ELLENBROOK BUSHLAND GROUP

the bane of bushwalkers

2012-01-31T10:21:00.005+08:00

It's a couple of months since I've been for a walk in our local bushland. Yet, I don't feel compelled to visit my favourite places for a few more weeks. It's not the heat - that can be largely avoided by walking early in the morning or just on dusk.

The problem is that I'm a "tick magnet". Walking, for me, is an off-the-beaten-track exercise, and this puts me into contact at this time of the year with, literally, thousands of tiny invertebrates that want to suck my blood. Little vampires, in effect. At the end of each bushwalk, I need to decontaminate my clothes and body of these freeloaders, before I end up with scores of unbearably itchy and weeping sores.

Read on if you dare!

Most people will be familiar with ticks, but there are so many myths and inconsistencies in what people think about them.

For a start, lets look at "pepperticks". Pepperticks appear in the hot months of the year, around the south west, and get their name from their appearance; a sprinkling of pepper. They usually travel in swarming herds, or whatever a large number of ticks is called. They are difficult to spot on clothing, and unlikely to be felt travelling across one's naked skin, due to their miniscule size. They have six legs; when they have eaten a "blood meal", they can grow, and moult their skin to grow some more.

pepperticks - on cotton drill

These ticks are actually baby versions of the well-known "kangaroo tick" (Amblyomma triguttatum) of Western Australia. The adult tick has eight legs, and looks superficially like a spider. These ticks normally dine on the blood of kangaroos, hence the name. Unfortunately, some bushwalkers smell sufficiently like kangaroos to confuse the poor hungry little things! (Ok, I'm just being sarcastic now.) But it does seem that, like mosquitoes, ticks will target some unlucky human individuals while ignoring others. It's also possible that ticks avoid people who use insect repellent.

kangaroo tick, coming to get you

Kangaroo ticks seem to reach their adult size around the end of the year, just in time to lay eggs and start hatching out pepperticks for summer and autumn. The adults are reddish-brown with yellow joints, and some have yellow marks on the back. In winter, ticks are sluggish and not as prevalent, which is another reason for bushwalkers like me to enjoy being out in the cold.

Ticks, mites and spiders are in a class of animals called Arachnids, but whereas spiders are in a group called Araneae, ticks and mites belong to the group called Acarina.

Each species of tick has a specific host, such as kangaroos, or in some countries, deer or cattle. There are even species that live solely on birds, or on reptiles such as bobtails. (By the way, bobtail ticks aren't interested in people.)

Ticks have very sharp mouthparts, perfect for drilling through skin into blood capillaries lying just under the surface. They inject a fluid to prevent coagulation. Some species of tick carry diseases which can infect people, pets and farm animals. For example, in the USA, "lyme disease" is spread by a tick that has a deer as host, but can bite humans. Along the east coast of Australia, there is a species known as the "paralysis tick" (Ixodes holocyclus), which can cause paralysis and death in small mammals such as dogs and children. Fortunately, we don't have that tick or its disease in Western Australia.

Ticks do not "jump" down from overhanging branches. At best, they can climb up to your head and drop down from there, which may give that impression. Ticks do clamber around on the ground, and they do climb up low vegetation. I recently found some dead branches sticking up about 10cm above ground level, swarming with pepperticks. Then I noticed that about two hundred of the ticks had climbed onto the lower legs of my trousers, when I'd brushed against the branches.


time to grab a scrubbing brush or a handful of dirt

There are many ways of removing ticks once they have started feeding, but I haven't found any method to be 100% effective in all cases. Some of the more "scientific" approaches include twisting the tick out, using tweezers. I have tried this and it sometimes works.

Small ticks can be picked off with fingernails. Big ticks are problematic, especially if they have been feeding for a few hours before being discovered, and have their head burrowed into your body. Things I would definitely not recommend are burning the tick out with a lighted match or cigarette lighter, or using toxic solvents such as kerosene - these could cause you serious injury. (Where do people get such crazy remedies?)

Perhaps it would be better to treat the tick as you would a splinter, and use a sharp needle to dig the mouthparts out, then clean the small wound with salty water or some antiseptic wash. I have had to resort to this method on occasion.

There are also lots of home remedies for tick bite, but I have tried most of them and found them lacking in desired outcomes. I have noticed that having a hot shower aggravates the sores, and when I have a fresh bite, all the previous unhealed sores will start itching - an interesting physiological effect, but quite unpleasant. I have tried putting on dabs of various creams on fresh bites, and slapping a sticky bandage on them to stop me scratching them, but most of my scratching is done when I'm asleep...so that doesn't work as well as it should.

Worried about ticks on your pets? Read this brochure from the Dept of Agriculture and Food.
And please leave your dog at home when you go bushwalking.

Anyway, another month or so and the horror (!) of peppertick season will be gone, and I can look forward to heading out bush again.

P.S. I am not responsible for any injury or damage caused by following any procedure outlined in this blog. Your safety and health are your responsibility.

first day of summer

2011-12-01T14:35:00.001+08:00

Welcome to Summer!

Today also marks the first day of the indigenous season known as Birak, one of six seasons in the year. Birak is a time of flowering for many plants, as a response to spring rains and warmer weather.

Visit Federation Walkway in Kings Park to learn more about indigenous culture

It seems to make more sense to me that we should follow the indigenous seasons, as these describe our natural surroundings much better than the northern-hemisphere-focused four seasons. But I digress...

The next few weeks will see an explosion of yellow and white flowers in our bushland. My garden, too, boasts a riot of fluorescent orange flowers, namely Morrison Featherflower (Verticordia nitens).

Morrison Featherflower (Verticordia nitens) in bushland

This gorgeous verticordia should be the emblem of the northern suburbs. It has distinctive umbrella-shaped flower heads, and the stunning colour is echoed in the flowers of the WA Christmas Tree (Nuytsia floribunda). A great place to see these wildflowers is Whiteman Park, and the drive along Lord Street or Beechboro Road is often a richly rewarding experience.

Once upon a year, such flowers existed by the acre and were collected for Perth's flower markets, as were many other native species across the South West.

a time for butterflies

2011-10-22T09:03:00.001+08:00

In my travels lately, I've seen a lot of butterflies about the place. It's seems to be the perfect time of year for them - not so hot as to cause dehydration, warm enough to fly, and fairly good sources of leaves and nectar available.

Butterflies in Western Australia are not as flashy as those of some other parts of Australia. Look at the magnificently iridescent show-offs of the tropics, such as the Cairns Birdwing and Ulysses Swallowtail.

Our local butterflies are smaller, often cryptic (i.e. camouflaged), and typically sparing with bright colours. Here's an example; the Western Xenica (Geitoneura minyas).

Western Xenica - adult female

The adults are light orange-brown with dark brown markings. The little green larvae (caterpillars) feed on grasses, so the adults are often seen looking for mates or resting in shady patches of grass under Acacia or Eucalypts.

Once, when I was birdwatching in the shade of some eucalypts, a cheeky butterfly landed on my notepad and I managed to take several photos. I think he was attracted to the white surface of the paper, for some reason - he would fly away, then return to rest on my notepad.

Western Xenica - adult male

If you're interested in finding out more about butterflies, you might need a field guide such as Michael Braby's "The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia", and a digital camera with macro capabilities so you can take photos of the beautiful little creatures you see.

The days of catching butterflies in a net and pinning them to boards has long gone, although this method is still used by entomologists to help in their biological studies.

Pepper and salt, mistletoes and insect interactions

2011-08-31T11:31:00.001+08:00

We're heading into the time of year in which the bushland lights up with a thousand shades of yellow, orange, pink, gold and purple, and I simply can't go for a bushwalk without my camera. There are so many different flowers to delight the photographer; orchids, hibbertias, leschenaultia, hakeas, native peas, acacias, cottonheads and kangaroo paws, to name a few*.

One plant I particularly like (among these hundreds of species) is known colloquially as "Pepper and Salt". The scientific name for it is Philotheca spicata. It isn't the most spectacular flower in the bush, not by a long shot, but it makes up for being somewhat photogenically challenged by having a pleasant and elusive perfume, and always seems to have a posse of insects flittering around the delicate flowers.

Flowers of "Pepper and Salt" (Philotheca spicata)

The plant itself grows as an upright shrub, usually no taller than 50cm, with a slightly weeping habit especially when in flower. (The gracile branches seem to be weighed down by the flowers.) It is fairly widespread in our local bushland such as the Bush Forever sites, in banksia woodland, or amongst jarrah and marri trees.

"Pepper and Salt" (Philotheca spicata)

Pepper and Salt is found along much of the Swan Coastal Plain and further south (at least where it hasn't been cleared for roads and buildings.) It would make a fine addition to a bush garden, but in nurseries you might have to search for it, or order it, under the old botanical name of Eriostemon spicatus.

Satin-green Forester moth (Pollanisus viridipulverulenta)

The little moth in attendance could be mistaken for a butterfly - it moves around in broad daylight, its iridescent green, blue and copper wings glittering in patches of sunlight. Due to its romance with the Philotheca flowers, and its general reluctance to move from a good position, I find this species not too difficult to photograph.

Satin-green Forester Moth

According to my field guides, this species is the Satin-green Forester Moth (Pollanisus viridipulverulenta). Entomologists, please correct me if I'm wrong! The wikipedia entry doesn't mention that it is found in WA, but the CSIRO website shows that it is.

Insects such as butterflies and moths are usually reliant on specific plants for food and drink. Some of these little animals are entirely dependent on just one or two species. Some have had deserved scientific attention. For example, caterpillars of the Satin Azure butterfly (Ogyris amaryllis) dine on mistletoe (Amyema species). Unfortunately, many people remove mistletoes, believing that their parasitic qualities will weaken and kill their trees. See this ABC website for a great expose on the myths and facts of mistletoe.

Here is a fact sheet you can download about the Satin Azure, written for South Australia. Interestingly, although the Satin Azure is found across Australia, in each area it feeds on the local Amyema species available. In the factsheet, it mentions Wireleaf Mistletoe (Amyema preissii) as a favourite food plant, and Stalked Mistletoe (A. miquelii) as a back-up; these are two mistletoe species we have around Perth. The butterfly also needs "attendant" ants to complete its life-cycle.

Wireleaf Mistletoe (Amyema preissii) grows on Acacia trees

Can you see the ecological links here? In this case, the butterfly lays its eggs on a plant that is totally reliant on another plant (i.e. wattle trees). The caterpillars of the butterfly are protected from predators by the attendant ants . Do the mistletoes benefit from this arrangement? And what do we know about the ants' requirements? What do they feed on? Does the wattle provide an ideal habitat in the way of leaf litter? What are the requirements of the wasps that might parasitise the caterpillars? We know a little, but not very much really. (At least there are a few articles of interesting research listed on the internet about this!)

These fauna-flora interactions are not widely studied, and have not been fully considered in our planning for conservation reserves, rehabilitation of industrial areas, and revegetation of urban landscapes. Part of the problem in the past has been that people have studied plants (i.e. botany) or insects (i.e. entomology) and not the link between the two sciences (i.e. ecology). In fact, botanists have tended to look askance at insects as a threat - something with the potential to destroy the perfect plant specimen, or wreck a photo of an ideal flower (where some little critter has chewed one of the petals, for example.)

Horticulturists have moved one step further from nature, with their arsenal of poisons to deal with their unwanted fauna in the form of bug sprays. It saddens me to think how many caterpillars might be being sprayed today in my suburb, because they are not recognised as being butterfly larvae. Ecological links are broken. No caterpillars; no birds to feed on them = Silent Spring. (Yes, it's a book; read about it here.)

Entomologists have in the past sometimes lacked the botanical skills to record the plants on which their study animals have depended. At the present, following little animals around in bushland still requires patience, time and a lot of skill, so it does not fare well in the cut-throat budgets and high-pressure timelines of a typical land "development" or mining project. Why on earth would a high-flying developer think they need an entomologist? Add in the "emotional care factor" (i.e. cute fluffy animals versus scaly ones or buzzy flitty ones) and it's difficult to get people to realise their importance. Maybe in another fifty years we'll have a better idea of ecological links. So our Bush Forever sites and little urban parks may be more precious than we yet realise, especially at their current rate of disappearance.

There is a lot more to be learnt about our local bushland. . .

* Note to the people who maintain our local Public Open Spaces - August is NOT the time to prune these plants! You will be removing the recent winter's growth and flower buds, and depriving us of our coming show of spring flowers. Please wait until late summer or autumn next year before getting out your pruning equipment.

cats in Western Australia - where do we stand?

2011-07-24T17:21:00.004+08:00

Debates about cats, the effects of cats on wildlife and the environment, and the rights of cat owners, have been on-going for many years. There has been a lot of discussion in the media lately, regarding cat laws in Western Australia.

The most recent discussion started late last year, when the City of Swan selected three public parks in Ellenbrook for a trial Cat-free Zone. The parks were Woodlake Park (in Woodlake), Mornington Park (in Coolamon) and Moulton Wetland Park (in Charlotte's Vineyard). A survey conducted by City of Swan in the three areas found that more than three-quarters of local residents gave their support for the zoning. You can read about the survey responses in this November 2010 article in The Advocate newspaper. A further article in December 2010 in The Advocate talked about the use of warning signs, and the impounding of cats found wandering around in these parks.

