News
With over 50 years as a club, we certainly have plenty of news & stories to share.
There’s always plenty to do
The TNC recently released an extraordinary collection of member articles for Newsletter #47, covering everything from Rain Moths to an Antarctic voyage. The club also enjoyed a successful spring meeting and wildflower walk at the Ray Paynter Reserve and is planning an end-of-year celebration for Bibbulmun Track pioneer, Bob Frayne.
Not a rock lobster but a Western Netted Dragon
It is exciting to receive observations from those in the community, especially when the observation is unusual. The sighting of a Western Netted Dragon in the Toodyay area is one such sighting.
Bird of the month: Little Black Cormorant
The Little Black Cormorant is more common on inland waters than coastal. However, it can also be found on coastal estuaries and is quite prolific in the southwest of the state.
Hundreds of tonnes of weed removed from lake thanks to vollies
We celebrated a new co-patron and enjoyed a members’ night featuring spectacular East African wildlife photos and rare footage of the club’s 1974 efforts to clear the massive Salvinia infestation at Tomato Lake. The club also honours the legacy of Doug Blandford, whose geological expertise powered local conservation campaigns.
Bird of the month: The graceful Yellow-billed Spoonbill
A solitary, large, graceful white bird of 80 to 90cms, the Yellow-billed Spoonbill, can be observed in shallow water on the edges of the Avon River.
Oh what a handsome golden brown skink you are
True to its name, the Broad-banded Sand-swimmer skink’s most striking feature is its pattern of rich brown to purplish bands. These markings flow from the back of its neck to the tip of its tail, a tapestry of branched and broken lines.
Bird of the month: An owl that makes ‘dog-like’ calls
The Barking Owl and the Southern Boobook are of the ‘hawk-owl’ species. Although very similar in colouring and looks, the Barking Owl is much larger, with measurements of 35 to 45cms compared with the Southern Boobook of 25 to 35cms. Even though it is more common in the Pilbara area, the Barking Owl has been heard very, very occasionally within our Shire.
Freshwater crayfish reside in the waters…
Members recently explored Wattening Nature Reserve, an area in the Phillips Sandplain Catchment of Toodyay Shire, notable for its freshwater springs. Despite its small size, the reserve boasts significant biodiversity and historical importance, having been utilised by Noongar people for thousands of years and documented by early European explorers and naturalists.
Bird of the month: Unmasking the elusive masked owl
The Masked Owl is not a common species around our Shire, however, it has been observed in open farmland with large trees, woodlands and timbered watercourses with paperbark woodland being a preferred habitat.
‘Members night’ surprising & interesting
The “Members Night” format of the May meeting did not disappoint as we enjoyed surprising and interesting presentations.
Moaning for sleep
With our earlier rains the frogs are now calling and what a great sound it is following a long, hot summer. One such frog is the Moaning Frog which has a call that can cause sleep-less nights with its long and rising low moan if residing too close to the house. It is found in swampy and sandy areas from as far north of the state as Geraldton, east to Cape Arid and Rottnest Island – a vast area.
Ensure your insurance is current
Residents recently received a letter from DBCA informing them that a burn was planned for Rugged Hills Reserve and “ensure your insurance cover is current and will provide you with adequate coverage in order to protect you from property losses”.
Bird of the month: A hunter that swoops down from the sky
Easily recognised by its distinctive heart-shaped facial disc and pale, often ghostly, plumage, the Barn Owl is not often seen except as a white flash at night when caught in a vehicle’s headlights on country roads.
A snake is a snake, unless, of course, it’s a legless lizard
Finding a ‘snake’ in the home is a frightening experience but could it be a Legless Lizard?
Bird of the month: The Southern Boobook Owl
The Boobook is the smallest of the Australian owls found in a variety of habitats and landforms from rainforest to arid areas, woodlands of the Wheatbelt, heath, Jarrah, Karri and Tingle forests.
What is a Chytrid fungus infection?
The decline and disappearance of some frogs species may be partly due to a chytrid fungus.
Vale John Dell APSM
The club sadly announces the passing of our Co-Patron John Dell who has been an untiring supporter of the Toodyay Naturalists’ Club since the mid 1980s
Bird of the month: The Western Spinebill Honeyeater
With it’s distinctive black, fine, long, down-curved bill and striking bands of browns and red on the male, the gorgeous Western Spinebill is found in the lower southwest mainland of the State from Jurien Bay to Israelite Bay.
Jaguars prowl jungle
The Club launched the 2025 program with a scintillating presentation by wildlife tour guide Dianna Papenfus. She spoke on the mind-blowing biodiversity of the tiny Central American country of Costa Rica.
Python Watch: Carpet Python is natures vermin control
Sharon was greeted at the back door by a young South West Carpet Python happily eating its breakfast. Read more.
