Parramatta River Sy

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Parramatta River Sy Newington Nature Reserve Circuit This 48-hectare nature reserve protects rare remnant forest and wetland habitats that collectively support over 240 native plant species and over 200 native bird and animal species. The Reserve also preserves a rare example of a complete estuarine zonal succession – a gradation of mudflats, mangrove forest, saltmarsh meadows, Swamp Oak Floodplain Forest and Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest is revealed as the land slopes upwards from the Parramatta River. The nature reserve was once part of a large armament depot that was managed by the Australian Department of Defence until its closure in 2000. Explosives storehouses, laboratories, roads and rail were constructed across the depot throughout its 100-year history, R and undergrowth in remnant forest was controlled to reduce fire 7 i v risk. e Parramatta River r Now, the remaining lands of the armament depot are listed on W Circular Quay the NSW State Heritage Register (as Newington Armament Depot a l and Nature Reserve) due to their natural and cultural significance. k Sydney Olympic Park The remnant wetlands and forest are protected and conserved as a nature reserve under the NSW National Parks and Wildlife 6 Ferry Wharf Act 1974. Access into the Reserve continues to be restricted to 5 prevent disturbance of sensitive wildlife and trampling of critically endangered vegetation, prevent introduction of pests and disease, and enable natural regeneration of previously disturbed areas. Take this self-guided nature walk along the perimeter of Newington Nature Reserve to see and learn about these threatened species d and communities. R r B 4 u e Parramatta River r t 2 r o a w a w 8 y r e r Wa l k R i v R e d v 3 l i S Wharf Wilson 1 No Access Pond Park a y h w Stadium 9 a t P e g a v u a Newington 10 S Visitor e Woo-la-ra Wentworth Point Nature Reserve i s Centre The flats u o Wetland L B u 11 s e s o n 20 l y 19 12 Key Walking Route t 18 S Newington H o l Armory k e n Alternate Route r S t o s BirdLife Newington Nature e Discovery Centre Reserve Forest i Drinking Fountain m 13 a 17 J Bin Silverwater Toilets 14 Nuwi Narwang Wetland ay w Wetland Rhodes ath Parking P 15 ge va au se S 16 ui o L Homebush Bay H o l k e Bird r Hide Wentworth O B u l t u Common o n s Haslams A w v Reach e a Waterbird y Refuge y a Newington w h t B u s O n l y a P o n P k w k s y e c g a a J v u i e a r S o r j e a s i M k u al o W L Kronos Hill g n i R Haslams Haslams Brickpit Creek Pier Restricted Access Flats The Pyramid Northern Kevin Coombs Ave P Water o n Feature d a Badu Haslams g e L A Mangroves Field i n k GIANTS u s Stadium Under t construction r P6a a H i l l R d e a d Qudos a r l Sports Monster P i n d a e Bank Skatepark r a A v Halls G Sydney y e O l d H i l l S P6 s e a L A o w i Arena R n h v t h k O Showground y a i a o v r P u r Education r e l w e M y Centre g y r a D v P1 g Bicentennial Park u m D w S a r Olympic Park v e AP e Cathy o w y s p e k i s e a P6d i u u P6e o k v Freeman Station R r r a L o i a P c n a y k P Park r B d u r S E M e t B v g d A R r h v s e P8 n w ANZ d r a Stockroute s F Park v e Betty Cuthbert d o n A u i w n Stadium a t t l D A v e i o b l l e Novotel E Bicentennial e V i c F t o r i a A v e b n l & r e m a ibis H Park n c Brushbox St o Concord v e Fig k A e H r Grove West s e a B A F r n Pullman r v w D a e D Hotel e e r t D r g n i a l e n G d i e n t F c e R k i l B g o i a h r r g U ibis W Village Athletic Aquatic e s budget t Green r S Centre o Centre e Australia Ave Lake Belvedere t p v Quest S Marker A p p a k C r e c i n a d Ave a r u l r Tom Wills C r G o P2 P3 a P2b o e u r L n Sports t e h a Tom Wills r S D Field S t Oval