Some rare and special visitors now calling The Cape home

​The Cape is situated on the stunning Bass Coast, home to many of Australia's wonderful native animals. The Cape estate is an environmental net gain project, meaning the site will feature more restored vegetation after the project is complete than existed before, creating great habitat for these special plants and animals that call our site home. One of our residents, David Hartney, is a keen "birding" enthusiast and wildlife photographer, and in just a handful of months living at The Cape he has documented well over 70 different bird species living in and around the estate, thanks in part to the new wetlands and safe habitat spaces. David has written some advice below on things we can do in our private and public landscapes to allow our wildlife to thrive in our urban environment.

There's plenty of short-beaked echidnas ambling across The Cape. Photo: David Hartney.

​The Cape provides a unique opportunity to live in a sustainable community in harmony with the natural environment around us.
The Cape precinct, which sits on what was once degraded agricultural land, adjoins a biodiverse fringe of coastal bush and heathland which is part of the Bunurong Marine Park. The rich habitat provides important food and shelter for many native bird and animal species, including kangaroo, wallaby, echidna, koala, wombat, antechinus, frogs, snakes and other reptiles

.A supurb fairy-wren at The Cape. Photo: David Hartney.

The beach adjacent to The Cape is home to one of Victoria’s most vulnerable birds, the Hooded Plover. Recently there was also a sighting of a Latham's Snipe in the new Cape wetlands. This near-threatened migratory bird travels an incredible 10,000km from its breeding ground in northern Japan to spend the summer months in south-eastern Australia. We are privileged to have these birds at our backdoor and we should all work toward protecting them.
The Cape is a designated ‘Land for Wildlife’ area. Over time, as the landscape and wetlands develop, more species will come to inhabit The Cape environment. We can all play an important part in revitalising the local ecology by working with nature to provide more native habitat and protect our native wildlife.
 
'Provide some habitat in your home garden … and the birds will come' - David Hartney
​
Our home gardens can provide a safe and secure sanctuary for birds. The key is to provide structures and materials which provide food and protection

A hooded plover at F-break in Cape Paterson. Photo: David Hartney.

An eastern yellow robin perched at The Cape. Photo: David Hartney.

A few tips to guide you in creating bird habitat:

• Think of how you can attract local native birds when designing and planting your garden. Carefully select native plants that are known to attract birds. Native plants not only provide housing, but food such as invertebrates, pollen and nectar - all fundamental for a healthy bird population. The Cape Design Guidelines provides a comprehensive list of local indigenous and native species.
• Provide a layer of plants: ground covers, small shrubs up to 2 metres and small trees which all provide security, nesting sites and roosts.
• Bird nesting boxes and insect “hotels” are useful additions to the garden.
• Lay organic mulch, place habitat logs and rocks strategically around your garden to attract invertebrates and small reptiles which are a staple diet for birds.
• A small bird bath will be a haven for birds all year but particularly in summer. It does not have to be anything fancy. Make sure there is nearby plant cover for the birds to preen and protect themselves.

A white-faced heron next to The Cape in the Bunurong Marine Park. Photo: David Hartney.

Protecting our Birds and Animals
The Cape is private property and a ‘Land for Wildlife’ conservation area. We can all play a role in making our community a place in which people and the wildlife can co-habit safely. As residents, our behaviour towards wildlife protection should set the standard and standards are clearly communicated to visitors on signage throughout The Cape.
A few tips:

• Do not feed the animals by hand or feeders – provide their food through nature. It is unhealthy and can attract large numbers of one species at the expense of diversity
• Dogs are to be leashed at all times when outside of the off leash dog park at the Cape. Leashed dogs are predictable and unleashed dogs provide a bigger threat to vulnerable birds and animals. The Cape is a cat free estate which is a great initiative that takes a lot of pressure off our native bird and marsupial population
• Drive at a safe speed, particularly during the night
• Use natural rather than chemical methods to control pests and weeds in your gardens
• Provide open fencing structures to allow birds and animals to move freely

A male and female eastern grey kangaroo at The Cape. Photo: David Hartney.

​Thanks David for these great tips, The Cape has been established as a “nature-centric” estate that provides for our wonderful local biodiversity and we are very happy to see this increase in biodiversity on site.