There is a fantastic small piece of precious habitat proving to be a birding hotspot within The Cape—I call it ‘the bog’ (a piece of wet spongy ground). While many Australians (and some Belgium’s I know!) have another meaning for this word ‘bog’ (slang for a ‘dunny’ or toilet), I prefer to use the more … Continue reading The wonders of ‘the bog’ … →

Cape Chatter has always meant to be more than just a website and newsletter with nice pictures. It is about recording how formerly degraded cattle paddocks located next to a coastal reserve and stunning coastline, could be transformed into a sustainable housing estate with minimal impact on, indeed could make enhancements to, the natural world … Continue reading On the move … →

Since last Cape Chatter, bird activity in particular, has ramped up. There is plenty of chirping and chattering among the birds and signs that nest building and breeding are imminent if not already started. A pair of male Crescent Honeyeaters have been busily courting a female in the home garden—she is yet to decide; an … Continue reading Chirping and chattering aplenty … →

We are now into the depths of winter—cool to cold days have set in along with some much needed rain, but we need so much more water to rehydrate the environment. Recent strolls around the various habitats of The Cape revealed not too much in the way of wildlife and bird activity—not unusual for this … Continue reading Winter ‘blues’ – not for these folk! →

Water is at the heart of ecological systems and at last, some decent rain has fallen and refreshed the landscape. The Cape’s ecological landscape has been designed around water harvesting and natural filtration along with providing biodiverse flora habitat for fauna. It hasn’t taken long to notice small changes in the range of species that … Continue reading Peaceful sorties … →

A ‘Southern Ocean’ cold blast finally hit! Some well needed rain arrived recently with typical wintry squalls originating deep in the southern hemisphere, and while it was welcome, a lot more rain is needed to rejuvenate the dry environment and get some well needed run-off to improve water levels in the wetlands and ponds to … Continue reading Streetscapes and stags … →

The local countryside continues to look really dry and brown with little rain. My few walks around the edge of the bush adjoining the estate reveals an eerie quiet from the small bush birds we would expect to hear this time of the year. Much of the bush is dotted with brown vegetation, displaying signs … Continue reading Difficult times continue … →

A strange thing happened yesterday … it rained, and we got a good old Cape south westerly squall with a bit of hail! In what has been a terribly dry year, every millimeter counts, even if it is just a few drops to settle the dust. This year’s tally to date is about half of … Continue reading A strange thing happened … →

Today’s 130th issue marks the fifth anniversary of Cape Chatter. Where has the time gone? A key objective of The Cape development was to restore habitat with indigenous flora to attract as much native wildlife back into what was previously degraded agriculture land. I set out with this newsletter back in April 2020 to “spark … Continue reading Five years on … →

The warmer months have been tough for many animals, but it appears the Short-beaked Echidnas are enjoying the drier conditions with near daily sightings of this remarkable Australian mammal wandering around The Cape. One individual in particular has taken to exploring the area around Moonshadow Ave and Sunlight Blvd (two main thoroughfares within the estate), … Continue reading Captain Moonlight – a real bush-ranger … →