r h D Waterview in a Tom Wills l a Bicentennial Warm Up r B i a P3a Oval i c n Park e n e Arena S n v t e A P2a Genea North e i v e n A r Netball S Strathfield i e y t r d B Quaycentre l i c n i r k l a Centre h S M 4 P7 Lidcombe P M D r Un a r d r o v e r e G r t o Tennis L a D r e w To Parramatta a o r d y o m w Hockey o a r a a R B o g and Penrith Centre d e y P4 h t t Centre s R a u d S b t R e d o m To CBD H NORTH M 4 M 0 250m 500m o t o r w a y 1. Pop in to the Visitor Centre (Building 5. Spot the White-bellied Sea-Eagle; 9. Coastal Saltmarsh is an 143) learn about the historic often perched on the Mangroves ‘endangered ecological community’. Newington Armory site and see along Parramatta River. This raptor This community alongside mudflat what activities are available! Don’t is a threatened species in NSW. A habitat in the Reserve provides miss out on your chance to ‘Ride the pair nests in the forest of the Reserve important feeding and roosting Rails’ on the Heritage Train (formerly and you can watch the action on habitat for local waterbirds and used to transport missiles, torpedoes EagleCAM. This is the only known protected migratory shorebirds. and other WW2 munitions) to loop nesting site for this species along the Sydney Olympic Park has the around the Armory on a guided tour entire length of the Parramatta River. largest remaining stand of Coastal to learn about the historical purpose, Saltmarsh throughout the entire design and operations of this site. 6. Grey Mangroves (Avicennia marina) length of the Parramatta River, and Building 143 was built in 1897 and are classified under legislation the second largest stand in Sydney. was originally the Cooperage of the as ‘protected marine vegetation’. depot; where gunpowder barrels Sydney Olympic Park has the largest 10. The tidal mudflats at the heart of were registered, inspected, repaired remaining stand of mangroves the wetland are inhabited by a and sent for storage. along the entire length of the rich community of marine worms, Parramatta River. These trees are molluscs, crustaceans and other 2. The Wangal are the first custodians well adapted to living in the intertidal invertebrates. These organisms of the land, air and waters now zone, with specialised roots, leaves play a vital role in breaking down known as Sydney Olympic Park. and seeds to deal with regular organic matter, and are the dietary To learn more about this rich inundation of salty river water. staple of many fish, waterbirds and indigenous history, explore the Mangroves provide many essential internationally protected migratory Murama Healing Space; serving ecosystem services such as filtering shorebirds. The Sharp-tailed as a gathering place for the entire stormwater runoff before it enters Sandpiper is a migratory shorebird community. It is an inclusive and rivers and oceans, and serving as that breeds in Arctic Siberia. This peaceful space where First Nations a fish nursery for many species of summer migrant travels down the peoples can learn, lead, and share fish that live the majority of their East Asian-Australasian Flyway the rich indigenous culture of Sydney lives in the ocean. They are also a to Australia for warmer climates, Olympic Park. We pay respect to sink for blue carbon, the name for spending their non-breeding all First Nations People and our carbon stored in coastal and marine season here during our spring and community Elders past, present and ecosystems. summer. The sandpipers utilise the emerging. mudflats of this Reserve between 7. Can you see the Tawny Frogmouth September and March to build up 3. Peek through to Wharf Pond to find that often roosts here hidden in their fat reserve before the long swamphens,moorhens, teals and a tree? The Tawny Frogmouth northward migration; completing grebes.
