28th January 2010
* Meadow Argus Junonia villida calybe are in good numbers at the moment.
Meadow Argus, Mount Tarrengower, 28th January 2011
8th January 2010
* Water Ribbons Triglochin procera flowering in Muckleford Creek.
Water Ribbons, Muckleford Creek, 8th January 2011
3rd January 2010
* Small colony of Lobelia gibbosa north of Spring Hill Track [location].
Lobelia gibbosa, near Spring Hill Track, 3rd January 2010
25th December 2010
* River Red-gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis flowering along the Loddon River at Newstead.
River Red-gum flowers and buds, Loddon River @ Newstead, 25th December 2010
22nd December 2010
* Lemon Beauty-heads Calocephalus citreus flowering along Pullan’s Road.
Lemon Beauty-heads, Pullan's Road Welshman's Reef, 22nd December 2010
19th December 2010
* Magenta Stork’s-bill Pelargonium rodneyanum now flowering (and has been for sometime).
Magenta Stork's-bill near South German Track, 19th December 2010
14th December 2010
* Pink Bindweed Convolvulus erubescens flowering on roadside near Walker’s Swamp.
Pink Bindweed, Moolort Plains, 14th December 2010
1st December 2010
* Shiny Everlasting Xerochrysum viscosum now flowering throughout the Newstead bushlands
Shiny Everlasting, Demo Track, 1st December 2010
* The Slender Onion-orchid Microtis parviflora is widespread locally and flowering well.
- Slender Onion-orchid, Demo Track, 1st December 2010
14th November 2010
Red-anther Wallaby-grass Joycea pallida is just beginning to flower.
Red-anther Wallaby Grass, Demo Track, 14th November 2010
8th November 2010
Tiger Orchids Diuris sulphurea flowering throughout the local bushland at the moment.
Tiger Orchid, Rilens Rd Muckleford State Forest, 8th October 2010
30th October 2010
* Crane Flies mating and Dragonflies out in numbers along Demo Track.
Crane Flies mating, Demo Track, 31st October 2010
Adult Dragonfly (unknown species), Demo Track, 31st October 2010
29th October 2010
Black-anther Flax-lily Dianella admixta flowering along Demo Track.
Black-anther Flax-lily, Demo Track, 29th October 2010
27th October 2010
Rainbow Bee-eaters have arrived to nest again near the Newstead Cemetery.
Rainbow Bee-eater, Newstead Cemetery, 27th October 2010
19th October 2010
Cypress Daisy-bush Olearia teretifolia in flower along Rilens Track where it enters the forest.
Cypress Daisy-bush, Muckleford State Forest, 19th October 2010
23rd September 2010
Waxlip Orchids Glossodia major in full bloom in Muckleford State Forest.
Waxlip Orchids, near Sullivan's Track Muckleford State Forest, 3rd October 2010
Jacky Winters seen mating in Muckleford State Forest, near Sullivan’s Track.
Jacky Winter singing to mate, Sullivan's Track, Muckleford State Forest, 3rd October 2010
20th September 2010
Yam Daisies Microseris scapigera flowering in the Rise and Shine.
Yam Daisy in flower, Rise and Shine, 20th September 2010
11th September 2010
Gold-dust Wattle Acacia acinacea just coming into flower around Newstead.
Gold-dust Wattle, Mia Mia Track, 11th September 2010
7th September 2010
Family of White-winged Choughs including recently fledged young (see bird second from top) at Bells Swamp – indicates winter breeding activity.
White-winged Choughs, Bells Swamp, 7th September 2010
4th September 2010
Blackwood Wattle Acacia melanoxylon buds about to burst.
Blackwood Wattle, Loddon River @ Newstead, 4th September 2010
22nd August 2010
Our local wildflowers are starting to flower in profusion – it promises to be a fantastic spring! The following species were spotted yesterday along Blow Mine Track: Common Hovea Hovea heterophylla, Golden Cowslips Diuris behrii and Cat’s Claw Grevillea Grevillea alpina.
Common Hovea, Blow Mine Track, 22nd August 2010
Golden Cowslips, Blow Mine Track, 22nd August 2010
Cat's Claw Grevillea, Blow Mine Track, 22nd August 2010
13th August 2010
Steady rainfall over the past ten days has meant continued high flows in the Loddon – todays inflows to Cairn Curran Reservoir are running at more than 5000 ML/day.
