Mozzie Month and Urban Feathered Friends

It’s February already and I love reporting every few months on the huge success and growth of the Manly Dam Biodiversity Project.
@billbutler is leading the pack with 193 observations added to the project whereas @gillbsydney has observed a whopping 159 species! A thanks to @saratoga for your night time aquatic observations, you’ve added some extra diversity into the project. We just need the observations to be verified to make them Research Grade so any other members who are aquatically minded please jump on and have a look.

February 14th may be the day of love for many but for the Mozzie Monitors iNaturalist Project it’s the start of Mozzie Month! Mozzie Monitors is an initiative to increase public awareness and mosquito surveillance in urban landscapes, as well increase knowledge of mosquitoes within Australia. So if you’re game join the Mozzie Monitors Project and upload any critters you come across. Remember any observations that fall within the Manly Dam Project boundaries will automatically be uploaded into our project too - double win!

I’ve just enjoyed watching the latest Catalyst episode on ABC. Ann Jones (I love Ann Jones!) spent 24 hours on an urban bird safari in Melbourne. Many of the species she sees are the same as we have here on the Northern Beaches; including Powerful Owls, WIlly Wag tails and the menacing Noisy Minor birds. She highlights the importance of conserving exisiting habitat and providing better protection for our smaller feathered friends.

Check out the Backyard Buddies website for tips on small bird habitats: https://backyardbuddies.org.au/habitats/habitat-for-small-birds

Northern Beaches council website has lists of endemic plant species based on which area of the beaches you live: https://www.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/environment/native-plants/native-plant-species-guide
I’ve spent the last few lockdowns slowly converting some of the grassy areas in my backyard to native garden beds. I’m trying to choose local endemic species to attract birds and butterflies into the garden. Some I’ve raised from seed and others are tube stock bought from the Stony Range Nursery at Dee Why. All the plants are thriving and need little care and attention as they are growing in the place they belong. I’d encourage everyone to donate a small or large part of their garden to support our local wildlife.

I hope everyone, survives the February humidity and don’t forget Mozzie month!

Posted on February 1, 2022 10:55 AM by vicky_viking