VOL. 12 (3) SEPTEMBER 1987 73

AUSTRALIAN WATCHER 1987, 12, 73-82 The Breeding of in the Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park, South

By C.B. ASHIDN, P.O. Box 125, Aldinga Beach, S.A., 5173

Summary The breeding of birds in the Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park, coastal , is examined from data on 990 nest record submissions to the RAOU Nest Record Scheme over the period 1979-1986, predominantly the 1984 and 1985 seasons. Sixty-four species were recorded breeding, the highest seasonal breeding total being 470 nests. Species breeding totals corresponded fairly well with previously assessed species abundance. Some differences in incubation and nestling periods and clutch sizes from those given in standard reference books are noted. Introduction This paper supplements a previous one on the status and abundance of birds in the Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park, previously known as the Aldinga-Sellicks Beach Scrub (Ashton 1985), by summarising data from 990 nest record submissions to the RAOU Nest Record Scheme (NRS) for 64 species in the 1979-1986 breeding seasons. The Conservation Park (35 "17 'S, 138 OZ7 'E), consisting of about 7:15 hectares 45 km south of Adelaide, is the sole remnant of coastal dune vegetation of any significant size on the eastern side of St Vincent's Gulf south of Adelaide. Its vegetation formations (for details see Ashton 1985) consist mainly of dry sclerophyll woodland with some grassland and fernland, low and tall shrubland (a 400 m wide belt between coastal and secondary dunes) and swampland. Methods The Scrub was traversed using eight well-defmed tracks: four in a north-south direction, four in an east-west direction with excursions made in between these. In the 1985 season nest searching and monitoring was done for about four hours nearly every morning, and at some other times, between mid July 1985 and the end of January 1986. Ground observations of nests were occasionally supplemented by the use of a stick and mirror, stool, ladder and climbing of the nest tree. Disturbance was kept minimal early in breeding in the belief that it is then that birds are most likely to desert nests, hence in some cases only approximate building and laying times were obtained. The highest seasonal totals, 215 and 470 nests, were in the 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons respectively. For some species the largest number of nests found in a season is compared with the number of groups or pairs believed to be present, e.g. Golden Whistler: total 25 nests (max. 13 nests/season, 12-17 pairs). This estimate of groups or pairs was based on the results of entering sightings on to maps over a period of four years. In general there was a correlation between the largest number of nests found in a season and the estimated abundances (Ashton 1985). The following definitions are used in the systematic list (following Marchant 1984). Breeding season (BS): time period during which clutches were started. For this determination, where the actual start oflaying was not observed nests were aged from the date of hatching, estimated age of young in the nest or date of fledging where incubation and, if necessary, nestling periods had been determined during the course of this survey. Clutch size: the criteria for acceptance were (a) laying followed through until the same number of eggs '.vas found after successive laying intervals appropriate to the particular AUSTRALIAN 74 ASHTON BIRD WATCHER

species; (b) finding an incomplete clutch and then later finding a number of eggs in the nest that according to the laying routine of the species must have been laid in a shorter period than the intervals of observation. Clutch size is presented as C/1, C/2, C/3 etc. and the number of such clutches preceded by x, e.g. Mistletoebird C/2 x 3, C/3 X 6, C/4 X 1. Incubation period (IP): period from laying of last egg to hatching of last young. Nestling period (NP): hatching of last young to fledging of same. Where IP and NP criteria are not met an explanation is given concerning the nature of the entry. IP and NP values refer to single nests. Nest success rate (NSR): percentage of nests producing fledglings. Breeding success rate (BSR): young fledged per egg laid. Table 1 presents data for species with more than 20 nests and at least nine known clutch sizes followed to final result. DY: dependent young only. Such records are disregarded in nest success rate calculations.

Results The results are presented in Thbles 1-3 and in the annotated list below. Table 1 shows breeding success for those species which provided sufficient data. Table 2 shows breeding records on the basis of dependent young only, Table 3 lists the species of vegetation most commonly used for nest sites and Figure 1 shows the breeding periods for 20 species having a reasonable number of nests with known starting dates for clutches.

