Let’s follow LPT 16

McKee Clan’s cache

            Let’s follow LPT (Little Para Trail) is a series of caches along the trail for you to find. Please enjoy the walk or Ride as we have and happy hunting.

            Due to the number of caches in carisbrook park and Howie bowie reserve we decided to start in salisbury and continue out to sea. Enjoy the walk or ride.

FTF – Locus Cache STF – JadedOptimist TTF – Missyhere

Local point of interest

Bird Life – The Adelaide Rosella

The Adelaide Rosella (Platycercus adelaidae) is endemic to South Australia. This was thought to be a separate species, but is presently believed to have originated through interbreeding of the Crimson and Yellow Rosellas. Both of these still interbreed with the Adelaide Rosella where its range crosses theirs, and it exhibits variation in its plumage from dark orange-red in the south of its distribution to a pale orange-yellow in the north. Variants that are very close to the Yellow race are designated subadelaidae.

Although the ranges of the Crimson and Yellow forms overlap along the entirety of the Murray River, in this area they seem to prefer different habitats and do not interbreed.

Description:

The Adelaide Rosella averages 35 - 36 cm in length.

The plumage is generally pale to strong orange-red. The forehead, lores (the region between the eye and bill on the side of a bird's head) and crown are orange-red. The sides of head and nape (back of a bird's neck) are orange-yellow. The cheeks are violet-blue. The abdomen and breast are yellow more or less strongly tinged orange-red. The bend of wing and outer median wing-coverts are bright blue. The upperside of the middle tail-feathers are dark violet-blue and with dark green base. The outer tail feathers are dark blue with bright blue edging and paler tips. The tail underside is pale bluish.

The bill is horn-colored-grey. They have narrow grey eye rings and the irides (plural of iris) are dark brown. The feet are grey.

Females are on average smaller and often suffused more with orange. The pale wing-stripe is occasionally present. They have smaller and narrower bills.

Sexing young birds can prove difficult and DNA sexing may be the only way to know for sure at a young age. However, it may be possible to sex birds that are at least 9 months as the molt into adult plumage.

Immature birds: The orange-red plumage of adults are olive-green in immatures except for the forehead, crown, upper cheek area, throat, parts of upper breast, thighs and under tail-coverts. The inner median wing-coverts and outer secondary-coverts are dull olive-green. The under wing-coverts are dull blue. The upperside of middle tail-feathers are dark olive-green with blue-black tips. The tail underside is pale grey-blue. The pale wing-stripe is present.

Young birds attain the adult coloration after their second molt - when they are about 12 to 16 months old. At that time they also become sexually mature.

Diet:

Natural Diet:

In their natural habitat, they mostly feed on grass and tree seeds (including sprouted seeds that dropped to the floor and were exposed to humidity), as well as a variety of fruits, berries, flowers and nectar.

Additionally, they take insects in their larvae - particularly during the breeding season, when they require more protein in their diet.

They forage in the trees and shrubs, as well as on the ground - usually in shaded areas.

Breeding:

Reproduction in their natural habitat

In their natural habitat, the breeding season is influenced by rainfall as well as the location of their home range.

Northern birds usually breed between September - January, while those found in the southern areas, mostly breed between February to June.

In the northern parts of the United States, they mostly breed from April through September; in the southern USA, they may breed throughout the year.

The courting male will bow forward low on the perch while sounding out the mating calls. The interested female will do the same. This is usually followed by mutual feeding and then the actual act of mating.

Wild Rosellas usually nest near water, in the cavities of either dead or living trees, usually in eucalypts, or hollow stumps and posts. The nesting cavity is usually over 1 m deep and located up to 30 m above the ground.

The nest floor is usually covered with wood dust. The female alone incubates the eggs while the male feeds her and helps providing food for the young. In the wild, they usually produce 1 - 2 broods a season.

Aviculture / Breeding

Rosellas are easy to breed; and they are generally hardy. Provided they have been properly acclimatized they can withstand colder temperatures. Some heat source may need to be provided when weather conditions are extraordinarily cold. A roosting box will also make it easier for them to keep warm. However, they do need a shelter that protects them from the rain and cold winds / drafts.

