- 1 x brown sandal
- 1 x piece rope
- 1 x golf ball
- 1 x small tennis ball (squeaky)
- 1 x abandoned beach shelter
- 1 x food container (empty)
- 1 x watermelon skin
- 1 x sunglasses (Aldi cycle)
''The unusual event was to spot an insect on some Lantana flowers near Mullet Ck. Initially I thought it was a fly, but later on my PC with enlargement, it was an insect with a cool pair of sunglasses (see enlarged pic).''
Only bugs can truly appreciate the beauty of flowers. - Don Davidoff
Profile of the Week Brett Babicci, Boat Captain at Whale Beach SLSCWhale Beach SLSC is going through a huge renewal of its Surf Boat Division, with Boat Captain and Sweep Brett Babicci leading a growing group of enthusiastic surf lifesavers into the next big charge of this legendary club on a favourite surf sports discipline.
Having joined Whale Beach as a teenager, Brett has served the community as a volunteer lifesaver for over three decades and held several positions at Whale Beach; Competition Secretary and a member of the Competition Committee, Boat Captain (for over 10 years), serving on the Management Committee, and Patrol Captain.
As Competition Secretary Brett helps coordinate the Whaley Sunday events, the Club Championships, The Noel Greenfield Point to Point Swim, as well as Surf Boats at Branch, ASRL Open, State, and Aussies Competitions.
On February 25th 2024 Whale Beach SLSC revived an old event, and ran the Inaugural Babicci Trophy Black Rock Ski Race.
However, Brett’s passion is surf boats, stating in Whale Beach SLSC’s 2023-2024 Annual Report as Competition Secretary:
‘’Near and dear to my heart is the thrill of adorning the sky-blue cap with a yellow stripe and the famous brown ears, putting all that training on the line, listening for the call “Gun’s Up” competing against your mates from other clubs until the sweep yells “stop rowing” once the boat is up the sand.’’
The 2026 NSW Surf Life Saving Championships are currently underway. This year they have returned to Blacksmiths Beach, often considered the unofficial home of State Champs.
The Open & Surf Boat Championships run next weekend, 27 February-1 March 2026 at Swansea-Belmont SLSC. After that, everyone will head north to the Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships, the Aussies.
This Issue, Brett shares a few insights on where the Whaley is at now that we’re at the pointy end of the surf sports Season, and why he devotes so much of himself to his community surf club.
History Palm Beach Sailing Club's Hosting of State and National Championships: 77 Years of 'mucking about in boats' - the VJ' State Championships of February 25 1956The State Library of New South Wales has digitised an album of photos of the NSW VJ Championships, held on Pittwater, 25 February 1956, hosted by the Palm Beach Sailing Club, and 70 years ago this coming Wednesday - or a Saturday then.
This wasn't the first time the young sailing club hosted the State Championships - their first was soon after they formed, in 1950, then again in 1952 and 1954. In 1953 they hosted the Australian VJ Championships.
This week a few insights from one founding member, Max Boorman, also a 60+ years member of RPAYC, and a look into how Palm Beach at Sand Point, and Iluka Park, looked then.
Community News Avalon Land Gifted to the Community: Notice, Ingleside Planning Proposal rejected, Belrose SSD approved, Pittwater's Matt Philip Captains NSW Waratahs in 2026, SOS Mona Vale: February 26 Meeting Notice, Newport Rugby (the Breakers) News: Vale Mike Pheils, Avalon Beach Historical Society March 2026 Meeting Notice, Zonta Club's 2026 International Women’s Day Breakfast: online tickets sales close Feb 25, The Kerry Gleeson Centre: Invitation, Resilience Circle Store Gift to all Mental Health Nurses: Feb 21-28, Cranzgots Pizza Cafe Closing March 15 2026, IPART seeks community feedback as 10 councils apply to increase rates above the rate peg, Northern Beaches Council Recission Motion On Hearing from residents Deferred to March 2026, Recission Motion On Hearing from residents Before Meetings Deferred to March 2026, Mow for Ol'Mate in March, CSIRO partners with aviation sector to help STEM learning take flight, NSW Government announces extra public holiday this year, Saltwater Veterans: Helping Hands Needed, AOK: Thursday Volunteers Needed, NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee: share your thoughts on supports under review, MWP Care Seeking Volunteers, Monika's Doggie Rescue Pets of the Week: Jess + Popcorn, Inaugural Surf Lifesaving Red & Yellow Day, International Women’s Day Webinar – Balancing the Scales: with Tash Bryant, Jessica Sweeney, and Stacey Jackson, Development Coordination Authority (DCA) changes: Feedback invited, Women Of Whale Beach SLSC Celebrations 2026, Narrabeen Lakes Amateur Swimming Club: Saturday Afternoons, Now Open: funding round for the NSW Government's Holiday Break Autumn/Winter 2026 program, Petition: Stop Politicians from harvesting our data, Pittwater Residents Associations, Sports, Environment and Groups, Pittwater Offshore Newsletter
