Marradong Timber
Reserve
|
Location:
Marradong Timber Reserve (32 49'S., 116 24'E.)
Supervising Bander:
Greg Marston
Contact
Details:
Postal
address: ‘Waldja’, 35 Crossman Rd Boddington WA 6390
Aims: Monitor
bird movement through the south west corridor. To determine if imminent mining
in Marradong Timber Reserve will impact on the study site.
Site Description:
Marradong Timber Reserve, 1927ha in
area, is a Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) managed forest
block located in the eastern Darling Plateau on lateritic upland.
The reserve has a general overstorey vegetation structure of Jarrah-Marri
forest with some isolated Wandoo open woodland areas and is nearly all
surrounded by agricultural land.
The banding study area (32o49’S, 116o25’E) is in a ca 10ha Wandoo enclave
on the north side of Morts Road and is located approximately 6km WSW of
Boddington.
Results of the Research (so
far):
Banding at Marradong Timber Reserve - June 1995 to
June
200
When submitting my application to the Banding Office for
starting a banding project in Marradong Timber Reserve, one question asked me to
estimate the number of birds to be banded. From local enquiries it was suggested
I respond with 1000 birds over a 3 year period. Yeah! Right! Some 11 years 3
months and 14 days later in October 2006, this magic number was finally
realised. WBA members attending meetings held at Murdoch University campus will
recall during banders’ roundup that Marradong generally was quoted being
"a bit quiet" or words to that effect.
Marradong Timber Reserve is a Department of Environment and
Conservation (DEC) managed 1927ha forest block located in lateritic upland of
the eastern Darling plateau. The reserve is approximately 6km wsw from the small
mining town of Boddington which is some 123km south east of Perth, Western
Australia. My banding site (32o 48’ S, 116o 29’ E) is located in a 10ha
enclave of Wandoo (Euc. wandoo) within the general Jarrah / Marri (Euc.
marginata / Corymbia calophylla) of the reserve.
Banding activity in the first 5 years ranged between 21 and
23 visits per year with at least 1 visit every month. Following acceptance of my
second banding project at home in Boddington, starting July 2000, Marradong
visits were limited to 1 visit per month. With the exception of May and June
2003 when on long service leave, banding has continued each month to the present
time. Banding statistics to June 2009 include 214 banding sessions, 436 x
12m nets laid (predominantly a 2 net operation), 1079 rain free banding hours for
1179 birds (refer table) consisting of 34 species.
Project aims were centred on monitoring movement of birds
through the Darling Range corridor and the effects of prescribed burning by DEC
or of wildfires. However, with Worsley Alumina’s Boddington Bauxite Mine
planning to start mining some nearby parts of Marradong Timber Reserve with
associated bauxite conveyor extension through or near the banding area in 2010,
the project scope probably will need changing to one based on the effects of
mining activities.
|
Marradong Timber Reserve
18/6/1995 to 30/6/2009
| Sp # |
Species |
B |
R |
Total |
% Retrap |
| 014 |
Painted Button-quail |
2 |
|
2 |
|
| 289 |
Western Rosella |
6 |
1 |
7 |
14.3 |
| 290 |
Red-capped Parrot |
3 |
|
3 |
|
| 322 |
Laughing Kookaburra |
1 |
|
1 |
|
| 326 |
Sacred Kingfisher |
2 |
|
2 |
|
| 344 |
Shining Bronze-cuckoo |
1 |
|
1 |
|
| 359 |
Tree Martin |
9 |
|
9 |
|
| 361 |
Grey Fantail |
34 |
2 |
36 |
5.6 |
| 380 |
Scarlet Robin |
30 |
5 |
35 |
14.3 |
| 394 |
Western Yellow-robin |
10 |
3 |
13 |
23.1 |
| 398 |
Golden Whistler |
47 |
9 |
56 |
16.1 |
| 401 |
Rufous Whistler |
3 |
1 |
4 |
25.0 |
| 408 |
Grey Shrike-thrush |
7 |
|
7 |
|
| 463 |
Western Gerygone |
11 |
|
11 |
|
| 465 |
Weebill |
8 |
3 |
11 |
27.3 |
| 472 |
Western Thornbill |
53 |
16 |
69 |
23.2 |
| 476 |
Inland Thornbill |
45 |
6 |
51 |
11.8 |
| 486 |
Yellow-rumped Thornbill |
30 |
4 |
34 |
11.8 |
| 488 |
White-browed Scrubwren |
8 |
7 |
15 |
46.7 |
| 532 |
Splendid Fairy-wren |
34 |
19 |
53 |
35.8 |
| 547 |
Dusky Woodswallow |
12 |
|
12 |
