Spikey News June 2025 Issue #121

1. Urban Ripple tree planting program
   

The Urban Ripple revegetation project is funded from the Victoria Government’s, Green Link fund. A total grant of $701000 has been awarded to the Bunanyung Landscape Alliance, and in partnership with the Yarrowee Leigh Catchment Group, the project aims to revegetate waterways in Ballarat. As part of the project the FoCC will plant trees, shrubs and grasses on 10 hectares along 2.2 kilometres of waterway. Planting sites are shown below. 

The Urban Ripple Tree 2025 planting program is about to occur over five sites as follows. Calendar of public planting events:

All events begin at 10 am and conclude with a sausage sizzle at Noon. (Some keen volunteers may work into the afternoon) 

2. How to be involved – Individuals and families
   This is a great opportunity to join with hundreds of other friends to plant trees, shrubs and grasses to restore the native vegetation on each site.
   To book into the two July plantings via Try Booking.
   Site 1 – July 13: Trybooking  https://www.trybooking.com/DDEZC

Site 2 – July 27: Trybooking https://www.trybooking.com/DDEZH

August bookings will open soon. Or use the contact details here for more information foccinfo@gmail.com Or Ph 0408509591 

Site maps

An opportunity for groups to participate:
Three schools are already participating in the “Urban Ripple” plantings on Soapy’s Dam. (See article below). Several more groups have registered their interest in joining the planting program. Groups may have an allocated planting area on the selected site depending on expected numbers and wishes.

All tools, plants, tree guards and stakes, training, gloves etc and a sausage sizzle are provided.

3. Damascus College student tree planting
   Damascus College Year 8 students planted 330 trees shrubs and grasses at Soapy’s Dam on Tuesday 24^th June.
   

   

The students are participants in Environment and Lifestyle studies at the College’s St Brendons Dunnstown Campus. A wonderful effort by the students in very cold and wet conditions. And a big thanks to the accompanying teachers. Also, thanks to Jo and Judith for the sausage sizzle, Mark, Peter, Chris, Ric, Greg and Tarn for assisting the students.

4. Urban Ripple planting site tour May 3^rd 2025
   A small group of friends toured the FoCC Urban Ripple sites on the morning of Saturday 3^rd May 2025.  The purpose of the tour was to acquaint friends with the planting sites.
   

   

5. Mining Water Race walk
   Two small guided walks around the Sparrow Ground, Pax Hill and Sawpit Gully mining water races were successfully held on Sunday May 18^th.

6. Parks Victoria trial vegetation study
   Parks Victoria Rangers have initiated a study into the amount of vegetation in Woowookarung Regional Park. The study is being run by the Glenelg Trust for Nature. The purpose of the study is to provide baseline data of the type and density of vegetation within the Park. The first part of the study was to create a workable methodology for use across the Park. A trial workshop was held on May 6^th in the Park block north of Greenhills Rd Mt Helen.
   

   

   

   The trial had three parts

1. A 25 m long line along which all vegetation is recorded. This determines density over a distance
2. A 1-meter square used to determine how much vegetation is within the square.
3. A sky view to determine how large or dense the leaf canopy is.

Regular visitors to the Park will know that this year the undergrowth and tree canopy has diminished mainly due to the dry conditions. The trial is to set up regular studies at interval of about 5 years so as to determine whether the vegetation and canopy are expanding, holding the same or declining.

7. Tree guards and stakes arrive
   The FoCC purchased 19000 wooden tree guard stakes, 4000 plastic tree guards, 1000 corn starch tree guards, 3 rolls of jute matting for the forthcoming Urban Ripple tree planting in May. The purchase was funded from the Urban Ripple planting budget. Many thanks to Dean at Ross St Building in Ballarat East Supplies for the generous unloading of the stakes with their forklift and storing the stakes until they are used.
   

   

8. FoCC purchases tree planting equipment
   The FoCC has purchased extra tree planting equipment for our forthcoming Urban Ripple tree plantings. The 27 extra mattocks, shovels, hammers and trowels tools are funded by the Urban Ripple project. A review of the 2024 planting working bees identified a shortage of tools.

