A passion for birds...

Wilson's Promontory

2012-02-04T22:10:00.000+11:00

I spent the weekend camping with the family at Tidal River, Wilson's Promontory National Park. Mostly swimming and walking on the beach and river. I was astounded at how much the river has changed since the floods of March 2011. The usual birds frequented the campsite: Red Wattlebird, Crimson Rosella, Superb Fairy-wren but the highlight was the Laughing Kookaburra family that was resident right next to our campsite, though this one seemed bored with us...

Laughing Kookaburra, Wilson's Promontory National Park

As I had not been out birding for a month, I had to escape for a few hours with the camera so decided to search for emus on what was, in the past, an open grassland area north of the airstrip. In recent years this has become much more overgrown with tea-tree and other shrubs so it has become more difficult to find emu and kangaroos that in previous years have been regularly seen in this area. I did manage to find one emu.

Emu, Wilson's Promontory National Park

I am continually amazed at how comical these birds can be.

Reedy Lake

2012-01-01T21:10:00.000+11:00

Reedy Lake is part of the Lake Connewarre-Barwon River complex of waterways (see map) on the Bellarine Peninsula. There are several access points that provide good viewing of the various habitats around the lake shore.

Reedy Lake is one of the most reliable locations in the region to see Swamp Harriers but I find this species incredibly frustrating to try and photograph. They always seem to be too far away and flying in the opposite direction. Today was no exception. The only time one got reasonably close was on my first stop at Fitzgerald Road. The bird was almost directly backlit by the sun resulting in a pleasant silhouette with good tail detail but not a great bird shot.

Swamp Harrier, Reedy Lake

On the way out through Leopold, I noticed a White-necked Heron fly into a new residential development. It allowed me to get quite close while it was concentrating on hunting for food in a newly created pond.

White-necked Heron, Leopold

My second stop was the small reserve at the end of Moolap Station Road which has two areas of bushland along with an easily accessible lignum swamp from which I could hear Superb Fairy-wren, Golden-headed Cisticola and Striated Fieldwren and it did not take long to find all three with two of them allowing close access.

Golden-headed Cisticola, Reedy Lake

Striated Fieldwren, Reedy Lake

The Striated Fieldwren appeared to be taking food to a nest in a nearby lignum bush so I left it to do it's parental duties undisturbed. As I walked back to the car, a Black-shouldered Kite landed in a nearby tree. Unlike Swamp Harriers, this species is a delight to photograph. Apart from being stunningly pretty birds, they allow close approach if you take your time.

Black-shouldered Kite, Reedy Lake

WTP - last time for the year

2011-12-31T23:09:00.001+11:00

One last trip to the Western Treatment Plant for 2011. A Terek Sandpiper had been reported here yesterday so I thought I'd spend a late afternoon looking for it. Didn't manage to find it but did see a lot of other birds, some of which cooperated for a few photographs:

Banded Stilt, Western Treatment Plant

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Western Treatment Plant

Whiskered Tern, Western Treatment Plant

Pink-eared Duck, Western Treatment Plant

Black-winged Stilt, Western Treatment Plant

Red-kneed Dotterel, Western Treatment Plant

Backyard birds

2011-12-29T23:02:00.000+11:00

I spent most of the day re-nailing the boards on the back deck and oiling the garden furniture...back-breaking work but I was rewarded with seeing 20 species of birds while I was occupied with drill, hammer and brush (and intermittent trips to the lounge-room for cricket updates). As evening fell a pair of Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos landed in a neighbour's cypress tree so I grabbed the camera for a few shots from our back deck.

Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Ocean Grove

Our backyard resident family of New Holland Honeyeaters was not deterred by my presence, in fact I really had too much lens as I had to step backwards to fit the birds in the frame.

New Holland Honeyeater, Ocean Grove

Just as I was about to pack up, a pair of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos arrived and proceeded to demolish a fair proportion of the neighbour's unripe almonds

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Ocean Grove

Another trip to the WTP

2011-12-27T21:05:00.000+11:00

I had to go to Melbourne this morning so took the opportunity for a visit to the Western Treatment Plant on the way home. First stop was the pond just inside the Beach Road gate where there were hundreds of Red-necked Stints (along with the usual handful of Curlew Sandpipers and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers).

Red-necked Stint, Western Treatment Plant

There were also at least 6 Australian Spotted Crakes in and around two patches of reeds.

Australian Spotted Crake, Western Treatment Plant

As it was high tide, there was little activity at the Bird Hide but there were 17 Musk Duck on the Little River.

Musk Duck, Western Treatment Plant

Further up river close to Gate 8, there were several immature Great Cormorants flying about and one landed on a stump in the river long enough for me to grab a yawn.

Great Cormorant, Western Treatment Plant

Broad-billed Sandpiper @ WTP

2011-12-18T20:44:00.003+11:00

Following recent reports of a Broad-billed Sandpiper at the Western Treatment Plant, I went to have a look for myself. Several reports gave fairly specific location details but I was concerned that this could be a needle in a haystack search with so many other small wading birds at the same location. However, with a little homework (a brief perusal of various guidebooks this morning to familiarise myself with the characteristic features) it turned out to be surprisingly easy to find the one individual among the Curlew Sandpipers, Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and Red-necked Stints at Western Lagoon 4. Even better, it was close-by the best viewing area and all the birds were tolerant of three of us standing and watching, allowing for some decent records shots for this lifer for me.

Broad-billed Sandpiper, Western Treatment Plant

While watching and photographing the birds, I commented to one of the other observers that all I wanted now was for a Curlew Sandpiper to come close enough to get the two birds in the same shot for a side-by-side size comparison. No sooner said...

Broad-billed Sandpiper (L) and Curlew Sandpiper (R), Western Treatment Plant

On the way out, I dropped past Ryan's Swamp to find a large flock of Nankeen Night-Herons (approx. 50 birds roosting in various trees at the north-west end of the swamp).

Nankeen Night-Heron, Western Treatment Plant

On departing the plant, I had just finished locking the gate when a Rufous Songlark landed on a fence and started singing. It was getting quite dark with some threatening clouds overhead but I managed a few shots (albeit with slow shutter speeds and wide open aperture)

Rufous Songlark, Western Treatment Plant

Driving home past Lake Connewarre, I spotted a pair of Brolgas with a half-grown chick in long grass about a hundred metres from the road. I pulled over and leapt from the car with camera in hand in time for one shot of them.