In June 2011, Western Australia brought in state-wide Cat Laws, encouraging responsible pet ownership, You can download the new Cat Bill from this link. The City of Swan put out a statement in June 2011 in The Advocate, outlining how the new Cat Bill makes it unnecessary for local councils to have Cat-free Zones. They are therefore abandoning the three proposed Cat-free Zones in Ellenbrook. However, the Cat Bill allows authorised persons to impound cats found in a public place, which includes parks, so it effectively gives the City of Swan the same level of control over cats in parks.

In July 2011, the ABC picked up the story and conducted some interviews with people from various backgrounds. Although I don't agree with some of their viewpoints, the article makes an interesting read.

You might be thinking, why am I so interested in all this?

Well, as a passionate bushwalker and wildlife photographer, I often see cats in places where they shouldn't be.


someone's pet in a bushland park in Ellenbrook

The problem isn't just in Ellenbrook, of course. I have seen cats wandering around in bushland and parks all over Perth, and even further afield.

Question: What's wrong with this picture of Burns Beach Nature Reserve?

Answer: It contains a cat.

Most of these are obviously household moggies - well-fed, often with collars, and not really caring if I take their picture, so long as I don't get too close. It wouldn't be so bad if this was all cats do, just sit around under bushes or on logs enjoying the view. But even a cat owner should admit that cats aren't in the park just for the fresh air.

A common misconception is that cats only hunt when they are hungry, and that well-fed cats don't kill birds, therefore pet cats don't do any damage in bushland. This is just not true. Cats hunt because they are cats, and hunting is what they do, hungry or not. Another misconception is that cats hunt only at night. Not true; if it was, cats would not hunt birds during the day (which they do). A third urban myth is that belling a cat warns birds and other animals of the cat's presence. Not true; the only bird that would associate the sound of the bell with a warning of impending danger would be the bird in the cat's mouth. Too late for that bird. But I digress....

I often find tracks of cats, both feral and domestic, in bushland, sometimes many kilometres from the nearest houses. Lately I've made a habit of recording these, because they seem to be on the increase.

domestic cat tracks in moist sand, very easy to see


cat tracks in a Bush Forever site, a LONG way from the houses (dry sand makes the track indistinct and difficult to see)

I also see first-hand how irresponsible pet ownership impacts on bushland and its wildlife. Sometimes the victims are not in bushland, they're in my garden. It's not pretty, finding a patch of feathers or a piece of a deceased skink, or worse.

I was going to put a gruesome photo of the remains of a bird killed by a cat in here, but I decided against it. Instead, here's a photo of a very-much-alive skink on a burnt-out tree stump.

Cats are famous for being very efficient predators of rats and mice, which endears them to the human race for their ability to keep vermin at manageable levels around our buildings and farms. Amazingly, cats can kill animals up to the size of a rabbit. But this ability also makes them quite good at killing a range of other animals as well, such as frogs, lizards, small snakes, pygopods (legless lizards), and of course, birds.

Unfortunately, much of our native wildlife is at risk, because it is in the same "size and weight range" as a rat or mouse. In Ellenbrook, we have many marsupials, and small birds that like to feed and nest on or near the ground. We have a large number of little frogs and lizards that live in leaf litter or burrows at ground level. These are all susceptible to cat attack.

Here is a list of some of the animals in our local parks, at risk from cats:

Mammals (these are in our Bush Forever sites)

Quenda (Southern Brown Bandicoot)

Honey Possum

Brush-tailed Possum
Ash-grey Mouse (a native, not a pest)

Southern Bush-rat (a native, not a pest)

Water Rat (a native, not a pest)
White-striped Freetail Bat

Birds (in bushland, and some of these are in suburban gardens)

Painted Button-quail

Red-capped Parrot

Crested Pigeon

Common Bronzewing

Splendid Fairy-wren
Yellow-rumped Thornbill

Grey Fantail

Brown Honeyeater

White-cheeked Honeyeater

New Holland Honeyeater

Western Spinebill
Silvereye

Reptiles (in bushland and suburban gardens)

Spiny-tailed Gecko

Burton's Legless Lizard
Fraser's Legless Lizard
Keeled Legless Lizard
Western Bluetongue

Fence Skink
Common Dwarf Skink
Western Pale-flecked Morethia (a skink)
Southern Pale-flecked Morethia (a skink)
West Coast Ctenotus (a skink)
West Coast Four-toed Lerista (another skink)
Western Bearded Dragon
Western Heath Dragon
Black-striped Snake (a small inoffensive creature)

Frogs (in bushland and, if you're lucky, in your garden)

Motorbike Frog
Banjo Frog (Pobblebonk)
Slender Tree Frog
Red-thighed Froglet
Moaning Frog
Squelching Froglet
Glauert's Froglet

Sadly, even if an animal survives the initial attack by a cat, it's very likely to succumb to post-attack shock or fatal infection from the wounds inflicted. Cats carry a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii, which doesn't affect the cat itself, but can cause a disease called toxoplasmosis in other animals, as well as in people. The effects of toxoplasmosis can be fatal. The Australian Wildlife Health Network has an excellent factsheet which lists the effects that toxoplasmosis has on Australian wildlife.

After all I've said, I still appreciate that cats are beautiful animals, and they make great pets. Due to their intelligence and adaptability, they are undoubtedly one of the stars of the animal world. But they don't belong in the Australian bushland, and they certainly don't have the "right" to go around killing our wildlife.

If you have a cat, please follow the responsible pet ownership guidelines, and keep your pet on your property. Don't let it loose to stray across roads, into other people's yards, and into parks, where it can get into trouble.

birds watched at Woodlake

2011-07-17T17:54:00.003+08:00

It was a cold breezy overcast day for our bird walk last week at Woodlake. Despite that, a keen group gathered for a one-hour stroll around the lake perimeter. The cold weather didn't deter the birds.

Here's a list of what we saw, with links for more information on each species.

Australian Magpies

Silvereyes

Western Wattlebirds (sometimes called Little Wattlebird)

"Twenty-eights" (Port Lincoln Parrots or Australian Ringnecks)

Galahs

White-cheeked Honeyeaters

Spotted Turtledoves (an introduced species)

The bird highlight of the day, for me, though, occurred when returning to the carpark. There in the shrubs was a Splendid Fairy-wren, shining out in his iridescent blue feathers. We watched for a couple of minutes, then a female appeared and the pair descended to the ground to forage for insects.

birdwatching at Woodlake

2011-07-04T16:46:00.002+08:00

Our next event is a Bird Walk around Woodlake Park, on Sunday 10th July.

We will meet at the carpark next to the Woodlake Community Centre, in Highpoint Boulevard, at 9 am.

The walk will be an easy stroll around the lake-side path, with frequent stops to look at waterfowl, honeyeaters, and perhaps many other kinds of birds. We expect to be back at the carpark around 10 am.

Australian Wood Ducks, female on the left, male on the right

Bring binoculars and a camera. Remember to wear a hat. Children are welcome (with their parents or carers, of course), but pets are not. If there is heavy rain, we may need to postpone to another day (or bring an umbrella!)

Here's a link to this event on Facebook, if you wish to share the details with friends.

The Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata) is just one kind of bird that can be seen at Woodlake Park. The smart grey wings and chocolate head and neck are distinctive. It is also known as the Maned Goose, because of long feathers on the back of the head and neck of the male. This duck foregoes the usual duck habit of nesting amongst reeds on the ground; it nests in tree hollows near water. It has a peculiar un-duck-like call, too; to me, it sounds like "meoooow"! Although usually seen swimming around on the surface of the lake, they can also be spotted out on the lawns around the water's edge, nibbling the grass.

our planting day success

2011-06-16T18:54:00.001+08:00

On Sunday the 12th June, some of us headed out to Aveley to help with some bush rehabilitation. Check it out if you're in the area - it's on the corner of Torres Parade and Argent Street.

Before we started, we were given a quick demonstration of how to plant the tubestock by David and Luke from Natural Area Management & Services. They supplied all the plants that we put into the ground. Luke also dug the holes for the plants, which made the planting really quick for us; it took only an hour or so for us to plant 300 plants.

David shows how to remove a plant from its pot

The two little boys in our work crew did a great job running around and picking up rubbish from the site. They helped Luke with watering the plants with water from a big tank on a truck. I think it's good to see kids getting involved like this - it gives me hope for the future of the environment in the hands of the next generation.

gloves on, let's get to work!

We planted local trees, including Banksia attenuata, Corymbia calophylla and Melaleuca rhaphiophylla, and some local shrubs (such as Allocasuarina humilis, Beaufortia elegans and Regelia inops) as well as native sedges (such as Baumea articulata). The planted area is on the edge of a paperbark wetland, and these local species should blend in well with the existing trees and shrubs. When the trees and shrubs grow bigger, they should provide good habitat for birds such as Grey Fantails, Splendid Fairy-wrens, Yellow-rumped Thornbills and Brown Honeyeaters. These smaller birds depend on local plant species for shelter from predators and the elements, places to nest, and the insects and nectar the plants provide.

We put some stakes and plastic around some of the smaller plants, to protect them from the wind and hungry rabbits. (Yes, unfortunately we have rabbits! They are one of Australia's infamous feral pests - read more about rabbits and the damage they do to bushland here.)

At the end of our planting, we posed for a photo, and had a sausage sizzle and some cool drinks to celebrate having put all the plants in the ground.

some of the less camera-shy work crew

The day was organised by Kellie from Brookfield Vale, who also did a great job supplying the food and drinks, and cooking up the sausages for us all. (Kellie took all these photos too!) The sausages on rolls were delicious!

And since then, we've been having rain this week, so the timing couldn't be better for the plants to get their roots down into the sand and start growing. I want to thank everyone involved for making this planting day a pleasure and a success. I hope we have another planting day soon.

Stay tuned, as I intend to go back periodically and take photos of “our” plants as they grow to maturity.

seasons of ancient trees

2011-05-20T18:26:00.001+08:00

May brings warm clear days interspersed with showers. The Western name for this season is Autumn, traditionally a time when deciduous trees lose their leaves after a show of fire and earth colours. Why do trees lose their leaves? Recycling nutrients, avoiding snow or extreme heat, protecting their roots with the fallen leaves are some of the reasons that science has illuminated. In many of the colder climates of the Northern Hemisphere, trees have bare branches during Winter, and seem to come back to life with a flurry of flower buds and leaves in Spring.

In Western Australia, trees behave very differently to those of the Northern Hemisphere. Our local native trees don't lose their leaves in Autumn. Instead, many of them, such as the Firewood Banksia (Banksia menziesii), start flowering. This beautiful tree has thick leathery leaves of blue-green about 20cm long. The “flower” is actually an inflorescence, composed of hundreds of tiny flowers packed close on a single cone. When in bud, the inflorescence is pinkish green. The flowers start opening from the base of the cone and slowly work their way to the top, changing colour from a silvery reddish pink to bright yellow over several weeks. (That's the usual colour form. See this post from May 2009 to view photos of the other, rarer, colour forms.) The spent flowers darken to a shaggy brown, then fall off to reveal the hard woody cone in the middle.

Banksia menziesii - four "flowers" in different stages of development

Firewood Banksia belongs to an ancient family of plants called Proteaceae, along with Grevilleas, Hakeas, Dryandras and Synapheas. The plants in this family are usually pollinated by birds and small mammals such as the tiny Honey Possum, rather than insects.

Next time you're visiting the WA Museum, have a look at the fossil Banksia on display in the "Diamonds to Dinosaurs" exhibition. It's a rather sobering experience to view leaves and flower cones from millions of years ago, set in stone – they are almost identical to what you can see alive in the bush today.

[The above is an edited extract from an article published in local newspaper "Windows on Ellenbrook" in May 2008. Photo and text by L. Dalgliesh]

Community Planting Day in June

2011-05-14T15:02:00.002+08:00

Brookfield Vale are organising a Community Planting Day on Sunday, 12th June, at the
corner of Torres Parade and Argent Street in Aveley. The day will start at 10:00am, and finish up around 12:30pm with a free sausage sizzle for all volunteers.

The aim is to revegetate a small patch of bare ground adjacent to bushland. Revegetation helps to conserve existing biodiversity. This is a good chance to learn more about local bushland and the plant species that grow there, as well as get some experience in hands-on bushland stewardship. Feel free to ask lots of questions. It's also a great opportunity to meet your neighbours!

we can make a difference

As we will be working outside in the sun, around scratchy bushland plants, please wear protective clothing and footwear - long pants, long-sleeved shirt and sturdy closed shoes or boots with long socks. Gardening gloves, a hat and sunscreen might be useful too. Please bring a bottle of drinking water for yourself.

All planting equipment and plants will be provided.

To RSVP please call Kellie Bennett 9428 6079
or email kellie.bennett at au dot brookfield dot com

April showers

2011-04-27T18:42:00.000+08:00

At last, we are starting to have the kind of weather that we should (historically) be having at this time of the year. Rain! Some bushland plants, such as Hairy Yellow Pea (Gompholobium tomentosum), have new shoots, and will soon be producing flower buds for their flowering season in a few month's time.

Old seed capsules on Gompholobium tomentosum

Waking up this morning to the soothing hum of a drenching rain shower, it was easy for me to imagine all the paperbark trees and banksias soaking up the refreshing water falling on the bushland, after enduring months and months of typical Perth hot dry summer weather.

