Significant Fauna
A total of 151 significant species, including 15 of National, 31 of State and 105 species of Regional significance have previously been recorded in the larger study area.
National Significance:
Dwarf Galaxias, Yarra Pygmy Perch, Southern Bell Frog, Glossy Grass Skink, Powerful Owl, Freckled Duck, Australasian Bittern, Painted Snipe, Grey Falcon, Major Mitchell's Cockatoo (probable escapee), Swift Parrot, Superb Parrot (probable escapee), Regent Honeyeater, Spot-tailed Quoll and Eastern Quoll (now extinct in Victoria).
State Significance:
Lace Monitor, Brown Quail, Little Button-quail, Diamond Dove, Lewin's Rail, Baillon's Crake, Black-faced Cormorant, Pied Cormorant, Whiskered Tern, Caspian Tern, Crested Tern, Glossy Ibis, Royal Spoonbill, Little Egret, Intermediate Egret, Great Egret, Nankeen Night Heron, Little Bittern, Cape Barren Goose, Magpie Goose, Australasian Shoveler, Hardhead, Blue-billed Duck, Musk Duck, Grey Goshawk, White-bellied Sea-eagle, Black Falcon, Grey-crowned Babbler, Speckled Warbler, Grey-headed Flying-fox and Yellow-bellied Sheathtail-bat.
Based upon reporting rates of the species as given in the Atlas of Victorian Birds (Emison et al. 1987) and the Atlas of Victorian Wildlife records, their known habitat requirements, and the presence of suitable habitat in the reserves, 57 of these have a moderate or higher probability of regularly occurring in the City of Monash study area.
The Nationally significant Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater have been recorded numerous times in the past in areas surrounding the City of Monash, but have not been detected in any of the sites under investigation, possibly due to a lack of heavy winter-flowering (and nectar) producing eucalypt species in the reserves.
The Nationally significant Southern Bell Frog prefers well-vegetated permanent wetlands, including farm dams, and has been known to colonise (or re-colonise) restored wetlands; it has been recorded in both wetlands within Damper Creek and Valley Reserves (City of Monash records, Michael Grant, pers. comm.).
There are also recent records of the Nationally significant Australasian Bittern from Dandenong Creek (Appendix 4; Michael Grant, City of Monash, pers. comm.), suggesting that this species possesses at least a moderate likelihood of regular occurrence in the study area. The Regionally significant Water-rat is known from Damper Creek and Valley Reserves, and Scotchmans and Dandenong Creeks.
The Regionally significant Sugar Glider is known from all reserves except Scotchmans Creek. The State significant Grey-headed Flying-fox is considered to be a regular visitor to areas surrounding the Reserves; it has previously been recorded at Scotchmans Creek (Quin et al. 1999) and Damper Creek Reserve (Dianne Carra, pers. comm.) and probably also visits Valley Reserve and Dandenong Creek.
The Grey-headed Flying-fox probably visits flowering eucalypts within these Reserves. The Fork-tailed Swift is regularly observed within the City of Monash study area (Michael Grant, pers. comm.), and being an aerial species, is likely to occur over all three corridors.
Dandenong Creek habitat
Species with a moderate or high potential of regularly occurring in the study area, and in habitats at Dandenong Creek include four National, 12 State and 41 Regionally significant species:National Significance: Dwarf Galaxias, Southern Bell Frog, Australasian Bittern and Powerful Owl.
State Significance: Lewin's Rail, Baillon's Crake, Pied Cormorant, Royal Spoonbill, Intermediate Egret, Great Egret, Nankeen Night Heron, Australasian Shoveler, Hardhead, Blue-billed Duck, Musk Duck and Grey-headed Flying-fox.
Regional Significance: Brown-striped Frog, Eastern Snake-necked Turtle, Buff-banded Rail, Great Crested Grebe, Darter, Australian Pelican, Red-kneed Dotterel, Banded Lapwing, Latham's Snipe, Cattle Egret, Australian Shelduck, Pink-eared Duck, Swamp Harrier, Whistling Kite, Australian Hobby, Peregrine Falcon, Little Lorikeet, Barn Owl, Azure Kingfisher, White-throated Needletail, Fork-tailed Swift, Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Gang-gang Cockatoo, Crested Shrike-tit, Rufous Fantail, Restless Flycatcher, Jacky Winter, Scarlet Robin, Pink Robin, Rose Robin, White-winged Triller, Rufous Songlark, Little Grassbird, White-eared Honeyeater, Olive-backed Oriole, Diamond Firetail, Platypus, Sugar Glider, Southern Forest Bat and Water-rat.
Furthermore, most of the Regionally significant species are considered to have a moderate to high likelihood of occurrence at Dandenong Creek. There is also a possibility (low) that the Yarra Pygmy Perch occurs in Dandenong Creek, although this has not been confirmed.
Damper Creek Reserve habitat
Twelve of the 57 species listed as regularly occurring in the City of Monash study area, are considered to have a moderate or high potential of regularly occurring at Damper Creek Reserve. They are:National Significance: Southern Bell Frog
State Significance: Grey-headed Flying-fox.
Regional Significance: Peregrine Falcon, Latham's Snipe, White-throated Needletail, Fork-tailed Swift, Rose Robin, Pink Robin, Sugar Glider, Water-rat, Striped Marsh Frog and Eastern Snake-necked Tortoise.
Valley Reserve habitat
Seventeen of the 57 species listed as regularly occurring in the City of Monash study area, are considered to have a moderate or high potential of regularly occurring at Valley Reserve. They are:National Significance: Southern Bell Frog.
State Significance: Grey-headed Flying-fox.
Regional Significance: Peregrine Falcon, Latham's Snipe, Gang-Gang Cockatoo, White-throated Needletail, Fork-tailed Swift, Rufous Fantail, Jacky Winter, Rose Robin, Pink Robin, Crested Shrike-tit, Olive-backed Oriole, Sugar Glider, Water-rat, Striped Marsh Frog and Eastern Snake-necked Tortoise.
Farr et al. (1983) listed the following Locally or Regionally significant woodland or forest birds as either using, formerly using, or potentially using Valley Reserve:- species that visit Valley Reserve in autumn and winter, outside the breeding season (Golden Whistler, Pied Currawong and Gang-gang Cockatoo - rare);
- migrants that breed in Valley Reserve during spring and summer (Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike);
- passage migrants that breed during spring and summer (Scarlet Robin and Rufous Fantail);
- nomadic visitors which use the flowering plants in the reserves (Yellow-faced Honeyeater);
- very rare visitors (Collared Sparrowhawk, Rufous Whistler and Noisy Friarbird);
Scotchmans Creek habitat
Nine of the 57 species listed as regularly occurring in the City of Monash study area are considered to have a moderate or high potential of regularly occurring at Scotchmans Creek. They are:State Significance: Grey-headed Flying-fox.
Regional Significance: Crested Pigeon, Peregrine Falcon, Gang-Gang Cockatoo, Latham's Snipe, White-throated Needletail, Fork-tailed Swift, Rose Robin and Water-rat (one of the best populations in the Melbourne area).
Updated: 23 September 2003
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