not had financial backing from a major source this year so have begun Sponsor a St Kilda Penguin to help with the cost of microchips and analysis of the penguin diet.

The St. Kilda Breakwater Wildlife Management Co-operative Area Advisory Group is now holding regular meetings and many aspects of the pier and breakwater are under discussion. One item that particularly concerns us is the new fence and gate, where it should be positioned and from what it should be made.

Earthcare has applied for a grant to erect a sign at the junction of the Pier and Breakwater advising visitors that they are entering the Breakwater Wild Life Reserve.
How Many penguins did we pick up?
Year Caught adults Caught chicks Seen not caught adults Seen not caught chicks
2003/04 423 38 1123 178
2004/05 671 45 1788 244
2003/04 Percentage of adults caught 27.3. Percentage of chicks caught 17.5.
2004/05 Percentage of adults caught 27.2, Percentage of chicks caught 15.5

How many times do penguins get caught?
Number times caught 1 2 3 4 5 6
2003/04 225 66 17 6 4 2
2004/05 281 100 34 20 4 1

So who is it that gets caught continuously?
It's a female 63BE071. Is she slow or does she just like us. She had chicks at I.0.3 but is frequently found At I.4.4

How many penguins did we microchip?
Year Male Female Others Chicks Total
2003/04 61 93 12 26 192
2004/05 62 111 12 32 217

Eight bands have been replaced by microchips.

On 28 April, Geoff Carr from the Invasive Species Council addressed our bi-monthly general meeting about the critical issue of invasive species - plants and animals - in Australia. Geoff told us that 70 per cent of invasive species in Australia have been deliberately introduced and thousands of foreign weeds are still allowed to be legally imported into Australia to be used in horticulture, agriculture and planted in home gardens. "This appalling gap in Australia's quarantine defenses needs to be plugged now.

Over the years incredible harm has been done by such pests as foxes, rabbits, toads, carp, prickly pear, blackberries, rubber vine and the tree-killing disease phytophthora.

At last count Australia had 2700 weed species and more than 200 marine invaders." (Invasive Species Council website) But, it's not just introduced species that are causing problems. Australian plants in the wrong places are causing havoc in areas like the Grampians and the Great Ocean Road, Geoff said.

The Invasive Species Council was formed in 2003. Its mission is to protect and enhance natural heritage areas, to conduct campaigns and to lobby at all levels of government to bring about greater awareness of invasive species and changes in policy, legislation and enforcement.

Earthcare has been working for years to establish and protect the natural heritage areas in the City of Port Phillip through indigenous, community plantings and weed control. Earthcare joined the Invasive Species Council last year.

You can find more information on the ISC website
http://www.invasives.org.au/home.htm including its newsletter
the Feral Herald.

Please join the Mayor of Port Phillip, Cr Darren Ray,

Artists, Ken Arnold and Corey Thomas,

to celebrate this new addition to Port Phillip's public art collection

on Thursday 23 June 3.30-5.00 p.m. at the Ecocentre.