Geelong Naturalist : monthly magazine of the Geelong Field Naturalists Club

GEELONG NATURALIST

MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE GEELONG FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB INC

Vol 34 No.6 | OCTOBER 1998
ISSN 0726-7363 i

OCTOBER

16,17,18
18

21
27

October 1998

Vol 34 No 6
ISSN 0726-7363

CONTENTS

Campout Notice - Hattah/Kulkyne NP 1
Excursion Notice - Anglesea Heathland 1
"October" 2
Library Notes 3
Bio-diversity Notes 3
Bird Group Report 4
Bird of the Month - Grey Butcherbird 5
“A Great Skua Offshore From Cape Otway” Marilyn Hewish 6
“A Creeping Water-bug" Dave King 8
Book Reviews Valda Dedman 10
“A New, Rare Victorian Subspecies of

Eucalyptus leucoxylon F.Muell.” K.Rule 12
Observations 15

COMING EVENTS
General Meeting John Alberton “Re-introducing small mammals

Biodiversity Group Excursion
Plant Group Meeting
WVFNCA Campout
Excursion

Biodiversity Group
Bird Group Meeting

NOVEMBER

1,2,3
3

8

10
16

24
25

Campout

General Meeting
Biodiversity Group Excursion
Plant Group Meeting
Excursion

Bird Group Meeting
Biodiversity Group

to burnt areas”
Forrest-Gellibrand
Discussion on plants from last excursion

Warrnambool
Anglesea Heathland Leaders: Winston Huggins
Margaret MacDonald
+ Workshop Meeting “Ponds and Swamps”
Barry Kentish “The Red-footed Boobies of N.Keeling Is"
Hattah Lakes N.P. Leader: Dave King
Prof. Neil Archbold “Brachiopods”
+ Inverleigh/Bannockburn More details next month

TBA
Lower Barwon River lakes Leaders: Barry Lingham
Graeme Tribe
Simon Kennedy “Changing birdlife at Moyston”
Workshop Meeting

* CHANGES TO PROGRAM
+ ADDITIONS TO PROGRAM

GEELONG NATURALIST Vol 34 No. 6 October 1998.

CAMPOUT NOTICE

... Dave King

Hattah/Kulkyne National Park
Oct. 31 - Nov. 1-3

This campout wil be situated at the
Mournpall Camping Area on Lake
Mournpall. Limited drinking water is
available under normal
circumstances. Being transported, it
therefore depends upon total usage
which may be great when a high
number of campers use the facility.
You are advised to bring a supply of
drinking water. Lake water is suitable
for washing purposes. Toilets are
available. Site fees are $8-30/day/
vehicle, up to 6 occupants.

The Mournpall Track (see map on
page 15) leading to the camping site
is an all weather track so no problem
with trailers. The area is provided
with a wide choice of sites and has
ample trees for shelter, although one
should avoid the larger River Red
Gums due to their tendency to drop
limbs. Tables and fireplaces are
available; for fires, fallen timber
around the camping ground can be
scarce, so bring an LPG stove if
possible.

Supplies are available from the store
. at Hattah, including all fuels, ice,
groceries, meats etc. and showers.
Open 7 day/week. Orders will be
taken P.N. (050) 293250.

For those who do: not anticipate
camping, Ouyen 34k from Hattah,
has a good hotel, the Victoria, P.N.
(03) 50921550, $20 single, $30
double, $40 family, having excellent
Chinese cuisine. Also Ouyan
caravan park has cabins & on-site
vans P.N. (050) 921426, and there
are Ouyen Motel P.N. (03)50921397,
Mallee View Motel .P.N. -(03)

50922197 and Hilltop Motel P.N.

(03) 50921410.

The campout itinerary will be subject
to the prevailing weather. It will
include visits to several areas close
by, typical of the Mallee and include
some of the lakes in the vicinity.
Lake Konardin, within walking
distance of the camp, is particularly
well populated with wader species.
Spot-lighting is proposed, so bring
lamps and torches.

m]

REEDY LAKE SURVEY
.. -Trevor Pescott

The next excursion to Reedy Lake
is due on Thursday Oct 8.

As .usual, meet at the end of
Fitzgerald's Road, off Melaluka
Road, Leopold at 9.00 am.

For other details:
phone 5243 4368.

BONESEED EXCURSION
... Rob Beardsley

Sat 24th and Sun 25th October.

With the football season now
behind us and the cricket season
some way off, the interim season
has been declared - BONESEED!

Please note that the above dates
are not mentioned in the coming
events of our annual program.

Please consider helping out as
attendance has not been that
great in the past few years.

It is encouraging to note that we
have been able to keep the area
cleared free of new infestation,
but to expand that area has
proved difficult due to the few
prepared to help .

Where: The Saddle, You Yangs
State Park. Please identify
yourselves at the park office in
order to obtain free entry and
directions to our work area if you
are unfamiliar with the location.

Time: 9.00 am Saturday 24th.
. 10.00 am Sunday 25th.

Bring: Gloves, eye protection ie.

safety glasses or wrap around
type sun-glasses, warm /wet wear
and lunch.

Contact: Rob Beardsley on 5241
1951 or 0418534075.
(m

Tonighťs speaker...

See page 11 for details.

EXCURSION NOTICE

The leaders will meet you at the
Bowing Club car park which is
opposite the main Anglesea
shopping centre car park (on the
Geelong side of the river) at 9.45 am
No other information is available.
- Ed.

m|

A RIVER STREAM FLOW
SEMINAR — FREE
... Dick Southcombe

Victorias rivers are under
unprecedented ` pressure.
Environment Victoria Inc., of which
GFNC is a member, has established
StreamFLOW Network to provide
Victorians with a clear understanding
of the issues, an opportunity to
discuss river ecology and
environmental flows and to mobilise
support for our rivers.

The seminar for our region will be
held at Ballarat on Saturday 24th
October. Contact Freya Merrick at
Environment Victoria, phone 03
9348 9044. to register for the free
seminar or to receive ongoing
information.

m]

VFNCA SPRING CAMPOUT
AT WARRNAMBOOL
... Dick Southcombe

Information sheets are available
tonight for those who have forgotten
to book or now find they are free on
16-18 October.

See page 1 of last month's Geelong
Naturalist.

o
New members...

We are pleased to welcome

Dr John Aberton

(our speaker tonight)
and
Mrs Veronica Mahoney

who joined the club in
September.

OCTOBER

... Joe Hubbard

Country Distractions; Stock-
Route Flowering; And Also.

Country Distractions.

You can't believe all you read in
some tourist guides and often you
wonder if you are at the same place.
On a day of following on antique
shops/historic villages trail, the only
real highlights were provided by
nature, at no cost!

Watching a small flock of. beautiful
Superb Parrots feeding by the
roadside was a real treat, that is,
until they were spooked into flight by
a passing raptor.

Further on we met two Australian
Wood Ducks and admired their
determined, and in our eyes plucky,
defence of their nine ducklings.

We had stopped to allow safe
passage of the male and ducklings in
line across the narrow, country road
when he decided the car was a
threat so he charged at it with
feathers raised and beak open.

Having put the car in its place, he
returned to the ducklings which had
squatted, motionless during the
attack and led them off into the long
roadside grass. Instead of leaving
them in peace | went for the
camera, close to hand of course, in
the boot.

While this was going on the ducks
and ducklings were almost invisible
in the grass, frozen. The adults
crouched low, with flattened bodies
and necks hugging the ground.

Suddenly my presence became too
much. The parents broke cover with
flapping wings and flopped around
seemingly in great distress - the old
distraction display trick.

It did not end there. When we
started to move off the male landed
on the road a few metres in front and
continued the distraction display,
broken wing trick and all that, until
we had travelled at very slow pace
mind you, for about fifty metres.

Then it flew off in a big circle back to

its 'saved' family.

GEELONG NATURALIST Vol 34 No. 6 October 1998

Bottom Lines.

e Wood Ducks are goose-like
grazers, wth brown heads and
palish bodies.

e Look for them around farm
dams or similar fresh water
Situations.

e Spring nesting is in tree

hollows. Look for a
combination of trees with water
close by.

e Marvel how the newly hatched
ducklings freefall to earth to be
led off to the relative safety of
open water.

e Location of Wood Duck story -
near Cudel, N.S.W. Superb
Parrots near Cargo, N.S.W.
and Coolamon, N.S.W.

Stock-Route Flowering.