Brolga, Lake Connewarre

One of the adults separated from the others and continued to stay in view for another few minutes.

Brolga, Lake Connewarre

Hardheads at Royal Park

2011-12-14T18:11:00.001+11:00

I had a spare 30 minutes before a lunch meeting today so dropped past Trin Warren Tam-boore Wetlands in Royal Park (see map). There were lots of warterbirds: ducks, swamphens, coots and moorhens but the most cooperative were the Hardheads

Hardhead, Royal Park

Tasmanian Holiday

2011-12-12T23:51:00.004+11:00

My wife and I spent 4 days in southern Tasmania recently and while it was essentially a bird photography free holiday (i.e., no big lens or tripod) the local birds were so tame that I was able to capture a few close-ups with just a 28-200mm lens.

First day was on Bruny Island and we were in luck with the sunny and calm weather which made for a fantastic day. While waiting for the ferry from Kettering, we found a pair of White-faced Herons foraging in the grass near the marina.

White-faced Heron, Kettering, Tasmania

The day's highlight was the 3 hour wildlife cruise where we managed to see Humpback Whales, Short-beaked Common Dolphins, New Zealand and Australian Fur Seals, a Southern Elephant Seal, hundreds of Short-tailed Shearwaters and a few Shy Albatross, one of which allowed us close enough for some good shots.

Shy Albatross, off Bruny Island, Tasmania

On Friday, the fog finally lifted from Mt Wellington so we drove to the summit to enjoy one of the world's great views.

Hobart - view from Mt Wellington

On the way back down, a brief stop at The Springs Picnic Ground was rewarded with a very tame Black Currawong.

Black Currawong, The Springs, Mt Wellington, Tasmania

While visiting the Bob Barker (SeaShepherd.org), I found a co-operative Black-faced Cormorant at the Hobart waterfront near Victoria Dock.

Black-faced Cormorant, Hobart, Tasmania

We spent the weekend on the Tasman Peninsula visiting the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, Port Arthur and Eaglehawk Neck. On our last stop at the Tessellated Pavement, I again managed to get very close to some of the locals.

Kelp Gull, Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania

Sooty Oystercatcher, Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania

In addition to these shots, we also managed to see 6 of the 12 Tasmanian endemics without even trying - what a great place! Can't wait to get back there for a dedicated birding trip.

Great weather for ducks

2011-10-24T19:35:00.005+11:00

The weather turned cold, wet and windy today but I couldn't resist a late afternoon look for the Freckled Ducks that had been reported at Lake Lorne in Drysdale (see map). At 5:15PM it was 11°C, raining and windy but there were ducks galore including (at least) 15 Freckled Duck.

Freckled Duck, Lake Lorne, Drysdale

Also seen were Pacific Black Duck, Hardhead, Chestnut Teal, Australian Wood Duck, Blue-billed Duck and a single Australasian Shoveler (eclipse male, I think, based on the buff coloured patch behind the bill). Terrible photo but in the conditions and with the bird more than 100 metres away I was happy to record my first sighting of this species here.

Australasian Shoveler, Lake Lorne, Drysdale

There are lots of Hoary-headed Grebes on the lake and some cooperated by staying close enough to the bank to be photographed

Hoary-headed Grebe, Lake Lorne, Drysdale

One good thing about the low light conditions is the serendipitous abstract art shots of birds in flight

Superb Fairy-wren, Lake Lorne, Drysdale

Waders and Waterfowl at the Western Treatment Plant

2011-10-23T23:58:00.009+11:00

I spent the afternoon at the Western Treatment Plant. The waders are back in force and waterfowl are more numerous and active than I can remember.

I was lucky enough to get to the Bird Hide as the tide was just going out. There were hundreds of birds on the mudflats at the mouth of Little River. Red-necked Stint and Curlew Sandpiper were the most common

Waders, Western Treatment Plant

but there were also Australian Shelduck, Pacific Black Duck, Australian Pied Oystercatcher, Silver Gull, Pied Cormorant, Australian Pelican, Bar-tailed Godwit, Eastern Great Egret, Little Egret and Common Tern.

Next stop was the Conservation Ponds. On the way there I spotted a pair of Brown Falcons so stopped to see if I could get close enough for a decent photograph from the car. As I put the camera out the window, they both flew away but, unusually, one flew towards me and I managed to catch it in flight just as it went past.

Brown Falcon, Western Treatment Plant

It landed in a tree a few hundred metres along the road so I drove slowly towards it and it stayed in the tree very cooperatively - love the 4-wheel hide :-)

Brown Falcon, Western Treatment Plant

Highlight at the Conservation Ponds was the flock of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers feeding close to the bank.

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Western Treatment Plant

A quick stop at the Borrow Pits to see if I could find and photograph the Banded Stilts that had been reported there earlier this week. Found them but too far away for any decent photographs. There was, however, a small flock of Black-tailed Native-hens running around (in their usual fashion) on the mud islands just near the 270S car park.

Black-tailed Native-hen, Western Treatment Plant

Last stop was the T-Section Lagoon 4 to try and find the Spotless Crake that had so far eluded me (see Crake Hunt Part 1 and Part 3). This is an amazing location for waterfowl, with 8 species of Rallids seen in 30 minutes: Eurasian Coot, Dusky Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Black-tailed Native-hen, Buff-banded Rail, Australian Spotted Crake, Baillon's Crake and (at last) Spotless Crake! Only Lewin's Rail was missing (from SE Australian Rallid species) but was reported as seen at the WTP today by others.

Spotless Crake, Western Treatment Plant

I was also treated to a Whiskered Tern, in full breeding plumage, standing on a rock in perfect portrait pose (albeit a bit far away for a great shot but happy to record this bird that is mostly seen airborne).

Whiskered Tern, Western Treatment Plant

White-necked Heron

2011-10-12T22:40:00.001+11:00

My wife rang me on her way home this evening after she spotted a White-necked Heron feeding in the swamp on Lake Connewarre Game Reserve along Barwon Heads Road (see map). 15 minutes later we found it again. It was almost sunset with grey clouds in the west darkening the sky even further. The heron was feeding in open marsh with no photographic cover so this was the best I could do but it's my first time photographing this species (and only the second time I've seen it) on the Bellarine Peninsula so I'm happy with the record shot.

