Bird walk with Birdlife Castlemaine at private property in Yapeen – Saturday 7 March 2026
Posted on 26 February, 2026 by Lori
BirdLife Castlemaine District holds monthly bird walks on the first Saturday morning of each month, and all ages and birding abilities are welcome. Walks last for about two hours.
The March bird walk will be on a very special private property belonging to Max Kay in Yapeen (near Guildford). As well as his role as Connecting Country’s Treasurer, Max has a strong commitment to restoring habitat on his historical farm property. With the help of Connecting Country and other groups, he has set aside areas to protect remnant vegetation, restore creekline and reintroduce understorey plants. Over time these actions have improved habitat for birds and other animals.
Private properties often give us a unique experience to see birds in areas that are less disturbed, so we’re hoping for some interesting birds. Possible sightings for the area include honeyeaters (Yellow-faced, White-plumed, Yellow-tufted and New Holland Honeyeater) and raptors (Whistling and Black Kite, Goshawk, Sparrowhawk). Thornbills, Pardalotes and many other local species are also possible.
Your walk leaders are Max Kay, Frances Howe and Bob Dawson.
ALL WELCOME!
Where: Max Kay’s property, 7281 Midland Hwy, Yapeen VIC, is located approx. 9.4 km from Castlemaine along the Midland Hwy (A300). Travel toward Guildford and Max’s driveway is on the right, approximately 260 m past the Vaughan Springs turnoff. There is a large white letterbox and a post with numbers 7281 attached. Drive down to the area in front of the house. GPS: -37.13206, 144.17318. Google Maps Link is here.
When: Meet at 9:00 am.
Bring / wear: Water, snacks, binoculars, sunscreen, hat, long trousers and sturdy closed-in shoes (for snake protection).
More info: Jane Rusden 0448 900 896, Bob Dawson 0417 621 691
BirdLife Castlemaine works closely with Connecting Country, including supporting Connecting Country’s long-term woodland bird monitoring. New bird survey volunteers are needed to contribute to this valuable database. Please contact Connecting Country if you’re a birder and interested in helping.
For more information about BirdLife Castlemaine’s activities, please visit the Birdlife Castlemaine District website.
Clean Up Australia Day – Sunday 1st March 2026!
Posted on 26 February, 2026 by Lori
Together, we can make a big, positive impact on our environment – one piece of litter at a time!
Clean Up Australia Day is an annual nationwide event focused on empowering local communities to clean up, fix up and conserve the natural environment.
Registration for Clean Up Australia Day is free for communities and schools (businesses pay a small fee). Registration ensures groups are covered by the public liability insurance, and groups also receive a free Clean Up kit with all the materials required to host a safe and successful event.
Local Landcare and Friends groups of the Mount Alexander/ Leanganook region often host a Clean Up Australia Day event. Please see below a list of local events happening across our region or to find events happening near you – click here .
Campbells Creek and surrounds – Friends of Campbells Creek Landcare Group
Help to clean up rubbish along the creeks & trails, followed by a social morning tea.
Where: meet at the bus shelter next to Winters Flat Footbridge, opposite 61 Johnstone Street (Midland Highway), Castlemaine, and then spread to various locations to gather rubbish and return it to a skip at Winters Flat. e (for google map link: click here)
When: Sunday 1 March 2026, 8am-10am
What to bring: hats, gloves, sturdy clothing, enclosed boots/shoes, sun protection, a rake if you have one, your own water (and a friend). Morning tea provided.
Expedition Pass Reservoir – Golden Point Landcare Group
Did you enjoy the Res this summer? Come along for the annual Clean Up event that keeps the Res clean and beautiful!
Where: Meet at Expedition Pass Reservoir (The Res), Golden Point Rd. Golden Point
When: Sunday 1 March 2026, 10.00 am
What to bring: Hats, sunscreen, sturdy footwear, water bottle, gloves and a friend!
Barkers Creek Reservoir – Harcourt
Did you enjoy the Res this summer? Come along for the annual Clean Up event that keeps the Res clean and beautiful!
Where: Meet at the toilet block at Barkers Creek Reservoir
When: Sunday 1 March 2026, 10.00 am
Rabbit Control Field Day – Book Now!
Posted on 23 February, 2026 by Bonnie Humphreys
Connecting Country in partnership with Guildford and Upper Loddon Landcare Group and the Victorian Rabbit Action Network (VRAN) is pleased to present a Rabbit Control Field Day in Guildford.
Saturday 14 March 2026 – 9.30am to 1.30pm
Rabbits have been in our landscape now for over 100 years and we still have not managed to successfully control them. We do however have research into the best methods and the most successful techniques. Now is the best time of year to implement them.
February and March are a particularly good time of year to get on to rabbit control as natural food in the environment is low. Using a range of methods in the right order (‘integrated pest management’) and at the right time of year will ensure you the most success with the least effort.
