When I saw a cockatoo munching on a chicken drumstick it held with one foot, while perched on a powerline with the other, I finally agreed with my two Ph.D. students that it really was time to find out more about the way these birds are embracing suburban life.

The first step is to find out how faithful they are to particular sites, and how far they move. To this end, John and Adrian have attached wing tags to 70 cockatoos, and thanks to the efforts of some dedicated volunteers and their smart phones, a picture is starting to emerge about their daily routines.

Although they have predominantly been tagged in the afternoon at the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney, many of them take their breakfast at a variety of inner city establishments. And despite marauding in a large flock in the Garden they often turn up on balconies and clotheslines in small groups, sometimes consisting of the same individuals.

We plan to find out whether the dumpster-divers of Stanwell Park share their skills with the citrus-pickers of Chatswood - or whether they are learning independently. We would also like to know the proportion of cockatoos that breed in suburban tree hollows, rather than in the National Parks that surround the city.

Now that our methods are well established, we want to move the project into top gear and to do that we would love some more assistance.

Firstly, we will be tagging more birds and we would like to expand our network of volunteers to help us track them. Please keep your eye out for tagged cockatoos and report them on our Facebook page (Cockatoo.wingtag) or email cockatoo.wingtag@gmail.com or download the “Wingtags” app from the App Store.

Help us understand Sydney's CockatoosDr Richard Major and Michael Hugill, 22 April 2013

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with Cian & Maxon the go

Hi everyone! With the silly season over, we hope you enjoyed some well deserved time off! Though there’s not much silly about being sun burnt and dehydrated! So keep up with the fluids, work in the shade, and enjoy the cooler weather as it creeps in. We’re excited to have you all back for another year of Bushcare and look forward to seeing everyone back out on-site.

Cian & MaxRandwick City Council Bushcare Officers

what's onLiving SmartThis course runs over 6 Saturday afternoons teaching you to live sustainably. Explore food, energy, water, transport, green cleaning and healthy living - visit the Sustainability Hub, Barrett House and native nursery.

When: Feb 22 2014 - Mar 29 2014

Location: Randwick Community Centre, 27 Munda Street Randwick

Fee: Free

Contact: Fiona Campbell 9314 4868

Email: fiona.campbell@randwick.nsw.gov.au

BOOkinGS ESSEnTiaL: Visit www.cityeastcc.com.au/ for bookings

Creating Eco-schools & ServicesPutting the ‘eco’ into education over six Wednesday nights for teachers and parents involved in primary schools and early childhood services.

When: Feb 19 2014 – Mar 26 2014

Location: Randwick Community Centre, 27 Munda Street Randwick

Fee: Free

Contact: Fiona Campbell 9314 4868

Email: fiona.campbell@randwick.nsw.gov.au

BOOkinGS ESSEnTiaL: Visit City East Community College for bookings.

PAGE 2

Randwick city council PAGE 3PAGE 3

Mosman council approach to dog poo - There is no such thing as the Dog Poo Fairy!If you went walking down at Sirius Cove Reserve, Mosman this morning (Friday 10 January) you might have seen yellow and white marker flags scattered around the park. Each flag identifies a piece of dog poo which has been left in the park.

In an effort to keep the community, beaches, Harbour, parks and foreshore clean and tidy Mosman Council encourages residents and visitors to pick up after their dog.

We all know picking up dog poo isn’t a glamorous job but picking up after your dog is the responsible thing to do and it is also a requirement under the Companion Animals Act 1998.

If you leave the dog poo on the ground, the Dog Poo Fairy isn’t going to come and pick it up! In fact you can actually be fined.

Think about your actions, think about your community and do the right thing. Picking up after your dog will help to keep our streets, parks and beaches clean.

There’s no such thing as the Dog Poo Fairy! Bag it and bin it for a cleaner, healthier community.

Taken from www.mosman.nsw.gov.au/news/2014/01/10/there-is-no-such-thing-as-the-dog-poo-fairy

www.mosman.nsw.gov.au/environment/dog-poo-fairyPlease pick up after your dog

Bag it and bin it for a cleaner, healthier Mosman

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Bag that poo – any rubbish bin with do

Christmas 20 year celebration2013 marked the 20th year of Bushcare in Randwick City Council. We celebrated with a luncheon at Randwick Community Centre and were lucky enough to have Mayor Scott Nash along to help celebrate the momentous occasion. We were again treated to a delicious lunch as well as a very special cake.