Recommended publications
  • Greater Parramatta and the Olympic Peninsula Is the the Way We All Imagine Greater Sydney
    Greater Our true centre: the connected, Parramatta and the unifying heart GPOP Olympic Peninsula About Us The Greater Sydney Commission (the Commission) was established by the NSW Government to lead metropolitan planning for Greater Sydney. This means the Commission plays a co-ordinating role in economic, social and environmental planning across the whole of Greater Sydney. The Commission has specific roles and responsibilities, such as producing District Plans, the Metropolitan Strategy and identifying infrastructure priorities. Collaboration and engagement are at the core of everything the Commission does. We work across government, with communities, interest groups, institutions, business and investors to ensure that planning for Greater Sydney results in a productive, liveable and sustainable future city. October 2016 FOREWORD CHIEF COMMISSIONER’S DISTRICT COMMISSIONER’S FOREWORD FOREWORD It’s time for a change of perspective and a change in Greater Parramatta and the Olympic Peninsula is the the way we all imagine Greater Sydney. geographic and demographic heart of Greater Sydney, Today, more than 2 million people live west of Sydney and a key part of the West Central District. Olympic Park, yet everyday around 300,000 people We have the opportunity to shape the transformation leave the region to travel for work. of the place we now call GPOP. Greater Sydney needs a true city at its centre, close Global best practice shows that a co-ordinated to its heart. We need a central ‘30-minute city’, that is approach to public and private investment is critical connected to the north, south, east and west. for successful transformation, involving innovation and GPOP is the name we have given to the Greater enterprise.
    [Show full text]
  • Common Birds in Tilligerry Habitat
    Common Birds in Tilligerry Habitat Dedicated bird enthusiasts have kindly contributed to this sequence of 106 bird species spotted in the habitat over the last few years Kookaburra Red-browed Finch Black-faced Cuckoo- shrike Magpie-lark Tawny Frogmouth Noisy Miner Spotted Dove [1] Crested Pigeon Australian Raven Olive-backed Oriole Whistling Kite Grey Butcherbird Pied Butcherbird Australian Magpie Noisy Friarbird Galah Long-billed Corella Eastern Rosella Yellow-tailed black Rainbow Lorikeet Scaly-breasted Lorikeet Cockatoo Tawny Frogmouth c Noeline Karlson [1] ( ) Common Birds in Tilligerry Habitat Variegated Fairy- Yellow Faced Superb Fairy-wren White Cheeked Scarlet Honeyeater Blue-faced Honeyeater wren Honeyeater Honeyeater White-throated Brown Gerygone Brown Thornbill Yellow Thornbill Eastern Yellow Robin Silvereye Gerygone White-browed Eastern Spinebill [2] Spotted Pardalote Grey Fantail Little Wattlebird Red Wattlebird Scrubwren Willie Wagtail Eastern Whipbird Welcome Swallow Leaden Flycatcher Golden Whistler Rufous Whistler Eastern Spinebill c Noeline Karlson [2] ( ) Common Sea and shore birds Silver Gull White-necked Heron Little Black Australian White Ibis Masked Lapwing Crested Tern Cormorant Little Pied Cormorant White-bellied Sea-Eagle [3] Pelican White-faced Heron Uncommon Sea and shore birds Caspian Tern Pied Cormorant White-necked Heron Great Egret Little Egret Great Cormorant Striated Heron Intermediate Egret [3] White-bellied Sea-Eagle (c) Noeline Karlson Uncommon Birds in Tilligerry Habitat Grey Goshawk Australian Hobby
    [Show full text]
  • The Concert in the Australian Bush Was Already Going Strong When
    Three Days in While the acoustics of the bush may not be as fine-tuned as those of the Sydney Opera House, the outdoor chorus played up the interconnectivity of SYDNEY music and nature much like a performance of John Cage’s 1972 composition, ‘Bird Cage’. The avant- The concert in the Australian bush was garde composer pioneered indeterminacy in music already going strong when we arrived. and described the need for a space in which “people are free to move and birds to fly.” Easy to do when By Monica Frim there’s not a bad seat in the bush. All you have to do Visitors aboard the Photography by John and Monica Frim Skyway thrill to is show up. 360-degree views of Enter Blue Mountains Tours, a family–owned the Jamison Valley Magpies warbled and trilled, mynah birds whistled and wailed, white crested as they glide toward cockatoos screeched out a raucous chorus from their various perches—picnic tables, company headed by Graham Chapman that picks up Scenic World in the day-trippers from their hotels in Sydney and takes Blue Mountains of eucalyptus trees and even the patchy grass at our feet. Kookaburras joined in New South Wales. them on small-group tours to the Blue Mountains. with their laughter, while we, a motley troop of wayfarers from various parts of Only 40 miles west of Australia’s capital city, the world, tucked into an Aussie bush breakfast of fried eggs and ham in a bun. Blue Mountains National Park is part of the Blue Nature’s open air concert hall permitted food but it came with peril: thieving birds Graham Chapman of Blue Mountains Tours, poses with that brazenly swooped and swiped at the provisions in our hands, the sounds of a kangaroo in the background during a bush walk in the Blue Mountains.