Wetland is dry land in summer

Winter rains usually start around this time, and then the ephemeral wetlands soak up the rain, until they can't soak up any more, and the water forms pools on the surface of the soil. Some of these trees will be inundated; their roots will be under water. Raindrops sparkle in the foliage, waterways form around the trunks, tadpoles appear.

Dry land becomes Wetland after heavy rain

Don't you think it's amazing that some of our local trees not only tolerate, but thrive in, these very different conditions?

The Great Cocky Count 2011

2011-03-28T19:52:00.000+08:00

On the evening of Thursday, 7 April, hundreds of volunteers will head to various sites across the South West from Geraldton to Esperance and inland to the Wheatbelt. Their mission? To record sightings of Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo, in the Great Cocky Count 2011.

This magnificent bird, once numbering in the tens of thousands, has suffered from the effects of land clearing, shooting and nest robbing; in the last 50 years there has been a 50% decline in the population. Their range has been reduced by up to one third. Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo is now an Endangered species.

Scientists are collecting data to try to work out more precisely how many birds are around, where they roost and where they feed. This is a vital step to help protect the species from further decline. This is where the volunteers come in! Many volunteers, each collecting a little bit of data, make this project much easier to accomplish. The volunteers in the Great Cocky Count will each go to a designated roost site 30 minutes before dusk and then tally the birds that come to the site until 30 minutes after dusk. Simple!

Would you like to help? Check out the Birds Australia link to see how you can get involved.

If you're local to Ellenbrook or nearby, and you'd like to come out with me to count cockatoos, please contact me on my mobile: 0421 735 731. Or email me - ldalgliesh at hotmail dot com.

au clair de lune

2011-03-23T18:18:00.001+08:00

ON Saturday 19th March, Perth was graced with one of the largest full moons to arise for quite a few years. This event is called a supermoon, and is a natural phenomenon caused by the elliptical orbit of the moon around the earth.

Just on sunset, I had an urge to go for a walk and see this phenomenon from a good vantage point in nearby bushland. It was an opportunity to test a few hypotheses about walking around in the bush at night, in particular, orientation and vision. On this occasion, I wasn't interested in trying to see owls, possums, echidnas, spiders or other nocturnal animals. Full moon is not usually a good time to go looking for animals. Most sensible nocturnal animals don't make an appearance - it's probably too easy for predators to locate prey.

I took a waterbottle, a first aid kit, a headtorch, and a spare torch, just in case. No need for a hat or even a camera, and that felt strange at first because I usually take them with me everywhere. As I left suburbia and walked along a wide sandy track towards my favourite banksia woodland, the huge disc of moon, hanging above the hills to the east, lit up the landscape like a floodlight.

I had my headtorch turned off at this stage. After a few minutes of listening and watching, I walked off the track and into the woodland, deliberately choosing an area that was familiar.

By daylight, this is the sort of thing one would see in such an area. (This photo is NOT from my walk, but an example from nearby bushland, with two friends in it for scale.)

an easy walk in daylight

At first, it was so difficult to focus on the shrubs and trees around me, I felt like I was walking through grey cotton-wool. By moonlight, I lose my sense of colour. All was shades of grey, except for the sky which was a beautiful rich grey-blue dotted with a few bright stars. Light grey patches of sand glimmered and became my stepping stones.

Once in a while, I turned the headtorch on, to check if I was about to trip over a log or walk into a spider web, which in retrospect is ridiculous because these things don't bother me during the day (being relatively rare...) I found that turning the headtorch on was detrimental to my sight for the following few minutes, so I stopped using it.

Here's what it's like being out in the bush on a moonlit night - same photo as above, doctored with imaging software.

walking in the moonlight looks like this to me - click on the photo to enlarge it

The most surprising thing was how easy it was to navigate. When I'm out in the bush (in daylight), I use the sun for orientation - morning is east, afternoon is west, and make allowances for the slight difference in angle at noon from one season to the next. I discovered that I can do the same with the moon.

As well as having the lunar guide, there are stars. On the night I was out, the Southern Cross was approximately to the south, and the constellation of Orion was approximately to the north. To top it off, I could still hear the noise of suburbia in the distance. How could one get lost with all those signposts on a clear night?

Walking in bushland on a moonlit night would be a great experience to share with people.

15 March - Meet and greet

2011-03-10T19:04:00.001+08:00

On Tuesday 15 March, we're having an informal meet and greet, to share our vision and information about local bushland. This is an opportunity to get together and talk about what we'd like to do and how we're going to do it.

where: Ellenbrook Place Office, Main Street (above the Library)

when: 7pm

This event is open to all residents of Ellenbrook, The Vines, Henley Brook and Aveley.

Families with children are welcome.

Please RSVP for catering purposes to Erin Money (City of Swan) on 9297 9608.

For more information, phone Linda on 0421 735 731 or email ldalgliesh at hotmail dot com.

Connect on Facebook - ellenbrookbushlandgroup@groups.facebook.com

hope to see you there!

Thankyou, wonderful Clean Up Australia Day volunteers!

2011-03-07T14:33:00.001+08:00

I would like to thank everyone who took part in our local Clean Up Australia Day events. It was good to meet and work with you.

It's great that people are willing to give a couple of hours to clean up local bushland and parks for the benefit of their community.

Here's what we collected at Moulton Wetland Park on Sunday morning, 6th March 2011. This big pile of rubbish took eight people about an hour and a half to collect. The bushland is now looking clean and green, so much better for having many kilograms of drink cans, bottles, food containers, broken toys and clothing taken out. What a fantastic effort!

The fruits of our labours waiting to go to the dump

But I wonder - where does all this rubbish come from, and why does it end up in our beautiful park? And how can we prevent this social illness, instead of just treating the symptoms?

I would love to see a day when Clean Up Australia is no longer necessary.

I'm addicted to picking up rubbish...

2011-02-14T17:53:00.002+08:00

It's on again!

The annual Clean Up Australia event will be held nationwide on Sunday, March 6th, 2011. Rubbish makes our local bushland look untidy, ugly and unloved, and attracts feral animals. Let's do our bit to make our neighbourhood sparkle, and be good role models for other people.

please pick me up for recycling!

Check the Clean Up Australia website for more information - link here.

If you would like to join Fat Bobbie in cleaning up her local stamping ground, Moulton Wetland, please register on the website - link here. If that's too far away for you, there are over four thousand other Clean Up Australia sites across Australia to choose from!

the mammal that everyone forgets

2011-02-08T20:18:00.004+08:00

When most people think of wild mammals around Perth, I suspect that kangaroos are high on the list. We have possums, surely, and quenda (bandicoots). There are chuditch, if you're lucky, and even some native rodents. But what about our flying mammals? The ones we tend to forget about because we never see them?

I'm talking about bats.

This year, 2011, is the International Year of the Bat.

There are basically two types of bat - large ones called flying foxes or fruit bats, and small ones called insect bats or microbats. (If you like your Greek roots and scientific words, they are megachiroptera and microchiroptera, respectively) That's a rough guide - some of the small fruit bats are smaller than the large microbats! A better way to tell them apart is how they navigate in the dark. Fruit bats are visual; they use their very large and sensitive eyes to see where they are flying. Sometimes this doesn't work too efficiently, and they become a tragic mess in powerlines or fences. (We don't have fruit bats in Ellenbrook; it's too cold for them in winter, and we don't have the kinds of trees that they need for pollen and nectar.)

Microbats use a complex system similar to our human invention "sonar" - they make noises and listen to how their surroundings bounce and distort the soundwaves, to form a 3D image in their heads. Microbats therefore have large scoopy ears and weirdly shaped outgrowths on their faces, to catch the reflected soundwaves. In contrast, flying foxes have heads like little dogs.

Around Ellenbrook, we have a few species of microbats, including White-striped Bats (Tadarida australis). These bats sleep in hollows or under loose bark in trees during the day, and emerge at sunset or later to hunt their favourite food; insects. You might sometimes see them skimming around sporting ovals, grabbing the insects attracted to the lights, or flying around above the road surfaces like swallows just on dusk. For an excellent photo of one - here.

White-striped Bats have been chosen as an "indicator species" for scientific study - an indicator of ecosystem health and changing night-time temperatures. The presence of bats in your neighbourhood means that there are probably healthy insects living on healthy trees and shrubs. For the White-striped Bat, it also means that the nights are cool enough for the bats to come out. Usually, the sounds that microbats make are too high-pitched for human ears to pick up, but the White-striped Bat is different. It makes a metallic "chink...chink....chink" which is in our aural range, so it's easy for people to hear, and the call is quite distinctive so it's not likely to be mistaken for much else. So this bat is readily noticed by people who know what they are listening for.

Scientists working with Climate Watch have been collecting observations about the White-striped Bat. Their website - link here - gives you more info about this interesting bat, plus a recording of the call (in case you want to improve your bat observation skills!)

You can read about other kinds of bats on Wikipedia - link here.

in praise of Marri

2011-01-31T09:55:00.003+08:00

If you check out the local bush reserves around Ellenbrook at the moment, you'll see Marri trees (Corymbia calophylla), their branches heavily laden with creamy blossoms. These stout bloodwoods have attractive dark brown trunks and glossy green foliage. The scientific name calophylla means beautiful leaf.

one of Ellenbrook's largest indigenous tree species

Marri are usually around 40 metres in height, a perfect size for parks and acreage. In the wild around Ellenbrook and further afield, marri can be found in groves of about a dozen trees, with a thick understorey of grasstrees and local shrubs. Marri give many things to many creatures; shelter for birds and marsupials, nectar snacks for insects and birds, crunchy fruit for possums, as well as cool shade for the resting bushwalker.

see the nest?

Imagine a grove of mature marri on a hot day. There will be lots of birds resting in the shade of the canopy – tiny birds such as the Yellow-rumped Thornbill, the Grey Fantail, the Brown Honeyeater and the Silvereye, and larger ones such as the Twenty-eight and Red-capped Parrot. Occasionally there may be birds rarely seen such as a sleepy Boobook Owl. Perhaps there is a little possum dozing in a hollow twenty metres up. The flowers are alive with buzzing and flitting things including bees and tiny butterflies, all attracted by the honey-sweet nectar.

a bonanza for birds and insects

There may be couple of small skinks darting around as they hunt for moths and leafhoppers on the rough bark. The shrubs around the base of the tree benefit by the microclimate (shade and humidity) created by the tree.

marri trunk has distinctive bark and "kino" (red sap)

Even the ground around the tree is alive – the thin layer of natural mulch is home for beetles and earthworms, enriching the soil by breaking down the leaves. And you, standing underneath, breathing the air; cooled, filtered and re-oxygenated by Corymbia calophylla. Imagine how many life-forms are sustained by a single mature marri tree! I've heard them described as “apartments for wildlife” but it's more like an oasis resort with free food.

a lone marri on a sandy plain

Marri and other trees have been felled all around Perth to make way for blankets of roofs and hot bitumen. Scientists have recently discovered that cities become a “heat island” with temperatures above the surrounding countryside. Suburbs, including Ellenbrook, have the potential to become insufferable heat traps during our hot dry summers. We can help reverse the “heat island” effect by replacing some of the trees that were cleared.

let's keep the big trees alive in our housing developments!

[The above is an edited extract from an article published in local newspaper "Windows on Ellenbrook" in March 2008. Photos and text by L. Dalgliesh aka Fat Bobbie]

bright blue jewels in the understorey

2010-11-28T09:49:00.001+08:00

One of our most wonderful treasures is the suite of tiny insect-eating birds that inhabit healthy bushland, and in particular the Splendid Fairy-wren (Malurus splendens). This little jewel spends most of its time on or near the ground. During the breeding season, late spring through summer, the adult males have brilliant blue feathers. The females and younger males are always brown, with a blue-ish tail.

Male Splendid Fairy-wren in breeding colours

The males will sometimes sit higher up in a tall shrub, singing a high-pitched reel, while the rest of the family moves around in the shrubs below making softer "contact" calls to each other.

In Ellenbrook, these birds can sometimes be seen darting through the understorey of our larger bushland remnants. Occasionally, Fairy-wrens will come into home gardens which have native plants, to hunt for insects and spiders.

Unfortunately, their preference for staying close to the ground makes Fairy-wrens vulnerable to cats.

Find out more about Splendid Wrens here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malurus_splendens

illegal dumping - fines increase

2010-11-18T10:42:00.001+08:00

It's about time that the penalties for illegal dumping reflected the costs of removing the rubbish and repairing the damage done to the environment. According to the Minister for the Environment, new fines will come into effect in early 2011.

Read more about this in the media release here -

http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/Results.aspx?ItemID=134258

Bushwalkers and other people out in the bush can help by recording details of people seen dumping rubbish illegally. The details (date, time, location, description, photos of the offenders) can be passed on to local shires or other authorities.

Let's do what we can to help stop this vandalism.

Computer monitors - Ellenbrook

A car - on the Darling Scarp near Bullsbrook

Bricks and other construction materials - The Vines

Garden refuse and beer bottles - Woburn Park

Plumbing - Woburn Park

Walking with Snakes

2010-11-02T10:50:00.000+08:00

On Sunday morning, 31st October, a group of families turned up to listen to a talk about our local reptiles, and go for a walk in bushland.

The talk was presented by Gane Doyle from the WA Reptile Park at Henley Brook. Gane shared some of his depth of knowledge about reptiles, including how to tell the difference between and a snake and a lizard, and some points about reptile behaviour. Gane also told us about a little mishap he had while feeding one of the crocodiles at his Reptile Park, hence the bandaged hand.