Loddon River at Newstead, looking south from the highway bridge, 13th August 2010
6th August 2010
Yam Daisy Microseris scapigera – first leaves have appeared along with the first few flowers of Scented Sundew Drosera peltata.
Yam Daisy leaves, Spring Hill Track, 6th August 2010
4th August 2010
Early this morning heard my first Fan-tailed Cuckoo of the season calling from the garden in Wyndham St.
23rd July 2010
Golden Wattle Acacia pycnantha beginning to flower around Newstead
Golden Wattle flowering near Newstead, 23rd July 2010
17th July 2010
Ploughshare Wattle Acacia gunnii flowering in the Rise and Shine.
Ploughshare Wattle, Rise and Shine, 17th July 2010
3rd July 2010
Australian Wood Duck Chenonetta jubata – pair inspecting potential nesting hollow on Cemetery Rd.
Australian Wood Ducks (female at right), Cemetery Rd, 3rd July 2010
14th June 2010
Wirilda Wattle Acacia provincialis flowering in the Muckleford Gorge. Also Yellow Box still flowering at the top of the gorge.
Wirilda, Muckleford Gorge, 14th June 2010
31st May 2010
First sighting of a Pied Currawong for the season – Wyndham St, Newstead
30th May 2010
Ramaria sp – one of the coral fungi fruiting in the local bush.
Coral Fungus - Ramaria sp, Captains Gully Rd, 30th May 2010
22nd May 2010
First observations of Eastern Spinebills for the year – good numbers in our front yard.
15th May 2010
Red Box Eucalyptus polyanthemos and White Box Eucalyptus albens (Bells Lane Track) have commenced flowering.
Flowering Red Box, Rise and Shine, 15th May 2010
7th May 2010
Eastern Silvereyes Zosterops lateralis have returned from the south – some from all the way across Bass Strait!
12th April 2010
Swift Parrots Lathamus discolor return to the Box-ironbark after their Tasmanian sojourn.
Swift Parrot, Rise and Shine, 1st May 2010
9th April 2010
Parson’s Bands Eriochilus cucullatus along with other autumn orchids flowering – see post
Parson's Bands, Muckleford State Forest, 9th April 2010
6th April 2010
A steady downpour of rain this evening and the Goat Moths have emerged. In 2009 they appeared on the 26th April after ~ 20mm over 3 days – see post
4th April 2010
Yellow-faced Honeyeaters Lichenostomus chrysops have arrived back in the Box-Ironbark country after breeding in moister habitats. Good numbers seen in the Rise and Shine today.
2nd April 2010
Autumn Greenhoods Pterostylis sp. aff. revoluta flowering in the Muckleford State Forest
Autumn Greenhoods, Muckleford State Forest, 2nd April 2010
23rd March 2010
Meadow Argus Junonia villida active
Meadow Argus, Rise and Shine, 23rd March 2010
21st March 2010
Golden Orb Weaver Spiders active in the Muckleford NCR.
Golden Orb Weaver near Red, White and Blue Mine, 21st March 2010. Photo - Joe Park
20th March 2010
Yellow Gum (also known as White Ironbark) Eucalyptus leucoxylon starting to flower around Newstead and small number of Red Ironbark Eucalyptus tricarpa beginning to flower in Muckleford NCR.
6th March 2010
A severe storm passed through Newstead from the west dumping 34 mm of rain in about 30 minutes. A total of 48 mm was recorded in our gauge over the 24 hours. Chris Simmins of Green Gully took this photograph of Green Gully Creek where it crosses Cemetery Road after the storm had passed. This event caused a small flow down the Loddon overnight with the river flowing at the ford this morning. This was followed up with another 32 mm on the 7th March – a total of 84.5 mm now over three days!
Green Gully Creek flows under Cemetery Rd - Photo courtesy of Chris Simmins
22nd February 2010
New Holland Honeyeaters Phylidonyris novaehollandiae feeding on ripening figs – Cemetery Rd, Newstead
New Holland Honeyeater feasting on figs, Cemetery Rd, Newstead, 22nd February 2010
21st February 2010
White-browed Woodswallows feeding on Grey Box and Mistletoe flowers – Gully Track area
15th February 2010
First flowering of Cranberry Heath Astroloma humifusum in Muckleford State Forest.
