Ned's Corner Part 2

Ned's Corner has an ambitious program of predator-proof enclosures for the release of some regionally threatened or extinct small mammals- Mitchell's Hopping Mouse, Fat-tailed Dunnart and Gile's Planigale.

With funding from the Yulgilbar Foundation (Myer Family) an enclosure of 2000ha is being prepared for these little people.

For more information check Trust for Nature's website

www.trustfornature.org.au

Gile's is a carnivorous marsupial also known as the Paucident Planigale(Planigale gilesi).

It needs deep cracking clays- and vegetation.

Photo- Australian Wildlife Conservancy website, photographer not given.

Mitchell's (Notomys mitchellii) is in the genus Notomys(rodents) and has large back legs like a kangaroo-rat.

It needs mallee scrub with triodia grasses on sand.

Photo- Bush Heritage Australia website,photographer Steve Parish

Fat-tailed Dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata) is a mouse-like marsupial which needs grassy tussocks.

Photo - Zoos Victoria website, photographer not given.

All are threatened by habitat loss and predation by foxes and cats.

Removal of stock, both sheep and cattle, and ongoing rabbit control has allowed the vegetation to recover and vigorous

replanting projects are replacing those species that were browsed right out in the past.

To provide a safe environment for these tiny Aussies, a 2m high electric fence is being built to include many different vegetation and soil types.

This is a serious fence, fellow Field Nats - double height netting with bottom skirt front and back and hot wires! Photo A Hughes

Chris and Colleen admire the excellent results of a previous revegetation project in the big enclosure-wattles, native pines, sennas, bluebushes. Photo A Hughes.

Part 3 coming soon

Ned's Corner Part 1

Several members of the Field Nats booked in for 2 nights at Ned's Corner Station in far north-west Victoria during late May.

Ned's Corner is the star in the crown of Trust for Nature's conservation properties in Victoria, being the largest and also the largest freehold property. Details for Neds Corner : http://www.nedscorner.com.au

From the sandhill, Ned's Corner Station stretches as far as you can see.The road in feels to be made of corrugated iron

The 74,000acre property is mostly chenopod shrubland with native pine belts and of course the magnificent Black Box and Redgum woodlands along the Murray River.

Its long history saw it grazed to bare dirt, its mid-storey destroyed and rabbits, rabbits, rabbits!

Trust for Nature bought it in 2002 and 16 years of intensive conservation works- revegetation, direct seeding, removing old fences and stock troughs, removing weeds and tackling the rabbits, foxes and cats has seen it start to return to its natural state. Bare dirt still surrounds an old post and sheep and cattle tracks are obvious in this hard, harsh country

Looking across the regenerating shrublands at the back of the shearers' quarters towards the very distant Millewa Ridge, just visible as a thin blue haze on the left horizon.

The old homestead, cottages and shearers' quarters have been restored for accommodation for the many volunteers who arrive for all sorts of projects including bird, mammal, reptile, insect, cultural history and archeological surveys. Shearers' Quarters are still being restored after a white ant attack but those repaired are very comfortable despite their external appearance.

Arriving at 2pm after a very early start, the week-long clouds cleared away and gave us 3 days worth of beautiful cool but sunny weather and 2 clear but very cold nights. A very big River Redgum and 3 very small Field Nats at its base.

Checking the watering system for the new plantings on the sand ridge with Colleen Barnes- L to R Chris, Russell, Colleen, Anne and Joy.

In the shearers' kitchen with the original IXL stove and bread oven still in place.

Chris, Russell and his friend Ed, Kyle (Weed Warrior for Ned's and Parks Vic) and Joy.

All mod cons, including refrigeration and air con are driven by a massive solar system backed up with a diesel generator.

The old Dunlite wind generator is still in place but retired from active service now.(Old homestead to right and various river vessels)

Native Bees

Next time you are out in the garden check out your flowering plants, clumps of dried grasses and old holey timber - any insects about may be native bees. Many are very small- the Reed bees and Homalictus bees may be only 3-5mm long. Blue bandeds are thumpers- nearly the size of a Honeybee but much faster.

Homalictus urbanus on dandelion flower- these bees carry the pollen internally as do many other Aussie bees

Hylaiene bee -Hylaeus honestus preparing a nest while 2 young emerge from old nests in my bee hotel

Nomia bees- Lipotriches genus roosting in a mallee gum in the front garden

Megachilid Bee- Megachile ferox on garlic chives

Orange-browed Resin Bee- Megachile aurifrons, checking out a nest site

The best buzz-pollinator in the business- Blue banded Bee-Amegilla sp. on borage

Having a spell from all that pollinating- Blue-banded Bee resting on dry grass- it hangs on with its jaws as you can see in this picture!