Our team's Nature Diaries - October 2025

Published on 11 September 2025

Spring is here and the wattles are blooming, birds are singing and all the wildflowers getting ready to burst. When spring comes around it’s a good time to explore tracks and trails in the bush and I am always keen to observe all the wildflowers that come to life. One thing I have been thinking about recently is all the pollinators of the wildflowers, and the smaller creatures in the bush, the insects. These little critters are an important part of the ecosystem and Invertebrates Australia lists that 55% of known Australian biodiversity is made up of invertebrate animals. 

While out planting recently, a bright red dragonfly was spotted darting about, and we determined that it was a male Wandering Percher (image on the right), the female is a yellowish colour. These dragonflies are found all around Australia except for Tasmania, and if you’re on the lookout you will see them around freshwater streams and swamps. They like to feed on many different insects including mosquitoes, flies and butterflies. These dragonflies are not threatened, but they become vulnerable if their habitat is removed or destroyed, and their presence is an indicator of good water quality and intact native habitat.  

This spring and summer I’m on the lookout for a Bogong moth. You may have already heard about the iconic Bogong moth, these critters make a journey up to the Australian alpine area, on their way they pollinate a multitude of alpine flower species, and when they get there, they make a very nice meal for such species as the endangered Mountain Pygmy Possum. The problem is Bogong moth numbers are declining, and this will impact on many other species. Turning lights off at nighttime, so the moths don’t get disorientated on their way to the alpine area and documenting when and where we see them by uploading photos to citizen science websites like moth tracker will help to prevent the decline of Bogong moths.

So, this spring when I’m out and about admiring the wildflowers I’m also planning on keeping my eye out for all the insects I can spot and learning more about the smaller creatures that are key to healthy ecosystems.  

Bogong moth. Image: R Jessop