Annotated list Totals refer to number of nests observed. White-faced Heron Ardea novaehollandiae Total 10. Earliest record of brooding 17 August, latest nest containing young Z7 December. Black-shouldered Kite Elanus notatus Total 7. One season bred twice in same nest: two fledged on 7 September, next seen brooding again 17 October, two fledged 26 December. Two nests used in two successive years (cf. Hollands 1984: 'Nest normally used once only but one nest . .. used twice'). Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus Total 2. Same nest fledged young in 1984 and 1985. In the second year the male was a different bird, in immature . Brown Falcon Falco berigora Total l. Bred in an Australian Magpie nest in which the latter fledged young in October 1981, the falcon young fledging on 13 December of the same year. Australian Kestrel Falco cenchroides Total 3. Used same nest in two successive years. Stubble Quail Cotumix novaezelandiae Total 2. DY2. C/9 x l. Masked Lapwing JUnellus miles Total 3. Earliest hatching l3 August, latest 10 November. Sitting bird rose to drive off Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus. In one nest two chicks were heard cheeping in the eggs 48 hours before they hatched. The two young were brooded for longer than 24 hours from the hatching of the second young. Banded Lapwing JUnellus tricolor Total 3. Earliest brooding recorded 28 July. An association of a sitting bird with a partly eaten three-week-old embryo was noted (field notes): 'Now only three (previously four) eggs. 3.0 em from nest is the fresh, moist, naked head and neck of embryo with a little shell attached. Other eggs warm. No sign of predator. Cows nearby'. When chicks were 36 days old one parent was a road kill; one young seen with remaining parent a month later. VOL. 12 (3) SEPTEMBER 1987 Breeding of Birds, Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park, S.A. 75