    [Show full text]
  • Parklands Plan of Management (2010)
    Parklands Plan of Management (2010) This Plan of Management for the Parklands at Sydney Olympic Park was for the purposes of the Plan adopted by the Hon. David Borger BEc MP, as Minister for Western Sydney on 8 November 2010. The Plan of Management for the Newington Nature Reserve, incorporated into this Plan, was for the purposes of the Plan adopted by the Hon. Bob Debus MP, as Minister for the Environment on 28 January 2003. Disclaimer While every effort has been made to ensure this document is correct at the time of printing, the State of NSW, its agents and employees, disclaim any and all liability to any person in respect of anything or the consequences of anything done or omitted to be done in reliance upon the whole or any part of the document. ISBN 978-0-9805976-6-0 Prepared for the State of New South Wales by the Sydney Olympic Park Authority. Page 2 Parklands Plan of Management (2010) TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction......................................................................................................................................................................5 Definitions ......................................................................................................................................................................8 PART 1 GENERAL ARRANGEMENTS................................................................................................................9 Plan 1 - Gazetted Plan of the Parklands...................................................................................10 Plan 2 -
    [Show full text]
  • Western Sydney Parklands Act 2006 No 92
    New South Wales Western Sydney Parklands Act 2006 No 92 Contents Page Part 1 Preliminary 1 Name of Act 2 2 Commencement 2 3 Definitions 2 Part 2 Constitution and management of Trust 4 Constitution of Trust 4 5 Status of Trust 4 6 Ministerial control 4 7Trust Board 4 8 Director of Trust 4 9 Advisory committees 5 10 Delegation of Trust’s functions 5 11 Exercise of functions through private subsidiaries, joint ventures etc 5 Western Sydney Parklands Act 2006 No 92 Contents Page Part 3 Functions of Trust 12 Functions—generally 6 13 Agreements for management of Trust land and other land 7 14 Outsourcing 8 15 Acquisition of land 8 16 Dealings in relation to Trust land 8 17 Dealings with Trust land for biodiversity banking schemes, carbon sequestration and related purposes 9 18 Dedication of land 10 19 Roads 11 20 Acquisition of property by gift, devise or bequest 11 21 Private subsidiary corporations etc 11 Part 4 Western Sydney Parklands Division 1 Western Sydney Parklands 22 Land comprising the Western Sydney Parklands 13 Division 2 Plan of management for Parklands 23 Plan of management 13 Division 3 Precincts and precinct plans 24 Precincts 14 25 Preparation, maintenance and content of precinct plans 14 Division 4 Procedure for preparation and adoption of plan of management and precinct plans 26 Consultation with government agencies 15 27 Adoption of plan of management, precinct plans and amendments 15 28 Review of plan of management and precinct plans 16 Division 5 Other provisions relating to management of Parklands 29 Management of cemeteries
    [Show full text]
  • Fact Sheet — Parklands
