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On Saturday last, a quick trip north-west of town to Volcano Rd, Swanwater returned a swag of Crimson Chats, a handful of White- fronted Chats, numbers of Pipits, Songlarks, a nesting Brown Falcon and White-winged Trillers. As I turned onto Volcano Rd from the Sunraysia Highway I had a momentary glimpse of what was possibly a White-breasted Woodswallow. The birds below were about 300ft (or 100m for the purists) away and over a slight rise so the photo isn't great. Crimson Chats and Trillers. Also in the photo is a Black-faced Woodswallow, unidentified until I looked at the next photo and sent it off to the expert for confirmation. I can't get a positive identification on the top left bird on the fence. Any clues? Black-faced Woodswallow checking out something interesting in the stump. The broad white band on the tail, the small black mask just taking in the eye and down under the chin, the pale grey head and front and darker grey back are descriptive. I haven't seen this last species here before and it is not on the Club's Bird List. Another new bird for the St Arnaud district.

The hot dry spell we have just had has put paid to many of the our wildflowers, espcually the more showy plants. Heading east out of town on Monday to start the Mid-Spring Bird Surveys, the much improved L. Bray's Rd took me through the Hard Hills to the eponymous Nature Conservation Reserve(NCR) where the Club has two fenced enclosures. The oldest one, established in 1984 to protect the vulnerable Inland Pomaderris (Pomaderris paniculosa ssp. paniculosa) and Daddy Longlegs Orchid(Caladenia filamentosa) demonstrates the importance of controling grazing and browing animals. Outside the enclosure, there is little but mature Blue Mallee (Eucalyptus polybractea) whilst inside the fence, the entire shrub and ground layer of plants is present and flourishing. A few years ago, a count by Club members returned more than 400 plants of C. filamentosa! The newer enclosure was established to protect the newly named Hard Hills Spider orchid (Caladenia ampla) as well as Bristly Greenhood and Inland Pomaderris. However, most of these plants have finished flowering for the year but there is still much to interest keen photographers and naturalists. After climbing through the fence,a scramble through the regenerating Blue Mallee showed big beautiful plants of Scarlet Mintbush- Prostanthera aspalathoides, in every shade of red and orange. These plants despite their turpentiny smell seem attractive to browsing animals and are often browsed low to the ground. withered rosettes of Bristly Greenhood with spikes soon to flower: tall stems of Milkmaids(Burchardia umbellata), drooping bee-infested heads of the mauve Totem Poles(Melaleuca decussata) still flowering,the coconut-ice flowers of Grevillea alpina- Cat's Claw Grevillea... and meat an the last flowers of the heath- myrtle,Micromyrtus ciliatus, turning red now: seed capsules forming on the Hopbushes (Dodonea sp) with attendant beetles And as a treat the delicate flowers of a Wallaby Grass (Rhytidosperma sp) So get your boots on, and get out in the bush- the sights are no less impressive than the big Spring wildflower display, just rather more subtle.

Over the last 4 decades I have never seen more than one White-winged Triller at a time and probably only one sighting a decade. Since early September, the Carapooee West area has been over-run with White-winged Trillers. Below- male White-winged Trller Using fencelines as lookout posts they have spent weeks pouncing on unwary grubs in the short grasses- so many grubs, probably army worms, that the birds would have to have a spell on the fence for half an hour at a time before looking for more. I counted 35 + birds one day and although numbers have fallen in the last couple of weeks, the remaining birds have taken up residence in the acacias in the top paddock (revegetation).Perhaps they will be so impressed with the conservation works and direct seeding that they will choose to nest. At the same time as the big influx occurred, there also appeared a pair of Crimson Chats, a first for our area and rejected by BIrdlife Australia's Atlas until I plugged the photos in. These brilliant little birds have been seen as far afield as Rupanyup and Newstead so the Central Desert species are coming to St Arnaud Below- making use of a new fence, male WW Triller, Crimson Chat and female WW Triller Below- male Crimson Chat and female White-winged Triller in foreground Last week, pandemonium in the chookyard was the result of a loafing Square-tailed Kite- not that he or she wanted a take-away poultry dinner but I didn't take any chances. Sorry about the bad photo but you don't get a second chance with this bird. The same afternoon I was visited by a ferocious female Brown Goshawk who was not leaving until she had caught dinner( I put all the chooks away very smartly). I bet it was a honeyeater she got- wouldn't look at the sparrows, would she!( No geese!) This bird still has some of the juvenile's vertical chevron banding on her chest and on her collar as it gives way to the beautiful close horizontal bands Today, Friday 25th Oct- a Cockatiel has turned up here- the first for many years so the drought is really biting further north and we can expect more unusual sightings in the weeks and months to come. No photos of this one as yet.