Environment Councils Approving DA's in Known Flood Zones - NSW Government's Proposed Climate Change and Natural Hazards State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP): Have Your Say + Emergency Services Levy reform, End of Summer Dispersal of birds From Birth Nests + Flying Foxes Feasting on Spotted Gum Blossoms, NSW Government invests $1 million to fund biocontrol research to manage weeds: Pittwater's 2020 connection, Climate outlook for March to June, Mona Vale Dunes bushcare group: 2026 Dates, North Avalon Beach Dune Planting, Bangalley Headland WPA Bushcare 2026, Community helps shift future of NSW national parks: Applications from Community Members invited to join Committees, New analysis confirms ongoing destruction of high-value habitat under NSW land clearing laws: NCC, Legal action against ‘closed’ coal mine that’s still wrecking protected landscapes, First Ecological Performance Scorecard for northern NSW forests, NSW manufacturing can reduce gas consumption by 75% with the right policy support, NSW Government's Heat Pump Feasibility Grant for businesses: closes March 31, Have your say on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review, North Head visitor access Changes: feedback invited, community invited to have a say on recreational opportunities In Great Koala National Park, Royal National Park plan draft amendment: Have your say, Intense heatwaves directly threaten crops and native species. Here’s what we can do, Plummeting fish numbers triggered controversial fishing bans in WA. But no-take zones could benefit fishers, Dramatic changes in upper atmosphere are responsible for recent droughts and bushfires: new research, Want to boost uptake of battery EVs? Subsidise chargers at home and work – not the vehicles, ‘Blood cobalt’ is disappearing from batteries – and cheaper, cleaner batteries are arriving, How sailing voyages can inspire the next generation of ocean scientists and advocates, Species on east-west coastlines are more likely to go extinct than those on north-south shores – new study, How shaming unethical brands makes companies improve their behaviour, Why coping with heavy rain in Scotland’s whisky country shows how to save water for the summer, How Bad Bunny’s power pole dance spotlighted the colonial legacy of energy poverty, Trump has scrapped the long-standing legal basis for tackling climate emissions, ‘A lingering in stillness’: philosopher Byung-Chul Han on the radical power of gardening, Sydney Wildlife (Sydney Metropolitan Wildlife Services) Needs People for the Rescue Line, 2025-26 Seal Reveal underway, 622kg of Rubbish Collected from Local Beaches: Adopt your local beach program, This Tick Season: Freeze it - don't squeeze it, Protect wildlife: dispose of fishing gear responsibly, Notice of 1080 Poison Baiting, Volunteers for Barrenjoey Lighthouse Tours needed, Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 Recycling Batteries: at Mona Vale + Avalon Beach, Reporting Dogs Offleash - Dog Attacks to Council, Plastic Bread Ties For Wheelchairs, Stay Safe From Mosquitoes, Mountain Bike Incidents On Public Land, Report fox sightings, marine wildlife rescue group on the Central Coast, Possums In Your Roof?: do the right thing, Aviaries + Possum Release Sites Needed, Bushcare in Pittwater: where + when, Friends Of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment Activities, Gardens and Environment Groups and Organisations in Pittwater, Ringtail Posses, Pittwater Reserves, Environment History insights + Walks, Birds +
Aquatics Pittwater Ocean Swims Welcome Swimmers in March by John Guthrie
Children Sunday cartoons and animations this Issue: Minions Turn the House into a Disaster Zone, End of Summer Dispersal of birds From Birth Nests + Flying Foxes Feasting on Spotted Gum Blossoms, Lighthouse walk a beacon for Year 7 Barrenjoey High students, Two Boys and A Boat: VJ's in 1958, Battle of the Bands – Youth Edition: at Palm Beach, Curious kids: why don’t humans have tails? + how did some animals evolve wings to fly? + why is spider silk so easy to break when it’s supposedly stronger than steel? + does the sky protect the Earth and if yes, then how? + how do people know their interests?, Stories this week: What Trucks Love to Do + 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff' read by Gary Oldman, groups for you