After the talk, the kids eagerly came forward to inspect the shed skins of snakes and lizards, and looked at photographs of tiger snakes, Burton's legless lizard and a bobtail. The adults kept Gane busy for a while with lots of questions.

Then we headed off for a bushwalk in a nearby paperbark patch, looking at flowers, trees, insects and animal tracks. We kept a sharp eye out for snakes, but didn't see a single one. Snakes are very wary, and a large group of bushwalkers make quite a lot of noise, so I wasn't surprised that we didn't see any snakes. You have to be really quiet to sneak up on a snake.

There were a lot of bobtail tracks in the sand. Here's a photo of a typical lizard track, by a bluetongue lizard. Bluetongue tracks in sand are very distinctive and usually easy to "read" - in this photo below, you can see where the little legs pushed the animal along, and the tail dragged on the ground. The shape of the footprints show that the animal was moving from left to right.

So, how do you tell the difference between a snake and a lizard? Gane said the best way is to look at the tongue. All snakes have a forked tongue. Lizards usually have a fleshy round tongue. The only lizard that has a forked tongue is the goanna (also known as a monitor lizard, or coloquially as a "racehorse lizard") and they are not likely to be mistaken for a snake because they have obvious legs. (Snakes don't have legs!) Some lizards have a snake-like appearance due to having no legs, but their tongues are fleshy and round.

a load of rubbish (and a big smile)

2010-10-25T16:37:00.002+08:00

It was smiles all around on Saturday 23rd October, when we had completed our first Big Spring Clean Up. Some of our bushland and parks are now a lot tidier.

Seven volunteers at Moulton Wetland Park worked tirelessly for over an hour and a half to collect this modest haul of rubbish (photo below). Don't be deceived - there are a lot of bottle caps and tiny pieces of paper and plastic in those bags! And some weeds...

Here's what they collected from Woodlake Park. There were twice as many volunteers at this site, so naturally they collected twice as much rubbish...or did they actually work twice as hard for half the time?? But they certainly found some interesting litter, including a cheque book and an electric drill.

Not to be outdone, the volunteers at The Vines decided to clean up their whole neighbourhood...I heard that Ailsa Park became a rubbish collection depot rather than a mere clean up site.

Volunteers enjoyed a sausage sizzle afterwards, and there were various awards and prizes given out for their wonderful cleaning work. A good effort, everyone! I'm looking forward to the Big Spring Clean Up in 2011. (Keep your eye on this website!)

one healthy lizard

2010-10-25T15:57:00.002+08:00

After five weeks of treatment and specialist care at Kanyana Wildlife hospital, this bobtail came home looking like a different lizard. Instead of the lethargy of a typical bobtail 'flu victim, it was alert, active and showing a good defensive response. The eyes were clear and bright. And look at those glossy scales and that lovely fat tail!

AFTER TREATMENT

Here's the photo from the original post "one sick bobtail" (28th September), plus a close-up of the tail in its emaciated state, so you can see the difference that treatment made to this reptile.

BEFORE TREATMENT

Kudos to Kanyana Wildlife for brilliant work in their treatment and care of native animals. You too can help out our native animals by following Kanyana's first aid for wildlife guidelines, becoming a volunteer carer, or by donation.

counting the days to the Big Spring Clean Up

2010-10-17T13:56:00.001+08:00

Conservation Week 2010 starts next weekend. As part of the "you in the environment" theme, we will be holding the Big Spring Clean Up on Saturday, October 23rd! (Only six more sleeps!)

The Big Spring Clean Up aims to tidy up some of our local parks and bushland around Ellenbrook, The Vines, Henley Brook and Aveley. Many community groups and associations are participating, with the support of City of Swan and Clean Up Australia. We hope to raise awareness in our local community about the impact of rubbish on the environment, and work together to make our local area a cleaner and greener place to live.

All participants are invited to attend a sausage sizzle afterwards, where we will be giving out awards and prizes to celebrate our achievements.

Want to join in? Just turn up to one of the three sites on the day at 8am, with protective clothing, a hat, gloves and bring a water bottle. You can click on one of the three sites below to register on-line, or to find out more.

Ailsa Park in The Vines

Moulton Wetland Park in Charlotte's Vineyard

Woodlake Park in Woodlake

The Big Spring Clean Up is only one of the many events happening for Conservation Week 2010. If you would like more information about the talks, walks, wildlife surveys and other events, please check out the Conservation Council of WA website.

If you live in the area, you may have seen a poster like this in newspapers or on noticeboards.

"Scary swamp" not so bad

2010-10-13T09:16:00.000+08:00

Our most recent walk explored a dark and mysterious wetland in Malvern Springs. It was an overcast and misty-wet morning. I pointed to our destination; a large group of paperbarks, with a thick green canopy. Some of the walkers looked a bit nervous as we left the sandy track and headed towards the heavily-shaded wetland.

During our walk, I talked about how animals and plants survive in their environment. The paperbark trees (Melaleuca preissiana) in this place grow tall and thin, competing for light.

I wanted the walkers to imagine the place we were in, what it would look like with water lapping around the base of the trees. In the past, this wetland may have had as much as 50 cm of water in it. Here's a photo I took in September 2008, after heavy rain. This is what the wetland should always look like in winter. (In summer, it dries out and the soil becomes hard.) On the day of our walk, the ground was quite hard and only slightly damp, because the rain was so light.

The children were excited, and found many interesting things to share; a broken eggshell, perhaps from an owl's nest, some Pink Fountain Triggerplants (Stylidium brunonianum), a small Wolf spider, a butterfly hanging upside-down to avoid the raindrops, grasshoppers, kangaroo scats, a mantis egg-case. To them, it was a magical place - so many things to see, and lots of questions to ask!

I had given the children some rubbish bags, gloves and tongs, and they burnt off their excess energy pouncing on drink cans and odd pieces of food wrapper that had somehow made their way into the wetland. (What a great way to tidy up a bush reserve!) The adults had relaxed; one even commented that the wetland had looked scary from outside, but was ok after all. One keen photographer found a Purple Enamel Orchid (Elythranthera brunonis), and someone else found Cowslip Orchids (Caladenia flava).

We discussed the need to look, listen and be aware of surroundings, including being careful where to walk. We talked about snakes and spiders, about the antlions waiting in the bottom of their sand pit traps to catch and eat ants. We admired the drifts of White Myrtle (Hypocalymma angustifolium). We looked at the vandalism of the paperbarks, and decided that vandalism is not the best way to interact with our wetlands.

I'm sure that these walkers will be good custodians of their local wetland treasure.

Petition for our cockatoos

2010-10-07T12:13:00.008+08:00

If you're a resident of Ellenbrook, you'll have seen our big beautiful squawky cockatoos flying over. They are Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus latirostris). They are an iconic species, once numbering in thousands of birds. But now they are in trouble. Because so many hectares of the trees they feed on have been cleared, their numbers have plummetted.

Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo are listed as Endangered under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Let's act now to stop more trees being cleared, and give the birds a chance at survival. Please click on the website below, and sign the petition.

http://cockatoosneedyou.org.au/

Wildflower photos from our Photography Safari

2010-10-01T09:16:00.001+08:00

I was so busy talking with the large group of people that turned up for our Wildflower Photography Safari (12th September) that I didn't take many photos. But here are some of the photos I did take...

Devil's Pins (Hovea pungens) has purple flowers and stiff leaves with sharp points. It is in the pea family (Fabaceae), and like other peas, produces succulent pods. Unfortunately the pods aren't edible!

Acacia sessilis is a low-growing wattle with little yellow pom-pom flowers. As you can see, it has very similar foliage to Hovea pungens; short spiny leaves.

This is the kind of scenery we were surrounded by during our walk. It's called "open woodland"; small trees that are not too close together, with lots of little shrubs and other interesting plants growing underneath. It's very easy country to walk through. The tree in the middle of the photo is Pricklybark (Eucalyptus todtiana), one of my favourite local trees because of its multiple sculptural trunks. The yellow-flowering shrubs around it are Prickly Moses (Acacia pulchella), another small wattle with pom-poms.

Some sharp-eyed bushwalker found this beautiful spider orchid (Caladenia species). I haven't decided which species it is yet.

There are at least eight species of Caladenia around Ellenbrook, with many subspecies. The most common is the yellow Cowslip (Caladenia flava), of which we saw many during our walk. The Catspaw (Anigozanthos humilis) were starting to come into flower, too.

We all enjoyed our walk, since the weather was cool and there were few ticks. We're hoping to do this again soon!

one sick lizard

2010-09-28T17:54:00.000+08:00

On a recent expedition, someone found a very sick bobtail lizard in bushland. It was emaciated, with a skinny flat tail where it should have a big lumpy fatty one. Although the weather was reasonably warm, the lizard was lethargic and slow-moving. No hissing, no wide-mouthed threat display; no defensive response at all. Instead, half-closed eyes, and a general disinterest in its surroundings. (Exactly how I feel when I have the 'flu.) Off to the vet with you!

Poor bobtail was taken to Kanyana Wildlife Hospital for some expert care and attention. You can read about the treatment they give to bobtail flu victims on this link.

Bobtails, also known as sleepy lizards, pinecone lizards, blue-tongues and shinglebacks, are one of the most commonly-encountered reptiles in the bush. They have the appearance of a slow-moving mini dinosaur. They are not venomous, but their strong jaws are designed for crushing invertebrates so they can give a hard bite. Sometimes they can be found in gardens, where they can thrive and do a brilliant job of keeping the snails and slugs under control. Read more about bobtails here.

If our lizard recovers, it will be brought home to be released in its local bushland home, close to where it came from.

Another adventure in our bushland

2010-08-27T17:08:00.000+08:00

I went for a bushwalk yesterday to see what wildflowers are starting to come out. The bush was glowing with the rich yellows of Hibbertia (Hibbertia subvaginata) and Prickly Moses (Acacia pulchella), and warm orange pea flowers (Bossiaea eriocarpa and Euchilopsis linearis) as well. I wandered through groves of Pricklybark (Eucalyptus todtiana) and the many different banksias, pausing to admire the stout trunks and thick foliage of the WA Christmas Trees (Nuytsia floribunda).

Further on, I stopped to gaze downslope at the paperbarks and wetland sedges about fifty metres to my left. A distant rustling drew my attention to a small dark animal pushing slowly through the undergrowth about twenty metres away. What could it be? It was about the size of a basketball, but not quite as round of course, and moving deliberately without any sign of fear, so it probably hadn't noticed me. I carefully slid my backpack to the ground, and stooping, took out my camera, all the while keeping my eyes on the dark fur.

The animal moved a little closer, and then I could see long caramel-coloured spines on the fat body. I saw the small head come up momentarily and there was a long dark beak. Ahah!

(Can you see the animal in this photo?)

What a wonderful sight on a cool winter's afternoon! I moved in a little closer and took another photo, keeping the breeze in my face and the animal in front of me so it would not be able to pick up my human scent. (These animals reputedly have poor eyesight but good hearing and an excellent sense of smell.) I moved as stealthily as I could, but it was difficult because there were dry leaves and branches scattered everywhere across the sand.

It was a big fat echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), foraging for food. The photo above is a back view - see the lovely patterns of spines around the two back legs and the tail? Usually echidnas don't come out during the day unless the weather is cool; they're nocturnal and seldom seen. I have spotted echidnas in broad daylight before, but this was the first time I'd had a camera with me; a great opportunity for photos.

I followed the echidna around for about fifteen minutes, watching quietly as it thrust its beak into the ground, or waddled around amongst fallen timber looking for termites and ants.

In this photo, the echidna has the front part of its head in the ground. I watched as it dug a furrow and broke open an underground termites' nest, pushing its head along just under the surface, propelled by short stout (and very strong) legs. Here's a photo of the furrow it left.

Lastly, the echidna climbed up on some fallen timber to investigate its potential for termites, and I managed to get the best picture of the day.

The bushland continues to amaze me; something new to experience every time.

Celebrate the arrival of spring - Wildflower Photography Safari

2010-08-12T10:25:00.051+08:00

Spring is just around the corner and we'll soon be heading off into the bush to capture some of our stunning wildflowers on camera. Here are the details:

Wildflower Photography Safari

When: Sunday 12th September

Where: meet at 8:30 am at The Grapevine carpark, Brookmount Drive, Charlotte's Vineyard

What to bring: camera, macro lens if you have one, water bottle, notepad

What to wear: sturdy boots or shoes, long socks, long pants, long-sleeved shirt, hat

Please leave pets at home, as we will be going into a nature reserve.

Beginning bushwalkers are welcome! The walk will be guided by experienced local biologists and nature photographers, who know the local bushland because they've walked in it so often.

We hope to find the elusive orchids, triggerplants and sundews, which are only visible during certain times of the year.

Ellenbrook has many species of these plants in local bushland. There will be lots of other flowers as well, such as cottonheads, (Conostylis), Hibbertia, myrtles (Hypocalymma), acacia and maybe some native flags (Patersonia occidentalis).

Sharing knowledge with the community

2010-07-31T12:46:00.000+08:00

One of the big threats to local bushland is land clearing. Often, bushland is cleared in one morning's work in a bulldozer. It's very sad to see the carnage afterwards - broken trees, shrubs that have been ripped out of the ground, plants that could have been transplanted but were instead broken in half, dead lizards, and perhaps the most heart-rending; birds flying around trying to land in invisible trees where their nests had been. There must be a better way to create a new subdivision than this.

