The bird - a Fairy Prion (Pachyptila turtur) - must have been blown far off-course, as it's rarely seen far from the coast.

The Courier's veteran Nature Notes writer, Roger Thomas, said it was an unusual sighting so far from its home near the ocean.

"It's a true seabird out there with the ships - the lighthouse can't have been on that night," he said.

"I don't know how to describe it, because any bird should be able to put its brakes on and stop itself getting blown in, though there are a couple of other records of them here in the past.

"The bird would have never seen powerlines or tree plantations, but if it's navigated to Haddon, hopefully it navigated back, it was most unexpected.

"Fortunately the landowner took a photo of it."

That's half the joy of the longrunning Nature Notes column, where readers can submit observations and ask questions, which Mr Thomas does his best to research and answer.

Each week, there's a different report on blooming wildflowers, bird numbers, and strange-looking moths from across the district.

From neon fungi to iridescent stinging wasps, 2021 was packed with fascinating critters and plants.

One of the more interesting observations was of a new species of turtle in the North Gardens wetland - an intruder from the north joining the eastern long-necked turtles.

"I think it's an introduced one, the Murray River turtle, so someone's caught them, brought them home, then they've grown up and not known what to do with them and let them go," Mr Thomas explained.

"They now have numbers in the North Gardens wetland and in Lake Wendouree.

"I think they'll exist happily, I didn't know there was a second kind there - we only know that because of photographers who sent in photos."

There were also several sightings of rare birds, including a regular visitor from Russia who has sadly flown in solo for the second time.

"It was a wood sandpiper, a migratory bird from Russia and Mongolia, two years ago a pair came, but last year there was only one, and this year only one, so this little bird is coming back every year," Mr Thomas said.

READ MORE: There were plenty more amazing animals and plants spotted in 2020

"He'll get a fright on Sunday (with the fireworks), the poor thing, hopefully they're not launching them near where our Russian refugee is."

There has been quite a lot observed at the lake, he added, from white-bellied sea eagles competing with the resident swamp harriers, to a "very rare, handsome" buff-banded rail, and a new finding, a crescent honeyeater.

Part of this enthusiasm has been lockdown-induced, Mr Thomas said, with more people out and about locally, and perhaps looking in places they haven't before.

There's good news for the swan population, which he said was stable, though the numbers and species of ducks was changing.

"Some things have disappeared, some regulars - the night herons, for instance, have gone up to the Murray River, we assume, to breed, it's the first time they've been away for a few years," Mr Thomas said.

READ MORE: Why seagulls are found at Lake Wendouree, so far from the sea

"Freckled ducks, which were a regular for 10 years or more have gone, also inland, to breed, (and) wood ducks do seem to be getting scarcer, in winter, but there are still magpie geese in the islands."

Also at the lake, the colonies of rakali, or native water rat, were thriving - while they might become dinner for the harriers, Mr Thomas said he'd also seen people feeding them bread and even bits of chicken.

This is not recommended, much like feeding any wildlife, as it can make them unwell or encourage them to approach humans.

Another common area for observations was the crater in Mount Buninyong, with an array of beetles and odd mushrooms submitted.

"It was a great year for fungi, which started earlier and finish later because of the weather, so I had more questions about fungi than usual," Mr Thomas said.

"It was a cool, shady spring, so the wildflowers were a bit later, but they all came through better because there was more moisture."

The rare flora was another highlight, with a rare grevillea found that's believed to be down to a single plant, a species found only in Lal Lal, to questions about swampweed "with a strong odour".

The column also focused on events working to improve the environment, with advice on removing weeds like burdock along the Yarrowee, tree planting days, bird counts, and walks through Woowookarung State Park, which is also becoming more popular as trails develop.

However, Mr Thomas said he's always careful around questions about poisonous fungi and plants, particularly when people ask if it's safe for dogs to approach - "I'm not medically qualified," he said.

Other notable critters in 2021- a phascogale spotted at Mount Bolton, dunnarts and crested cockatoos at Lake Burrumbeet, and a wasp nest full of paralysed spiders.

Speaking of wasps, the blue ant wasp, a spectacularly iridescent bug, was described as having a particularly painful sting, with its "effect described by one Ballarat man as 'the most painful of all local insect stings'." - one to watch out for.

There were also the usual questions on antechinus spottings, a Courier favourite.

Mr Thomas said there was always something new that surprised him - this year, it was a question about flies.

"There (was a question on) small-headed flies, they had this black sooty egg mass," he said.

"I didn't know what it was for years, but after a reader's question, I dug a bit deeper to solve that little mystery."

He encouraged more readers to get outside and observe nature around them - sightings of rare birds around the lake were attracting people from across the countryside, he added.

"There are more people out and about watching things, there's a lot more interest - I just wish they'd buy proper identification guides instead of old-fashioned ones from 50 years ago," he said with a laugh - when asked, he said his pick for a good bird identification book was "a field guide by Peter Slater", but he added he would consult a variety for the column.

"There's always something happening, and I'm still very much enjoying it."

With a storied career, he added he was unsure of predicting what was to come in 2022.

"Long term changes will continue - it all depends on the weather that we have, I'm not expecting a wet (year), but then I wasn't expecting a second wet summer," he said.

"People will continue to notice things as the seasons change, as the climate changes - some birds are definitely becoming more scarce due to climate change, but I don't want to emphasise the negativity too much, things are changing and it's not something that's going to happen in the future, it's happening now, I'm old enough now to notice that."

Check out the regular Nature Notes column every Friday in The Courier.

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