Thanks to all who came along and made the Night Walk a great night on Saturday night. We were able to see the short finned eel, a powerful owl, sugar gliders, numerous brushtail and ringtail possums, and some busy insects and spiders. It was an eventful evening.

Photos: Daniel J
Lighting: Nicole

A happy 2023 to all of you!

As in the past few years, instead of a pre-Christmas picnic in the busy month of December, we will be having a Welcome New Year picnic on Saturday 11 February, from 7:30pm onwards, followed by a walk through the reserve not before 8:15pm.

You and your families are very welcome to join the picnic, the walk, or both. For the picnic we meet at the amphitheatre and it's BYO everything.

On the twilight walk we hope to see some of our local nocturnal wildlife! Please wear sturdy shoes for the uneven tracks, and bring a torch if you can. We hope to see you there!

Saturday was a lovely evening for a picnic and twilight walk. And as is customary for these evenings, we like to tally the fauna viewed. Before the sun went down, two black-tailed cockatoos and a magpie were spotted. And as a nice intermission before the sun dipped below the horizon, the kids present were shown some Victorian Christmas Bush, which they thought smelled like toothpaste. Then encouraging the use of other senses the group heard a tree creeper, kookaburras, rainbow lorikeets, crickets and a bat.

At nightfall we saw micro bats, six brush-tailed possums, nine ring-tail possums, numerous spiders and their webs, inchmen marching up a tree, and dragonflies that were up late at night. Unnnnless you were walking with the other group (me!) who saw just one bat, a few possums, and a beetle. Oh, and a rabbit! Now we know where all the animals were gathering, that night!

A unique sighting not yet mentioned was an eel seen in Ferny Creek! None of us had put eyes on one before, so do let us know if you’ve seen one at Glenfern and when.

Join us this Sunday 20 February at 9:30am to explore the flora and be part of our bush restoration mornings.

​Just one four days until our New Year's Picnic and Night Walk on Saturday 12 February. Please bring your own food, drink, sturdy shoes, and a torch. There is plenty of seating at the amphitheatre, but do bring a chair if you prefer. The vaccination requirements of Yarra Ranges for attendees at events are still in place, so please bring proof of vaccination status or exemption.
There is no mask requirement, but our advice is that it's sensible to have one with you, just in case.

On Saturday night we had our Christmas picnic and twilight walk.

Down at the old quarry we ate, and from the nearby frog-bogs the frogs sung.

As the sun went down we turned on our torches and made our way through the reserve and observed the following:

- twelve ringtail possums
- four other possums (only their eyes were visible)
- one brush-tail possum
- one sugar glider
- one juvenile powerful owl
- two microbats
- frogs galore
- kookaburras
- one giant moth
- an emerald moth
- click beetles
- and an unidentified pale-bellied roosting bird that I’m going to call Kevin.

​It was quite the spectacle, and a lovely end to the year. Thanks to all who’ve been part of it in small and big ways – not forgetting medium ways. Happy holidays.

Glenfern members gathered for a end of year twilight picnic on the weekend. Here are some pics from the evening. In the next post there is a drone video along Echidna Track and over the ponds and past the picnickers at the amphitheater.

We also has a lucky dip for all current financial members and the winners were 

Daniel Jackson 1st prize the spade, 
Gayle Townsend 2nd prize gardening gloves
Graeme Strahan 3rd prize gardening gloves

Later in the evening we went spot lighting and sighted brushtail and ringtail possums and a pair of sugar gliders. We also heard the elusive Owlet Night-jars. An Eastern Grey Kangaroo was also spotted just on sunset.

​It has been a wonderful year for our group. We wish everyone a very all the best over the holiday season.

Hello Friends,

You are invited to our Christmas Twilight Picnic in the Park!

Bring your own rugs, seats, food and drink to our Christmas break-up being held at the amphitheatre (park at the main entrance) on Saturday December 10th, 6.30 pm onward. Sit and enjoy the beautiful ambiance of the amphitheatre in the middle of our Bushlands at dusk while sharing food and good company.  Afterwards there will be an opportunity for night walk through the bush – what will we see?