Some of our local animals are very slow moving, especially the reptiles in cool weather. They're just not fast enough to get away from a bulldozer. This bobtail was run over by a bulldozer.

At other times, bushland dies a death of a thousand cuts - what starts as healthy trees and understorey is gradually killed off by the actions of grazing animals, off-road enthusiasts, arsonists, rubbish dumpers, weeds and feral animals. At the end of this, the patch of bushland may be so severely degraded that it no longer looks attractive, and owners or neighbours are keen to see it bulldozed.

One of the aims of the Ellenbrook Bushland Group is to educate people on how to look after bushland. Firstly, it's about showing people the value of bushland. Bushland helps to improve our local air, water and soil quality, and a walk amongst healthy trees and birds is good for one's health and wellbeing. It's perhaps even more enjoyable if you know what you are looking at when you go for a walk - if you can put a name to the flowers and trees, and understand how the animals fit in. How many people have seen this little animal, and know what it is?

I'm still surprised by people who look at wildflowers and think they are just weeds; it just shows how little some people know about where they live. For example, I've heard banksia woodland (shown below) described as "just scrub" or "cr@ppy bushland". (Have some respect!!)

Secondly, it's knowing that bushland doesn't need fertilizers, sprinklers, mulch, or other "exotic" treatments to stay healthy (and these things are actually detrimental to the health of our bushland.) It's appreciating the ancient trees, cycads and other plants for what they are. It's recognising the amazing adaptations in our local bushland; the intricate webs that strengthen the survival rates of the lifeforms, and produce a stunning array of patterns, shapes, colours, smells and movement...this is what biodiversity is about, and we are part of it.

We need to ensure that the small areas of bushland still remaining are retained. And we can all help by picking up the occasional scrap of rubbish, pulling a weed out, and keeping our vehicles and pets out of nature reserves.

Dumping in bushland

2010-05-29T18:12:00.000+08:00

During a recent discussion with some neighbours and local government, the subject of rubbish came up. It seems that we're all tired of seeing people throwing rubbish out of car windows, especially cigarette butts on a hot dry summer's day. What a fire hazard! But there's something else that is just as irresponsible.

Here's something highly unpleasant that I occasionally see when I go bushwalking....

It's obviously rubbish from someone's backyard make-over; timber and corrugated iron that was probably a fence or a backyard shed. A couple of bags of household rubbish (clothes, old tools, etc) were tossed to the right. There's some broken plate glass in there too. It was all dumped on the side of a dirt track in bushland near Ellenbrook. I have reported it and hope that it is cleaned up soon, but the authorities tell me that in some areas they have to do weekly cleanups to remove this kind of rubbish, and worse. I have seen washing machines, televisions, computers, sacks of chicken carcasses, car parts, old medicines, newspapers, building materials, lawn clippings and furniture.

I don't understand why people do this. Why do some people find it easier to load a huge pile of rubbish onto a 4WD to drive many kilometres and dump it in beautiful bushland? (Rather than go to a tip, or even wait for one of our regular kerbside clean-up days, like other people?) Why do some people treat our bushland (and our beaches, rivers, wetlands and other natural areas) with such disregard? What is lacking in their education and sense of self that would make them do such a thing?

The Grandmother Tree

2010-05-25T16:42:00.001+08:00

Many people living around Perth have no idea of the size and antiquity of our indigenous trees. I suspect some have never visited our extraordinary bushland areas!

I'd like to share with you some photos of "The Grandmother Tree", which lives in a Bush Forever Site next to Ellenbrook. The base of the tree measures about 5m in circumference. The tree species is Stout Paperbark (Melaleuca preissiana).

Photos do not do it justice! I haven't been able to find tables matching age of this species to its girth, so can only guess at how long it has been growing. Since Federation (January 1901) - a mere 110 years? Absolutely. Since European settlement of Western Australia (in 1829), 180 years ago? Highly likely. I suspect this tree might be closer to 300 years old, or even more. The soft papery bark bears scars from some bushfires over its lifetime, and has, paradoxically, protected the tree from being burnt. These large trees provide nectar for honeyeaters and Honey Possums, as well as shelter and a place to raise their young.

You would think that such an enormous tree would stand out like a sore thumb in the landscape. But look at this photo, taken from a hilltop. The Grandmother Tree is in the middle distance, about 250m away, on the right. Can you see it in this photo?

(Not the tall jarrah!) How about in this one, a section of the above photo enlarged?

The Grandmother Tree is in a low part of the landscape, and is the dark patch in the middle, to the left of the tall Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) which is on a hill. It's not the only large tree in the area. Here it is circled below in yellow.

This tree is one of our local treasures. It, and others like it, is an important part of local biodiversity, and needs to be conserved and protected from any proposed development or changes to land planning.

Perfect weather for bushwalking

2010-05-15T12:43:00.003+08:00

With the recent appearance of cooler temperatures (around 19 to 25 degrees Celsius during the day) it's suddenly become an absolutely perfect time to explore our local bushland. We've had two guided bushwalks into the areas north of Charlottes Vineyard, on the mornings of Friday 14th and Saturday 15th May.

The Firewood Banksia (Banksia menziesii) is just starting to come into flower now, so some of the honeyeaters are visiting it to collect its nectar. This tree also provides food (seeds and borer grubs) for the endangered Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo.

Friday 14th May - Wild Women's Walk

The group of intrepid walkers braved a cool morning to climb to the lookout and watch the sun rising over the hills through layers of fog. Then we headed off to the north, through banksias and WA Christmas trees, to visit one of Fat Bobbie's favourite spots - a huge old Stout Paperbark (Melaleuca preissiana) which has been nicknamed "the Grandmother tree". This tree measures five metres around its base, and has a beautifully gnarled papery trunk marked by bushfires.

Birds started to come out to call and forage as we picked our way through the trees to return to the hilltop. We stopped to look at ancient cycads (Macrozamia riedlei) on the way.

Saturday 15th May - Family Bush Adventure
Not much fog on this morning, but plenty of animal tracks to look at! The children found the tracks of Western Grey Kangaroos, Black-gloved Wallabies, Southern Brown Bandicoots and Common Bronzewing on their trek through the banksia woodland.

(If we weren't so noisy, we may have seen a couple of these animals during our adventure.)

We also stopped to admire a grove of small Pricklybark (Eucalyptus todtiana) growing in the sand.

One of the kids found a patch of sundews (Drosera sp.), and our resident botanist explained how these little plants feed on insects to supplement the low nitrogen levels of the soil. Our trek took us along an old bush track through banksia woodland, and then through an old pine plantation to return to the lookout.

For future events, please check our listings above, as we will soon be adding more.

Twilight adventure in Karakamia

2010-04-17T17:05:00.003+08:00

Last night, a large group of excited adults and children visited Karakamia Wildlife Sanctuary. Karakamia is run by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, and covers over 200ha of beautiful bushland with jarrah and marri trees, with rolling hills and small creeklines.

The first place we visited was the information centre, a rustic log house, where we met our guides, and split into two smaller groups.

Our guides took us carefully through the bush just after sundown. We learned about the various nocturnal mammals that live in the forest, such as the woylie (a.k.a. Brush-tailed Bettong), quenda (Southern Brown Bandicoot) and Tammar wallabies. We saw all of these animals during our walk, as they foraged in the undergrowth for their food, safe from harm. Karakamia Sanctuary is surrounded by a "predator-proof" fence, which keeps out feral animals like foxes, cats and dogs.

There were so many things to look at; golden orb spiders, leaf-curl spiders, trees that are hundreds of years old, and places where animals had dug for food. We saw a trapline put in by visiting biologists to study small animals. Our guides showed us places where some of the animals live, such as goanna burrows, and possum hollows in wandoo trees. We learned a little bit about the jarrah forest web of life.

After two hours of walking, looking and listening, we headed back to the log house for well-deserved cups of tea and snacks. What an exciting adventure!

Ellenbrook Bushland Group, in association with City of Swan, is planning more adventures like this one for local residents. Keep an eye on the Upcoming Events listing above.

The Great Cocky Count - debriefing

2010-04-08T07:28:00.000+08:00

I headed out yesterday afternoon to my designated observation site near The Vines to take part in The Great Cocky Count. It was beautiful weather; clear skies with almost no cloud, and comfortably cool (around 22 degrees Celsius). The site was in a Bush Forever area, and a quick walk around it revealed large mature paperbark trees (mostly Melaleuca rhaphiophylla) as well as Marri (Corymbia calophylla) and other gum trees, surrounding a natural spring. I chose a place on top of nearby earthworks, about 180 metres away, to view the site as dusk approached. Two kangaroos bounded past, startled.

It was a quiet evening. I waited impatiently for Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus latirostris) to make an appearance. Usually flocks of these birds can be heard from several hundred metres away, but I heard only a few magpies and butcherbirds carolling the sunset. I watched the colours changing on the Perth Hills with the fading light, and picked a few more ticks off my socks. Commercial jets droned overhead on their early descent to Perth airport, all flashing lights and brightly-lit tails. But no flocks of big black birds arrived. It soon became obvious that Carnaby's might not be coming to roost on this occasion.

At 6:40pm, I packed up my binoculars and notepad. My count for the evening was zero. From a scientific viewpoint, this is still a result, and however disappointing, it's important that it's included in the survey. I hope the other volunteers had more impressive counts!

NEEDED - field assistants for The Great Cocky Count 2010

2010-04-01T16:53:00.002+08:00

Wednesday April 7th is marked on our calendars for the next Great Cocky Count - a day when dedicated birdwatchers "stake out" at likely places to watch Carnaby's Black-Cockatoos as they come in to roost.

Although flocks of hundreds of birds are sometimes seen, the numbers of Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo have fallen by 50% over the last forty years. Many areas of cockatoo food plants have been cleared, and the cockatoos face competition from feral animals for nesting sites.

This survey helps scientists to work out what is happening with this Endangered species, and hopefully show local government and other groups which areas of bushland need to be retained for the species' survival. The survey is a joint project between Birds Australia and the Department of Environment and Conservation.

The Great Cocky Count is an excellent way to help our local biodiversity. If you would like to join Fat Bobbie for the Great Cocky Count, and help her with recording the numbers of birds coming in to roost, please send an email to ldalgliesh at hotmail dot com with your name and contact details. First in, best dressed! The evening's "stake out" will start around 5:30pm, and you will need to be fit enough to walk about 2km across rough terrain (and in the dark!) to the survey site and back.

Read more about the Great Cocky Count in my Community, and about the biology of Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo on Wikipedia and the Threatened Species Day website.

Mini-Expo

2010-03-09T14:37:00.002+08:00

This month, Ellenbrook Bushland Group, along with other local community groups, will be taking part in Mini-Expo at the Ellenbrook Community Library.

This is your chance to come and chat with resident experts, and find out more about our local plants and animals. Ask questions about wildlife, bushwalking and ecosystems. Feel free to bring photos you'd like to share with us, or have identified. We will have a touch table and lots of interesting bits and pieces to look at.

DATE: Saturday 27th March
TIME: 10.00am – 2.00pm
LOCATION: Ellenbrook Community Library, 90 Main St, Ellenbrook
COST: Free

For more information about Mini-Expo, please contact the Ellenbrook Community Library by phoning 9297 9600. This event is supported by City of Swan.

Industrial Land Strategy - please make your voice heard!

2010-03-05T18:00:00.001+08:00

Interested in the future of Perth? Want to know where the next industrial development might be?

The WA Government has released a document called "Industrial Land Strategy 2009 - Perth and Peel", and this is now open for you to make comments. All submissions are completely confidential. The closing date for comments is 31 March 2010.

The document shows the plans for future development of industrial sites around Perth. It lists priority and possible future industrial sites, which may become places for general and light industry. The possible industrial sites include areas close to Ellenbrook, such as Bullsbrook townsite, North Ellenbrook, Gnangara, Whiteman, Pinjar South and Jandabup. It includes maps, and discusses why each site might, or might not, be good as an industrial area.

If you want to take a look at this document, please go to the Department of Planning website, where you can download a PDF -

http://www.planning.wa.gov.au/Plans+and+policies/Public+comment/2044.aspx

There are also comment forms and the provision to make online comments on the above link.

Please consider adding your voice to those of people who feel strongly about this planning strategy.

Encounter with a legless lizard

2010-02-28T17:44:00.000+08:00

While helping out at "Clean Up Australia" in Moulton Wetland today, I saw a beautiful pygopod - Burton's Legless Lizard (Lialis burtonis). These lovely creatures look a bit like long sleek skinks without legs, and are usually colourful and have stripes and spots. Their heads are very elongated with a pointed snout, often with white stripes along the jaws. I have seen light rust-orange animals, and grey animals with longitudinal black stripes, and plain grey, and light brown.

If you've never seen one before, please check out these website links to see pictures -

http://www.kingsnake.com/oz/lizards/legless/lburton.htm

http://cms.jcu.edu.au/discovernature/herpscommon/JCUDEV_006360

The little animal I saw was sunning itself on a patch of sand amongst Melaleucas. Most times when I see a pygopod, they are quick to move under a shrub to hide. This one didn't, it just lay there! I stooped down to have a closer look at it, wondering if it was sick or asleep, but no, it was alive and alert, looking at me. It even let me gently stroke its tail. I wish I'd had a camera with me.