White-necked Heron, Lake Connewarre

Spring has sprung at Lake Lorne

2011-10-02T16:36:00.005+11:00

A quick visit to Lake Lorne in Drysdale this afternoon was rewarded with 23 species in 20 minutes: Silver Gull, Hoary-headed Grebe, Purple Swamphen, Dusky Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Australian White Ibis, Royal Spoonbill, Eastern Great Egret, Pacific Black Duck, Chestnut Teal, Australian Wood Duck, Hardhead, Blue-billed Duck, Noisy Miner, Eastern Rosella, Red Wattlebird, Little Pied Cormorant, Little Black Cormorant, Masked Lapwing, Common Starling, Australian Magpie, Magpie Lark, Black-shouldered Kite.

The highlights were:

a family of Black Swans feeding near the edge of the lake

Black Swan, Lake Lorne, Drysdale

two Blue-billed Ducks in a territorial dispute over the middle of the lake

Blue-billed Duck, Lake Lorne, Drysdale

and two Hardheads, close enough to the lake edge to get a half reasonable photograph (they are normally further away near the central island)

Hardhead, Lake Lorne, Drysdale

Long weekend in Central Victoria - Day 3

2011-09-25T23:47:00.009+10:00

We began the day with a drive through the northern part of the Whipstick Section of the Greater Bendigo NP, stopping at several locations where birds could be heard. This is a beautiful section of the park with mixed Eucalypt forest and Acacia understorey.

Whipstick Section, Greater Bendigo NP

Lots of birds seen and heard but nothing particularly photogenic. It's always a challenge photographing birds in this sort of forest as they are mostly small, dull-coloured treetop-dwellers so are difficult to see and usually shaded by the foliage with bright sky in the background.

The afternoon was a different story. We went to Bells Swamp on the Maldon-Bridgetown Road (see map). I am not misusing the word "on" here as the road is currently closed due to flood damage from the rains earlier in the year but it now provides a fantastic pedestrian access through the middle of the swamp

Maldon-Bridgewater Road, Bells Swamp

offering views of the (currently) flooded River Red Gum forest

Bells Swamp

and close proximity to the birds - in particular the parrots that became more and more active as sunset approached. This pair of Musk Lorikeets was continuously in and out of a nest-hole.

Musk Lorikeet, Bells Swamp

and this one posed on a nearby branch long enough for a classic portrait.

Musk Lorikeet, Bells Swamp

There were also two species of Corella

Little Corella, Bells Swamp

Long-billed Corella, Bells Swamp

and the ubiquitous Galahs

Galah, Bells Swamp

Large numbers of White-plumed Honeyeaters were doing their usual frantic rushing around but this one sat still just long enough for one frame.

White-plumed Honeyeater, Bells Swamp

As I was leaving just before sunset, I couldn't resist this shot of Brooms Lane

Brooms Lane, Bells Swamp

for more:
The night before

Day 1 - Heathcote-Graytown and Axedale

Day 2 - Kamarooka

Long weekend in Central Victoria - Day 2

2011-09-24T21:58:00.004+10:00

We started the morning with a quick trip out to some drainage ponds near Woodvale (just north of Eaglehawk - see map) to catch the Red-necked Avocet and we were not disappointed.

Red-necked Avocet, Woodvale

We then drove to the Kamarooka section of the Greater Bendigo National Park entering along Millwood Road from the south. We stopped just past the entrance to the park and immediately heard Rufous Whistler calling. The loud and persistent calls suggested a male but none of us could find one. We did manage to find this female singing her little lungs out.

Rufous Whistler (female), Kamarooka Section, Greater Bendigo NP

Next stop was further into the park, where we were promised White-fronted and Tawny-crowned Honeyeaters. I had not photographed either species before and, in fact, never seen a Tawny-crowned Honeyeater. Within five minutes of getting out of the car I found a White-fronted Honeyeater perched on a nearby branch, food in its mouth.

White-fronted Honeyeater, Kamarooka Section, Greater Bendigo NP

The Tawny-crowned Honeyeater was proving to be more elusive until one of the group told me they had found one just near where they were parked. Sure enough, while standing right next to the car, this bird flew into a nearby shrub. It was behind several dead branches of another shrub (which totally confuses the auto-focus as it tracks back and forth looking for something to focus on and usually ends up on a stick in the foreground) so I switched to manual focus and managed to get this image - backlit and blurry foreground but still pleasing

Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, Kamarooka Section, Greater Bendigo National Park

The bird then moved and perched on another branch a few metres away - still backlit but clear view.

Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, Kamarooka Section, Greater Bendigo NP

The bird was now getting the hang of this photo-model business and it moved a few metres again, still back and sidelit but a beautiful background of purple wildflowers.

Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, Kamarooka Section, Greater Bendigo NP

It then disappeared into a dense patch of shrubs right in front of us. This behaviour is typical of nesting birds, where they don't go straight into the nest but flit from branch to branch in a different pattern each time they enter and leave a nest. So, to avoid disturbing the nest any further, I was just moving away when this bird came from the same patch (may be the same bird or its mate) and stopped just in front of me just as a cloud came across the sun, providing a detailed view of this species' beautiful plumage.

Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, Kamarooka Section, Greater Bendigo NP

All of these photographs were taken within a 10 minute period. I can't remember another occasion where I got so many different views of the same bird at one location in such a short time AND this was the first Tawny-crowned I have ever seen (very happy!)

We moved off to another location for a lunch by an old eucalyptus oil distillery. A walk around the distillery dams and lots of the common bush birds were seen and heard but the highlight of the afternoon was a juvenile nankeen Night-Heron found at another small dam just down the track

Nankeen Night-Heron (juvenile), Kamarooka Section, Greater Bendigo NP

A brilliant day out in the bush greatly helped by some local knowledge (thanks Murray!)

for more:
The night before

Day 1 - Heathcote-Graytown and Axedale

Day 3 - Whipstick and Bells Swamp

Long weekend in Central Victoria - Day 1

2011-09-23T21:00:00.008+10:00

The morning of the first day of the MELBOCA Photography Group weekend in central Victoria was spent in the Heathcote-Graytown National Park. The highlight for me was the Red-capped Robin that teased us at the Dargile Picnic Ground during lunch.

Red-capped Robin, Heathcote-Graytown National Park

We were fortunate enough to spend the afternoon at a private property on the Campaspe River in Axedale, where the Superb Fairy-wrens are very tame.