We found ourselves ankle deep in
one of the best native grasslands
| have ever seen. We had
stopped because of the yellow
which was made up of a
combination of everlastings,
Bulbine Lilies and Yam daisies.
Here and there the yellowness
was interrupted with the white of
daisies and the rosy-purple and
mauves of Swainson Peas.
Beneath the taller plants grew tiny
yellow-centred white everlastings
and an even smaller scrambling
plant with white bell-like flowers.
The colours and combinations
seemed to go on and on. It was
then the Ranger arrived with his
four wheel drive tracking through
the grassland. It seemed
incongruous but there it was!

After introductions he told of his
recent interest in this grassland,
the rarities it contained and his
responsibility for its management.
Being part of a regularly used
stock route this must be difficult.
He is currently meeting with a
botanist who has somewhat
differing ideas about management
which is probably a good thing.

On his suggestion we walked
further into the grassland and
were treated to a brilliant display
of Swainson Peas, their colours
taking over from the yellows -
breathtaking stuff!

| am glad we told him what a
valuable thing he was looking
after. | forgot to add fragile and
vulnerable, | hope he knows.

Bottom Lines.

We have one Swainsona in our
area Swainsona lessertifolia, the
Coast or Purple Pea. It is locally
abundant on our dune systems.
Watch for its bright purple pea-
like flowers. It flowers from
August to January but now is a
good time to look.

Take a trip to one of our
grasslands. Try the railway
reserves north of Bannockburn or
travel via Shelford to take the Mt
Mercer Road where good
roadside vegetation exits.

The Ranger in question, Norman
Robinson is responsible for
travelling stock, rabbit control,
Stock route/reserve maintenance
and ammunition sales!
Telephone 03 5886 1203 P O
Box 111, Jerilderie 2716.
Grassland - 1 km south of
Jerilderie on the Newell
Highway.

And Also.

Butterflies - Caper White, white
with black markings. A migratory
species reaching us in October.
Noted flying NE to SW 27/9/98.

Woodswallow - Watched White-
browed fly through the You Yangs

“as we pulled boneseed. See - it's

not all work.

Blue-winged Parrots - When
looking for sun orchids in the
Anglesea heathlands or Mt.
Ingoldby Reserve watch for these
small ground-feeding birds.

Visit a country cemetery -
Remnant native vegetation can
be found in there and maybe an
old species rose e.g.
Bannockburn and Inverleigh.
Count the newly planted trees at
Jerringot. Count quietly so that
you don't disturb the shy ones -
Latham's Snipe, Baillon's Crake,
Buff-banded Rail and the ground
nesting Black-fronted Plover
which could put on a distraction
display if you get close to its nest.
Go backwards - to Geelong
Naturalist October 1997 for more
things to see and do.

Oo

GEELONG NATURALIST Vol 34 No. 6 October 1998.

LIBRARY NOTES

... Betty Moore

EMU - Journal of the RAOU - Sep’98
This issue has a very interesting
article by R.A.Wood on the seasonal

changes in the diet of Pied
Currawongs. It is based on studies
carried out at Wollongong.

Observations showed that fruit was
the major part of their diet in the non-
breeding season, switching to mostly
insects during the breeding season
and nestling and jüvenile birds when
feeding their own nestlings and
immature juveniles. In the study
area this period extended from
September to March. Birds of
unknown breeding status stuck to
fruit, insects, nectar and leaves
during this period.

The impact of Pied Currawongs on
song-bird populations has been
much discussed. A recent study in
Canberra found that each breeding
pair of Pied Currawongs killed about
40 broods of small passerines to
raise one brood of their own.

Thanks to Donna Wood, the library
has three publications put out by
VPNA, an Endangered Ecosystem
Series - Native Grasslands & Grassy
Woodlands, Marine and Coastal and
Box and lronbark. They give a
coverage of these habitats,
situations and problems as well as
conservation measures which are
and should be taken in respect of
these areas.

ANGAIR Sept '98 - "Get to know our
tracks" this month covers an easy
walk of approx. 7 km. It includes Mt
Ingoldsby, White's track, Ted's
Ridge Track and Distillery Creek
Road.

Australian Geographic. Jul-Sep '98

"Kings of Kelp" by Chris Viney and.

Rob Walls is an article on the
harvesting, treatment and use of
kelp on King Island.

"Live Fast - Die Young" - a story of
the giant Australian cuttlefish.
"Lightning Ridge" covers the way of
life of people in this outback mining
country.

There are other interesting articles
such as “Tea and Sugar Train’,
"Cattle Muster" and more.

Field Nats News No. 69 gives a
report by Keith Marshall on a talk
by Dr Robyn Adams on “Plant
Families & Taxonomy” - an
interesting article on a somewhat
perplexing subject.

Another report by C.Earp is on
“Earthquakes & Tsunamis’, a talk
given by Dr Gary Gibson.

o

BELMONT COMMON OPEN DAY
30th August
... Valda Dedman

| would like to thank all those who took
part, directing visitors, planting trees,
leading bird walks and selling posters.

More than 1000 people turned up to
play free golf, have a sausage sizzle,
fly kites, look at the displays or walk
over the Common and see for
themselves what a huge slice of it
would disappear under water if the
watersports complex goes ahead.

Special thanks to Joe Hubbard who did
so much work, picking up rubbish and
preparing for the tree planting. He is
still planting trees and pulling out
weeds. Why not go down some Monday
morning and help him?

Joe’s sharp eyes have also added a
new plant to the Belmont Common
plant list. A buttercup ( we're not quite
sure yet which one) is flowering at the
edge of the ‘Baillon’s Crake’ wetland.

(m

What is that bird?

Barry Lingham says it can be
confused with a thornbill and that
-its beak is more like a finch.

Try to work it out before you turn
to page 15 for his interesting notes
on the observations.

Craig Morley made the
observation of this uncommon
bird.

Polly Cutcliffe records a bird
which is normally a ground-nester
but gave up and tried the roof of a
house.

oO

BIO-DIVERSITY NOTES

... Ade Foster

Meeting report, September 23.
“Denizens of the Backyard”

This meeting, a school holiday
venture aimed at youngsters , was
attended by just two regular
members, and a visitor who brought
along four very interested children.
Despite the poor attendance we had
an enchanting evening, introducing
the kids to the wonders to be found
in the average backyard. | spent an
hour in my yard that afternoon and
managed to find over twenty five

species including spiders,
harvestmen, slaters, beetles, bugs,
earwigs, „caterpillars, moths,

centipedes, millipedes, fungus and
frogs.

We discovered many interesting
things about these common
‘uninteresting’ creatures. Did you
know that slaters are crustaceans?
or that earwgs use their ‘pincers’ to
fold their wings after flight? How do
caterpillars or slugs breathe? What
makes a click beetle click? Why did
South Australian Railways have to
modify their trains because of
millipedes? Where do mantids lay
their eggs? These and many other
fascinating questions will remain a
mystery to those who missed a
wonderful evening.

Next Meeting: Ponds and Swamps.
21st October, 8.00 pm.

Next Excursion: Forrest area.
Interested people should meet at the
Green Grub carpark, Waurnvale
Shopping Village at 9 am. on
Sunday 11th October.

November Excursion: Inverleigh /
Bannockburn. More details next
month.

Oo

Thanks...

To John Bottomley, for preparing
the report of the Bird Group
meeting in Barry Lingham’s
absence.

o

BIRD GROUP REPORT

... John Bottomley

“Birding in Costa Rica”
A Talk By Euan Moore

The Bird Group was entertained at
its meeting of 22 September by a
talk and slide show from Euan Moore
on Birding in Costa Rica.

Euan introduced his talk with a
thumbnail account of Costa Rica: a
country relatively unfamiliar to most
of those present. Costa Rica lies in
Central America to the South of
Nicaragua and to the North-West of
Panama. Latitudinally it lies between
eight and twelve degrees North of
the Equator: roughly equivalent in
Southern Hemispheric terms to the
South-Eastern peninsula of PNG on
which Port Moresby is located.
Although small, about two-thirds the
size of Tasmania, the country is
environmentally very diverse. A
range of mountains, with peaks over
3000 metres high, runs the length of
the country from North to South
forming the continental divide.
Drainage to the East flows to the
Caribbean Sea and to the West to
the Pacific Ocean. In the North East
and East there are wet tropical
lowands and in the North-West dry
savanna woodlands. As was well
illustrated in Euan's slides, this
diversity makes for a scenically very
attractive country.

