Field Naturalist and Nature Writer
Welcome to Tanya Loos’s website! Featuring natural history writing on the beautiful flora and fauna of the Wombat Forest, Victoria and further afield, and science writing with a focus on ecology and biology. You will also find practical advice on living with wildlife.
Daylesford Nature Diary
Six Seasons in the foothill forests
Praise for Daylesford Nature Diary
“The remarkable Tanya Loos has identified key indicator species for seasonal changes and described them in delightful prose and engaging photographs. Who can resist the appeal of the puggle, an early spring baby echidna indicator?”
Alan Reid, OAM, environmental educator and author of Banksias & Bilbies.
“Attractively produced and well-illustrated… the six seasons and their features are well-described. [The stories] are short and easy to read, covering all sorts of things an observant naturalist might come across: bats, wattles, ghost fungi, mosses, greenhoods, swifts, rosellas, echidnas, wood ducks and many more.”
Roger Thomas, Nature Notes, Ballarat Courier.
“There is much to recommend in this charming and well-written book. The author takes an innovative approach and lays the chapters out according to the seasons of the local Indigenous peoples. The resulting accounts contextualise the wildlife in both space and time that harks back to such seminal natural history classics as eighteenth century naturalist Gilbert White’s The Natural History of Selborne.”
Review in Australian Birdlife magazine. December 2013.
Latest news…
Monthly blog posts describing natural events in the Wombat Forest, ecological explorations, my recent published writings, book reviews and more…
Native Peas of the Mount Alexander region – book review
In March 2021, I was delighted to bump into Marie Jones, one of the key forces behind Connecting Country – who said “hold on – Bronwyn is on her way.. with the pea book!”. I was very happy to have a chat with Marie and also touch base with Bronwyn Silver,...
On doggies and owls in 2021
With the coronavirus pandemic entering Year Three, it is getting harder to tell what year it is, or indeed what has actually happened! To round off 2021 and get ready for the year ahead I wanted to recap some highlights. It was a big year! First of all anyone who...
Bird walk and nature journaling with BirdLife Castlemaine
This Saturday, Dec 4, BirdLife Castlemaine and District gathers together for the last outing of 2021. While the focus is of course on birds, convenor Jane Rusden has initiated a wonderful new activity after each bird walk - a nature journaling session. Jane is busy...
True Spring has sprung at “Sailors Creek”
This week I enjoyed a walk at the Blowhole along "Sailor's Creek" with my mum's poodle cross Valli. It was one of those magic days with a bright blue, cloudless sky and not a whiff of wind, with all the hallmarks of True Spring on show - flowers, insects and beautiful...
Echidnas – ecosystem engineers
In late winter and early spring, Wombat Forest residents may notice an increase in echidna diggings, as on warm north-facing areas the virgin queens of Meat Ants Iridomyrmex are closer to the surface. These queen ants are a rich source of fats, and most welcome for...
Wild Mushrooming: a guide for foragers book review
As we enjoy a long and stunning fungus season in our southeastern Australian forests, a new book called Wild Mushrooming by Alison Pouliot and Tom May has fruited! Local eating and wild foraging are increasing in popularity, and yet until now there have been no books...
Hoot Detective!
The low impressive whoo-hoo of the Powerful Owl, the cheerful boo-book boo-book of the aptly named Southern Boobook - and the strange screech of the Barn Owl are the calls I have been lucky enough to hear around me locally. Now, by listening to short clips from...
Peregrine Falcons – sky hunters
Every four weeks I have a short segment on ABC Ballarat Radio talking birds with presenter Gavin McGrath, and last session was about falcons and other birds of prey. And I realised that after writing nature articles on our local flora and fauna since 2008 - somehow I...
Square-tailed Kites nest locally
One of the very best things about 2020 was the return of Square-tailed Kites nesting in my local area! Friend and brilliant photographer Ambika Bone came out in December with Kaz, an old mate, to photograph the gorgeous rufous coloured fledgelings. We stayed on the...