It is from the plains country at Cape Clear that a group of 60 or more has recently been reported, feeding in a paddock of mainly exotic grass that has not been grazed for six months or more. It now would contain numerous seeds for the parrots.

The blue-winged parrot is small, mid-way between a budgerigar and an eastern rosella. It is olive-green, with yellow below, and blue shoulders and wings.

The landowner has put sheep in the paddock, despite some misgivings, hoping the birds and the sheep can co-exist. This should be possible, because blue-winged parrots do not need dense grass cover for feeding. They will move elsewhere when their seed supply runs out.

While most often seen on the plains, this small parrot appears in other places too, such as Yendon, Linton, Blampied, Clunes, and both Wombat and Creswick forests.

The forest habitat of some places indicates that blue-winged parrots are adaptable birds.

Three hundred were seen at Haddon earlier this year, on the edge of the plains country. They roosted at night in dense gorse bushes.

A report this week mentions eight blue-winged parrots between Beaufort and Skipton. Two of these were juveniles.

There appears to have been extra interest in local fungi this season, with particular attention paid to the ghost fungus, which glows at night. These have been reported at many places.

A friend went to search for ghost fungi glowing in the dark, but the fungi were not glowing, despite their relatively fresh appearance. This is a mystery.

My experience is that they glow until they start to deteriorate with age.

The season for ghost fungi is now ending, so not many more reports are expected this year.

Many of them will reappear at the same places next April or May.

Award-winning, internationally-acclaimed wildlife artist Steve Morvell will address Ballarat Birdlife on Tuesday June 13 on the topic “Going Wild – the art of Steve Morvell”.

Steve Morvell has portrayed small and large animals and birds from all over the world, often through the medium of pastel. He will share some of his experiences on Tuesday night.

Birdlife Ballarat meets at Federation University’s Gillies Street campus. For information phone 5368 1929 or 0467 632 484.