Better still for birders however is the
astonishing variety of birdlife. The
Costa Rican list may only have three
endemics but is over 850 species
long: this in a country two-thirds the
Size of Tasmania!! The primary
reason for the diversity of birdlife is
that Costa Rica receives winter
migrants from both the neo-arctic
and neo-tropical avian realms. As
such itis blessed with both North and
South American species: each
migrating to tropical Costa Rica for
their respective winters.

The topographic diversity of the
country leads to a significant
regional variation in the species
likely to be seen. Habitat is as
everywhere an important
determinant of what can be seen in
a particular location but in Costa
Rica different species are seen to
the East and West of the continental
divide and, as in PNG, at different
altitudes as one climbs higher into
the central mountain range.

GEELONG NATURALIST Vol 34 No. 6 October 1998

Euan noted that Costa Rica is
probably the easiest Central
American country in which to bird,
as it is a stable and peaceful
democracy. With no army it
spends heavily on education and
other social services and thus
does not suffer from many of the
problems found in many Central
and South American Countries.
The country is very
environmentally conscious with
numerous national parks, national
refuges and the like. In all close to
3096 of the country is protected in
one way or another. Logging is
highly regulated with coffee,
bananas, tourism, sugar and oil
palm all being important
economic activities. -Travel is
easy with all parts of the country
accessible by public transport
within one day from the capital
San Jose. There are many lodges
that have been established for
eco-tourists: judging from Euan's
photographs some of these are
very attractive indeed and most
come fully equipped with guides
who can identify birds as 'number
five, plate thirty-five' or the like in
the standard fieldguide 'A guide to
the Birds of Costa Rica' by Stiles
and Skutch. Obtaining a copy of
this book and working with it for
several weeks before a visit is a
must according to Euan. With 850
species to master this sounds like
good advice!! So what can be
seen?

The short answer is a great deal
and not very much that can be
seen in Australia: a good place to
go to bolster a life list.

Woodpeckers, hummingbirds,
tanagers, orioles and flycatchers
are neo-arctic families with
several members that can be
seen. Among the woodpeckers
present are the Acorn and Pale
Headed: both seen in fine slides.
Several nearly impossible to
distinguish flycatchers were seen
as was a Great Kiskadee, a
member of the flycatchers with a
distinctive black and white face
pattern and yellow chest. Summer
Tanagers, a beautiful crimson red,
and Baltimore Orioles, a striking
orange and black, were also seen.
Many species of hummingbird are
present of which the white naped
Jacobin was common.

Cane Negre National Park is an
important wetland providing northern
hemisphere birds with winter habitat.
Seen here were Olivaceous
Cormorants, Anhingas, Kingfishers,
Cattle, Snowy and Great Egrets,
Woodstorks, Roseate Spoonbills,
Great Blue Herons, American White
Ibis and Jabiru: no not the Black
Necked Stork of Australia but the
closely related j.mycteria which can
be seen from Southern Mexico to
Central Argentina. Also present to
discourage those thinking of cooling
off in the waters are Caymans:
Central America's equivalent of the
fresh water crocodile of Northern
Australia.

A trip to the Pacific Coast yielded
Whimbrel, Willett, Grey Plovers and
Lesser Yellow Legs among other
waders. A flock of American Brown
Pelicans and a ‘squadron’ of
Magnificent Frigate birds added
variety.

The ‘showest’ birds of the night in
my book were the Scarlet Macaws
and the most interesting story that of
the relationship between
Oropendolas, Cowbirds and a
species of wood wasp. Cowbirds are
parasitic on Oropendolas. However
in some situations Orependolas tip
out Cowbird eggs whereas in others
they do not. The determinant of
whether or not the egg is tipped
appears to be the presence or
absence in the vicinity of wood wasp
nests. If wasp nests are present the
Oropendolas raise a Cowbird chick:
if wasps are not present they don't.
The reason seems to be that
Cowbird chicks are bigger and more
aggressive than Oropendola chicks
and are adept at driving off wasps:
wasps which if not driven away
threaten the success of all chicks:
Oropendolas included. Oropendola
parents it seems are prepared to
feed an extra mouth if it earns its
keep by driving away intruder wasps.
If these are not present they opt for
an easier life and tip the egg. -

Euan answered several questions at
the end of his talk and was warmly
thanked with a generous round of
applause.

Next Month's Speaker

Barry Kentish will be speaking on
“The Red-footed Boobies of North
Keeling Island”. Barry has spoken to
our group in the past .

oO

GEELONG NATURALIST Vol 34 No. 6 October 1998.

BIRD OF THE MONTH

... Valda Dedman

Grey Butcherbird

Name Grey Butcherbird Cracticus
torquatus

Description Grey, white and black
bird, with strong bill, ending in a fine
hook. Black head, white half-collar.
Tail black with white tip. Female
browner and juvenile distinctly
brown/buff.

Length 24-30 cm.

Voice Strong carolling. Also
whisper-song, harsh alarm calls.

Food Insects, small birds.

Habitat Forest margins,
woodland, parkland, gardens.

open

Range Found over a large part of
Australia, including Tasmania, but
not Cape York or drier parts of the
north, yet extends into central
Australia.Several races, palest in
the north-west and largest and
darkest in Tasmania.

Geelong Woodland and forest
margins, Bellarine Peninsula,
Eastern Park, Belmont Common,
suburban gardens. Uncommon to
north of Geelong. Sedentary.
Breeds.

Nest Untidy bow of twigs, lined with
grass.

The Grey Butcherbird often reveals
its presence by its call, particularly in
spring and autumn.

Charles Belcher wrote in his Birds of
Geelong and District (1914):

No one could possibly describe
adequately the Butcher-bird's note: it.
begins with a loud, confused medley
of sound, and ends with single notes.
It has been described as discordant,
but in my opinion it is one of the
most cheerful and joyous bird-voices
of the bush.

There are other calls: an aggressive
staccato shriek, a harsh "karr-karr"
and a soft subsong, when other
species may be mimicked.
Butcherbirds also call loudly in
flight, with wings a-quiver.

Belcher declared that if he were to
take a bird-lover out with the
intention of showing him a
butcherbird, he might go all day
without seeing one, although the
birds were widespread. To see a
Grey Butcherbird today, | would
go immediately to Belmont
Common, where there is a
resident, almost tame, pair. Like
Magpies, butcher-birds respond to
hand feeding and may boldly fly
away with food from picnic tables.

Belcher knew the birds from "the
beginning of the bush on Swan
Bay Road, a mile or two beyond
the Wallington". The bush is now
reduced to little more than the
roadside strip, classified as
significant roadside vegetation
and is an important wildlife
corridor. On 13th September, with
the car window open, | drove
slowy along this road, when .
suddenly, to my surprise and
delight, | heard a familiar

Belcher believed that the eggs were
laid “almost invariably” in the third
week of September , ....

distinctive rollicking carol. |
wondered if | was listening to a :
descendant of a bird Belcher had
seen in the same place ninety
years before

In the Gee/ong Naturalist of May
1972 there is an account of a
breeding pair, of which the male
had to be kept in a cage whilst it
recovered from a broken wing.
The female managed alone to
successfully raise one young. She
kept in contact with the male
through calls and accepted food
from him through the cage wire.

‘After the young bird had left the

nest, the female sought to mate
again, but her new suitor first had
to subdue the convalescent male,
in a fight which also took place
through the cage wire. Three
months later, though, the first
male, now fully recovered, was
able to drive off the intruder. A
new nest was built, but
unfortunately no young were
hatched.

Why the name "butcherbird"?

They sometimes keep a ‘larder’ hung
up on 'butcher's hooks’, for use later.
They eat a wide range of foods,
including house mice, small lizards,
phasmids, and nestlings. The birds
feed mostly off the ground, but carry
their food to a tree to eat, impaling it
on a twig or wedged in a sharp-
angled notch. They do not have the
sharp talons of birds of prey, having
only their hooked bill to assist in
dismembering food. So ingrained is
this feeding behaviour, that, even if
the food is soft and easily eaten on
the spot, they still tend to take it
away and eat it bit by bit. Ray
Baverstock watched an immature
Grey Butcherbird lay a large worm
carefully over a thin branch and then
break off and swallow a piece at a
time. In the past they have had an
unfair reputation as killers of small
caged birds.

Their flight is direct, a flat glide from
tree to tree. They have short legs
and on the ground they hop,
rather than walk as a magpie
does.

Nests are often found in belts of
pine trees. In the bush, the average
nest height is about 3 metres.
Belcher found them near the end of
a horizontal branch, or more rarely,
near the top of a sapling. Banksias
and bulloaks were favourite trees in
his day.