Superb Fairy-wren, Axedale

for more:
The night before

Day 2 - Kamarooka

Day 3 - Whipstick and Bells Swamp

Heathcote

2011-09-22T18:37:00.009+10:00

I spent the night in Heathcote on the way to a long weekend of birding and photography in the central goldfields region with the MELBOCA Photography Group (highlights from these three days to follow). I arrived in the early evening with just enough photographic light left for a short walk along one of the back roads where there is a healthy roadside woodland corridor. 15 species seen in the trees and surrounding farmland (in 20 minutes) including: White-winged Chough, Australian Magpie, Magpie Lark, Laughing Kookaburra, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Red-rumped Parrot, Masked Lapwing, Welcome Swallow, Rufous Songlark, Red Wattlebird and White-plumed Honeyeater, none of which was particularly photographically cooperative. However, I did manage to capture these:

Dusky Woodswallow, Heathcote

Musk Lorikeet, Heathcote

Blue-faced Honeyeater, Heathcote

and one of my perennial favourites, the comedian of the bird world

Galah, Heathcote

but the highlight of the evening was this Willie Wagtail sitting on a nest in an old petrol bowser inside a farm shed (the owner saw me on the road while I was photographing the Galah and asked if I wanted to see this).

Willie Wagtail, Heathcote

The weekend:

Day 1 - Heathcote-Graytown and Axedale

Day 2 - Kamarooka

Day 3 - Whipstick and Bells Swamp

Another quick visit to the WTP

2011-09-18T19:07:00.000+10:00

I took a brief diversion to the Western Lagoons at the Western Treatment Plant on the way home from Melbourne this afternoon. Despite it being mid afternoon, there was a fair amount of avian activity with hundreds of Red-necked Stints and Curlew Sandpipers resting on the mudflats and feeding in the shallows.

Curlew Sandpiper, Western Treatment Plant

Several pairs of White-fronted Chats were feeding on the dried mudflats at the edge of the ponds.

White-fronted Chat, Western Treatment Plant

...and, I was lucky enough to capture this Golden-headed Cisticola singing in the nearby vegetation.

Golden-headed Cisticola, Western Treatment Plant

As I was leaving, I flushed a Buff-banded Rail in the ditch just next to Gate 2. I parked the car past the gate and came back and waited to see if it would reappear...

Buff-banded Rail, Western Treatment Plant

Caspian Tern at Swan Bay Jetty

2011-09-15T23:03:00.001+10:00

Swan Bay Jetty, at the end of Swan Bay Road (see map) is one of my favourite locations for birdwatching on the Bellarine Peninsula. There are often dozens of cormorants, gulls and terns on and around the jetty, along with a range of small wading birds on the mudflats at low tide and passerines in and around the saltmarshes on either side of the jetty.

I went for a brief visit at lunchtime today and arrived just as a solo Caspian Tern landed on the mudflats directly in front of the car park and stayed long enough for me to capture a few shots.

Caspian Tern, Swan Bay Jetty

Connewarre Farmland

2011-09-14T21:12:00.004+10:00

I took some back roads while driving into Geelong this evening and found a few interesting birds in the paddocks along Lake Road, Connewarre (see map).

There were five Cattle Egrets feeding in a paddock with a small herd of cattle. The greatest difficulty photographing the birds was the cattle - most of the herd saw me at the fence and came over to investigate (or beg?)...very friendly but, somewhat inconveniently, blocking the line of sight to the egrets.

Cattle Egret, Lake Rd, Connewarre

A few hundred metres down the road, this Brown Falcon was perched on top of a dead tree. It was aware of me but totally unperturbed. I am sure it would have allowed me to get closer but this is the best I could do without jumping the fence (I am always reluctant to trespass).

Brown Falcon, Lake Rd, Connewarre

Crake Hunt, part 3

2011-09-04T20:50:00.005+10:00

The great crake hunt continued this afternoon on my way home from Melbourne.

First stop was a walk around the wetlands at Truganina Park in Altona. I found one Buff-banded Rail among the usual Purple Swamphens and Dusky Moorhens in the reedbeds but no crakes.

Buff-banded Rail, Truganina Park

There had been reports of Baillon's and Australian Spotted Crakes at the T-Section of the Western Treatment Plant in the last few days so that was my next stop and within 15 minutes had found both in relatively clear view.

One Australian Spotted Crake came out foraging at the edge of the reeds only about 20 metres from where I was standing

Australian Spotted Crake, Western Treatment Plant

and there were at least four Baillon's Crakes a bit further away in the same reed bed. Unfortunately, they were backlit making it difficult to get any decent photographs but managed one with three birds in the one shot.

Baillon's Crake, Western Treatment Plant

First day of Spring

2011-09-01T22:32:00.003+10:00

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

Crake Hunt, part 2

2011-08-28T21:17:00.003+10:00

Having dipped (at least photographically) on the hunt for crakes at the Western Treatment Plant last weekend, I thought I'd follow up on the Australian Spotted Crake sightings at Lignum Swamp, just NW of Campbelltown in Central Victoria (see map) reported recently on Geoff Park's excellent blog.

Lignum Swamp

Lots of Purple Swamphens standing on the lignum bushes and Black-winged Stilts feeding in the shallow water along with Red-kneed Dotterels.

Red-kneed Dotterel, Lignum Swamp

Crakes could be heard some distance away in the swamp so I waited and watched for any to expose themselves. Meanwhile, flocks of Little Corella and Pacific Black Duck flew around the swamp several times.

Little Corella, Lignum Swamp

Pacific Black Duck, Lignum Swamp

Patience paid off as one Australian Spotted Crake wandered out onto a small mud island about 200 metres into the swamp - a long way away but a first time photograph of this species.

Australian Spotted Crake, Lignum Swamp

I also heard calls from the eastern side of the swamp where the lignum grows beside the track so I walked around to see if I could get a closer view. Ten minutes later, a single bird came out for a brief forage in the shallows before disappearing back into the lignum.

Australian Spotted Crake, Lignum Swamp

12 months on...

2011-08-22T20:11:00.009+10:00

I started this blog on 22 August 2010 so please forgive my self indulgence while I take a few minutes to review the last year of birding and bird photography.

