Bird from the Mallee

The ongoing drought in SA has made me wonder if we might see at my place on the south eastern slopes of the Mt Lofty Ranges a range of bird species from the drier mallee areas. There are no direct vegetation corridors to assist mallee birds seeking new, if bone dry & barren, pastures so I imagine that any mallee bird wanting to reach our haven would need to take a circuitous route. Such a species, the Zebra Finch, has probably done just that. Yesterday, Ms Woko & I, inspired by the Tour Down Under currently underway in SA, were dusting off our trusty bikes outside our garage when we heard the unmistakable zitting call of a Zebra Finch from a close-by, drought-stressed Spotted Gum Eucalyptus maculata (planted by the previous owners of our property but still surviving). The call was unmistakable & verified by using the Morcombe app on my smart phone. 

The presence of this bird probably demonstrates the value of planting a number of mallee species when we were revegetating our property. It also demonstrates the value of planting wildlife corridors to enable birds & other native critters to escape the ravages of drought & bushfires so that they can colonise other areas. Given what is happening to this great nation of ours our wildlife needs all the help it can get. 

But is it too late? If droughts & bushfires become ever more frequent, as predicted by some, will the growing of corridors be for naught? Perhaps. But I'd rather go down fighting than sit & do zip as some in high places seem content to do. 

And another thing. As we wrap our arms around the injured & distressed native wildlife I do hope a similar or even greater level of motivation will extend to protecting their habitats from the ravages of not only drought & bushfire but also the depredations of developers & governments whose short term dollar value placed on our natural environment is sickening to behold.