Do two or more birds often use the
same nest? Belcher once found a
nest with seven eggs, easily
separable into two distinct clutches.
The eggs are apple green with
brownish blotches at one end. The
birds form family groups but not with
the complicated social structure of
magpie groups. Has anyone seen a
large group of | butcherbird
‘teenagers’?

Belcher believed that the eggs were
laid “almost invariably” in the third
week of September, so keep your
eyes open for young birds from now
on. Immatures have been noted in
the Geelong Bird Report in
November, January and as late as
April.

oO.

6 GEELONG NATURALIST Vol 34 No. 6 October 1998

A Great Skua Catharacta skua offshore from Cape Otway

by Marilyn Hewish

On the morning of 4 August 1998 | was sitting on the clifftop just east of the Cape Otway lighthouse. | was
scanning with my telescope for seabirds, with some success as there were many albatrosses soaring close
inshore. | then chanced upon a single Great Skua flying in the wake of a large cargo ship. | recognised it
instantly, having seen two birds of this species just last year in Norway. | watched it continuously for about 10
minutes and noted the identifying features, and when it was lost to sight through distance | wrote a description
and checked my identification in a field guide.

It is difficult to estimate distance offshore because of the lack of landmarks, but the bird was maybe 500-1000
metres away at first sighting. The conditions were ideal, with bright sunshine, a light-moderate north-westerly
wind (the telescope was quite steady), a low swell on the sea with no white-caps, and clear air with no spray
and no mist. The wing-markings on this bird were clearly visible in the Kowa telescope (77 mm objective) |
used throughout the observations. When | observed Black-browed Albatrosses at a similar distance on that
day, | could clearly see their black brows and bill colour.

Description

A large and robust seabird, estimated a little larger than a Pacific Gull; body, very bulky barrel-shaped; head
large with thick neck; wings very broad almost to the tip and then the edges curving in to form broadly-pointed
wingtip; wings swept back only a little from the carpal joint; tail shortish, very broad and pointed at the centre
so broadly wedge-shaped. t
Colour uniform chocolate-brown above and below with slight tawny tint in the sun; on upperwing, a crescent
shaped white wing flash over base of primaries; wing flash broadest at wing tip, covering maybe a quarter of
the length of the visible primaries, and narrowing towards body end; trailing edge ragged where white streaks
on feather shafts only; wing flash breaking up into short white streaks at body end.

Bill dark. i

The tawny tint to the plumage and the narrowness of the wing-flash suggest that the bird may have been an
immature (Higgins and Davies, 1996).

Behaviour

The bird was first seen in level flight above the wake of a large cargo ship travelling parallel to shore. At first
sighting it was several ship-lengths behind the ship and flying at considerable speed. It soon caught the ship,
and as it reached the stern it angled up sharply and towered above the ship, seeming to catch an updraft. The `
abruptness of the change from level to rising flight and the speed of ascent suggested some agility in the air.
It then soared in a tight circle for a few minutes, rising continually until it was very high (maybe 100 metres
up). It then angled down, joining the wake again, and flew direct and fast along the wake to catch the ship
which by then was several hundred metres further on. Again on catching the ship, the skua towered up above
the stern, and soared in rising circles. By this time the bird and the ship were becoming too distant for useful
observation.

Flight action

In level flight over the ship's wake the bird travelled fast and direct at a height of about 10 metres. The
wingbeats were deep, not particularly rapid but powerful and purposeful, with no gliding. The wings were held
out from the body and were swept back only slightly from the carpal joint (wrist). When soaring, the bird held
its wings stiff, level and straight out from the body. The tail was occasionally fanned and twisted.

Similar species considered:

Dark petrels and shearwaters

Smaller birds overall, body shape slimmer, tail not so broad, wings long, slender and more pointed; brown
birds tend to be darker sooty-brown, not chocolate-brown; no wing-flash on upperwing; flight action not so
powerful, direct, or high above surface; shearwaters undulate lower over water with fast shallow wingbeats
and frequent glides; petrels' flight action in general more relaxed, closer to surface, with gliding.

(Continued on page 7)

GEELONG NATURALIST Vol 34 No. 6 October 1998. 7

(Continued from page 6)

‘Immature Pacific Gull Larus pacificus
No wing-flash; wings not so broad at base and pointed at tip; flight action more ‘flappy’, less powerful.

Arctic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus, Pomarine Jaeger S. pomarinus and Long-tailed Jaeger S. longicaudus
dark morphs

Finer build; Pomarine Jaeger more robust than Arctic, but body not barrel-shaped, and has great depth in
chest but becomes more slender towards rear of body. Tail not so broad; wing-flash less prominent; ving
shape different, not so broad, widest to carpal joint then tapering sharply and with straight edges to finely
pointed wingtip; wing swept back strongly from carpal joint in flight; flight more tern-like, buoyant (especially
Long-tailed).

South Polar Skua Catharacta maccormicki

It is difficult to exclude this species with total confidence. However jadging by illustrations in Pizzey and
Knight (1997) and Higgins and Davies (1996), South Polar Skuas are smaller and more slender than the bird
| saw. Pale and intermediate morphs have a distinctly pale and contrasting head, neck and breast, and the
dark morph has a pale nape which should have been visible under the conditions. In the dark morph of the
South Polar Skua, the brown colouring is dark and has a greyish tint (not chocolate-brown with a tawny tint).

| recognised the bird at once but confirmed my identification immediately after the observation using The
Graham Pizzey and Frank Knight Field Guide to the Birds of Australia (1997). On returning home, | consulted
the Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds, Vol. 3 (Higgins and Davies, 1996), and other
books.

| have seen Great Skuas before, obtaining close views of two birds perched and in flight on the seabird
breeding island of Runde in Norway on April 1997. | have also seen Arctic Jaegers frequently from various
points along the coast of western Victoria, including Point Lonsdale, Point Addis and Aireys Inlet lighthouse.
| have also observed both Arctic and Pomarine Jaegers at length and at close quarters from the stern of the
Tasmanian ferry travelling through the heads into Port Phillip Bay.

Discussion

Great Skuas are uncommon winter visitors to Victorian waters (Emison et al. 1987). In the Geelong region
(which extends west to Port Campbell), the species is rare. There are no records in Geelong Bird Reports
from 1984 to 1997, and no sightings are listed in Trevor Pescott's book, Birds of Geelong (1983). The Atlas
of Victorian Birds (Emison et al., 1987) shows only a few records in the Geelong region, concentrated around
the entrance to Port Phillip Bay and the adjacent coast. No records are listed for Cape Otway, although there
is no reason to believe that the birds avoid or favour any particular stretch of coastline in Victoria. Records
however are more likely where there is a good view over the sea from a cliff or cape, and particularly where
shipping lanes pass close to the shore. In part the scarcity of records arises from the birds' preference for
shelf-break and pelagic waters. They are less common close to shore than either Arctic or Pomarine Jaegers
(Higgins and Davies, 1996), but clearly can be attracted inshore by vessels.

Skuas and Jaegers follow ships in order to take discarded refuse, and to pirate food from other seabirds,
especially terns and gulls, gathered at such food sources. Soaring has not been remarked on in any of the
Australian references | consulted, but Cramp (1983) notes that Great Skuas in the northern hemisphere may
soar well above the sea surface on migration, and | have seen birds soaring in updraughts off cliff faces in
Norway. | have also seen Arctic and Pomarine Jaegers taking advantage of the updraught off the stern of a
ship, hanging in the air for long periods. Such high and soaring flight as | observed would conserve energy
and give the. bird a clear view of the-length of the ship's wake as it searched for food.

References

Pizzey, G. and F. Knight. 1997. The Graham Pizzey and Frank Knight Field Guide to the Birds of Australia.
Angus & Robertson, Melbourne.

Higgins, P.J. and S.J.J.F. Davies (eds). 1996. Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds,
Vol. 3. Snipe to Pigeons. Oxford University Press, Melbourne.

Pescott, T. 1983. Birds of Geelong. Neptune Press, Newtown, Victoria.

Emison, W.B., C.M. Beardsell, F.I. Norman, R.H. Loyn and S.C. Bennett. 1987. Atlas of Victorian Birds. Dept
of Conservation, Forests and Lands, RAOU, Melbourne.

Cramp, S. (ed). 1983. Handbook of the Birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The Birds of the
Western Palearctic. Vol. IIl. Waders to Gulls. Oxford University Press.