VRAN have been working on identifying the most successful recipe for control and passing on their knowledge though workshops, practical demonstrations and providing educational resources. We are lucky enough to be able to bring them to Guildford to share this knowledge with you.
There will be a presentation in the morning, followed by a field trip and discussion on site. All located close to the centre of Guildford. Morning tea and lunch will be provided.
We are also inviting local contractors who would like to be part of the event, to get in touch with us at info@connectingcountry.org.au This can be a great opportunity to introduce yourself to local landholders and Landcare representatives.
This event is free but registration is required for catering purposes.
Register: https://www.trybooking.com/DJJOI
Bird of the month: Swallows and Martins
Posted on 19 February, 2026 by Hadley Cole
Bird of the Month is a partnership between Connecting Country and BirdLife Castlemaine District. Each month we take a closer look at a special local bird species . Thanks always to the brilliant Jane Rusden and Damian Kelly for these wonderful articles and fabulous photos. 
Photos above (left to right): Fairy Martin and Welcome Swallow. By Damian Kelly.
Swallows and Martins are often observed at high speed, zipping around in summer skies, as they twist and turn in pursuit of flying insects. A delight to watch, but from a distance they are often tricky to differentiate as often more than one species can be seen together. In fact, there are four species in this region:
All are members of the Hirundinidae family and they exclusively feed on the wing, catching a variety of flying insects. In flight they can be distinguished by their long pointed wings and small bills with wide gapes, to easily catch airborne insects. As aerial specialists they have quite weak feet adapted to perching rather than walking. They tend to be gregarious (hanging out in flocks) and often associate in multi-species groups when prey is abundant, as well as forming breeding colonies in season. Which can add to the complexity of identifying which species are present in a flock. Calls of all species are soft and not distinctive from a distance.
White-backed Swallow. Photo by Damian Kelly.
Identifying the individual species at a distance relies on colour and feathers, particularly the tail. The White-backed is the easiest as it is the only one with a distinctive white and black pattern. But it is the least common in this region, preferring northern areas.
Juvenile Welcome Swallow. Photo by Damian Kelly.
The Welcome Swallow is the most common and has a deeply forked tail with a very dark back and is rufous-brown around the throat and face. It is often seen in conjunction with the Fairy Martin. The Fairy Martin can be distinguished from the Welcome Swallow by its white rump and rufous-brown over the head but not the throat.
The two swallow species have deeply forked tails, where as the two Martin species have a shallow fork in their tails, which can be hard to see at times.
Tree Martin. Photo by Damian Kelly.
Unlike the others, the Tree Martin is more often found in more timbered habitats. It lacks the rufous patterning and is pale beneath. As the name implies, it needs trees and other hollows for breeding. Also they mostly migrate north in the cooler months, where as with both Swallow species, some migrate north and some don’t which makes them partial migrants.
Welcome Swallows and Fairy Martins build mud nests (see photos), often located around bridges and buildings, unlike Tree Martins which generally nest in tree hollows. White-backed Swallows excavate horizontal tunnels in stream banks and mounds of earth. Needless to say, the species that build mud nests are often to be seen near water, although I have frequently seen them raiding puddles for just the right consistency of mud for their nests.
Fairy Martin nests made of mud. They have the distinctive slightly drooping tunnel that leads into the nest chamber. Photo by Damian Kelly
Life with Birds: A collaboration with the Newstead Arts Hub and Castlemaine State Festival
Posted on 19 February, 2026 by Hadley Cole
Life with Birds is an immersive celebration of the birds and woodland ecosystems of central Victoria. A distinguished collaboration of writers, artists, photographers, sound recordists, field naturalists and scientists will enable participants to enjoy and learn on the path to a deeper appreciation of the richness of our bird life in the face of many challenges, especially that of global climate change.
There will be six events conducted in collaboration with the Newstead Arts Hub and the Castlemaine State Festival.
Carrie Tiffany by Eve Owen Jan 2025
Saturday 21 March | 11.00am – 2.00pm| Carrie Tiffany: Mateship with Birds Creative Writing Workshop
Carrie, a former park ranger, has twenty years’ experience as a researcher, writer, editor and teacher of creative writing. Her novel, Mateship with Birds, won the inaugural 2013 Stella Prize. Geoff Park will share an ‘in conversation’ with Carrie, before she leads a bird-themed Creative Writing Workshop. No writing experience is needed.
Workshop ticket: $100
Venue: Newstead Arts Hub
For more information and bookings – click here
Sunday 22 March | 11.00am – 2.00pm | Richard Weatherly: A brush with woodland birds Woskshop
Richard is an iconic Australian artist, conservationist and innovative farmer. With over fifty-five years of professional experience, Richard will draw on his acclaimed illustrated works, such as The Fairy-Wrens and A Brush with Birds, as he leads this workshop. Materials provided, though participants are welcome to bring their own.