Statistics

54 "trips" ranging in length from 12 minutes to 2 days
40+ locations visited
only one day birding outside Victoria (must do something about this in the next 12 months)
105 species recorded on this blog including 9 that I had never photographed before and 5 added to the lifetime list (Shy Heathwren, Rufous Treecreeper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper, Long-toed Stint)
most visited location was the Western Treatment Plant
most photographed species was a three-way tie: Australian Pelican, Red-capped Plover and Red-necked Stint

Favourites

Location: Western Treatment Plant (goes without saying really - one of the great birding locations) with an honourable mention to the Hattah Lakes NP (I sense another road trip - and could knock over NSW and SA - or at least some very small parts of them - in the same trip)
Experience: there are many but the one that captures the whole birding and photography experience for me was Day 1 when two people whom I'd never met before waved my wife and me down at the Western Treatment Plant and showed us the Australasian Bittern. Birding is often a solo activity (and that's partly what I like about it) but most birders are friendly people who enjoy sharing their experience and knowledge - so thanks again John and Fred.
Followed blog: I am inspired by the work of many fellow bird photographers and their blogs (many of which are listed below) but I have especially enjoyed following the adventures of Gary and Glenda Oliver on their sojourn around our country, The Great Aussie Birdshoot, an astonishing achievement!
Bird: Red-necked Stint - I never get tired of watching flocks of these little perpetual motion machines.
Photograph: this photograph of a Golden-headed Cisticola is my favourite for the year. Not necessarily my best photograph (whatever that means) but I was fortunate enough to have this tiny bird approach within 5 or 6 metres of me (while I was trying to photograph some distant Pink-eared Ducks) and sing its little lungs out for about two minutes. I was even able to move slightly towards it and lower the tripod a little to get the out-of-focus, multi-coloured background.

Golden-headed Cisticola, Western Treatment Plant

Wishlist

Plans for the next 12 months (these are somewhat ambitious but you have to dream!)

at least one trip to each of NSW, Queensland, SA and Tasmania (would like to add WA & NT but $$ and time...)
add another 100 birds to the list (though this will become challenging) including some new ones for my lifetime list
go on a pelagic trip
fill in some photo gaps in my Bellarine Peninsula list
meet more bird photographers and enjoy their company in the field

So, looking forward to seeing you on the beach or in the bush :-)

Crake hunt at the WTP

2011-08-21T20:07:00.002+10:00

There have been many reports of crakes and rails at the Western Treatment Plant in recent weeks (mostly while I was overseas). Today was my first opportunity to get there and see for myself. I arrived early at the bird hide (where most of the previous success had been) and watched and waited. Heard lots of crakish sounds (mostly Australian Spotted but one Spotless calling as I arrived) but only teasing glances as several Australian Spotted Crakes and Buff-banded Rails ran across the road or from one bush to another but did not stay still long enough for even a record shot. All was not lost though as there was lots of activity among the small saltmarsh birds:

White-browed Scrubwren, Bird Hide, Western Treatment Plant

Silvereye, Bird Hide, Western Treatment Plant

Superb Fairy-wren, Bird Hide, Western Treatment Plant

Little Grassbird, Bird Hide, Western Treatment Plant

and some opportunities to practice my birds in flight:

Australian Pelican, Western Treatment Plant

Australian White Ibis, Western Treatment Plant

A very pleasant two hours but time to go and look for some wading birds. There have been reports of early arrivals of migratory waders at the new Western Lagoon so I headed back there via Paradise Road where there was a large flock of Red-necked Avocets feeding in the ponds just near Gate 8 and a few were quite close to the road. Unfortunately the sun was behind them and because they were so close I was shooting hand-held out of the car window through reeds but a reasonable record shot.

Red-necked Avocet, Western Treatment Plant

At Western Lagoon 4, I found many Red-necked Stints and Curlew Sandpipers, mostly too far away for any good photographs but this individual did cooperate for a few minutes.

Curlew Sandpiper, Western Lagoons, Western Treatment Plant

Buff-banded Rail at Lake Colac

2011-08-18T23:55:00.003+10:00

Went for a late afternoon walk at the Church St wetlands on Lake Colac (see map) in drizzling rain with low dark cloud. Lots of the usual suspects: Silver Gull, Little Pied Cormorant, Australian Pelican, Eastern Great Egret, Pacific Black Duck, Chestnut Teal, Hardhead, Purple Swamphen, Dusky Moorhen, Superb Fairy-wren, Welcome Swallow and heard several Australian Reed-Warbler. Just getting back into the car when a Buff-banded Rail came out of the reeds onto the roadway 15 metres from the car park. It was very dark so I was shooting with aperture wide open and a slow shutter speed but still got a few reasonable record shots.

Buff-banded Rail, Lake Colac

Wading Birds

2011-08-12T23:32:00.003+10:00

A late afternoon trip into Geelong was extended a little with stops at 13th Beach and Pt Impossible to look for waders (in particular Double-banded Plovers in full breeding plumage and Hooded Plovers) and I was not disappointed.

Double-banded Plover, 13th Beach/Black Rocks

Sometimes, you think they are not taking much notice of you until they look straight down the barrel at you...

Double-banded Plover, 13th Beach/Black Rocks

There were two Hooded Plovers at Pt Impossible just at the river mouth. After wading the river (smart enough to leave the shoes in the car) I got close enough for one reasonable shot. Both appeared to be juveniles, with this one just coming into adult plumage.

Hooded Plover, Pt Impossible

Before I could get a good shot of the second bird, a Pacific Gull landed close-by and both Hoodies and the 20 or so Double-banded and Red-capped Plovers flew off over the river and around the point. The Pacific Gull did pose for a profile shot though.

Pacific Gull, Pt Impossible

Back over the river and heading for the car, one male Red-capped Plover remained on the sand flats among the kelp and seagrass.

Red-capped Plover, Pt Impossible

Egrets at Pt Lonsdale

2011-08-09T15:51:00.004+10:00

My habit of having the camera bag and tripod in the car was rewarded today when passing the Swan Bay wetlands near the corner of Fellows and Murray Roads in Point Lonsdale (see map). This is my usual detour on the way to Queenscliff as it provides excellent views of a shallow branch of Swan Bay including the salt marshes along Murray Road. I noticed a pair of Caspian Terns flying over Swan Bay so pulled up to see if I could get a photograph but, alas, they were too far away and flying off towards Queenscliff by the time I got the camera out. However, it was my good fortune to spot the following "odd couple" on the pond on the opposite side of Fellows Rd.

Little Egret and Eastern Great Egret, Pt Lonsdale

The sky was dark grey with low cloud but this is an advantage when photographing white birds such as egrets because the low contrast allows the detail in the white plumage to be captured.

Eastern Great Egret, Pt Lonsdale

Coolart

2011-08-06T22:18:00.009+10:00

After more than a month with no birding it was good to get out again today with the MELBOCA Photography Group on an outing to Coolart Homestead and Wetlands in Somers (see map). I took the first ferry from Queenscliff to Sorrento, which was early enough to catch sunrise over Port Phillip Bay.

The showery weather arrived as predicted but judicious use of the bird hides enabled us to avoid the worst of it while still getting some shots of ibis, ducks, cormorants and grebes.

Chestnut Teal, Coolart Wetlands

Australian White Ibis, Coolart Wetlands

Hoary-headed Grebe, Coolart Wetlands

Australasian Shoveler, Coolart Wetlands

Little Pied Cormorant, Coolart Wetlands

as well as some bush birds on the Woodland Walk

Little Wattlebird, Coolart Woodland Walk

Noisy Miner, Coolart Homestead

and a pair of Red-capped Plovers on the nearby Balnarring Beach

Red-capped Plover (female), Balnarring Beach

Red-capped Plover (male), Balnarring Beach

A great day with more than 50 species sighted and/or heard. Highlight of the day though was the pair of Wedge-tailed Eagles perched on a dead branch just upriver from the bridge on the track to the beach. A long way off and the light wasn't great but one half decent shot of one eagle in flight.

Wedge-tailed Eagle, Coolart Wetlands

Godwits still at Ocean Grove!

2011-06-28T15:49:00.000+10:00

It's been a while since I looked for them but there were still 10 Bar-tailed Godwits on the Barwon River mudflats in Ocean Grove at low tide this afternoon, two in breeding plumage.

Bar-tailed Godwit, Barwon River estuary, Ocean Grove

WTP at sunset

2011-06-27T23:30:00.000+10:00

On the way home from meetings in Melbourne took the detour to the Western Treatment Plant and got to the Borrow Pits just before sunset

Whistling Kite, Western Treatment Plant

Dusky Moorhen (immature), Western Treatment Plant

Purple Swamphen, Western Treatment Plant

Black-winged Stilt, Western Treatment Plant

Australian Pelican, Western Treatment Plant

Sunset, Western Treatment Plant

Dryandra Woodlands

2011-06-25T23:03:00.006+10:00

Had a quick trip to Perth this week for work and the cheapest flight home was the Sunday morning "red-eye", which gave me the opportunity to visit the Dryandra Woodlands for the first time. Dryandra is approx. 170km SE of Perth (see map). Driving down Highway 30, I got to Jarrahdale State Forest and Midgegoroo National Park just after sunrise and found a flock of Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos high in the trees. Still low light and they were moving around a lot but managed a few shots of this pair

Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Midgegoroo National Park

The road also passes through farmland and the roadside vegetation was full of early morning avian activity with this Brown Falcon a highlight.

Brown Falcon, Wandering-Pingelly Road, WA

It was still early morning when I reached the Dryandra Woodlands

Dryandra Woodlands, WA

Highlights included:

Twenty-eight Parrot, Dryandra Woodlands, WA

Weebill, Dryandra Woodlands, WA

and one for the life-time list:

Rufous Treecreeper, Dryandra Woodlands, WA

On the drive back to Perth I headed out to the coast to visit Point Peron. There was an approaching storm so didn't stay long but there were lots of cormorants, pelicans and gulls flying past the lookout.

Pied Cormorant, Point Peron, WA

Albatross (take 2)

2011-06-19T18:31:00.005+10:00

Following yesterday's sighting of so many albatross, I tried again this afternoon to see if they were closer in shore. Very little activity at the lighthouse but several Black-browed Albatross and Shy Albatross could be seen from Ripview Lookout in Queenscliff (see map). Still a few hundred metres offshore but a great sight.

Black-browed Albatross, Queenscliff

Shy Albatross, Queenscliff

Albatross at Pt Lonsdale

2011-06-18T18:02:00.007+10:00

I had the pleasure of being invited to participate in a MELBOCA Photography Group outing today. Primary targets were albatross at Pt Lonsdale lighthouse. Strong S-SW winds overnight did their job and there were lots of Black-browed Albatross and Shy Albatross to see. Unfortunately, they were a long way off shore and the grey skies and intermittent rain meant that there were not many good photographic opportunities but with binoculars and a scope many of the group did get to see their first albatross.

Shy Albatross, Pt Lonsdale

Closer and more photogenic was this Nankeen Kestrel that can frequently be seen on the lighthouse.

Nankeen Kestrel, Pt Lonsdale Lighthouse

We retreated from the rain to Ocean Grove Nature Reserve (see map) for a quick lunch and a walk around the north western part of the reserve. 30 species sighted/heard but not great for photography - mostly small bush birds at a distance - but an enjoyable walk and great to see such diversity in a small area of bushland. A highlight for many were the several pairs of Flame Robins on the adjacent farmland (a fair distance away and shooting though cyclone wire fence in dull light was a challenge but it was good to see these little birds back)

Flame Robin (male), Ocean Grove Nature Reserve

Ironically, for a bird photography trip, the best photo opportunity for the day was presented by this Black Wallaby

Black Wallaby, Ocean Grove Nature Reserve

Eastern Great Egret at Breamlea

2011-06-03T17:07:00.001+10:00

Breamlea Flora and Fauna Reserve currently has lots of water and attracts a variety of birdlife. Spotted this Eastern Great Egret today

Eastern Great Egret, Breamlea Flora and Fauna Reserve

13th Beach and Lake Connewarre

2011-06-02T20:09:00.000+10:00

A quick walk along 13th Beach at Black Rocks end late this afternoon. A few plovers: 4 Red-capped Plover, 6 Double-banded Plover and 1 Hooded Plover but only one co-operated with my stalking

Double-banded Plover, Black Rocks, 13th Beach

Driving home past Lake Connewarre (just east of the Barwon Heads Airport) as the sun was setting. Lots of swans and ducks on the lake feeding.

Black Swans, Lake Connewarre

Lake Lorne Kites' Conjugal Bliss

2011-06-02T17:33:00.000+10:00

Lake Lorne Reserve in Drysdale (see map) is buzzing with avian activity at the moment. I've been watching a pair of Whistling Kites building a nest for a while now (see previous post) but today they took things a little further...

