Blackadder Woodbridge Catchment Group in Midland, Western Australia | Community organisation

Blackadder Woodbridge Catchment Group

Locality: Midland, Western Australia

Phone: +61 403 924 250

Address: Ray Marshall Park 6056 Midland, WA, Australia

Website: http://bwcg.atspace.com/aboutus.html

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• Community organisation
• Environmental conservation organisation

25.01.2022 This week during our bird survey we noted an increasing number of waterbirds counting over 700. The water level in the wetland is dependent on rainfall. With hotter and dryer weather, the wetland is reducing, exposing its shoreline for wading birds and creating small islands and strips for roosting. In summer, we usually observe many waterbirds coming to the wetland and enjoying this urban wildlife sanctuary while the water remains

25.01.2022 Calling for members! Would you like to join our Group to protect and enhance the remnant vegetation in the Blackadder/Woodbridge Catchment? Our members contribute significantly by undertaking bird and flora surveys, weed maintanence and rubbish removal, planting of trees, shrubs and groundcovers, rushes and sedges from local provenance seeds.... We are a not for profit community association and membership is free. If you are interested to join us, please download a membership form from our website here http://bwcg.atspace.com/members.html and submit your application by email or post. We look forward to welcoming you to our Group!

25.01.2022 Wildflowers are blossoming beautifully at present! Here are some of the flowers you can see in the Midland area at the moment. These photos were taken at Lloyd Street.

24.01.2022 Mistletoes are now in blossom and can be easily seen amongst tree canopies. They are semi-parasitic plants that produce their own food but rely on a host tree for water and nutrients. The mistletoes are important species in our bush. They produce nutritious berries and nectar favoured by birds and other animals, create dense clumps popular for nesting and roosting and more importantly, they shed leaves and enrich the soil in nutrients, encouraging microbes in the soil, increa...sing the number of insects and spiders and boosting food resources for insect eaters. It is not surprising that areas abundant in mistletoes are more biodiverse than areas where they are absent. A truly amazing plant! Some interesting facts about mistletoes are available here www.abc.net.au//the-misunderstood-magical-mistlet/11505510

24.01.2022 There is less than one week to go until the Aussie Backyard Bird Count begins! We encourage you to participate in the count and help BirdLife Australia find out about the birds that live where people live. This is a great way to connect with the birds in your backyard, whether it is your own home backyard, a local park or a patch of remnant bushland nearby. . There is a free app where you record how many different bird species are sighted within a 20-minute interval. ... Information about the Count can be found here https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/

22.01.2022 During our last survey we were delighted to sight a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper who has flown thousands of kilometres from Arctic Siberia to spend warm months in Australia While in Australia, the Sharp-tailed Sandpipers forage along the shorelines of freshwater wetlands as well as tidal mudflats and saltmarshes feeding on aquatic insects, larvae, crustaceans and sometimes seeds. In April, they take a long journey back to Russia to their breeding grounds. This species breeds in p...eat-hummock and lichen tundra in Eastern Siberia from the delta of the Lena River in Yakutia to Chaunskaya bay in Chukotka. They usually arrive in early June when the temperature in the area remains above zero degC. Males who have large territories usually mate with a few females, who make the nests and raise the offspring. As the Siberian summer is short, the incubation lasts about 20 days and the young leave the nest within a day after hatching. They start feeding on their own immediately, but the female protects and tends to them. The young birds begin to fly at about 20 days after hatching. The Sharp-tailed Sandpipers leave their breeding grounds late August - early September to their wintering grounds in Australia, New Zealand and other parts of the Pacific region. It is delightful that our wetland supports these remarkable migrating birds. In the image below, the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper is seen in company with the other two waders, Black-fronted Dotterels.

21.01.2022 Our group is now on Instagram to share beautiful images of flora, fauna and nature in the Blackadder Woodbridge Catchment Follow us here www.instagram.com/blackadderwoodbridgecgroup or connect with us by tagging @blackadderwoodbridgecgroup

21.01.2022 Today is Wattle Day, which marks the official start of spring There are a few Acacia species found in Blackadder Woodbridge catchment and many are flowering now . The wattle has an inspiring golden blossom and is a National Floral Emblem. However, it is more than just a plant as it has been a source of food, timber and medicine for Nyungah people.... Happy spring!

20.01.2022 We have been enjoying the amazing display of orchids at this time of the year

19.01.2022 The End of Year Volunteer Even hosted by EMRC - Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council was a great success

18.01.2022 It's that time of year when we start to see Christmas spiders in urban bushland areas During the colder months they are less colourful so usually go unnoticed. The brightly coloured females usually sit in the middle of the web hoping to catch mosquitos and flies. The males are less colourful and half the size and they usually sit on nearby vegetation. They are gregarious and it is common to see a group of females with overlapping webs.

