Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki)

As nice as they look mosquitofish (AKA plague minnow) are one of the worst introduced species we have in south-eastern Australia. Live-bearing and rapid breeder, predatory on native fish, tadpoles and macroinvertebrates, spread disease and generally just nasty.

Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)

Spotted this little fella on a golf course I was doing fish survey work at.
Very cute.

Tynong - Not the usual aquatic ecologist hangout

This is the deepest quarry pit in Victoria at about 100 metres.

Goulburn River at Eildon

Spent a beautiful day on the 24th of October monitoring water quality and macroinvertebrates just downstream of the Eildon weir and pondage. The weather was sheer perfection.

The panoramas below were taken at each of the monitoring sites with the first panorama picking up on the beautiful 7:00am sunrise on the upstram side.

 

 

Goulburn River at Alexandra

23rd October was another spectacular day spend on the Goulburn River monitoring water quality and macroinvertebrates. This is the second time I have been to these sites and the water was up a meter or so this time around.

The only dissapointment was that i did not get any fish this time around.

Traralgon Rail Reserve Wetlands

I spent three days here between the 8th and 10th of October, assessing water quality, macroinvertebrates, fish and aquatic habitat. As has been my luck this season, the weather turned it on again. For a public reserve and constructed wetland, this system was really nice with good habitat and a number of native fish species.

Juvenile Black-faced Shag/Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscescens)

Found this little guy on a rocky basalt shelf near Port Campbell.