Aggression is a problem with rosellas - males in particular are very aggressive towards other males exspecialy in the presence of a hen. Young birds should be separated from the parents as soon weaned to prevent parental aggression. It is best to keep pairs separately from other birds.

Rosellas produce 1 to 2 clutches a year. The female typically lays 4 to 6 (rarely up to 9) eggs. The round, white, somewhat shiny eggs measure between 22 x 26 mm. The female alone incubates the eggs for about 19 - 24 days. During the incubation period she is fed by her mate. The young fledge when they are about 5 weeks old and are independent another 3 - 4 weeks later.

Established pairs can be prolific and may produce two to three clutches per season - especially if their young are pulled for handfeeding and they have plenty of food available. However, typically they raise one to two clutches per year. During the incubation period she is fed by her mate. After hatching chicks will leave the nest at about 6 weeks old.

Some breeders like to pull the chicks for handfeeding when they are about 2 to 3 weeks old. This will allow parents to get started on another clutch.

Handfed Rosellas can still be a bit flighty and care should be taken to ensure the wings stay clipped to avoid injury. The young will need daily attention to remain tame.

These birds love to bathe and should be provided fresh water to do so.

Housing:

Single pets can be housed in medium-size parrot cages as long as they are allocated time each day out of the cage for exercise and entertainment.

Rosellas do best in an aviary setting or long flight cages as they are avid flyers. It is recommended that couples are kept alone in an aviary, and to even avoid keeping two couples in two adjacent aviaries - as they may be aggressive and get distracted from breeding. If separation is not possible given the space and resources that you have, it is recommended to have the walls double wired with a separation of about 75mm or even place a solid wall between the flights.

You also need to have available aviary space for the young birds as they should be separated as soon as they are fully independent of their parents.

Rosellas like to chew on wood, therefore, metal frames with strong wire / mesh is recommended.

The minimum aviary size should be about:

Width: 1 m - 1.2 m
Length: 5 m
Height: 2.1 m

The roof should be covered with transparent or opaque corrugated roofing material. For easy maintenance and sanitation, a concrete floor that can be hosed down daily is recommended.

Leafy branches placed in the aviary will entertain the birds thus minimizing boredom. Plus it will give the birds some beak exercise and nutrition when feeding on the leaves (non-toxic branches only). Natural branches can be used for perches. The perches will be chewed by the birds and need to be replaced regularly

Nest Box:

A standard rosella nest box size would be 25 x 28 x 60 cm. Rosellas like their nesting place to be high up -- ideal would be 5 to 10 metres - or as high as the aviary allows. However, the preferences of parent birds can be influenced by the size and type of nest-box / log in which they themselves were hatched. If a standard nesting box is not readily accept, offer a choice of sizes and types of logs or nest-boxes, placed in various locations within the aviary, to allow them to make their own choice. Once a pair has successfully nested in a nest box, it is best to keep that box for their own exclusive use, and any other "spare" nest boxes can be removed. The nest box needs to be removed and cleaned at the breeding season to avoid contamination of mites, parasites and pathogens .

A climbing structure should be attached inside the box - just below the entrance hole. The entrance hole just be just big enough for them to able to fit through.

The nest log or box should be placed at the rear of the aviary in a sheltered location to protect it from the elements and provide privacy.

Calls / Vocalizations

Rosellas are often noisy, except when feeding, which is typically done in silence. When roosting in groups, soft chattering or high pitched rapid 'pi-pi-pi-pi-pi' contact calls can be heard. Their alarm calls are shrill and screechy. In flight, they make 'kwik, kwik' vocalizations.

Rosellas are not known for much talking ability but they can mimic whistles and songs. Though they do not have a true song they do have several melodious calls. Similar to a louder Red Rump, it is much more pleasant than the shrill & harsh sounds of Conures, Cockatoos or Macaws.

Training and Behavioral Guidance:

Rosellas are known for their loud, screeching voices (although vocalizing less frequently than some other parrot species) and tendency to be heavy chewers. They may become nippy as well, if not well socialized. They are not amongst the best talkers.

