Ballambar – early summer – season of butterflies
Mid November to late January
The lifestyle for the Gariwerd communities during ballambar:
Bands moved back to the plains taking minimal possessions, e.g. weapons, digging sticks, baskets and cloaks. Stone tools were left behind.
Sweet drinks made from banksias and manna gums with water ribbon cooked and eaten.
For the woodland areas of the Gariwerd, ballambar brings the following:
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
For the wetlands areas of the Gariwerd, ballambar means the following:
- 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/ 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.
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The Gariwerd Homelands | Bureau of Meteorology Temperature and Rainfall Graphs for this region
Permission to use the
Gariwerd seasonal calendar
is granted by the Elders/Directors of Gariwerd, which includes the Gunditjmara, Winda Mara (Kerrup Jamara), Goolum Goolum, Kirrae Whurrong and Framlingham peoples. A link to the Brambuk website is included, www.brambuk.com.au. |