FROM FIELD AND STUDY Falsistrellus mackenziei at Jandakot - The Harry Waring Marsupial Reserve (32°15S, 115‘'50E), near Jandakot was the capture site of a male Western False Pipistrelle at 12:30am on 29 January 1993. The bat was captured in a mist-net strung between two Melaleuca preissiana trees at a height of 2.5m. The surrounding area is low open forest dominated by M. preissiana, Eucalyptus rudis close to Lake Banganup and Banksia woodlands (B. attenuata and B. menziesii) on the heavily leached Bibra Sands. Tuart woodlands (E. gomphocephala) are found to the west on limestone ridges. The understory is variable, and includes young E. rudis alternating with patches of Acacia pulchella and Jacksonia furcellata as well as J. sternbergiana, Macrozamia riedlei and Xanthorrhoea preissii. The records of the Western Australian Museum (current as of July 1992) show that this is the northern most capture of F. mackenziei for the coastal plain. F. mackenziei had previously been captured only in the south-west, in an area that stretches from Dwellingup south to Denmark. Only one other F. mackenziei has been recorded outside this area and is listed as a York capture. This animal was removed from the radiator grill of a car travelling from Perth to York. - D. J. HOSKEN AND J. E. O’SHEA, Zoology Department, University of Western Australia, Nedlands 6009 A new bird record for Bernier Island, Shark Bay - While undertaking research into the biology of the Shark Bay Mouse Pseudomys fieldi on Bernier Island in March 1993, we observed a pair of the Laughing Turtle-dove, Streptopelia senegalensis. The birds were seen together at our camp at Redcliff Beach on the east side of Bernier Island, at ll:30hrs on 19 March. A single bird was seen again on 23 and 28 March. It appeared to be in poor condition and wanted food and water. We suspect that the other dove had perished by this time. The Shark Bay area experienced strong 20 to 25 knot south/south¬ east winds prior to the doves being first observed and it is possible that they were blown to the island from the Peron Peninsula, approximately 100km south/south-east of Bernier Island. Storr (1983. Rec. West. Aust. Mus. Suppl. 21) recorded Laughing Turtle-doves near Denham and they are now abundant around the old Peron Station homestead (Mark True, pers. comm.). Alternatively, they may have come from Canarvon, 40km to the east of Bernier Island, where they have also been recorded (Blakers et al. 1984: RAOU Atlas of Australian Birds) and are now abundant. The Laughing Turtle-dove has established successfully only around 351 towns in southern Western Australia, where an adequate water supply is present (Long, 1988: APB Tech Ser. 1). There are reports of this species unsuccessfully colonising near roadhouses on the North West Coastal Highway east of Denham, following periods of high rainfall (Sedgwick 1965: West. Aust. Nat. 9:154). Their dependence on a reliable water supply means they are unlikely to become established in arid areas (Blakers et al. 1984; RAOU Atlas of Australian Birds). For this reason we believe that this record on Bernier Island is probably of transient birds and this introduced species is unlikely to become established on this important nature reserve. - KEITH MORRIS, PETER SPELDEWINDE AND PETER ORELL, CALM Wildlife Research Centre, P.O. Box 51, Wanneroo 6065. Rainbow Lorikeets breeding in Eastern Goldfields-On 16 June 1993 we observed a pair of Rainbow Lorikeets, Trichoglossus haematodus which presumably escaped from captivity, squabbling with a pair of Port Lincoln Ringnecks, Platycercus zonarius over a hollow in a Salmon Gum in Coolgardie. A nearby Salmon Gum was in flower and the lorikeets were feeding in it. An inspection one week later indicated no further activity. However on 6 July a pair was observed to fly from the same hollow. Several days later the pair was captured and relocated back into captivity and two white eggs removed from the hollow. Following this incident the Port Lincoln Ringnecks established themselves in the same hollow. Although there is some doubt whether the lorikeet chicks would have survived, this record does suggest that Rainbow Lorikeets are aggressive nesters with the potential to displace locally indigenous species. - ANDREW CHAPMAN AND SEAN HAZELDEN, CALM, P.O. Box 366, Kalgoorlie 6430. Dewfall in the desert - J. Gentilli notes that there is a need to study the role of dew in arid environments (1993: West. Aust. Nat. 19: 201- 218). Some oservations made at Wanjarri Nature Reserve are relevant to this. Wanjarri Nature Reserve lies just east of the road between Leinster and Wiluna, and lies within the 200mm rainfall zone. When I stayed there from 11 - 14 August it had been a year of exceptional rainfall. At the old shearing shed the soil was damp and the ephemeral vegetation lush and waist-high. After arriving at Wanjarri we checked and emptied the rain gauge. It did not rain during our stay, however each day when the rain gauge was checked at dawn it recorded 0.5mm of moisture - presumably the heavy dew which dripped from the ground flora. By 10am it had evaporated and the gauge was dry. This rate of dewfall must contribute significantly to the availability of water in the community. It also highlights the fact that cumulative rainfall 352