Notice to Mariners No.203(T) – 2024

🌈🦜 Our noisy, colourful, busy neighbours!

You’ll often hear Rainbow Lorikeets before you see them – screeching and chattering as they race overhead .

With their bright red beaks, blue heads, green wings and backs, and orange-yellow breasts, they’re certainly not shy about standing out.

Rainbow Lorikeets are right at home in our coastal and urban landscapes, particularly wherever there are plenty of trees. They spend much of their time among flowering shrubs and trees, feeding on nectar and pollen, as well as fruit, seeds and the occasional insect.

And when the day is done? You might spot – or more likely hear – groups gathering together to roost at dusk.

Noisy, colourful and always busy – we reckon they bring plenty of personality to our coast. 💚

Learn more from BirdLife Australia: https://birdlife.org.au/bird-profiles/rainbow-lorikeet/

🌿 The Barwon Heads Nature Festival is almost here!
From 21–25 September, Friends of the Bluff are bringing together an amazing program of events celebrating the wonderful natural environment of Barwon Heads. There’s lots to explore, including some fantastic events happening across our coastal foreshore reserves:

🥾 Monday 21 September – Explore Barwon Bluff, plus two Canoe the Mangroves sessions
🌱 Tuesday 22 September – Walk on Country @ Barwon Bluff with @Wadawurrung
🌊 Wednesday 23 September – Orchids in the Park, then Land, Sea, Sky slide night
🔬 Thursday 24 September – Tide & Seek: a family ‘marine science’ day
🧤 Friday 25 September – Barwon Heads Great Spring Clean Up, followed by the Turning the Tide short film festival that evening.

There’s plenty more happening throughout the festival too!
Explore the full program and find out how to get involved: https://www.barwonbluff.com.au/nature-festival/
Congratulations to Friends of the Bluff and everyone involved in putting together another fantastic celebration of our coast. 💚

🐌 Go searching for sea slugs at Barwon Bluff!🌊

Did you know Victoria is home to more than 400 species of colourful sea slugs?

Join Parks Victoria (@parksvic ) for a Sea Slug Census in the intertidal rockpools of the Barwon Bluff Marine Sanctuary and see what you can discover.

📅 Thursday 17 September
⏰ 9.30–11.30am
📍 Barwon Bluff Marine Sanctuary

Learn more about these fascinating marine creatures while helping contribute valuable observations to the Victorian Marine Parks Association database and iNaturalist.

Registrations are essential.

Find out more and register via www.parkconnect.vic.gov.au/volunteer-activities (search for `sea slug`)

A cuppa, a chat and an important question – R U OK? 💛

Today our team came together for an R U OK?Day morning tea and heard from our Employee Assistance Program provider about the confidential health and wellbeing support available to our staff and their families.

It was a great reminder to make time for genuine conversations – today and every day.

Ask R U OK? Any day. 💛

#RUOKDay #RUOK #WorkplaceWellbeing

🥚 Hoodie nest update!

We’re pleased to share that there are currently two active Hooded Plover nests – at Blue Rocks and near Signpost at 13th Beach – each with three eggs. 🤞

Hoodies nest directly on the sand, and their tiny, camouflaged eggs can be almost impossible to spot. They’re also easily disturbed, so please give them plenty of space.

🩵 Keep close to the waterline
🩵 Keep dogs on lead near nesting areas
🩵 Stay outside fenced or roped-off areas

Six little eggs – fingers crossed we`ll see some little chicks! 🐣

#HoodedPlovers #BarwonCoastHoodieWatch

💙 Happy Father’s Day!

Wishing a very happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful fathers and father figures in our community!

If you’re looking for something fun to do with Dad today and haven’t, ahem, made a solid plan yet… why not swing by the Barwon Coast Discovery Centre in Barwon Heads? 🐚

Housed in the historic Lobster Pot, there’s plenty to explore – from local marine life and wildlife to geology, shipwrecks and local history.

🦀 Open today, 1–4pm
📍 Jetty Road, Barwon Heads
🌊 Free entry – all ages welcome

Perfect for a little Father’s Day wander by the coast.
More information: https://barwoncoast.com.au/about-the-coast/barwon-coast-discovery-centre/

🌊 The Barwon Coast Discovery Centre is back from this Sunday! 🐚

After a winter break, the doors of will be open this Sunday, and there’s plenty to discover inside.

Drop in and explore the stories of our coast – from local marine life, plants and wildlife to geology, shipwrecks and local history. You can also have a chat with one of the wonderful Friends of The Lobster Pot volunteers, who always have plenty of knowledge to share.

🦀 Open Sundays, 1–4pm
📍 Jetty Road, Barwon Heads
🌊 Free entry – all ages welcome

Come in, have a look around and discover something new about the coast .

More information: https://barwoncoast.com.au/about-the-coast/barwon-coast-discovery-centre/

#BarwonCoast #BarwonHeads #DiscoveryCentre

We have Hooded Plover nest lift-off! 🥚

We have discovered this little nest on 13th Beach (Black Rock end) and are hoping to see a little family here in around four weeks` time. Our keen-eyed staff have also noticed scrapes (Hoodies usually lay their eggs in shallow scrapes in the sand) at Stingray Bay, Breamlea, and near @13thbeachslsc - exciting!

When enjoying the coast, beachgoers are asked to help protect this nest by:

🩵 Walking close to the waterline
🩵 Keeping well clear of fenced or roped-off areas
🩵 Keeping dogs on-lead and away from sensitive dune areas
🩵 Giving the birds plenty of space so they do not abandon their eggs

Every small action helps give Hooded Plovers the best chance to hatch and thrive. Thank you for taking care on our beaches.