Ll

8 GEELONG NATURALIST Vol 34 No. 6 October 1998

A CREEPING WATER-BUG

Naucoris sp. (Naucoridae: Hemiptera)
i by Dave King

8 Traum Street, Portarlington, 3223.
Introduction
The ongoing survey of the invertebrate fauna of the wetlands that consist of Jerringot Reserve and
contiguous wetlands within the Barwon Valley Golf Club has collected many species of aquatic fauna.
Although all these wetlands are in close proximity, several differences are manifest, in particular water
depth, water source and vegetation. Up until now most sampling has been of terrestrial fauna by means of
pit-fall traps and foliage beating. The added advantage of determining aquatic fauna is that water quality

can be effectively gauged. The range and specificity of fauna is a valuable way of determining water
quality.

Jerringot Reserve receives the greater part of its water from storm water drains encompassing both urban
housing and a wde variety of industrial complexes, plus a number of roads carrying large amounts of traffic.
The golf course wetlands by comparison are charged by run-off from the surrounding open grass land, and
tend by nature to be shallow and in some cases ephemeral.

The periodic flooding of the whole area will tend to make the population diversity of each wetland
comparable - a state that will tend to become less comparable as time passes between flooding and/or
relatively wet periods. The abundant bird life using all of the wetlands also plays a part in maintaining
comparable invertebrate fauna by transport of eggs and small animals attached to their feathers. Having
said this , it was interesting to come upon the subject Creeping Water-bug in only one wetland, situated on
the golf course.

Description

The number of species of aquatic bugs is quite extensive, even within individual families of aquatic
Hemiptera. The subject species belongs to the Naucoridae, although not rare, it is limited to just two genera
in Australia, the Naucoris and Aphelocheirus, Woodward et al (1970).

Members of the family Naucoridae are bugs completely adapted to aquatic life, from egg through the
nymphal stage to adult. The adult relies on atmospheric oxygen, which is obtained by periodically collecting
a bubble of air at the water surface. This bubble of air is held on the underside of the abdomen by a series
of fine hairs. Adult Naucoris are equipped with wings which enables them to disperse to other habitats if
conditions in their present one deteriorates.

The Naucoridae are predacious, the adult stage being equipped with raptorial fore legs. Grabbed by the fore
legs prey is held to facilitate the insertion of the beak-like proboscis, and the victim's body fluids then
extracted.

Discussion

The presence or absence of various invertebrates are a good indication of the state of health of any wetland.
Variation, as delineated by Kabisch et al (1982), is from polysaprobic (heavy pollution with decaying organic
matter) with low dissolved oxygen, through a- mesosaprobic and B-mesosaprobic, to oligosaprobic (high
dissolved oxygen and little organic decomposition) with limited biodiversity.

No one faunal organism can be used to identify positively the saprobic level of any body of water, but some
indication can be drawn. In this case , the Naucoridae, can only handle prey of size close to its own size,
which means there must be a population of lesser animals, and so on down the food chain. To maintain
such a food chain the health of the water must be somewhere within the œ and p-mesosaprobic class.

References
Kabisch, K. & Hemming, J. (1982), Ponds & Pools - Oases in the Landscape, ,
Croom Helm, London & Canberra.
Woodward, T. ,Evans J., & Eastop, V. (1970), in The Insects of Australia, Melbourne Univ. Press.

"ini

GEELONG NATURALIST Vol 34 No. 6 October 1998.

4

Dorsal view . Ventral view

Creeping Water-bug Naucoris sp.

SNIPEFEST 98
... Valda Dedman

The first day of Spring was the day chosen to celebrate the return of Latham’s Snipe from Japan.

The weather was kind and 120 children from grades 3 and 4 came to Jerringot and took part in mask-
making, face painting, dipping for snipe food and a bird walk. They were wonderful children, responsive
and responsible. And the snipe obviously approved, because up to thirty birds were seen.

Sally and Sam Snipe had written letters to the schools taking part, asking if Jerringot was a safe and
suitable place for them and the children had responded with enthusiasm. Look in the bird hide for some
of their letters. | ;

Many prizes were awarded for the best masks and each child received a participation certificate. The
schools were each given a kit of follow-up information and activities.

We received funding from the City of Greater Geelong for the festival, which we hope to repeat in future
years as part of our community education activities at Jerringot.

A big thank you to all who helped make the day such a success, especially Lily Sherwood and Sheila
Silver, who turned a mountain of mask materials into manageable lots.
Oo

10 GEELONG NATURALIST Vol 34 No. 6 October 1998

BOOK REVIEWS

by Valda Dedman

69 North Valley Road, Highton, 3216.

Barwon River Environment Trail : a resource for schools
Sue Longmore, David Sutherland, Janice Dart. Barwon Water, c1997.

Wetlands -The Oasis Next Door : a primary school resource book
Sybil Bond, Sue Telfer and the Friends of the Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands Inc. FESWI, 1998.
($25. CD-Rom version $20.)

Here are two publications designed to assist teachers in interpreting local wetlands for schoolchildren,
similar in intent and results but differing in approach. Both tie in with current Curriculum and Standards
Frameworks at primary school level and include detailed notes on learning outcomes. Wetlands - The
Oasis Next Door starts at Level One and continues through to Level Four; the Barwon River Environment
Trail is designed for upper primary grades and could also be adapted for use by secondary schools.

The Barwon River Environment Trail is an activity-based trail following the riverside track between
Rocky Point and Yollinko Park as the river flows through Geelong. It was developed by Barwon Water,
which manages this section of the river reserve. The trail is about one kilometre long, with ten trail sites,
each with an activity, based on the natural or human-made features of the site. Thus, a variety of
wetland/riverine ecosystems and the impact of human uses can be studied. Indigenous grasslands, local
geology, river red gums, waterbirds, erosion, habitat plants, aquatic life, wetland types, nest hollows and
aboriginal use of the area’s resources are covered.

The resource material comes in the form of a kit of printed material in a handy zippered strong plastic
bag. As well as the 56 page teachers’ guide and photocopiable A3 master sheets which become student
workbooks, there are two small books on Barwon River Fauna and Flora, brochures about the Trail and
the Park Aboriginal Garden, waterwise notes for senior students, the waterbug detective guide and some
Barwon Water promotional material " ;

The teachers' guide is attractive, each page bordered at the top and bottom with a coloured aboriginal-
style trail motif. The aims of each activity are clearly set out and , with the help of comprehensive
background notes, teachers are guided through each activity. The students fill in the workbook as they
go along. There are also suggested classroom extension activities, such as investigating water bug
adaptations and life cycles or building and monitoring nest boxes in the school garden.

The focus is on the teacher, and, since a prescribed route is to be followed, the style is directive. For
example: "Walk quietly as you approach the bird hide and assemble the children inside" and "Ask
children to turn around, face the Barwon River".

No teacher should be badly prepared for this school outing. Barwon Water offers every assistance, from
extra help with grass identification to loan of macroinvertebrate sampling equipment.

The kit is also a valuable reference tool for anyone visiting the area. Salinity levels in water, Barwon
Basin notes, geological and historical notes, background on the Wathaurung (aboriginal) use of the area
all add to the interest of the walk, even without structured learning activities.

| would have liked an index, and flora and fauna lists in the three spare notes pages at the back. My copy
of the teachers' guide was also bound incorrectly, which had me puzzled for a while. However, since it is
a stapled publication, | was able to rectify the matter. The kit is free to schools (contact Janice Dart
phone: 0352 262316), and part of the excellent work carried out by Barwon Water, which recreated the
Yollinko ephemeral wetlands in the bend of the Barwon river, planted a River Red Gum woodland,
constructed boardwalks and created an aboriginal food garden with sculptures.

Wetlands - The Oasis Next Door refers to two wetland areas, totalling more than 100 hectares and six
kilometres apart, at Edithvale and Seaford in Melbourne's eastern coastal suburbs. Both sites are
managed by Melbourne Water, as wetlands of importance, for water quality treatment and as floodplain
Storage. They are remnants of the former much larger Carrum Carrum swamp, which has been subject
to a series of drainage projects since the 1870s. Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands is provisionally nominated

(Continued on page 11)

GEELONG NATURALIST Vol 34 No. 6 October 1998. 11

(Continued from page 10)
. for potential inclusion as a Ramsar site. The Friends Group (FESWI) was formed in the 1980s.

The book has a wider scope than the Barwon River Trail Guide. It was designed not only to provide busy
teachers with a series of activities and background information, but to promote awareness of the Edithvale-
Seaford wetlands and their significance both locally and globally. The program is in four levels: Special
Places - What's Alive, Habitats are Homes, a Sanctuary for Nature and People, Time and Change. It could
be used over four years, gradually building up a sense of identity of the children with the wetlands. However,
each activity, or even part of an activity can stand alone. Snipe Express is a linking strand running through
all levels. Eight letters, purporting to come from Latham's Snipe, introduce the children to this migratory
wader and its place in the wetlands.

