I first became obsessed with birds when I was in primary school. I got a pet cockatiel and set about learning as much as possible about cockatoos. I learned the scientific name of many of my favourite species such as cockatiels, galahs and rosellas. Ten-year-old me struggled. I devoured what few books our local library had growing up. This is the type of book I would have … [Read more...] about Book Review: Australian Bird Names
Book Review: A Guide To Mosquitoes Of Australia
I never expected to become interested in mosquitoes. The ones I observed around central Geelong seemed dull compared to many other types of insects. This changed when I started following one of the co-authors, Dr Cameron Webb, on twitter. He frequently tweets about science communication, entomology and mosquitoes. I bought this book on a whim after Dr Webbs tweets had piqued my … [Read more...] about Book Review: A Guide To Mosquitoes Of Australia
Book Review: Life In A Gall
Galls were one of the first things I noticed when I started to explore entomology. I'd see these strange lumps on either the leaves or stems of various plants. Kind naturalists informed me that these were 'galls,' but it was a struggle to find accessible information on them. This book filled part of that need. It's just 61 pages, so barely scratched the surface when it came … [Read more...] about Book Review: Life In A Gall
Book Review: Crabs, Hermit Crabs And Allies
I rarely noticed crabs when walking along the beach. That all changed when I started to visit Apollo Bay (Victoria), most school holidays. We would find multiple species of crabs each visit and wanted to learn more about them. There was so much diversity in the one harbour! I bought this book to help me figure out the exact species I was seeing. The Introductory … [Read more...] about Book Review: Crabs, Hermit Crabs And Allies
Book Review: A Guide To The Beetles Of Australia
Writing a guide to the beetles of Australia is no simple task. According to the Australian Museum, there are potentially 30’000 species that may occur in Australia. Only two-thirds of these have been scientifically described. The authors accomplished something amazing with this book. They’ve provided an overview of most beetle families that may be encountered in Australia. … [Read more...] about Book Review: A Guide To The Beetles Of Australia