Despite the lack of rain for the last 7 weeks, the Wax Garden is looking beautiful. A walk with members from Avon Plains Banyena Landcare Group on Sunday 13th October started with disappointment at the front gate where the vegetation could only be described as Macbeth's "blasted heath"! Taking the Mallee Track though, we were soon amazed and thrilled at the diversity of the flowering shrubs and herbs. Blue Dampiera (D.dysantha) was threading its way everwhere through the flowering Goldfields Grevilleas ( G. dryophylla), Silky Tea-tree(Leptospermum mysrsinoides), soon-to flower Daphne Heath (Brachyloma daphnoides), Common Fringe-myrtle(Calytrix tetragona) and fading Rosy Baeckea, Many other plants were flowering- Twining Fringe-lilies (Thysanotus patersonii) various peas and daisies and then we came to the patches of the yellow Sun-orchids- Rabbit's Ears. Like rabbits too they were everywhere and flourishing. Round the corner and heading for the outside track we found, flowering, several plants of the Fairy or Bendigo Waxflower (Philotheca verrucosus), regenerating now since the new fence was installed 2years ago Other plants present in good numbers were Yam Daisy (Microseris lanceolata) attracting early hoverflies Twiggy Guinea -flower(Hibbertia exutiaces) with its outstanding honey scent the tall stately spires of the Cypress Daisy-bush (Olearia teretifolia) emerging spikes of the Tall Chocolate Lily(Arthropodium strictum) the shy, low growing herb White Marianth (Rytidospermum procumbens) re-emerging since the fence went up and the hot magenta flowers of Pink Bells(Tetratheca ciliata) Each section of the 3 tracks has something different to offer and flowering plants and shrubs are seen from August through to the show of Tall Lobelias, Trigger-plants and native grasses in December. The patch supports the Box-Ironbark eucalypt species Red Box, Yellow Gum, Grey Box, Red Ironbark and Red Stringybark as well as the mallee species Blue Mallee. The rich and diverse understorey represents the best of both ecological vegetation types. The new grazing control fence has proved its worth and will offer protection to this unusual 6.84 ha patch of bush into the future.

I was walking down my creekline, cleaning up, checking for weeds and rabbits and generally enjoying the day when I saw what I thought was a big piece of old rusty metal. What on earth was this doing on my creek! All metal bits, old fencing wire and so on had been cleaned up many years ago. When I got closer, I realised it was a monster fungus emerging from the leaf litter.I only had my binoculars to use as a comparison. So next day, I went back with the tape measure ( and binoculars again) and measured 45mm length and 26 mm front to back. I also managed to get a bit of a look at the undersurface which was spongy, confirming that this humungous fungus was a bolete of some sort. On scanning my several Fungus books I came up with Boletus ( or Phaeogyroporus) portentosus-regarded as Australia's largest terrestrial fungus "with individuals sometimes exceeding 1m in diameter" (A Field Companion to Australian Fungi- Bruce Fuhrer). So this one was actually a baby. From the Atlas of Living Australia-https://bie.ala.org.au/species/NZOR-6-3554 "Phlebopus marginatus, known as the salmon gum mushroom in Western Australia, is a member of the Boletales or pored fungi and possibly Australia's largest terrestrial mushroom, with the weight of one specimen from Victoria recorded at 29 kg (64 pounds). It is an imposing sight in forests of southeastern and southwestern Australia. Initially described as Boletus marginatus in 1845, and also previously known by scientific names such as Phaeogyroporus portentosus and Boletus portentosus it is in fact not as closely related to typical boletes as previously thought." You can see the difficulties with identification even for the experts. Bruce Fuhrer's comments on the edibilty of this species should put you off sampling it-"favourite breeding ground for fungus flies, the maggots of which cause rapid putrefaction..." although it is eaten,with relish, particularly in South- east Asia. As with all fungi- the greatest care should be taken with identification before eating- if in doubt- don't.