Red-capped Plover Charadrius ru.ficapillus Total 4. Earliest brooding recorded 19 August. Black-fronted Plover Charadrius melanops Total I. Hatched 26 September. One egg pipped at 0700 h, three downy young (one not completely dry)) at 1630 h. Still being brooded Tl September at 0700 h, no sign of adult or young at 1120 h. Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus Total 15. Earliest record of brooding 16 September, latest hatching 24 October. One bird resumed sitting early in brooding after eggs covered by water for seven days and successfully hatched four young (one found floating dead below nest). Australian Pratincole Stiltia isabella Total 1 (C/2). Start of laying 23 September, egg hatched 13 November, IP 19 days ± 1 day. Spotted Turtle-Dove Streptopelia chinensis Total 65. Success 21, failure 36, NSR 35%. BS 30 August to 23 January, peak laying October and November. C/1 x 1, C/2 x 50. Flushing was often hasty, resulting occasionally in a damaged egg. Young often brooded to fledging. Twice, young that fledged on approach returned to the nest for a further day. Once a second brood in the same nest (intervals from loss of young to laying of next egg 41 days). Two New Holland Honeyeaters were observed eating a clutch of two eggs. A brooding adult was caught by a cat. Nest site: catholic in choice. Crested Pigeon Ocyphaps lophotes Total 30. Largest number of nests recorded in a season 17. DY 1. Success rate 13, failure 13, NSR 48%. BS: 21 September (first nest-building observed 23 August) to 26 December, peak laying October­ December. C/1 x 1, C/2 x 16. Young often brooded to fledging (more tightly than Spotted Thrtle-Dove), and a brooding bird repelled an immature Australian Magpie. This was at a nest 9 m high in a eucalypt that had been used in another season by Australian Magpie and Brown Falcon. Also escaped predation whereas a House Sparrow nest 1 m distant in the same bush did not. Once, young that fledged on approach returned to the nest for a further day. Experience before this survey showed that this species readily deserts nests if disturbed early in breeding. Once brooded on nil contents for at least 10 days. A building adult was caught by a Brown Goshawk. Thwny Frogmouth Podargus strigoides Total 3. DY 1. Earliest recorded brooding 6 September, latest fledging 25 October. Same nest used in three successive years, then nested in adjoining tree after a road was built alongside the first site. Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae Total 5. First inferred brooding 19 September, latest fledging 30 December. Same nest hole used in two successive years twice, each time being displaced by Honey Bees Apis m!dlifera; new nest site made available by recent fall of hollow limb. In 1980 and 1981, one and two auxiliaries involved but none in 1985. Food taken to young included a White-plumed Honeyeater. Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus Total 2. Latest fledging T1 January. Young taken by Australian Magpie (Ashton 1986b). Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena Total 2. The nest, used for two attempts, was a Fairy Martin's nest the previous season and had been modified to approximate the shape and dimensions of a Welcome Swallow's nest (Ashton 1986a). Tree Martin Cecropis nigricans Total 1. Fledged 26 December. Fairy Martin Cecropis ariel Total22. BS: 20 October to 22 January. Building time: 18 days (one nest). NP: 18 days ± 1 day. Nests were lined before building the neck of the nest. Many nests (in culverts) were vandalised. In one such, breeding was successfully completed. In one nest a dead adult was found jammed in the neck with four dead young near fledging in the nest chamber. In one nest a dead well-feathered young had a foot caught in a loop of grass (joined to mud of nest). Birds left the nesting area en masse January­ February, once leaving a nest with addled eggs (found later). Richard's Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae Total 3. Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae Total 13. BS: 14 September to 8 November. Same nest site used in two successive years. (This pair fiercely harassed the observer throughout the later stages, others did not at all). Feeding was at first by bill to gape but older nestlings seen to place bill within parental throat. White-winged Triller Lalage sueurii Total 7. DY 2. BS: 11 November to 4 December. C/2 x 6. Both sexes built, brooded and fed young. Hooded Robin Melanodryas cucullata Total 4. DY 3. Success 3, failure 2. C/2 x 2. Female alone brooded. Grey Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa Plate 18 Photo: Michael Seyfort Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis Total 25 (max. 13/season, 12-17 pairs). DY 1. Success 15, failure 2, NSR 88%. BS: 26 August to 5 December. Breeding success in the 10 nests followed closely was 100%. C/2 x 8, C/3 x 2. NP: 10 days ± 12 h (on the assumption that a wet nest from slight rain meant that the young fledged after being seen the previous day at 0800 h); at a second nest 11 days ± 2 h. The preferred habitat (dense woodland) and preferred nest site (Kangaroo Thorn Acacia paradoxa) were determining factors in most nests being found in an area of 35 hectares. The young left the nest (and nest plant) unable to . Once when I approached one which had fledged that morning, the male parent several times landed against the fledgling thereby forcing it each time into a semblance of flight for one or two metres. Rufous Whistler Pachycephala rufiventris Total 7. Earliest brooding recorded 26 September, latest fledging 26 November. NP: 11 days ± 1 day. C/2 x 2, C/3 x 5. Grey Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa Total 50 (max. 31/season 17-20 pairs). DY 7. Success 25, failure 27, NSR 40% . BS: 11 September to 6 December, maximal October. C/2 x 6, C/3 x 27. IP: 14 days ± 5 h. NP: 13 days 6 h ± 24 h. Building time 14-20 days. Six nests were not completed, several of which were dismantled to build another nest. Delay between apparent nest completion and laying in two nests was 21 and 27 days. One pair failed thrice to fledge young. One instance of second brooding in same nest, which was refurbished about a month after loss of its contents. This species, even more so than the Willy Wagtail, continued nest building in the observer's close presence. Willy Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys Total 75 (max. 29/season, 15-20 pairs). DY 2. Success 43, fuilure 26, NSR 61%. BS: I September to 21 December, maximal October. C/2 x I, C/3 x 56, C/4 x 7. Nest building time: 6-17 days. Seventeen nests found in 15 hectares of open woodland in 1984. Nest repair observed during brooding. In one nest where