Category Archives: Nature Observations

Why didn’t we notice this before?

People travelling on Harmony Way south of Harcourt in the last few months have been intrigued by what seems to be a new kind of mistletoe on roadside Red Gums. Although maybe more prolific than in previous years, the mistletoe … Continue reading

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Only read this if you’re feeling courageous

As we pointed out a few weeks ago, there’s increasing anecdotal evidence of a decline in local insect populations. The evidence is mounting that this is a world wide problem. According to the latest scientific review, ‘More than 40% of … Continue reading

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The price of gold

Ian Higgins began his talk at the FOBIF AGM last Monday by showing a picture of the beautiful interior of Parliament House Melbourne, inlaid with pure gold. Then he showed this eloquent 1861 photograph taken near Guildford, most likely near … Continue reading

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What’s all that intensely green stuff?

We haven’t had a huge season for rain. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, ‘Statewide rainfall was 33% below the long-term July mean of 70 mm, the driest July since 2002, and large areas in the north and east of Victoria, … Continue reading

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For the birds

A large group rocked up to FOBIF’s July walk on Sunday, led by Damian Kelly, author of the recently published Castlemaine Bird Walks. The walk covered a section of the north eastern corner of the Maldon Historic area. The weather … Continue reading

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Something obvious

On the subject of old trees, and the lack of them, it’s worth drawing attention to a recent article in the Conversation website on their value: ‘In urban landscapes, many consider large and old eucalypts a dangerous nuisance that drop … Continue reading

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‘Creatures’ collection growing

There have been some interesting contributions to our Creatures photo collection over the past couple of weeks. Vivienne Hamilton sent us a terrific photo of this Red Wattlebird shaking itself off.  You can see more of Vivienne Hamilton’s photos in … Continue reading

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Yellow Gums stand out

Yellow Gums Eucalyptus leucoxylon change more from season to season and are more colourful than all other local eucalypts. Their copious shedding of bark in summer is commonly accompanied by a dramatic colouring of trunks for months. After the rain is … Continue reading

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Curtain raiser

The always reliable Spreading Wattle has been flowering for months now, but the real wattle season is yet to come. A sign that it’s on the way: Woolly Wattle (Acacia lanigera) is well and truly in flower in the south end … Continue reading

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Call for photos!

The theme of the next FOBIF photo exhibition is Creatures. TOGS Cafe in Castlemaine will host the exhibition in November 2018. So if you have a favourite photo/s of wildlife in our region send them along to FOBIF (info@fobif.org.au). There is also plenty … Continue reading

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