Whistling Kite, Lake Lorne Reserve, Drysdale

While there I also managed to get a half reasonable shot of a White-plumed Honeyeater - common enough around here but very difficult to photograph as they are constantly moving and when feeding usually hidden among foliage.

White-plumed Honeyeater, Lake Lorne Reserve, Drysdale

...oh, and there are waterbirds there too :-)

Eurasian Coot, Lake Lorne Reserve, Drysdale

Bellarine Peninsula

2011-05-15T19:09:00.005+10:00

Having been away for the last few weeks, it was a joy to get out birding today. The weather was not great - dull, overcast and windy - so just did a quick run around some of the usual spots on the Bellarine Peninsula.

First stop was Lake Lorne in Drysdale. Lots of waterbirds here but difficult to photograph due to poor light so spent time trying to get some of the common bush birds.

Magpie Lark, Lake Lorne Reserve, Drysdale

Several of the gums are in flower so there were a lot of lorikeets around and I managed to find one tree with low hanging flowers so I could photograph the birds from eye-level

Rainbow Lorikeet, Lake Lorne Reserve, Drysdale

It started to drizzle with rain so I headed across the Peninsula for 13th Beach-Black Rocks to check on the waders. Only the usual suspects but they were busy feeding and allowed me to get quite close

Red-necked Stint, 13th Beach

Double-banded Plover, 13th Beach

Red-capped Plover, 13th Beach

Last stop was Pt Henry where a Little Egret was close enough to see some detail in the plumage

Little Egret, Pt Henry

and two Crested Terns held a territorial dispute over a rock

Crested Tern, Pt Henry

Passerine Paradise

2011-04-10T23:38:00.007+10:00

I spent the weekend in central Victoria on a farm adjacent to Kimbolton State Forest near Lake Eppalock. An early morning walk among Grey Box trees revealed a wide range of small passerines. Here are a just a few...

Scarlet Robin, Lyal

Jacky Winter, Lyal

Willie Wagtail, Lyal

Rufous Whistler (female), Lyal

Spotted Pardalote, Lyal

Striated Pardalote, Lyal

Southern Whiteface, Lyal

Varied Sittella, Lyal

Oh, and a few non-avians attracted the camera also

Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Lyal

Newport, Altona and 13th Beach

2011-04-02T22:36:00.006+11:00

I had the pleasure of attending a bird photography workshop run by Paul Randall (check his website wingsonwire.com) this morning at the delightful Newport Lakes Reserve (see map). This is the first time I've been here and it's a fantastic place. It's an old bluestone quarry that has been revegetated, mostly with indigenous flora, and there have now been 100+ bird species seen in the small reserve. Paul's workshop was great and I did manage to get one shot before the session as a pair of Grey Teals followed me around the South Lake.

Grey Teal, Newport Lakes Reserve

I am pleased with this shot, not because it's the best shot of a duck I have but it was early in the morning and overcast so was very dark and the bird was swimming fairly fast and close to me (this is almost full frame). This was shot at 1/30th of a second on 600mm worth of lens (300mm with 2x converter) and it's pretty sharp. I also like the subtle pastel tints in the otherwise grey water.

However, the weather turned for the worse at the end of the session so I opted to head off home via Williamstown and Altona beaches. Driving along The Esplanade at Altona Beach, I noticed a large mixed flock of birds roosting on the rocks just offshore between Cresser and Frazer Reserves (see map) so stopped for a closer look and found Little Pied Cormorant, Silver Gull, Pacific Gull, Crested Tern, Common Tern and Sooty Oystercatcher. I waded out into the shallow water to get closer to the roosting birds and they allowed me to get very close.

Sooty Oystercatcher, Altona Beach

I had to wait more than 10 minutes focussed on this bird, waiting for it to do something moderately interesting. A black bird shot in grey light from behind was not going to make a great photograph but eventually the bird turned its head side on and yawned. A throw away record shot turned into a keeper with a little patience and a tripod (there's no way I could maintain the concentration on the bird with finger on the shutter if hand-holding for 10 minutes and this yawn lasted less than a second).

Several Common Terns allowed me to get as close as the lens I was using would allow and still fit the birds sensibly in the frame.

Common Tern, Altona Beach

On the way home, I stopped at 13th Beach and Black Rocks to see if I could find the Pacific Golden Plovers. No luck with the PGPs but there was no shortage of wading birds with Red-capped Plover, Hooded Plover, Double-banded Plover, Ruddy Turnstone and Red-necked Stint as well as the usual Silver Gull, Pacific Gull and Crested Tern.

The Ruddy Turnstones were feeding on the edge of the sand dunes (something I have not seen before) but were easily spooked by people and dogs walking along the beach, giving a good opportunity for some flight shots

Ruddy Turnstone, 13th Beach

The Red-necked Stints were less easily spooked and remained feeding low on the shore, some with plumage starting to live up to their name.

Red-necked Stint, 13th Beach

North-Central Victoria

2011-03-27T23:00:00.000+11:00

Beautiful sunny day today in north-central Victoria with lots of bush birds active.

Brown Treecreeper, Echuca

Red-rumped Parrot (male), Echuca

White-backed Swallow, Echuca

along with some judicious use of fence posts...

Jacky Winter, Barmah National Park

Blue-faced Honeyeater, Rushworth

Breamlea

2011-03-26T20:21:00.007+11:00

Another dull and windy day but thought I would go in search of the Pacific Golden Plovers at Black Rocks. I had seen them there 6 weeks ago when a few were starting to get breeding plumage but reports from earlier this week suggested they were still there and some were in full plumage. The wind was howling off Bass Strait such that even the gulls were taking shelter

Silver Gull, Black Rocks

There was a small flock of Red-necked Stint and Double-banded Plover further down 13th Beach but no PGPs so I opted to practice some more hand-held flight shots

Great Cormorant, Black Rocks

There was not much else on the beach at Black Rocks so I headed into Breamlea where a flock of Starlings was flying around the saltmarsh on the Nature Conservation Reserve. This is one of the hardest shots to get with a moving flock of small birds at long distance and a detailed background - not the most exotic of birds but happy with this shot.

Common Starling, Breamlea Nature Conservation Reserve

Past Breamlea onto Pt Impossible Road, there were 5 White-faced Herons feeding along the edge of the creek. A bonus of shooting in dull light is the low contrast allows the subtle colours of the saltmarsh to show. The colour gets washed out in bright sunshine.