14.01.2022 We were very happy to welcome the return of Sacred Kingfishers to our beautiful wetland area that they use as their summer breeding ground Usually three couples breed in the wetland area (that we know of) and we sighted them on our bird surveys since mid-September. Sacred Kingfishers migrate to WA’s south-west for breeding and then return to the North in April. They usually return to the same tree hollow. So keeping the old-growth trees is important for maintaining the p...opulations of this bird species. We look forward to seeing their offspring

13.01.2022 With hotter and dryer days Blackadder wetland is shrinking. However, it still supports a large variety of birds. During our bird survey today we counted 50 species of waterbirds and bush birds. The predominant species were Grey Teals (144), Pink-eared Ducks (56) and Black-winged Stilts (62). We will share some highlights of today's bird survey in our next posts so stay tuned

13.01.2022 As the rain ceases and our wetland becomes shallower, we observe the arrival of waders (or shorebirds) that forage for their food, such as crustaceans and insects, along the shoreline or mudflats. Yesterday, during our bird survey, we welcomed a large group (over 30 birds) of Black-winged Stilts to Blackadder wetland. These birds have long legs and beaks allowing them to pick up food from deep water. They usually form large and often very noisy flocks and stay in our area till late autumn. We look forward to seeing some more waders in the coming days

12.01.2022 EMRC - Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council is calling all Catchment and Friends Group Volunteers in Perth’s Eastern Region to participate in a free landcare workshop. It is a great opportunity to learn about rehabilitation of native landscapes. Follow the link below for more details and registration.

11.01.2022 Many thanks to everyone who participated in the Planting Day today It was great to see so many people who care about our local environment. Many thanks to Midland Junction Collective @midlandjunctioncollective for sharing this video with us!

09.01.2022 The weather is getting hot and our birds need access to shade and water Extreme hot weather can pose a threat to birds but you can help them by providing a water source in your garden. Below are some tips on how to make a bird bath. Thank you for supporting our birds

08.01.2022 Look forward to seeing you this Sunday 2 August for our planting day! It is a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and create a habitat and feeding grounds for many birds at Blackadder Wetland. Bring rubber boots, gardening gloves and planting tools (a mattock or a trowel if you have one).... More details below.

07.01.2022 Pretty Black-winged Stilts foraging along the margins of the drying Blackadder wetland. It was nice to see a large flock of about 60 birds during our last bird survey.

05.01.2022 This pair of Australian Ringnecks are nesting in a hollow of a Flooded Gum tree on the Blackadder Floodplain. We noticed that the female was being fed by the male and their beaks were stained red. Our guess is they were eating Mulberries, which are ripening in backyards around Midland.

05.01.2022 Bird watching is a great activity that brings us closer to nature and offers lots of benefits: Observing birds in their natural habitat is both relaxing experience and is a joy watching bird behaviours and interactions Bird watching can also be turned into a great physical exercise experience like bush walking Breathing fresh air has health benefits... It’s a great way to reconnect with your family and get kids outside away from phones and computers You can learn lots of new things just observing your local environment You can become part of the bird watching and nature loving community, and socialise with like-minded people. So, take your binoculars or equip yourself with patience and attention, go outdoors to your local park, nature reserve, river or wetland and enjoy bird watching

02.01.2022 In recent months we have been observing small flocks of 20-30 Carnaby's Black Cockatoos in our Catchment feeding on local Banksia and Hakea species and Marri nuts. These iconic birds are under threat but there are ways we can help by planting local species that support these and other birds and help protect and enhance remnant local bushland. Many thanks to Gardening Australia for this informative video and we will dedicate a few future posts to our local plants crucial for these iconic WA birds. So stay tuned!

02.01.2022 We observe many attractive dragonflies and damselflies in our catchment. These insects generally inhabit freshwater areas where they lay their eggs. They have excellent flying abilities and well-developed eyes making them successful hunters for smaller insects, such as mosquitoes. Damselflies are usually smaller and slimmer than dragonflies. You can also distinguish them when at rest: most damselflies hold their wings closed above the body whereas dragonflies generally keep their wings spread out. Dragonflies and damselflies belong to the order Odonata that lived around 250 million years ago long before the dinosaurs! There are more than 300 species occurring in Australia and many are found in our catchment. Can you distinguish them in our photos below?

02.01.2022 These seedlings of Swamp Paperbark (Melaleuca rhaphiophylla) are ready for our planting day on 2 August We will be planting a few hundred seedlings of Swamp Paperbark along the Blackadder wetland to provide habitat for native birds and insects, establish shade and enhance the natural beauty of the wetland. Swamp Paperbark is a stunning tree growing near swamps, lakes and watercourses and is one of the significant species in our area. The Nyungar name for the Swamp Paperba...rk is Modong. It has lots of uses in traditional culture: Its thin papery bark is frequently used in cooking by wrapping meat or fish and cooking it in an earth oven. It is also used in building shelters and art paintings. Its leaves are used for medicinal purposes to treat colds or to make drinks. Its blossoming flowers can be soaked in water to make a sweet drink. It takes many years for the tree to reach maturity so it is important to preserve old-growth trees as much as possible. We look forward to welcoming you to our Planting Day on 2 August to help us plant the seedlings of the magnificent Swamp Paperbark. Planting Day details are available here https://www.facebook.com/events/1113729509026810