News
Rare Swift Parrot Sighted at Bannockburn
About 20 parrots were observed feeding on yellow gum and manna gum flowers in the reserve surrounding Barwon Water’s Bannockburn water reclamation plant.
The field naturalists toured the facility as part of the 14th annual Winter Flowering Festival, organised by the Friends of the Bannockburn Bush.
Co-ordinator Stuart McCallum said the festival, which attracted 30 people, celebrated the unique native vegetation of the area, particularly the Melbourne yellow gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon subspecies connata).
“The nectar and flowers of the yellow gum are important winter food sources for many bird species including the Swift parrot, which migrates to the mainland from Tasmania,” Mr McCallum said.
“The old yellow gums also provide nesting hollows for many birds, bats and mammals,” he said.
Avid bird observers Peter Gibbons and Iian Denham, who travelled from Werribee, were delighted at the sighting of the rare migratory species.
“The Swift parrot is a nationally endangered species and about 1000 pairs are estimated to remain in the wild, so it was great to see a decent sized flock at Bannockburn” Mr Gibbons said.
“We also observed many other birds, including fan-tailed cuckoos, spotted pardalotes and good numbers of various honeyeater species,” Mr Denham added.
Barwon Water Natural Resource Services Co-ordinator David Sutherland said Barwon Water had managed the bushland area for conservation purposes under a Trust for Nature Covenant since 1998.
“The Bannockburn area is one of the real environmental gems of the region, with a large area of native flora and fauna protected in the Bannockburn Flora Reserve, the golf course and the bushland,” Mr Sutherland said.
