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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.

I deduce that before Victoria was grazed and mined our waterways were very different. Early surveys seem to affirm this: maps of the plains and broad valleys often include the italic notation ‘chain of ponds’. Doubtless, dense or very mature riparian vegetation lined their banks. In my youth I roamed the reaches and cut-off bends of the straightened-out, de-snagged Latrobe River, cleared from time to time of their numerous stands of silver wattle, and eventually I read Peter Andrews’ thoughts on Australian flood plain management. (Basically he says: Hold water as long as you can, where it falls!) Then, perusing Google Earth some years ago, I noticed unusual features along Middle Creek - 10 km SW of St Arnaud. As you moved upstream the raw gullies, so characteristic of northern Victoria, gave way to – yes!!! – a chain of ponds. On-ground examination later with the landowner confirmed my assumptions. I could see that, once hoofed animals such as sheep and cattle displaced the gentler indigenous grazers, the newcomers, tracking in and out to drink, broke down the intervening earthen barriers between the pools, over which runoff had for millennia more or less gently trickled. Continuous gullies soon opened up. Here is part of what I saw, thanks to Google. Note the creek is still fairly intact where the cover is better - obviously there’s been less grazing here of late - but to the east where the land is hammered even today, the creek is a gutter. All the way more or less to the Avoca! Here are several other images of Middle Creek from above: That led to work on our 95 hectares at Adams Road, where there are now 100 waterholes (we call them gilgai), mainly small water bodies - cf the original 10 ‘traditional’ farm dams – that we are slowly ‘decriminalising’! In other words, converting them to wetlands. See below: John Douglas of Stuart Mill constructed these ponds on our land around 1983. There are 19 altogether over some 150 metres down a slope. Adams Road – 2016 – 11 ponds in a row, thanks to Aaron Watts. We no longer leave banks on the downstream side. Since we seeded the bare areas a few totem-poles have germinated. We readily transplant sedges from existing dams. Here’s my recent (experimental) painting on the subject: Here is a new ‘chain of ponds’ on a Bendigo property, S of Whipstick Forest So, what next? A modest gully runs SW-NE through our block of box-ironbark country below near Stuart Mill. In parallel is a non-eroded grassy drainage line. I want to try to restore the former to a chain of ponds. This means, I think, getting an excavator to reshape the bed of the eroded gully into a series of terraces, rather than the present constant fall, and filling the channel with as much natural debris – especially branches and heads of tree – as possible. It might also mean an inconspicuous series of upslope riplines. And maybe judiciously thinning 5-10 percent of the vegetation within say 40 metres of the creekline - across the slope, not up- or downhill – to ‘roughen the catchment’, as a friend once put it. Thinking broadly, the pre-European waterways of our state would have been full of large- and medium-sized debris. During the heaviest floods, such as we had in 2010-11, this debris would have been swirled around like an auger, and the resulting silt continually flushed out, thereby keeping the holes deep, and rich in habitat and organic matter, as in food, or riparian wildlife. Remember, some holes along the Murray were apparently 40 metres deep.

Meet some of the inhabitants at Ned's. We carried out some bird surveys as we were going around and put 27 or 28 species on the list- the most exciting being both Butcherbirds- Grey and Pied, a Whistling Kite pair with a nest right opposite the pumphouse and a flock of Black-faced Woodswallows at the pine sandridge. These were the only birds I captured on camera- the plants were easier. On the inlet, late afternoon- Crimson Rosella- yellow form On the big inlet- Black Swans Pterostylis biseta -Mallee Rustyhood, close relative to our Lowly Greenhood. Rosettes just emerging. Early morning on the river- Darter drying off. Early morning on the river- Pelican looking for breakfast. Taken at the Inland Botanic Gardens, these are NOT gazanias! (Sturt Desert pea) Early morning on the river again- 4 Wood Ducks Just over the side fence for the shearers' quarters- stickybeaking Emu Favoured food of many creatures furry and feathered- Enchylaena tomentosa, upright form- Ruby Saltbush Under the Hill's Hoist- Mallee Ringnecks feeding on weed seeds. Low groundocevr plant- Zygophyllum sp (Twinleaf) In the garden- the best use for 2km of barbed wire- rolled up by the Green Army girls and endorsed by Chris and Russell!

