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.

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

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.

Bird of the Month: Supporting birdlife through extreme weather

Posted on 16 January, 2026 by Lori

Bird of the Month is a partnership between Connecting Country and BirdLife Castlemaine District. Each month we usually take a close look at one special local bird species but this month is a special edition focusing on how to support birds through extreme weather events such as heat waves and after bushfires. Thanks always to the brilliant Jane Rusden and Damian Kelly from BirdLife Castlemaine District for this topical article. 

The importance of birdbaths in hot weather.

White-eared Honeyeater enjoying a bath, a bold species that will dive in, regardless of what other small birds are trying to drink and bathe. Photo by Jane Rusden

In our hot climate the availability of shade and water is crucial for birds. The simple action of providing a reliable water supply will encourage birds to use your garden. As well as providing enjoyment and connection to nature, you will be aiding the survival of species.  There is nothing quite like watching a group of birds drinking and splashing in a water bowl. And you might be surprised what species turn up, even in an urban garden. Not only that, you will learn a lot about bird behaviour.

Some species, for example White-browed Scrubwrens and Pardalotes, are very cautious and will lurk in foliage before alighting on the edge of the water. Others such as honeyeaters will just barge in and splash away. To attract the cautious ones you need foliage close by.

Eastern Spinebill likes deeper bowls – maybe something to do with length of bill? Photo by Damian Kelly

So, what do you need to do? Some simple ideas that I have found useful:

• Place water sources close to foliage and shade, not out in the open as some birds are very wary.
• Have it off the ground to limit cat and fox access.
• Provide a variety of different types of bowls – some birds like it shallow, others prefer deeper options.
• And of course keep them clean.

Just after I wrote the above, fires descended on the Mount Alexander Shire. Having lived through the 2009 fires near Kinglake, where our bush block survived untouched due to a wind change, I can say that water was critical for the birds in the aftermath of the fires. Our house and surrounds experienced a sharp increase in the range and numbers of bird species – all fire survivors who moved from the burnt zone to our block. We added more bird baths and experienced a remarkable range of birds, plus diverse species, in the water at the same time (see Rufous Whistler and White-naped Honeyeater image). Interestingly, some species  – like the Grey Shrike-thrush and Eastern Spinebill – stayed on and nested successfully later in the year right next to house, where they had not before.

Rufous Whistler and White-naped Honeyeater will happily share the same bowl. Photo by Damian Kelly

Similar changes have been observed in the last few days at water bowls in and around Castlemaine. So make sure you always keep a good supply of fresh water available. It will always be utilised by the birds.

White-browed Scrubwrens are one of the lurkers and don’t hang around long. Photo by Damian Kelly.

Bird of the month: Mistletoe Bird

Posted on 28 November, 2025 by Lori

Written by Damian Kelly and Jane Rusden.

Male Mistletoe Bird showing off it’s gorgeous red chest. Photo by Damian Kelly

The high squeaky call of the Mistletoe Bird (Dicaeum hirundinaceaum) is what often signals its presence. Then the search is on to find the tiny bird, keeping a look out for the males vibrant fire engine red splash on its chest and under tail coverts. Given its name, it is not surprising that the Mistletoe Bird specialises in mistletoe – a plant that parasitises other plants. Specialisation in one plant may sound a little restricting until you find that there are about 75 different species of mistletoe in Australia. Clearly lots of variety is around.

The close symbiosis, a situation where two species “use” each other and both benefit, between mistletoe and the Mistletoe Bird possibly demonstrates the most highly developed example of this phenomenon amongst Australian birds. This bird is a major vector for the dispersal of the seeds of the plant, spreading them to potential new host trees. Timing of breeding tends to coincide with flowering and fruiting and so assists with cross-pollination and seed germination. The unusual structure of the birds’ digestive system emphasises the degree of specialisation that has evolved. The berries pass through the alimentary canal, but the structure of the digestive system allows for berries to be shunted from the oesophagus to the intestine whilst insect food is diverted to the stomach. Mistletoe seeds are passed about 15-20 minutes after ingestion. It appears only the skin of the berry is removed revealing the very sticky coating, this ensures that a lot of the seeds actually stick to trees as the bird moves about. A completely different take on plant fertilisation. Why the Mistletoe Bird wants to spread seed for the mistletoe plant seems to be a mystery, but perhaps it’s because it harbours so many insects, which are a mainstay food source for the bird?

The distribution of Mistletoe Birds is all over Australia except for some of the drier desert areas, but not Tasmania, and it is resident on some Torres Strait islands. Habitat type does not seem to matter as long as there are mistletoes and with 75 species chances are good that they are present. They also eat a range of insects gathered from foliage.

Female Mistletoe Bird, she is grey rather than black and lacks the bright red chest. Photo by Damian Kelly

Nests are precariously suspended from the end of a twig in foliage. It is an enclosed pear shape and is made from lots of soft materials such as wool, woollen threads and such like, and is held together with spiders’ web.  A clutch of 2-3 eggs is laid and both parents feed the young – initially only on insects but then also with berries.