It makes me sad to think that sometimes these animals are mistaken for snakes, and needlessly killed.

Getting excited about rubbish...

2010-02-15T09:21:00.005+08:00

It's almost that time of year again - Clean Up Australia Day! It's a pleasure to walk around in a patch of bush with people picking up rubbish, knowing that we are doing a service to the community.

This year is Clean Up Australia Day's 20th year. So far, three Clean Up events have been organised for Ellenbrook and The Vines. Click on the links for info about times and contact details, or to add yourself to the list of volunteers.

Charlotte's Vineyard - Sunday 28th February at Moulton Wetland Park - link
The Vines - Sunday 7th March at Ailsa Park - link
Coolamon - Sunday 7th March at Mornington Park aka "The Billabong" - link

If you want to organise your own event, please go to the Clean Up Australia Day home page for more info - http://www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au/

Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo : Endangered Species

2010-01-29T17:40:00.001+08:00

Every day this week, I've enjoyed my early morning cuppa to the sounds of Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo. One morning I saw a flock of about 200 big black birds floating across the sky, with the young fledglings calling to their parents - a magnificent sight. This morning I saw groups of twos and threes for about an hour. Two hundred might sound like a large flock ...but records of forty years ago say there were flocks of thousands, or tens of thousands, of birds. I would just love to see that.

Moulton Wetland in Ellenbrook is apparently one of their stopovers for snacks and a snooze. The cockatoos sit up high in the Banksias and marri (Corymbia calophylla), feasting on the flowers and seeds. They are so quiet that you wouldn't know they were there. Sometimes a whole flock can disappear into the tree tops, reappearing after a couple of hours of feeding and resting. Considering that these birds fly a long distance from coastal areas to the Wheatbelt and back every year, they really need these places to rest and refuel on the way.

This photo shows what's left of the "honkey nuts" (gumnuts from Corymbia trees) after the cockatoos have removed the seeds!

Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo is an Endangered Species. The main threat to the birds is from habitat loss, i.e. clearing of native vegetation. We really need to look after the bushland that remains, because without it, we lose not only the plants but the animals that depend on them.

I would like to see more plantings of banksias (especially Banksia attenuata, Banksia menziesii, Banksia ilicifolia, Banksia littoralis and Banksia grandis), marri (Corymbia calophylla) and jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) for these birds. Other animals would benefit too. So many hectares of healthy cockatoo food trees have been knocked down to make way for our houses and roads. Surely it would be simple to replant even a few trees in parks and along streets? How about a few trees in a corner of a schoolyard for environmental studies? Or even an ornamental specimen in the front garden?

For more information about Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo, try these links:

an easy-to-read brochure about the Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo Recovery Project - here

a list of plants that the birds use for food - here

some scientific information including habitat, life cycle, threats, with maps - here

Brightly-coloured life

2009-12-09T06:18:00.005+08:00

Our recent bushwalk gave us opportunities to see some absolutely stunning wildflowers. Two plants I want to share with you are the Western Australian Christmas Tree, and the Morrison Featherflower. I chose these two because they have identical flower colour, and if you're driving around Ellenbrook you might see these brilliant yellow-orange blossoms. They are an iconic colour in our bushland at this time of year.

The WA Christmas Tree (Nuytsia floribunda) is the world's largest mistletoe. How apt that it flowers around December! Here are a couple of photos.

You will see in the above photos that the leaves are quite dark green. Often the trunks have been burnt, making these trees very distinctive in Perth bushland - black trunks, dark green leaves, bright orange-yellow flowers.

Morrison Featherflower (Verticordia nitens) is a shrub with an unusual umbrella-shaped growth on a long stalk. The flowers tend to form a cap. Some people mistakenly think that this plant is a "baby Christmas Tree". The petals have soft feathery margins, hence the common name of featherflower. Here are some photos, below.

When you're travelling around, keep an eye out for these spectacular plants. Try taking some photos of them. You could even try growing them - Morrison Featherflower is great in the garden, and I have half a dozen plants growing along the path to my front door to welcome guests.

Our next bushwalk - 6th December

2009-11-23T09:13:00.003+08:00

The Ellenbrook Bushland Group, in association with the City of Swan, is going for a bushwalk, and you're invited to come with us.

We will meet at The Grapevine - 1 Brookmount Drive, Charlotte's Vineyard at 8am on Sunday 6/12/09. The aim is to introduce Ellenbrook residents to the wonders of our beautiful bushland - the trees, birds, wildflowers, lizards and insects. The walk will be guided by experts on our indigenous fauna and flora, and is designed for people who are new to bushwalking.

If you would like to join us, please RSVP by clicking on "comments" below, and leaving your first name in the comment box.

You will need to wear sturdy shoes or boots, long-sleeved shirt and long pants, and a broad-brimmed hat. The UV index will probably be 12 (Extreme), so you might like to wear sunscreen as well. Please bring your water bottle - there are no drinking fountains in the bush! And bring a camera if you're into photography. (Please don't bring pets.)

Yes, we have echidnas...

2009-11-16T08:12:00.002+08:00

Someone asked me yesterday about echidnas. Do we have echidnas in Ellenbrook? Yes, we certainly do, but you won't see them wandering around in broad daylight in your street, because they tend to be nocturnal. And they prefer to stay in bushland, where there are tasty insects to eat, and shady places to sleep. So, unless you have local plants and logs and termite mounds in your backyard, you probably won't ever find an echidna there.

Echidnas are heavy-set animals with thick spiky fur and long sharp quills. They have sharp claws for digging into dirt and old timber, and a long "beak" and tongue for eating termites and ants. They are monotremes - a special kind of mammal that lays eggs but suckles its young with milk. Their eyes are small, and it seems that they rely a lot on their sense of smell. Have a look at this link for more information and photos.

My bushwalking friends and I often see evidence of echidnas in bushland. We see termite mounds with large holes scratched in them, and cylindrical "scats" (poo) that look like clay mixed with dead insects. Sometimes we find rotting logs that have been ripped open, and distinctive tracks across patches of sand. Look at this photo - an echidna had moved a small log to dig into the termite nest under it. There are echidna footprints in the remains of the termite nest.

We know the echidnas are around, but they are difficult to find.

When you drive on roads near bushland at night, please slow down and keep an eye out for animals. Echidnas, bandicoots, wallabies and other native animals have no idea about road safety.

world's biggest dugite and the Japanese hen

2009-11-01T08:42:00.001+08:00

Ellenbrook is having a spell of cooler weather (11 to 24 degrees Celsius) and it’s a perfect time to go bushwalking. So yesterday I headed off for a long stroll amongst the banksias and paperbarks.

At about 4pm I was carefully picking my way through an ephemeral wetland. These kinds of wetlands have huge paperbark trees (typically Melaleuca preissiana) and a thick patchy understorey of shrubs and sedges. Ephemeral wetlands in this part of

Australia

have water lying on the surface after rain in winter, and are dry most of the remainder of the year. But the shrubs and trees are great places to see animals. It’s slow going through this kind of country.

I noticed a big shiny long dark animal lying on top of some low shrubs, sunning itself. I was about to put my foot down about 1m in front of its head. Then I found myself retracing a few slow steps. I’d taken it all in, processed, reacted, and finally my brain said, “Stop, look at the snake!” It was beautiful; glossy and in good health. The head was slightly larger than my thumb, raised off the ground and turned slightly to look at this large beast blundering through its home territory (me). The body was about 2cm thick in the middle. The colouring was a uniform dark brown to black on the top and graduated to a lighter reddish orange-brown on the sides, with no markings. The head was a lighter reddish brown with a distinct “venomous snake” shape. I couldn’t see the whole length because the rear end was hooked in through the understorey, but what I could see was about 1.5m of Dugite (Pseudonaja affinis). I walked quietly past without the snake even flicking its tongue. When I was safely past, I had an urgent need to have another look at it, just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming! This was the FIRST time I’ve seen a snake during my bushwalks around Ellenbrook (in hundreds of hours over three years of exploring). So I crept back, and the snake just lay there placidly, unperturbed. What a beauty! I continued on my walk.

After a few hours of wandering, the sun was setting and it was time to go home. As I walked back through banksia woodland on ancient dunes, I saw a tiny cartoon-ish face peering at me out of the sand. I stooped to look closer. Children’s plastic toy? Piece of rubbish? I took hold of it, and it was firmly embedded, so I dug it out. It was a little pottery chicken, intact except for a couple of chips; white with black scallops and orange wattles. A faded label said “Handcrafted Otagiri JAPAN”. Possibly a salt shaker, judging by the two small holes. How did this thing come to be in bushland? It’s probably the weirdest “lost” item I’ve found yet.

the birdwatcher's ear

2009-10-28T08:36:00.002+08:00

I love to witness the daily phenomenon called the "dawn chorus". Strangely, it's not really just at dawn, and it's not a chorus. "Pre-dawn multi-species polyphony" might be a better description!

About an hour before the sun comes up, the birds start waking up and starting their day; preening, looking around for breakfast, and calling to establish territories and locate the members of their family. I guess it's the equivalent of people wandering around the house, putting coffee on, preparing some muesli and yoghurt, and saying good morning to each other.

This morning the sun rose at 5:22am, but the birds had been up and calling since at least 4:45am. I was wandering around on the edge of a Bush Forever Site around 5am. It was too dark to see the birds, so I had to rely on identifying their calls.

Here are some of the birds I heard in the "dawn chorus", and a rough description of the sounds they make:

Western Wattlebirds - rolling chuckles
New Holland Honeyeaters - chirpy tweety noises; contact calls to other family members
Brown Honeyeaters - soft clicks, hoarse rasps and a sweet ringing song
Australian Ringnecks ("Twenty-eights") - "da-da ding ding ding" like a doorbell
Red-capped Parrot - high-pitched whistly squeaks
Rufous Whistler - ringing "eeee- chong" and ringing song
Splendid Fairy-wrens - high-pitched descending metallic reel "twisty twisty twisty twisty"
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike - rusty weedly creaks
Laughing Kookaburra (note that this bird is not native to WA) - maniacal cackling

Birds seem to me to be louder when it's rainy or overcast, but maybe it's because sound travels further in wet air than in dry air. (Alternately, it could be that the birds notice the change in the acoustics of their surroundings, and sing louder - much like people do when they discover the acoustics of the bathroom!)

kangaroo talk

2009-10-09T18:44:00.002+08:00

Another long walk in the bush this week has given me some surprising new experiences about wildlife. I was lucky enough to see two of our largest indigenous animals, the Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus) and Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), doing stuff that these animals generally do. This is quite amazing, considering that I was only a stone's throw from suburbia.

The emu was walking along a footpath, looking wistfully through a fence at a small bushland reserve on the other side. I could almost hear the little cogs turning, as it tried to work out how to get into the bushland. The emu went up and down the fenceline, at a casual pace, paused for some photos taken by a smiling woman and her astonished children on a stroll, then wandered further north. As there is lots of nice bushland further north, I feel I don't have to worry too much about the welfare of this magnificent big bird. I followed its example and headed north.

Beautiful banksia woodlands, a big open wetland of sedges and hundreds of other different plants, and some big Melaleucas awaited. I rested in the shade of a massive Melaleuca preissiana for a few minutes. Then I headed further north along a sandy track for about 2km, until I reached the northern boundary of the bush reserve. Kangaroos every few hundred metres, kangaroo scats, kangaroo prints in the sand, signs where kangaroos had nibbled plants. It was as if I was on the home territory of the large furry macropods. I was startled when a big male 'roo bounded out about 20m in front of me, and started "vocalizing" (the scientific term) or "making a loud noise that sounded like an angry woman roaring" (my description). Did I say startled? I quietly made my way behind a dense shrub and listened to the amazing sounds. I tried to remember if there were any reports of male Western Greys harassing solo bushwalkers. Nope. Eastern Greys, yes, but not Western Greys. Finally, I'd had enough of the animal blocking my path, so I made what I hoped sounded like a dog noise, and the 'roo bounded away. Phew.

It's easy to think that kangaroos are silent creatures, but it's just not true. (Neither are emus, for that matter.) I have often heard the distress call of joeys when they have wandered too far from the safety of mum's pouch and are feeling threatened by my presence; it sounds like a short choking cough. Very much like the noise made by a cat trying to rid itself of a hairball! This is sometimes accompanied by a nervous flick of the joey's little tail. The mother responds with a soft click, I think, and joey scampers away. I would love to try recording these sounds, but don't want to carry too much equipment on my adventures. (I think this would require at least a shot-gun microphone, a pair of headphones and a good digital recorder.....and the camera, as well, of course.)

Sadly, my camera is awaiting repairs, so I have nothing to show from my long walk besides this blog.

the donkey in the (orchid) stable

2009-09-25T17:47:00.006+08:00

Since today was a break in the wet weather, I took the opportunity to take photos around Moulton Wetland. One of the first exciting things I found was this orchid (Diuris magnifica), known around Perth as the Pansy Orchid. The orchids in the genus Diuris are commonly called donkey orchids.

Have a look at those gorgeous shades of yellow, brown, green and purple-pink! In this photo, the orchid at the rear is facing away, and you can see how different are the patterns on the back of the petals.

I'm really pleased to see how these orchids have survived in this bush remnant. Last year there was a tiny group of plants. This year, I found many more flowers, and it seems there are more plants than last year. Long may they live in our local nature reserves.

