Status of Birds at Melbourne Water's

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STATUS OF BIRDS AT MELBOURNE WATER'S EASTERN TREATMENT PLANT (ETP), BANGHOLME, VICTORIA, (originally known as South Eastern Purification Plant)

From establishment in 1974 to September 2012

By Mike Carter 30, Canadian Bay Road, Mt. Eliza, VIC. 3930, prepared 30 September 2012

Stubble Quail

Rock Dove

Striated Fieldwren

Singing Honeyeater

Eurasian Skylark

Common Blackbird

House Sparrow

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Common Greenfinch

NOTES ON THE TABLE

The 190 species of bird listed above, which includes 106 wetland dependant species & raptors and 84 non-wetland dependant species have been recorded on Eastern Treatment Plant land since this sewage farm commenced operation in March 1975. This is the area shown in yellow on Melway Maps 98 and 94. The operating or ‘internal’ section of the Plant is here defined as the area bounded by the Patterson River on the north, Worsley Road on the east, Thompson Road on the south and the Mornington Peninsula Freeway on the west. The list also includes species that have occurred on ‘external’ areas south of Thompson Road bounded by EastLink to the east and south and the Mornington Peninsula Freeway on the west. This area includes an operating section embracing the serpentine of the old Frankston Sewage Farm and five other major wetlands accessed via Rossiter Road. The ‘internal’ section has been counted on a regular basis, generally monthly, since construction in 1974 and the external wetlands irregularly over that period. The major wetlands here include the historical Banyan Waterhole, previously known as Boundary Road Wetland, the Rossiter Drain and its associated lagoon, dam, water meadows & paddocks (known as PARCS because it was accessed via the Peninsula Aeronautical Radio Control Societies flying club area) and the Boggy Creek environmental wetland constructed in 2008.

Those species shown in normal type are wetland dependant species or raptors. Those in italics are non-wetland dependant. However, some of these, such as the Welcome Swallow, Fairy Martin, White-fronted Chat and Magpie-lark often concentrate at wetlands. Others inhabit the wooded, shrubby and grassland areas or may be just passing through or over. Species introduced into Australia, that is they are not native, are underlined.

Bird Names and Sequence: The sequence and names are those recommended by Christidis & Boles, 2008.

Frequency of Occurrence:

C = Commonly (usually) present.

S = Sometimes present.

R = Rarely present.

Peak Numbers: The numbers given indicate the order of magnitude of the population at its peak.

1 = 1 to 10.

2 = 11 to 100.

3 = 101 to 1,000.

4 = 1,001 to 10,000.

Breeding: B indicates those species known to have bred at least once; B? indicates those suspected of so doing.

Season: The season when a species is more likely to be present or present in its highest numbers is given. They may also be encountered at other times. Where no seasonal preference is shown the species may occur at any time of year.