Story and photos by Ben Williams, Conservation Program Manager
During a cool spring night in 2017 while exploring the plant and bird life that inhabits the head of a wet gully in some remote country in far East Gippsland, I decided to head to my vehicle as the failing light was rendering my photographic pursuits too difficult. I have been in this situation many times before and always carried a headtorch with me for assistance for the safe journey back.
As I reached the gully floor, I found myself among age-old Mountain Grey-gums and Blue Boxes, an extremely rich diversity of understory trees and large shrubs, and leech-covered water ferns on the forest floor. I paused to catch my breath. What came next will forever be etched in my memory.
During a cool spring night in 2017 while exploring the plant and bird life that inhabits the head of a wet gully in some remote country in far East Gippsland, I decided to head to my vehicle as the failing light was rendering my photographic pursuits too difficult. I have been in this situation many times before and always carried a headtorch with me for assistance for the safe journey back.
As I reached the gully floor, I found myself among age-old Mountain Grey-gums and Blue Boxes, an extremely rich diversity of understory trees and large shrubs, and leech-covered water ferns on the forest floor. I paused to catch my breath. What came next will forever be etched in my memory.
A Sooty Owl broke its cover from a distance no greater than five metres from me with its famous “whistling bomb” call: a sharp descending sound of exceptional volume that would stand the hairs on the back of your neck and chill you to the core no matter how burley of an individual you are.
Although I never managed to catch a glimpse of this wonderous creature, this one event was a crucial moment for my awakening to nature and continues to drive me in bringing these nocturnal wonders (pardon the pun) into the light and help protect these important habitats forever.
At Trust for Nature, part of my work is assessing, monitoring, and providing advice to landholders with conservation covenants. Through these activities, I have seen how private land provides a sanctuary for our nocturnal wildlife.
Although I never managed to catch a glimpse of this wonderous creature, this one event was a crucial moment for my awakening to nature and continues to drive me in bringing these nocturnal wonders (pardon the pun) into the light and help protect these important habitats forever.
At Trust for Nature, part of my work is assessing, monitoring, and providing advice to landholders with conservation covenants. Through these activities, I have seen how private land provides a sanctuary for our nocturnal wildlife.
A Sooty Owl broke its cover from a distance no greater than five metres from me with its famous “whistling bomb” call: a sharp descending sound of exceptional volume that would stand the hairs on the back of your neck and chill you to the core no matter how burley of an individual you are.
Although I never managed to catch a glimpse of this wonderous creature, this one event was a crucial moment for my awakening to nature and continues to drive me in bringing these nocturnal wonders (pardon the pun) into the light and help protect these important habitats forever.
At Trust for Nature, part of my work is assessing, monitoring, and providing advice to landholders with conservation covenants. Through these activities, I have seen how private land provides a sanctuary for our nocturnal wildlife.
Although I never managed to catch a glimpse of this wonderous creature, this one event was a crucial moment for my awakening to nature and continues to drive me in bringing these nocturnal wonders (pardon the pun) into the light and help protect these important habitats forever.
At Trust for Nature, part of my work is assessing, monitoring, and providing advice to landholders with conservation covenants. Through these activities, I have seen how private land provides a sanctuary for our nocturnal wildlife.
The secret lives of forest gliders
The Southern Greater Glider is our largest tree-dwelling glider. Fluffy, cuddly, and silent, it requires a minimum of 18 dens in tree hollows per individual to survive. You’ll find them in the uppermost canopy of old-growth forests where they feed exclusively on fresh eucalypt leaves, buds, flowers, and mistletoe. They require a recipe of patience, perseverance, and luck, coupled with a healthy dash of frustration to photograph successfully.
The slightly smaller Yellow-bellied Glider has a growling guttural call that echoes through the forest on quiet, still nights. While the ever-cute Sugar Glider gives its location away with its consistent ‘yip’ call while feeding on sap-producing plants such as Black Wattle.
Frogs of the night
Then there are the frogs, including adorable species like the Southern Green Stream Frog with its multiple colour varieties and its territorial call being one long first note followed by a series of shorter notes while the male guards the gooey clump of eggs. Peron’s Tree Frog calls throughout the night and is identifiable by its silver-coloured, cross-shaped pupil. The tiny Smooth Toadlet is patchy dark and light brown with a distinctive deep brown bar over its eyes and a yellow patch on its upper arms.
Despite the plethora of frogs, I believe the darkness of night belongs firmly to the owls. Never has a species been so adapted to surviving in a world of limited visual information.