The bush is looking pretty dry and desolate now- no rain and a month of extreme heat has knocked all the freshness out of the plants and trees. Birds are congregating in the lower parts of the landscape- around the creeklines and in gardens where there is water and some respite from the excessive temperatures. On a recent visit to Dalyenong Nature Conservation Reserve, a large area of Heathy Dry Woodland, to carry out a quarterly bird survey, I was heartened to see Bulokes festooned with the "dayglo" red flowers of Buloke Mistletoe- Amyema linophylla, an obligate on Buloke and thus a threatened species along with the Buloke- and the gorgeous firecracker flowers of the Harlequin Mistletoe- Lisiana exocarpi. Buloke Mistletoe Harlequin Mistletoe flowers I was not the only person interested in the flowering mistletoe; birds of every sort (well, nearly) were attracted to the plants - Honeyeaters, White-plumed, Black-chinned and Yellow-tufted; Rufous Whistlers, Hooded Robin and Dusky Woodswallows were all enthusiastically searching through the mistletoe clumps or hovering over them (maybe that should be "hoovering" as there were lots of insects there too). On the sector of the survey site where there were no Bulokes, there were no birds! In the Box-Ironbark areas the mistletoes are Drooping or Box Mistletoe- Amyema miquelii and Fleshy Mistletoe- A. miraculosa- miraculous because it parasitises another mistletoe rather than the tree. These two species are also flowering at the moment but are much less spectacular than the Buloke and Harlequin varieties. Mistletoe is a vital bird and insect food especially during summer, providing nectar, berries and cool roosting places during the heat of the day. The leaves contain more moisture and nutrients than the host plants and when they fall, return those extra nutrients to the soil thus benefitting the host. I was not the only person interested in the flowering mistletoe; birds of every sort (well, nearly) were attracted to the plants - Honeyeaters, White-plumed, Black-chinned and Yellow-tufted; Rufous Whistlers, Hooded Robin and Dusky Woodswallows were all enthusiastically searching through the mistletoe clumps or hovering over them (maybe that should be "hoovering" as there were lots of insects there too). On the sector of the survey site where there were no Bulokes, there were no birds!In the Box-Ironbark areas the mistletoes are Drooping or Box Mistletoe- Amyema miquelii and Fleshy Mistletoe- A. miraculosa- miraculous because it parasitises another mistletoe rather than the tree. These two species are also flowering at the moment but are much less spectacular than the Buloke and Harlequin varieties.Mistletoe is a vital bird and insect food especially during summer, providing nectar, berries and cool roosting places during the heat of the day. The leaves contain more moisture and nutrients than the host plants and when they fall, return those extra nutrients to the soil thus benefitting the host.

The last job of the year, 29th December - monitoring of our 2 Small Milkwort (SM) Plots in the Kara Kara National Park. Both plots are very dry and show signs of incursions by wallabies and kangaroos- scrapes, hip hollows, pruning and droppings. The larger plot had 58 spikes ( we believe that each rootstock puts up multiple stems and it is hard to decide where each plant starts and ends). There were only 7 flowering spikes in contrast to 24 last year; the spikes were very small and the flowers miserable! Most plants were less than 5cm tall. On a brighter note, the Eutaxia microphylla and Templetonia stenophylla are doing very well- both are members of the pea family and are very palatable to browsers and grazers so the protection offered by our fence has proved its worth there. Leafy Templetonia- T. stenophylla flowers and leaves Common Eutaxia- E. microphylla The second plot, also known as the "Small Small Milkwort Plot" is also having problems with wallabies- the Peach Heath looked as if a mower had been over it and ditto the Small Milkwort. Only 1 flower spike out of 48 plants was found. A new colony of SM was found in 2016 and is persisting - 7 stems but no flowering spikes. It is likely that more SM is out there but the smallness of the plants, and near-impossibility of seeing them unless they are flowering makes this plant difficult to find. Summer, grass-seeds, mosquitoes and heat all combine to make searching for it quite a task. Monitoring data for this project will soon be on our website. The Yellow Gums in both plots have been flowering and are now getting ready to shed their bark- the colours are astounding.