Cranberry Heath, Muckleford SF, 2nd April 2010
30th January 2010
First flowering of Grey Box Eucalyptus microcarpa. Watch out for mass flowering over the next few weeks as mature trees have huge numbers of buds ready to burst.
Flowering Grey Box, Spring Hill Track, 30th January 2010
15th January 2010
Jewel (Christmas) Spiders Austracantha sp. actively spinning their webs
Jewel Spider with captured wasp, Rise and Shine, 15th January 2010
12th January 2010
Lightwood Acacia implexa in full flower
Lightwood Wattle, Cairn Curran, 12th January 2010
7th January 2010
Christmas Beetles (Anoplognathus sp.) appear
31st December 2009
Rainbow Bee-eaters Merops ornatus feeding young in nesting tunnels
Rainbow Bee-eater leaving active nest, Cemetery Rd Newstead, 6th January 2010
24th December 2009
Spreading Wattle Acacia genistifolia flowering
20th December 2009
Wire-leaf mistletoe Amyema preissii [on Silver Wattle] in flower
- Wire-leaf Mistletoe, 20th December 2009
16th December 2009
Yellow Box Eucalyptus melliodora – flowering heavily across the district
Geoff Park
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Turmoil in the Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters nest this morning.I heard a commotion outside the bedroom window,looking out I saw one of the chicks laying in the plant pot.Going out to check the nest I found that one side of the nest had colapsed and tipped both chicks out. One of the chicks had been caught in a branch and when I freed it I wasn’t sure if it would survive.I didn’t know what to do,I couldn’t mend the nest and the parents where getting quite upset so I left and let things settle down.I decided to pull the rest of the nest out of the bush and place it in a small plastic butter container,returned the chicks to the nest and placed the lot at the base of the bush in the plant pot.This evening the chicks were both looking well.Another week before they fledge,I hope they make it.
John Alexander
Great rescue job John – fingers crossed they pull through.
Cheers, geoff
Just a quick note. I was out having a poke around before all this rain came and stopped at the nice little cemetry in Muckleford. Walking around wondering at the wonderful vegetation I noticed a little moth fly. Could it be a Golden Sun Moth? the day was overcast and the rain was on the way. I followed the flushed moth for a little and low and behold it was a Golden Sun Moth. On further inspection it was easy to flush a large number of these little beasts in the area
I have also recieved reports of the moth in Spring Gully so if you are out and about and looking at any grassy areas which have had little ploughing you may be lucky and see this curious little creature. Remember look for the clubed antenna and always take a photo. Do not collect the animal as it is nationally listed and very severe penalties apply even though it is an insect.
Hi Nathan, this is a great observation. Are you interested in putting a post on the blog? Let me know your email address and I’ll add you as an author – I’m sure we would all like to hear more about the Sun Moth…..and maybe a photo?
Cheers, geoff
nathanw@tfn.org.au
I also saw a hooded robin on our block the other day. Not sure how common they are around the area?
Not that common I’m afraid Nathan – I sometimes see them at the Rise and Shine but they have been absent since winter in that area (at least when I have visited). I am keen that we document locations of where they still occur – a declining local species for sure. Keen to catch up when I get back from NZ next week!
hi geoff we thought you may like to post this observation at our place this week. A metre long goanna up a white gum. The dog was making a ruckus outside, and when I went to investigate, there was a goanna. We managed to get a friend to take photos before he took off. If you’d like we maybe could get them to you,regards rose
Wow – what a great sighting! Mary and I are in NZ at the moment but if you could email me the photo I’d be very pleased to write a note. I’m not aware of any local records so suspect this is a very signficant record.
Cheers, geoff
G’day geoff
Bad news about the Yellow-tufted Honeyeater chicks.On the 29/11 one of the chicks was dead in the nest,I suspect it was the one hanging in the branchs. Then on the 1/12 the last chick left the nest.The parents were still feeding it under a Rosemary bush in the morning but by the afternoon they were nowhere to be found.I don’t think it was ready to fledge so I don’t hold out much hope for it.
A worrying sighting Wednesday a pair of Indian Mynahs near the deer farm,its my first sighting of them in Mia Mia road.I can deal with the Sparrows and Black Birds but these are going to be a bigger challenge.
John Alexander
Bad news about the Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters John….but they do seem to have had a pretty successful breeding season generally. It would be great if you could catch the Indian Mynahs – I can chase up a trap for you if like. Cheers, geoff