Category: Melton Botanic Gardens

Little Journeys: Springtime in the Gardens

Posted in Melton Botanic Gardens6 Comments

For over twenty years a dedicated group of volunteers have been patiently working at developing a Botanic Gardens in Melton.
Today, their wonderful efforts have transformed the area into a little oasis in the housing and industrial area.
Along one of the creeks, every year, Latham’s Snipe visit from Japan to summer over.

The Friends Group participates in the Latham’s Snipe Survey, and EE and I went out on Sunday to help with the survey.
As it turns out we were only able to locate two Latham’s Snipe. But given that the water levels in the creek and the lake areas was well up, there probably wasn’t much opportunity for the birds to easily feed and hide during the day. All part of the interesting life and times of Latham’s Snipe.

What we did find however was lots of Springtime activity here is a small sample.

A Noisy Miner delivering food
Magpie-lark in characteristic mate calling display
One of about 8 Magpie-lark nests in progress.
Willie Wagtail gathering Spider Web
Whistle while you work. A happy Wagtail adding more Spider Web to its new nest
The care and feeding of young Red Wattlebirds is a noisy business and there were lots of young to be fed
Here’s a clever one for you to find. Hidden among the leaves is a tiny, beautifully made spiderweb basket of a White-plumed Honeyeater.
Just hatched. The Maned Duck chicks still have the little egg beak to break out of the shell
Dusky Woodswallows have arrived and no doubt will soon be nesting
Rufous Songlark. These loud calling birds were establishing territories. This one in particular had taken over the earth moving equipment site just outside the Gardens.