The teacher's guide forms the main text, followed by 80 photocopiable worksheets, 10 bird fact sheets and
20 pages of additional teacher reference material. A practical feature is the cross-referencing. The level and
unit, its title and section are at the bottom of each page. As well, there are indexes to the worksheets,
teacher notes and snipe letters. The resource list includes videos, posters, Internet sites and useful phone
numbers. The book is spiral-bound for ease of photocopying. Wetlands - The Oasis Next Door is also
available as a CD-Rom, which allows the page and its related thumbnails or bookmarks to be viewed
together. You can easily search and also manipulate information prior to printing. There are also some
coloured images. It is good value for money, but the book in hand is remarkably user-friendly and should not
be ignored.

The units are inquiry and activity based. The focus is on interaction of the child with the environment,
although detailed instructions are given to teachers at every stage. Each activity is organised in pre-visit,
visit and back at school sections. Pre and post-visit activities are varied and regarded as important to total
understanding of the wetlands. Follow-up activities may involve displays for the rest of the school,
community involvement in treeplanting, letters to the newspaper, or ongoing monitoring of wetland birds or
developmental threats. The program is full of bright ideas and the active involvement of both students and
teachers is encouraged at every stage. There are games, stories, a bird kite to make, pictures to draw.
Imagination coupled with observation make for success in promoting awareness and therefore saving the
wetland.

Many of the activities could, however, be used at any wetland, and this is the real strength of the book. |
have already adapted the snipe letters for use at 'Snipefest 98' at the Jerringot Wetland in the Belmont
. Common.

It is essential that young people recognise the value and fascination of wetlands and their part in the total
ecosystem. No longer must they be regarded merely as dismal swamps, fit only for draining. Programs for
schools, and resource materials such as these produced by Barwon Water and the Friends of Edithvale-
Seaford Wetlands are a necessary part of wetland conservation.

Barwon River Environment Trail
Sue Longmore, David Sutherland, Janice Dart. Barwon Water, c1997.
ISBN 0959491929. Available from Barwon Water, PO Box , 3220.

Wetlands -The Oasis Next Door
Sybil Bond, Sue Telfer and the Friends of the Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands Inc. FESWI, 1998
ISBN 0646317393. Available from FESWI. Cost $22. CD-Rom version $22.

Our Guest Speaker
- Dr John Aberton

John Aberton is currently a lecturer at Deakin university where he teaches aspects of ecology to engineering
students. He was previously a secondary school teacher.

John has been involved in the trapping and study of small mammals since 1991. His talk tonight on “reintroducing
small mammals to burnt areas” is based around his research that took place over several years.

Currently, John is studying the Rufous Bristlebird in the Airey's Inlet with the assistance of Pauline Reilly.

12 GEELONG NATURALIST Vol 34 No. 6 October 1998

A NEW, RARE VICTORIAN SUBSPECIES OF

Eucalyptus leucoxylon F. Muell.
By K.Rule

Dept. Botany, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC.

Foreward

Eucalyptus leucoxylon subsp. bellarinensis has been recently described in Muellaria Vol.11:133-136 (1998) by Kevin Rule
of Latrobe University. This rare subspecies is of such local significance to warrant Kevin Rule's article being reproduced
in full and thus enable our readers to identify its distinctive features and also gain an appreciation of the extensive
research required.

Dick Southcombe

Abstract
Eucalyptus leucoxylon subsp. bellarinensis, a rare, pruinose and relatively large-fruited form of Yellow Gum occurring in

coastal Central Victoria, is described and comments regarding its infraspecific affinities, distributions and conservation
status are given.

Introduction

The variable nature of Eucalyptus leucoxylon F. Muell. is unequalled within the genus. Its complexity is a result of its
extensive distribution, which extends from the Flinders Ranges to north-eastern Victoria and the numerous habitats it
occupies. Boland (1979) provided formal descriptions of our morphological and geographical forms: subsp. leucoxylon
Boland, subsp. megalocarpa Boland , subsp. pruinosa Boland and subsp. petiolaris Boland. Two additional taxa were

described by Rule (1991): subsp.stephaniae Rule and supsp. connata Rule. In 1992 subsp. petiolaris was elevated in
rank to E.petiolaris (Boland) Rule.

Further study, however, has demonstrated that an additional morphological and geographical form of E. leucoxylon is
sufficiently distinctive in its combination of features to warrant subspecific recognition. It occurs on the Bellarine
Peninsula near Geelong in coastal Central Victoria and grows as a depauperate, often mallee-like tree with features
including waxy, frequently connate juvenile leaves and relatively large fruits borne on markedly long pedicels.

Eucalyptus leucoxylon F. Muell subsp. bellarinensis K. Rule subsp. nov.
Eucalyptus leucoxylon F. Muell. subsp. connatae K. Rule et subsp. pruinosae Boland affinis sed ambabo fructibus

majoribus et pedicellis longioribus differt; necnon a subsp. connata foliis juvenilibus pruinosis, et a subsp. pruinosa foliis
juvenilibus connatis constanter differt.

Type; Grounds of Anglican Church, Ocean Grove, K.Rule 9688, 4 viii 1996 (holotype MEL 2042455; isotypes AD, NSW,
CANB)

Small, umbrageous, multi-trunked trees to 12 m high. Bark on upper trunk and branches smooth, mottled, white with
grey; bark on base and lower trunk light brown or grey-brown, fibrous, persistent as slabs and chunks, box-like in
appearance. Juvenile leaves opposite and sessile for more than 25 pairs, connate for numerous pairs, cordate or broadly
ovate, blue-grey, discolorous, waxy, to 9 cm long and 8 cm wide. Lightly waxy pre-adult leaves occasionally present in
the canopy. Adult leaves petiolate, the petiole 1-1.5 cm long, the blade lanceolate or broadly lanceolate, 10-16 cm long,
1.5-3 cm wide, blue-green, sub-lustrous, acuminate. Inflorescences axillary, simple, 3 flowered; peduncles slender, to 2
cm long. Floral buds on pedicels 2-3 cm long, the floral bud proper globular, excluding the beak 5-7 mm long, 5-7 mm
wide, unscarred, the sepaline operculum intact, often with a conspicuous beak to 9 mm long, sometimes lightly waxy;
outer whorls of stamens as staminodes; filaments white; staminophore often persisting with fruit. Fruits hemispherical,
8-10 mm long, 9-13(-14) mm wide; discs descending; valves enclosed; pedicels 15-27 mm long, occasionally swollen
immediately below the hypanthium; locules 5-7. (Fig. 1)

Phenology
Flowers: April and May.

Additional specimens examined:

Victoria: Sunset Strip adjacent to Bell Bvd., Jan Juc, P. Carolan, 14 v 1986 (MEL 684518); North-east of Ocean Grove
on Wallington Road, 300 m north of Rhinds Road, K. Rule 9745 and M. Trengove, 14 III 1997 (MEL); Kingston Park,
Ocean Grove, K.Rule 9746 and M.Trengove, 14 III 1997 (MEL); adjacent to the entrance to Ocean Grove Nature
Reserve, K.Rule 9747 and M. Trengove, 14 III. 1997 (MEL); Deep Creek reserve, Torquay K.Rule 9748 and M.Trengove,
14 III 1997 (MEL); Spring Creek Reserve, Torquay, K. Rule 9749 and M. Trengove, 14 M 1997 (MEL); 300 m north of
the Great Ocean Road, Jan Juc, K.Rule 9750 and M. Trengove, 14 III 1997 (MEL).

(Continued on page 13)

GEELONG NATURALIST Vol 34 No. 6 October 1998. 13

(Continued from page 12)
Distribution and habitat.

Populations of the new supspecies are known only from the Bellarine Peninsula, occurring on coastal sites close to the
Southern Ocean in the vicinity of Ocean Grove and Torquay, with a small remnant population at the western end of the
nearby Lake Connewarre. All sites are often blasted by cool, salt-laden winds. Its preferred soils are heavy clays which
are water-logged in winter. (Fig.1)

Scattered remnants on the western side of Jan Juc, previously included with subsp.connata, which have waxy juvenile

leaves and fruit sizes and pedicel lengths within the range of subsp. bellarinensis, are now considered a part of the new
subspecies.

144°30'

Melbourne

Ocean Grove
"D.