horse hair was used in the outer binding, the nest began to fall apart after fledging. Double brooding in same nest twice. Second brooding in different nest fairly common (material from earlier nest often used). Interval between fledging and beginning of second laying in one nest was 24 days. Interval between loss of young in nest to beginning of second laying was six to seven days (two nests). A nest was built at the same site in two successive years. A nest was built in the same tree as three of the seven active Australian Magpie-lark nests recorded (after the latter began brooding). This association was also noted by Marchant (1974) and McFarland (1984). The latter suggested that both species might benefit from the enhanced protection of the eggs and young of both species by the attention of two sets of aggressive parents, a viewpoint consistent with the observation in this survey of Willy Wagtail nests in the same tree as those of two other aggressive species: Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (once) and Australian Kestrel (once). (There was no similar association noted in other species). In both the Rhipidura species, short observation periods usually showed only one bird building. I once VOL. 12 (3) SEPTEMBER 1987 Breeding of Birds, Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park, S.A. 77 watched a Willy Wagtail which, arriving at the nest twice with a large bill-full of cobwebs, chased its mate away when it arrived with smaller bill-fulls. However, I once saw both Grey Fantails building, each working at the rim and shuffling about in the nest cup. Young wagtails were found dead in the nest twice: once after cold, wet weather and once when a juvenile Pallid Cuckoo may have intercepted the nestlings' food. In the latter instance, the young cuckoo was seen perched alongside the wagtail's nest at 3.0 m in a Pink Gum leucoxylon. Adult wagtails 4.0 m distant did not come to its plaintive cheeping calls during four minutes of observation. When approached, the cuckoo flew to an adjacent tree where it was repeatedly fed by White-plumed Honeyeaters. The nest, which I had been monitoring, contained three cold 10-day-old young with a similar one below the nest. An account of a young Pallid Cuckoo (hosted by Fuscous Honeyeaters Lichenostomus fuscus) causing death of Grey Fantail nestlings by interception of food is given by Chaffer (1973) , and he cited a case of a young Pallid Cuckoo (hosted by White-plumed Honeyeaters) intercepting all food brought to the nest by a Willy Wagtail to feed its brooding mate. There was a seasonal difference in number of wagtail nests: 20 nests in 1985-86 compared with 29 nests in 1984-85 despite increased seaching in the second season. This was the only resident species showing a year-to-year fluctuation. Clutches of four eggs were found only in the 1983 and 1985 seasons, representing 50% of confirmed clutches in 1983, the year in which a drought broke. I intervened once when a Brown Goshawk perched 10 m from young about to fledge and leant towards the nest. The young were seen flying with the parent several days later. McFarland (1984) noted that Willy Wagtail attacks included 'harmless species such as and thombills'. In the light of observations at Aldinga of Striated Thornhill and taking or trying to take nesting material from active nests of Yellow-romped Thornhill and Mistletoebird, perhaps such attacks are justified. Superb Fairy-wren Malurus cyaneus Total 10. BS: first brooding observed 5 October, last fledging 9 January. C/3 x 4. Weebill Smicrornis brevirostris Total 8. BS: 17 October to 15 January. C/2 x 2, C/3 x 3. In the nests of some species the laying and loss of eggs led to odd sequences, none more so than in a Weebill's nest: October 17 two eggs (brooding), 18 one egg (cold), 21 two eggs (warm), 29 two eggs (warm), 31 three eggs, November 5 nil contents. White-throated Gerygone olivacea Total 8. BS: 20 October to 27 January. C/2 x 3, C/3 x 5. Nest building time about 11 days (two nests). At one nest the application of plant down was interrupted on about the lOth day for two copulations alongside the nest. This was followed by copulation on the next two days and the first egg laid on the succeeding day. IP 17-18 days, NP 17 days ± 24 h. All nests 1979-1983 inclusive were in a 5.5 hectare area. One brooded infertile eggs for 29 days. A second clutch was begun in this nest about six days later, from which one hatched but died from the effects of a heat wave at 12 days of age (Ashton & Ashton 1981, 1982). Following a heat wave in the next season, two fledged on 1 February. These were poor fliers, pale cream-coloured below, short-tailed and with feather vanes in the wings not fully emerged from the sheaths - the result, possibly, of a metabolic dysfunction brought on by the heat wave. Yellow-romped Thornhill chrysorrhoa Total 35 (max. 15 nests/season, 10 groups). Success 27, failure 3, NSR 90%. BS: I August to 10 November. C/2 x 3, C/3 x 13, C/4 x 4. In one nest two eggs were added to two infertile ones from the first clutch. Building time 18 days (one nest). Distance between active nests 200+ m. A second brood in the same nest was recorded on five occasions. Interval between broods (twice in same nest chamber, otherwise in one constructed against the previous one) 10, 16, 24 and 36 days (that of 10 days had been a failed nest). Frequently nested at same site in successive years, including once in a chamber destroyed the previous season (eggs lost in both seasons). The associated false nest varied from a shallow cup (usually), to a partly hooded one on top of the nest structure, to a 5 em diameter x 5 em deep cup (internal measurements) constructed at one side of the top. From one nest with young about five days old two Striated Thombills were seek taking bill-fulls of lining. The young of this nest fledged. Skinks were sometimes found in used nests of Yellow-rumped and Striated Thornbills alongside infertile eggs from which the contents had been drained. Yellow Thornhill Acanthiza nana Total 3. DY 3. Striated Thornhill Acanthiza lineata Total 21 (max. 12 nests/season, 10 groups). Success 4, failure 10, NSR 28%. BS 30 August to 12 November. C/2 x 1, C/3 x 5, C/4 x 4. One nest contained dead young after cold, wet weather (this nest had somehow lost part of its dome). One nest though completed (and, during frequent inspections, attended by a pair) was not laid in between 30 August and 20 November. One poorly concealed nest was destroyed before an egg was laid and nine days after building began (nest building time was longer than 12 days). Varied Sittella Daphoenositta chrysoptera Total 4. Three nests not laid in. AUSTRAUAN 78 ASHTON BIRD WATCHER

