On a property that already boasts significant habitat for birds (around 150 species sighted at the spring Birds on Farms survey), a casual visitor to the EcoGipps farm might wonder why we have been busy strapping salvaged hollow logs to tree branches. After all, birds can live in any kind of tree … can’t they?
Well, yes and no. It all depends on the bird! Around 15% of Australian bird species rely on tree hollows for shelter and breeding. On the EcoGipps farm, Striated Pardalotes, King Parrots, Kookaburras and a pair of broody Wood Ducks are just some of the bird species on the lookout for hollows to call home.
Mature eucalypts form the ideal hollows for nesting, but it takes time – hollows start to form when trees reach around 90 years old, with the smallest hollows taking up to 120 years to develop. More suitable, larger hollows can be found in very mature trees, often 2-300 years of age. With many of these giants having been felled for farmland, timber harvesting and urban development, hollows are in short supply.
Hollows ready to goEnd caps being installedEnd cap in placeLarge hollow for lizardsHollow installed Hollow in large eucalypt
At EcoGipps, we engaged local arborist, Agile Tree Works, to help strategically install a series of salvaged eucalyptus hollows into trees around the farm to encourage birdlife to shelter and nest. Although one hollow was so heavy, it ended up on the ground to be a future home for lizards! A wooden end cap was attached to each piece to ensure the hollow was more secure and cosy for their new inhabitants.
Salvaging existing hollows bound for the firewood heap is just one option for improving habitat for hollow-loving birds. Purpose-built nesting boxes also provide a suitable home for birds. For the boxes to be most effective, it’s important to build boxes to suit specific species. Your local Landcare group may be able to help with plans for nesting boxes. For those of you in Gippsland, Maffra & District Landcare Network have put together Nest Boxes for Gippsland Region; an excellent place to start.
Over the coming months, the EcoGipps team will monitor these hollows to see who has made themselves at home.
Check out this entertaining YouTube video by our South Gippsland friends at the Tarwin River Forest, which celebrates the importance of bird hollows.
EcoGipps has commenced an eco-thinning project. What exactly is eco-thinning, and why is it useful?
‘Thinning’ refers to the selective removal of trees, primarily undertaken to improve the growth rate or health of the remaining trees. This practice has long been implemented by the logging industry by means of mechanical thinning in order to stimulate faster growth of the remaining trees. Thinning of trees in native bushland can also occur naturally in some tree species and habitat, seeing the weaker trees dying off over decades.
In consultation with Blue Devil Consulting, EcoGipps has commenced an eco-thinning project on Block 2. The site for the project was identified in the Conservation Management Plan delivered by Blue Devil Consulting, with soil and tree conditions appropriate for eco-thinning.
The soils in this region of EcoGipps are ‘Solodic’ soils, which can typically see a lack of ground vegetation. A key aim of the eco-thinning project is to promote ground vegetation growth, which assists to both hold the top soil together, reducing erosion, but also boosting soil organic matter, promoting moisture retention and biological activity.
With approximately 50% of the underdeveloped trees thinned, the upper canopy is more open, allowing a greater amount of both sunlight and rainfall to reach the ground story. This creates a more conducive habitat for ground vegetation such as perennial tussock grasses, herbs and shrubs to flourish. Simultaneously, the remaining trees now have the opportunity to mature to a larger size than they would have otherwise.
Added benefit: The felled trees are placed over a disused track as erosion control
The felled trees are left in situ, to assist with erosion control. This woody debris also provides diversified habitats for many birds, bats, mammals and even invertebrates.
