Silvereye

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alcatraz
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Silvereye

Silvereyes are quite a stunning little bird, it's looks dominated by the large eye circle. Spotted this one at Eagleby Wetlands close to where I live midway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. 

Woko
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Nicely camouflaged, too, by the dreaded Lantana. Are the wetlands infested but this pest plant, Alcatraz? 

Reflex
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They really move from food source to food source and can be quite approachable once they concentrate on feeding. Stunning little birds.

Lantana is very common in SE Queensland Woko. Where I ilve it is just about everywhere and left untouched spreads really fast.

Samford Valley Qld.

alcatraz
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Thanks Woko. Like you I hate the Lantana, but it is common here. The small birds love it because it gives them security. At Eagleby Wetlands they seem to allow pockets of the stuff I presume for the bird habitat. Last week they burned off a lot of grass and lantana though that seemed to have thrived during the drought. Cheers. 

Woko
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Lantana seems to be like Blackberry in the Adelaide Hills where it smothers landscapes & prevents native plants from germinating. Some landowners have adopted the strategy of focusing on limited areas where they cut the canes & immediately swab the stumps with herbicide. When the canes have died they can then revegetatenwith indigenous species. Wildlife still has areas of Blackberry for refuge but once the native revegetation has replaced areas of Blackberry new areas are treated. 

Could something similar be tried in Quensland if it hasn't already?

alcatraz
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I understand that in Queensland there is a government subsidy for property owners to get rid of the Lantana. But it is a massive problem here and in Northern NSW. I have seen Lantana out of control from one end of the state to the other.

Woko
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It seems the sooner the problem is tackled the better. 

Wollemi
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Lovely little birds. Such tiny creatures always seem to bring me so much joy! I think it is their delicateness and vulnerability.

As for the lantana in Qld I remember my father working on removing large swathes of lantana when I was a child so over 50 years ago! It has been a big problem for a very long time.

Devster
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While lantana is a major problem in itself, doesn't just removing it create other problems. While it is a pest, it does create a safe place for the little birds. Surely just ripping it out would have more of an affect on the environment.

Woko
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Devster, I believe the strategy of removing sections of lantana & replacing them with indigenous vegetation would gradually eradicate lantana while still providing habitat for wildlife. It requires persistence & follow up to remove any new lantana seedlings. This is the price for allowing invasive plants into Australia.

I strongly suspect a major problem with just leaving lantana to grow is that birds like Silvereyes will spread the seed thus allowing lantana to become ever more rampant & bringing more & more wildlife to the edge of extinction.

timmo
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Agreed, Woko. 

I think that is often the recommended approach where lantana is providing habitat for small birds and there is not alternate habitat nearby.

I know as a bushcare group we do the same kind of thing with thick patches of tall exotic grasses (e.g. guinea grass), as it provides habitat for small wrens that is not otherwise available. 

Cheers
Tim
Brisbane

Devster
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Completely agree Woko but I have not yet seen that happen. See heaps of people on property around hear just ripping it out and burning it but not replacing it with anything. Hence my concern. The neighbour next to my work burned all the long grass around their dam. Apparently they were advised to do this. I used to see and hear heaps of  wrens, but now there very few if any.

Woko
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Environmental awareness isn't Australia's long suit, I'm afraid. Those people who simply cut out Lantana without poisoning the canes are in for more of the same work next year. Also, ripping out Lantana by the roots causes big soil disturbance & makes a bed for weed germination including more Lantana seedlings, I imagine. 

Devster
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Oh I should also point out though, that the neighbours next to work have removed a lot of introduced species on the property and have planted a couple of hundred local native plants. I didn't want them out to sound like they were destroying the local birdlife. I was just amased that they were advised to burn all the long grass from the edge of their dam. They are great neighbours and they are trying to encourage as much wildlife (naturally) as they can. They also let me walk around their property and take photos of birds.

Woko
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Nice neighbors to have!

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