Diario del proyecto Yellingbo and surrounds

Notes from: three Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science events.
This month, we've been contributing to the BioBlitz happening across local government areas.

20/09/23 Flora & Frog survey: What could be better than planting Common Heath (Victoria's flora emblem) in the Yellingbo bush today, then doing a flora and frog survey with an awesome group of people aged 5-75?

21/09/23 Youth Bird, Frog & Flora survey: Our Youth Reference Group joined Sue T and Rachel for a day in Manuka Meadows - a portion of land undergoing revegetation efforts to support the movement of Helmeted Honeyeaters & Leadbeater Possums across the landscape. We conducted a few 20 min, 2 ha bird surveys, learnt how to ID emerging orchids and how to best record obs on iNaturalist. The frogs were heard in the distance, but not in our survey area today. Overall, a lovely day in the sun (and a bit of rain) with likeminded individuals!

27/09/23 Bird & Frog survey: Our regular citizen science Bird and Frog survey team were joined today by families with children aged 4-14 years, who all contributed to our final tally of 41 bird species, 2 frog species, 1 platypus - great spotting Karin - and lots of interesting invertebrates, fungi and plants. A special moment for everyone was watching from a good distance across the creek as an Eastern Yellow Robin came and went from its well hidden nest in a Prickly Currant Bush.

What a pleasure it is to share the special place of Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area with like-minded people!! No matter your age or background, you can make a positive contribution to the natural world. Thank you team!!

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
The vote was 9:10. We retreated to Yellingbo General Store for coffee while the heavy rain band passed, then emerged to a calm, almost warm mid morning to set off on our survey. What a fabulous morning to be outside, walking the tracks of Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area. We recorded 26 bird species today, with highlights being Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, Rufous Fantail and a low-soaring raptor that was too quick for us to ID. Three frog species were calling, the Southern Brown Tree Frog, Common Eastern Froglet and Striped Marsh Frog. No platypus spotted today, but no-one came away disappointed. Taking time out to quietly watch the creek was bliss :)
A great team effort, thank you!!

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
It was a cool, overcast start at just 4 degrees, but beautiful blue skies opened up by 11am :)
A team of 7 flora survey volunteers hit the ground running. With thanks to the generosity of a local wholesale nursery, Carawah Nursery, we planted some donated Epacris impressa, then continued on from last month, learning how to ID emerging orchids, then finding and protecting them. Amy had a great find - the first known record of Small Tongue-orchid in Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area, reinforcing why we were doing what we're doing! Some of the orchids were now flowering, so we could confirm those ones as Mayfly Orchids, Common Bird Orchids and Nodding Greenhoods. These orchids will become dormant before upcoming management works begin, so identifying where they are will ensure they don't get disturbed, and unintentionally lost. In amongst the orchids were all sorts of other fabulous plants and fungi, all recorded!
Great job Amy W, Bruce, Rachel, Linda, Robert, Sue B and Sue T!!
Thanks also to Robert for a fabulous raspberry slice, fresh from the oven. We all went back for a 2nd piece - or was that just me?? Thank you Robert 😊💓

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
A fabulous team of Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater citizen science volunteers hit the tracks on two balmy nights last week to survey for nocturnal species in Yellingbo. It was great to see quite a number of moths and other insects buzzing around, a sign of spring warmth coming. Zali, Issy and Zali from our Youth Reference Group took the lead for our frog survey on the 2nd night, with up to 5 species recorded (Common Eastern Froglet, Southern Brown Tree Frog, Striped Marsh Frog - all confirmed, and TBC Whistling Tree Frog and Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog). The whole team recorded 6 mammal species (Common Wombat, Ringtail Possum, Brushtail Possum, Sugar Glider, Yellow-bellied Glider and Swamp Wallaby) and 21 bird species including at least one Tawny Frogmouth and a Southern Boobook heard calling. Plus, some invertebrates, including a land slug species (TBC Milky Slug), and another species hitching the occasional ride - 4 leeches. Although none of us loved the latter, no-one hated them either!! What a joy to be in the bush with people who have so much respect for all species in this special part of the world. A special thank you to Erica, Karin and Amy for taking notes on the species observed. Thank you everyone - a great team effort 🙂

