The Gouldain Finch wasn’t the only notorious bird about lately, there was a brown falcon or fire bird. It watched the crew all day and when they knocked off, jumped down picked up a coal, flew the other side of the creek/fire break and dumped on the old secure grass. Alas the team was back on it putting the fire out. This bird has been seen at the last few fires and we are thinking about away of managing it. Another welcome bird about the fires are the turkeys (bustards). As the fire cools off they come in for an easy BBQ feed. But as the grass is clear and they are large they themselves become an easy BBQ feed.

Jawoyn rangers have been fighting back to back fires for the last few weeks. As of August the 1^st or work calendar kicks into fire suppression mode. The first fire just south of Werebun, the rangers were able to pull a fire up at Phillips Creek. Starting in late afternoon the rangers burnt off a creek through the night and mopped up in the morning. This is prime Gouldian finch habitat and as the fire and the rangers were cooling of the noticed some of these little gems down by the creek. If it wasn’t for the rangers great effort more of these marvellous birds and their marginal habitat would have been scorched

 

Jawoyn rangers worked alongside scientists from the Museum and Art Gallery Northern Territory (MAGNT) in fish searching mission within some of the more attractive Jawoyn waterholes. These areas were targeted as once you go above water falls it seems the fish genetics change and there have been new fishes found that had previously been unknown to western science. These include the Barrowei Gudgeon and a variety of rainbow fish that seem to have different colours on top of different waterfalls. Some junior rangers were on hand to assist as it was school holidays, their extra hands and eyes (especially at night) were appreciated. Between the scientists, rangers juniors and old we were able to net and muster many fish into nets and then on to the lab to check the DNA sequences and hopefully more new fish will be known and named.

 

 

Beswick culture camp

During the school holidays some rangers assisted a school holiday program at Beswick Falls, Bagala Land Trust. 35 children, elders and rangers camped at the falls. There that made didgeridoos, ate bush tucker and fished for turtles and brim. Bagala elders introduced them to the site and told important cultural stories well into the night. Other sites were visited in the area before home to Beswick and Katherine.