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

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)

On last Sunday morning,13th May 2018, I walked through my new chookhouse, still under construction but looking like the Taj Mahal already. Three gates have cobbled together at the back to prevent (oh yes?) the chooks from accessing the work area. As I went to open the only moveable gate to let the chooks out of their sheds, I noticed a small greyish- brownish blob in the corner against the concrete tank. Taking a good look I realised it was an Australasian Grebe, Tachybaptus novaehollandiae, and a male, losing his breeding colours. Now, if you can approach and pick up a wild bird it means one of two things; either it is on the point of death or it has knocked itself silly. After the wild Friday and Saturday of galeforce winds and sleet I thought it was probably the latter- so I picked him up, suffering two rapid and savage bites from a rapier-like beak then rolling him into the front of my possum jumper. Warmth and dark prevented any more attacks on my person and I transported him across to our big dam, parking him in the sun in long grasses under a bush. After resting for a couple of hours, he took off straight into the water, diving and splashing around. I have never seen a grebe on land before. Here he is- the bare patch of skin at the corner of his beak confirms his identity. Heavy winds take a toll on wildlife; a young magpie suffered a heavy blow and had an injured wing on Saturday too- she recovered fast so at least the wing wasn’t broken. Big and unusually savage storms are another consequence of climate change What luck, to end up in my chookyard, in reach of help. How many others are not so lucky?

Autumn brings a shortage of water and food supplies in the bush and we see an influx of birds into gardens where these 2 commodities are available. On the left is the "owner" of the birdbath, year -round inhabitant of creeklines, the New Holland Honeyeater Phylidonyris novaehollandiae. In the front we have year-round inhabitant of River Redgums, the White-plumed Honeyeater Lichenstomus penicillatus. The interloper at the back right is the Yellow-tufted Honeyeater Lichenostomus melanops whose usual habitat is the higher Ironbark ridges. All managed to get a drink and a quick flip in the water but the truce was short-lived and the poor old Yellow-tufted Honeyeater was chased away.

Other places get autumn colours in the trees- ours remain dull, dun and dusty grey-green. The end of Summer is a hard, dry time with everyone looking for water and food; the arrivals at the bird baths show the change of season as surely as falling autumn-toned leaves. Even when the weather is still hot ,you know that Autumn has arrived with the appearance of these three birds. Zipping through the shrubs where it is feeding on eremophila flowers, the Eastern Spinebill is like a small missile. The amount of energy this tiny bird expends in flying, foraging and yelling out about it means frequent rest periods! Taking a spell from hunting insects, this Grey Fantail catches the early morning sun. A rival to the territory- the bird in the mirror is an aggravation for this beautiful male Golden Whistler, his whipcrack notes setting off the male Superb Fairy-wrens who think he is a challenge to them.

After many weeks with very little moth activity at night, the last bit of rain (5mm here) has caused a rash of interesting creatures coming to the kitchen window- lacewings, green and brown, moths ranging in size from 4mm up to the whopping Ghost Moth (Trictena sp) at 95mm and click beetles of different sorts. Although these moths were photographed during the day, they are night-flying and come readily to a light source. Many of our moths and other insects have no common names and there are many species still to be discovered and described. I photographed the Toothed Anthelid Moth- Anthela denticulata on the windowsill at home- the beautiful antennae indicate that this is a male Another stunner is Thalaina clara-Blotched Satin Moth- with its silky white wings and orange and black lattice pattern. Its underwings are also silky white with two large blotches of black and orange,hence the name. Another moth wearing the white,orange and black livery is Utetheisa pulchelloides, a Noctuid Moth with no common name that I could find.

Autumn is here- and so is Boisduval's Autumn Moth- Oenosandra boisduvalii(Family Oenosandridae, super family Noctuiodea)) Only seen during Autumn, this handsome moth rests on fly wire screens and is very happy to have close inspection and photos. Playing dead is a tactic used by this moth to avoid predators. Night-flying, these interesting moths come readily to light. The white ear-tufts are a give-away identification and the wings are beautifully mottled with orange and black speckles. The antennae are held back along the wing edges and are difficult to see. This moth hears through thoracic hearing organs- that is,ears in its chest! 24 cm in length, these moths are thought to feed on eucalypts. This is an all-Australian family with 8 named species. All photos taken on 29th March 2018, Carapooee West, Victoria.