Diario del proyecto Yellingbo and surrounds

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
In what looked like a sea of green, the colours of the bush were everywhere as 4 members of the Flora survey team hit the tracks for an impromptu survey. After so much windy weather, we enjoyed a still day with blue skies and patches of sun under the towering eucalypts. We were on the look out for orchids, which we found, but not as many as expected. We recorded Large Tongue-orchid, Nodding Greenhood, Mayfly Orchid, Common Bird-orchid and some that we'll have to wait for flowers before knowing the species (Subtribe Thelymitrinae). Amongst the orchids were the beautiful flowers of Short Purple-flag, Blue Dampiera, Heath Wattle, Common Hover, Wattle-mat Rush, Many-flowered Mat-rush, Golden Bush-pea, Small Grass-tree, Scented Sundew and more!

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
Undaunted by the forecast of winds and late morning showers up to 15mm, 11 of us gathered at 8am for our citizen science Bird & Frog survey in Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area. We were blessed with blue skies, dappled sun under the towering trees, a still day and no rain! The 9.8 deg C start felt much warmer! There was plenty of evidence of the strong winds over the past week, with trees and branches down on the approaching roads and in the conservation area. Together, we recorded 44 species of birds, including Jacky-winters, New Holland Honeyeaters and 3 raptors (Brown Goshawk, Wedge-tailed Eagle and Swamp Harrier). Two frog species were heard (Common Eastern Froglet & Striped Marsh Frog).
Robert's homemade rhubarb slice was met with great enthusiasm over lunch. Thank you Robert! Thank you everyone!

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
I love doing this walk on our citizen science Bird & Frog surveys in Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area, circumnavigating a section of Cockatoo Swamp. The habitat type changes around almost every bend and the tall trees make us all seem so small. A great morning today where 15 of us helped record 51 species of birds and 3 frog species. The highlights? A great group of people including 3 new participants, Robert's homemade lemon slice, 3 raptor species (Brown Goshawk, Wedge-tailed Eagle and Whistling Kite), Jacky-winters, a Black-fronted Dotterel, a Bassian Thrush allowing us to watch him quietly move through the leaf litter, blue skies and 14.6 deg C when we set out at 9am, on a still day (1.2km/h wind) before the expected storm later today.

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
As we set out on our Twilight Walk & Frog survey this week, the breeze was barely there and the temperature was 10.7 deg C. The crickets were going nuts! Is it usual for crickets to be calling this time of year we wondered?
Their high-pitched calls almost drowned out the frogs, but we heard at least 6 species: Common Eastern Froglet, Striped & Spotted Marsh Frogs, Pobblebonk, Southern Brown (also seen) & Whistling Tree Frogs. Amongst the 18 bird species and 5 mammals recorded, highlights were a Platypus (listed as Vulnerable in Vic), a Tawny Frogmouth, two Gang-gang Cockatoos (listed as Endangered in the ACT, NSW & Vic), a Red-browed Treecreeper (a species in decline) a Southern Boobook and a Common Ringtail Possum.

Huge thanks to Gary for taking the species notes, and to the whole group for their help identifying what we saw and heard. What a great group of people to spend a few hours with, all contributing, and all with a passion about caring for the natural world.

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
Our dry winter came to an end this week with flooding creeks, gushing drainage lines and landslips in our region. Woori Yallock Creek's banks had overflowed, but were now just lapping at the top of the bank. We managed to avoid any showers and the weather was mild as 9 of us gathered for our survey. It was 10.8 deg C with no wind, a nice reprieve from recent icy cold days, and wet & windy weather. We recorded 37 bird species during this Deep winter* survey in Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area, including today's highlight, Wedge-tailed Eagles (who doesn't love them?!), a group of 4 Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes (unusually for us to record this sized group), New Holland Honeyeaters and Jacky Winters. In 2024 to date, we've recorded 81 bird species in YNCA, from the 113 species we've recorded from 2020-24.
My thanks to again to Bruce for leading the survey, to Karyn for taking the species notes, and the whole team of regular and new participants.
The blue(ish) skies and still weather meant sitting inside for lunch wasn't an option for this hardy lot! What a fantastic way to spend a few hours with a fabulous group of people!
*1 of 6 seasons in the Middle Yarra Timelines Calendar of the Wurundjeri.