|
| 556 |
Rufous Treecreeper |
28 |
19 |
47 |
40.4 |
| 565 |
Spotted Pardalote |
3 |
|
3 |
|
| 574 |
Silvereye |
107 |
14 |
121 |
11.6 |
| 578 |
White-naped Honeyeater |
26 |
2 |
28 |
7.1 |
| 592 |
Western Spinebill |
221 |
46 |
267 |
17.2 |
| 593 |
Tawny-crowned Honeyeater |
2 |
|
2 |
|
| 597 |
Brown Honeyeater |
84 |
12 |
96 |
12.5 |
| 608 |
Singing Honeyeater |
1 |
|
1 |
|
| 622 |
Yellow-plumed Honeyeater |
1 |
|
1 |
|
| 631 |
New Holland Honeyeater |
107 |
16 |
123 |
13.0 |
| 632 |
White-cheeked Honeyeater |
1 |
|
1 |
|
| 705 |
Australian Magpie |
3 |
|
3 |
|
| 712 |
Western Wattlebird |
2 |
|
2 |
|
| 976 |
Striated Pardalote |
51 |
1 |
52 |
1.9 |
|
|
993 |
186 |
1179 |
15.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New
species added since 30/6/2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Greg Marston
Rufous Treecreeper banding in Marradong Timber
Reserve
Marradong
Timber Reserve (MTR, 32o 49’ S, 116o 25’ E) is
located some 6km wsw of the small farming and mining town of Boddington that, in
turn, is 123km south east of Perth, Western Australia. Banding commenced in a
small Wandoo (Euc. wandoo) woodland
enclave within the reserve in June 1995 with 238 banding sessions completed to
June 2011.
Rufous
Treecreeper (Climacteris rufa) is one
of 35 species I have banded in MTR (31B, 20R), representing 4.1% of all
processed birds (1048B, 202R). An adult male Rufous Treecreeper in January 2002
and recovered for the second and currently last time in May 2006 became the
longest elapsed time record for this species at 4y 4m 14d. (ABBBS database http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/science/abbbs/abbbs-search.html).
Another male Rufous Treecreeper retrapped in February
2011 was originally banded as an age 1 bird in March 2004, surpassed the above
elapsed time record at 6y 11m 5d (ABBBS database).
The
ABBBS database provides the following banding and recovery data for Rufous
Treecreeper:
Banding
Data
|
Total
banded
|
841
|
|
First
banded
|
July
1984
|
|
Last
banded
|
March
2011
|
Recovery
Data
|
Total
recoveries (inferred retrap rate)
|
243
(22.4% cf MTR 39.2%)
|
|
Resightings
|
128
|
|
Recovered
only once
|
115
|
|
Distinct
recoveries
|
169
|
|
Most
frequent resighting
|
5
times
|
|
First
recovery
|
Nov.
1985
|
|
Last
recovery
|
Feb.
2011
|
A
Conservation and Land Management (CALM, now DEC) controlled burn in MTR, October
2000, on the northern side of Morts Road including my banding area, resulted in
Rufous Treecreeper moving away from this location. It took 9 years of vegetation
recovery and ground detritus accumulation before sightings of Rufous Treecreeper
returned to pre-fire presence levels (see table below).
Rufous Treecreeper presence
before & after CALM controlled burn, 4th Oct. 2000
|
Year
|
Fire
history
|
#
Banding sessions
|
#
B/s RTC present
|
%
B/sessions
RTC
present
|
|
1995/1996
|
Pre-fire
|
24
|
24
|
100.0
|
|
1996/1997
|
Pre-fire
|
24
|
24
|
100.0
|
|
1997/1998
|
Pre-fire
|
18
|
18
|
100.0
|
|
1998/1999
|
Pre-fire
|
21
|
21
|
100.0
|
|
1999/2000
|
Pre-fire
|
21
|
21
|
100.0
|
|
2000/2001
(part)
|
Pre-fire
|
3
|
2
|
66.7
|
|
4th
Oct. 2000
|
Controlled
burn including banding area
|
|
|
|
2000/2001
(part)
|
Post-fire
|
9
|
9
|
100.0
|
|
2001/2002
|
Post-fire
|
12
|
5
|
41.7
|
|
2002/2003
|
Post-fire
|
10
|
7
|
70.0
|
|
2003/2004
|
Post-fire
|
12
|
7
|
58.3
|
|
2004/2005
|
Post-fire
|
12
|
4
|
33.3
|
|
May
2005
|
Controlled burn in adjacent southern area
|
|
|
2005/2006
|
Post-fire
|
12
|
8
|
66.7
|
|
2006/2007
|
Post-fire
|
12
|
5
|
41.7
|
|
2007/2008
|
Post-fire
|
12
|
7
|
58.3
|
|
2008/2009
|
Post-fire
|
12
|
10
|
83.3
|
|
2009/2010
|
Post-fire
|
12
|
12
|
100.0
|
|
2010/2011
|
Post-fire
|
12
|
12
|
100.0
|
I
am not against controlled burns to manage our valuable forest areas, provided
they are conducted with the backing of scientific knowledge. My observations of
Rufous Treecreeper in Marradong Timber Reserve can only reinforce the importance
of knowing life habits of our fauna and flora when government agencies prescribe
the type and frequency of burns for our Australian bush.
