21 FEB 2014 UPDATE

What’s new on the Golf courses on 21 February 2014?

A NEW SPECIES-SORT OF.

It’s always a surprise to find friends in unsuspecting places.  Today was such a day when at the north end of the j7 pond (13 & 14 Fairway; old(?) layout) Wendy Nelson and I came across a single, non breeding  Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. It was hangin’ with a couple of Black-winged Stilts and a couple of Red-kneed Dotterels.  It is not an easy one to pick out, especially if you are not expecting a drop in.  And it is easy to miss a single bird.

If you are lucky to have, some binoculars stashed in your golf bag check the mud flats out; if not, pretend to have spotted the sandpiper with eagle eyes just to impress your golf buddies that not only you do eagles on the Palms but also you have the sight to prove you abilities.

So what are you looking at whilst gazing at the organic ooze: It is small about 17-22 cm long about 13-15 cm tall, standing on greenish yellow legs.  A short black bill a rusty crown. There wasn’t that simple!

Just to so you know what you are looking at, I stole this picture from Jun Matsui with appreciation.

THE CORELLAS

We are blessed sharing two rather boisterous corella species: the Little Corella and the Long-billed Corella.  They primarily hang around the Pines GC and then at roost time, they target the tall trees in the residential areas much to the chagrin of the inhabitants below.  Their relentless,

almost 24 hour squawking is enough to seek drastic measures but there isn’t anything in the legal repertoire that is recognized as sustainable. There are quick and cutesy fixes but that is all they are.  You know the flopping owl, the kiting raptor etc.  Birdbrains these species are not.  However, this feature does make for an interesting future article but for now, let me pass on this bit of information.

The other day while engaged in counting the waterbirds, we were privy to a snowstorm arising from the Pines.  Better described as an impressive snowsquall I was able to conservatively estimate 7000 birds.  This is a certainly an increase over the previous month where the estimate was more approaching 3000 birds.

Separating the species require close inspection and the following information. Long-billedCorellas with the salmon coloured slash across their throats (I know what you are thinking!) can be referred to as cutthroats.  Note the bird in the right of the photograph.  The Little Corella with the capped tufts does not display this marking.  There are other subtle differences requiring binoculars but this I leave for you to ferret.  Most everyone gets a change to see these birds up close.  Just remember that the more look the more you see. That is experience and that is life, right?

 THE TALL WHITE SKINNY LOOKING BIRDS: EGRETS

I have been surveying birds on the golf courses from January to April since 2012.  This year and particularly on the 21 February 2014 I was rather surprise at the number of egrets we were adding to the count.  These birds include: Little Egret, Intermediate Egret, and Great Egret. They are dressed in elegance for breeding while others are either done for the year, too young to bother or just given up on the idea.  Agreed.  The three look alike and I have agonized over them as I tried to separate their differences from books with what I was seeing in front of me.  And with time and patience, each encounter became easier to bear.

BREEDING
	Bill Colour	Head Profile	Face Skin	Leg Colour	Plumes or "aigrette"
Little Egret	Always black; slender		Briefly pink or red in courtship	Dark grey	Two head ribbons; abundant erectile filmy plumes on back and breast
Intermediate Egret	Temporaily flushed rose red; bill short and deep; orange to red	Round	Pea green	Temporarily flushed rose red; Upper leg red lower leg black	Veil of long, filmy, erectile plumes on back and breast
Great Egret	Black	Flat	Pea green; gape pointing behind eye		Cascade down over back to beyond tail tip; none on breast

Non Breeding/Immatures
	Bill Colour	Head Profile	Face Skin	Leg Colour	Plumes or "aigrette"
Little Egret	always black; slender		bright yellow facial skin; yellow-green in imm.	dark grey; grey-green in imm.	fimy plumes reduced or absent some retain head ribbons; absent in imm.
Intermediate Egret	orange to yellow, occasionally reddish; bill short and deep	round	yellow	legs black	none
Great Egret	pale to rich  yellow sometimes dark tip	flat	yellow facial skin and gape pointing back under eye	blackish	none

	OTHER
	Height in cm	Standse	Flight
Little Egret	56-65
Intermediate Egret	55-70	Extended head and neck= to body length	legs appear shorter
Great Egret	76-100	when stretched head and neck=1 ½ as long as body	legs extend well beyond  tail

WATER QUALITY

The photo below shows the recent (22/23 February 2014) fish kill on the d9 pond or as you may know it better as the 13^th on the Pines.  We did a waterbird survey on 21 February and came across over 50 Torresian Crows, an equal number of gulls, Australian Pelican, a number of Purple Swamphen, Royal Spoonbills and hundreds of cormorants feeding on the carcasses or dying fish.  What the cause might be is at this point speculation. It may never be known but testing for chemical or natural toxins is the right thing to do for the way to an answer.  Oxygen depletion the result of algal and submergent vegetation growth, increased salinity from the high tides, vandalism are other possibilities for this die-off.  Whatever the culprit might be some scientific explanation is required to prevent a similar occurrence in the future. The question remains: are these dead fish a hazard to the birds?  If chemicals are responsible, how will these cocktails affect the reproductivity of the birds feeding on the carcasses and what are cumulative effects on these birds?

The one positive outcome from this die-off is that one can identify the species of fish that is present at least in the d9 and perhaps the other ponds. From what I could see there were at least four species which says to me that these ponds have a rather interesting functioning aquatic ecosystem. If there is anyone who can identify these fish species, please let me know.

KANGA “ATTACKS”

  

Female,  joey-in-pouch and a very muscular male  to the
right in a non aggressive posture. Best when one sees this,
move along.

I was informed on Sunday when we were conducting our weekly kanga survey that two people were threatened or attacked by a female with a joey on the Pines.

The details are a bit vague at the time of writing but the message I would like to impart is this.

Even though these animals appear tame, or docile; THEY ARE WILD ANIMALS.  Always be aware and responsible to yourself and buddy when you are near or a kangaroo is near you.  The best course of action is NOT TO STARE at it, look down and use your peripheral vision and MOVE away: LISTEN for the grunt calls; it is telling you that you are pushing your limits; NEVER NEVER play the hero by thinking you can harm it (remember it has moves that have developed over thousands if not millions of years).  LEAVE the area immediately but slowly.  It’s only a game that you are leaving behind, move to the next fairway if you can and IMMEDIATELY REPORT THE INCIDENT.  You should have the Security General or the Proshop number in your mobile phone.

These aggressive kangaroos should be identified (easier said than done) and immediately removed by an agency.  Animals that are not dealt with will continue these learnt negative habits, which become worst over time.  Other animals that observe these encounters with humans also learn these negative behaviours.  Immediate repercussion is the best and the most effective remedy.  It is also due diligence

One aggressive act by a kangaroo on the golf course is one too many.