42 Keartland, Bird Life on Fraser Island. [v,J"^xxxiii 



BIRD LIFE ON FRASER ISLAND, GIPPSLAND LAKES. 



By G. A. Keartland. 

 (Read before /he Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, 8th May, 191 6.) 



For many years the scarcity of native birds in the vicinity of 

 any of the larger towns has been very noticeable, and what 

 few are seen are so wild that nature-students seldom obtain 

 a close view of them without recourse to the gun. Even with 

 that aid many are too shy to be approached within killing 

 range. Various opinions have been expressed as to the cause 

 of this state of affairs. Whilst some attribute it to the intro- 

 duction of starlings, minahs, and sparrows, which are now to 

 be found in thousands in some of the parks or on farms near 

 Melbourne, others are equally certain that what have not 

 been killed or driven away by thoughtless shooting have fallen 

 victims to the domestic cat. Perhaps both views are to some 

 extent right. 



It is, however, a matter for general regret that those insec- 

 tivorous birds which formerly rendered valuable service to the 

 farmer, gardener, and orchardist are seldom seen, even in places 

 where they w^ere numerous a few years ago. I allude par- 

 ticularly to the common Ground-Lark, Anthus australis, the 

 Harmonious 'Thrush, CoUyriocincla harmonica. Flame -breasted 

 Robin, Petrceca phanicea, Yellow-tailed Tit, Acanthiza 

 chrysorrhoa, and others, which made their appearance in numbers 

 immediately ploughing started, and which became so tame 

 that they simply hopped out of the way of the horses or fol- 

 lowed the gardener as he dug his trenches in order to feast on 

 the insects and larvae in the newly turned up soil. It was, 

 therefore, a pleasant surprise to me to find, when visiting Fraser 

 Island, near the Lakes' Entrance, by permission of Mr. J. H. 

 Syme, early in October, 1915, that wdthin the space of about 

 100 acres over seventy species of native birds resort to its 

 shelter either as visitors or for the purpose of nesting. 



Perhaps I had better state here that Fraser Island is situated 

 about ij miles west of Kalimna, and is cut off from the mainland 

 by the channel known as Reeves River, which is about a third 

 of a mile in width. It has a remarkable variety of trees for 

 so small an area, and consequently caters for a corresponding 

 variety of birds. On the slopes of the hill on which the 

 residence stands are some ^arge Banksia trees and eucalypts, 

 whilst strips of tea-tree divide the larger timber from the 

 swampy flats on the eastern and southern sides. On the 

 northern and western sides the flats are cultivated either for 

 growing fodder for the stock or as a means of pro\'iding vege- 

 tables for domestic purposes. In a strip of tea-tree just above 

 high water mark a few rabbits find a home, and it was through 