   

9. Wiyn Murrup Traditional Burn at Sparrow Ground
   A first in Ballarat.
   The Wadawurrung Traditional Owners in conjunction with the City of Ballarat, CFA and Forest Fire Management Victoria completed the first traditional burn in Ballarat on Friday 20^th June 2025. The best way to describe a traditional burn is in the “Wiyn Murrup Rangers, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners” words: Wadawurrung Traditional Owners are bringing Wiyn Murrup (Fire Spirit) practices back to Dja (country) to renew our Dja, reaffirm our cultural connections, our identity and heal country and people. Wiyn Murrup practices build both resilient ecosystems and culturally connected landscape.
   Wadawurrung ancestors managed Dja with Wiyn (fire) for tens of thousands of years.
   The Wiyn Murrup burn is a practice that is tens of thousands of years old. Ongoing traditional fire burning management is a practice that can reduce the destruction caused by hot and rapid bushfires and enhance biodiversity of flora and fauna.
   Traditional burns are usually done in the cooler winter months and use a low intensity fire or “cool burn” to remove surplus growth and stimulate new growth.
   

   

10. Bird of the Month XXLII (June 2025)
    Yellow-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza chrysorrhoa)

Cute. Colourful. Busy. Social. If these attributes resonate with you, then the Yellow-rumped Thornbill may be your ‘spirit’ bird! If my recent observations in Buninyong can be considered a proxy of others’ experiences, the Yellow-rumped Thornbills are not just seasonally abundant, but a visitor of more noticeable presence this year than years past.

A species associated with open spaces with sparse cover of shrubs and trees, the Yellow-rumped Thornbill may be a feathered visitor to your residence as well, particularly if a golf course, farmland, or open woodland is nearby. It may be a surprise coming from someone who has almost 10 years of birdwatching experience, but Yellow-rumped Thornbills are a rarity for the following personal observations: (1) recently observed in our backyard for the first time in 13 years of residence at my current address; (2) until recently, it’s the only species I have encountered mid-breeding attempt (apologies Mr and Mrs Yellowrump!); and (3) one of the few species I have vividly viewed attending the nest (not such a bad thing, as it is very important to keep a respectful distance from active nests!). Okay, so maybe I need to pack more birding into my days, but the fact is, the Yellow-rumped Thornbill is an all-action, ever-busy species whose jerky hop-and-peck foraging is emblematic of ‘never a dull moment’.

At 11-13cm, the Yellow-rumped Thornbill is Australia’s largest thornbill, though still considerably small. ‘Yellow-rumps’ are one of five thornbill species resident to Ballarat, with the others being Brown Thornbill (Bird of the Month XXIX Mar 2024), Striated Thornbill, Buff-rumped Thornbill, and Yellow Thornbill. Yellow-rumps belong to Family Acanthizidae, which also includes fellow local White-browed Scrubwren, and what sets the Yellow-rumps apart from its aforementioned relatives, is its inextricable link to more open vegetation communities, and tendency to be uncommon or absent in forests. Flocks of 3-30 individuals busily forage for insects on lawns and low-hanging branches, invariably present on farmland, and often golf courses. The edges of forests may be occupied, as I have observed to be the case at Union Jack Reserve (Buninyong) where it is bordered by open farmland. Yellow-rumps may also join other birds in mixed-species flocks. In addition to its titular yellow rump, the birds’ aesthetic is characterised by black forehead spotted white; white eyebrow; olive-brown mantle; off-white or buff underparts; black tail, finely edged white; mid-brown wings; and a pale fawn iris. Males and females are identical, while juveniles have darker eyes and a yellow gape (lip skin). The species flies “bouncingly”, with its yellow rump sometimes visible during its undulating flight.