A largely sedentary species, they remain in an area all year round although some altitudinal migration has been demonstrated in NSW and Victoria over winter. Banding studies have recorded 98% recovered within less than 10km of the banding site. The oldest bird recorded was over 9 years old which is a fair age for such a small bird.

Mistletoe often gets a bad rap, …except at this time of year when apparently, it’s good for kissing under! But before you think badly of this parasitic group of plants, perhaps think instead of the huge number of species each plant supports, including the beautiful Mistletoe Bird.

A male Mistletoe Bird and it’s poo of mistletoe berries stuck to a branch. Photo by Jane Rusden

Bird of the Month is a partnership between Connecting Country and BirdLife Castlemaine District. Each month we take a close look at one special local bird species. We are blessed to have the brilliant Jane Rusden and Damian Kelly from BirdLife Castlemaine District writing these! We’re excited to join forces to deliver you a different bird each month, seasonally adjusted, and welcome suggestions from the community.

Nature Art Soundscapes presents The Feathered Five!

Posted on 30 October, 2025 by Lori

A truly special, immersive art and music event, celebrating some of our treasured local woodland birds.

Nature Art Soundscapes are musicians Hilary Blackshaw (violin, guitar and vocals), Joel Bloom (lap steel guitar), Clara Schutz (cello) and artist Jane Rusden. The quartet celebrates local woodland wildlife through weaving beautiful live art making with evocative musical soundscapes.

Audiences are invited to immerse themselves in the magic and wonder of local nature, through gentle relaxation (BYO cushions, blankets and/or PJs – we seriously don’t mind!), or you are welcome to bring your own art supplies and draw along with Jane.

When:   Saturday 22 November 7-9pm

Where: Wesley Hill Hall, 149 Pyranees Highway, Castlemaine

Tickets: Adults $20, children (under 18) free. Book here or available at the door.

All proceeds generated from this performance will be donated to Connecting Country Castlemaine to assist their woodland bird monitoring project.

Bird of the Month: Grey Fantail

Posted on 20 October, 2025 by Lori

Words by Damian Kelly and Jane Rusden.  Photos by Damian Kelly

Always a delight to watch, the Grey Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa) swishes its tail around directing insects into easier catching distance. And then there’s their tinkling call, often heard before the bird is seen.  Luckily for us bird watchers, Grey Fantails can be very curious, which means they come much closer to us than many other species.  They do have rather a disapproving look on their tiny faces, characterised by their drawn down white eyebrows.

A confiding and widespread species, the Grey Fantail can be found all along the wetter eastern and western areas of Australia and occasionally spreading into drier areas inland. Tasmania, New Zealand and other islands also have populations of this species.

Nest of a Grey Fantail (Damian Kelly)

Urban gardens are also utilised and here in Castlemaine, in our garden near the centre of town, a pair of Grey Fantails has successfully fledged young for the last two years. The nest is concealed in dense vegetation right next to a garden path, but human traffic does not seem to concern them. Whenever I walk past, a beady eye is watching me, but the bird never leaves the nest. Two young were raised each time which is quite a feat given the tiny size of the nest. Built from small twigs, grass and hairs and held together with spiders’ webs, the nest is a beautiful construction. The nest from two years ago was simply refurbished with more web prior to the second season of breeding (see photo).

Although not fully understood, the movements of Grey Fantails are a mixed bag. In some areas populations are partly or fully sedentary, whilst in other areas migration takes place. Movements can be driven by food availability and temperature. There seems to be a whole east coast movement of birds. All in all, a mixed bag of movements. I can report that the birds who breed in our garden are not present over winter but have returned now as spring advances.

Some of the Tasmanian birds migrate to the mainland over winter. Groups of Grey Fantails have been regularly recorded moving across King and Flinders Islands on the way to the mainland. There are probably some altitudinal movements, but this is often confused by other movements occurring. At times small groups up to 30 birds can be seen moving through areas.

Feeding tends to be arboreal, often catching prey in flight, although they will also feed on the ground. Food consists mainly of insects, but they occasionally take fruit or seeds. Often associated with mixed feeding flocks moving through vegetation.

Grey Fantail utilising prickly cover of Gorse, (an invasive weed), with its tail characteristically fanned. Photo by Damian Kelly.

Bird of the Month is a partnership between Connecting Country and BirdLife Castlemaine District. Each month we take a close look at one special local bird species. We are blessed to have the brilliant Jane Rusden and Damian Kelly from BirdLife Castlemaine District writing these! We’re excited to join forces to deliver you a different bird each month, seasonally adjusted, and welcome suggestions from the community.

Great Southern Bioblitz – Castlemaine Region 24-27 October

Posted on 16 October, 2025 by Lori

It’s the beginning of October and so wonderful to see the new growth and increasing activity in bushlands and gardens after so many months of challenging conditions. Trees, shrubs and other understorey plants are putting out new leaves and foliage, and canopies are becoming denser. Birds are calling and nesting. Frogs are croaking. Thankfully insects are about again, albeit not in good numbers yet, but Painted Ladies and some day moths are about. And we are already being treated with the bright colours of Myrnong, Waxlips, Leopard orchids and Caladenias, with scattered clusters of emerging leaves promising Helmet and Gnat orchids.

