Indigenous Weather Knowledge

Tree frog by Ceredwyn EalantaAmphibians

Tree frogs can be heard squeaking.

Insects

Many insects can be seen in larval form or beginning to hatch:

• labyrinth butterflies hatch
• longhorn beetles emerge from wattle trunks
• gum emperor moths emerge
• spitfire grubs of sawfly wasp eat new leaves on seedling gums
• stick insects eat treetop leaves
• featherhorn beetles emerge

Butterflies are frequent:

• imperial white butterflies can be seen
• symmons skipper butterflies are common
• brown tailed moth butterfly found on mistletoe

Flies are pesty during kooyang and robber flies often cruise along bush tracks.

Mammals

Mammals emerge during kooyang.

Boxing kangaroos can be seen during this time.

Reptiles

Snakes are seen basking in the sun.

Birds

Red wattle birds flocking and fantails scurry down bush gullies.

Young birds are emerging during this season.

Plants

Some plants continuing to flower including mistletoes, messmates and the long leafed box.

The flowers of river red gums attract honeyeaters.

Insects

Water boatmen migrate from drying ponds.

Many aquatic insects emerge as adults, attracting swallows and martins.

Fish

Galaxias (small native trout) move downstream to estuaries to spawn.

Kooyang is the peak time for eel.

Birds

Second brood of swamp hens are running.

Plants

Ribbon weed and swamp lily flowering.

Elodea waterweed stems break and migrate.

Fly agaric fungus by Ceredwyn EalantaPlants and fungi
Gwangal moronn sees berries ripening.

Plants flowering including:

• cranberry heath and hop goodenia in full flower
• pink heath and flame grevillea
• candlebark and manna gums

Many orchid shoots showing

• first rosettes of greenhood orchids
• parsons bands orchids are flowering

Peak of fungi season:

• red and white "fly agaric" fungi

Insects
Wattle goat moths can be seen and giant swift moths are laying eggs at the base of gums.

Mammals
Marsupials active:

• young bandicoots out of pouch
• antechinus active
• dingoes mating

Possums are beginning to breed.

Birds
Pre northern migration flocking begins:

• red wattle birds flocking
• first flame robin juveniles and females come down from the hills
• flocks of insectivorous birds pass down gullies
• pied currawongs come down from mountains

Many birds are moulting feathers during this season.
Honeyeaters and wrens are searching for moths and insects.

Plants
River red gums flowers continue to attract honeyeaters.

Birds
Masked lapwings and grey fantails are flocking.

Reptiles and amphibians
Skinks and tortoises hibernate.
Many tadpoles can be seen in ponds.

Fish
Mature eels head out to sea to breed.

Insects
Hawk moths are common.
Aquatic insects emerge as adults, attracting swallows and martins.

Tall Greenhood by Ceredwyn EalantaPlants and fungi

Fungi appear including:

• coral fungus on mossy ground
• boletus fungi in wet litter

First of the winter orchids including:

• tall greenhood and early nancy lilly in flower
• first nodding greenhoods and helmet orchids flower
• first flowering chocolate lilies
  

Many early wattles flowering:

• long leafed wattle in flower
• golden wattle and prickly moses in flower
• cranberry heath in flower

Fire damaged trees show epicormics shoots.
Yellow box flowering.

Mammal

Possums have young in pouch during chunnup.
Sugar gliders give birth.
Echidnas are searching for mates.

Birds

Several bird species nesting including:

• brown thornbill building first nests
• scrub wrens
• jacky winter flycatcher returning to nesting sites
• dive bombing magpies and lapwings

Many birds active and on the move:

• shrike tits tear bark off manna gums
• yellow tailed cockatoos on the move
• first calls can be heard of fantailed cuckoos
• flocks of sittellas pass through
• yellow tailed cockatoos seek new feeding grounds
• newly flowering eucalypts attract honeyeaters
• noisy miners call loudly at dawn
• satin bowerbirds on the move
• little ravens flocking
• powerful owls laying eggs

Birds
Large flocks of pink eared ducks seen on lakes.
Swans and coot graze on lake shores.
Rising waters cause ducks to seek new feeding and nesting areas.
Lapwings are nesting on eggs.

Reptiles and amphibians
Frogs actively calling during chunnup.

Insects
Ponds full of little water creatures.

Plants and fungi
New growth can be seen on eucalyptus trees.
Many ground orchids in full flower including greenhood, donkey and spider orchids.

Many plants in flower:

• pultanaea bush peas
• manna gums and long leafed box
• purple coral pea, stackhousia and wattles
• grass tree spikes

Tree ferns unfold new fronds and cup fungi grow under large eucalypts.

