Bio-calendar January

Early Summer - Late Summer

During January there is a transition from early summer to late summer. By late January surface and soil moisture is drying out, the days are warm to hot and the vegetation is starting to dry. The summer eucalypts are in flower and the days get progressively hotter towards the end of the month with the risk of fires increasing.

Shorebirds compete with holiday makers as their habitats come under increasing usage by people.

The following list provides an insight to various life stages for some of the native plants and animals in Victoria during January, of course there will be some variation across different areas of the State.  Please contact SWIFFT so we can add to the list.

Threatened fauna

• Brolga Grus rubicunda; flocking season begins late January through to May.
• Eltham Copper Butterfly Paralucia pyrodiscus lucida; breeding complete by the end of the month.
• Hooded Plover Thinornis rubricollis rubricollis; breeding season well underway (late Aug. to Feb.) eggs on beach, chicks hatching and chicks walking on beach this time of the year.
• Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksi; feeding pattern change from Brown Stringybark forests to Buloke woodlands particularly in the Wimmera area of Victoria.

Threatened flora

• Basalt Rustyhood Pterostylis basaltica; last month of flowering since November.
• Salt-lake Tussock-grass Poa sallacustris; last month of flowering since November.
• Swamp Greenhood Pterostylis tenuissima; although flowers throughout the year more prolific early summer to late summer.

Other native flora and fauna

Fauna

• Bats; last month of birthing for Southern Freetail, White-striped Freetail Bat and Chocolate Wattle Bat.
• Koala; last month of birthing (Nov-Jan).
• Contact SWIFFT so we can add to the list.

Flora

• Messmate, Manna Gum, Red Stringybark and Brown Stringybark eucalypts are in flower.