Hopefully while all of this is happening those of you who live in or visit the Mount Alexander Shire will be getting ready for the Great Southern Bioblitz 2025,which runs from midnight October 23 to midnight October 27.  This is your opportunity to join other citizen scientists to help build the scientific databases that increase the knowledge and understanding of our bushlands and their biodiversity. These annual Bioblitz surveys collect vast amounts of data on species and distribution that would otherwise be unavailable.

The Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club are again hosting a count in this region and they’d love your contributions!  If you can contribute, all you need is a camera or phone and enthusiasm!

You’ll find lots of information, including deadlines, tips on uploading your images to iNaturalist, the online global databank for observations of biodiversity and more on the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club Great Southern Bioblitz webpage.

Images: Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club

Bird of the month: The Corvids – Ravens and Crows

Posted on 18 August, 2025 by Lori

Article by Damian Kelly and Jane Rusden

Little Ravens (most likely) at Coliban Waters Castlemaine Water Treatment Plant Bird Hide. (Photo Jane Rusden)

At the brand new bird hide put in by Coliban Water at the treatment plant in Castlemaine *, waterbirds and waders are the obvious focus when bird watching. However, a pair of what I believe are Little Ravens were caught goofing around in a very silly display, quite unlike the often cooler demeanor we usually see in this species. The sighting led us down the Corvid “rabbit hole”.  Reading on, you’ll discover why I have not definitively stated which of our two local species the photos are of.

Although ravens are not always popular with people for various reasons, it is important to acknowledge that they perform an important scavenger role in cleaning up dead wildlife as well as eating a variety of agricultural insect pests as well as seeds. They are omnivorous and feed mostly on the ground. Ravens have adapted to a wide variety of habitats and are common around farms as well as cities, and obviously Water Treatment Plants.

Australia has five species – Australian Raven, Little Raven, Forest Raven, Torresian Crow and Little Crow.  To quote the Handbook of Australian and New Zealand Birds (HANZAB): “All Australian Corvus are very difficult to distinguish and great care is needed to identify species.” Even the experts can be confused!

Whilst on the face of it all species look similar, in reality it is fairly easy to identify a species based on location – in most areas only one or two species are present. Around the Mount Alexander region we only have two species – Australian Raven and Little Raven and the Little Raven is far more common. Travelling further afield of course can be tricky. And unless you want a bird identification head ache, you don’t want to be in the north coast of NSW where all five can be found.

Locally the Little Raven is the most common and can be seen in large groups out of breeding season. Calls of our two local species are quite different with the Australian Raven tending to be longer and more drawn out than the Little Raven. You are best to listen to the calls on a birding app on your phone to become familiar with each, as trying to describe sounds in words is often not a lot of use.

Working out the age of a bird can be done by checking out the iris of the eye: adults are white with a bluish ring around the pupil, immatures are brown and juveniles blue-grey.  Other indicators sometimes used to aid identification such as the throat hackles or colour at the base of feathers are often not much use in the field.

Pairs of Australian Ravens are generally sedentary and defend their territories all year round whereas Little Ravens move a lot, only defending small territories during breeding season and then joining large mobile flocks after breeding. These movements have been recorded over distance of several hundred kilometres at times, specially with juvenile and immature birds.

Nests are usually an untidy collection of sticks with a softer internal lining high up in large trees. Both parents build the nest and feed the young, but only the female does the incubation. Currently there is a pair either renovating or building a nest high up in the Big Tree in Guildford.

In many Aboriginal language groups, the raven is seen as a trickster or hero. Ravens have been recorded using tools such as sticks to retrieve food such as larvae from logs or dropping items on hard surfaces to crack them open. They also store food in caches for later use and can remember the location for long periods. Hikers’ packs are also fair game as ravens have learned to open small pockets and even sealed bags. Some field zoologists have had to stop nest monitoring surveys of threatened bird species (or at least their route between nests) if an Australian Raven is in the area, as they learn to follow the researchers, find the nests and predate the chicks.

A pair of what we believe are Little Ravens, goofing about … perhaps strengthening their pair bond, at Coliban Waters Castlemaine Water Treatment Plant Bird Hide. (Photo by Jane Rusden)

* Note: to access the birdhide at the Coliban Water Treatment Plant, email communications@coliban.com.au  to sign the access agreement form and apply for a key.

Bird of the Month is a partnership between Connecting Country and BirdLife Castlemaine District. Each month we take a close look at one special local bird species. We are blessed to have the brilliant Jane Rusden and Damian Kelly from BirdLife Castlemaine District writing these! We’re excited to join forces to deliver you a different bird each month, seasonally adjusted, and welcome suggestions from the community.