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
The cold winter morning didn't daunt us. We were looking for a patch of nine Small-tongue orchids that we'd recorded for the first time in January, with the aim of protecting them from browsing animals (deer - groan!!). Our Citizen Science Flora survey team first found three individuals of this species in Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area in August 2023. This recent patch takes our total count to just twelve individuals known - precious indeed!
They were proving elusive however. "Is this it?", Peter asked. It wasn't, but he'd found a patch of eight Red Beaks, another species of orchid that we didn't know existed at YNCA until this time last year when a small patch of five individuals were recorded by our Flora survey members in a different part of YNCA, but in similar habitat.
Both Red Beaks and Small-tongue orchids are uncommon in this region. In fact, we think Red Beaks are unknown. Peter would be the first to say, "I don't know much about plants", but his find is significant. We have now protected these patches of orchids from browsing animals, giving them a fighting chance of persisting into the future.
Anyone, no matter their level of knowledge can, and do, contribute to our Flora surveys. We've just reached a landmark - over 10,000 observations for our 'Yellingbo and surrounds' iNat project. Great work team!

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
It was a chilly, 5.1 deg C (but no wind thankfully) when our Citizen Science Bird & Frog survey team set out to do a Deep winter* survey in Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area.
The frogs were quiet - no surprises there - it's cold on the ground!
My thanks to Bruce for leading the survey, ably assisted by regular participants and new participants alike. Thirty-two species of birds were recorded, primarily the resident species as expected in winter with the exception of an Australian Pelican, a species we've recorded, surprisingly, a few times in the past year. It's always nice to see the Jacky Winters hunting for insects as we move past them.
The skies opened as we finished up - great timing - and we started to get the promised showers that are so needed. It's a dry winter so far. Our morning was complete with home baked slice from Robert. Thank you Robert!! What a fantastic way to spend a few hours with a fabulous group of people!
*1 of 6 seasons in the Middle Yarra Timelines Calendar of the Wurundjeri.

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
The forecast was for a cool start, and we got it, however our group of volunteers were treated to clear blue skies in a beautiful patch of Lowland Forest in Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area.
The smiles, laughter and moments of concentration over our IDing task kept us all warm as we recorded everything from majestic eucalypts to vibrant and glistening fungi.
In a world that can sometimes feel overwhelming, it is rejuvenating to spend time with like-minded people, doing something that you know is valuable, and valued. Each month, we are coming back to this patch to document the flora and fungi species seen over a 12-month period. You can't care about it, if you don't know it's there.

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
We couldn't have wished for a better day, with blue skies, sun on our backs and 20 fabulous, interested Friends members and volunteers joining Mel at Haining to hear about the management actions to date, the innovations, the challenges, the failures, successes, and what's being planned.
It is amazing to see how the 2017-18 habitat plantings that are designed to support future releases of Victoria's Critically Endangered bird (Helmeted Honeyeater) & mammal (Leadbeater's Possum) emblems are growing, in what was for many decades a dairy farm. The swamp gums are thriving, the space is being enjoyed by locals, the bird species recorded are now 80+ and the local schools are using the space to engage students in conservation.
If you haven't visited, pack some lunch and spend a couple of hours here. The transformation from farmland to conservation reserve for threatened species is interesting, and a challenge!
Huge thanks to Mel for sharing her time, knowledge and passion for the environment with us 🙂

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
It was a misty, 5.4 deg C start to our Citizen Science Bird & Frog survey in Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area, however the sun soon burnt off that mist and we were treated to a still, sunny morning with clear blue skies. What a fantastic way to spend a few hours with a fabulous group of people!
We recorded 33 species of birds, including Chestnut Teals utilising the swamp edge. This species hasn't been recorded before. It was also surprising to see so many Masked Lapwings flocking together - we don't see them often at all and then only 1 or 2 at a time. There was a flock of at least 22, with 29 sighted across the morning.
The frogs were quiet! I would be too on such a cool morning :)
A solitary Swamp Wallaby looked on peacefully as we walked by, and there was some fabulous fungi, including the gorgeous Ruby Bonnet and interesting Phlebia subceracea & Hypoxylon howeanum - no common names for these!
Huge thanks to Karin for diving in and offering to learn how to use Birdata to record the species we saw 🙂