Bird Survey 6 September
Following regular and substantial rain both major lakes are at high levels not seen for some time. This means several species of water birds have dispersed to some of the many other wetlands in the region. Many passerine species are flourishing and breeding, and…
Melbourne Pollinator Corridor
Westgate Park is set to play a key part in an ambitious new project to boost indigenous insect life and pollination. Emma Cutting is a self-described “amateur plantswoman” who has recently launched an exciting community-led initiative to establish the Melbourne Pollinator Corridor. The idea…
Port of Melbourne on board
Bili Nursery recently grew and supplied 8000 plants for the Port of Melbourne to fill in gaps in the Todd Rd linear landscape. Port of Melbourne has now planted, mulched and weeded, and the landscape is looking much better for the tlc. Here’s their…
April 2019 bird survey
After many dry months and just 3 mm of rain in March, Westgate Park is severely stressed, with numerous dead shrubs and trees, especially narrow-leafed peppermints and banksias. Although some eucalypts, including the large Ironbark near the windmill, are flowering, the dry conditions appear…
March 2019 bird survey
After a long run of extreme heat and almost no rain in January and February park vegetation is stressed, with some shrubs dying. Nevertheless, the survey produced exciting results and 53 species. A larger than usual range of land-based bird species observed included a…
Sept 2018 bird survey
The first Black-winged Stilts have appeared after their winter absence on the edge of the drainage basin above the south-east corner of the Saltwater Lake. Lots of male superb Fairy-wrens are now in their breeding plumage. By Andrew McCutcheon & Rob Youl, 3 Sept 2018 Weather: mostly…
Luis Mata on pollinators, ABC RN
Hear Luis talking about pollinator insects in the City of Melbourne, the pollinator observatories at Westgate Park, the import role insects play in supporting healthy parklands and why understorey plants are necessary to foster this. ABC Radio National Blueprint for Living, Saturday 18 August…
National Tree Day(s) 27 & 29 July
Westgate Biodiversity: Bili Nursery & Landcare and 77 eager volunteers planted over 2000 indigenous plants at three events to celebrate National Tree Day: Friday. City of Melbourne staff, their Citizen Foresters plus 14 volunteers put in more than 500 understorey plants along the Maribyrnong…
Monarch visits
The Wanderer – Danaus plexippus or Monarch, shown here on Pimelea sp. – Rice Flower, is an uncommon and somewhat puzzling visitor to Victoria. According to Museum Victoria’s Butterflies: Identification and Life History: Populations are temporary in Victoria and migrating adults recolonise Victoria annually. Two…
Pollinators workshop
At our winter workshop participants learned to identify several insect pollinators, including native and non-native bees and butterflies. We then visited the pollinator observatories to make observations of plant-insect interactions. This was the fifth in this series of workshops and each time we have…