Paula Wasiak
@paulawasiak.bsky.social
Bringing weird birds back into the ‘burbs
Penguin field biologist turned PhD candidate
Reintroducing bush stone-curlews to Millowl
#SuperstarOfSTEM alumnus
Penguin field biologist turned PhD candidate
Reintroducing bush stone-curlews to Millowl
#SuperstarOfSTEM alumnus
Bush stone-curlews, but with a Mean Girls flair.
October 29, 2025 at 3:52 AM
Bush stone-curlews, but with a Mean Girls flair.
Our April cohort of birds have officially graduated the close monitoring phase!
Having completed 6-months of living their best wild lives means that I’ll now be mostly hands off (except for following their movements via their GPS backpacks like the creep that I am)
Thrive, birdies, thrive!
Having completed 6-months of living their best wild lives means that I’ll now be mostly hands off (except for following their movements via their GPS backpacks like the creep that I am)
Thrive, birdies, thrive!
October 14, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Our April cohort of birds have officially graduated the close monitoring phase!
Having completed 6-months of living their best wild lives means that I’ll now be mostly hands off (except for following their movements via their GPS backpacks like the creep that I am)
Thrive, birdies, thrive!
Having completed 6-months of living their best wild lives means that I’ll now be mostly hands off (except for following their movements via their GPS backpacks like the creep that I am)
Thrive, birdies, thrive!
While adoption in geese (& waterfowl in general) is well known, never have I seen such an age difference!
If you look closely, you’ll see two very young cape barren goslings amongst four much older ones.
I’ve been watching this family all week and they certainly appear to be in harmony.
If you look closely, you’ll see two very young cape barren goslings amongst four much older ones.
I’ve been watching this family all week and they certainly appear to be in harmony.
September 25, 2025 at 10:50 PM
While adoption in geese (& waterfowl in general) is well known, never have I seen such an age difference!
If you look closely, you’ll see two very young cape barren goslings amongst four much older ones.
I’ve been watching this family all week and they certainly appear to be in harmony.
If you look closely, you’ll see two very young cape barren goslings amongst four much older ones.
I’ve been watching this family all week and they certainly appear to be in harmony.
All geared up and ready to go. The past two weeks have been busy getting more bush stone-curlews ready for release on Milawul, Phillip Island.
September 23, 2025 at 8:11 AM
All geared up and ready to go. The past two weeks have been busy getting more bush stone-curlews ready for release on Milawul, Phillip Island.
Here’s a superb fairy-wren living up to his name and looking superb.
My days are currently being spent between appointments, tests, and slow walks in nature. I’m not mad about it.
My days are currently being spent between appointments, tests, and slow walks in nature. I’m not mad about it.
August 18, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Here’s a superb fairy-wren living up to his name and looking superb.
My days are currently being spent between appointments, tests, and slow walks in nature. I’m not mad about it.
My days are currently being spent between appointments, tests, and slow walks in nature. I’m not mad about it.
Within an hour of getting off the nest, these cape barren goslings were already getting some important goose lessons.
Once (still?) considered one of the rarest geese in the world, Milawul, with its fox-free status, is now a population stronghold for the species.
Once (still?) considered one of the rarest geese in the world, Milawul, with its fox-free status, is now a population stronghold for the species.
August 7, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Within an hour of getting off the nest, these cape barren goslings were already getting some important goose lessons.
Once (still?) considered one of the rarest geese in the world, Milawul, with its fox-free status, is now a population stronghold for the species.
Once (still?) considered one of the rarest geese in the world, Milawul, with its fox-free status, is now a population stronghold for the species.
Had the pleasure chatting with one of my favourite humans today, but this time on the stage! I love Dr Ann beyond measure. Especially when she reveals, in great detail, how alpacas copulate.
July 26, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Had the pleasure chatting with one of my favourite humans today, but this time on the stage! I love Dr Ann beyond measure. Especially when she reveals, in great detail, how alpacas copulate.
Officially completed the first year of my PhD 🎉 it sure has been a whirlwind with two translocations done and more data than you can poke a stick at.
Today is also 4 weeks until I undergo surgery for thyroid cancer 🫠
You win some, you lose some.
Here’s a cake I gifted my GP today.
Today is also 4 weeks until I undergo surgery for thyroid cancer 🫠
You win some, you lose some.
Here’s a cake I gifted my GP today.
July 1, 2025 at 6:57 AM
Officially completed the first year of my PhD 🎉 it sure has been a whirlwind with two translocations done and more data than you can poke a stick at.
Today is also 4 weeks until I undergo surgery for thyroid cancer 🫠
You win some, you lose some.
Here’s a cake I gifted my GP today.
Today is also 4 weeks until I undergo surgery for thyroid cancer 🫠
You win some, you lose some.
Here’s a cake I gifted my GP today.
Hi friends! Tomorrow I’ll be chatting at #ICCB2025 about our bush stone-curlew pilot release on Milawul, Phillip Island. Hope to see you there!
June 15, 2025 at 5:40 AM
Hi friends! Tomorrow I’ll be chatting at #ICCB2025 about our bush stone-curlew pilot release on Milawul, Phillip Island. Hope to see you there!
Welcome back, flame robins!
Each year I struggle with the colder weather, and I like to look for the things that spark joy- like the whales that migrate past my local beach, the cape barren geese breeding, and the flame robins that come down from the high country.
Each year I struggle with the colder weather, and I like to look for the things that spark joy- like the whales that migrate past my local beach, the cape barren geese breeding, and the flame robins that come down from the high country.
May 9, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Welcome back, flame robins!
Each year I struggle with the colder weather, and I like to look for the things that spark joy- like the whales that migrate past my local beach, the cape barren geese breeding, and the flame robins that come down from the high country.