Many landholders like to have a spic and span property- dead trees removed, sticks and leaves raked up and dead branches turned into firewood. Very nice the property looks then - to our eyes anyway but to our often-unseen neighbours, homelessness is the result. The loss of many of our species- birds, reptiles, butterflies,insects and small mammals can be sheeted home directly to loss of habitat. The rarely seen Blind Snake (Ramphotyphlops sp) has been captured on film here on a covenanted (Trust for Nature) property at Carapooee where all creatures are accorded a home. Here is the adult Blind Snake- head downwards. And here is the juvenile that had taken up residence in the kitchen- taking Land for Wildlife a bit far perhaps! Blind snakes live on ant eggs, pupae and larvae as well as ants themselves. They are vocal at times, non-venomous, lay eggs and produce 3-5 young. According to the Field Guides we have 3 or 4 possible species here- Can anyone help with identification of these facinating reptiles.

Warm, sultry overcast weather with storms. The farmers hate this weather- too late for rain to do any good and it spoils the hay! However, strange things blow in with a north-east weather system. Large flocks of White-browed Woodswallows hunting for insects over the treetops. Pair of White-browed Woodswallows Photo G. Cheers Then a weird metallic trumpeting, muttering and cackling call and 2 Dollarbirds appear on the scene. Magpies, Striated Pardalotes and Red Wattlebirds get a run as do the Woodswallows. Dollarbird at Carapooee West Photo A Hughes A quite large and chunky bird with a most distinctive flight pattern and a white circular patch on each wing- the eponymous dollar. Checking on the distribution in the Birdlife Atlas, these are rare visitors to our region. This is the first sighting I have had of this species in our region in 37 years- so a new species for our BIrd List.

Birds are nesting everywhere at present. While doing my Birds on farms Surveys last week, I came across this one, unexpectedly, as this species usually nests high in the trees in Yellow Gum Woodlands. This Grey Butcherbird has built her nest in a River Redgum right in the creek- not that there is any water to be had but at least the food supply is probably better here than out in the very parched woodlands. Many other birds are nesting in the same area- Weebills, a pair of Spotted Pardalotes, White-browed Babblers and Restless Flycatchers and none seem concerned by this ferocious predator in their midst.

Shake off your winter miseries and take a walk up to Bell Rock, just on the outskirts of town (take Wycheproof Rd/Hopetoun St then L into Butcher St and head north!) Wear solid walking shoes as the ground is really rough. Flowering now, although reduced because of the dry conditions our endemic Goldfield Boronia(Boronia anemonifolia ssp. aurifodina) and some beautiful examples of Bendigo Waxflower (Philotheca verrucosa) on the north west slope below the Rock. See the verrucosities(warts!) along the leaves and sprawling stems.

For several years now I have tried to photograph this tiny plant out on a buckshot gravel ridge in the Kara Kara National Park. A small patch of these 4-5mm high plants is adjacent to one of our conservation plots. I thought it would be easy to identify- just get a shot or two of the flowers and we would be away! The first year, I missed the flowers- a few tiny dried-up dark-red bits on one plant showed up on the computer screen. The next year, 2016,a wet year, the plants disappeared and White-winged Choughs seemed to be the culprits; beak-shaped holes were everywhere. 2017 came along and I had a good choice of plants to snap when I realised that I needed a supermacro function on the camera. Not good enough- a Panasonic Lumix shot on macro and blown up on the computer.Not enough detail and overexposed. The use of a digital microscope showed a hairy, cobwebby tube sprouting 5 dark red, 4 or 5 petalled flowers. So this year, after getting a camera with a super macro function I tried again. 2018 would have to be one of our driest years in the last 4 decades and the ground is bare in many places. Chough holes are everywhere, grasses are chewed down to their roots and there are few plants of any sort about. My little mystery is reduced to a few scattered plants on the south-east facing slope amongst Yellow Gums (Euc. leucoxylon). Even through the camera lens it is very difficult to see if there are any flowers so it is a case of point and shoot... and hope, otherwise it takes several trips to get enough shots with the desired features. Here is the first photo taken 26 Aug 2018 with an old Konica Minolta DiMAGE 3- it has great telephoto capability and 2 macro settings- a treasure. This is the plant with the flower assembly forming in the middle, covered with cobwebby hairs Flowering today, 9th August, the greeny-white tubes with hairy cobwebs topped with the dark-red of the "petals" makes these flowers nearly impossible to see with the naked eye. Each tubular flower would be 2-3 mm in length. So, very nice, but what is it? A clue. Common Bow Flower- Millotia tenuifolia, which also grows in the same area. My bet is Millotia perpusilla- Tiny Bow Flower. It is listed in Beauglehole's Vascular Plant List for our region- North Central. At no more than 5mm tall, the name seems apt.