The Vertebrate Fauna of Towra Point Nature Reserve PO Box A290 Sydney South, NSW 1232 www.environment.nsw.gov.au Office of Environment & Heritage NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service THE VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF TOWRA POINT NATURE RESERVE FINAL REPORT October 2013 Published by: This report should be referenced as follows: Office of Environment and Heritage, Department OEH (2013) The Vertebrate Fauna of Towra of Premier and Cabinet Point Nature Reserve. NSW Office of 59-61 Goulburn Street, Sydney, NSW 2000 Environment and Heritage, Sydney. PO Box A290, Sydney South, NSW 1232 Acknowledgements Report pollution and environmental incidents Environment Line: 131 555 (NSW only) or Thank you to the following people for providing [email protected] information on fauna of the Reserve: the many See also www.environment.nsw.gov.au/pollution members of the NSW Wader Study Group that Phone: (02) 9995 5000 (switchboard) have been involved in the monthly wader and Phone: 131 555 (environment information and other waterbird counts around the shores of the publications requests) Reserve; Hazel Watson from the University of Phone: 1300 361 967 (national parks, climate New South Wales for providing information on change and energy efficiency information and shorebirds within the Reserve and in Botany Bay publications requests) and for details of useful current literature; Fax: (02) 9995 5999 Richard Major from the Australian Museum for TTY: (02) 9211 4723 providing information on the white-fronted chat Email: [email protected] in the Reserve; Kurtis Lindsay from Macquarie Website: www.environment.nsw.gov.au University for providing information on white- ISBN 978 1 74359 292 2 fronted chat diet and general fauna OEH Publishing No. 2013/0724 observations; Arthur White from Biosphere October 2013 Environmental Consultants for providing information on reptiles and amphibians of the © Copyright Office of Environment and Heritage, Reserve and elsewhere on the Kurnell Department of Premier and Cabinet on behalf of Peninsula; Phil Straw from the NSW Wader the State of NSW. Photographs are copyright Study Group; Stephen Debus for identifying Office of Environment and Heritage or the raptors and the eastern barn owl photographed individual photographer. by the infra-red cameras; Henry Cook, Richard With the exception of photographs, Office of Jackson and Colette Harmsen for providing Environment and Heritage, Department of photographs used in this report; and Steve Premier and Cabinet and State of NSW are Anyon-Smith for providing general fauna pleased to allow this material to be reproduced observations. in whole or in part for educational and non- Cover Photos commercial use, provided the meaning is All cover photos are copyright Office of unchanged and its source, publisher and Environment and Heritage or the individual authorship are acknowledged. Specific photographer. Feature photo: little tern chick at permission is required for the reproduction of Towra Spit Island © J. Bishop. photographs. Office of Environment and Heritage, Department of Premier and Cabinet has compiled The Vertebrate Fauna of Towra Point Nature Reserve in good faith, exercising all due care and attention. Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) does not accept responsibility for any inaccurate or incomplete information supplied by third parties. No representation is made about the accuracy, completeness or suitability of the information in this publication for any particular purpose. OEH shall not be liable for any damage which may occur to any person or organisation taking action or not on the basis of this publication. Readers should seek appropriate advice when applying the information to their specific needs. Map data is not guaranteed to be free from error or omission. OEH and its employees disclaim liability for any act done on the information in the map and any consequences of such acts or omissions. OVERVIEW An expanse of marsh with pools glinting in the sunlight, mangroves lining shallow embayments, and white specks of birds foraging on mudflats is most people’s impression of Towra Point Nature Reserve when they glimpse it from the window of an aeroplane taking off or landing at Sydney airport. Little do most people realise, gazing down at this expanse with thoughts spun far away, the importance of this area nestled so close to the inner regions of the city. It is the last example of a complete estuarine wetland area in the Sydney region. The reserve includes the largest stretch of undeveloped sheltered- water coastline and the largest expanse of estuarine saltmarsh in the Sydney area. It supports a range of habitats that are now rare and extremely limited in the region, ranging from swamplands and estuarine saltmarsh through to littoral rainforest. Seven of the 13 vegetation communities identified within the Reserve are included within Threatened Ecological Communities listed under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. The significance of the vegetation and coastline are reflected in the Reserve’s internationally significant fauna values. Towra Point Nature Reserve is one of only three sites in central coastal New South Wales, and the only one in the Sydney region, to be recognised under the Ramsar convention as a wetland of international significance. Following is a summary of the native vertebrate fauna characteristics of the Reserve. In total 212 native vertebrate fauna species (excluding fish and pelagic species) have been recorded in the Reserve within the last 25 years comprising six frog, 15 reptile, 179 native bird and 12 native mammal species. Shorebirds and waterbirds are a feature of the Reserve. It contains one of the most important nesting sites in New South Wales for the little tern which is listed as Endangered under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. It also encompasses a significant proportion of the statewide nesting population of the Endangered Australian pied oystercatcher. A large number of shorebirds listed under international migratory bird agreements, such as the eastern curlew and bar-tailed godwit, use the intertidal flats for foraging or roosting during high tide on the sandy flats particularly Towra Spit Island. The protected inshore waters and intertidal mudflats also support a variety of other waterbirds, particularly during periods of inland drought. These areas provide important feeding habitat for a number of raptor species rare within the Sydney region, such as the eastern osprey and white-bellied sea-eagle. The extensive areas of saltmarsh support the only remaining breeding population of the white- fronted chat in the Sydney area. This population is listed as Endangered under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. The mangrove gerygone is the most noteworthy species utilising the mangrove areas and is close to its southern range limit here. A variety of swampland species occur, including the secretive Lewin’s rail that is rarely seen but can frequently be heard calling from dense vegetation. The southern emu-wren occurs in swampy areas but also through a range of other habitats across the Reserve. The status of other cryptic wetland species is currently unknown, in particular the Australasian bittern that is listed as Endangered under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. Forests provide important habitat for a number of species, some of which are poorly known within Sydney such as the greater broad-nosed bat and the masked owl. The white-bellied sea-eagle nests in littoral bangalay forest on Towra Point, one of the few nest sites known in Sydney. When key tree species are in flower the coastal scrub and eucalypt forest provides feeding habitat for the Vulnerable grey-headed flying-fox. Some species that are patchily distributed in forest habitat elsewhere in the region are relatively common in the Reserve, such as the brown gerygone. A vital key to ongoing conservation of the native fauna values of the Reserve, particularly the internationally recognised wader and other waterbird values, is the lack of public access. Never the less it is estimated that 25 bird species and two mammal species have been lost from the Reserve in the last 25 years. Ongoing active management is required to avoid further species loss. Critical current programs include management to protect and promote the nesting of the little tern on Towra Spit Island, including a reserve-wide and off-reserve fox baiting program. The instigation of an active management program for white-fronted chat is similarly critical in order to reduce the likelihood of this species being lost not only from the Reserve but thereby also as a breeding species from the entire Sydney area. The Vertebrate Fauna of Towra Point Nature Reserve – Final Report i CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 PROJECT RATIONALE .......................................................................................................... 1 1.2 PROJECT AIMS ................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 STUDY AREA ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.3.1 Location and study area boundaries................................................................. 1 1.3.2 Geomorphology, soils, elevation and climate ................................................... 2