January

January Weather

	January weather Long term averages from Australian Bureau of Meterology (BOM)
	Maximum Temperature
	31.1 o C
	Minimum Temperature
	16.4  o C
	Rainfall
	41.6 mm

This is the very hot time of the year often with hot drying winds.  Rain does come in January, but like December it is usually from a local thunderstorm and the water quickly evaporates.

The hot dry conditions quickly dry the plants and soil in the garden and animals will seek shelter in cool shady spots.  Both the plants and animals will be needing a little extra water.  Wildlife watering spots are kept full of water, sometimes they have to be filled several times a day.

What is Happening?

If the weather stays hot and dry for a long time, the large pond will dry up and the water level in the dam becomes very low.

Plants and wildlife will respond to any summer rain. 

Plants

• The summer active native grasses, like Red and Kangaroo grasses,will green up and produce more flowers and seeds before it gets too cold.
• Nardoo a fern-like plants that lives in wetlands will  green up with a bit of rain.  Nardoo was an important Aboriginal food plant.  The spores and tubers of the Nardoo were used to make cakes and breads. 

Animals

• Frogs will raise their noisey breeding chorus if the summer rains refill their favorite breeding pools.  This means there may be a few sleepless nights as the many frogs start their diverse mating calls in the new pools.  The next morning patches of white foamy frogs spawn can often be found amongst wetland plants.
• The Golden Orb spiders just continue to eat the feast of summer insects.  Their webs will begin to become more noticeable in the garden as they grow from the small little spiders of spring to the large dominant spiders of summer.  Their strong golden webs can often be seen stretched between plants, posts, doorways, really most anything, around the garden.

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