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
What a fabulous morning to be outside, walking the tracks of Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area. Great people, a top of 17 deg C expected with sunny blue skies, wet and muddy under our feet, but no wind... We recorded 39 bird species today, with highlights being Grey Goshawks, an Australian Pelican and a Striated Thornbill busily building an advanced nest in a low branch of a Eucalyptus. Two frog species were calling, the Southern Brown Tree Frog and Common Eastern Froglet. No platypus spotted today, but noone came away disappointed. Taking time out to quietly watch the creek was reward in itself :)
A great team effort, thank you!!

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
It was a cool start, just 3 degrees, rising to a balmy 8 degrees by midday :)
It didn't daunt us! A team of 8 flora survey volunteers had a successful morning learning how to ID emerging orchids, then finding and protecting them. These orchids will become dormant before upcoming management works begin, so identifying where they are will ensure they don't get disturbed, and unintentionally lost. Mosquito orchids, Bird orchids, Greenhoods and Large Tongue-orchids were protected.
Great job Taylor, Bruce, Rachel, Linda, Heather, Robert, Sue and Sue!!
Thanks also to Sue who taught us an easy way to tell the difference between the very similar looking Black and Silver Wattles when their flowering seasons overlap - the glands on the central leaf stalk are different. Currently, just Silver Wattle is in flower in our region. Thank you Sue 😊💓

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
Fifteen of us walked a track with Woori Yallock Creek on one side and a series of swampland on the either, with sections of open farmland. The ground was damp underfoot and the air was still, but cool, so we were a little surprised that we saw 44 bird species - more than we imagined we'd see today - and barely heard a frog! Highlights were a group of Varied Sittella's, a white morph of the Brown Goshawk, hearing an Australian Raven (not often seen here) and 27 Superb Fairy Wrens! The joy of citizen science mornings is that everyone can contribute, no matter their age or knowledge. It's school holidays, and great to have some keen young birders with us today, and their mum encouraging their interest. A great team effort, with a couple of bird species we rarely see. The frogs? We barely heard them today - too cool it was suggested - with just a lone Common Eastern Froglet calling!

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
The air was cool but the weather was kind - overcast, no wind or rain and a glimpse of sun every now and then. It was all smiles as a group of 15 new and old Friends, from 9 years of age and older, took to the tracks. A Swamp Wallaby made us pause - beautiful animals, the Bushy Needlewood and Yellow Hakea were in flower, Southern Brown Tree Frogs and Common Eastern Froglets were calling, and the mirrors got a workout as we paid particular attention to the magical little things in the natural environment - the fungi, and the pixie's! The Pixies Parasol and Pixie Cup Lichen are wonders of the natural world.

Thank you everyone. What a joy to spend the morning with you all!

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
The forecast was for wind and rain in the afternoon, but the morning was cool and still as twelve of us took to a bush track that we haven't surveyed before, passing through Manna Gum riparian forest, then Messmates and Swamp Gums. The birds were quiet today, with just 21 species recorded, including a Wedge-tailed Eagle circling overhead, Brown Thornbills, Spotted Pardalotes and White-naped Honeyeaters. Southern Brown Tree Frogs were calling. With much thanks to everyone for helping to collect this valuable data about the natural world at Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area, and sharing in the joy of treading lightly in the bush :)

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
The forecast looked a bit grim in the early hours (showers up to 20mm and wind up to 40km), but we had a window of blue skies and a gentle breeze for our bird & frog survey. Thirteen of us took to the bush tracks and were rewarded with seeing or hearing 41 bird species. There was fabulous fungi, including the electric green of the Genus Chlorociboria (no common name for these). The frogs were really quiet, with just one or two Southern Brown Tree Frogs calling, and sadly, a Striped Marsh Frog that had been recently pecked through the belly and killed by something but left lying on the track :(
A pair of Wedge-tailed Eagles kept us spell-bound as they circled low, looking for brunch right over our heads for 10 minutes or more. Thank you for your help collecting this valuable data about the natural world at Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area everyone, and sharing some of your favourite ID books, and friendship, at lunch :)