ABSTRACT
Fauna surveys were conducted near the coastal village of Vincentia on the south coast of New South Wales from 2000 to 2014 in response to a proposal to extend a golf course. The surveys consisted of trapping ground-dwelling mammals along six, 200 m long transects and targeted surveys for the Eastern Bristlebird Dasyornis brachypterus and Ground Parrot Pezoporus wallicus. Eight native species of ground-dwelling mammal were trapped including the White-footed Dunnart Sminthopsis leucopus, Eastern Chestnut Mouse Pseudomys gracilicaudatus and Eastern Pygmy Possum Cercartetus nanus, species currently listed on the Threatened Species Conservation Act (1995) and the New Holland Mouse Pseudomys novaehollandiae listed as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999). The most abundant mammals trapped were the Bush Rat Rattus fuscipes and the Brown Antechinus A. stuartii accounting for 67% and 14% of all Elliott trap captures, respectively. The survey provided the first live specimens of Eastern Chestnut Mouse in the region, a range extension of some 270 km south of the previous record. The total number of Bush Rats, Swamp Rats and House Mice trapped in Elliott traps varied significantly over the monitoring period and between different transects. Mean captures per night of Bush Rat and Swamp Rat, increased over the period of each survey. The site supports a high density of Eastern Bristlebird as evidenced by the number of calling birds and animals trapped. Two Ground Parrots were detected between 2000 and 2005, but not thereafter. Disturbance, particularly fire, may be important in determining the presence of Ground Parrots and White-footed Dunnart at this site.