Birds
Many small birds are nesting, including lapwings.
Early nesters can now be seen feeding young.
Spotted pardalote build nesting tunnels for first brood.
Cuckoos return and call continuously.
Fledgling powerful owls and wedge tailed eagles emerge.

Insects
First butterflies appear and imperial white butterflies take wing.
Caterpillars and grubs emerge with sawfly grubs common on young eucalypts.
Woolly bear caterpillars are common.
King crickets lay eggs in banksias.

Birds
Some migratory birds return:

• sandpipers and stints arrive on mud flats
• reed warblers return from north

Early ducklings walk to water.

Insects
Mosquito wrigglers are abundant.

Fish
Rivers run high and galaxias migrate from the sea.

Plants
Many orchids and lily are in flower, including:

• leopard orchids, hare orchids, pink fingers and sun orchids
• leaves of common bird orchid appear
• leek orchids appear
• nodding blue lilies
• flying duck orchids

Trees are in flower including silver banksia, yellow box and late black and silver wattles.
Many shrubs/grasses are in flower including parrot peas, mint bush, bauera, tetratheca, rice flowers and christmas mint bush.

Many herbs and grasses in flower, including:

• yam daisy
• lomandra mat rush has fresh spiky flowering heads

Fringe lilies, tall sundews, grass trigger plants, grass trees and kangaroo grass flowering.
Cherry ballart is fruiting.

Insects
More butterflies emerge:

• wanderer and common brown butterflies are plentiful
• caper white and wood white butterflies emerge

Insects active, including:

• bees swarming
• hover flies visit guinea flowers
• cicadas emerge, leaving pupa case on tree trunks
• first termites take wing
• red ichneumon wasps common
• large number of insects visit the bush pea and lily flowers
• moths and beetles collect around lights

Caterpillars create leaf damage on eucalypts and sawfly grubs are now large.

Mammals
Many mammals are breeding during petyan.
Ring-tailed possums carry young.
Koala young leave pouch at approximately 7 months old.
Koalas mate again.
Lots of mammal activity with holes appearing everywhere as bandicoots dig for grubs and echidnas dig for ants.

Birds
Bush rings with sounds of courting birds, frogs and insects.
Many birds are moulting.
Olive-backed orioles are calling.
Cuckoo shrikes are feeding on caterpillars.

Many birds are breeding and nesting, including:

• grey butcher birds
• superb fairy wrens
• currawongs
• wood swallows nesting after migrating south

Many birds returning south:

• fly catchers arrive from the north
• trillers move south
• rufous fantails and rainbow bee-eaters arrive from the north

Migratory birds return.

Reptiles

Snakes and skinks are active:

• skinks and snakes basking in the sun
• lizards becoming active among the rocks.

Plants
Swamp paperbarks are in flower.

Mammals
Platypus lays eggs.

Birds
Snipe return to long grass around swamps.
Swamp hens have running young.
Reed warblers return.

Reptiles and amphibians

Frogs active:

• loud frog chorus
• pobblebonk and growling grass frogs on the move

Fish
Eels migrate downstream.

Plants
Many plants still in flower:

• teatrees, shaggy peas, hop goodenia and guinea flowers in bloom
• banksia, grass trees, blue dampiera and christmas mint bush
• sweet bursaria at flowering peak
• hycathinth, tongue and duck orchids
• Murnong is flowering in heathlands

Some plants in fruit/seeding:

• kangaroo grass seeding
• beard heath has berries
• seed pods of silver wattle open

Reptiles
Snakes and lizards bask in sun including copperhead snakes and jacky lizards.

Insects
Beetles and moths collect around lights at night.
Butterflies chase each other in the warm sun.
Lacewings hatch.
King crickets in old banksia logs.

Birds
Birds active include:

• orioles and white throated warblers calling
• squabbling honeyeaters clamber over the flowering banksias
• kites prey on mice and locusts

Many birds still have young including:

• bee-eater chicks hatch in nesting tunnels
• kookaburras and sacred kingfishers feeding young
• bee-eaters feed on young dragon flies
• pardalote and yellow robin nestlings leave nests

Many birds have post nesting moulting.

Mammals
Pygmy possums have young.
Echidnas seeking ant nests.

Plants
Water ribbons in creeks develop flowering spikes.
Nardoo are growing vigorously.
Cumbungi grows in streams and wetlands.

Birds
Grebes build floating grass nests on lakes for second brood.

Reptiles and amphibians
Water dragons sit on riverside rocks.

Tadpoles can be seen in ponds.

Insects
Dragonflies and water striders are mating.
Daphnia water fleas develop large egg masses.
Whirligig beetle larvae pupate in muddy cocoons.
Swarms of midges can be seen above ponds.