Learning about fauna GFVB Open Day October 2004

Friends of Glen Fern Valley Bushlands Inc. PO Box 1283, Upwey Vic 3158

At the recent Annual General Meeting some changes were made to the roles of several members to better respond to the current stage of development and changing management needs for the Glen Fern Valley Bushlands Reserve.

The incoming president is Ian Rainbow, while the immediate past president, Serg Zaccaria, will take on the roles of funding organization, public relations and weed mapping. Most other roles remain with the same people listed elsewhere in this newsletter. We welcome a new committee member in Richard Homersham who has been a stout supporter of all our working bee activities for the past few years.

I extend my gratitude to the previous committee for all of their efforts in making the arrangements so necessary for the working bees to run smoothly and productively. I look forward to working with the new committee to ensure we progress toward the goals expressed in mission statement.

The coming year will see:

• Working Bees on alternating 3^rd Saturdays and 3^rd Sundays of the month continuing.
• Two major community events for the year coinciding with Clean Up Australia Week in March and Weedbusters Week in October.
• Regular newsletters.
• A new fence to prevent illegal vehicle access.
• Advance planning to guide working bee and other activities of the Friends Group and to measure our progress.
• Recruitment of more active members.

On Sunday 12th September, on a cold, rainy morning about a dozen, brave members of the Friends of Glen Fern Valley Bushlands met at Birds Land Reserve in Belgrave to help the Southern Dandenongs Community Nursery planting a wide variety of indigenous plants, grown as tube stock in the nursery along Monbulk Creek.

The planting was part of the SDCN's long term commitment to restoring the Monbulk Creek Corridor, linking the Dandenong Ranges National Park and Lysterfield Park which houses one of the largest footprints of native vegetation in Melbourne. The Powerful Owl, Platypus, Native Marsupial Bush and Water Rats, and Yellow-bellied Glider are just a small number of many other fauna species commonly making their homes along this important biological corridor, which is just over the hill from Glen Fern Valley Bushlands, another important part of the wild life corridor through Upwey.

After the planting a few of us wandered up to the nursery to buy some plants for their own gardens! Remember the plants are significantly cheaper to members of SDCN.

Our thanks to the members of the Friends of Glen Fern Valley Bushlands who braved the weather to help out a fellow conservation group achieve their goals. This strengthens the co-operative ties between us to the benefit of all.

Brilliant weather greeted more than 60 people who attended our recent Sunday morning community Weedbusters event held in conjunction with the Southern Dandenongs Community Nursery, much to the delight of the dozen or so doughty regulars who came to help run the day.

Some people toured about watching birds, highlights included Rufous Whistlers, Fan-tailed Cuckoos, extremely good views of Crested Shrike-tits and a Brown Goshawk circling overhead, while others spent a pleasurable 2.5 hours intensively learning about weeds and indigenous plants on the site from expert guide, Darcy Duggan, with assistance from Mick Butler of the SDCN.

More physically active people set about planting at the Eastern and Westernmost ends of the site, using some of the many plants provided by the Southern Dandenongs Community Nursery, or went out to attack some Boneseed or Sweet Pittosporum.

Fourteen new members joined the Friends of Glen Fern Valley Bushlands, and we look forward to their future participation in our regular working bees.

At the end of the activities people enjoyed food cooked on the barbecue provided by Upwey Scouts, then wandered off home carrying their show bags and free plants for their own gardens.

Publicity for the event was provided by advertising at the Shire Office and Wormhole Books in Upwey and largely by a letter drop of 2000 leaflets around the local district by committee members and their families.

The Golden Whistler (male of the species pictured above) is a permanent resident at Glen Fern. Mainly an insect eater the Golden Whistler is 17cm in length and has one of the most melodious voices in the bush. One familiar call is described as having a whip crack ending 'wi-wi-wi-whit!''.

The female Golden Whistler is a brownish-grey bird with grey-buff to dull white underparts with a pale grey wing stripe.

(description from Simpson & Day Field Guide to the Birds of Australia)

Whilst Golden Whistlers reside all year round, Spring sees the return of their 'cousins' the Rufous Whistler. With a grey back deep reddish-brown abdomen instead of the Golden Whistler's olive green back and yellow abdominal markings the two species otherwise share similar patterns of a black band through the eye and under a white neck.

Cuckoos are also returning to deceive host birds into rearing their young. Over the years we've observed, for instance, poor Brown Thornbills frantically collecting food to feed a young cuckoo twice the size of it's 'parent'.

Summer will also see Rufous Fantails, Satin Flycatchers and Sacred Kingfishers return to the area to nest.

Please bring gloves, hand tools, water, and, depending on the weather, a hat or wet weather gear. Entry for cars is via the Parks Victoria (Fire Access) gate on Glenfern Rd, Upwey (about ½ way along the land) The site reference is Melways 74G10. In the event of a Total Fire Ban or inclement weather the working bee will be cancelled.

Working bees are held every 3^rd alternating Saturday or Sunday morning of the month. Members, Committee and interested supporters meet on-site to take part in weeding, rubbish removal and inspections of previously weeded areas

At our last working bee on November 20, 16 enthusiastic workers met to plant around 150 Silver Wattles. The trees, all around 1 metre high, have been planted around the New Road carpark, in spots along Glenfern Road and in the 'bogland' near Ferny Creek adjacent to the Archery Club. A sense of achievement was felt by all.

Sunday 6 March 2005. Details will be forwarded closer to the date.

The Friends of Glen Fern Valley Bushlands held their Annual General Meeting on 13 October 2004. All positions on the Committee were declared vacant and a new committee formed. The FOGFVB is delighted to welcome new Committee member Richard Homersham who has been a regular and tireless worker at the monthly working bees.

The new Committee is as follows:

• President: Ian Rainbow
• Secretary: Sarah Tebbutt
• Treasurer: Marilyn Thomas
• Serg Zaccaria: Funding, Communications & Flora
• Mark Fanthorpe: Newsletter & Fauna
• David McKay: Funding
• Andrew Fullager and Richard Homersham: Working Bee

Co-ordinators

Marilyn Thomas presented the Treasurer's Report. The Group has a current bank balance of approximately $1500 and all financial records have been balanced for the 2003/04 Financial Year.

We were very pleased that Cr Noel Cliff and Emily Cattermole (Shire of Yarra Ranges) were able to attend our AGM.

Emily reported that tenders for the proposed perimeter fence were to close soon. Guidelines to the timing of the construction will be known in the near future.

It’s your newsletter! Would you like to share some of your knowledge, experiences, with our group?

Have you seen any interesting during your walks in the Reserve? Spotted a koala or a wallaby? Seen a bird of prey high above?

We're sure that whatever has been of interest to you will be of interest to others

So why not drop a line to our editor Mark for possible inclusion into future newsletters.

An important motivational aspect of being part of the Friends group is to see increasing numbers of native plants, birds and animals. Next time you visit the Reserve, keep an eye out for this attractive native. Running Postman (Kennedia prostrata) is a bit hard to spot usually, because it is a small unobtrusive ground-cover. At the moment, its bright red flowers stand out on the forest floor. Removal of Sweet Pittosporum, Boneseed and other weeds has allowed more light to filter through to these beautiful natives. Why not encourage your kids to "Spot the Native".