    Fact Sheet — Parklands The parklands at Sydney Olympic Park provide 430 hectares of open space, recreation areas, wetlands and waterways for the people of Sydney located in the heart of the growing metropolitan Sydney. • One of Australia’s largest urban parklands, Sydney Olympic Park is a diverse and special place where protected remnant woodlands, rare saltmarshes, waterbird refuge and mangroves stand alongside places of heritage significance to create a unique parkland setting. • A lasting legacy of the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the parklands have been designed and built on land formerly used by government industries including the State Abattoirs, State Brickworks and Commonwealth Department of Defence, and are the result of remediating industrial land — an internationally recognised leading environmental remediation and urban renewal project. • Today, the parklands are playing an increasingly important role as both a local park and as a significant regional park destination as Sydney grows. The parklands are an association of many different parks and places brought together as a single entity for management purposes. • The suburb of Sydney Olympic Park covers an area of 640 hectares, of which 430 hectares are parklands. • There are now over 2.7 million visits to the parklands annually, representing 27.5 percent of Sydney Olympic Park total visitation. • The parklands include the leisure and play areas of Bicentennial Park, Wentworth Common and Blaxland Riverside Park; the sporting grounds at Wilson Park and Archery Park, and Monster and Mountain X facilities; the state heritage listed Newington Armory; the more natural areas of Newington Nature Reserve and Badu Mangroves; the Brickpit and 100 hectares of wetlands and waterways.
    [Show full text]
  • Woodland Park Zoo's Baby Boom Continues with New Tawny
    PRESS RELEASE For immediate release | July 23, 2020 Media contact: Gigi Allianic, Meghan Sawyer 206.548.2550 | [email protected] Woodland Park Zoo’s baby boom continues with new tawny frogmouth chick Seattle—This spring and summer have been very productive at Woodland Park Zoo...the newest addition to its baby boom is a tawny frogmouth chick! Other animals born or hatched at the zoo since March include a baby tapir, baby gorilla, agouti pups, penguin chicks, scaly-sided merganser chicks, pudu fawn and mountain goat kid. The new chick represents the 38th frogmouth hatched at the zoo since the species’ first hatching in 2009. The zoo is currently home to seven adult tawny frogmouths. Tawny frogmouths are nocturnal birds native to Australia. During the day, they perch on tree branches, using their cryptic camouflage to blend into their environment. The plumage of the tawny frogmouth is silver-gray, slightly paler below, streaked and mottled with black and rufous. Frogmouths are often mistaken as owls; although they have many habits similar to owls, they are actually more closely related to nightjars and whip-poor-wills, and do not have the strong, curved talons of owls. The new tawny frogmouth chick hatched to first-time parents, both 2 years old. The parents were paired under the Tawny Frogmouth Species Survival Plan, which is a cooperative, conservation breeding program across accredited Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) zoos to help ensure a healthy, self-sustaining population. “This breeding pair is genetically valuable as the parents’ blood lines trace directly back to wild lineages in Australia,” said Mark Myers, bird curator at Woodland Park Zoo and the coordinator for the Tawny Frogmouth Species Survival Plan.
