Birding along the Merri Creek book launch
05th October 2025
By Polly Bastow
Jonathan Tickner, photo by Peter Mollison
Friends member, Jonathan Tickner’s book, Birding along the Merri Creek, was very ceremoniously launched beside the Merri Creek at the end of Fyffe St., Thornbury, on Sunday 14th of September.
With precision timing, Monica Williamson's FoMC stall popped up. FoMC members, a crowd of devoted bird watchers and Darebin’s Cr Julie O’Brien and Cr Alex Sangster heard Ann McGregor and Jonathan Tickner welcome Birding along the Merri Creek into the real and online world. Jonathan spoke of his love of birding and the thrill of seeing more and more bird species appear at the Merri Creek as habitat increases. An article on the book, a “how to” of bird watching on the Merri, can be read here.
A dazzling array of biscuits, all gluten and nut free but definitely not sugar-free, were served. After refreshments, guests were encouraged to plant more bird habitat, as funded by Victorian government’s Green Links program.
Morning tea! Photo by Polly Bastow New plantings, photo by Luisa MacMillan
Plants included Rock Correa, Correa glabra, Prickly Moses, Acacia verticillata, Tree Violet, Melicytus dentatus and Hemp bush, Gynatrix pulchella. A hundred plants were put in the ground and duly protected. The tree guards/sleeves made from corn starch, are biodegradable. An example of these new sorts of tree guard for sale can be seen here. Plants, stakes, tree guards and planting tools were provided by MCMC.
Jonathan Tickner’s book Birding along the Merri, in hardcopy, can be purchased for $15 here. A digital edition is available here, with all proceeds donated to FoMC.
Selling fast!
The next FoMC Birdwatch survey dates are November 9 and November 16 – more information in our calendar.
To sum up: a beautiful day, a lovely launch, excellent catering and a great planting effort and many thanks to all involved.
Book launch underway, photo by Peter Mollison