Breeding season is July through December. This is when Yellow-rumps characterful idiosyncrasies come to the fore! The species is a cooperative breeder (granted, somewhat common of Australian birds), who deploy auxiliaries or ‘helpers’ (one or a small group) to support the mated pair’s breeding efforts. Pair and helpers make the nest, while the female incubates the clutch of 3-4 eggs alone, but assisted by all when it comes to feeding duties. The nest is situated at heights of low to 8m (but occasionally up to 15m) in the outer foliage of eucalypts, acacias, non-native conifers, mistletoe, or vines, and sometimes incorporated into the stick nests of raptor (birds of prey) or babblers.
The untidy, domed nest is composed of dry grass, bark fibre, and spiderwebs, and is quirky for its unique architecture, which is characterised by one or more ‘false’ cup-shaped chambers at the top, and lower egg chamber with hooded entrance. The purpose of the false chambers is unknown, but theories include functioning as a decoy to deter predators and parasitic cuckoos, a roost site for father or fledglings, a ‘practice’ nest to give helpers a trial run in nest construction, or a ‘displacement’ activity for males. Yellow-rumps wouldn’t segregate their males to keep them out of the way, would they?!
The vocalisations of the Yellow-rumped Thornbill are described as ‘pretty tinkling, cyclic song’ or ‘cheery, undulating, tinkling’, and song ‘lasts 3-4 seconds, usually ending with two clear whistled notes, the second descending: “chip-chip-chippity-cheepity-chippity-cheepity-wheit-wheeoo”.’   The flight call is “check-check”.

Yellow-rumped Thornbills occur in all states and territories of Australia, but are sparse or absent from the tropics and driest deserts.  The species is common, abundant, and sedentary. (i.e. present year-round at breeding residence).
Next time you wander through Woowookarung RP clearings or the outer edges of this or other forests in the Corridor, make sure you’re on the look-out for the social flocks of these chipper, ground-foraging birds that are the indefatigable Yellow-rumped Thornbill!
Author note: FoCC Committee member and co-admin of FoCC’s Facebook and webpage, Joel Ellis is the resident bird nerd, amateur Powerful Owl researcher, and editor of FoCC’s (co-funded) ‘Indigenous [Species] of Southern Ballarat’ brochure series.  Joel has studied birds up to Honours degree level, is a professional ecological consultant (ornithologist), and member of BirdLife Australia (Ballarat branch)

11. Park Works Gorse removal.
    Parks Victoria contractors have removed a large area of gorse from the block bounded by Dozed Rd and the Bunny Trail along the western boundary of the Park. This area was heavily infested with gorse, a legacy from the pine and blue gum plantations on that site.

    

    

Baileys Track trail signs installed
Five new direction signs have been installed at the Katy Ryans Rd and the Dozed Rd ends of Baileys Track. The trail extends the Grasstree Nature Trail from Katy Ryans RD through to Dozed Track. This adds another 1.2 km of fully constructed shared cycle/walk track to the Parks steadily expanding formal trails.

Bollards: Recreation Road Fire Zone.
In March this year a fire broke out south of Recreation Rd. A perimeter track was bull dozed around the fire zone. Parks Rangers have now installed bollards to stop vehicle access. Later this year logs and fallen vegetation will be placed back over the bulldozed track to promote regrowth.

Remarkable regrowth in fire zone.

Track Control
Parks Victoria rangers have installed bollards at several sites in the Park. Some are extensions beside existing bollards which allow access for cyclists and walkers access whilst keeping vehicles out. Drivers have been observed “bush bashing” to get around existing bollards.

12. Koala Sightings
    October to March is Koala breeding season and peak sightings time. If you see, hear or find scat from a Koala, please send the information containing the when, where, and how to: foccinfo@gmail.com.  Images are gold (even if a little blurry). All Koala sightings are entered into the iNaturalist online data base. The complete list of sightings can be viewed at https://www.focc.asn.au/koalas/
    

 

13. Stake and guard recycling working bee

Over a dozen Friends collected 1100 stakes and 350 tree guards from the 2024 planting area beside the Bunny Trail.

14. Trail usage numbers are up
    The Dementia Friendly Forest and Sensory Trail has continued to be a popular walking spot in the Park. Usage for the year was 15200 up from 14000 for the same period last year. The Bunny Trail in the southern part of the Park had a count of 220 walkers, 80 dogs (85% on lead) and 42 cyclists during one week in February.  

15. Recreation Road upgrade planning.
    Recreation Rd, Mt Clear will be upgraded over the next 2 years. Council surveyors have mapped the road and adjacent road verges including all trees and features. Gas, Telstra and water authorities have been locating and mapping all the services that are along the road in preparation for any works. Discussions have been held about the provision of animal crossings. The FoCC has provided Koala and Kangaroo records and anecdotal evidence to assist. To see what a large animal crossing looks like try this BBC report on the world’s biggest wildlife crossing.  https://apple.news/AepVaXpokQd6wGovthZCZZQ
16. 2025 Calendar