    [Show full text]
  • High Water Light at the End of the Tunnel? Contents 2 Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Go Back in the Water
    SEASONAL NEWSLETTER OF THE FRIENDS OF MOONEE PONDS CREEK AUTUMN 2021 ISSUE 70 High Water Light at the end of the Tunnel? Contents 2 Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water... here we go again! COVID-19 Lockdown number Clean up Australia Day.... 3 three forced the cancellation of the FoMPC February meeting, pushing it back to March 15th. Chain of Ponds News..... 4 Hume News.................... 5 Moonee Valley News...... 6 Moreland News............... 7 Melbourne News............. 8 Waterwatch News .......... 9 MPC History Page........... 10 At least we were able to hold our outdoor AGM and BBQ on January 17th at the Riverside Park, Gowanbrae, Tawny Frogmouths........... 11 when we could elect our new president, John Brosnan Crescent............ 12 Kavanagh. Memberships have increased quite significantly during the year of lockdowns in 2020, so it Sightings.......................... 13 will be good to hold a ‘real’ meeting for the old and the many new members. And who knows, later in the year Down the Drain................. 14 we can get back to planting and other activities! FoMPC News................... 15,16 Woodlands Park News..... 17 Thanks to Kaye Oddie, Anna Lanigan, Lori Arthur, Milly Burke, Melissa Doherty and Julia Cirillo for their assistance with this issue. Cover images of the late January 2021 deluge by Sharon Weedon, Joanne Dietrich, Barbara Czech, Julia Cirillo, Jo Connellan and Roger McMillan. Editor: David Widdowson. Mon-Fri: 8am to 5.30pm Saturday: 9am - 4pm Sunday: 11am - 4pm Clean up Australia Day, Sunday March 7th, 2021 3 https://www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au/join-a-clean-up Greenvale HUME Attwood Creek Attwood Westmeadows Tullamarine Broadmeadows Gladstone Park Gowanbrae - 09:00 Glenroy Moreland City Council Gowanbrae Meet at the Rotunda, Riverside Park, Adelaide Blvd Westbreen Creek Boeing Reserve Strathmore Heights MVCC 09:00 - 13:00 Oak Park Westbreen Creek, 9:30 - 10:30 Meet: Pagoda, at end of car park, near the community garden Occurs: Monthly Meet at KW Joyce Reserve Pascoe Vale Arndt Road Entrance.
    [Show full text]
  • Centennial Parklands Rejuvenation Lone Xanthorrhoea Fights for Life
    THE MAGAZINE OF CENTENNIAL PARKLANDS VOLUME 32 • SPRING 2005 VOLUME Plan of Management on exhibition Cycles of renewal– Centennial Parklands rejuvenation Lone Xanthorrhoea fights for life Directions Parkbench In the winter Despite a low risk to public health, the Location demands that Area 2 must edition of Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust continue to be made available for Parklands, I decided to close the area until further intermittent on-grass parking, while the wrote about investigations, in consultation with the Trust explores alternative long-term The EQ is OK Golf Driving Range relaunch the challenges Environment Protection Authority parking solutions. The Entertainment Quarter (EQ) is the new The Hon Sandra Nori MP, Minister for Tourism and Sport and Recreation, of reconciling and WorkCover. In addition to implementing the RAP, name for the retail/entertainment area was guest of honour at the relaunch of Moore Park Golf Course driving issues of As part of the detailed investigation the Trust plans to undertake landscaping formerly part of Fox Studios. Entertainment is range in July 2005. The refurbished long-term process other contaminants, polycyclic and design work to reinstate Area 2 as a EQ’s aim with over 20 restaurants, cafes and driving range was not the only cause for sustainability aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were robust green space for the community to bars and more than a dozen retail stores. celebration. A number of associated with the discovered below the surface. But we enjoy for unstructured leisure or events, There is no better cinema experience than works around the Golf House and growing reopened Area 2 notwithstanding, on as well as intermittent on-grass parking.
    [Show full text]
  • Daily Life and Adaptations
    4 Daily life and adaptations Tawny frogmouth behaviour still poses many questions. This and the following chapters are by no means exhaustive but they provide a window into the night and day life of tawny frogmouths. Much is intriguing and unusual about tawny frogmouths. Lifespan and interventions It is not known how long tawny frogmouths actually live in the wild. Banding records of a small sample of 107 recovered birds showed that the oldest was 165 months or 13.75 years of age.1 Some zoo records might have information on lifespan in captivity but this raises further questions. Captivity can have seriously detrimental effects on lifespan (shortening it) or, at times, may prolong life well beyond normal life expectancy in the wild, making the two sets of data not easily comparable. The data on captive tawny frogmouths, as sparse as they are, certainly suggest a potential for a very long lifespan, if one thinks of the recent report from London Zoo of having to euthanase a tawny frogmouth at the age of 32 years. And then there is the individual adult male rescued in 1994 in New South Wales that is still alive in 2017 at the time of writing the revised copy of this book. Getting accurate records of optimal lifespan in the wild is not easy for any species. Many birds die well before they reach reproductive age and even those who survive on their own into adulthood can meet with misadventure, especially in modern society with its many civilisation risks. Tawny frogmouths feeding on 171221 Tawny Frogmouth 2nd Ed.
