A bumper year

History tells us a wet year is likely to mean a  good breeding season for Helmeted Honeyeaters, and this year is proving that assumption to be correct.




At Yellingbo this year:

Twenty-five known fledglings, to date for the 2013-14 breeding season.

PLUS

Females sitting on four more known nests, including one female from the October 2013 captive bred release group.

This is all good news for the Recovery Program. Stay tuned for updates - the breeding season extends from August-February.

Find out more about Helmeted Honeyeaters here

Many thanks to all the volunteers who are making a difference to the survival of this bird through planting, supplementary feeding, collecting seed, propagating plants, contributing to planning…

Photographer: Bruce Tardif
Image: light blue/dark blue collecting nesting material

Early breeding season news

One female Helmeted Honeyeater, BlueD, is half way through constructing her first nest for the season in Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve. How long does it take to build you ask, then for nestlings to be seen? Check out the details at Q. What does 14 plus...

Three additional females have been observed collecting nest material in Yellingbo.

At Bunyip State Park, one female has been seen collecting nest material.

This is all good news for the breeding season.

VEAC Yellingbo Investigation - an update

The Minister for Environment and Climate Change has recently granted the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC) an extension of time for the Yellingbo Investigation. This will allow the VEAC members, with a majority of who only commenced on VEAC about two months ago, more time to give due consideration to the important issues and complexities that have emerged in the work done on the Investigation to date.

The Investigation is now due for completion by 31 July 2013 instead of 25 February 2013. As a result, the Draft Proposals Paper that was scheduled for publication in late August 2012 will be released in November or December 2012.

To receive updates and developments on the Yellingbo Investigation as they occur, please register for the VEAC mailing list here.

Your help needed. Wallaby shootings at Yellingbo

Three swamp wallabies have been found shot in Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve recently. What will they shoot next?





Can you help?

If you see, hear or know anything please phone Yarra Junction police on (03) 5967 1104 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Read more here

Image: Swamp wallaby in Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve
Photographer: S. Tardif

Some positive research news

"THEspeckled warblers arrived first. Then came the red-capped robins, followedby the rufous whistlers and the grey fantails. ... a decade-longsurvey of 193 sites on farms throughout NSW, southern Queensland and northernVictoria found a significant increase in bird biodiversity in areas whereproperty owners had replanted native woodland vegetation or reduced livestockgrazing and encouraged regrowth."

This is an excerpt from The Sydney Morning Herald on 15 May 2012


Helmeted Honeyeaters and the species that co-exist with them aren't woodland birds, but it's encouraging to know that this study "..found a significant increase in bird biodiversity in areas where property owners had replanted native woodland vegetation or reduced livestock grazing and encouraged regrowth."

This is what the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater have been concentrating their efforts on for 23 years in Yellingbo and surrounds. How much difference has 750,000+ indigenous tubestock made we wonder... Anecdotally, a lot.

Thanks to everyone involved over those 23 years for their commitment and passion to conservation of our patch.

Still going strong

We've talked before about the oldest Helmeted Honeyeater on record being alive and kicking in Yellingbo. Well, we don't see him much. He lives in a quiet corner of Yellingbo that we don't get to much. We always wonder how he is. Is he still there? Is he breeding?

We don't know the answer to the latter question, but on 9 January 2012 he was spotted again by Bruce, DSE Senior Ornithologist (bird specialist). At that stage, he was 17 years and 2 months.

Amazing longevity for a little bird.

Water Sensitive Farm Design

The Water Sensitive Farm Design pilot program through Melbourne Water provides financial assistance and advice to land mangers to undertake on farm works that keeps soil and nutrients on farm and out of waterways. The innovative pilot program is part of Melbourne Water’s River Health Incentives Program. The program has been designed to improve on-farm management practices and support increased productivity, while helping to improve the health of waterways for the benefit of the broader community.

The program is available to eligible land managers in the Woori Yallock catchment, however, flexibility exists for opportunities for landholders outside of these target areas. Funding is available for a range of works on farm up to $40,000 on a cost share basis

For further information please refer to the website

Or contact Clinton Muller 9235 2111 clinton.muller@melbournewater.com.au