Youth End of Summer Dispersal of birds From Birth Nests, Minimum age to ride an e-bike to be introduced, Young artists honoured with Theo Batten Youth Art Award, Two Boys and A Boat, Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship tour applications open, Opportunities: International Women’s Day Webinar – Balancing the Scales with Tash Bryant, Jessica Sweeney, and Stacey Jackson+ NASA 2026 is a go!! + Sevens by the Sea + Battle of the Bands – Youth Edition: at Palm Beach +, Financial help for young people, School Leavers Support, Word Of The Week: Quiver, ‘Learning to be humble meant taming my need to stand out from the group’ – a humility scholar explains how he became more grounded, Can a rhythm be owned? What a reggaeton lawsuit reveals about how copyright misunderstands music, The science behind the trend for showering in the dark before bed, Why it’s funnier when you’re not allowed to laugh, Why central bankers look to the ‘stars’ when setting interest rates, Ten classic films that used rain to transform a scene, The Biba Story: the fashion brand that lifted a drab postwar Britain into the swinging 60s, How sailing voyages can inspire the next generation of ocean scientists and advocates, Early Mars was warm and wet not icy, suggests latest research, Are the costumes for Wuthering Heights accurate? No. Are they magnificent? Absolutely yes, Held captive in their own country during World War II, Japanese Americans used nature to cope with their unjustified imprisonment, Heart-shaped locket discovery offers rare glimpse into Henry VIII and Katharine of Aragon’s marriage, Local services for you
Seniors Nessun Dorma (Loosely Woven), $10.8 million gift establishes new research chair at UNSW, Mow for Ol'Mate in March, Measured deeming rate lift and indexation lessen the blow to pensioners, Local Seniors Festival Events: 2026, Dementia: how brain resilience, immune health and the menopause play a role in women’s risk, Even the best writing about science recalls ancient myths, SpaceX rocket left behind a plume of chemical pollution as it burnt up in the atmosphere, Local groups, clubs, events and services for you
DIY Ideas A Job For Life: Apprentice Carpenter + Fee-Free Courses + Commencement Tool List + How to Look After Your Tools - TAFE classes commenced this week for those starting or continuing attaining qualifications in their chosen field.
Worth noting is the NSW Government is investing in the qualifications for new apprentices. This saves up to $2,000 for training costs per apprentice.
To be eligible for a fee-free* apprenticeship, including school-based apprenticeships, you must:
- have an employer that is signed up as an Apprenticeship Connect Australia Provider (ACAP)
- be funded under the NSW Government's Smart and Skilled Program
- commence your apprenticeship before 30 June 2027
- not have exceeded the maximum of three fee-free* apprenticeships under this initiative.
There are also a range of other help, support and incentives for those who want to do this through a traineeship for those over 21 with fee caps there too. Fee Free Apprenticeships courses and more information at at: www.tafensw.edu.au/fee-free-apprenticeships
For those who haven't made up their mind and may not enrol until the mid-year start, there are a range of fee-free courses, which include a Statement of Attainment in Pre-Apprenticeship in Construction
This Issue, an overview of one for those who like working with wood and a few pointers we've picked up through the decades that may help with taking the path towards becoming a Carpenter.
Park Bench Philosophers Menzies Oration 2026 - Social Cohesion and the Future of Australia: Leadership, Civility, and the Greater Good given by President of the Australian Human Rights Commission Hugh de Kretser
Pictures Turimetta Moods: February 2026 by Joe Mills
Food 10 Minute Salads: End Of Summer Sweetness - Summer vegetables and fruits in the best seasonal quality and price are now available with that end of season sweetness - peaches are at peak, melons are super-sweet and also have become cheaper. This week we’d like to share a few recipes and that combine some of these in dishes that suit the season and will give you great energy. Most of these, if the prep is already done, can be tossed in their dressings and served in 10 minutes, so these are great ideas for those who would rather spend more time enjoying the season and those late afternoon strolls in Pittwater than cooking.
