Habitat Tripod | Mount Gravatt Environment Group

Phil on the job clearing Creeping Lantana

By: Michael Fox

Benno, Phil and I returned our 2017 planting site to clear Creeping Lantana Lantana montevidenses, slow work but very effective in promoting natural regeneration. The weed smothers native grasses and the chemicals in Creeping Lantana suppress regrowth. Chase the creeper along to find the main root, pull the root and discard on the ground: the weed will not reshoot.

We have been focused on maintaining the 2021 National Tree Day site so I took the opportunity check how the 2017 planting is going.

Preparing the planting site required clearing the weeds to leave the ground bare for planting and included building Habitat Tripods to create safe habitat for small forest birds.

2023 Restored habitat thick with Blady Grass

Six and half years later the site is transformed with Blady Grass Imperata cylindrica flowering, fruit on Tape Vine Stephania japonica: eaten by Olive-backed Orioles Oriolus sagittatus

I found a Small Dusky Blue Candalides erinus butterfly …

… and a Brush-turkey Alectura lathami has chosen the site to build its nest mound.

By: Michael Fox

Making a new home for the family.

Sitting in the sun having breakfast I look up to see two Laughing Kookaburras preparing a new home in a termite nest high in a tree. We currently have twenty one nest boxes within Fox Gully Bushcare already providing breeding habitat for Squirrel Gliders Petaurus norfolcensis, Rainbow Lorrikets Trichoglossus haematodus, Pale-headed Rosellas Platycercus eximius and Brushtail Possums Trichosurus vulpecula.

The artificial nest boxes are intended to support wildlife while natural nest hollows develop in the forest. Our Kookaburras have been using an owl nest box for breeding, so it is exciting to see the termite nest is now large enough for our Kookas to create make their own home.

Look for a family of Variegated Fairy Wrens Malurus lamberti playing in the scrubby habitat alongside Acacia Way. Small forest birds like the safety of tangled habitat like this where they can nest and escape from Kookaburras and other large predator birds like Pied Currawongs Strepera graculina and Kookaburras.

You can provide habitat for these special birds in your backyard by building a Habitat Tripod.

Perhaps you can grow the beautiful Headache Vine Clematis glycinoides that is currently flowering along Acacia Way.

“It is a useful climber that could be used to cover the framework of a fernery. The growth is very dense and provides safe nesting sites for small native birds.” Australian Plants Society NSW

A useful vine, as it is happy growing in shaded areas and the crushed leaves help manage headaches.

Lipotriches sp. – Solitary Bee on Dianella flower

We also found a different solitary native bee species visiting flowers of Blueberry Lily Dianella longifolia. Lipotriches sp. do not form colonies, the individual females make nests in the ground. Native plant species like Dianella require Buzz Polination (sonicating) which shakes the pollen out of the flowers.