Good Luck 'boot
Yep, good luck.
I saw on the ABC site they're telling Halls Gap residents to leave.
Don't know if they're just being safe or if it's getting bad.
Think Sauron is closely related to Caro; evil wizard, evil witch sort of thing.
All our CFA boys and girls are on full alert; which means most of my staff. They are well prepared and ready to go if needed. Weather hot but not as bad as Black Saturday, and hopeful the cool change gets here before dark.
Pardon the potential stupid question but did the rain last night help anyone at all? I live in the inner suburbs so don't really get bushfire threats, would they have made it to the bushfire zones?
There's been a bit of rain here and there but it's been very sporadic and localised, and has generally not happened where needed. I copped a 5 minute drenching in Box Hill on Wednesday, but it didn't even stretch as far as the freeway entrance. The lightning storm was incredibly spectacular though, from my place in the Dandenongs foothills I could watch as the western sky lit up with dry golden lightning for hours.
Not exactly bushfire-related, but I've spent a load of time this week at the flying fox colony in Yarra Bend. They don't cope well with really hot weather, and this time of year the young are big enough to be a heavy demand on the mum while still being too young to fly, so a bunch of us have been misting them down with water sprayers to cool them off and give them something to drink, and trying to take care of the ones that fall out of the trees with heatstroke or dehydration. We've taken in nearly 100, mostly young ones, and have misted thousands, but the Department told me yesterday that their contractors picked up nearly 1000 bat corpses yesterday morning, and I reckon that probably double that number are still around, those that died in trees or fell on inaccessible steep slopes or in the river, or died of exhaustion on the way to their feeding grounds. I reckon that this few days will end up killing probably between 10 and 20% of the colony. Yarra Boulevard smells like a death camp.
Feel really sorry for the birds, wildlife and bugs on days like these, our Eco system has come alive since the drought ended a few years ago, hot days like these don’t help.
Feel really sorry for the birds, wildlife and bugs on days like these, our Eco system has come alive since the drought ended a few years ago, hot days like these don't help.
Yep, basically unable to defend/assist themselves and often will die trying to feed their young. It is people like HM who we need more of who can help the ones who can't help themselves in this heat, need more HM's.
i've got a couple of possums in my backyard, they've got a nest in one of the trees. anyone got suggestions as to how i can get water to the little fellas?
i've got a couple of possums in my backyard, they've got a nest in one of the trees. anyone got suggestions as to how i can get water to the little fellas?
Bucket on a robe? How high is the tree?
i've got a couple of possums in my backyard, they've got a nest in one of the trees. anyone got suggestions as to how i can get water to the little fellas?
Ringtails?
If they're thirsty they'll come down to the ground, if they're in REALLY bad shape they'll come down to the base of the tree and lie around panting and looking very ill. If they're still mostly in their nest, put some water out for them somewhere shady at the base of the tree(make sure there's a way for them to get out of the container if they fall in!) and keep the dog/cat away.
If there's any that have come down to the ground and look to be in real trouble, best thing to do is wet the area around them (you can spray a light mist on the possum itself but don't soak it, or its fur will trap the water and warm it up and the poor critter will cook) and shade them. This'll help cool them off. A good trick it to put an upturned laundry basket over the possum and drape a wet towel over the basket, Coolgardie safe style. Maybe put out a few grapes or a little watermelon for once he's recovered a bit.
i've got a couple of possums in my backyard, they've got a nest in one of the trees. anyone got suggestions as to how i can get water to the little fellas?
Ringtails?
If they're thirsty they'll come down to the ground, if they're in REALLY bad shape they'll come down to the base of the tree and lie around panting and looking very ill. If they're still mostly in their nest, put some water out for them somewhere shady at the base of the tree(make sure there's a way for them to get out of the container if they fall in!) and keep the dog/cat away.
If there's any that have come down to the ground and look to be in real trouble, best thing to do is wet the area around them (you can spray a light mist on the possum itself but don't soak it, or its fur will trap the water and warm it up the poor critter will cook) and shade them. This'll help cool them off. A good trick it to put an upturned laundry basket over the possum and drape a wet towel over the basket, Coolgardie safe style. Maybe put out a few grapes or a little watermelon for once he's recovered a bit.
yep, ringtails. there's three of them, they're awesome to watch. i also saw one on the side of the road the other day, standing up completely lost and dazed, unfortunately i didn't have any water on me and it went back into the bushes.
i'll give that a try HM, thanks for the tips mate!
cool change coming through. Avalon dropped 10 degrees in half an hour. should be some relief temp wise in bushfire zones, but not much rain about.
Well I'm just about to jump in the car and head into the fire zone. Need to see that things are ok. It disturbs me when friends start ringing asking if they can evacuate to my place.
Is that the best idea?
Any blitzers in the CFA, CFS?, I recently joined the FRNSW myself?
Well done. If you find someone who has deliberately lit one, make sure you throw them in the fire.Any blitzers in the CFA, CFS?, I recently joined the FRNSW myself?
Well done. If you find someone who has deliberately lit one, make sure you throw them in the fire.Any blitzers in the CFA, CFS?, I recently joined the FRNSW myself?
They're normally either members or past members of the CFA/RFS
Feel really sorry for the birds, wildlife and bugs on days like these, our Eco system has come alive since the drought ended a few years ago, hot days like these don't help.
It's bonanza time for eagles & kookaburras; shedloads of lizards/small mammals bolting out of bushy areas.
Well I'm just about to jump in the car and head into the fire zone. Need to see that things are ok. It disturbs me when friends start ringing asking if they can evacuate to my place.
Is that the best idea?
No it wasn't.
Educational though. It's farking nasty in some spots.
