With Spencer Shaw – FOREST HEART Eco-Nursery
THOSE few days of warm weather in mid-July brought the snakes out for a brief sojourn to try and grab a snack or two, but a cool change has sent them back to ground—literally.
Not much sympathy there, from many gardeners I’m sure, but Carpet Snakes are great at controlling rodents, so perhaps we can find a soft spot in our hearts for them at least!
The cooler months can be lean times for wildlife. Most grasses have slowed down and this means less food for Wallabies and Kangaroos, which often leads them closer to roadsides, where the warmth and extra runoff from the bitumen can provide a better feed.
So please drive carefully all year where Wallabies and Kangaroos are still present, but with the shorter days and less feed it’s crucial to take care with your driving and slow down especially at dawn and dusk.
For the fruit-eating birds, there’s a range of trees and shrubs that can fruit well at this time of year including Orange Thorn – Pittosporum multiflorum, Plum Myrtles – Pilidiostigma glabrum, Creek Lilly Pilly – Acmena smithii, Native Mulberry – Pipturus argenteus, Native Ginger – Alpinia caerulea, Coastal Flax Lily – Dianella congesta, Hairy Psychotria – Psychotria loniceroides, Glossy Laurel – Cryptocarya laevigata, and Bolwarra – Eupomatia laurina, to name a few.
A good mix of fruiting shrubs such as these can make a big difference for our frugivorous (fruit-eating) birds and their survival through the winter months.
Many of our local trees and shrubs are adapted to the vagaries of our subtropical winter and can still provide plenty of food, via their new growth, for browsing native flora such as Ringtail, Brushtail, and Mountain Possums. Perhaps if you’re lucky enough to live in Koala country, even a Koala or two!
The sap of many trees, particularly Eucalypts, is also harvested by Gliders, including the Squirrel, Sugar, and last but by far not least, the cute little Feather-Tails.
So keep cool when it comes to our wildlife and enjoy sharing your garden through the winter.
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