Inbox News ‘Not met their duty of care’: new report finds racism is widespread at Australian unis, A few weeks of X’s algorithm can make you more right-wing – and it doesn’t wear off quickly, Too many satellites? Earth’s orbit is on track for a catastrophe – but we can stop it, Australia plans to sell off defence land to developers – but could it deliver homes instead?, A worker was sacked over his side hustle. Here are 5 tips for employees with second gigs, EU-US: Is social media addictive? How it keeps you clicking and the harms it can cause, Maitland Rutherford tobacconist shut down for the second time after breaching closure orders, Cheaper medicines for people living with cystic fibrosis, Cheaper medicines for chronic kidney disease and psoriasis, Weight-loss drug ‘support supplements’: do they address nutrient deficiencies or are they just another fad?, Four foods that can help improve your cholesterol and boost heart health, 55,000 extra social housing homes are being built. But a new study shows that boom still falls short, Angus Taylor defeats Sussan Ley by hefty margin of 34-17 as Liberal leader - Who is Angus Taylor and could he cut it as opposition leader?, After ‘code brown’, how long before the pool is safe again? Water quality experts explain, A new diagnosis of ‘profound autism’ is on the cards. Here’s what could change, Runners, flat shoes or bare foot – what should I wear to lift weights?, Play reduces stress and lifts wellbeing – and adults benefit as much as children do, Amazon’s Ring wanted to track your pets. It revealed the future of surveillance, Coles accused of ‘utterly misleading’ discounts as major court case kicks off- All February 2026 Inbox News (includes Youth and Seniors news/reports)
Events Women of Whale 2026, International Women’s Day Webinar – Balancing the Scales with Tash Bryant, Jessica Sweeney, and Stacey Jackson, Battle of the Bands – Youth Edition: at Palm Beach, WRC IWD Lunch at LRGC 2026, Pittwater Regatta 2026, Zonta's 2026 International Women's Day Breakfast, Manly Writers Festival, Music, Markets, Social Groups + more on!End of Summer Dispersal of birds From Birth Nests
Pittwater residents, including our local Vet, have been hearing lots of owls at night of late, a classic end-of Summer nocturnal music as these juvenile birds begin finding their way in the world, having grown out of their birth nests.
This Powerful, photographed by PON's Features Photographer Michael Mannington OAM of Community Photography, was spotted in Mona Vale this week.
He's a boy and has been checked by Sydney Wildlife volunteers a few times over recent days. Apparently there are possums in the vicinity and he’s waiting for a dusk feed. He also ranges through Kitchener park as part of his new domain.
Another nocturnal music being heard by those still working late are Flying Foxes feasting on what is blooming - in the PON yard at present that's Pittwater Spotted gums - and they're joined in nocturnal flight by the microbats pair that also live in these same trees.
The birds watched growing up this past Summer are also dispersing or have already gone - off into the greater expanses of blue hills meeting green hills meeting blue skies.
See: Summer BirdFest 2026: Play antics of New Locals - Blue-faced Honeyeaters Breeding In Pittwater or All February 2026 Environment News
It's all classic end-of Summer in Pittwater stuff.
Please slow down at Dusk and Dawn
The powerful owl (Ninox strenua), a species of owl native to south-eastern and eastern Australia, is the largest owl on the continent. It is found in coastal areas and in the Great Dividing Range, rarely more than 200 km (120 mi) inland.
The powerful owl has a long tail and a small head, giving it an atypical silhouette for an owl and imparting a more hawk-like appearance than any other large owl. The protruding bill and distinct brow ridges enhance the hawk-like appearance of the species.
This species measures 45 to 65 cm (18 to 26 in) in length and spans 112 to 135 cm (44 to 53 in) across the wings. Unlike in a vast majority of owl species, the male is slightly larger than the female on average. Body mass in males has been reported at 0.99 to 2.22 kg (2.2 to 4.9 lb), with 13 males averaging 1.45 kg (3.2 lb), while females can weigh from 1.04 to 1.6 kg (2.3 to 3.5 lb), with an average in 9 females of 1.25 kg (2.8 lb). Among all the owls in the world, the powerful owl is the ninth longest from bill-to-tail, the tenth heaviest and the eighth longest winged. - From Wikipedia and BirdLife Australia
''Majestic is the suitable description.'' - Michael Mannington OAM, February 17, 2026
Generally, this species lives in primary forests with tall, native trees, but can show some habitat flexibility when not nesting. The powerful owl is a typically territorial raptorial bird that maintains a large home range and has long intervals between egg-laying and hatching of clutches. Also, like many types of raptorial birds, they must survive a long stretch to independence in young owls after fledging.
They are an apex predator and are often opportunists, like most predators, but generally are dedicated to hunting arboreal mammals, in particular small to medium-sized marsupials. Such prey can comprise about three-quarters of their diet.
As insects also form part of their diet, residents are asked to slow down at dusk and dawn as they will frequently feed at the sides of roads and this can lead to impacts with cars - please slow down!
If you do come across wildlife that has been injured or needs help, please contact:
Sydney Wildlife: For 24/7 Emergency Rescue or Advice CALL 9413 4300
WIRES: For emergency rescue support 24/7 please call 1300 094 737
Both operate 24/7 with local volunteers ready to help our other local residents - the feathered, furry and scaled. Their mission is to rescue and care for sick, injured, and orphaned native wildlife and to safely release them back into the wild
More of MM's photos:
