Pails for Scales Conservation

03/06/2026

Bit of time spent at Krurr-rak Conservation Reserve carrying out fence repairs, spraying Bridal Creeper, stacking up some of the fallen timber building habitats, trying to clean up a few ferals and sorting out the office.
Winter reptile and amphibian survey as well 5 different reptiles and amphibians 3 Skinks 1 Elapid 1 Frog
total of 11 counted
With the Banjo Frogs very hard to tell if they are Dumerilii or Variegatus this time of the year without disturbing them as they are darker and covered in wet sand.
One pair of South Eastern Red-tailed Back Cockatoos and their chick would come into roost at night, was too dark to get a photo without disturbing them.
Heartbreaking to see the neighbouring property that was recently sold being cleaned up for cropping. Lots of wildlife being burnt as they clean up all the fallen timber.

02/06/2026

Whilst at Antarcticus Sanctuary I carried out the Winter reptile survey, with a good out come - 9 different reptiles
• 2 Skinks
• 3 Geckos
• 2 Dragons
• 1 Legless lizard
• 1 Elapid
Total of 51 reptiles counted
I finally got some better, but not fantastic photos of the White-Winged Fairy-Wren, a bird that I spend a lot of time following through the salt bush trying to photograph.

30/05/2026

So good to see Antarcticus Sanctuary so green and wild flowers coming out, when the sun did come out Lesser Wanderers and Meadow Arguses Butterflies were everywhere. It rained for 4 days when l was there so made it hard to get around as the tracks get very slippery in that country. This also meant I didn’t get a lot of spraying done on the Angled Onion W**d being it was so wet. I did manage to knock down a lot more African Boxthorn and with the native shrubs bouncing back plenty of other places for birds to nest in.
Some fantastic news no feral goats were seen and no evidence they are around, even over the mountains, which l managed to get up to this time to enjoy the view, this will really help the sanctuary recover.
If anyone can help with the names of the wildflowers, that would be great, I haven’t had a chance to look them up.

23/05/2026

What a difference from the last time l was at the Antarcticus Sanctuary, back in February when it was in drought. It’s looking nice and green, it’s had more rain here than back at Sunset Sanctuary.
The locusts are thick and they are enjoying the greenery.

19/05/2026

19/05/2026

Sorry to say you can’t come into the sanctuary. With Sunset Sanctuary being only 80 acres it’s too small to have Echidnas in, as they are very smart and normally find their way to the end of the fence apron and dig out. This would then allow foxes, rabbits and cats to enter, which we definitely don’t want to happen.

17/05/2026

So good to be welcomed back to share our knowledge with the participants in the Nature Stewards Program. Taking the group through Sunset Sanctuary on a nocturnal tour. Explaining all the work we have done to bring the Sanctuary back from nothing to where it is now, with a flourishing ecosystem. Hopefully we can inspire the participants doing the program to take on conservation work too.
Looking forward to the Spring Program.

14/05/2026

Another idea of mine which l thought may help some small birds, particularly finches and pardalotes for nesting.
As we get food for our wildlife donated by Woolworths, I recently got all of these coconuts. I cut a small hole towards the top, dug out the fruit, let them dry out, drilled a hole in the top, threaded wire through the hole then sealed it. I have put them up all over the sanctuary, in bushy wattles and gums with lots of branches, now to wait and see if they get used or not.Thank you to Ella for assisting me while out doing work experience.
It was fantastic to see a small micro bat on last night’s tour using one of the hollow hog tree hollows, possibly in there feeding on a moth. Unfortunately by time l grabbed the camera it had flown off.
Always rewarding when you see your work and creativity helping the wildlife💕

13/05/2026

Wasn’t the best day to have the Autumn bird survey, started out cold and very windy which made it a bit hard to find some birds.
Thank you again to the members of Birdlife Ballarat that helped Jen, Ambika and Annie. As the day warmed up a bit and out of the wind we had some time out as the ladies checked out the snakes and lizards in the reptile pits.
Unfortunately we missed getting the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos in the count again, they had been here for weeks but on that day vanished and were back again on the Sunday.
20 different birds were heard or seen, a total of 126 counted, well down on past surveys. Most common bird was the Superb Fairy Wrens again with 29, followed by the Crimson Rosella with 23.

12/05/2026

We currently have limited availability for tours on -
• Friday 15th May
• Wednesday 20th May
Email us for this wonderful experience