Bird of the Month – Weebill

Posted on 22 July, 2025 by Bonnie Humphreys

Weebill ‘shouting’, Photo by Damian Kelly

Written by Damian Kelly and Jane Rusden

In the local Box-Ironbark forest it’s fairly rare to go for a walk without hearing the Weebill. Although seeing it can be tricky, as typically they are in constant motion as they forage in amongst foliage. A give away is their hover, similar species don’t exhibit this behaviour. The best interactions I’ve had with Weebills, is when I’ve been sitting quietly nature journaling in my sketchbook, and a flock moves through the scrub around me. In these instances they can come very close to you and no binoculars are required to get fantastic views of the tiny but sometimes bold bird.

Measuring from bill tip to tail at 80mm and weighing in at just 6 grams, the Weebill is Australia’s smallest bird, but not by far with the Brown Thornbill just 1 gram heavier on average. As its name implies the bill is also very small and and stumpy which makes it easy to distinguish in the field from other Thornbills that invariably have longer, pointy thorn-like bills. It has been placed in a different genus to the other Thornbills.

Weebill foraging in a stunted Box tree, at the Ochre Pits. Photo by Jane Rusden

A glance at the distribution map for the Weebill shows that it is widespread throughout Australia apart from some inland deserts and tropical rain forest areas. Detailed banding studies have shown the Weebill is a sedentary species with little local movements. Recoveries of banded birds have shown the 99% were recorded less than 10km form original locations. And surprisingly for such a small bird, some recoveries have been of birds over 7 years old.

Weebill foraging, perhaps for lerp. Photo by Jane Rusden

Food is mostly insects of various kinds, although at times seeds are also taken. Breeding usually occurs August-December, although nesting has been observed at any time of the year when conditions are suitable. Nests are dome-shaped and are built mainly in eucalypt foliage. Clutch size ranges from 2-4 eggs. Both females and males incubate and feed the young.

Calls are quite loud for such a small bird with a whistled song that is quite distinctive and can sound like it’s calling its own name, “Weebill”.

Bird of the Month is a partnership between Connecting Country and BirdLife Castlemaine District. Each month we take a close look at one special local bird species. We are blessed to have the brilliant Jane Rusden and Damian Kelly from BirdLife Castlemaine District writing these! We’re excited to join forces to deliver you a different bird each month, seasonally adjusted, and welcome suggestions from the community.

Bird of the Month: Brown Quail

Posted on 19 June, 2025 by Bonnie Humphreys

Written by Damian Kelly and Jane Rusden

Brown quail is an elusive bird that prefers to skulk rather than fly, but with patience they can be found in their preferred habitat. This species is best summed up as widespread but cryptic. They are actually fairly common around Castlemaine but are not often observed. Preferred habitat includes moister areas along water courses and swampy areas where there is good ground cover with taller grasses. They will venture into woodland but prefer areas with grassy tussocks. They can also be found in cultivated fields such as grain areas feeding on spilled grain and even in potato crops.

Photo by Damian Kelly

They are active during the day and usually move about in small groups on the ground. However their streaked brown colouration blends in with the terrain and they are hard to spot. If surprised they will fly up with a whirring of wings but land quickly in the nearest dense vegetation patch.

 Within Australia, Brown Quail can be found right across northern and eastern Australia, south-west Western Australia, Tasmania and some Bass Strait Islands.  They are absent from the very dry interior of Australia as they prefer dense grasslands, often on the edges of open forest. Their range also extends north of Australia into Papua-New Guinea and other islands off the northern coast. They have been introduced into New Zealand. 

Little is know of their movements but they tend to be resident in wetter areas, whilst movements vary in drier regions depending on moisture. Bird banding records confirm this. Food includes some insects but the seeds of grasses and herbs are the main items in their diet, generally gleaned from the ground and low foliage.

Nesting occurs on the ground in dense foliage usually in a depression in the soil that is lined with grass and leaves. Clutch sizes recorded have ranged from 4-12 eggs. The female does all the incubating but both parents feed and brood the young away from the nest.

This species can sometimes be found with Stubble or King Quail as they share similar habitat preferences. Brown Quail are also captive bred and kept in aviaries. In this situation they are sometimes known to cross-breed with King Quail and produce young.

Brown Quail in a hurry, photo by Damian Kelly

Bird of the Month is a partnership between Connecting Country and BirdLife Castlemaine District. Each month we take a close look at one special local bird species. We are blessed to have the brilliant Jane Rusden and Damian Kelly from BirdLife Castlemaine District writing these! We’re excited to join forces to deliver you a different bird each month, seasonally adjusted, and welcome suggestions from the community.

Bird of the Month: Australian Hobby

Posted on 26 May, 2025 by Lori

Article by Damian Kelly with a small addition by Jane Rusden

Australian Hobby at Welford National Park in outback Queensland. Photo by Jane Rusden

My research for this article quickly found that the Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis) has been little studied and there are some gaps in its background. This is surprising as it is fairly common in cities and towns including Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra as well as being found around Castlemaine.  Just the other day a Hobby swept across in front of me as I drove down Urquhart Street near the centre of town. They have a preference for using old raven nests when breeding. Once, up near Kerang, I watched an epic battle between a pair of Little Ravens and two Hobbies over the possession of a nest high in an old River Redgum. In this case the hobbies appeared to win the day and at least one raven egg was removed from the nest and smashed on the ground.