Parrots generally present challenges, such as excessive screaming or chewing - especially at certain stages in their life. They do discover their beaks as method of "disciplining us" once they are out of the "baby stage" and they can generally be somewhat naughty, and it really is important to learn to understand them and to guide their behavior before an undesirable behavior has been established. Undisciplined parrots will chew on electric wiring potentially causing house fires. They regard anything in your home as a "toy" that can be explored and chewed on; destroying items that you may hold dear or are simply valuable. Even a young bird that has not been neglected and abused requires proper guidance; this becomes even more challenging when it involves a rescued bird that may require rehabilitation.

Lifespan / Age of Maturity

Rosellas can be expected to live 15 or more years. Females reach reproductive maturity when they are about 18 months old, while males are able to successfully breed when they are 2 - 3 years old.

Other (Global) Names

Chinese: 橙玫瑰鹦鹉 ... Czech: Rosela adelaidská ... German: Adelaidesittich ... Estonian: leek-rosellapapagoi ... Finnish: Adelaidenrosella ... French: Perruche d'Adélaide, Perruche d'Adélaïde, Perruche d'Adélaide (nominal), Perruche d'Adélaide (nominale), Perruche d'Adélaide (race nominale) ... Italian: Rosella di Adelaide ... Norwegian: Mønjerosella ... Polish: rozella pomaranczowa, Rozella pomarańczowa ... Slovak: rozela bušová ... Spanish: Rosela de Adelaida  Antarctican: Finger licking good

Little Para Trail

The Little Para Trails follow the Little Para River, which has many attractions for all to enjoy. Flowing from the City of Salisbury's hilly escarpments to the plains, it meanders through many significant sites that played an important role in the early development of the City. Of great importance are the remnants of natural landscapes present along the river's edge. Varieties of eucalyptus woodland and native golden wattle still exist and some of the earliest almond trees and orange groves are still blossoming.

Points of interest along the trails include Deal Court, Paralowie House, Pitman Park, the Old Water Wheel, Harry Bowey Reserve, and Carisbrooke House.

Little Para River

Origin – near Lower Hermitage

Mouth – Globe Derby Park

Avg Discharge – 3590 m⁶/year

The Little Para River is a seasonal creek running across the Adelaide plains of South Australia, whose catchment fills reservoirs that supply some of the water needs of Adelaide’s northern suburbs. It runs from its source near Lower Hermitage in the Mount Lofty Ranges, flows north westerly to the Little Para Reservoir and then westerly to the Barker Inlet of the Gulf St Vincent at Globe Derby Park. The lower portion of the river is badly affected by human activity and storm water runoff but the upper reaches have a good range of biodiversity.

The river attracted John Harvey to form his settlement at Salisbury in 1847 and was crucial to the development of the citrus industry from 1852. In the 1960s the City of Salisbury began acquiring land for public space, and a belt of parklands with biking and walking trails now borders the river. The river’s name derives from the Kaurna word Pari which roughly translates as a stream of flowing water.

As the river flows down from the Adelaide Hills over the Para fault escarpment, it has formed a large alluvial fan on which Salisbury is built. The river is narrow and winding, formerly flooded in heavy rain and rarely reaches its sea outlet. Over time the river has been widened and levees added to reduce this flooding. In the 1800s lack of consistent flow in the river and the absence of an organised water supply system led to the digging of wells. The Little Para refreshes the well's water, mostly held in clay, sand and gravel layers up to 200 feet (61 m) deep. The Little Para Reservoir is built in the path of the river for water storage and flood mitigation. As the river's catchment is insufficient to fill the reservoir, it is mainly used to store water pumped from the River Murray. Periodically water is released from the reservoir into the river, enabling refreshing of ground water.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Little Para river is marked in yellow with blue tributaries

For the First to find there is a certificate and a unique FTF path tag. They are not swapped or given out so the first to find pathtag will be a unique item that no one else will have. We will contact the FTF to send the prize. Good luck