1.CastlemaineSpiderOrchidCaladeniaclavescens
Photo:NoelYoungTheMonkSeptember2017TheCastlemaineSpiderOrchidhasasinglehairyleafandusuallyasingledarkredtomaroonflower.ItoccursincentralVictoriaandislistedas‘vulnerable’.ThisorchidwasfirstformallydescribedbyDavidL.Jonesin2006.
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2.Mycenasubgalericulata
Photo:JoyCluskerWhiskeyGully,MountAlexanderJune2019Thisisamoderatelycommonfungifoundinclustersonwood.
$85framed$55unframed3.The‘impossible’MannaGumEucalyptusviminalis
Photo:LizMartinMountAlexanderJune2019FOBIFwalkersunderneaththearchofMountAlexander’s‘impossibletree’:aMannaGumwhichseemstohaveestablisheditselfwithtworootsystems.$85framed$55unframed
4.CommonLong-neckedTurtleChelodinalongicollis
Photo:BernardSlatteryStrangwaysMarch2019ThisCommonLong-neckedTurtlewasrescuedfromtheroadinStrangways.ThemudontheshellsuggeststhattheturtlehadjustcomeoutofalocaldamandwasperhapslookingforabetterrefugenearertheLoddon.Thesecreaturesoftencometogriefcrossingroadsinsearchofabetterwaterbody.$110framed$60unframed
5.EasternYellowRobinEopsaltriaaustralis
Photo:GeoffPark
Oftenseenperchedsidewaysonthetrunksoftrees,theEasternYellowRobinisacommoninhabitantofforestsandwoodlandsineasternAustralia,usuallywithatallshrublayerandsparsegroundcover.TheyareoneofGeoffPark’sfavouritebirdsandareoftenfeatureonhiswebsiteNaturalNewstead.
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6.TreeRequiem
Photo:JanetBarkerPyreneesHighwayJanuary2019Thesearethreeof140treesremovedbyVicroadsinearly2019aspartoftheirroadwideningandbarrierinstallationprojectthroughtheMucklefordForestbetweenMucklefordSouthandNewstead.Thisstretchofroadtraversesimportantbirdhabitat,includingtheSwiftParrot,andisawildlifecorridorformanymorespecies.Itwasalsomuchlovedforitsaestheticvalues.AfteralengthyengagementwithVicroads,communitymembersmanagedtosavesixtreesfromdestructionandsomewireropebarrierswerereplacedwithmetalguardrail.Speedlimitreductionthroughtheforestisstillbeingpursued.JanetBarker$60framed$40unframed
7.FlameRobinPetroicaPhoenicia
Photo:PatrickKavanaghAugust2018Wintervisitorstoourwoodlandsandpaddocks,FlameRobinmalesprovideaspectacularsplashofcolour.ThislittlejewelofthebushwasinthebeautifulRiseandShineNatureConservationReserve.
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8.BreuteliaandTriquetrella
Photo:BernardSlatteryWhiteGumTrackAugust2012Breuteliaaffinisisstrikingforitsredheartedflower-likestructures,whichappearinwinter.Triquetrellapapillataisanattractivemossoftrailing‘strings’withtriangularleavesarrangedinthrees.$110framed$70unframed
9.MountAlexander(Lanjanuc)
Photo:FrankForsterAugust2019TherewasadumpofsnowoneSaturdaynightinAugustthisyearthatchangedthefaceofMountAlexander,andattractednumeroussightseersonSunday.ThesnowhadessentiallyretreatedbytheSundayafternoon.$110framed$70unframed
10.ViewfromMountAlexander(Lanjanuc)
Photo:BronwynSilverMay2019LookingeastjustbeforedawnonafoggymorninghalfwayupMountAlexander.
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11.TawnyFrogmouthPodargusstrigoides
Photo:JulieMillowickFryerstownDecember2017
Whenit’snotmistakenforanowl,theTawnyFrogmouthcaneasilybeconfusedwithatreebranch.Withnarrowedeyelidsandastretchedneck,thisbark-colouredbirdisamasterofcamouflage.
Itsbeakislargeandwide,hencethenameFrogmouthandthegenusname,Podargus,isfromtheGreekworkforgout.Unlikeowlstheydon'thavecurvedtalonsontheirfeet;infact,theirfeetaresmall,andthey’resaidtowalklikeagout-riddenman!Theirspeciesname,strigoides,meansowl-like.
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12.YellowGumEucalyptusleucoxylon
Photo:BronwynSilverWalmer2019YellowGumsareshapelyeucalyptswithasinglestraighttrunkandsmooth,creamyyelloworbluish-greybark. Folklorehasitthatthealternativename,WhiteIronbark,wasgivenbytimber-getters;YellowGumtimberwasnotacceptableforrailwaysleepers,butifrenamedWhiteIronbarkitwasacceptable.