Breeding generally occurs in spring and the female lays 2-4 eggs. Both sexes incubate and feed the young. After fledging the family group stays together for up to 12 weeks. Often the parents will do food transfers in flight to improve the abilities of the young.

The Hobby is sometimes confused with the far more charismatic Peregrine Falcon it resembles. It is distinguished from the Peregrine by its smaller size and slighter build with only a partial “helmet” compared to the Peregrine. It also tends to have a brownish breast.

Interestingly, the Latin name ‘longipennis’ comes from the birds long primary wing feathers. Penna singular and pennae plural, is feather in Latin. In ornithological terms, penna refers to a contour feather.

Outside of urban areas the Hobby can be found all over the country from coastal areas to the dry interior and Tasmania. Nesting generally occurs near water. In some areas it is resident but birds often move about with some evidence of north-south and altitudinal movements. Quite an adaptable bird.

They catch birds, bats and insects on the wing often via fast contour hunting hugging the treetops, along creek lines, between buildings or by direct diving from a perch. Diet is primarily birds (70%), with parrots and starlings more common, along with dragonflies. Surprisingly they also are known to take the fast-flying White-throated Needletails. As a crepuscular (at twilight) species it can be observed feeding towards dusk and around dawn, hence the appearance of bats in their diet. It is not unusual to see a Hobby sitting high in a tree watching and waiting for prey.

Australian Hobby on a fence post along Rodborough Rd, on the Moolort Plains. Photo by Ash Vigus.

Bird of the Month is a partnership between Connecting Country and BirdLife Castlemaine District. Each month we take a close look at one special local bird species. We are blessed to have the brilliant Jane Rusden and Damian Kelly from BirdLife Castlemaine District writing these! We’re excited to join forces to deliver you a different bird each month, seasonally adjusted, and welcome suggestions from the community. 

Bird of the Month: Brown Thornbill

Posted on 18 March, 2025 by Anna

Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla)

Welcome to Bird of the Month, a partnership between Connecting Country and BirdLife Castlemaine District. Each month we’re taking a close look at one special local bird species. We are blessed to have the brilliant Jane Rusden and Damian Kelly from BirdLife Castlemaine District writing these! We’re excited to join forces to deliver you a different bird each month, seasonally adjusted, and welcome suggestions from the community. 

Brown Thornbill with its distinctive red eye. Photo by Damian Kelly

The Brown Thornbill is one of the typical “little brown birds” that are always moving fast in foliage and thus hard to identify. It is the only Thornbill species found locally with a red eye, which is a helpful distinguishing feature to look out for, though tough to see in certain light conditions.

The Brown Thornbill can be found in a wide variety of habitats along the east coast of Australia from northern Queensland around to South Australia as well as Tasmania. This adaptable species occurs in a range of habitats with a dense shrub layer, including wet and dry eucalypt forests, as well as heathlands and rainforests. Brown Thornbills have been recorded as high as 1200m in Victoria down to coastal areas. They can also be found in suburban gardens – in fact as I type this I am watching one have a good splash in a water bowl near my window.

A predominantly insectivorous species, it gleans most of its food from foliage and tree trunks as well as foraging on the ground. Occasionally it has been observed eating seeds, fruit and nuts when available.

Long term banding studies have shown that adults are predominantly sedentary although some movements occur from high zones to lower areas in winter. Young birds, however, do disperse to new areas when full fledged. Unlike some Australian species, Brown Thornbills do not have helpers at the nest and broods are raised by the pair. Nesting can occur from June to January, depending on the season and nests are built quite low down in dense shrubbery or even in grass tussocks. Nests are rounded, oval and domed with an entrance near the top. Materials include grasses, lichen, moss, and wool if available, bound together with spider web. Males and females appear very similar and juveniles are equally hard to separate from their parents once fully fledged.

The red eye of the Brown Thornbill is more difficult to see in these conditions. Photo by Damian Kelly.

Bird of the Month: Jacky Winter

Posted on 17 February, 2025 by Anna

Jacky Winter (Microeca fascinans)

Welcome to Bird of the Month, a partnership between Connecting Country and BirdLife Castlemaine District. Each month we’re taking a close look at one special local bird species. We are blessed to have the brilliant Jane Rusden and Damian Kelly from BirdLife Castlemaine District writing these! We’re excited to join forces to deliver you a different bird each month, seasonally adjusted, and welcome suggestions from the community. 

A pair of Jacky Winters. Photo by Damian Kelly.

The Jacky Winter is one of the “Feathered Five’ indicator species selected by Connecting Country for their detailed 10-year Woodland Birds Action Plan for the Mount Alexander region. There have been noticeable declines in this species’  with the clearing of woodland in many parts of Australia. A handy way to find them, is to look along fence lines where paddocks butt up to bushland, as they love to perch on the fence wires preening or keeping an eye out for insects to eat for lunch.

