🔊 🎶 - sound on for this one.
Up at a tourism industry function at Hay Shed Hill/Rustico this evening, I’d just been chatting with winemaker Mike “Kegs” Kerrigan, who was telling me he’s had flocks of Baudin’s Black Cockatoos regularly visiting the estate in recent weeks.
I said, “I’d love to see that!”
Then—right on sunset—while Kegs was mid-speech, a stunning flock swooped in. A few cocky enthusiasts in the crowd subtly slipped out toward the vineyard to witness the magic.
If you listen carefully, in fluent cockatoo, they’re saying: “The 2025 Cabernet is looking like a cracker!” 🍇
Nature knows best. Cheers to the real wine critics!
We recently enlisted the amazing Chris from Tree Co Arboculture to give our big old Marri tree a much-needed haircut before it started knocking on the front door.
Chris worked his magic, leaving the tree looking fabulous and healthy. 🌟 But while he was up there, I couldn’t resist asking him to check on the Black Cockatoo nesting tube we had installed a few years back.
Quick rewind: the box was installed by Dean Arthurell from Carnabys Crusaders, who assured us it was strictly a “Cockatoos Only” zone. Well, fast forward about two hours post-installation, and a pair of Australian Wood Ducks waddled in like they’d been waiting for the keys 🦆. They’ve been living rent-free ever since—sorry, Dean! 😅
And now for the latest drama in “Nesting Box Real Estate”... While we’re still waiting on the elusive Black Cockatoos to move in, Chris discovered the possum maternity ward we didn’t know we had! 🐾 He even captured this great little video of a Brushtail Possum and her baby snuggled up inside. 🥰
No cockatoos yet, but hey, we love all tenants, and we’re clearly running a very diverse wildlife Airbnb. 🏡😂Thanks again to Chris and Dean—never a dull moment in the treetops!
Musk Duck mating call
Got super lucky with this male Musk Duck performing his mating call as we paddled by.
Sound on 🔊 for this one!
Quite unusual to see this time of year as it’s normally a mid winter behaviour.
Would love to know if someone else has seen this behavior in summer??
I was due to meet a bunch of mates for a mountain bike ride at 3pm.
At 2.45 I drove past a small flock of Carnabys Black Cockatoos feeding on the Marri trees.
At 3.20 I was still sitting underneath them, head craned through the sunroof, 200mm lense clicking away and iphone on video mode. Feeling very privileged as they got closer and closer until they were directly overhead.
Watch the precision and deft handling skills in the breeze!
Quite an expensive video though. Two significant dents in the hood of the car from gumnuts been dropped at great heights 🫣.
Met the boys on the final trail of the day for ten minutes of riding and went direct to the pub 👍.
Turn ya sound on for this one 🦻.
Lampreys are go!
I’d just been saying there is very little chance of seeing Lampreys migrating this year as there’s probably not enough river flow.
All delivered in authoritative expert tour guide voice. Backed by statistics and river flow data 🧐.
Then I look down and see two Lampeys defying my predictions. Yeeeeww!! 👍👍
Certainly not in the numbers that previously migrated up the river system, but nonetheless very exciting to see them.
One thing I have learned over the years is they seem to love these rainy days in October for making their way up the waterfalls.
These guys still have the metallic blue colour to them, meaning they have only recently moved from the ocean to river system. They’ll soon morph to a brown colour as the move further up the freshwater.
With river flow rates decreasing by as much as 40% in recent decades we're seeing less and less of these amazing creatures migrate the system. They're still out there in other rivers in the South West, they've actually been around since before dinosaurs , but it's a worry to see such a big decline in migration numbers in Wooditjup Bilya/Margaret River over the last few decades.
Only Fans Galah edition
How’s the power thrusting 😳. And the voyeurs. And then he tries for girl next door 😍. So much happening in 30 seconds 😂.
Turn the volume up. Aggggh the sweeeeet and gentle sounds of rain after 6 months of nothin 👍
I was out mountain biking the Creek Trails in Wooditjup National Park (featuring the iconic Black Cockatoo in the trail logo) and found a flock of about 50 Baudins Black Cockatoos feeding on wood grubs in the Jarrah trees.
I loooooove the sound of these guys in the bush and took a few minutes to catch my breath and get off the bike and just sit and watch and listen 😍.
On the one hand this is a beautiful scene, but you if look more closely and understand the bush, this is a disastrous situation.
Those wood grubs thrive in dead and dying Jarrah forest. They are signal species of dying trees and if you look at Jarrah trees all over the South West this year, you'll see thousands upon thousands of them stripped of their bark.
The Cockies are getting a one time protein hit as they feast on the dying forest, meanwhile the tree that could have provided hundreds of years of seed/nuts has died 🥲.
In a year where climate change is right in front of our eyes, it kinda feels eerily symbolic of where we're all headed as we enjoy our one time energy hit of fossil fuels.
Rainfall data for the Margaret River region indicates this is the lowest Summer rainfall in over 100+ years of records. It's frighteningly dry out there with the soil dryness index heading off into unchartered territory 😱.
It's having a huge impact on the flora and fauna and we are seeing more and more of the protected Carters Mussels drying and dying every day we go without rain to replenish the river.
These mussels can be 30-40+ years old and typically move up and down the river bank as the river rises and falls through the seasons. This year, the water is drying at a faster rate than normal and hundreds of mussels are dead or dying along the riverbank.
Many of them stuck behind submerged logs and can't make it to deeper water, then cooking in the heat. We've been trying to save as many as possible by helping them over the logs. They just need a simple helping hand (don't throw them in the deep water, just get them past the obstacle).
Worth reflecting a single mussel can filter an entire swimming pool of water in a few days. They are super important in the eco system and critical to a healthy waterway👍.
The Margaret River tour for people who don't do tours! 