Workshop ticket: $100
Venue: Newstead Arts Hub
For more information and bookings – click here
Monday 23 March | 7.30am- 12.30pm | Lawrie Conole: The ‘Difficult’ Bird Search
The Newstead district is an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) with sites identified as being internationally significant for the conservation of birds and other biodiversity. It is home to a suite of ‘difficult’ birds, those that are cryptic, declining and often just plain hard to find species that call our local bush home.
Lawrie will introduce you to some of these characters and their habits, including their distinctive songs. It will then be your mission, should you choose to accept it, to venture to a selection of local sites where, armed with some new skills and information, you’ll hopefully encounter some of them such as Speckled Warbler, Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, Painted Button-quail, Hooded Robin, Spotted Quail-thrush, or even a Crested Bellbird.
Event ticket: $20
Venue: Newstead Arts Hub
For more information and bookings – click here
Wednesday 25th March | 7.00 – 9.00pm | Andrew Skeoch: The wild bird soundscapes of our woodlands
Learn the songs and calls of some of our rarer bird species! This immersive one-hour presentation will introduce the importance of sound for species ID, monitoring, and assessing the state of our local habitat. This will be followed by a session for those interested to share their observations of local birdlife/wildlife occurrences/movements, and to introduce a future project.
Andrew Skeoch is a professional wildlife sound recordist, acoustic ecologist and author of ‘Deep Listening to Nature’. He has given presentations to audiences ranging from festivals such as WOMADelaide’s Planet Talks to local communities, written for The Conversation, and presented radio features, keynote addresses and a TEDx talk.
Event ticket: Gold Coin Donation
Venue: Newstead Community Centre
For more information – click here
Thursday 26th March | 8am – 12.00pm | Patrick Kavanagh: The art and craft of bird photography
In this workshop, Patrick, an accomplished nature photographer with a special ‘focus’ on woodland birds of the Newstead district and their habitats, will offer personal tuition on photographic techniques and field craft. The workshop starts and ends at Newstead Art Hub and will involve gentle walking in an outdoor environment. BYO Camera.
Workshop Ticket: $100
Venue: Newstead Arts Hub
For more information and bookings – click here
Thursday 26th March | Exhibition opening John Wolseley and Geoff Park | 6.00pm
A joint exhibition of works to celebrate birds and the landscapes they inhabit. Open weekends from Saturday 14 March – Sunday 29 March or by appointment.
Geoff Park
John Wolesley
Friday 27th March | 6.00pm – 7.00pm) | John Wolseley and Geoff Park in Conversation
Since moving to Australia in 1978, John Wolseley has immersed himself in the landscape, an approach which has given rise to a variety of different ways of collaborating with the land itself. His large scale works on paper, watercolours and installations are often based around scientific themes.
Geoff Park is an ecologist, wildlife photographer and field naturalist with a 60-year obsession with birds. Since 2008, with his Natural Newstead blog, Geoff has been documenting the nature of the Newstead district through writing and photography with a particular focus on birds.
Join them in conversation as they discuss their experiences of engaging with landscapes and the creatures that inhabit these places. An evening of sharing stories, ideas from their lives of observing, documenting and wondering about nature.
Event ticket: SOLD OUT (Join Waitlist)
Venue: Newstead Arts Hub
For more information and waitlist – click here
The proceeds from this diverse and rich program of events will be dedicated to a community designed, citizen science woodland bird conservation project in central Victoria, in partnership with the Wettenhall Environment Trust.
‘Intriguing invertebrates and concerning trends’ with Patrick Kavanagh
Posted on 11 February, 2026 by Lori
Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club are excited to have local entomologist Patrick Kavanagh launch their new “Butterflies of the Mount Alexander Region” brochure at their February Monthly Meeting.
Patrick has lived in a patch of box woodland at Strangways for 30 years. He uses macrophotography to discover the tiny invertebrate life that makes the local ecosystem work.
Following the brochure launch, Patrick will share some of the intriguing discoveries he’s made in his yard with a camera and an internet connection. He will also talk about some concerning trends in our invertebrate populations over the past few years and how these trends affect other species.
Observations. Members and visitors are invited to share their recent interesting observations at the start of the meeting. Please email any photos as uncropped JPEG file(s) and supporting notes to Jill Williams (jilliwill33@gmail.com) by noon on the day of the meeting.
When: Friday 13 February 7.30pm
Where: Uniting Church Hall, Lyttleton Street, Castlemaine
All welcome.
Following the meeting, the ‘Butterflies of Mount Alexander Region’ will be available to purchase at the Castlemaine Information Centre and the Made in Castlemaine stall at the Vintage Bazaar (Mill Complex).
Photo: Belid Weevil Photo by Patrick Kavanagh