Fungi on show
After good rain and cool weather, the fungal sporing bodies – the ‘mushrooms’ – are popping up throughout Westgate Park. As we can’t run fungi forays right now, we will bring you regular updates on what’s appearing in the Park. Starting with the gilled…
Covid-19 policy
We have implemented a policy of containment for the virus to keep our staff and volunteers safe. If you intend to come to Bili Nursery or Westgate Park for volunteering, please ring Nic beforehand on 0401 790 423 and be sure to read our…
Bird survey 2 March
Thanks to better-than-average summer rainfall, the large Freshwater and Saltwater Lake levels are high, as before, bringing small numbers of diving feeders such as Little Pied and Little Black Cormorants, Hardheads, Australasian Grebes and Hoary-headed Grebes, the latter present in higher numbers. Teal are slightly more common now, while…
New bird species list out
The total number of bird species recorded in the Park is now 162 and in 2019, 88 bird species were observed – more than half!
Flowering now – the sedges
Lepidospermum concavum – Sandhill Sword-sedge (top) is a handsome sedge with sharp-edged leaves often tipped with reddish-brown. Its flowers are small whitish, emerging from brown spikelets. Eleocharis acuta – Common Spike-sedge is a semi-aquatic sedge which spreads rapidly in shallow water with creeping rhizomes…
Pink Lake story
See the DELWP Biodiversity webpage under ‘Protecting the Pink Lake’ for the story of conservation and crowd control at the lake last year with quotes by our David Sparks. With the hot dry start to summer the salt lake turned pink again in early January…
Dec bird survey
The large Freshwater and Saltwater lakes have risen lately, which suits diving feeders, such as Hardheads, Australasian Grebes and Hoary-headed Grebes – suggesting aquatic invertebrates and other small prey are plentiful in the former. With several eucalypts flowering lightly, numerous nectar feeders are present, especially Rainbow Lorikeets,…
Flowering now
Westgate Park is quite dry despite the relatively cool weather. Most plants have finished flowering now and we are busy collecting seed. Here are some still in bloom in the Southern Wetlands
New Manager
We are delighted to announce Nicholas Brinkley’s appointment as Westgate Biodiversity’s Manager. He comes with excellent credentials in nursery management and a passion for the environment and revegetation. He has also worked with people with intellectual disabilities and is into botanical rarities, including carnivorous…