Diario del proyecto Yellingbo and surrounds

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
It was a misty, 5.4 deg C start to our Citizen Science Bird & Frog survey in Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area, however the sun soon burnt off that mist and we were treated to a still, sunny morning with clear blue skies. What a fantastic way to spend a few hours with a fabulous group of people!
We recorded 33 species of birds, including Chestnut Teals utilising the swamp edge. This species hasn't been recorded before. It was also surprising to see so many Masked Lapwings flocking together - we don't see them often at all and then only 1 or 2 at a time. There was a flock of at least 22, with 29 sighted across the morning.
The frogs were quiet! I would be too on such a cool morning :)
A solitary Swamp Wallaby looked on peacefully as we walked by, and there was some fabulous fungi, including the gorgeous Ruby Bonnet and interesting Phlebia subceracea & Hypoxylon howeanum - no common names for these!
Huge thanks to Karin for diving in and offering to learn how to use Birdata to record the species we saw 🙂

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
We couldn't have wished for a better day, with blue skies, sun on our backs and 20 fabulous, interested Friends members and volunteers joining Mel at Haining to hear about the management actions to date, the innovations, the challenges, the failures, successes, and what's being planned.
It is amazing to see how the 2017-18 habitat plantings that are designed to support future releases of Victoria's Critically Endangered bird (Helmeted Honeyeater) & mammal (Leadbeater's Possum) emblems are growing, in what was for many decades a dairy farm. The swamp gums are thriving, the space is being enjoyed by locals, the bird species recorded are now 80+ and the local schools are using the space to engage students in conservation.
If you haven't visited, pack some lunch and spend a couple of hours here. The transformation from farmland to conservation reserve for threatened species is interesting, and a challenge!
Huge thanks to Mel for sharing her time, knowledge and passion for the environment with us 🙂

Notes from: a Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater hosted citizen science event.
The forecast was for a cool start, and we got it, however our group of volunteers were treated to clear blue skies in a beautiful patch of Lowland Forest in Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area.
The smiles, laughter and moments of concentration over our IDing task kept us all warm as we recorded everything from majestic eucalypts to vibrant and glistening fungi.
In a world that can sometimes feel overwhelming, it is rejuvenating to spend time with like-minded people, doing something that you know is valuable, and valued. Each month, we are coming back to this patch to document the flora and fungi species seen over a 12-month period. You can't care about it, if you don't know it's there.