Fig. 1. ad Eucalyptus leucoxylon subsp. bellarinensis (Rule 9688): a juvenile leaf x1; b
adult leaf x1; c buds x1; d fruit x1; distribution of Eucalyptus leucoxylon subsp.
bellarinensis.

(Continued on page 14)

14 GEELONG NATURALIST Vol 34 No. 6 October 1998

(Continued from page 13)

Etymology
The subspecific name is in reference to the location of the new subspecies on the Bellarine Peninsula near Geelong in
coastal Central Victoria.

Conservation status

The new subspecies now exists on outskirts of the developing townships of Ocean Grove and Torquay. Clearing for
housing blocks and farms have left only remnants on farms, at roadsides and in a few small nature reserves. There is
an urgent need for conservation strategies to preserve the remaining unprotected populations. In accordance with
Briggs & Leigh (1989), a status of 2V is recommended.

Associated species
Eucalyptus viminalis Labill. has been observed in association with the new subspecies and E.ovata Labill. often occurs
in the vicinity. Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. occurs adjacent to the Lake Connewarre population.

Discussion

Eucalyptus leucoxylon subsp. bellarinensis is distinctive in its combination of features which include a coastal habitat, a
stocking of box-like bark, waxy connate juvenile leaves, globular buds with often prominently beaked opercula and
relatively large, hemispherical fruits borne on markedly long pedicels. It is similar to subsp.connata in having globular
buds, hemispherical fruits (distinctly wider than long) and frequently connate juvenile leaves, but differs from that
subspecies which has a less exposed subcoastal habitat, is smooth-barked, has a shorter-beaked operculum and
generally smaller fruits borne on shorter pedicels (in subsp. connata fruits 6-9 mm long, 8-11 mm wide and pedicels 8-12
mm long).

The waxy features of subsp.bellarinensis also suggest a close relationship to typical subsp.pruinosa, but it differs from
that subspecies which is smooth-barked, has generally smaller adult leaves (in subsp. pruinosa adult leaves to 15 cm
long, 2 cm wide), smaller buds without a prominent beak (the beak, if present, up to 2mm long), smaller fruits borne on
shorter pedicels (in subsp. pruinosa fruits 5-7 mm long, 6-9 mm wide and pedicels 4-8 mm long). Furthermore,
individuals of typical subsp. pruinosa exhibit a low frequency of connate pairs of juvenile leaves. In fact,
Mr.C.D.Boomsma of Adelaide (pers.comm) has noted that connation is rarely observed in the population from which the
type of subsp. pruinosa was supposed to have been collected (near Bethany in the Barossa Valley of South Australia).
Unlike the typical populations of subsp. pruinosa, in Central Victorian populations individuals exhibit a high frequency of
connate pairs of juvenile leaves.

The new subspecies may be distinguished from the other subspecies of Eucalyptus leucoxylon by the following key:

1. Wax present on juvenile leaves and/or branchlets, buds and fruits.

2. Pedicels 15-27 mm long (1.25-2.3 times longer than fruits)........ subsp. bellarinensis.
2. Pedicels 3-8 mm long (equal to or shorter than fruit length)............. subsp. pruinosa
1. Wax absent from all structures

3. Juvenile leaves frequently Conmate.................cccccceccececccsecssesseeeeeneeess subsp. connata
3. Juvenile leaves never connate

4. Pedicels 3-7 mm long (shorter than fruits); dried pellicle present over

theionfice Ofath CLInut (ireeseervrstens verses peer ween EIE ES subsp. stephaniae
4. Pedicels 8-30 mm long (equal to or longer than fruits); pellicle absent
5. Fruits 12-16 mm long, 10-15 mm wide; adult leaves wider

thani2:5'Cmzz e eire in owere sts itech eer aetna fn d subsp. megalocarpa
5. Fruits 9-13 mm long, 7-10 mm wide; adult leaves less than
2: 5i C mW des. noe ene serie tate Edo haut, alee or nir sc subsp.leucoxylon

Acknowledgements

| am grateful to Mr. Cliff Boomsma of Adelaide for his advice and numerous personal communications regarding
Eucalyptus leucoxylon, to Mr Neville Walsh of the National Herbarium, Melbourne, for advice and assistance in the
preparation of this paper, to Ms Mali Moir, also of the Melbourne Herbarium, for the excellent line drawings, to Mr
Graham Stockton of Geelong who brought the existence of the Bellarine Peninsula subspecies to my attention and, most
of all, to Mr Mark Trengove, also of Geelong, for his valuable contributions, particularly regarding the extent of its
distribution and habitat.

References

Boland, D.J. (1979), Taxonomic Revision of Eucalyptus leucoxylon F.Muell. Australian Forestry Research, 9:65-72.

Briggs J.D., and Leigh, J.H. (1989). 'Rare or Threatened Australian Plants.' Australian National Parks and Wildlife
Service, Special Publication No. 14, Canberra.

Rule, K. (1991). Two new subspecies of Eucalyptus leucoxylon F.Muell. and notes on that species. Muelleria, 7(3):
389-403.

Rule, K. (1992). Two new species of Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) in South-eastern Australia. Muelleria 7(4):497-505.

We thank Muelleria for their permission to reproduce this material. oO

GEELONG NATURALIST Vol 34 No. 6 October 1998. 15

[UM MM
HAZARDS OF A OUYEN/HATTAH LOCALITY MAP.
HOUSEWIFE

`.. -Valerie Lloyd-Jones

A lady from Lorne informed me
that Currawongs have been
stealing her children’s socks off
the clothesline, apparently for
nesting material. She could not
understand how these socks kept
disappearing until she caught a
bird inthe act.

To top it all off, a pair of her
child’s blue silky boxer shorts
were stolen by a Satin Bowerbird.
She went searching for them and
found them at the bower, but the
socks are gone for ever.

O

OBSERVATION REPORTS September 1998 -- compiled by Barry Lingham

Marilyn Hewish spent a few productive days near Cape Otway where she recorded many interesting observations. The
most exciting was the record of the Great Skua which is usually only seen in areas to the south of the continent. Marilyn’s
detailed report of this sighting appears on page 6 of this issue..

Craig Morley noted a Weebill in the Eastern Gardens. These tiny birds are easily confused with Thombills, but they have
a beak that is more like a finch. Look for them hovering about foliage near the tops of trees. This is the first Geelong
record for some time.

(The recorded GFNC sightings for the period 1990-1998 are:

8/7/92 . .' You Yangs Barry Lingham
12/11/94 Bannockburn Grant Baverstock
2/1/98 Steiglitz Joe Hubbard

-Ed.)
The spring season is now upon us and this has heralded the return of the cuckoos and swallows. Many birds have
already begun breeding. It is interesting to note Polly Cutcliffe's report of the Masked Lapwings nesting on the roof of a
house. These birds have done this for several years now, but it may not be their preferred site - evidently they earlier
had tried nesting on the ground but people destroyed their eggs. The lapwings seem to have adapted well to coping in
an urban environment and thrive despite all the difficulties. Maybe the Hooded Plover and other rarer waders that breed
locally, need to study the survival techniques of the Masked Lapwing!

Ray Baverstock reported the nesting of the pair of Tawny Frogmouths that have bred in Belmont in the past few years;
hopefully they can successfully rear another family. Please keep an eye out for breeding birds as these records help to
add to our local knowledge. It would also be useful to have records of the return dates for the migratory waders, so keep
a check on our wetlands over the next month.