Although it is a member of the generally colourful family of robins, the Jacky Winter has a more subdued colour palette of pale grey, white and brown, which allows it to blend in to the environment. Males and females are very similar in appearance. Also both sexes can be easily confused with female Hooded Robins, but the Jacky Winter is paler on the chest, it’s bill is slightly shorter and the white stripe down the side of the tail is continuous. To add to the confusion, both species’ distributions overlap considerably. Jacky Winters prefer areas of open woodland, and can be found over large parts of Australia,  as well as extending into Papua New Guinea.

In suitable habitat it can be easily observed with its typical feeding behaviour of hawking for insects using the ‘sit and pounce’ tactic typical of several different robins, where it sits on a low branch and then dives down to catch prey on the ground. They can often be seen in pairs whilst feeding. Food includes a range of insects and arachnids. Given the chance they are also known to be partial to cheese. Not unusual as I have experienced similar behaviour from a Brown Treecreeper pinching cheese from my lunch.

Jacky Winter sits on a nest. Photo by Damian Kelly.

In their breeding season they build a very small, cup-shaped nest mainly composed of twigs and bark and held together with spiders’ web. Clutch size is usually 2 eggs. Only the female incubates the eggs, but both parents feed the young. Unlike other Australian species, there is no evidence of helpers at the nest – all work is done by the breeding pair.

Long-term studies indicate that Jacky Winters are generally sedentary and remain in an area throughout the year. There is very little evidence of migration apart from some local seasonal movements. This sedentary aspect of their behaviour makes this species more vulnerable when habitat is cleared.

Jacky Winter. Photo by Jane Rusden.

Seeking data entry volunteer – and our sincere gratitude to the invaluable, Vicki Ryan

Posted on 5 February, 2025 by Anna

Connecting Country benefits from the dedication of many wonderful volunteers who collect data for our two long-term monitoring projects; woodland bird and nest box monitoring. For the last three years, one woman has been diligently working away in the background collating and entering these data, Vicki. 

Vicki is a retired director of resources and planning at a major Uni and has a wealth of experience in developing administration systems and processes, making her the perfect fit. Vicki joined us in the covid years, seeking some intellectual stimulation and to contribute positively. She had this to say about her time volunteering with CC:

“I enjoyed my time volunteering with Connecting Country and having the opportunity to work with such a dedicated and supportive team. It has been a privilege to provide support to this valuable organisation. I strongly encourage anyone who is considering volunteering to contact Connecting Country and take the opportunity to work with such an amazing team. Not only will you be contributing your services, you will also learn the nesting habits of phascogales and gliders, and become familiar with the many bird species found in this region.”

Vicki is sadly leaving Castlemaine and will be moving on to other things. She has been an incredible asset for us, and we will miss her greatly.

Thank you for everything, Vicki! 

Our wonderful data entry volunteer, Vicki Ryan.

Would you like to volunteer with us?

We are on the lookout for a data entry volunteer for our bird survey and nest box monitoring projects.  

Who we are looking for:

• Ideally you will have some data entry experience – No prior knowledge of fauna is required – although we promise you will inevitably pick up some bird names!

• You will be looking for a longish-term volunteer experience (at least 12 months). 

• You are able to come into our office (Castlemaine) to complete the data entry (ascending two flights of stairs) 

Hours/days are flexible.  

Bird data: data entry is concentrated in the winter and spring months, when you will process the bird data coming in from our survey team in the field.  A commitment of 1-2 hours per week during these seasons would be ideal, however this is flexible. 

Nest box data: data entry monitoring happens every two years (next in 2026), and will require a commitment of a 2-3 hours per week during autumn into winter.  

Responsibilities include:  

• Entering data from hardcopy datasheets into a database.  

• Generating summary reports and emailing/posting to landholders.  

• Collating and filing datasheets.  

If you are interested, please email anna@connectingcountry.org.au, with some info about yourself and your experience. 

Bird of the month: Wedge-tailed Eagle

Posted on 30 December, 2024 by Anna

Bird of the month: Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax)

Welcome to Bird of the Month, a partnership between Connecting Country and BirdLife Castlemaine District. Each month we’re taking a close look at one local bird species. We’re excited to join forces to deliver you a different bird each month, seasonally adjusted, and welcome suggestions from the community. This article was written by Damian Kelly and Jane Rusden from BirdLife Castlemaine District, accompanied by photos from them both.

Photo by Damian Kelly

Wedge-tailed Eagles, or ‘Wedgies’ as they are often known, can be seen all over the Mount Alexander region, usually soaring on thermals at great heights, identifiable by their characteristic wedge shape tail and broad up-swept wings. A common enough, though still awe inspiring sight when I’m doing Connecting Country’s Woodland Bird Survey on private land, on a peak along Fogarty’s Gap Road. Recently a pair cruised over the Campbells Creek bush, just high enough to clear the ridges, sending some of the local birds into a panic of alarm calls. Interestingly, wedgies don’t always illicit alarm calls from other bird species. My best guess is that potential prey bird species know if a Wedgie is on the hunt or not, and therefore if they are in danger of becoming a meal.

