Since Ms Woko & I began our ecogical restoration efforts all those years ago we've been delighted whenever a new bird or other animal species visits or takes up residence. It was another of those experiences yesterday when I heard, then saw, at close quarters a White-browed Babbler, the first observation for us on our property.
Credit must go to all those landholders who have also planted indigenous trees & shrubs, particularly to the north, south & west of us, to provide wildlife corridors of increasing quality. I'm confident the White-browed Babbler has taken advantage of these corridors to make its way to our place.
Will it stay? Who knows but it's a welcome sign of wildlife recovery at a time when developers are developing & many people & their government representatives see little or no value in habitat restoration.
How very exciting, yet another new species. Glad your efforts are paying off.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
How many different species have you now seen on your property, Woko? Such a success story.
Hi sue. Thanks for your interest.
I've now recorded 155 species. Not all of these are native birds, of course. A dozen or more are introduced such as the Rock Pigeon & rarities like a flock of African Peach-faced Lovebirds & a Chukar Pigeon both of which species I assume were escapees. Perhaps the most unexpected sighting was a flock of about 15 high-flying Cape Barren Geese in December 1992 after several days of big rain.
With increasing ecological restoration in our area some of the open grassland birds are rarely, if ever, seen now such as the Brown Songlark & Black-shouldered Kite. Others are occasional visitors or have only been seen on one occasion. Striated Thornbill, Freckled Duck & Southern Whiteface fit this category.
It's fascinating to observe the comings, stayings & goings of various species as our plantings have matured. Factors such as native grass restoration & tree bark maturity are all playing their part, I'm very confident. Also, it's satisfying to provide a refuge for birds & other animals from the horrid development overwhelming the Mt Lofty Ranges as well as fun to predict which species will be our next sighting. I can thoroughly recommend a native garden, particularly of indigenous plant species, as a wonderful way of whiling away the covid confinement.
Thats an awesome total Woko, and great to hear of both your progress and satisfaction with that progress :-)
I'm hoping one day as my own retirement project to buy some degraded farmland, build a little off-grid house on it, and spend however long I have left restoring it as best I can. Its inspirational reading about people who are currently doing similar things.