Observations were submitted by Ray Baverstock (RBa), Rohan Bugg (RBu), Gordon McCarthy (GMc), Ade Foster (AF), Rachel
Keary (RK), Valda Dedman (VWD), Valerie Lloyd-Jones (VLJ), Craig Morley (CMo), Marilyn Hewish (MHe), Polly Cutcliffe (PCu),
Barry Lingham (BL), Ron Mole (RMo), Liz Kerr (LKe), Rachel Keary (RKe), Vernon & Joan Cohen (V&JCo), Lily Sine (LS), Les
Barrow (LB), Graham Smith (GS)

Black Swan 1 170 6/08/98 Barwon Downs. 20 on a dam and 150 feeding in fields. MHe
Australasian Grebe 5 5-Aug-98 Barwon River; Belmont VLJ
Australasian Grebe 12 17-Sep-98 Barwon River, Mcintyre Bridge. Some immature birds CMo
Black-browed Albatross 14 4-Aug-98 Cape Otway MHe
Shy Albatross 10 4-Aug-98 Cape Otway MHe
Fluttering Shearwater 20 3-Aug-98 Johanna Beach. Otway Ranges. : MHe
Pelican 1 22-Sep-98 Jerringot. Near birdhide. VWD
Darter 1 28-Aug-98 Melton Reservoir MHe
Little Black Cormorant 20-30 20-Jul-98 Barwon River near McIntyre Bridge. Feeding in a group. PCu
White-necked Heron 35 3-Aug-98 Cape Otway area. One group of 13. MHe

(Continued on page 16)

16

(Continued from page 15)

Yellow-billed Spoonbill
Black Swan

Black Swan

Australian Shelduck
Black-shouldered Kite
Black-shouldered Kite
Grey Goshawk (white morph)
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Little Eagle

Black Falcon

Black Falcon

Masked Lapwing
Masked Lapwing
Black-fronted Plover
Latham's Snipe

Great Skua

Caspian Tern

Common Bronzewing
Brush Bronzewing
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo
Gang-gang Cockatoo
Rainbow Lorikeet
Purple-crowned Lorikeet
Crimson Rosella

Pallid Cuckoo

Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Horsfield Bronze-Cuckoo
Shining Bronze-Cuckoo
Tawny Frogmouth
Welcome Swallow
Bassian Thrush

Flame Robin

Flame Robin

Scarlett Robin

Rose Robin

Crested Shrike-tit

Olive Whistler

Olive Whistler
Clamorous Reed-warbler
Clamorous Reed-warbler
Southern Emu-wren
Rufous Bristlebird
Rufous Bristlebird
Rufous Bristlebird
Weebill

Yellow Thornbill
White-throated Treecreeper
White-fronted Chat
European Goldfinch
Red-browed Finch
Olive-backed Oriole
Satin Bowerbird
White-winged Chough

OTHER OBSERVATIONS
Bird Dropping Spider
Water Rat

Horse Mushroom

Sugar Glider

GEELONG NATURALIST Vol 34 No.6 October 1998

27-Aug-98
6-Aug-98
22-Sep-98
20-Sep-98
22-Sep-98
30-Aug-98
5-Sep-98
27-Aug-98
4-Aug-98
9-Aug-98
1-Aug-98
1-Aug-98
2+4 19-Aug-98
23-Jul-98
23-Aug-98
30 1-Sep-98
1 4-Aug-98
1 17-Sep-98
1 28-Aug-98
1 2-Aug-98
1
3

Poo
Cy. ©

oy ate ERN cy FS] c mes S TIS) TAY es

NN
+

5-Aug-98

5 20-Sep-98
= 9-Aug-98
30 28-Sep-98
12 2-Aug-98
7 imm 17-Sep-98
1 20-Sep-98
1 9-Aug-98
5 14-Aug-98
1 3-Sep-98
1 17-Sep-98
1 30-Aug-98
1 30-Sep-98
2 23-Aug-98
5 14-Aug-98
1 2-Aug-98
3 2-Aug-98
1 25-Aug-98
4 5-Aug-98
1 13-Sep-98
4 9-Aug-98
1 3-Aug-98
1 2-Aug-98
1 27-Aug-98
1 1-Sep-98
1 5-Aug-98
6 2-Aug-98
15 4-Aug-98
1 4-Aug-98
1 20-Sep-98
6 27-Aug-98
2 30-Aug-98
20+ 2-Sep-98
8 5-Aug-98
3 5-Aug-98
1 16-Sep-98
6 4-Aug-98
10+ 5-Sep-98

+

1 10-Aug-98
1 1-Oct-98
some 71-Oct-98
1 16-Aug-98

Heathdale Wetland RBu
Barwon Downs. 20 on a dam and 150 feeding in fields. MHe
Jerringot. 2 dults + 1 cygnet. VWD
Brisbane Ranges. Mt Wallace Road, 8 ducklings / 2 adults MHe
Jerringot . VWD
Werribee. Flying over house. RBu
Wallington. Seen perched in tree on several occasions BL
Gum Flat; Bald Hills GMc
Cape Otway Road MHe
Bacchus Marsh township. Chased by magpie and lapwings MHe
Bacchus Marsh flying over fields. MHe
Hospital Lake. PCu
Bacchus Marsh. Nesting started about 6/8/98 MHe
Belmont. Nesting on roof(as in previous years) PCu
Werribee. Heathdale Wetland RBu
Jerringot VWD/RMo

Cape Otway. Following ship. Rare sighting from shore. MHe
Barwon River, Geelong. At several places along the river. CMo

Anglesea township. Attacked by Red Wattlebird. RBa
Forrest. In town garden. MHe
Horden Vale (Otways) MHe
Eastern Park. Flying west at 1025 hrs. CMo
South Geelong. Also 2+ on 6/8/98 LK
Highton. Nth Valley Road. Daily noisy visitors VWD
Cressy. MHe
Mt Duneed. Up to 12 birds noted over last month. RKe
Brisbane Ranges. Mt Wallace Road. MHe
Long Forest ' DHe
Lerderderg Gorge MHe
Mt Duneed. Rarely seen here. RKe
Barwon River. Princes Bridge CMo
Lerderderg Gorge MHe
Lerderderg Gorge MHe
Highton. Bellvue Ave. Nesting in'tree used in previous years RBa
Lerderderg Gorge MHe
Horden Vale. Seen daily for 5 days. MHe
Horden Vale. 1 male, 2 female MHe
Werribee. Heathdale wetland. RBu
Carlisle State Park, Otway Ranges. MHe

Geelong Botanic Gardens. imm male. Some pink on breast CMo

You Yangs. V&JCo
Lavers Hill. Feeding on verander MHe
Aire River Estuary MHe
Barwon River opposite fun park. Bird sing on nest. LS
Werribee River : RBu
Carlisle State Park, Otway Ranges. ' MHe
Aire River Estuary MHe
Cape Otway near lighthouse area MHe
Blanket Bay MHe
Eastern Park. Atleast one in Sugar Gums near GCC CMo

Highton. Helena St. Flock seen at about same time last year RBa
Lerderderg Gorge. Seen lining cavity in dead Manna Gum. MHe

Connewarre. Feeding in company of goldfinch. RKe
Highton, Stan Lewis Walk. VLJ
Highton. Stan Lewis Walk VLJ
Mt Duneed. Calling since 24/8/98 RKe
Otway Ranges. 1 male & 5 green birds. MHe
You Yangs. New nest in tree. Old nest beneath tree, VCo
Jerringot. Many egg cases of Calaenia kingbergi noted AF
Jerringot, near bird hide. LB
Jerringot, near bird hide. Agarius arvensus AF

Bannockburn Bush. Hair found near tree and later identified GS

GFNC OFFICE BEARERS (1998-1999)

President Barry Lingham . 5255 4291

Vice-President Vacant
Secretary Madeline Glynn 5248 6332
Treasurer Ray Baverstock 5243 7025
Minute Secretary Donna Wood 5221 2956
Immediate Past PresidentDick Southcombe 5243 3916
Committee Member Ade Foster 5243 9478
h $ Peter Hackett 5229 4642
Diana Primrose 5250 1811
2 a Graeme Tribe 5255 2302
E 2 Alison Watson 5229 3488

E ʻ Vacant

J oe Vacant
Honorary Librarian Betty Moore 5288 7220
Editor Alban Lloyd-Jones 5243 3704

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP CONVENERS and GEELONG BIRD REPORT EDITOR

Bio-diversity Group Ade Foster 5243 9478
Bird Group Barry Lingham 5255 4291
Plant Group Dick Southcombe 5243 3916

Geelong Bird Report Marilyn Hewish (Pri) 03 5367 3196 (Bus) 03 9344 5715

DISCLAIMER

Responsibility for the accuracy of information and opinions expressed in this magazine
rests with the author of the article. ‘Geelong Naturalist’ may be quoted without
permission provided that acknowledgement of the club and the author is made.

Geelong Field Naturalists Club Inc.

ROSTERS

LIBRARY SUPPER HALL MAILING

OCT Madeline Glynn Wilma Tribe Rohan Bugg Roma Connors
Shirley Southcombe. Tim Tarr

NOV Lorraine Preston Roma Connors lan Hunt Beverley Morwood
Bev McNay Ron Mole

Meetings start at 8.00 pm at: z
Karingal Community Centre, Cornner McKillop and Humble Streets, East Geelong. :
Use the Humble Street entrance.

Plant drawings are reproduced from Wildflower Diary Winifred Waddell Vic 1976.
Illustrator, Elizabeth Cochrane.

Printed by Ken Jenkin.

GEELONG FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB Inc.
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PO Box 1047

Geelong Vic 3220

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