Guests were able to view a display of ‘before and after’ photos of all of our sites which showcased just how far they have come. Thank you to all who attended, and congratulations to those who picked up awards for completing more than 30 hours of service this year.

PAGE 4

How to Spot a drought tolerant plantIn the midst of summer, it’s handy to know what makes a plant drought tolerant both for your home garden and your bushcare site.

These types of plants have evolved water saving adaptations through natural selection to maximise the plant’s chances of survival.

These adaptations work by protecting it from the effects of hot sun, allowing it to store water for times of drought, and reducing water loss from the plant to the atmosphere.

Silver leaves Waxy or leathery leaves Very small leaves

Actinotus helianthiFlannel Flower

Eucalyptus robustaSwamp Mahogany

Micromyrtus ciliataFringed heath-myrtle

Reflect sunlight keeping the leaf cool and minimising water loss through the pores.

A covering of fine hairs, which partially shades and restricts air flow close to the leaf’s surface, further reducing water loss, may be present. These hairs may absorb dew and moisture from the atmosphere, allowing the plant to supplement water it receives from rainfall.

Forms a barrier reducing water loss.

May be accompanied by a powdery coating which restricts air flow close to the surface of the leaf further reducing water loss. Most Eucalyps fit into this category.

The smaller the leaf the smaller its surface area and the number of pores through which water can be lost by the plant to the atmoshpere.

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Presence of phyllodes instead of leaves Thick, fleshy leaves or stems Tubers and enlarged roots

Acacia longifolia subsp. Sophorae Coastal Wattle

Carpobrotus glaucescens Pig Face

Caladenia alata Fairy Orchid

Phyllode = flattened leafstalk that functions like a leaf.

Most native Acacia species develop phyllodes.

Minimise water loss because they are usually thick, leathery and vertically orientated to minimise the amount of sunlight falling on them on hot summer days when the sun is high in the sky.

Plants with thick, fleshy leaves or stems which retain water for times of drought are called succulents.

They have a characteristic swollen or fleshy appearance known as succulence.

Act as a food and water store.

The plant draws on these reserves to survive during drought and to regrow if the above ground parts of the plant are destroyed by fire or grazing animals.

Presence of a lignotuber Enlarged Water-storing Trunk Hairy leaves

Banksia robur Swamp Banksia

Brachychiton rupestris Queensland Bottle Tree

Pelargonium australe

Lignotuber = woody swelling at or just below ground level. Food store for hard times and the site of regenerative buds from which new stems form if the above-ground parts of the plant are destroyed.

Native trees with this characteristic include Brachychiton rupestris (Bottle tree), Brachychiton populneus (Kurrajong), Brachychiton acerifolius (Illawarra Flame Tree) and the well-known Boab from the Kimberley region.

Hairs on the leaves reflect sunlight and reduce air movement, thus reducing water loss from the leaves of the plant.

PAGE 6

bushcare

bushcare

GROUP LOCATION WORKING BEE TIME MARCH APRIL MAY

Bundock Park Car park on Donnellan Circuit, Clovelly 9am – 1pm 8 12 10

Fred Hollows Reserve

Alison Rd entrance (July), Bligh Pl entrance (June & August), Randwick

9am – 1.pm 7 4 2

Gordon’s Bay Access via the UNSW Cliffbrook Campus Grounds, 45 Beach St Coogee

9am – 1pm 9 13 11

Grant Reserve Outside the entrance to Wylies Baths, Neptune Street, Coogee

9.30am – 11.30pm 11 & 25 8 & 22 13 & 27

Ladies’ Pool McIvers Rock Baths, Grant Reserve, Coogee 9am – 11.30pm 2 & 27 6 & 24 4 & 22

Lake Malabar End of Manwaring Avenue, Maroubra 1pm – 4pm 17 No bee 19

Long Bay Foreshore

Corner of Howe Street and Bay Parade, Malabar

9am – 1pm 1 5 3

Maroubra Dunes South Maroubra SLSC car park 9am – 1pm 6 3 1

Randwick Environment Park

Corner of Dooligah Avenue and Burragulung Street, Randwick

9am – 12 noon 3 & 15 7 5 & 17

Little Bay Landcare

Between 119 and 121 Bilga Cresent, Malabar.Contact Kerry Gordon on (02) 9311 7647 for more information.

