The plant is dull green overall, with parts of the flowers being brown. The plant grows to 30 or 40 or more centimetres tall, and it dies back to an underground tuber after flowering in the New Year period. The horned orchid is mostly a plant of southern Victorian heathlands, although locally it grows in small numbers at Mt Beckworth, where today's photograph was taken.

It is said to be uncommon but widespread in Victoria, occurring in a surprising range of dry and damp habitats, from Mallee, heaths, open grassy forests and riparian shrublands.

Various orchid enthusiasts have been looking at Enfield's orchids for more than 60 years, but the horned orchid was not discovered until this year. The species probably benefitted from the damp spring and early summer. Perhaps naturalists have not previously been visiting Enfield as much in the New Year - when the forest is normally dry and crunchy underfoot under a hot summer sun.

The recent horned orchid was discovered when visitors to Enfield were seeking the flowers of the large tongue-orchid. Both the rosy hyacinth-orchid and the spotted hyacinth-orchid were found flowering at Enfield too. Other places on the western side of Victoria have reported more horned orchids than usual this year, with some stems having nine flowers.

The "horns" on the recent Enfield plant were yellower than the Mt Beckworth flowers shown in the accompanying photo.

The horned orchid is recorded from many sites in the Grampians region, from where it extends north-west into the Little Desert.

Birds of the Werribee Treatment Plant was the topic of both the latest meeting and outing of the Field Naturalists' Club of Ballarat. Birds seen on the outing included migratory waders such as greenshank, curlew sandpiper and red-necked stint.

Other waterbirds included little tern, Cape Barren goose, brolga and royal spoonbill. Birds sighted recently at Werribee by other Ballarat observers included white-winged black tern, fairy tern, white-fronted tern, white-bellied sea-eagle, pied cormorant and buff-banded rail.

Zebra finch and brown quail were also of special interest at Werribee, which has long been recognised as one of Australia's top bird-watching locations.

Hundreds of large glossy black beetles flew into a bright roadside light in the middle of Wendouree at the end of January. Why did this happen? M.M., Wendouree

This and your two other photos show the 40 mm large black water beetle, or water scavenger. It is one of the largest water beetles.

Occasionally, large numbers of these large glossy black beetles are attracted to lights. Although this is a well-known habit, what makes them leave the water to fly around lights is unknown.

They are found through most of south-eastern Australia, and they feed mostly on vegetable matter in the water. Their larvae are aquatic and predatory.

Apart from during these mass flights, the large black water beetle is not well-known, although it is not rare. Perhaps it is better-known to fishermen, who might dredge it up when seeking other water creatures for bait.