'tis the season for Orchidaceae...

2009-09-20T15:55:00.013+08:00

September seems to be "the" season for orchids. Western Australia has over 700 species of orchids. In contrast to orchids found in other areas of the world, the ones in the south-west are all "ground orchids" - they have an underground tuber or root system in the soil, and are ephemeral (i.e. they like to frustrate botanists and photographers by disappearing back into the soil when they have finished their pollination cycle.) Compare this with tropical and sub-tropical orchids, which are found all year round, growing on trees or cliff-faces, as climbers or epiphytes.

All Western Australian orchids are protected by law.

Hunting for orchids can easily become an obsession. They can be difficult to find, because of their "here today, gone tomorrow" lifestyle. On many occasions, I have visited a place where I found a nice photogenic orchid a week earlier, and do you think I can find it again? Sometimes it's because they are tasty and the wildlife can't resist having a bit of a chew... other times because the flowers last for only a few days.

The plants are dormant for most of the year, and leaves generally pop out of the soil in late winter. Even so, they are easily overlooked, and almost impossible to identify to species level, until they are in flower. They have gorgeous flower colours and shapes, but are so small that getting a focus on them is taxing, therefore they are fun to photograph!

Above: a greenhood orchid, from the genus Pterostylis. I think it's Pterostylis sanguinea. It doesn't have a common name in wide usage. "Sanguinea" refers to the blood-red stripes, but having a common name such as "Blood-red Greenhood" would be too weird.

Above: the Purple Enamel orchid (Elythranthera brunonis). This orchid, with its glossy surfaces, is a little shining jewel in the understorey. The back of the petals are white with purple spots, a bit of a "faux fur" pattern. This species has a cousin called the Pink Enamel orchid. (Guess what colour that one is?)

This photo, above, is of a Leek Orchid, in the genus Prasophyllum. This one is probably the Autumn Leek Orchid, Prasophyllum parvifolium.

A beautiful white orchid, above, the white version of the Pink Fairy Orchid (Caladenia latifolia). The more usual colour is a light pastel pink, the colour of a strawberry milkshake, with the little fringed section in the middle white.

This, above, is one of the easiest orchids to identify, and one of the most widespread throughout the south-west of WA. It's the Cowslip Orchid (Caladenia flava). (Yes, I know that the flowers are "upside-down" but that's how they were in the bushland.) There is wide variation in the colouring; some orchids have no red at all, some are very yellow, some very "faded" to off-white. I wonder how many kids in Ellenbrook are familiar with this flower?

This one, above, is a strange looking little creature, isn't it? It's called a Flying Duck Orchid. The scientific name is Paracaleana nigrita. These orchids grow in patches of grey sand on the edges of Melaleuca wetlands. Oh, there's that funny pink background* again.

Last photo, above, is Pheladenia deformis. It has no common name, but I would love to call it the Cool Violet Orchid because it flowers in winter, earlier than most other orchids, and of course because of its colour. The area that I found this orchid is now a construction site. Fortunately, this species has a wide distribution, so I know for sure that wasn't the last one on earth.

One amazing thing about these orchids is that none of them need the European honey bee for pollination. Instead, orchids are pollinated by orchid wasps and other indigenous insects.

Hopefully all these species, and many others, will continue to live in our bushland remnants in Ellenbrook, as well as the nearby Bush Forever sites.

*If you're wondering why there is a hand in the photos, there are two reasons. One is that it's usually a wet windy day when I go orchid hunting, and secondly that the orchids are small and I like to use centred autofocus to get a fix on them... so it helps to have my hand behind them as a wind-guard and close background for the autofocus. Usually I get down on the ground to take photos of orchids. So, it's dirty work on a wet day. It's funny how many people have stopped to help me "look for something" when they see me searching diligently near a roadside! But, thankyou...

It's a wasp! It's a bee! No, it's a HOVERFLY!

2009-09-05T16:46:00.009+08:00

Most people hate wasps, tolerate bees, and haven't got a clue what a hoverfly is. But if you have a garden or go bushwalking, I bet you've seen plenty of hoverflies and not realised what they are.

Imagine an insect about the size of a small blowfly, with a skinny body and big eyes. Six legs, two wings, and an abdomen that is striped so that it resembles that of a wasp or honeybee. Imagine that this insect can hover in midair, wings moving so fast that they are almost invisible, and zip around in any direction at great speed. That's a pretty rough description of what a hoverfly looks like.

These wonderful little animals are a benefit in the garden, and in bushland of course, because they visit flowers to feed on pollen and nectar, and are important pollinators. Female hoverflies lay little white eggs near aphids; when the larvae hatch they start to eat the aphids, thrips and any other plant-sucking pests that are nearby. Hoverflies have no sting.

Around Ellenbrook, hoverflies readily visit gardens that have flowering plants such as Pink Rice Flower (Pimelea ferruginea) and Morning Iris (Orthrosanthus laxus). In bushland, we have seen hoverflies on the flowers of Purple Flag (Patersonia occidentalis) and Balga (Xanthorrhoea preissii).

And here are some pictures.

Hoverflies belong to the insect family Syrphidae. They are sometimes called "flower flies". There are about 6000 species world-wide.

kangaroo paws

2009-08-31T16:45:00.015+08:00

We know Ellenbrook is about to burst into flower. Anigozanthos are putting out big stalks ready to open into the familiar "kangaroo paw" flowers. Here's one of our local kangaroo paws; Mangles Kangaroo Paw, also known as Red and Green Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos manglesii).

It's the floral emblem of Western Australia. The photo below was taken in an area that had been cleared - the seeds were in the sandy soil and the plants popped up later. In bushland, kangaroo paws are sometimes difficult to find because the kangaroos love to eat them!

We have two other species of kangaroo paw in Ellenbrook. One is quite small, and has yellow and orange flowers. The common name is Catspaw (Anigozanthos humilis). Both the Catspaw and Mangles' Kangaroo Paw have flat strappy leaves. The photo below is a very large flowery specimen of the Catspaw. (Normally they are tiny, especially if the kangaroos have been chewing on the leaves.)

The third species is the Green Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos viridis). The green of the flower is a very unusual chrome-green colour, quite unexpected. The leaves are shaped like long tubes.

Kangaroo Paws are in the family Haemodoraceae, the "blood root" family. Many have red juice in the underground parts of the plant.

Here's another plant in the same family, and if you look closely at the flowers you will see some resemblance to kangaroo paws; strappy leaves, soft fluffy flowers on stalks - Grey Cottonheads (Conostylis candicans).

indigenous trees of Ellenbrook

2009-07-30T13:54:00.010+08:00

I thought I'd take a minute to list the many indigenous trees we have in our local bushland. Trees are an important part of the environment. They provide food, shelter, roosting and nesting sites for animals. They recycle nutrients in the soil and air. They act as windbreaks and provide protection for hundreds of smaller plants. The healthiest and most inviting suburbs around Perth seem to be, to me, the ones with the most indigenous trees.

So, here's our list of trees for Ellenbrook:

Eucalypts - we have four; Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata), Marri (Corymbia calophylla), Coastal Blackbutt aka Pricklybark (Eucalyptus todtiana) and Flooded Gum (Eucalyptus rudis). Jarrah and Marri can grow to around 45m high, and live for hundreds of years. (Who said there are no big trees on the Swan Coastal Plain?) Pricklybark prefers dry hilltops, while Flooded Gum can be found growing on the edges of wetlands. This is a Pricklybark.

Paperbarks - we have two that reach a respectable tree size; Stout Paperbark aka Moonah (Melaleuca preissiana) and Swamp Paperbark (Melaleuca rhaphiophylla). Average height is around 10m, but there are some enormous ones in Bush Forever Sites around the place. The largest ones have a girth measured in metres, and are likely to be hundreds of years old. Both species have small white flowers. This is a small Moonah in flower in December (top photo).
The big Moonah (photo under) shows how big they can grow - I estimate that one to be about 15m tall, and about a metre thick at eye level.

Banksia - we have five species that occur naturally; Candlestick Banksia (Banksia attenuata), Firewood Banksia (Banksia menziesii), Holly-leafed Banksia (Banksia ilicifolia), Swamp Banksia (Banksia attenuata) and Bull Banksia (Banksia grandis). The first two of these prefer dry conditions, and the others are usually found in or near wetlands. These five trees have overlapping flowering times throughout the year, so there's always at least one species in flower to keep the Honey Possums well-fed. Here's the Holly-leafed Banksia in its natural habitat, as "teenagers" - the adult trees are larger, more open and branched.

Sheoaks - there are two tree species; Sheoak (Allocasuarina fraseriana) and Swamp Sheoak (Casuarina obesa). Sheoaks have fine whispy branches, and when in flower these appear to be tinged red. The tall whispy tree in the middle of the photo is Swamp Sheoak.

And lastly, we have our famous WA Christmas Tree (Nuytsia floribunda), the world's biggest mistletoe. The distinctive orange flowers appear in December. The soft fleshy leaves feel cool to touch on a hot summer's day. Here's a photo:

Fourteen species altogether! Please comment if I've left any out...

the future of our drinking water

2009-07-23T09:18:00.006+08:00

Yesterday (22 July), there was a public forum in Ellenbrook to discuss the future of the "Gnangara Mound", an underground body of water north of the Swan River. More than half of Perth's scheme water is pumped out of this aquifer, and this is where our bore water comes from as well. The aquifer is recharged by rainwater and stormwater soaking down into the ground. Perth's rainfall has been diminishing over the last couple of decades, and there are more people and industries using water, so water levels in the Gnangara Mound are decreasing.

This will affect how much water we will have for drinking and other uses in our homes. It will affect what kinds of fruit and vegetables we might be able to buy locally. It will affect industries, horticulture, maintenance of parks and playing fields, and the appearance of our suburb.

More demand for water, less water available = problems.

What does this mean for bushland? Many areas of banksia woodland are suffering because tree roots cannot reach water in summer, so trees are dying off. Some wetlands are suffering also because they no longer have enough water; paperbark wetlands are drying up when they should be under half a metre of water in winter. Ultimately, it means that our bushland will change to drier vegetation. This will in turn affect the many animals that depend on plants such as Banksia and Melaleuca, including Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo and Honey Possums.

I and a couple of fellow members of the Ellenbrook Bushland Group attended the public forum to share our ideas about the management of this store of water.

You can have your say too. You will need to download and read the Gnangara Sustainability Strategy. Then you can fill out the accompanying public submission form, and email or post it to the address given on the form. The closing date for submissions is 5pm Monday 31 August 2009. All the public comments will be collected and analysed, and the results will be available later this year.

If you live in Ellenbrook, or anywhere in Perth for that matter, and are concerned about the future of our drinking water, you should take part in this public comment process. Maybe you have a brilliant idea that will help solve the Gnangara Mound problems?

the rather confused Banksia

2009-07-12T19:07:00.011+08:00

Such fantastic weather this weekend inspired me to go for a long-ish bushwalk. I went out with friends to look for one of Ellenbrook's best kept secrets, maybe not a secret for much longer....

The HYBRID Banksia!!! Check this out!

Why is this a hybrid? Well, it has the thin serrated-edged leaves, and yellow flower colour, of the Candlestick Banksia (Banksia attenuata). But see how the flowers are opening from the bottom of the inflorescence? The shape of the inflorescence is from the Firewood Banksia (Banksia menziesii). (Banksia attenuata has tall skinny inflorescences, like candlesticks.)

For comparison, here are photos of the two potential parents. On the left, Banksia menziesii (pink "acorn-shaped" flower, wide crimped-edge leaves), and Banksia attenuata (yellow cylindrical flower, skinny sawtooth-edged leaves), below.

Perhaps we can blame the European Honey Bee for this genetic mischief!

So, we think it's a Banksia attenuata x menziesii. Cross-pollination probably doesn't happen that often because the trees flower at different times of the year, with only a small overlap in flowering times.

It's been 18 months since we found the tree in the top photo, and today we just had to go back into the bush and see if we could find it again. I was hoping to record the location properly for future research.

Unfortunately, we ran out of time, and didn't find the tree. Better luck next time!

European House Borer Forum - 9th July

2009-07-08T10:12:00.008+08:00

Just a reminder - there will be a Forum about the effects of the European House Borer in Ellenbrook on 9th July.

Venue: Ellenbrook Community Resource Centre; above the library in Main Street
Time: 7 pm
Date: Thursday 9th July

The European House Borer is a small beetle. Its larvae (caterpillars) eat untreated pine wood, and have been found in structural timber in some houses in Ellenbrook, as well as nearby pine plantations. It was accidentally brought into WA in untreated wood, and now it has become a pest in several Perth suburbs.

The City of Swan and the Department of Agriculture and Food are presenting this Forum so Ellenbrook residents can find out what is being done about this exotic pest, and how they can help.

Skinny little blokes and big fat women...

2009-06-25T17:32:00.013+08:00

Here's a strange little insect that I've only just come across recently, and goes by the name of Bird of Paradise Fly. However, it's not a fly at all. The male has two shiny wings, long antennae like a moth, and long silky hairs projecting from the end of the abdomen. My bushwalking buddy David found this little animal sunning himself on top of a shrub in Bush Forever Site 300 (north of Charlotte's Vineyard). It seemed quite active, and wary of our cameras.

That shiny train does remind me of the extravagant tails and adornment feathers of the Birds of Paradise of New Guinea.

