Entitled Indigenous Plants of Southern Ballarat, this folded brochure gives a picture of 11 eucalypts, 10 wattles, 18 shrubs and 19 orchids, as well as numerous other wildflowers. Most are illustrated with small but useful coloured photographs.

The 120 selected species have been chosen as the most likely wildflowers and plants to be found in local forests and native grassland. Common name, scientific name and height are given for all plants included.

While the brochure's title is Indigenous Plants of Southern Ballarat, it is useful for most of the Ballarat region, including the Creswick forest, north of Ballarat.

The attractive brochure is produced on stiff card and will slip easily into a back pocket. It is highly recommended for bushwalkers, naturalists, property-owners and anyone interested in local native plants.

This excellent educational resource is available free of charge from the Buninyong Information Centre, and also the Community Bank (Bendigo Bank) at Buninyong, with the latter being a major sponsor.

GALAHS ON CANOLA

How long have galahs been attracted to canola crops? This has been noticed a couple of times so far this season, but had not been observed in previous years.

In both cases, there were about eight galahs perched on the tops of tall canola plants on the outside of the crop, apparently nibbling the seeds.

While this seems so far to be an uncommon habit, involving only small numbers of birds in small numbers of crops, it has the potential to increase and become a serious nuisance to canola growers. Other similar reports would be appreciated.

SPEAR GRASSES

With grasses of all sorts coming up to seed, the native spear-grasses are among the most handsome. Most species are about waist-high, with dense or open seedheads. These seedheads are mostly about 30cm long. Each has numerous single sharp-pointed seeds, with each seed having a single long "awn" or tail.

Like the seeds of most grasses, spear-grass seeds stick readily and persistently into cloth.

While the "tail" of the seed is straight when on the plant, it curves when it starts to dry. Some of the tails are curved, others have a couple of distinctive angular bends.

The seed itself is often about 8 - 10mm long, depending on species. Leaves of most are narrow, less than five millimetres wide.

We have a pair of plovers that are setting up a nesting site on a roof. There are small kids nearby - what are the dangers of swooping? Is there any way to encourage them to move on? In previous years plovers have nested 50m down the road. Would this be the same pair or a different pair? A.C., Wendouree.

This is quite late for plovers (masked lapwings) to be nesting; perhaps they were unsuccessful earlier in spring. They are protected native birds. If they have not laid eggs, the nest on the roof could be removed before eggs are laid. With recent warm days, the birds themselves may decide to choose a site on the ground.

Plovers rarely strike anyone, but there is a low risk that they would strike children with their spurred wings.

Being only 50 metres from previous nests, these are most likely the same birds.