Each year I struggle with the colder weather, and I like to look for the things that spark joy- like the whales that migrate past my local beach, the cape barren geese breeding, and the flame robins that come down from the high country.
(I was hoping to add some more intelligent thoughts but it’s been an absolutely massive week and I am now ready to curl up into the foetal position for a while. In between checking GPS locations of the birds, of course)
April 12, 2025 at 4:16 AM
(I was hoping to add some more intelligent thoughts but it’s been an absolutely massive week and I am now ready to curl up into the foetal position for a while. In between checking GPS locations of the birds, of course)
Another 24 bush stone-curlews have now been released on Milawul, Phillip Island, in an effort to establish a population here.
With over thirty birds on the island, it’s likely the largest bush stone-curlew population in the state.
With over thirty birds on the island, it’s likely the largest bush stone-curlew population in the state.
April 12, 2025 at 4:16 AM
Another 24 bush stone-curlews have now been released on Milawul, Phillip Island, in an effort to establish a population here.
With over thirty birds on the island, it’s likely the largest bush stone-curlew population in the state.
With over thirty birds on the island, it’s likely the largest bush stone-curlew population in the state.
One does not spend 40+ hours sewing GPS backpack harnesses for birds without making a silly video about it.
April 3, 2025 at 5:55 AM
One does not spend 40+ hours sewing GPS backpack harnesses for birds without making a silly video about it.
There are seven bush stone-curlews in this photo.
Their decline in southern Australia is due to ⬇️ roosting habitat and ⬆️ in predation by invasive predators.
This photo shows just how important daytime roosts are to avoid predation - overstory to hide under & woody debris to camouflage amongst.
Their decline in southern Australia is due to ⬇️ roosting habitat and ⬆️ in predation by invasive predators.
This photo shows just how important daytime roosts are to avoid predation - overstory to hide under & woody debris to camouflage amongst.
March 25, 2025 at 4:31 AM
There are seven bush stone-curlews in this photo.
Their decline in southern Australia is due to ⬇️ roosting habitat and ⬆️ in predation by invasive predators.
This photo shows just how important daytime roosts are to avoid predation - overstory to hide under & woody debris to camouflage amongst.
Their decline in southern Australia is due to ⬇️ roosting habitat and ⬆️ in predation by invasive predators.
This photo shows just how important daytime roosts are to avoid predation - overstory to hide under & woody debris to camouflage amongst.
✔️ 3x GPS harnesses created (it took the entire work day).
15 to go.
15 to go.
March 24, 2025 at 7:39 AM
✔️ 3x GPS harnesses created (it took the entire work day).
15 to go.
15 to go.
A busy but successful week preparing for our next bush stone-curlew release.
This time I’m trialling a few different treatment groups with the aim of increasing translocation success 🤞🤞
This time I’m trialling a few different treatment groups with the aim of increasing translocation success 🤞🤞
March 6, 2025 at 10:29 PM
A busy but successful week preparing for our next bush stone-curlew release.
This time I’m trialling a few different treatment groups with the aim of increasing translocation success 🤞🤞
This time I’m trialling a few different treatment groups with the aim of increasing translocation success 🤞🤞
Here’s a southern brush-tailed rock-wallaby up in a tree.
March 4, 2025 at 12:44 AM
Here’s a southern brush-tailed rock-wallaby up in a tree.
There’s definitely no bush stone-curlew in this image.
March 1, 2025 at 8:26 AM
There’s definitely no bush stone-curlew in this image.
Art, bush stone-curlew style.
February 19, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Art, bush stone-curlew style.
Happy Saturday.
Here’s a lovely little sacred kingfisher.
Here’s a lovely little sacred kingfisher.
February 15, 2025 at 6:29 AM
Happy Saturday.
Here’s a lovely little sacred kingfisher.
Here’s a lovely little sacred kingfisher.
All those spots in the sky? They’re short-tailed shearwaters returning to feed their chicks.
The adults fly all the way to Antarctic waters to forage, before returning to feed their chicks - a trip that can take two week! Which, for these transequatorial migrators, is probably no big deal for them
The adults fly all the way to Antarctic waters to forage, before returning to feed their chicks - a trip that can take two week! Which, for these transequatorial migrators, is probably no big deal for them
February 3, 2025 at 10:18 PM
All those spots in the sky? They’re short-tailed shearwaters returning to feed their chicks.
The adults fly all the way to Antarctic waters to forage, before returning to feed their chicks - a trip that can take two week! Which, for these transequatorial migrators, is probably no big deal for them
The adults fly all the way to Antarctic waters to forage, before returning to feed their chicks - a trip that can take two week! Which, for these transequatorial migrators, is probably no big deal for them
Definitely nothing to see here.
January 28, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Definitely nothing to see here.
There are only about 50 brush-tailed rock-wallabies left in Victoria. Within the fenced haven at Mt Rothwell, however, there are hundreds.
Here’s a lovely male in the evening light.
Here’s a lovely male in the evening light.
January 24, 2025 at 7:56 PM
There are only about 50 brush-tailed rock-wallabies left in Victoria. Within the fenced haven at Mt Rothwell, however, there are hundreds.
Here’s a lovely male in the evening light.
Here’s a lovely male in the evening light.
It’s been a busy few days, undertaking bush stone-curlew surveys. Please appreciate this perfection in a bird.
January 23, 2025 at 5:10 AM
It’s been a busy few days, undertaking bush stone-curlew surveys. Please appreciate this perfection in a bird.
Two clutches and six chicks later, I fear this willie wagtail nest has finally reached its limit.
January 6, 2025 at 1:36 AM
Two clutches and six chicks later, I fear this willie wagtail nest has finally reached its limit.