Biodiversity Strategy - Gosford City Council - NSW Government

supported by Gosford City Council. Council was successful in obtaining a grant
application on behalf of the Friends of the Green and Golden Bell Frog through the WWF
Threatened Species Network. This provides funding for construction of Green and Golden
Bell Frog habitat ponds at Davistown and to support a community monitoring program.
Council engaged Arthur White of Biosphere Consulting to prepare a Green and Golden
Bell Frog Plan of Management for Davistown and North Avoca in late 2004. The Plan of
Management has been placed on public exhibition and funds have been allocated to
implement the plan's recommendations.
Figures 3.10 - 3.13
Community Green and Golden Bell Frog survey nights, recording frog
statistics, frogs released after recording, and identification of the Bell Frog -
note the blue thighs and golden stripe from eye to tail. Note that careful
hygiene protocols are observed in handling frogs to avoid the spread of
Chytrid fungus (R. Lonie).
Bush Stone- Curlew Investigation /Monitoring
The Bush Stone-curlew is a ground dwelling nocturnal bird that is endangered in NSW at
state level. It is a quirky looking bird with long legs and enlarged ‘knee’ joints, hence its
former name the Bush Thick-knee. It has a distinctive wailing call that still may be heard at
night around the Brisbane Water area, especially at Davistown. The bird is particularly at
risk as most of its habitat is not within protected areas such as national parks. As the birds
nest in open, often exposed, areas on the ground, its eggs and chicks are easy prey for
foxes, cats and dogs. The species currently remains widely distributed but at very low
densities and is extinct from many areas of its former range (DEC 2005). The Central
Coast supports a small population and this is one of the small number of coastal areas
where the birds are now found.
Biodiversity - Technical Report Page 65