Central Coast Home & Lifestyle Summer 2023

Swift Parrot.

Time to ‘Spot a Swiftie’! I t’s time for Coasties to come together to help protect these critically endangered birds. While winter is the most likely time, you may still catch a glimpse of some late comers of two critically endangered birds, the Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor) and the Regent Honeyeater (Anthochaera phrygia). Visiting the Central Coast in their search for nectar, Swift Parrots migrate to mainland Australia from Tasmania while Regent Honeyeaters tend to arrive from further west along the dividing range. The numbers of both species are alarmingly low and still falling, with total populations only in the hundreds. As with many of our species, habitat loss is a key reason for their decline. The formal survey period was completed in July but any citizen science data on these birds makes a significant contribution to the knowledge and conservation management for these species. BirdLife Australia also collects all incidental sightings of these two species made at any time of the year and at any mainland location. For the Regent Honeyeater sightings let them know ASAP by emailing woodlandbirds@birdlife.org.au or using the Freecall number 1800-621-056. To find out more about how to identify these birds and how you can help, visit https://birdlife.org.au/projects/ woodland-birds-for-biodiversity

E ven the most delicious food can get boring without a change in flavour or texture. For some dogs, eating the same food daily is a regular mealtime occurrence. A Rotational Diet What is a Rotational Diet?

containing only beef and feed this exclusively. Unfortunately, by doing this, the pet can develop a sensitivity to this new protein. Instead, it might be more beneficial for that pet to move onto a chicken-free diet that rotates between other protein sources varyingly. While most pet foods are formulated to meet guidelines, different brands can vary greatly in nutrient content, particularly for components such as amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids. Varying the diet that your pet is eating ensures that they are receiving a full spectrum of these essential ingredients. Unfortunately, even the most premium pet food manufacturers can make mistakes. A rotation diet can help protect you in case a manufacturer produces a vitamin deficient or nutritionally imbalanced batch and issues a recall. Most of the pets who became ill from the recalled food were fed the diet exclusively, with nothing else. If your pet is fed a rotation of a few different diets, they can draw nutrients from multiple sources. This means that in the case of any vitamin deficient batches produced by one manufacturer, your pet will have other diets to fall back on. When starting a rotation diet, it's best to do things slowly to avoid tummy upsets. At first, stick to one food for a few days at a time and provide transition meals (half food A / half food B) when rotating. Eventually your pet's tummy will get used to it and will be able to eat a different meal every day, or every couple of days (depending on what works for you).

involves feeding a variety of different food types, be it different brands, protein sources or forms, instead of staying on just one type of pet food continuously. Owners may keep a variety of pet food diets on hand and change between these in a regular alternating pattern. Rotating your dog's diet daily, every few days or weekly, depending on what works for your family, can provide important health benefits. Rotational diets were first introduced in the human nutrition world for people with food allergies or intolerances. Scores of people worldwide have anecdotally reported that by implementing a rotation of different food groups over a period of a few days, their food allergy symptoms significantly reduced. The intention is to allow a person to eat a wide range of food types, but ensure they leave 4 days between eating the same food twice. By providing short exposure to potential allergens, this helps keep up a tolerance without over-exposing, and helps treat current food allergies. While research into the field of rotational diets in animals is limited, many pet owners who have adopted this human-recommended diet report that it works extremely well for their pets with sensitivities and reduces their risk of developing further food intolerances. Some top nutritional experts in the veterinary academia world are also starting to advocate the theory. Sometimes, when a pet owner discovers their pet is allergic to one component of the food, such as chicken, they will swap over to a diet

Regent Honey Eater.

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18 Home & Lifestyle Magazine | Summer 2023