8am – 12 noon 8 12 10

Magic Point (Malabar Headland)

Contact Jonathan Milford on (02) 9398 3619 for the meeting place.

9am – 1pm 13, 20, 27 10, 17, 24

8, 15, 22, 29

Malabar Headland National Park

Contact Don Kerr on (02) 9311 2665 for the meeting place.

9am – 1pm 2, 9, 16, 23

6, 13, 20, 27

1, 8, 15, 22, 29

parkcare

GROUP LOCATION WORKING BEE TIME MARCH APRIL MAY

Alison Rd Corner of Alison Road and Beach Street, Coogee

7.30am – 9am 4 1 6

Clyde Street Clyde Street Reserve, Randwick 1pm – 3pm 15 No bee 17

Grant Reserve Vehicular entry to Coogee Surf Life Saving Club

8am – 10am 18 15 20

Old Tramline Dudley Street/Carrington Rd , Randwick 9pm – 12 noon 13 10 8

Randwick city council PAGE 7

Lively, arboreal, Summer Visitor… Leaden FlycatcherWords by Keith Hutton

The Bushland team were humbled to read this article in the November issue of The Beast: the monthly magazine for Sydney’s beaches of the east.

Back in September I went to have a look around and check out the wildlife. It was a bright, fresh, sunny afternoon after a few light showers, with birds everywhere. There were black ducks, hardheads, coots, grebes and swans on the water, cormorants perched in dead trees, and white ibises probing around the edge of the pond accompanied by starlings and peewees. Swallows were skimming low over the water and flitting around up to tree height, and a few hidden reed warblers were singing in the scrub.

Fairy wrens, honeyeaters and noisy wattlebirds occasionally showed themselves and a Willie Wagtail was tottering and stumbling in the breeze catching fast-moving insects; a family of Red-browed Finches flashed past.

On the far side of the dark water a lone she-oak appeared to be surviving in a patch of flooded dead trees. Between the top of the she-oak and the dead trees, a lively little bird was darting about, grey and white, glossy in the sun, and constantly in motion. When perched briefly between short erratic flights it wagged and quivered its tail, then flew off again chasing insects in the air, always on the move. This was a highlight for the day; a migrant adult male Leaden Flycatcher, scarce and irregular in the Eastern Suburbs, just arrived!

Leaden Flycatchers resemble Willie Wagtails in general shape but they are a bit smaller and appear neater and tidier. Adult males are dark blue-grey in colour with a leaden head and upper breast, and white lower breast and belly. The light has a remarkable effect on their appearance and they may seem quite dull in the shade, but shiny, handsome and resplendent in sunlight. Females are very different and grey-brown above, bluer on the head and with a rusty buff throat and upper breast. Immature birds resemble females.

avithera.blogspot.com.au

Leaden Flycatchers in the Sydney region are annual summer migrants that visit to breed from September to April. They winter in northeast Queensland, New Guinea and Torres Strait. They live in coastal woodlands and scrubs, paperbarks, mangroves and riverside vegetation, and drier more open eucalypt forests inland, where they eat mostly insects that are usually caught in the air after a chase and, to a lesser extent, spiders taken directly from foliage.

Leaden Flycatchers are common to moderately common in their preferred habitats and populations appear to be stable. Nevertheless, it is reassuring to see local councils looking after disappearing habitats essential for maintaining biodiversity. The good range of birds at Randwick Environment Park suggests that the council management program is progressing well and achieving its objectives so far, both for proliferation of wildlife and for the enjoyment of people getting out and discovering new things.

