Frogmouth family

I am constantly amazed and delighted at the interest local Newsteadians take in the natural environment. Colleen Carrabott lives on Creswick Rd and has been carefully observing a family of Tawny Frogmouths  Podargus strigoides over the past three weeks. The photograph below is just one of a series of fantastic shots that Colleen has captured of these beautiful birds. Frogmouths are medium-sized, nocturnal, insectivorous birds. They are widespread and relatively common, but you need to be very observant to spot them. We have seen them on occasions in Wyndham Street, swooping down to capture insects from the ground on warm evenings – but to see a family of four, including two near fledglings is very special.

Tawny Frogmouths - parents with two young, Creswick Rd, Newstead Nov 2009. Photograph: Colleen Carrabott

Frogmouths are not owls. They belong to their own unique family, Podargidae, with 14 species found across Australia and Asia. The Tawny Frogmouth is the only species we have in this area. It is often thought Frogmouths nest in hollows but they typically make a flimsy nest on a horizontal branch or even on the top of a tree stump. According to the Handbook of Australian Birds it takes about 30-32 days from hatching to fledging, with the young birds dependent on their parents for about a month after that. I am very grateful to Colleen for sharing her observations and wonderful photographs!

Adult Tawny Frogmouth flanked by two young. Photograph courtesy of Colleen Carrabott.

 

Here’s the culprit

We have had a noisy disturbance in our roof over the past few days. Various experts have suggested it was a rat, bird or mouse. On arriving home tonight the mystery was solved – a Crimson Rosella Platycercus elegans. I’m not really sure how it got inside the house but suspect that the birds have been nesting in the chimney. Mary removed the cover from the exhaust fan and this enabled the bird to get inside. It has now been successfully liberated into the outside world!

Crimson Rosella - now liberated!

 

Candlebarks at Yandoit

You don’t need to travel far south of Newstead to encounter some very different vegetation types. There is a steep rainfall gradient between here and the Great Dividing Range and this together with soils and underlying geology has shaped the ecosystems we enjoy. One prominent change occurs around Yandoit where a combination of slightly moister climate and volcanic soils is associated with different plant communities. A striking feature of this landscape is the appearance of Candlebark Eucalyptus rubida, a majestic tree that can grow to a height of more than 50 metres.

Candlebarks on Yandoit Hill, 24th November 2009

 

A welcome downpour

What an amazing rainfall event we witnessed over the weekend! Ironically the Loddon River stopped flowing at Newstead late last week. Thursday I think it was. On Saturday evening a tremendous downpour bisected the town and surrounding districts. Rainfall totals varied wildly depending on location. At home in Wyndham Street we measured 31mm, while at the ford across the Loddon at the Panmure Street Jo Ralston measured 50mm. This paled in comparison with totals of 77mm on Pound Lane (from Allex Hall), 84mm at Strangways (courtesy of Patrick Kavanagh) and Captains Gully of 88mm (from Tony Butler). It would be fascinating to hear of other local observations. While our total was a little on the “low side” it was welcome rain after a spell of very hot weather.

The Loddon River....flowing again after a downpour, November 22nd 2009

 

Little Ravens

Many people refer to any large black birds they see as “Crows”. In fact Crows are almost never seen in this part of Victoria, only occurring in the far north-west around places such as Mildura. The birds referred to as “Crows” are almost certainly Ravens and we are lucky to have two different species in the district. The species pictured below is the Little Raven Corvus mellori. I observed these three individuals fossicking in the backyard yesterday. Ravens are intelligent and inquisitive birds. You can see that the bird in the foreground is “playing” with a small piece of garden hose that kept it amused for some minutes. Little Ravens can be distinguised from their larger relative, the Australian Raven Corvus coronoides by a number of characteristics including the call, a low pitched ‘ark-ark-ark’ when compared with the long drawn out ‘aaah-aaah-aaaaaaah’ of the Australian Raven. Little Ravens often gather in large feeding congregations, sometimes in the hundreds, outside the breeding season. Australian Ravens are usually only seen in pairs or small family groups. I know some folks get sick of me mentioning that these are Ravens, not Crows, but just try to imagine how the birds would feel!

Little Ravens, Newstead, 19th November 2009

 

Hover flies

With the hot weather insects have become very active and numerous. One tiny native insect that is a favourite of mine is the Hover Fly. Hover flies (Syrphidae) are harmless, but mimic bees and wasps with black and yellow bands across their abdomens. They feed on nectar and pollen of flowers. The larvae of hover flies are blind, slug-like maggots which feed voraciously on aphids. The brown, tear-shaped puparia are found under leaves or in ground litter. I captured this photograph in the Muckleford Nature Conservation Reserve. It was one of many hundreds feeding on Daphne Heath flowers.

Hover Fly - Muckleford NCR, November 2009

 

The Rise and Shine – now and then!

We certainly live in a dynamic and ever-changing landscape. Aerial photographs capture a snapshot in time, providing insights into the scale and nature of changes we generally fail to appreciate as our daily lives rush by. The views below are of the Rise and Shine area between Sandon and Clydesdale. The top photograph was taken by the Department of Lands and Survey on the 5th of August 1947 with the one below taken by the Department of Sustainability and Environment on 21st of December 2008. The changes over a period of more than sixty years are striking, with areas of native vegetation loss countered by significant natural regeneration. The late 1940s photographs are fascinating – I would be happy to provide copies for your area if you were interested.

Air photo of Rise and Shine area, 5th of August 1947

Air photo of Rise and Shine area, 21st of December 2008

 

Rise & Shine Spectacular

The October Newstead walkers were rewarded with an orchid display to get up early for. The location was the new nature trail at the Rise & Shine Bushland Reserve.  A must visit this Spring. Just some samples of the many special natives were, Spider Orchid (Caladenia tentaculata ?), Tiger Orchid (Diuris sulphurea) and Purplish Beard Orchid (Calochilus robertsonii).

Purplish Beard Orchid

Tiger Orchid

 

Spider Orchid

 

In praise of Yellow Box

Yellow Box Eucalyptus melliodora is a magnificent tree species for a host of reasons. Highly regarded by apiarists as the premier honey tree it also produces wonderful timber and is great habitat for birds, mammals and invertebrates. This majestic specimen is the largest one I am aware of in the Newstead district – almost 2.5 metres in diameter. We can only guess at its age…….start counting at 500 years.

Ancient Yellow Box, Captain's Gully Rd, November 2009

 

Cockatiels breeding at Cairn Curran

I got a nice surprise today – a new bird for my local list and a breeding record as well. This is the first time I have observed Cockatiel Nymphicus hollandicus in the Newstead area. They are however seen fairly often in this part of Victoria and I recall seeing a pair at Huntly (north of Bendigo) about a week ago.

Adult male Cockatiel, Cairn Curran Reservoir, 3rd November 2009

They are regarded as a nomadic species, often recorded in unusual locations after successful breeding events in inland areas. I was fortunate to get a photograph of a juvenile fledgling (see below). This bird took a short “practice flight” as I watched  on. The Cockatiel is a really handsome bird and I hope others may get to see one or two over the summer months.  There was lots of activity at the site (Picnic Point on the west side of Cairn Curran), including breeding Rufous Songlarks, Brown Goshawk, Whistling Kite, Welcome Swallow, Tree Martin, White-fronted Chat, Grey Teal and Darter. The actual location can be seen on Google Maps.

Juvenile Cockatiel at nest hollow, Cairn Curran Reservoir, 3rd November 2009