Singing Honeyeater Uclzenostomus virescens Total I. DY I. New Hol.land Honeyeater Phylidonyris novaehol/andiae Total 16. DY I. BS: I July to 17 December. C/2 x 9, C3/ x 2 . A swarm of bees senled to within 0.6 m of a nest containing two well-feathered young. The bees had left within three days and the young fledged after a further four days. White-plumed Honeyeater Uchenostomus penicillatus Total 2. DY 11 . Nests apparently often too well concealed and rather high for this observer. White-fronted Chat Ephthianura albifrons Total 24. DY 3. Success 16, failure 8, NSR 67%. BS: 4 July to 15 November. There were two laying periods, July-mid August and October-mid November. Usually bred semi-colonially. Crimson Chat Ephtlzianura tricolor Total I. Fledged on 14 December 1983. Mistletoebird Dicaeum hirundinaceum Total 20 (max. 12 nests/season). DY I. Success 11, failure 5, NSR 69%. BS: 21 August to 4 December. C/2 x I, C/3 x 6, C/4 x I. Nest building time 14-15 days (one nest). Eggs often la id before end of nest building. Observations showed female did most of nest building, all of brooding and most of the feeding of young in the nest. Plant down for nest building included that from the young leaves of Boneseed Chrysanthemoides monilifera. Two Silvereyes were seen tugging vigorously but unsuccessfully at an active nest made largely of this material and cobweb. Site invariably Acacia pycnamlza and nearly always a spindly tree. Silvereye Zosterops latera/is Total 196 (max. 157 nests/season). Success 49, failure 47, NSR 51%. BSR did not vary during the breeding season. BS: I September to I January, peaking October and December. C/1 x 2. C/2 x 70, C/3 x 17. Building time about 10 days. One bird brooded on nil contents for longer than seven days. IP 11 days ± I h, NP 10 days (once young fledged on inspection, but good fliers) . The most favoured nest sites were Kangaroo Thorn x 48, Dodder Cassytlza pubescens x 28, mistletoe (especially Lysiana exocarpi in Santalum acuminatum) x 25 and Casuarina stricto x 23. The nest site did not significantly affect BSR. Nests were only twice found in a plant containing another nest: one active (Grey Fantail), one of a previous season (Silvereye). The young were brooded up to fledging and they often fledged prematurely on close inspection. One nest, taken down in error as an old nest , was, whe n replaced, laid in and young hatched out. It was not resuspended. Though the brooding bird is quick to resume sitting after flushing, the death of a just-hatched young was probably due to exposure in the interim. Twelve nests were not completed. Europea n Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Total 17. DY 4. Success II , failure 3, NSR 69%. BS: 24 September to 13 December. C/4 x 3, C/5 x 4. Nest material: where available, green 0/earia axillaris stems were preferred for making the cup. At one nest in Kangaroo Thorn, feathers for nest lining were heaped above the nest (resembling a plucked bird) before being placed within it. House Spa rrow Passer domesticus Total 51. Success 12 , failure 8, NSR 53%. BS: 8 October to II December. C/3 x 3, C/4 x 6. C/5 x 2. Once, a second brood in same nest. Nests were sometimes built at a previous year's site. Four nests were either built into the base of a predator's nest or immediately below it (Black-shoulde red Kite x 3, Australian Kestrel x 1). Common S tarling Stumus vulgaris Total 22. Success 4, failure 0. Most nesting was in tree holes to the exclusion of native birds. Australian Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca Total 16. Success 7, failure 9, NSR 44%. Earliest building observed 29 August, latest fledging I January. Four nests not completed, four nests not laid in after apparent completion. In one nest laying was delayed 50 days after apparent completion. Nesting association with Willy Wagtail (q.v.), also in same tree with Australian Kestrel (once) and Black-shouldered Kite (once). White-browed Woodswallow Arramus superciliosus Total 4. This species began to breed very soon a fter arrival and left with immature young in early January. BS: 27 October to 14 December. Dusky Woodswallow Artamus cyanopterns Total 53. DY I. Success 38, failure 14, NSR 73%. BS: 23 September to 15 December, peak laying October-November. C/2 x 6, Cl3 x 29. IP .16 days ± 24 h, NP 18 days II h ± II h. There was evidence of young from a previous brood helping to feed young from a later brood when an adult took a grub which an immature had brought and fed it to one recently fl edged. In one nest after fledging, one egg was added to an infenile egg but the pair then desened this and bred nearby. No nest was used New Holland Hooeyeater Phylidonyris not•aehollandiae Plate 19 Photo: Michael Scyfort twice. As observed by Marchant.