Dear Friends,
After a month of frosts followed by mild sunny days some real wintry weather is upon us. However the scattered early flowering of the Golden Wattle provides some cheery colour and a promise of spring.
One wattle stand that will not be providing winter cheer or autumn seeds will be the Cootamundra Wattle on Brick Kiln track.. Here is Neville’s report for the day: The weather forecast for Saturday 6th July was for cold and showers but the day itself was a complete surprise. The sun came out and it was very pleasant indeed although still a little chilly. A group of us tackled the Cootamundra Wattles in the Brick Kiln Track area.
These wattles spread easily through the park so we removed over 50 plants. In places they were so thick that counting them was out of the question. The problem has been reduced but not solved as there are several adult trees just outside the park on private property and these will no doubt generate more seed for future trees to emerge The Golden Wattles are in bloom and it is a delight to see them again. Joseph spotted a fungus with a spider web and we took time out to photograph it.
We planned to have morning tea and bun at Magenta Mine so we headed down Mahbah Track looking for Cooties. This is a part of the park that many of us had not ventured into before and Mike spotted some more Cootamundra Wattles that we tackled after morning tea. Lunch was at the corner of Teal Track and Ryans Road after checking out the Regent Honeyeaters in that area. Up amongst the Regents were two Yellow-footed Antechinus feeding on blossom. There have been many sightings of Antechinus this year but it was a little unusual to see them feeding in the canopy.
After lunch and our meeting we all headed home as the temperature was falling steadily – report by Neville Barlett. Thanks to the small but industrious band of saw wielding Friends.This patch will need to be monitored for some seasons to keep it free of seedlings. The understorey in that section should now have a chance to recover. The picnic area at Frogs Hollow has been de-commissioned by Parks.
The area and its surrounding tracks have been ripped and covered. Friends will undertake revegetation of the area. Jan and Jenny from Sandy Creek Farm Trees have generously donated plants for the project. Hopefully this project will be completed in the next month. As this is an extensive project there may be a call for volunteers to begin this work prior to the August meeting. Bird news: The occasional White-fronted Honeyeater, an unusual visitor to Chiltern, can still be heard and with patience found. The White Box is flowering well in some parts of the park and attracting honeyeaters. There are a few Noisy Friarbirds, plenty of Little Friarbirds and noisy Red Wattlebirds. Silvereyes, Black-chinned, Brown-headed and Fuscous Honeyeaters
along with Eastern Spinebills, are plentiful. There have been no further reports of Hooded Robins. The wetlands are fairly quiet and further rain is needed to top them up. On the forest floor Fungi are of interest at the moment thanks to the damp conditions.
Projects under consideration: Plans are underway to produce a series of postcards featuring local birds. The interpretive plaque for Bartley’s Block is being prepared and we are seeking funding to assist with the cost. Rutherglen Conservation block: On June 23rd on a cold and overcast morning three of us set out to inspect the nest boxes on the block. Box occupation was high and Sugar and Squirrel Gliders were regularly found to be occupants. Many boxes had evidence of Tuan occupancy which was encouraging and one had a Tuan in residence.
Annual General Meeting
The AGM is on Saturday September 7th. Our guest speaker for 2103 is Martin O’Brien. Martin has been a BOCA and BA member for 20 + years.He has worked as a wildlife biologist and policy officer in the Department of Sustainability for 25 years. He is a member of Friends and a regular cycling visitor to the area. He is a member of Friends of French Island National Park, where he is a regular volunteer. Martin’s presentation will be on the birds of French Island. He is pictured here on last week’s survey, undertaken in gale force winds! Further details for the day’s activity in the August newsletter
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Regent Honeyeater Release
We ars still seeking volunteers for ongoing tracking. If you are able to assist with this project please contact Glen Johnson glen.johnson@dse.vic.gov.au The challenge is still on! To find and photograph a wild bird! Joseph took this amazing photo of a regent hawking for insects!
Rainfall: June 97.8 mm over 6 days. Year to date: 272.2 mm over 26 days.
CALENDAR PHOTOS FOR 2014 EDITION
If you have an image you would like to submit for inclusion in the 2104 calendar please forward it in high resolution. The image should relate to the park. NEXT MEETING: SUNDAY AUGUST 4TH 2013 Meet at Chiltern Post Office at 9.00am Byo lunch, binocs, chair, gloves and energy.. Planting out of the Frog’s Hollow re-veg site. Nest box checking will be part of our afternoon walk. Contact in the field : Eileen 0407 486 480
FRIENDS OF CHILTERN Mt PILOT NATIONAL PARK inc MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL
P.O. Box 60 CHILTERN 3683
To assist, please mark the envelope Membership. Please ensure your contact details are current. Thank you.
Friends have achieved a great deal during the past year. Surveys for plants, birds and monitoring, replacing and erection of new mammal boxes, tree planting , weed control and the provision of a bird hide and gates are just some of our contributions. Your support for our activities is valued and your membership renewal is vital to our cause. Membership expires on June 30th.
If you wish to pay electronically please contact Neville Bartlett, Secretary, by email: neville@nrbartlett.com.au
http://friendsofchiltern.org.au/index.php/friends/membership