Then we later found this big fat leathery creature clinging to a banksia tree. With its plump hairless body, it looks a bit like an engorged tick, or a wingless cockroach. It is the most unlikely looking insect I've seen for a while. What is it?

You might be surprised to hear that it's the female Bird of Paradise Fly. She's a lot bigger than the male, moves slowly, and doesn't appear to be concerned about paparazzi.

When the adult male and female of a species are really different from each other, scientists call that "sexual dimorphism". I find it amazing that these two are still attracted to each other after all these millenia, enough to continue their species. Bird of Paradise Flies belong to the Margarodidae family, along with mayflies. The genus is called Callipappus. The species in the photos above has the common name "Silver Phoenix". (Click on the link for more information.)

Here's a link to a species in Brisbane with the common name "Violet Phoenix".

Every time I go out in our local bushland, something new pops up!

WA's plant plague

2009-06-06T18:01:00.010+08:00

Recently I attended the 2009 Dieback Information Group Conference - what an eye-opener for people living in Perth!

Did you know that Dieback is caused by a microscopic organism called Phytophthora cinnamomi? This rampant and aggressive little beast has caused severe damage to thousands of hectares of bushland in WA. Unfortunately, a lot of bushland had been damaged before Dieback was properly identified. Dieback kills many species of trees and shrubs. Plants that are susceptible include banksias, grasstrees, jarrah, she-oaks and hibbertias. Dieback is commonly spread by movement of infested soil by vehicles, but can also hitch a lift in gravel or mulch.

But it's not just a bushland problem... many exotic plants (including avocado, oak, pines, roses, camellia, azalea, grapes, apricot, peach and macadamia) are also susceptible. That means that orchards, nurseries and private gardens are potentially at risk.

Since there's no cure, the best approach is PREVENTION. Many bushland areas now have signage showing infested and non-infested areas. There are hygiene protocols to stop the spread of Dieback, such as not going into infested areas, and cleaning boots and vehicle tyres/chassis after using bush tracks. If you think you've been walking in an area that has Dieback, clean the soles of your boots with metho when you are leaving the area. Then you won't take the disease home to your garden.

I would add - be very wary of bringing home infested soil, gravel, mulch or plants for your garden. Please note that some nurseries or garden suppliers may not be checking their stuff to see if they have Dieback. You might be bringing home a heart-breaking problem.

Sadly, some natural heritage areas of WA have been damaged beyond repair by Dieback. The good news though - not all plants are susceptible. And if we all work together, we can halt the devastation.

If you want to find out more about Dieback, please have a look at the Global Invasive Species Database, and WA's Dieback Working Group website.

Here comes the rain!

2009-05-20T18:20:00.009+08:00

The rain gauge has been dry for over a month, and we've had unusually high temperatures (up to 28 ~ 300C) during that time. We've been looking wistfully at the weather charts for Qld, which have shown heavy showers, and even flood warnings. But this week looks like the end of the dry spell for Ellenbrook; the Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting showers for the next few days. Hopefully this will be the start of the "winter rains".

The little kangaroo paws known as Catspaws (Anigozanthos humilis), and the local daisies called Golden Longheads (Podotheca gnaphalioides), have started to push their new green shoots out through the dry soil. Most likely it's the lengthening nights that are triggering this. Plus the cooler temperatures at night. I used to think that it was rain that stimulated winter growth in plants, but today I remembered about "photoperiod" and "day length" (which should actually be called "night length"). Soon we will see a flurry of botanical activity in our bushland and gardens, as seeds germinate, new leaves appear, and mature plants start to develop flowers for the coming spring.

Now, here's an interesting thing; "photoperiod" affects animals too. And people. There's evidence that too much artificial light at night is probably harmful to humans, and could affect weight, metabolism and mental health. Perhaps we should go with the flow of shorter days and longer nights in winter; go to bed early, fall asleep to the sound of rain, wake up to a misty sunrise.

The very variable Firewood Banksia

2009-05-02T18:54:00.017+08:00

I adore banksias. One of my earliest memories is playing in a cool sandpit under a big banksia tree, listening to wattlebirds clucking away above me, and using the fallen cones as turrets for my sandcastle.

May Gibbs depicted banksias as evil characters in her childrens' books, but to me they've always been a reminder of ancient times in the rough leathery honey-scented wonderland that is the Australian bush. Fossil banksias in the WA Museum are eerily similar to the ones growing in our local bushland.

Banksias provide food (nectar, pollen, seeds, leaves) for a large variety of animals, including bees, butterflies, beetles, honeyeaters, parrots, cockatoos and possums. Interestingly, the suite of banksias found in Ellenbrook have overlapping flowering times; this ensures that tiny Honey Possums and Brown Honeyeaters always have something to eat. Geckoes, small skinks, spiders and insectivorous birds, too, are attracted to banksias for the feast of insects.

You can find at least two banksias in flower in Ellenbrook at the moment (in May). Moulton Wetland is a good place to view the Swamp Banksia (Banksia littoralis) - dark yellow inflorescences (flowers), and the Firewood Banksia (B. menziesii) - (usually!) pink/orange inflorescences.

That's the Firewood Banksia (or Menzies' Banksia) to the left. Notice that the flowers open from the bottom and slowly work their way up to the top. Wouldn't it be interesting to do a time-lapse photo series and watch the flowers open?

Firewood Banksia flowers are variable in colour - some trees have very dark- or very light-coloured inflorescences. You might be lucky enough to find a Firewood Banksia with yellow flowers.

I always look for these when I'm out in the bush, but they are difficult to find as they aren't very common. There are only a few scattered in the nearby Bush Forever Sites.

There's one in Moulton Wetland.

There's another one in the bushland just north of Fewson Turn (Charlotte's Vineyard) which you can spot from the road if you have a sharp eye. Here's a photo of it (right).

Now, here's an even rarer prize. . . I would love to hear from you if you find one of these in your treks around Ellenbrook or neighbouring suburbs. (Add your comment at the end of this post.)

It's this - a "copper" (or "bronze") (left, and below right).

So far, I have seen only two trees, but unfortunately both are in bush remnants which are likely to be bulldozed in the next few years. I'm guessing there are others in Bush Forever Sites, fingers crossed.

I have heard that there is a fourth colour type, called "chocolate" (yummy!), and I can't wait to find that one!

But seriously, I wonder about the science behind these prehistoric trees. All the colours apparently breed true, that is, if you take seeds from a "yellow" tree, they will also be "yellow" trees. What would be the evolutionary advantage of having variable colours, if any? Do different colours attract different animals? Have the proportions of pink vs. yellow. vs. copper vs. chocolate changed over the centuries? (Imagine a few thousand years ago, maybe they were all coppers and the other colours were rare, and for some reason there's been genetic shift. And if so, why?) Do the different colours have slightly different flowering times? (I suspect they do.) And what would be the ecological effect of changing the current proportions?

Biodiversity of Ellenbrook

2009-04-27T08:11:00.018+08:00

It might be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that our bushland is just one big patch of homogeneous "scrub" with a few different kinds of plants and some kangaroos and birds, but that's not true.

For starters, Ellenbrook is in one of Earth's biodiversity hotspots; we have a huge variety of plants and animals packed into a small area. (Find out more at Conservation International.)

For example, we have more than a dozen tree species including five species of banksia and four species of eucalypt. Our understorey species, such as acacias, beaufortias, hibbertias, peas, trigger plants, sundews and orchids, number in the HUNDREDS. With each change of season, there is always something coming into flower, something going into seed; an ever-changing kaleidoscope for the bushwalker and photographer. . . oh, and botanist.

I joke that Perth has the highest density of botanists in Australia . . . with over 12,000 plant species known to date, WA is certainly a fantastic place to be a botanist!

As for animals, if you know where to look, you can find evidence of Black-gloved (Western Brush) Wallabies, echidnas, bandicoots, brushtail possums and even Honey Possums. These animals are generally either nocturnal or very shy and you will have to go on a "nightwalk" to see them. In Ellenbrook's Bush Forever Sites there is an amazing assortment of reptiles and frogs such as sleek little pygopods ("legless lizards"), golden-eyed geckoes and burrowing brown frogs. And so many birds; the endangered Carnaby's Cockatoo, emus, owls, Grey Fantail, Red-capped Parrot, birds of prey, honeyeaters, quail, Splendid Fairy-wren, pardalotes, the Rainbow Bee-eater, and Scarlet Robin, to name a few.

Some animals, such as the bobtail and Singing Honeyeater, adapt to life in suburban areas and are likely to become regular visitors in our gardens and parks. I would like this to happen because I think that a garden without native birds, skinks and butterflies is only half a garden.

Some animals, however, are becoming less common as more land is cleared for housing and other "people stuff"; echidnas and honey possums can't survive in a concrete and turf habitat alongside dogs and cats. In the long term this will mean a decline in Ellenbrook's biodiversity. But I want to see Ellenbrook's biodiversity maintained, with room for owls and pygopods, orchids and jewel beetles, as well as people. What do you think we can do to prevent this decline?

Our friend the bush.........

2009-04-20T21:54:00.004+08:00

Hello everyone, now that Linda has reached out into cyberspace to spread the message about the ELLENBROOK BUSHLAND GROUP its about time we all got excited about the amazing bushland surrounding Ellenbrook. We are lucky to live within the shadow of a city and still be able to see amazing wildlife at our doorstep. To hear birds sing and see native bushland that erupts into life every spring. To see trees that have been here for over 500 years and species of plants that have changed little from the time of the dinosaurs. This really is a special place.

To fully appreciate this wonderful resource you really need to get out and immerse yourself in it. Try stopping, crouching down and tune in to all your senses. The sites, sounds and smells of the bush are something to behold.

Stay tuned and prepare to be amazed as Linda guides you through all that is to know about the Ellenbrook bushland.

Why do we need the bush....?

2009-04-18T14:01:00.010+08:00

I'm usually momentarily stumped* when someone asks me "Why do we need bushland?"

Um....let me see...

1. We breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, and by some strange quirk of nature, green plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. Coincidence? Or, perhaps, co-evolution of symbiotic lifeforms over millennia? (The carbon oxygen cycle is taught in schools, but maybe we need to remind some adults on a daily basis.)

2. Our suburbs are sterile heat islands designed predominantly on grid patterns based on squares and rectangles, and built to tender. Nature reserves are biodiverse refuges with endless variety of forms, colours and shapes, which have come into existence without employing human monetary concepts. Bushland and nature reserves, along with gardens and sympathetic landscaping, help "soften" the hard edge of our built environments.

Psychologists are only just starting to explore how much we rely on nature for our mental health (check out this 104-page literature review by Deakin University). Often the best thing we can do for our sanity is leave our artificial environment for a few minutes, walk into our "mother environment" and look at a leaf, a flower, a bird singing in a tree.

[Excuse me while I go outside for a few minutes before finishing this post!]

3. Bushland ecosystems are incredibly complex structures that provide undervalued "ecosystem services" such as native bees to pollinate our food crops, trees that transpire water vapour to become rain, and birds that do a better job at pest control than any insecticide (without the chemical side-effects). Not to mention all the nutrient recycling!

Ecosystem services are undervalued because most people take them for granted. Yet they are priceless. No-one has calculated the cost of designing technology to replace even one ecosystem service. We might be able to survive for a very short time without ecosystem services, but we can't live without them.

*Stumped, because the question I ask is "How could we possibly survive without bushland?"

("What have the Romans ever done for us?")

Clean Up Australia Day

2009-04-15T21:51:00.036+08:00

Fifteen people showed up on the morning of Sunday 1st March for Clean Up Australia Day.

We started off as a big orderly group on the boardwalk in Moulton Wetland, but soon diffused into smaller and smaller groups wandering through the banksias.

It seemed like everyone was keen to grab a bag and start filling it with rubbish.

As you would probably guess, there were lots of PET drink bottles, glass, bottle tops, and takeaway food containers.

We also found household paint cans and computer hardware, and someone even dragged out an old mattress.

A flock of Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo, an endangered species, landed in the trees while we were cleaning up their habitat. This bird comes to Ellenbrook to feed on the banksia flowers and seeds.

After an hour or so of filling the rubbish bags, we headed back to The Grapevine for a delicious morning tea of fruit juice and muffins, and received our certificates of appreciation.

A big thankyou to everyone who participated - Many hands indeed make light work!

Here's what we collected ⇒
It may not look like much, but when you consider all the small items such as plastic lids, crisp packets and other tiny scraps, it was a brilliant effort.

Some of this rubbish will be recycled.

All photographs courtesy of Janelle from City of Swan.

Introducing the Ellenbrook Bushland Group

2009-04-13T20:37:00.006+08:00

Our first formal meeting for the Ellenbrook Bushland Group was on 19 January 2009. A small group of us met to find out what our common interests were, what we should call ourselves, and what kinds of events or activities we would like to have. We decided that the Clean Up Australia Day campaign would be a good choice for a first event.

Janelle from City of Swan has been very helpful in giving us pointers - who to contact and how to go about organising various activities, as well as assistance with promotional material. (Thanks again, Janelle!)

It's exciting to see what's been accomplished by other "friends" groups, and imagine how these activities could be translated to Ellenbrook. We'd like the Ellenbrook Bushland Group to be more than just a bushcare group, though, as there are obvious opportunities to link in with other community groups for activities such as art, photography and community education.