Australia’s largest bird of prey and one of the largest eagles in the world, it is more common across the inland plains and it tends to avoid human habitation when building a nest. Wedge-tailed Eagles are quite adaptable when breeding with nesting sites ranging from large trees on hillsides, low trees in desert areas, on cliffs, in rain forests and even on the ground on islands. Density of bird territories varies widely. In years of abundant rabbit populations pairs may nest within 700m of each other. In more difficult years a territory may be several square kilometres and some pairs will not breed. Nest are seemingly enormous heaps of messy sticks.

Photo by Damian Kelly

Diet is varied with rabbits composing a significant proportion when available, but the eagles are known to take a variety of carrion and road-kill when available as well as wood duck, ibis, raven, galah, cockatoo and even other raptors. They are also known to harass other predators such as other raptors and even foxes to steal food.

The colour of their plumage varies – very dark birds are often older adults, but this is not always the case, with some lighter coloured birds recorded breeding. At times, fledglings can even be darker than their parents. So you cannot reliably rely on colour to estimate age.

There is a lot of misinformation prevalent about eagles and bounties were paid to exterminate them up until quite recently. They are now a protected species, but sadly there are still cases of eagles being shot and poisoned with some recent high profile court cases in Gippsland. Detailed studies have shown that in reality eagles take a very small proportion of lambs lost each year.

Wedge-tail Eagle on a road side. Note the ‘trousered’ legs and powerful talons. Photo by Jane Rusden.

Incredible ‘Wedgie’ portrait by Damian Kelly

This Christmas, support landscape restoration and habitat creation in Central Vic

Posted on 28 November, 2024 by Anna

In this season of giving, please consider donating to Connecting Country and help support our vision for landscape restoration across the Mount Alexander region of central Victoria.

We can’t wait for governments to act! We need to build resilience in our local landscape in the face of climate change.  As a local, not-for-profit, community-based organisation, we work at the grassroots to protect, restore and enhance biodiversity to help threatened species, like the Brush-tailed phascogale and our wonderful woodland bird community, to thrive.

Over the past 15 years we have:

• Restored over 15,000 ha of habitat across the Mount Alexander region, which equates to around 8% of the shire.
• Delivered more than 245 successful community education events.
• Installed more than 480 nest boxes for the threatened Brush-tailed Phascogale
• Maintained a network of 50 long-term bird monitoring sites
• Secured funding to deliver more than 65 landscape restoration projects.
• Supported an incredible network of over 30 Landcare and Friends groups.

We should all be proud of what we’ve achieved. However, there’s much more to do.

You can be assured that any financial support from you will be well spent, with 100% invested into our core work of supporting and implementing landscape restoration in our local area. We run a lean operation and our small team of part-time staff attracts voluntary support that ensures every dollar goes a long way.

Donate here

Connecting Country AGM: Growing our Future Together

Posted on 1 November, 2024 by Lori

After 16 years of influencing positive environmental change on 500+ properties in the region, it’s time to look forward and help shape the future of Connecting Country!  

We want to hear from you – our members, supporters and the wider community – about what is important to you in supporting local biodiversity and connection with nature. 

Following brief AGM formalities, we will delve into an informative and interactive plenary discussion with a diverse panel: 

• Brendan Sydes – ACF Biodiversity Policy Advisor and Connecting Country President. 

• Ian Higgins – local ecologist and founding member of Friends of Campbells Creek. 

• Ann-Marie Monda – landowner (with Carla Meurs) from Wooroomook property in Sutton Grange integrating environmental improvements within agricultural farmland. 

Chaired by Sharon Fraser from the Castlemaine Institute, the panel will discuss the current state of the environment and why conservation is so important – from the grassroots level upwards – now more than ever. 

You will be invited to contribute your ideas and help shape the future direction of Connecting Country, its advocacy and support for grassroots conservation in our region. We will celebrate some of the local achievements to date and consider future opportunities for continuing positive environmental change, under changing financial, environmental and climate conditions.

Please join us for this special event on Saturday 23rd November 2024: 

Campbell’s Creek Community Centre
60 Elizabeth St, Campbells Creek VIC 345 VIC 3450

1:15pm – lunch and sharing of ideas 

2-2:20 pm – AGM formalities including a summary of 2023-24 achievements, review of the years financials, and election of office bearers 

2:20-4pm – plenary session, discussion and workshop 

For catering and logistical purposes, please register your attendance – click here

AGM formalities 

View Connecting Country’s 2023-24 Annual report – click here

View Connecting Country’s Financial audit 2023-24 – click here

 Connecting Country constitution 

Consumer Affairs made changes to the model rules for Constitutions and recommended organisations review their own constitutions in light of these changes.  

As such, Connecting Country’s Constitution has been updated in alignment with the model rules including:

• Updated language to support the flexible use of technology  (Rule 9, 35 and 62). 

• New processes for disciplinary appeals where members have been suspended or expelled by a disciplinary subcommittee (Rule 23). 

• Changes to grievance procedures regarding mediation (Rule 27 and 28). 