    [Show full text]
  • Parramatta River Walk Brochure
    Parramatta Ryde Bridge - Final_Layout 1 30/06/11 9:34 PM Page 1 PL DI r ELIZA ack BBQ a Vet E - Pav W PL CORONET C -BETH ATSON Play NORTH R 4 5 PL IAM 1 A NORTH A L H L Br Qu CR AV I John Curtin Res Northmead Northmead Res R G AV W DORSET R T PARRAMATTA E D Bowl Cl To Bidjigal R PARRAMATTA O Moxham Guides 3 2 R AR O P WALTE Hunts D ReservePL N S Park M A 2151 Creek O EDITH RE C CR N The E Quarry Scouts ANDERSON RD PL PYE M AMELOT SYDNEY HARBOUR Madeline RD AV C THIRLMER RD SCUMBR Hake M Av Res K PL Trk S The BYRON A Harris ST R LEVEN IAN Park E AV R PL E Moxhams IN A Craft Forrest Hous L P Meander E L G Centre Cottage Play M PL RD D S RD I L Bishop Barker Water A B Play A CAPRERA House M RD AV Dragon t P L Basketba es ST LENNOX Doyle Cottage Wk O O Whitehaven PL PL THE EH N A D D T A Res CARRIAGE I a a V E HARTLAND AV O RE PYE H Charl 4 Herber r Fire 5 Waddy House W Br W THA li n 7 6 RYRIE M n TRAFALGAR R n R A g WAY Trail Doyle I a MOXHAMS RD O AV Mills North Rocks Parramatta y y ALLAMBIE CAPRER Grounds W.S. Friend r M - Uniting R Roc Creek i r 1 Ctr Sports r Pre School 2 LA k Lea 3 a Nurs NORTH The r Baker Ctr u MOI Home u DR Res ST Convict House WADE M Untg ORP Northmead KLEIN Northmead Road t Play SPEER ROCKS i Massie Baker River Walk m Rocky Field Pub.
    [Show full text]
  • Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus Strigoides)
    Bush B Volume 1 u d d i e s Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) When it’s not mistaken for an owl, the Tawny Frogmouth can easily be confused with a tree branch! With narrowed eyelids and a stretched neck, this bark-coloured bird is a master of camouflage. Tawny Frogmouths are between 34cm (females) and 53cm (males) long and can weigh up to 680g. Their plumage is mottled grey, white, black and rufous – the feather patterns help them mimic dead tree branches. Their feathers are soft, like those of owls, allowing for stealthy, silent flight. They have stocky heads with big yellow eyes. Stiff bristles surround their beak; these ‘whiskers’ may help detect the movement of flying insects, and/or protect their faces from the bites or stings of distressed prey (this is not known for certain). Their beak is large and wide, hence the name frogmouth. Their genus name, Podargus, is from the Greek work for gout. Why? Unlike owls they don’t have curved talons on their feet; in fact, their feet are small, and they’re said to walk like a gout-ridden man! Their species name, strigoides, means owl-like. They’re nocturnal and carnivorous, but Tawny Frogmouths aren’t owls – they’re more closely related to Nightjars. There are two other species of frogmouth in Australia – the Papuan Frogmouth (Podargus papuensis) lives in the Cape York Peninsula, and the Marbled Frogmouth (P. ocellatus) is found in two well-separated races: one in tropical rainforests in northern Cape York and the A Tawny Frogmouth disguised against the bark of a tree at Naree in NSW.
    [Show full text]