(l986), 'preliminary' building or simply the carrying of twigs preceded true nest building. The purpose of a persistent pursuit of a Dusky Woodswallow in the breeding season by a Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo is hard to explain except as a possible auempt to draw the former away from the nest so the cuckoo's mate could parasitise it, since I have not seen this cuckoo at any other time pursue a bird. Field notes read: 'A Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo chasing a Dusl;y Woodswallow about 25 m high in determined pursuit, usually easily out flown or outmanoeuvred (the cuckoo at least 0.3 m away though almost touching at times) - for three minutes. The cuckoo then perched above our heads at three metres. A few minutes later it resumed the pursuit for 30 seconds.' Adult woodswallows often covered with their body a fledgling when it left the nest at any sign of danger. Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen Total 31. Success 10, failure I. Earliest recorded brooding 31 July. latest fledging 13 October. One nest was used twice for successive clutches. Little Raven Corvus mellori Total 19. Success 9, failure 0. Earliest recorded brooding 22 July. After fledging young may go to and from nest for up to six days. Later formed flocks with other young and adults. One nestling survived an 8 m fall when the limb of a eucalypt broke in a gale. It was fed on and under the upturned nest for fi ve days to fledging. Discussion Published breeding reports for localised areas in South Australia are few and not such as to allow quantitative comparison. Some of the Aldinga results differ from the often scanty breeding data in standard reference books, e.g. those for incubation and fledging times of White-throated Gerygone of about 12 days and 10 days respectively (Schodde & Tidemann 1986). For this species the writer's perusal of NRS records AUSTRALIAN 80 ASHTON BIRD WATCHER confinned that the AJdinga results of about 17 days for both are typical results. Cooper (1985) likewise found similar IP and NP times but a nest-building time of three to six days for three nests compared with about ll days for two nests in Aldinga. Differences in clutch size were noticeable in comparison with Beruldsen (1980) for Weebill ('two sometimes only one', Aldinga two and three); Mistletoebird ('three', Aldinga three commonest also two and four); Silvereye ('three, sometimes only two or as many as four', AJdinga two was by far the commonest); and Dusky Woodswallow ('three or four', AJdinga three sometimes two). Of the data from the NRS which have been published only the analysis for the Willy Wagtail (Marchant 1974) is comparable to the Aldinga avifauna. Here the results for Aldinga are similar. A table of breeding periods comparable to Figure 1 was available only in Marchant (1981). This is for forest birds at Moruya, coastal New South Wales, and shares only nine breeding species with AJdinga. These species had a shorter breeding period than those at Aldinga, e.g. Striated Thornhill's period was extended at Aldinga two months to mid November, that of Grey Fantail began a month earlier, Silvereye began slightly earlier at the beginning of September and ended a month later at the end of December, New Holland Honeyeater ended six weeks later. Table 3 indicates th'! importance of leaving natural vegetation undisturbed where at aJl possible, even when dead, parasitised or seemingly useless. For example, Dusky WoodswaJiow mainly nested on peeling bark of dead Golden Wattle, Silvereye preferred Dodder (a Schedule One pest plant) and mistletoe, whilst Black-winged Stilt nested only on the samphire at the swamp. After this was flattened and partly destroyed in 1986, when the area was used as a temporary carpark, no breeding by stilts occurred. Also, any burning off of grass aPd fernland would affect the breeding of White-fronted Chat. There is clearly a shortage of basic breeding data in publjshed literature on Australian birds, which needs to be remedied because of its importance in the management and conservation of our avifauna. Acknowledgements I am grateful to Mr. S. Marchant and to an anonymous referee for constructive criticism of drafts of this paper, and to the Editor for providing additional relevant published articles.

