Introduction
The occurrence of Superb Fairy-wrens in urban areas demonstrates
their ability to survive in areas which are far from untouched habitat.
In fact, some populations occur in revegetated areas of reclaimed
land. For example, Westgate Park is the site of a former rubbish
tip.
Figure 1. Westgate Park
Urban areas where wrens occur generally consist of lawn areas interspersed
with dense, predominantly native shrubs. However, it is likely that
other factors such as the absence of predators, adjoining land use,
and carefully planned and scheduled vegetation management are all
factors that contribute to their overall success or otherwise.
Sites supporting Superb Fairy-wrens and subject to study under
this program include the following:
Westgate Park
Westgate Park is a large tract of parkland located on the east
side of the Yarra River below Westgate Bridge. Parks Victoria is
the management authority for the park.
Historically, this area had been used to mine sand for construction
of early Melbourne; and subsequently was used as a landfill site.
The site was landscaped in the mid 1980s with native trees and shrubs
amongst wide expanses of exotic grasses.
Initial plantings in the park were of native species, many from
Western Australia. However, extensive recent plantings by the Friends
of Westgate Park have focused on recreating vegetation communities,
which naturally occurred in the area prior to development. Plant
selection has therefore changed from Australia native species to
local indigenous species.
Two large lakes were incorporated into the new landscape. Extensive
areas of 'wasteland' about the south and western perimeters of Westgate
Park. Westgate Park and Perce White Reserve also have resident populations
of New Holland Honeyeaters, a species not found elsewhere in the
northeast Port Phillip region.
Perce White Reserve
Perce White Reserve is a relatively small linear coastal reserve
at Sandridge Beach about a kilometre to the south of Westgate Park.
The City of Port Phillip is the management authority for the reserve.
Figure 2. Perce White Reserve |
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Perce White Reserve - continued
Vegetation at Perce White includes a significant community of remnant
grasses along with planted indigenous shrubs and trees, and areas
of lawn.
Perce White is bordered by residential Garden City to the east,
Port Phillip Bay to the south, Webb Dock to the west, and a bitumen
carpark on the north side which abuts a large tract of unused ports
land which is regularly slashed. Wrens have been recorded foraging
in this land, at least in the areas closest to Perce White reserve.
Foxes are common around the Melbourne Docks and would certainly
visit this site.
Elwood Foreshore
Elwood Foreshore has the distinction of supporting the closest
remnant Coast Tea-tree to the Melbourne CBD.
Figure 3. Elwood foreshore looking South
The City of Port Phillip is the management authority for this reserve.
The eastern border of the reserve is marked by the ‘beach
road’ which carries heavy traffic. To some extent this may
deter cats from roaming into the reserve from residential Elwood.
Superb Fairy-wrens were recorded in the Elwood Tea Tree Reserve
as far north as Point Ormond in the mid 1980s. Around this time
additional plantings of Drooping She-oaks, Coast Banksias, and Coast
Tea-tree were undertaken. Diversification of the mid-storey trees,
shrubs, and under-storey commenced in the late 1980s.
Figure 4. Elwood foreshore looking North
The area north of Point Ormond to St Kilda Marina was reclaimed
from the sea in the 1960s. Fill material used in the reclamation
was primarily clay and rubble which was difficult to establish plants
in.
However, experiments with locally collected and composted seaweed
enabled establishment of indigenous coastal species in 1992. Shrubs
(particularly Coast Saltbush) and grasses flourished in the new
medium. As a consequence, by the mid 1990s, the range of the Wren
population extended as far north as St Kilda Marina.
Download the survey sheet.
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