Greg Marston
Marradong Timber Reserve Banding Summary
Marradong Timber Reserve (32o 49’ S, 116o 25’
E) is located about 6km wsw of Boddington, W.A. The banding area is a small
Wandoo (Euc. wandoo) woodland enclave
within the general Jarrah/Marri structure of this reserve. A summary of banding
activity from June 1995 to June 2011 is shown in the table below.
|
Species
|
Sp
No.
|
B
|
R
|
Total
|
%R
|
|
Painted Button-quail
|
014
|
2
|
|
2
|
|
|
Western Rosella
|
289
|
6
|
1
|
7
|
14.3
|
|
Red-capped Parrot
|
290
|
3
|
|
3
|
|
|
Laughing Kookaburra
|
322
|
1
|
|
1
|
|
|
Sacred Kingfisher
|
326
|
2
|
|
2
|
|
|
Shining Bronze-Cuckoo
|
344
|
1
|
|
1
|
|
|
Tree Martin
|
359
|
9
|
|
9
|
|
|
Grey Fantail
|
361
|
37
|
2
|
39
|
5.1
|
|
Scarlet Robin
|
380
|
32
|
8
|
40
|
20.0
|
|
Western Yellow Robin
|
394
|
12
|
3
|
15
|
20.0
|
|
Golden Whistler
|
398
|
50
|
9
|
59
|
15.3
|
|
Rufous Whistler
|
401
|
3
|
1
|
4
|
25.0
|
|
Grey Shrike-thrush
|
408
|
9
|
|
9
|
|
|
Western Gerygone
|
463
|
12
|
|
12
|
|
|
Weebill
|
465
|
12
|
4
|
16
|
25.0
|
|
Western Thornbill
|
472
|
56
|
17
|
73
|
23.3
|
|
Inland Thornbill
|
476
|
46
|
6
|
52
|
11.5
|
|
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
|
486
|
32
|
4
|
36
|
11.1
|
|
White-browed Scrubwren
|
488
|
8
|
8
|
16
|
50.0
|
|
Splendid Fairy-wren
|
532
|
35
|
19
|
54
|
35.2
|
|
Dusky Woodswallow
|
547
|
12
|
|
12
|
|
|
Rufous Treecreeper
|
556
|
31
|
20
|
51
|
39.2
|
|
Spotted Pardalote
|
565
|
4
|
|
4
|
|
|
Silvereye
|
574
|
112
|
15
|
127
|
11.8
|
|
White-naped Honeyeater
|
578
|
27
|
2
|
29
|
6.9
|
|
Western Spinebill
|
592
|
236
|
54
|
290
|
18.6
|
|
Tawny-crowned Honeyeater
|
593
|
2
|
|
2
|
|
|
Brown Honeyeater
|
597
|
88
|
12
|
100
|
12.0
|
|
Singing Honeyeater
|
608
|
1
|
|
1
|
|
|
Yellow-plumed Honeyeater
|
622
|
1
|
|
1
|
|
|
New Holland Honeyeater
|
631
|
108
|
16
|
124
|
12.9
|
|
White-cheeked Honeyeater
|
632
|
1
|
|
1
|
|
|
Australian Magpie
|
705
|
3
|
|
3
|
|
|
Western Wattlebird
|
712
|
2
|
|
2
|
|
|
Striated Pardalote
|
976
|
52
|
1
|
53
|
1.9
|
|
|
TOTALS
|
1048
|
202
|
1250
|
16.2
|
Greg Marston
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