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…
Love is in the air for Gang gangs
Love is in the air for our local Gang-gang Cockatoos! Pairs start searching for their breeding hollows in August through to September. The scarlet red of the male’s wispy crest and their stocky grey silhouettes distinguish these loveable cockies from other bird...
Striated Pardalotes in early spring
At this time of year, people are thrilled to see the first signs of early spring – jonquils and the first silver wattles in flower. But for me – it’s the sound of chip chip, chip chip – the arrival of the Striated Pardalotes that give me that spring thrill. Pardalotes...
These La Nińa years have allowed for abundant plant growth and much of our wildlife is thriving. This is a welcome reprieve after the long sad years of the Millenium Drought – and the weird mini droughts we have experienced after that. The adorable creature pictured...
A Phascogale on my street!
I was coming home from work one night, driving slowly along our dirt road when I was thrilled to spot one of the rarer inhabitants of the Wombat Forest and surrounds – the Brush-tailed Phascogale. These small mammals superficially resemble rats – but rats they most...
VicForests now in OUR forest!
Last June, we experienced a wind storm of such ferocity that large swathes of the Wombat Forest were simply flattened. Precious large old growth trees with hollows crashed to the ground, and the forest canopy was rendered unrecognisable in places such as Bullarto. I...
A batty visitor
For some of us, these past couple of months have seen a huge change – back to the office for the first time in two years! Physically getting up and getting to an office (in my case Gisborne) has necessitated some earlier than usual mornings. Last week, I was preparing...
Eastern Yellow Robins are visiting
In late summer and autumn our resident birds here in Porcupine Ridge are joined by a few Eastern Yellow Robins. I only ever see them at the bird bath, at the darker end of dusk, waiting patiently for the thornbills to finish bathing so they can have a quiet drink and...
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...