August

Guling Orchid Season (August)
Cold weather is coming to an end. Guling (orchids) are flowering.

❝ The orchids, that’s those little ones. They grow down on the flat too across Badger Creek – has a little flower like a star. If we had a headache Granny Jemima would pick that and boil it and give you a very little bit to drink.❞ – Jessie Hunter, 1999

Ae-noke (caterpillars) of Common Brown butterfly feed on grasses at night.

Muyan (Silver Wattles) are flowering.

Bulen-bulen (Superb Lyrebird) males perform the last of their courtship displays.

The star Arcturus is seen on the northwestern horizon soon after sunset.

Gurrborra (Koalas) begin mating. Males bellow at night.

— Eastern Kulin Seasonal Calendar [Melbourne Museum]

The Seven Seasons of the Kulin Nation

August

❝ The first butterflies appear in the south and many ground orchids are in full flower. The cuckoos return and call continuously, as many more small birds begin nesting. Humans prepare vegetable gardens for Spring planting. Owls are nesting; listen for boobook owls in the bush. ❞
– Banksias and Bilbies

❝ The bush awakens! Cuckoos call continuously, pond life teems, the first butterflies appear. Small sea invertebrates begin breeding as the rock pools warm up. Humans prepare vegetable gardens for spring planting. ❞
– Gum Leaves and Geckoes

❝ Early spring, from late July to late September, when more wattles begin blooming, many species of insectivorous birds begin nesting, pallid cuckoos call, orchids flower, joeys emerge from the pouch, cattle egrets frequent the river flats, new shoots appear on aquatic plants and painted lady butterflies emerge ❞
– Alan Reid (1993) six seasons for the middle Yarra region

Woodlands: winter breeding birds / early nesters now feeding young; new growth on eucalypts; cup fungi under large eucalypts; grasstree spikes in flower (Xanthorrhoea sp.); hedge wattle (Acacia paradoxa) and common hovea (Hovea heterophylla) flower.
Towns: daffodils flower, cupmoth cocoons on gum leaves; spotted doves (Spilopelia chinensis) building nests
Grasslands: spider hatchlings in long grass; young foxes playing; magpie-larks (Grallina cyanoleuca) building mud nests – willie wagtails (Rhipidura leucophrys) often build below them.

cup fungi under large eucalypts

common hovea flower
Trailing Hovea (Hovea heterophylla)

hedge wattle (Acacia paradoxa)

Woodlands: antechinus males die; gnat orchids (Cyrtostylis sp.), trim greenhood orchids (Pterostylis concinna) in flower; aotus bush-peas (Aotus sp.) & pultenea bush-peas (Pultenea sp.) in flower; first painted lady butterflies (Vanessa kershawi) in the south; late black wattles (Acacia mearnsii) & silver wattles (Acacia dealbata) in full flower; king crickets (Paragryllacris sp. (genus)) lay eggs in banksias; manna gums (Eucalyptus viminalis) & long-leafed box (Eucalyptus goniocalyx) in flower.

gnat orchids

trim greenhood orchids in flower

Woodlands: pallid cuckoos (Cacomantis pallidus) & shining bronze-cuckoos (Chrysococcyx lucidus) start calling; wooly bear caterpillars (Pyrrharctia isabella) common; spider orchids flowering; spotted pardalotes (Pardalotus punctatus) build nesting tunnels for first brood; imperial white butterflies (Delias harpalyce) take wing. Tree Violet (Melicytus dentatus) starting to flower.
Wetlands: mosquito wrigglers abundant; early ducklings walk to water; reed warblers (Acrocephalus australis) return from north.

Tree Violet (Melicytus dentatus) starting to flower

Woodlands: sawfly grubs common on young eucalypts; yellow robins (Eopsaltria australis) building; tree ferns unfold new fronds; purple coral pea (Hardenbergia violacea), donkey orchids (Diuris sp.) & creamy candles (Stackhousia monogyna) in flower
Ranges: snows are thawing

purple coral pea, donkey orchids in flower

creamy candles (Stackhousia) in flower

Reid, A.J. (1984) Gum Leaves and Geckoes: Gould League Nature Diary. Gould League of Victoria.
Reid, A.J. (1995) Banksias and Bilbies: Seasons of Australia. Gould League of Victoria.
Gott, B. Melbourne’s 6 seasons [Friends Of Herring Island]
Eastern Kulin Seasonal Calendar [Melbourne Museum]