Friday, 30 August 2024
Dear Supporter,
Welcome to our September 2024 eNews! We’re even more excited than usual because we’ve partnered with Connecting Country and Barkers Creek Landcare and Wildlife Group to proudly present the Feathery Festival, happening in and around Castlemaine in September.
The Festival comprises three main events:
We’ve also got details of Nature Journaling which returns on Sunday 1 September after a short winter break.
We hope you’ll be able to join us for the Feathery Festival and help celebrate woodland birds.
Thursday 5 September 7:30pm (doors open at 6pm for dinner and music) Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
This is a special fundraising event also featuring live music by Joel Bloom and Hilary Blackshaw, and a conversation with local Landcarers and ecologists.
All proceeds from ticket sales will go towards Connecting Country’s Conservation Program and Balangara Films Education Distribution Program.
Tickets $25 / $20 concession available HERE. Please note that tickets are not available from the Theatre Royal.
Saturday 7 September 9:00am
Rise & Shine Nature Conservation Reserve, Newstead
Our next BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch bird walk will be held on Saturday 7 September at Rise & Shine Nature Conservation Reserve, Newstead. As part of the Feathery Festival, the morning will include a Bird Identification session for beginners, brunch, and entertainment from the Chat Warblers.
The event is free to attend. For catering purposes we would ask please that you register via Eventbrite here. There is a cap on numbers; however you can join the waiting list on Eventbrite once the cap is reached. If you have already registered and your plans change, please let us know by email to castlemaine@birdlife.org.au so we can make your place(s) available to people on the waiting list. Thank you!
Please also BYO drinks and chairs.
The area is rich in natural and human history. Well over 100 bird species have been recorded in the area, which has three distinct plant communities. Following European settlement, gold was extracted in the 1850s and 60s. A water race was built during the 1930s depression and brought water from Daylesford to the Newstead reservoir until the 1980s. Gravel was quarried from parts of the reserve for road building until the 1980s. The loop track is about 3KM and is largely flat with some relatively gentle rises and falls.
Birds seen recently include Nankeen Kestrel, Jacky Winter, Peaceful Dove, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Eastern Spinebill, Varied Sitella, Eastern Shrike-tit, Dusky Woodswallow, Scarlet and Hooded Robins. In recent years also seen have been Musk and Purple-crowned Lorikeet, Speckled Warbler, Olive-backed Oriole, Diamond Firetail, Cockatiel and White-browed Babbler.
Our walk leaders are Jane Rusden, Frances Howe and Bob Dawson.
ALL WELCOME!
Please note there are no toilets at the Reserve.
Where: Rise & Shine is located off the Daylesford-Newstead Road, near Strangways. From Castlemaine, take the Pyrenees Hwy (B180) to Newstead, continue through Newstead, crossing the Loddon River and then turn left onto the Hepburn-Newstead Road (C285). Travel approx. 3.5KM then turn right onto the Daylesford-Newstead Road (C285). Travel approx. 3.1KM then turn right onto Ramseys Lane; in 700 metres the unsealed road turns sharply left. You will see a picnic shelter on the right which is at the entrance to the Reserve. Park anywhere off the road.
GPS: -37.15923, 144.07697.
When: Meet at Rise & Shine Nature Conservation Reserve at 9:00am.
Bring / wear: Water, snacks, binoculars, sunscreen, hat, long trousers, sturdy closed-in shoes.
More info: Jane Rusden 0448 900 896, or Bob Dawson 0419 621 691.
To discover more about Rise & Shine Nature Conservation Reserve click here.
Acknowledgment of Country
BirdLife Castlemaine acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands we will walk, the Dja Dja Wurrung people, and we pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We recognise and are grateful for the immense contribution of Indigenous people to the knowledge and conservation of Australia’s birds.
Information Regarding Weather
Please note that walks will be cancelled if severe weather warnings are in place, persistent rain is forecast, the temperature is forecast to be 35C or above during the walk period, a Total Fire Ban is declared, or some other safety issue is identified. Please check our Facebook page or email castlemaine@birdlife.org.au the day before the event in case there is a cancellation.
Wednesday 11 September 7:00pm (come along earlier for dinner) Shedshaker, Castlemaine
Enjoy a beer and some delicious grub, and join Tanya Loos, author of forthcoming book Living with Wildlife: a guide for our homes and backyards, while she delves into the delights of our local bird fauna. As well as describing commonly seen birds of the Castlemaine region, Tanya will provide tips on how to make sure our homes and backyards are havens for birds.
Practical advice will also include addressing some of the more maddening aspects of our feathery friends such as birds attacking windows and cockatoos destroying houses!
Welcome back to nature journaling after our mid-winter break.
September nature journaling takes place at White Quartz Hill in Chewton. Fascinating quartz in a mined landscape, with surprisingly interesting flora making the most of disturbed ground.
No experience necessary. ALL WELCOME!
What to bring / wear:
– Wear long sleeve shirt and long trousers, sunhat, sturdy shoes and snake protection. Please note, we will be on rough tracks and uneven ground.
– A small selection of art materials such as paints, pencils, pens, coloured pencils, pastels, paper, water container if applicable, camera or phone and binoculars if you have them. A bag to put it all in.
– Something to sit on, such as a camp chair or rug.
– Water, hot drink and snacks.
– Your sense of curiosity.
When and where: Sunday 1 September from 9:30am – 11:30am. Meet at the summit of White Quartz Hill. Approach from Colles Road or White Quartz Road in Chewton.
GPS -37.0650564, 144.2579589.
Jane Rusden illustrates how to cover up mistakes with ink and graphite drawing. Wyperfeld National Park.
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Become a Member
Membership of BirdLife Australia is a great way to support a bright future for Australia’s birds – and it would also make a perfect gift for a bird-lover! Learn more about membership or other ways to get involved here.
Kind regards,
The BirdLife Castlemaine Committee
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