Fauna
Koalas Listed as Endangered
On 12 February 2022, the federal Environment Minister listed the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) as ‘endangered’ under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act) in Queensland, NSW and the Australian Capital... read more
Wedge-tailed eagle
The wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax) also known as the eagle-hawk (Birabahn) is significant in the Hunter region for the Awabakal people, traditional custodians of the coastal Hunter area. The Awabakal celestial entity Kon is represented by an Aboriginal man whom,... read more
Summer Shorebird Count
The Birdlife Summer Shorebird Count – which runs from November 15th until February 28th – has 1 month remaining. We encourage attendees of our shorebird workshops, keen birders, shore-dwellers and those interested in conservation, to participate in this... read more
Everybody Likes a Bogong
(with apologies to Area 7) The population of Australia’s iconic Bogong Moth has crashed spectacularly over the past few years dropping by an estimated 99.5%. The drop is believed to have been due to a combination of land-use changes, agricultural chemicals, light... read more
Results of the Shorebird Workshop in November
With support from Hunter Local Land Services under the National Landcare Program, HRLN hosted another successful shorebird training workshop on 10th November, and here are the outcomes; The workshop was booked out – with an attendance of 22 enthusiastic... read more
Special Fauna Feature Edition: Red Fox
Vertebrate feral animal this month is the Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) The red fox, brought to Australia by Europeans in the 1850s, is an ongoing and serious pest problem due to their impact on native animals and livestock. Today foxes occur over 75% of Australia and their... read more
Shorebirds Feature: Newcastle Shorebird Training Workshop
Join us on Wednesday November 10th, 2021, for our Newcastle Shorebird Training Workshop. We will host a morning of informative presentations, followed by lunch (provided) and a field trip to Stockton Sandspit. Tidal movements are expected to provide great... read more
Fauna Feature: Teddy Bear Bees
It’s Australian Pollinator Week, 13 – 21st November https://www.australianpollinatorweek.org.au National pollinator week is approaching so let’s talk about one of our local buzzing insects, the teddy bear bee or golden haired mortar bee (Amegilla bombiformis).... read more
Special Fauna Feature Edition: What do you know about the vertebrate feral animals of the Hunter?
Are you involved in controlling of them? We will be highlighting each of these species over the coming months to give you an insight into their behaviour and their effect on the ecology of our region. Loading... Taking too long? Reload document | Open in new tab View,... read more
Shorebirds feature: Sooty Oystercatcher
Haematopus fuliginosus Sooty Oystercatchers are a large coastal wader, with pinkish legs and scarlet-orange eyes and bills, offset by jet-black plumage. Reaching similar sizes as their Pied relatives – about 50cm in length – their contrasting all-black... read more
Fauna Feature – Eastern Pygmy Possum
Climbing between banksias, you may spot a tiny brown marsupial feeding on the nectar. The Eastern pygmy possum (Cercartetus nanus) is a remarkable, endemic Australian species of the eastern coast, including the Hunter region. They are part of a family divided into two... read more
Shorebird Feature: Crested Tern
Thalasseus bergii As many of us flock to the shoreline for some lockdown-permitted exercise, you may have spotted flocks of Crested Terns. These ubiquitous shorebirds are the 2nd largest of the Australian Terns- approximately 49cm in length and are the most commonly... read more
Fauna Feature: Rainbow Bee-eater
A First Nations’ Dreaming story describes how birds were created when a rainbow burst and its fragments fell on Earth. The colours of the rainbow are well represented in one of the most magnificent and colourful Australian birds, the rainbow bee-eater (Merops... read more
Frog Deaths Across Eastern Australia
Have you noticed ill and dying frogs in your backyard or Landcare site? Please read this article to find out more and send any reports of sick or dead frogs (and if possible, photos) to the national citizen science project FrogID, or email calls@frogid.net.au They... read more
Fauna Feature: Joseph’s Coat Moth
Among the diverse moth species fluttering throughout the Hunter is the magnificently colourful Joseph’s Coat Moth (Agarista agricola), or painted vine moth. The name recalls a biblical story in which Joseph received a “coat of many colours” as a gift from his... read more
Woodland Birds School Program Feature – Mistletoe: Marvellous yet often misunderstood!
Although it is often considered the bane of gardeners, arborists and farmers, the pendulous clumps of mistletoe provide an extremely important resource for all manner of wildlife. Mistletoe boosts wildlife numbers in agricultural landscapes, especially insect-eating... read more
Understanding Nest Boxes
This informative video from Granite Borders Landcare can help explain the need for nest boxes in our changed landscapes and explain some of the complexities in choosing the right nest box for your site or property.... read more
Woodland birds: Swift parrot feature
The Central Hunter Valley Woodlands and Eucalypt forests is a vegetation community that has been declared critically endangered since May 2015 (EPBC Act 1999). It is typified by limited undergrowth and a variety of eucalyptus species, including Box gums and Ironbarks.... read more
Fauna Feature: The Pale-headed Snake
On the 16th of July the world celebrates snakes. There is no better place than Australia to increase awareness and introduce you to one of our slithering residents of the Hunter, the pale-headed snake (Hoplocephalus bitorquatus). Australia hosts 14% of the world’s... read more