Category: Native Fauna
A Colourful Tale (and Tail) of a Skink on the Prowl
I was lucky enough to come across a Three-spined Rainbow Skink (Carlia triacantha) resting on the warm paving tiles recently. They are often somewhat dull in colour, but some are striking with a bright blue head that is indicative of a breeding male. The darker tail in this case is due to regeneration, as it
Variegated Fairy-wren Snapped Taking a Bath at the LFW Office
A Variegated Fairy-wren (Malurus lamberti) was snapped in a compromising position at the Land for Wildlife office. A group consisting of one male, a female and many juveniles (being a highly sociable species, this group structure is quite common) were seen fluttering about in a Witchetty Bush (Acacia kempeana) and Old Man Saltbush (Atriplex nummularia
Birdlife Central Australia Shorebirds Survey at the Ponds
Birdlife Central Australia ran a summer Shorebirds count at the Alice Springs PowerWater stabilisation ponds on the weekend. The surveys are a part of the Shorebirds 2020 program, which aims to raise awareness about how incredible shorebirds are by engaging the community to participate in gathering the information required to conserve shorebirds, by conducting national
Wildlife Videos
Batchelor Institute Alice Springs camera trapping session in November 2016 shows a cat going into a trap for a feed and a couple of inquisitive crows. Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax) seen feeding on some kill at the Alice Springs wastewater treatment ponds.
Conservation Ecology of Slater’s Skink
Claire Treilibs has submitted her PhD thesis and would like to present the results to the Alice springs community on Friday week, Dec 16th at 3.30 at CDU lecture theatre in a talk titled Conservation Ecology of Slater’s Skink. This talk will be of interest to many in the community who may have been part
Bird Breeding Bonanza
Many avian species are breeding in town at the moment, with young chicks and fledglings making their way out into the world. Several Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles) chicks and Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) cygnets have been seen at the Alice Springs sewerage treatment ponds over the last couple of months. In my own yard, I
Sand Goanna Spotting
Sand Goannas (Varanus gouldii), also known as Gould’s Monitor and named after the prominent British naturalist, are usually quite sleek looking… Not this guy! This individual was seen sunning itself at the Land for Wildlife office this morning! What an excellent creature!
Air Bee n Bee: Creating Hotels for Native Pollinators
Spring is here and gardens are a buzz! Insects play an important role in the environment as pollinators and nutrient recyclers. While it is easy to get carried away with the huge role that introduced European Honeybees (Apis mellifera) play in pollinating crops, there are many more species of native solitary bees (harmless and non-aggressive)
A Month for Considering the World Around Us
September has seen a host of days dedicated to recognising the world around us – National Wattle Day, National Threatened Species Day, National Bilby Day and National Landcare Week. September is also Biodiversity month! Residents of Alice Springs are fortunate to live in such a unique region with undeveloped landscapes on our doorstep, threatened species
Bee-Eaters are Back in the Burbs
Garden for Wildlife signs around Alice Springs stand out for their colour – containing a representation of the Rainbow bee-eater (Merops ornatus). This week marked the first sighting of the Rainbow bee-eater for this spring! Winter has been quiet without their scissor-grinder trill, but it seems a few individuals have returned. The seasonal movement patterns
Video: Red-capped Robin
The Red-capped Robin (Petroica goodenovii) is a gorgeous little bird that can be found through much of semi-arid and temperate Australia within woodland habitats. A juvenile and two adults was snapped by the Land for Wildlife coordinator at Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary, while on a trip with the Alice Springs Field Naturalists Club last month. The
Up Close and Personal with Insect Mouthparts
Have you ever looked at an insect mouth up close? There’s a huge amount of variation in morphology that is related to the type of food an insect consumes. Mouth-parts of insects are composed of external appendages that project outwards, known as ectognathous mouth-parts (Greek: ecktos for outside, gnathos for jaw). Many insects have chewing
The Changing Seasons: Winter to Spring
As August wraps up, Land for Wildlife members should be looking to have any wildflower seedlings in the ground ready for the new growth that spring brings. There has been some significantly frosty weather of late so seedlings could remain protected for another couple of weeks until the warmth sets in. In the wildlife arena,
Pool Conversion: Creating a Freshwater Ecosystem
By Jen Kreusser There are many people in Alice Springs who are considering turning their once-loved swimming pool into an oasis of a different variety, or perhaps installing an old child sand pit or pool, in the hope of creating a self-sustaining water-feature and extending the attraction to a diverse range of feathered visitors. Smaller
Keep an Eye to the Sky: Nesting White-Plumed Honeyeaters
A bougainvillea in my yard has been home to some breeding White-plumed Honeyeaters (Lichenostomus penicillatus) over the last couple of weeks. The nest is a delicate hanging cup made of grasses and spider web, lined with miscellaneous fur. I only discovered them when they were a few days old and in a little over a
Video: Rufous Whistler
A Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris) was snapped by the Land for Wildlife coordinator at Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary, while on a trip with the Alice Springs Field Naturalists Club. Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary is one of Australia’s largest non-government protected areas, covering 262,000 hectares. Newhaven is renowned as a key arid zone bird watching destination. Supporting 170
Video: Crested Bellbird
A Crested Bellbird (Oreoica gutturalis) was snapped by the Land for Wildlife coordinator while hiking at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station on the weekend. The crested bellbird translates to ‘Panpanpalala’ in Pitjantjatjara and ‘Kwepalepale’ in Central Arrernte. This fun bird keeps a low profile and so isn’t seen often, but has an unmistakable call, which
Green Army: Feral Cat Trapping Progress
Land for Wildlife provided the Olive Pink Botanic Garden (OPBG) Green Army team with trapping assistance via a training workshop earlier this month (Read the workshop blog here). The team have been trialling a few trap locations within OPBG, with unexpected results. They have had four occurrences of by-catch of Black-footed Rock Wallaby (Petrogale lateralis),