In late 2015 we moved from a small block in an inner Brisbane suburb to 4.5 acres in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Quite the tree change!
A wet sclerophyll forest takes up about 2 acres and the rest was mainly grass, exotic plants and weeds of all sizes and descriptions.
One of the first things I did was set up several bird baths, including one at the edge of the forest. This one was immensely popular with many small birds. I set up a wildlife camera that recorded the great variety of birds that visited. But they only came for a drink and a bath and to socialise, then they disappeared around the corner into the neighbours’ property.
We joined Land for Wildlife soon after. When selecting the seedlings we received with the yearly grant, I always read the descriptions of the plants as I had no knowledge of native plants at that stage. It struck me that some plants were described as being “good habitat for small birds” or “dense prickly habitat makes it a useful nesting site for small rainforest birds”, “provides shelter for small birds” and so on. This gave me the idea of creating what I call my “Prickly Patch”.
Adjoining the forest and the aforementioned bird bath I planted many of these prickly plants reasonably close together. Every year I added more plants. A few died, but most did very well. Imagine my excitement when after seven years of planting I have just spotted the first nests being built in two Citrus australis shrubs! One belongs to Double-barred Finches and the other to Silvereyes (see photos below).
It is so rewarding to see these birds making my Prickly Patch their home, and I’m hoping I will get to see many more of them in years to come. And by the way, I am still adding prickly plants to the patch.
| Acacia hubbardiana | Yellow Prickly Moses |
| Alchornea ilicifolia | Native Holly |
| Alyxia ruscifolia | Chainberry |
| Bursaria incana | Blackthorn |
| Bursaria spinosa | Sweet Bursaria |
| Citrus australasica | Finger Lime |
| Citrus australis | Native Lime |
| Daviesia ulicifolia | Gorse Bitter Pea |
| Hakea actites | Wallum Hakea |
| Hakea sericea | Silky Hakea |
| Kunzea ambigua | Tick Bush |
| Pittosporum lancifolium | Narrow-leaved Orange Thorn |
| Pittosporum multiflorum | Orange Thorn |
| Pittosporum spinescens | Wallaby Apple |
| Podocarpus spinulosus | Shrubby Pine |
| Podolobium ilicifolium | Holly-leaved Pea |
| Wilkiea huegeliana | Veiny Wilkiea |
| Wilkiea macrophylla | Large-leaved Wilkiea |
Article and photos by Maria Rosenfelder
Land for Wildlife member
Palmwoods, Sunshine Coast