PAGE 6

bushcare

GROUP LOCATION WORKING BEE TIME MARCH APRIL MAY

Bundock Park Car park on Donnellan Circuit, Clovelly 9am – 1pm 8 12 10

Fred Hollows Reserve

Alison Rd entrance (July), Bligh Pl entrance (June & August), Randwick

9am – 1.pm 7 4 2

Gordon’s Bay Access via the UNSW Cliffbrook Campus Grounds, 45 Beach St Coogee

9am – 1pm 9 13 11

Grant Reserve Outside the entrance to Wylies Baths, Neptune Street, Coogee

9.30am – 11.30pm 11 & 25 8 & 22 13 & 27

Ladies’ Pool McIvers Rock Baths, Grant Reserve, Coogee 9am – 11.30pm 2 & 27 6 & 24 4 & 22

Lake Malabar End of Manwaring Avenue, Maroubra 1pm – 4pm 17 No bee 19

Long Bay Foreshore

Corner of Howe Street and Bay Parade, Malabar

9am – 1pm 1 5 3

Maroubra Dunes South Maroubra SLSC car park 9am – 1pm 6 3 1

Randwick Environment Park

Corner of Dooligah Avenue and Burragulung Street, Randwick

9am – 12 noon 3 & 15 7 5 & 17

Little Bay Landcare

Between 119 and 121 Bilga Cresent, Malabar.Contact Kerry Gordon on (02) 9311 7647 for more information.

8am – 12 noon 8 12 10

Magic Point (Malabar Headland)

Contact Jonathan Milford on (02) 9398 3619 for the meeting place.

9am – 1pm 13, 20, 27 10, 17, 24

8, 15, 22, 29

Malabar Headland National Park

Contact Don Kerr on (02) 9311 2665 for the meeting place.

9am – 1pm 2, 9, 16, 23

6, 13, 20, 27

1, 8, 15, 22, 29

parkcare

GROUP LOCATION WORKING BEE TIME MARCH APRIL MAY

Alison Rd Corner of Alison Road and Beach Street, Coogee

7.30am – 9am 4 1 6

Clyde Street Clyde Street Reserve, Randwick 1pm – 3pm 15 No bee 17

Grant Reserve Vehicular entry to Coogee Surf Life Saving Club

8am – 10am 18 15 20

Old Tramline Dudley Street/Carrington Rd , Randwick 9pm – 12 noon 13 10 8

Randwick Environment Park contains bushland of national conservation significance, an ephemeral wetland and open space areas. The park is managed to protect, conserve and enhance its natural heritage value while providing a range of passive recreational opportunities sympathetic to the bushland and wetland.

Bushland Management Unit192 Storey StreetMaroubra NSW 2035

Supervisor-Bushland 9399 0686 Biodiversity Officer 9399 0683 Bushland Officer 9399 0687 Bushcare Officer 9399 0708

Randwick City Council Community nursery2B Barker StKingsford NSW 2031Phone: 9399 0933

Opening hours:Monday to Friday 9:00am -3:00pm

RANDWICK CITY COUNCIL30 Frances StreetRandwick NSW 2031Phone 9399 0708Email bushcare@randwick.nsw.gov.au

by Adam Grubb and Annie Raser-Rowland (foreword by Costa Georgiadis)Step into the world of our least-admired botanical companions, peel back the layers of prejudice, and discover the finer side of the plants we call weeds. An astonishing number are either edible or medicinal, and have deep and sometimes bizarre connections to human history.

But how do you distinguish a tasty sandwich-filler from its dangerous look-alike?

Which of these garden familiars is the most nutritious vegetable ever tested by the US Dept of Agriculture?

How do you cook with delicious nettles without fear of being stung?

This book reveals all this and more, and will forever change your concept of where to go looking for lunch.

On australia Day, Randwick City celebrated and thanked a range of local heroes including Margaret Vazey.

Margaret is described as… “an extraordinary community volunteer who gives her time generously to art and the environment. She has been a volunteer oil painting teacher at the Coast Centre for Seniors for over 10 years and played a key role in annual art exhibitions and special projects.

“Margaret is also a dedicated member of the Friends of Malabar Headland and has been an active bushland regenerator for over 20 years, employing her love of native

flora to inspire her artwork and to teach and impart her love of native vegetation to her students.

“Her nomination recognises her lifelong dedication to public issues and the generosity with which she has given her time as a volunteer in the community.”

Congratulations Margaret!

THe Weed Forager'S Handbook:a Guide to Edible and Medicinal Weeds in australia