References Ashton. C. (1985), 'The birds of the Aldinga-Sellicks Beach Scrub'. S. Ausr. Om. 29. 169-179. --(1986a), 'Welcome Swallow breeding in a Fairy Martin Nest', Ausr. Bird Watcher U , 210-211. -- (1986b), 'Predation of young bee-eaters by a magpie', Bird Observer 656, 96. --& Ashton E., (1981). 'Breeding of the White-throated Gerygone in the Aldinga Scrub', S. Aust. Om. 28, 170-171 . -- & -- , (1982), 'Further breeding of the White-throated Gerygone in Aldinga Scrub', S. Ausr. Om. 29, 11-12. Beruldsen, G. (1980), A Field Guide to Nesrs and Eggs of Australian Birds, Rigby, Adelaide. Chaffer, N. (1973), 'Unusual behaviour of young Pallid Cuckoo', Aust. Bird l#uclzer 5, 11-12. Cooper, R. M. (1985), 'Notes on the breeding of the White-throated warbler', Aust. Birds 20, 4-7. Hollands, D. (1984), Eagles, Hawks and Falcons of Australia, Nelson, Melbourne. McFarland , D.C. (1984), 'The breeding biology of the Willy w.tgtail Rhipidura leucoplzrys in a suburban woodlot'. Corella 5, 19-25. McFarland, D.C. (1984), 'The breeding biology of the Willy Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys in a suburban woodlot', Corella 8, 78-82. Marchant, S. (1974) , 'Analysis of nest records of the Willy Wagtail', Emu 14, 149-160. -- (1981), 'The breeding season at Moruya, New South Wales', Corella 5, 19-25. Schodde, R. and Tidemann, S. C. (Eds) (1986), Reader's Digest Complere Book of Australian Birds, Reader's Digest Services, Sydney. VOL. 12 (3) SEPTEMBER 1987 Breeding of Birds, Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park, S.A. 81