• Stronger disclosure requirements for a conflict of interest (Rule 65). 

See attached (with track changes) draft for review/endorsement. 

 These changes are required to be voted on and adopted by the organisations membership at the AGM as a special resolution.  To view a DRAFT updated Connecting Country Constitution (with track changes) – click here 

 Nominate for the Committee of Management

Want to be more involved with Connecting Country? Why not consider becoming a committee member.  We are actively looking for new committee members to broaden the skills of our Committee.  The positions require 2 hours per month to attend committee meeting plus small amounts of reading or work time as required to keep the organisation rolling.  If this sounds like you, please complete a nomination form or contact our office to discuss via info@connectingcountry.org.au.

BirdLife Castlemaine’s Mid-Week Bird Walk – Wednesday 20th November 2024 – Garfield Water Wheel, Chewton

Posted on 28 October, 2024 by Anna

Our friends at BirdLife Castlemaine District are holding their next mid-week bird walk on Wednesday 20th November at the Garfield Mine Water Wheel site in the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park (Northern section), Chewton.

ALL WELCOME!

Recent species seen in the area include Painted Buttonquail, Olive-backed Oriole, Scarlet and Yellow Robin, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Fan-tailed, and Shining-Bronze Cuckoo, Rufous Whistler and in previous years at this time, Pacific Koel and Square-tailed Kite. Other species likely to be seen include a variety of Honeyeaters, Thornbills and Pardalotes. Your walk leader is Bob Dawson.

Shining Bronze-cuckoo Photo by Geoff Park

Where: We will meet at the Garfield Water Wheel car park, Chewton. From the Hargraves St roundabout Castlemaine, take the Pyrenees Hwy (B180) toward Chewton. Drive 3.8k and turn left at North St. Drive 800mtrs along North St and you will see the turn off to the Water Wheel. There is no street sign but there is a large sign saying “Garfield Wheel Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park”. Turn right and the carpark is about 300mtrs along this road. GPS: -37.07279, 144.25929.

When: Meet at the Garfield Water Wheel carpark at 9:00am.

Bring: Water, snacks, binoculars, sunscreen, hat, and we also strongly recommend that you wear long trousers and closed-in sturdy shoes.

More info: Bob Dawson, 0417 621 691. Note, there are toilets at the site.

Birdlife Castlemaine acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land where we are holding our walk, the Dja Dja Wurrung people and we pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We recognise and are grateful for the immense contribution of Indigenous people to the knowledge and conservation of Australia’s birds.

Please note that walks will be cancelled if severe weather warnings are in place, persistent rain is forecast, the temperature is forecast to be 35°C or above during the walk period, and/or a Total Fire Ban is declared. Please check the BirdLife Castlemaine Facebook page the day before the event in case there is a cancellation.

Bird of the Month: Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Posted on 21 October, 2024 by Anna

Welcome to Bird of the Month, a partnership between Connecting Country and BirdLife Castlemaine District. Each month we’re taking a close look at one special local bird species. We’re excited to join forces to deliver you a different bird each month, seasonally adjusted, and welcome suggestions from the community. We are blessed to have the brilliant Damian Kelly and Jane Rusden from BirdLife Castlemaine District writing about our next bird of the month, accompanied by their stunning photos.

Photo by Damian Kelly

Whilst doing quiet activities in the bush, like walking or bird surveys, it’s often possible to hear and maybe see, Yellow-faced Honeyeaters. Anecdotally, I often associate them with Fuscous Honeyeaters because they visit the bird bath together, but they are frequently to be found on their own or in twos and threes as well. You may find their call is quite familiar.

The Yellow-faced Honeyeater is possibly one of the most widespread of the honeyeaters. It ranges from far north Queensland along the east coast across to South Australia. There have also been occasional records in Tasmania and even vagrants on Lord Howe Island and in New Zealand. This species is partly migratory with significant movement northward in autumn and returning southwards in spring. Migration has been observed in daytime with both small and large flocks on the move. This migration does not include all birds, with some remaining resident and sedentary in parts of their range. They can be found all year in our local bush.

Long term studies of migration have not shed a lot of light on overall patterns. Banding studies have proved inconclusive and we still know little about their movements. This is interesting given that are a relatively common bird. You’d think we’d know more about them!

An active and noisy bird, they can be seen in local gardens feeding on pollen, nectar, fruit, seeds, manna and insects along with lerp. They occupy a wide range of habitats ranging from woodlands to heath, mangroves, parks and home gardens. In short a very adaptable species. Locally they can be seen in any of the Box-Ironbark forests and in gardens.

A Yellow-faced Honeyeater as it decides if the bird bath is safe to have a drink. Photo by Jane Rusden

Nesting usually occurs in spring-summer with 2-3 eggs being laid in a nest composed of bark and grass fibre held together with spider web. Generally this nest in placed in the fork of a tree. Young are fed by both parents.

Find our more about Yellow-faced honeyeater, including their call:

https://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Lichenostomus-chrysops

The bright yellow gape of a young Yellow-faced Honeyeater begging for food from a parent. Photo by Damian Kelly