Mr Phil Hansen Director Engineering Services Goulburn Mulwaree Council Locked Bag 22 Goulburn 2580 Dear Phil, Report of bird observations at four sites in Goulburn Mulwaree Shire On behalf of the Goulburn Field Naturalists, Crookwell Flora and Fauna and the Canberra Ornithologists Group I would like to thank you for your Department’s cooperation and valuable assistance with our recent surveys of birds in the Goulburn area. The key sites for these surveys were chosen for their representativeness of the area as a whole and for their broad range and/or high quality of habitat values. These sites included the Council-owned lands at Marsden Weir, the sewage farm at Gorman Road and the Kenmore Quarry woodlands and riparian area, as well as Kenmore Dam, a portion of NSW Crown Land presently managed by State Health. The latter area, in conjunction with Kenmore Quarry, is regarded very highly for the exemplary quality and biodiversity of its Yellow Box woodlands, a Threatened Community recognised under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act1995. It is regarded as one of very few remaining the high quality woodland remnants in the Southern Tablelands and South-western Slopes by Rainer Rehwinkle of the Threatened Species Unit of DEC. We enclose for your information a list of bird species observed since November 2004 (Table 1) as well as recommendations for management (Table 2). We hope these recommendations may assist in current LEP considerations and in the ongoing management of natural areas and bird habitat in the Goulburn Mulwaree LGA. Yours sincerely, Rodney Falconer Vice President, Goulburn Field Naturalists Society Thursday 19th January 2006 Table 1. Bird Species Observed at four sites, November 2005 Names and ordering used are taken from Pizzey & Knight Field Guide to the Birds of Australia, Angus & Robertson 1997. Birds seen in previous visits (since 11 November 2004) but not observed in November 2005 are shaded grey, as is Kenmore Quarry, which was not visited this season. Dots indicate the presence of species at particular sites. Lower case b records a confirmed breeding record. An asterisk before the name implies a non-native species or a hybrid with a non-native species. Schedules relate to status of species listed under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act1995. International conservation agreements include JAMBA (Japan Australia Migratory Bird Agreement) and CAMBA (China Australia Migratory Bird Agreement). Birds not listed under legislation but which have been recognised to be in decline are listed as declining (Julian R.W. Reed, CSIRO Wildlife and Ecology, Threatened and Declining Birds in the NSW Sheep-Wheat Belt: Diagnosis, Characteristics and Management, October 1999). Birds which can be described as having stable or increasing populations in the Goulburn Mulwaree area are listed as stable and/or increasing. Bird Species Scientific Name Notes Kenmore Kenmore Gorman Marsden Dam Quarry Road Weir Stubble Quail Coturnix pectoralis • *Feral Greylag Goose Anser anser escaped or • dumped Australian Wood Duck Chenobetta jubata stable • • Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa Schedule 2 • • Blue-billed Duck Oxyura australis Schedule 2 • Musk Duck Biziura lobata • Black Swan Cygnus atratus • • Hardhead Aythya australis stable • • *Pacific Black Duck/Mallard hybrid Anas platyrhynchos X superciliosa • Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa • • • Australasian Shoveler Anas rhynchotis • • Pink-eared Duck Malacorhynchus membranaceus • • Bird Species Scientific Name Notes Kenmore Kenmore Gorman Marsden Dam Quarry Road Weir Grey Teal Anas gracilis • • • Chestnut Teal Anas castanea • Hoary-headed Grebe Poliocephalus poliocephalus • Australasian Grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae • • • Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo • • Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris • • Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax varius • Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos • • Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus • White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae • • Nankeen Night Heron Nyctocorax caledonicus • Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus uncommon • Australian White Ibis Threskiornis molucca increasing • • Black-shouldered Kite Elanus axillaris • Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus pair • White-bellied Sea-eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster • Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax • Swamp Harrier Circus assimilis • Nankeen Kestrel Falco cenchroides • • Dusky Moorhen Gallionula tenebrosa • • • • Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio • Eurasian Coot Fulica atra stable • • • • Black-tailed Native Hen Gallinula ventralis out of range • Latham’s Snipe Gallinago hardwickii JAMBA, • • CAMBA Black-fronted Dotterel Elseyornis melanops • • b Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles increasing • • Bird Species Scientific Name Notes Kenmore Kenmore Gorman Marsden Dam Quarry Road Weir Silver