Nestboxes better than nothing but not as good as the real thing

Preserving /conserving existing habitat and planting for future habitat is the most important thing for all of us to do/encourage or fund.

Gibbons and Lindenmayer (2002) estimate that:
83 mammal species
114 bird species
79 reptile species
27 amphibian species use hollows on mainland Australia. 

That's 303 species!

There just arn't enough hollows to go round. And as if that wasn't bad enough, introduced and feral pest animals also use hollows. For some creatures, they cant wait for governments to do the right thing and stop the clearing or degradation of habitat or for forest to regenerate.

Nestboxes are never as good as natural tree hollows but do provide an option to help create resting and breeding places.

There are many factors to consider when buying a nest box.

• Which animal needs a box most?
• Which animal is it designed for?
• Where will it be located?
• How long will it last?

I will help answer all these questions in future posts as my boxes are designed for species that need help. I will also explain the pros and cons of the materials I use.

David Lindenmayer has written about how nest boxes installed to offset habitat clearing to widen the Hume freeway didn't help threatened species.
http://www.nespthreatenedspecies.edu.au/news/offset-fails-to-tick-the-box

Nestboxes can help but real trees with real hollows are best.

While we wait 120 -150 years for trees to develop hollows put up some boxes now.

Microbat box (unsealed)

Feathertail glider/ Pygmy possum or Antechinus nest box (unsealed)

Wildlife boxes coming soon

Nest boxes for a range of species that could do with a helping hand will soon be available.

Nest boxes will be available for:

• Possums
• Gliders
• Bats 
• Birds

Boxes are:

• Designed specifically for each species using best available evidence
• Designed for maximum animal comfort
• A range of materials used including Forestry Steward Council approved 17mm  ecoply, FSC 18mm  marine ply and/or recycled hardwood timber

More details and photos coming soon

Bird orchids

It is late spring here in central Victoria on my 'bush block'. It's been a drier season than usual but not as dry as a lot of eastern Australia. We have had approx 30mm of rain this month. Most of it was a down pour over an hour or so of 22mm. So it is reasonably green.

Unlike many bush blocks in my area I don't graze, burn or slash the forest under-story. Where many people fear leaf litter and plant debris, considering it fuel that may imperil their life if an uncontrolled fire comes through, I see leaf litter and plant debris (bark, twigs and branches) as a vital component of biodiversity. Debris makes habitat and breaks down to create a soil ecosystem that feeds plants and animals and makes everything healthy.

Improving biodiversity with leaf litter

I have some magnificent patches of bird orchids at the moment. Thankfully the local grazers (feral and native) swamp wallabies, grey kangaroos and hares don't find them delicious.

Bird Orchid Chiloglottis valida

Taller Bird Orchid possibly Chiloglottis trapeziformis

Since 1970 humanity has wiped out 60% of mammals birds reptiles and fish.
(Living Planet Report - WWF)

I'm guardian to 6 acres of reasonably high quality forest. It really doesn't take a lot of effort to do no harm. My recipe:

• I only use a small portion of it for my own home, garden and livestock (5 chickens).
• Slow down water that moves across the landscape, this replenishes soil moisture and avoids erosion. I do this with earth barriers or logs and debri.
• Allow habitat corridors so that animals can move freely across the landscape.
• Leave lots of logs and fallen branches to become homes for bugs and other larger creatures
• Be a good host. Provide water bowls for birds. Don't use barb wire fences that bats, possums, kangaroos and wallabies can get entangled in.
• Avoid using pesticides and herbicides that can impact through the ecosystem in damaging ways.

I have about 12 very old trees, I'd guess 100- 200 years old that are full of hollows used by a variety of animals. The noisiest and most notable are sulphur crested cockatoos, corellas, kookaburra, possums and ducks. These trees are mostly in decline with replacements still 50-150 years away.

Some other lovely things...

Native Bluebell Wahlenbergia sp

Flowering native Milkmaid lilies Burchardia sp