First day of Spring

Bogged down in the office for most of the day but by early evening decided that enough was too much and took a wander down to the back of the sand dunes at the Buckley Park Foreshore Reserve (see map) as the sun was dropping into the western horizon. In one area a lot of revegetation work was done a few years ago, which has resulted in greater plant diversity and more open space making it a haven for some of the local bush birds.

Only there for twenty minutes before the light started to fade but standing in one spot on the track over the dunes saw 15 species: Silver Gull, Australian White Ibis (flying high overhead), Little Raven, Australian Magpie, Magpie Lark, House Sparrow, Welcome Swallow, Red Wattlebird, Spotted Dove, Galah, Rainbow Lorikeet, Superb Fairywren, White-browed Scrubwren and the ubiquitous New Holland Honeyeater

New Holland Honeyeater, Ocean Grove

but the highlight was three Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters and one perched for a few seconds on a distant dead branch allowing me to get this one shot.

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Ocean Grove