Table 1 Breeding success of some birds in the Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park, South Australia, 1979-1986 Species Clutches Eggs Eggs Hatching Fledged Young BSR* (n) laid hatched success (n) fledged (%) (n) (n) (%) per nest Spotted Turtle-Dove 31 61 40 66 27 0.9 44 Crested Pigeon 16 31 25 80 19 1.3 61 Golden Whistler 10 22 22 100 22 2.2 100 Grey Fantail 21 61 40 66 33 1.6 54 Willy Wagtail 42 132 104 79 82 2.0 62 Yellow-rumped Thornbill 17 53 44 83 35 2.0 66 Striated Thornbill 10 23 13 60 6 0.6 26 White-fronted Chat 14 43 35 81 18 1.3 42 Mistletoebird 9 26 19 80 15 1.9 60 Silvereye 57 126 78 62 62 1.1 49 Dusky Woodswallow 21 61 43 70 38 1.8 62 *Breeding success rate is the percentage of eggs resulting in fledged young.

Table 2 Other species observed to breed in the area by records of dependent young out of the nest

Species Commellfs Pacific Black Duck A duckling 1979, adult with 13 ducklings 20.9.85 both at Anas superciliosa swamp land. Galah Cacatua roseicapilla Two juveniles: November and January record of bird being fed. Cockatiel One juvenile: December reco rd of bird being fed. Nymphicus hollandicus Adelaide Rosella One juvenile: January record. Platycercus elegans x jlaveolus Elegant Parrot Two juveniles, one still with some down and white wing Neophema elegans band. December records. Pallid Cuckoo Two juveniles seen fed by White-plumed Honeyeaters. Cuculus pallidus Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo Feeding of juveniles (separate birds) observed; by Superb Chrysococcyx basalis Fairy-wren x 3, Grey Fantail x 2, White-fronted Chat x 2, Yellow-rumped Thornbill x I. Striated Thombill x I. One seen flying 50 m with a white egg in bill. Blackbird Turdus merula Two records: October-December. Scarlet Robin One record in November. Petroica multicolor Red-capped Robin One record in November. Perroica goodenovii White-browed Babbler Numerous nests or dormitories seen in dense Kangaroo Pomarosromus superciliosus Thorn or near the top of spindly Pink Gum. Two records in September. Rufous Songlark One record in November. Cinclorhamphus mathewsi Brown Songlark Two records included a road kill. Cinclorhamphus crura/is European Greenfinch One record in December. Carduelis chloris AUSTRALIAN 82 ASHTON BIRD WATCHER

Table 3 Vegetation most commonly used for nests at Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park

Plant species Number of nests Birds most commonly using this recorded type Eucalypt 169 many species E. fasciculosa, E. porosa Kangaroo Thorn Acacia paradoxa 161 many species Casuarina Allocasuarina venicillata 60 Silvereye Golden Wattle Acacia pycnantha live 14 Mistletoebird dead 40 Dusky Woodswallow Mistletoe 40 Silvereye Lysiana exocarpi. Amyema miquelii Dodder Cassytha pubescens 37 Silvereye, thornbills and Weebill Billardiera sericophera 26 Spotted Turtle-Dove and Silvereye Bracken Fern and Grasses 26 White-fronted Chat Sarsparilla spp. 14 Willy Wagtail, Yellow-rumped Thornhill, Silvereye, New Holland Honeyeater Samphire Salicorna sp. 15 Black-winged Stilt Quandong 12 Silvereye, Rufous Whistler, Santalum acuminatum, S. murrayenum Grey Fantail Leucopogon spp. 9 Silvereye, Grey Fantail L. parviflorum, L. rufus

Figure 1. Breeding season of some birds in the Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park, South Australia 1979-1986. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Spotted Turtle Dove Crested Pigeon Fairy Martin Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike White-winged Triller Rufous Whistler Golden Whistler Grey Fantail Willy Wagtail Weebill White-throated Gerygone Yellow-rumped Thornhill Striated Thornhill New Holland Honeyeater White-fronted Chat Mistletoebird Silvereye European Goldfinch House Sparrow White-browed Woodswallow Dusky Woodswallow .· Lines indicate that clutches were started throughout the period concerned. •