Gull Larus novaehollandiae increasing • • *Feral Pigeon Columba livia increasing • Common Bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera • Crested Pigeon Ocyphaps lophotes increasing • • • Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus funereus • • Gang-gang Cockatoo Callocephalon fimbriatum Schedule 2 • Galah Cacatua roseicapilla stable • • • Long-billed Corella Cacatua tenuirostris increasing • Sulfur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita • • • Crimson Rosella Platycercus elegans stable • • • Eastern Rosella Platycercus eximius • • Red-rumped Parrot Psephotus haemotonotus • • • Pallid Cuckoo Cuculus pallidus • • • • Fan-tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis • • Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoo Chrysococcyx basalis • Shining Bronze-cuckoo Chrysococcyx lucidus • • Tawny Frogmouth Podargus strigoides • Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae • • b Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus • • Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus • White-throated Treecreeper Cormobates leucophaeus declining • (b) • Superb Fairy-wren Malurus cyaneus • • • Spotted Pardalote Paralotus punctatus • • Striated Pardalote Pardalotus striatus • • White-browed Scrubwren Sericornis frontalis • • Speckled Warbler Chthinicola sagittata Schedule 2 • • Western Gerygone Gerygone fusca • • Bird Species Scientific Name Notes Kenmore Kenmore Gorman Marsden Dam Quarry Road Weir White-throated Gerygone Gerygone olivacea • • Brown Thornbill Acanthiza pusilla • • Buff-rumped Thornbill Acanthiza reguloides • • Yellow-rumped Thornbill Acanthiza chrysorrhoa stable • • b • Striated Thornbill Acanthiza lineata • • Yellow Thornbill Acanthiza nana • • • Weebill Smicrornis brevirostris • • Southern Whiteface Aphelocephala leucopsis declining • Red Wattlebird Anthochaera carunculata stable • • • Noisy Friarbird Philemon corniculatus nest, young • b • • b Noisy Miner Manorina melanocephala • Yellow-faced Honeyeater Lichenostomus chrysops • • Brown-headed Honeyeater Melithreptus brevirostris • • White-naped Honeyeater Melithreptus lunatus • Eastern Spinebill Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris • Jacky Winter Microeca fascinans declining • Scarlet Robin Petroica multicolour declining • Red-capped Robin Petroica goodenovii declining • Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis declining • Varied Sittella Daphoenositta chrysoptera declining • • Golden Whistler Pachycephalus pectoralis • • Rufous Whistler Pachycephalus rufiventris • • Grey Shrike-thrush Collurincla harmonica • • Leaden Flycatcher Myiagra rubecula • b • Willie Wagtail Rhiphidura leucophrys • • • Grey Fantail Rhiphidura fuliginosa • • • Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae • • Bird Species Scientific Name Notes Kenmore Kenmore Gorman Marsden Dam Quarry Road Weir White-winged Triller Lalage sueurii • • • Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus • • Dusky Woodswallow Artamus cyanopterus declining • • • Grey Butcherbird Cracticus torquatus increasing • • Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca stable • • • Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen stable • • • • Pied Currawong Strepera graculina increasing? • • • Grey Currawong Strepera versicolor • • Australian Raven Corvus coronoides stable • • • Little Raven Corvus mellori • • White-winged Chough Corcorax melanorhamphos • • Richard’s Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae declining • b *Common Skylark Aluida arvensis increasing • Double-barred Finch Taeniopygia bichenovii local decline • • Red-browed Finch Neochmia temporalis • • b *European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis increasing • • Mistletoebird Dicaeum hirundinaceum • Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena stable • • • • Fairy Martin Hirundo ariel • • Clamorous Reed Warbler Arocephalus stentoreus • • • Brown Songlark Cinclorhamphus cruralis uncertain • Silvereye Zosterops lateralis • • *Common Blackbird Turdus merula increasing • *Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris stable • • *Common Mynah Acridotheres tristis rapid increase • Table 2. Recommendations 1. Kenmore Dam This area is currently Crown Land and not under direct control by Council. However, the LEP needs to reflect the high environmental values of this parcel, together with the next-door Police Driver Training Range and adjacent Kenmore Quarry by permitting only sympathetic development on adjoining lands and by applying appropriate zoning to ensure the continuation of these sites as valuable habitat. Consideration should be given to restricting access by roaming pets (such as a cat curfew), as implemented by the ACT Government near Mulligan’s Flat and Healesville Council in Victoria. 2. Kenmore Quarry Again speculation around the disposal of parts of this land has the potential to result in increased threats of the riparian land and the bushland link from Kenmore Dam/Police Range to the southern outlier of the Cookbundoons and hence the Blue Mountains. It is important to maintain