Despite the plethora of frogs, I believe the darkness of night belongs firmly to the owls. Never has a species been so adapted to surviving in a world of limited visual information.
Meet the owls
The Powerful Owl is a giant beast. Standing 70cm tall, it uses its downright intimidating forward-facing, yellow eyes to locate its prey in dim conditions. It has no problems in fighting a fully grown, adult Brushtail Possum, a truly formidable adversary that would test most. Once the Powerful Owl locks its gigantic talons around something, there is no escape.
On the smaller side is the cute and tiny Southern Boobook with motley brown plumage and large yellow-greenish eyes. One windy night I was fortunate to observe a pair feeding on a large hatching of moths, snatching the tasty morsels graciously in midair!
On the smaller side is the cute and tiny Southern Boobook with motley brown plumage and large yellow-greenish eyes. One windy night I was fortunate to observe a pair feeding on a large hatching of moths, snatching the tasty morsels graciously in midair!
Then there is the Masked Owl. This coastal or semi-coastal dweller is the largest of the ‘disc-faced’ owls. It feeds primarily on ground-dwelling prey, including rodents, reptiles, birds, and small marsupials. There are several colour morphs, some with white fronts and brown spots, others with a creamy rufous-orange belly. The female is larger than its male counterpart and remains one of my favourite animals to photograph.
The mysterious Sooty Owl
Finally, the Sooty Owl. This dark and mysterious undertaker of the forest was the bird that introduced me to the wonders of nocturnal life. It exhibits huge black eyes set in very dark centres of its wide feathered facial disc which, like a huge satellite, enables it to harness the most intricate of sounds. Its asymmetrical ears allow it to triangulate sound for an even more precision-based assault.
Its broad, black wings are sparsely spotted white and iridescent dark blue, and its impressive white legs, powerful feet and long talons, make it a force to be reckoned with. From its spine-chilling ‘bomb whistle’, to its ‘grinding screech’ which echoes throughout the vast forested landscapes, its unearthly calls are varied and strange. Its territorial call is a trilling sound like an insect or someone attempting to jam a radio.
These night hunters reside in the deepest gullies of these forests where there are dense understories of plants such as Lily Pilly, Kanooka and Sweet Pittosporum. Nesting sites can include large hollows, caves and sometimes sandstone escarpment shelves, often littered with the small bones of its prey. Nesting can occur at almost any time of year if suitable, with January through to June the most favorable.
Its broad, black wings are sparsely spotted white and iridescent dark blue, and its impressive white legs, powerful feet and long talons, make it a force to be reckoned with. From its spine-chilling ‘bomb whistle’, to its ‘grinding screech’ which echoes throughout the vast forested landscapes, its unearthly calls are varied and strange. Its territorial call is a trilling sound like an insect or someone attempting to jam a radio.
These night hunters reside in the deepest gullies of these forests where there are dense understories of plants such as Lily Pilly, Kanooka and Sweet Pittosporum. Nesting sites can include large hollows, caves and sometimes sandstone escarpment shelves, often littered with the small bones of its prey. Nesting can occur at almost any time of year if suitable, with January through to June the most favorable.
Why habitat protection is critical for nocturnal species
Unfortunately, many of these nocturnal wonders are threatened with extinction. The Southern Greater and Yellow-bellied gliders, the Powerful, Masked and Sooty Owls are all at risk. Many lost habitat during the 2019–20 bushfires in eastern Australia, particularly the large, old trees that bear tree hollows in which they can roost and nest. Protecting the remnants of their habitat is therefore essential for ensuring the survival of these species.
Protecting remnant habitat is core to Trust for Nature, and I have been very lucky to have met such a wide variety of covenantors, landowners and other passionate folk that have allowed me to pursue my interests at the most ungodly of hours.
I would like to thank them all for the contributions they’ve made to protecting what we have left of Victoria’s natural wonders.
Ben Williams is a Conservation Program Manager for the South East area of Victoria. He is also an avid wildlife photographer. You can check out his photography at @wild_east_gippsland.
Read more from our March 2025 Conservation Bulletin.
Protecting remnant habitat is core to Trust for Nature, and I have been very lucky to have met such a wide variety of covenantors, landowners and other passionate folk that have allowed me to pursue my interests at the most ungodly of hours.
I would like to thank them all for the contributions they’ve made to protecting what we have left of Victoria’s natural wonders.
Ben Williams is a Conservation Program Manager for the South East area of Victoria. He is also an avid wildlife photographer. You can check out his photography at @wild_east_gippsland.
Read more from our March 2025 Conservation Bulletin.