YackaYacka

4/10/2011 
I collect the shredded paper from our office and put it around some of the trees as a mulch. I have started to see bits of it being used now in the construction of bird nests and even at the entrance of a spiders 'home'.
I am now starting to wonder what bit of writing the birds or spiders can see on the inside lining of their homes!
 
9/3/2014
Updated to add 2 photos of a birds nest that is using pieces of orange & blue Bale twine in its construction.

The Stringybark trees on YackaYacka at Littlehampton are some of the more easterly that I've seen around this area. They tend to grow in the higher rainfall areas of the Mount Lofty Ranges.
Over the last 2 to 3 years there have been increasing numbers of them dying on my property and why that is I am not sure. I thought initially it was because of the preceeding exceptionally dry years but the trees continue to die even in a wet year such as the second half of 2010 into 2011.
 
8/3/11 - Advice from the Native Vegetation Council

 The first section of the property where I began planting was above and into an old quarry that was in the south western  corner of the block. The plants I selected were native plants with the aim of creating an understory. I used to work away a lot at the time (2 weeks on, 2 weeks off) and it was hard work at the time given the type of terrain in that small area, but the reward was in seeing the growth of the plants.

For some time time I have been lucky enough to see some Tawny Frogmouths on the property where I live in Littlehampton. Sometimes in summer and sometimes in Spring. Their camouflage, especially in summer is amazing.
Tawny Frogmouths are often confused with owls but are actually more closely related to the nightjars.
Masters of disguise, during the day they can be perched on a tree limb and stay incredibly still. In summer they appear almost robotic in appearance. As nocturnal birds they will hunt at night.