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Following our recent AGM we would like to welcome our returning and new committee members: President- Richard Loyn Vice President- Anthony Griffiths Treasurer- David Minifie Secretary- Philippa Noble General committee members: Digby Race, Lisa Farnsworth, Geoff Barrow, Gail Steed, Jane Roots, Alandi Durling We look forward to this diverse and knowledgeable committee leading us through another great year!

Swamps, Rivers & Ranges is proud of the diverse and passionate committee we have and we want to tell you all about them! Our first introduction is Philippa Noble- Secretary Philippa and her husband own a farm at Brimin on the Murray River  where they produce prime lambs, plantation timber and crops, as well as provide on-farm accommodation.   In order to get larger landscape change they focus on farm revegetation with economic as well as environmental benefits, planting thousands of native trees and shrubs on their farm and managing  selected trees for sawlog production.  With an Agricultural Science degree, and post graduate training in  aquaculture, climate change and ornithology, Philippa worked with the Victorian government in agriculture and natural resource management ...

After a brief time away to elect a new committee we are now back online and pleased to be involved in landscape restoration projects again. Stay tuned for introductions of our new committee members, introduction of our new project coordinator Sophie and upcoming ways that you can get involved. For specific inquiries please see our Contact section

The radical otherness of birds:  

I heard the author being interviewed on ABC this morning.  I wasn’t very impressed.  There was not one mention of the fact that birds are more vulnerable to cat attack when they come down to feed tables.  Most of the birds I had in care when I was a wildlife carer were from cat attack at bird feeders.  The birds become so tame that they forget to be cautious and look out for danger.  Also I have seen parrots with badly damaged feathers from fighting over feed at a bird feeder.  As the author said – birds in the wild rarely feed shoulder to shoulder – and that is what causes fights.   I will continue to maintain my opinion ...

Darryl Jones is fascinated by bird feeders. Not the containers supplying food to our winged friends, but the people who fill the containers, scatter the crumbs or seeds, or leave the picnic scraps behind for the birds. Here, Jones takes us on a wild flight through the history of bird feeding as he ponders this odd but seriously popular form of interaction between humans and wild animals. Jones digs at the deeper issues and questions of the practice of bird feeding, as he raises our awareness of the things we don’t yet know and why we really should. This beautifully written and engaging books reveals that what at first seems to be a niche topic — humans feeding wild birds ...

Views from Mt Barambogie Fire Tower Spring Bird monitoring highlights from Richard Loyn Highlights included a pair of Western Gerygones at Kelly’s Reserve (where they nested last spring) and another at Bryce Blair; two Painted Honeyeaters and a male White-winged Triller on the rail trail, and a few Rufous Songlarks, Rainbow Bee-eaters, etc.  In subsequent weeks I saw a Pied Butcherbird and another White-winged Triller near Cemetery Road, Painted Honeyeater on our place and lots of Scarlet Honeyeaters in Beechworth town: they’ve also been seen in gardens in the Burgoigee Creek area.  More birds than usual on the Bryce Blair reserve this time, and fewer spiders (they were prolific for much of last year, with few birds). Birds eye views ...