On Friday the 24th March 2000, BiolSoc members went spotlighting at Dyer’s Creek Picnic Ground after a yummy dinner at Gembrook pub.

Powerful Owl (Ninox strenua) with Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus)
A beautifully clear night provided the best spotlighting conditions. Just a few minutes after getting out of our cars we heard the weird grunts and screeches of yellow-bellied gliders (Petaurus australis) and spotlighted 2-3 very active animals, everyone getting a great look at them. We also heard and saw bobucks (Mountain brushtail possums –Trichosurus caninus). We didn’t have to go far from the carpark to spot some greater gliders (Petauroides volans). Usually just big bundles of fur high up in the trees, we managed to get a really good look at 2-3 different animals.

It wasn’t long after til we heard a powerful owl (Ninox strenua) calling back to us. We also heard the boobook owl (Ninox novaeseelandiae), also known to some of us as the morepork, and learnt about the blood-curdling, human like scream given by the barking owl (Ninox connivens).

Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps)

Of course the yellow-bellied gliders and sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps) weren’t very happy about all these calls from their predators, and it wasn’t long before there was glider calling all around us. Soon after we saw a couple of yellow-bellies glide, one gliding right over our heads which produced a few ooos, and aaahhs from below.
 

All in all, we were treated to a spotlighting extravaganza, we saw and heard heaps, and everyone soon learnt the knack of spotlighting arboreal mammals.

Look out for the next spotlighting night!!!

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Date: Sunday 27th May 2001
Place: Braeside Park

Prue, Al, Lainie, Evelyn, John, Wendy, and Merrilyn met at Braeside on Sunday morning and set off to see more than 50 bird species in the varied habitats.  Prue had arranged for us to go through the Bushland area, which is normally closed to the public, so that was a bonus.  Areas beside the track here had been cleared of shrubs which had been growing very thickly.  There were several Superb Fairy-wrens hopping about on the track.  A Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike and an Eastern Yellow Robin perched on conspicuous, bare branches so they could be easily seen.  Al called in a pair of beautiful Spotted Pardalotes which came to within a few metres of us.  A juvenile Golden Whistler also appeared to investigate the noise.  Further on we had wonderful views of brightly coloured Eastern Rosellas, Rainbow Lorikeets and Musk Lorikeets all together on a big old River Red-gum tree with numerous holes in the ends of its broken branches. Also to be seen or heard in the bushland area were Grey Butcherbird, Grey Shrike-thrush, White-plumed Honeyeater, Brown Thornbill, Noisy Miner, White-browed Scrubwren, Red Wattlebird, Red-browed Finch, and Red-rumped Parrot.  There were also some Starlings about.
On our way to the wetland area we saw Masked Lapwings, Cattle Egrets, the white face of a White-faced Heron shining out above some reeds, Magpies and Magpie Larks.  Magpie Larks were present throughout the park.  We also saw numerous Eastern Rosellas during the morning.
There was a variety of species at the wetlands including Black Swan, Magpie Goose (one lone bird), Hardhead,  Pacific Black Duck, Australasian Shoveler, a single Pink-eared Duck, Grey and Chestnut Teal, Australasian Grebe, Intermediate Egret, , Straw-necked Ibis, Marsh Harrier, Dusky Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Eurasian Coot, Masked Lapwing, Silver Gull, and Golden-headed Cisticola.  While we were watching the water birds, we also heard a Laughing Kookaburra.  A Hobby flew past and a Black-shouldered Kite was hovering way in the distance.
On the way around to the car park where we began, we saw Red-rumped Parrots, a Common Bronzewing, Crested Pigeons, Little Ravens, and Cattle Egrets appropriately with some cattle.  Sharing a tree were a Galah, a Black-shouldered Kite, and a Common Myna or two.  During the morning we also saw Spotted Turtle-doves, Blackbirds, and Feral Pigeons. I haven't mentioned Straw-necked Ibis.  That was one of the first species we saw.  That's about it: a very pleasant morning, well worth the visit.
 
 
 

Date: Saturday, 15th April 2000
Time: 10am
Where: Braeside Park.

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13th/14th May 2000
 

The best campsite on Gunbower Island was claimed by the Biological Society! With tents parked well away from large River Red gums and tent flap views of the Murray River, happiness was assured!

The group was given a tour of the study sites for the Monash Woody Debris project (Dr R. Mac Nally) by chief field man, Greg F. B. Horrocks. The project looks at how fauna are affected by the removal of woody debris by firewood collectors, and what limits should be placed on the removal of wood. Greg showed us the ins and outs of setting Elliot traps to catch Antechinus flavipes (marsupial mice). However, the faster we set the traps, the faster Andrew Mains (1st yr) consumed the bait (Greg’s special peanut butter and rolled oats recipe). We had a look at how to set up pitfall traps to survey invertebrates in the leaf litter.

The wind put a hex on catching any birds using mist nets, but a variety of birds were spotted during the weekend (see list below). We did see plenty of eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus), and some direct searching found us native cockroaches, giant centipedes (just like the ones in the yowies!), and a Greg’s-worth of tenebrionid beetles. Several keen campers dipped their toes (and fishing line with meat attached!!) in the water in the hope of catching yabbies, alas only a lowly shrimp was caught in the nets.

Head shoppers Deb Archer (post grad) and Jason Ellul (support team) did a fine job of choosing the juiciest steaks for the carnivores and the yummiest vegie burgers for the herbivores, which were cooked to perfection by Chefs Wardopolous (a.k.a Demonstrator Darren), Margaret Stanley (postgrad) and Leah DeVires (1st yr). There were plenty of “tools” to help start the BBQ.

Several brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) and some huge spiders were spotlighted after dinner, and a couple of dinosaurs were spotted after consumption of wine around the campfire. The audible microbats, the white-striped mastiff bats (Nyctinomus australis) were heard while consuming marshmallows (before the wine consumption!!).

A wonderful time was had by all, a tip for those travelling to Cohuna: the takeaway shop sells chips, salt and gravy by the kilogram!!!
 
 

White-winged chough (Corcorax melanorhamphos)
Yellow rosella (Platycercus elegans flaveolus)
Crested shrike tit (Falcunculus frontatus)
Red rumped parrot (Psephotus haematonotus)
Common bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera)
Black kite (Milvus migrans)
Fan-tailed cuckoo (Cacomartis flabelliformis)
Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)
White plumed honeyeater (Lichenostomus penicillatus)
Little quails
White faced heron (Egretta novaehollandiae)
Grey fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa)
Willie wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys)
White-throated treecreeper (Cormobates leucophaeus)
Brown treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus)
Little corella (Cacatua sanguinea)
Grey Currawong (Strepera versicolour)
Fairy wren (Malurus cyaneus)
Kookaburras (Dacelo novaeguineae)
Galah (Cacatua roseicapilla)
Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicea)
Red wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata)
Little raven (Corvus mellori)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Thursday 25 May 2000
Rajus indian restaurant
Princes hwy, Clayton
Tickets $20 (banquet and drinks)
 
 

Yummy Indian food and the perfect amount of alcohol (not too messy!!) set the night off. There was a good mix of undergrads, postgrads, technical and academic staff, with 80 people attending.

The door prize was won by Bruce Weir - ask him what he won.

The trivia quiz was won by the Ambi-pur team (smell Paulo Lay and you'll understand why they called themselves Ambi-Pur). Quizmaster Greg Horrocks outdid himself - the questions were tricky and a small few were even hilarious.

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