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13.MessmateEucalyptusobliqua
Photo:BronwynSilverMountAlexanderLookingwestthroughMessmatesfromDogRocks,aspectaculargraniteoutcropwithhugebouldersonMountAlexander.$110framed$70unframed
14.GallsonRedBoxleaf
Photo:VivienneHamiltonMucklefordForestNovember2018TheseattractivelookinggallsarelikelytohavebeencausedbyaspeciesofwaspfromthefamilyCynipidaewhichhasatleast80genera.ThisoneislikelytobeaspeciesfromthegenusAndricus.$110framed$70unframed
15.CherryBallart(Balatj)Exocarposcupressiformis
Photo:MitchellParkerMountAlexanderJuly2019
TheCherryBallart(Balatj)hasmanyusesforDjaara(peopleoftheDjaDjaWurrung).Balatjfruitsduringthewinter-springmonthsandthefruitisripewhenitisorange-redinappearanceandcanbeeatenatthisstage.Theleavesareusedinsmokingceremoniestocleanseandwardoffbadspirits.Thewoodisstrongandmadeintospears,spear-throwers,andboomerangs.ThesapfromBalatjisappliedtosnakebitesforitsantisepticpropertiesandtokeepbacteriafromenteringthewound.HarleyDouglas(DjaDjaWurrungAboriginalCorporation)
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16.Yellow-footedAntechinusAntechinusflavipes
Photo:DamianKellyCampbellsCreekNovember2018
TwoyoungYellow-footedAntechinuspeepingoutofanold fencepost.
Anotablefeatureofthissmall,mouse-likemarsupialisitssexualbehaviour.Themaleengagesinsuchfrenziedmatingthatitsimmunesystembecomescompromised,resultinginastressrelateddeathbeforeitisoneyearold.
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17.RiverRedGumEucalyptuscamaldulensis
Photo:FrancesCincottaNearLoddonRiver,NewsteadMay2019
RiverRedGumsaplingsintherain.Thecoloursonthebarkweredramaticbutonlypresentforabriefperiod.$85framed$55unframed
18.PrayingMantisnymph
Photo:PatrickKavanaghDecember2018IfoundthissweetlittlePrayingMantisonaGoldenWattleonasummerevening.Nymphsareimmatureformsthatlooklikeadults,unlikelarvae(caterpillars,maggotsetc)whichbearlittlevisualresemblancetotheiradultforms.
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19.BushyNeedlewoodHakeadecurrens
Photo:JulieMillowickNorthernedgeofCrocodileReservoirJuly2019
ThefloweringlocalBushyNeedlewoodisgrowingthroughsomeoftheBoxIronbarktreeschoppeddownfortheEcologicalThinningTrial.This50yeartrialbyParksVictoriaisanattempttoreturntheBox-IronbarkForesttoapre-goldrushstate—thatistreesofdifferentheightsandgrowthstageinsteadoftheuniformpost-goldrushregrowth.$70unframed
20.Brown-headedHoneyeaterLichenostomusmelithreptus
Photo:PatrickKavanaghJanuary2019Theseverysocialhoneyeatersarethemostcommonintheheathywoodland.Theyspendmuchoftheirtimeinthecanopy,soit’adelighttogetacloselookatthemwhentheycomedowntothebirdbathinsmallflocks.$110framed$70unframed
21.Buff-rumpedThornbill Acanthizareguloides
Photo:PatrickKavanaghFebruary2019Formuchoftheyear,smallinsectivorousbirdsintheBox-Ironbarkforestsforageinmulti-speciesflocks.Thismeansthatbirdsthatflushinsectsoutofonelayerofthebushwillsendthemtowardstheotherspeciesinamutuallybeneficialway.Buff-rumpedThornbillsareoftenthecentreoftheselittleflocks,noisilychatteringamidsttheleaflitterandlowershrubs.Whentheyvisitourbirdbath,Ican’tresistthecalltotakephotosofthesewonderfullittleaviancharactersastheysplasharound.
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22.SilverBanksiaBanksiamarginata
Photo:BernardSlatteryCampbellsCreekFebruary2019ThisSilverBanksiawasphotographedearlierthisyearontheCampbellsCreekTrail.Thespecieswasvirtuallywipedoutinthisregioninthenineteenthcentury.ThemanyhealthytreesalongthecreekaretestamenttotheworkofFriendsofCampbellsCreekLandcare.$90framed$70unframed
23.LaughingKookaburraDacelonovaeguineae
Photo:FrancesHoweMoonlightFlatDecember2017IneasternAustralia,theraucouscackleoftheLaughingKookaburraisanessentialfeatureofthedawnchorus.TheycanbeheardlaughingfromthetipofCapeYorksouthtoWilsonsPromontory.ThisKookaburrawasdryingoffaftertakingabathinFrances’spond.$110framed$70unframed