White-faced Heron, Thompson Creek, Pt Impossible Road

Not much in the way of birds at Pt Impossible but a Nankeen Kestrel did cooperate for a couple of flight shots and even a bit of blue sky :-)

Nankeen Kestrel, Pt Impossible

Godwits still at Barwon River Mouth

2011-03-24T19:20:00.003+11:00

A dull and windy afternoon but needed a break from the desk so took a quick trip down to the mouth of the Barwon River to see if the godwits were still there and yes they were!

Bar-tailed Godwit, Barwon River Mouth, Ocean Grove

Several were developing breeding plumage and these all appeared to be males - smaller birds with shorter bills than females.

Whistling Kites at Lake Lorne

2011-03-20T18:38:00.004+11:00

There is a pair of Whistling Kite nesting at Lake Lorne in Drysdale (view map).

Whistling Kite, Lake Lorne, Drysdale

They were taking turns on the nest this afternoon, while the other one flew around the lake and surrounding farmland giving me some practice at hand holding birds in flight again.

Whistling Kite, Lake Lorne, Drysdale

Western Treatment Plant - Birds not in flight

2011-03-19T23:01:00.010+11:00

Along the way and after the Birds in Flight session, I also got a few others:

Probably the most common bird at the treatment plant but it's always good to find them like this

Welcome Swallow, Western Treatment Plant

Common in most Victorian wetlands but unusually rare at the treatment plant, we found this Dusky Moorhen at the T-Section lagoon 4.

Dusky Moorhen, Western Treatment Plant

Godwits are starting to develop breeding plumage

Bar-tailed Godwit, Western Treatment Plant

By mid afternoon, the wind had dropped to almost nothing creating mirror surface on many ponds giving some great reflections

Little Egret, Western Treatment Plant

I found five species of terns today but the highlight was this lone Little Tern resting on a log

Little Tern, Western Treatment Plant

and one of my perennial favourites, this one giving itself a pedicure

Golden-headed Cisticola, Western Treatment Plant

Western Treatment Plant - Birds in Flight

2011-03-19T22:55:00.008+11:00

Visited the Western Treatment Plant today on a BOCA trip photographing birds in flight. The morning started off cool, overcast and windy - not great for photography but the whole idea was to practice handholding long lenses when shooting birds in flight so any practice is good practice :-)

Did manage a few half reasonable shots (and lots of misses...)

What better bird to practice on...?

Silver Gull, Western Treatment Plant

We were set the challenge of tying to shoot birds with complex background rather than just against a blank sky. I managed a couple of pelican shots:

Australian Pelican, Western Treatment Plant

Another challenge was trying to shoot birds at a distance so they are small in the viewfinder (making it difficult to find them and then keep them in the focus point). Managed to do this with this pair of shelducks. Even though these birds are a long way away and the contrast is quite high showing little detail on the birds, it's tack sharp so I'm quite happy with that!)

Australian Shelduck, Western Treatment Plant

At the end of the session we found the Long-toed Stint that had been here for a few weeks now but moves around among several ponds (helps to be out with the experts!) and managed a few shots - a long way off but good enough to ID the bird and it even showed off it's long toe. First time photographing this species, so thanks JB :-)

Long-toed Stint, Western Treatment Plant

Also got some other birds not in flight (see next post).

Northern Victoria (Part 2)

2011-03-14T23:06:00.013+11:00

Terrick Terrick National Park (view map) is a great place for birds in open woodland and grasslands. By the time I got there it was late morning so not a lot of bird activity but I did get a good walk around and over Mt Terrick Terrick and found this cooperative Galah pair.

Galah (male), Terrick Terrick NP

Galah (female), Terrick Terrick NP

I was tempted to hang around longer but was also keen to get to Lake Meran to check it out since the floods had filled the lake. On the way north, I spotted a group of babblers in the roadside vegetation. I find babblers really difficult to photograph as they are almost constantly moving but this one cooperated for a few seconds while trying to extract insects from under the bark on this branch.

Grey-crowned Babbler, Boort-Kerang Road

Lake Meran is a small permanent freshwater lake (well it used to be until the drought for the last decade) between Boort and Kerang (view map). Floods earlier this year and continuing recent rains have filled the lake

Lake Meran

A lot of farmland is still covered with water and many of the roads around the Lake and nearby Leaghur State Park are closed still with water covering the road. Photographically accessible birdlife on the lake was limited as much of the activity was taking place in the offshore vegetation and the walking tracks around the lake were under water. However, I did see Nankeen Night-Heron, White-faced Heron, White-necked Heron, Australian White Ibis, Yellow-billed Spoonbill, Pacific Black Duck, Eurasian Coot, Dusky Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Whistling Kite, Peregrine Falcon. Sadly, there were very few bush birds active (probably courtesy of the Peregrine Falcon) with only Australian Magpie, Magpie-lark and Noisy Miner present around the picnic area.

I did manage to see three Great Crested Grebe in more open water.

Great Crested Grebe, Lake Meran

A long weekend in Northern Victoria

2011-03-13T23:47:00.003+11:00

Managed to get out on Sunday and Monday on the long weekend to check out some forests and wetlands that have been revived in the last few months of rain.

I started at Lake Wendouree in Ballarat (view map), which this year is full for the first time in over 10 years and, with so much vegetation close to the shore, the birdlife is within easy viewing and photographic distance. Among the usual suspects: Pacific Black Duck, Mallard, Eurasian Coot, Black Swan, Hoary-headed Grebe, I found a female Musk Duck having a splash bath

Musk Duck, Lake Wendouree, Ballarat

A White-faced Heron was feeding on frogs, apparently oblivious to walkers, joggers and cyclists passing just a few metres away

White-faced Heron, Lake Wendouree, Ballarat

as was a family of Black Swan - 2 adults and 5 almost fully grown cygnets, feeding on the surface weed

Black Swan, Lake Wendouree, Ballarat

I was intending to stop at Cairn Curran Reservoir but it started to bucket down with rain just as I arrived in Newstead so I opted for a pie and drink at the Newstead General Store (always try and contribute to the local economy...) and instead headed for Muckleford State Forest as at least driving slowly through the forest is more pleasant than highway driving in the rain. As I arrived at the Muckleford Nature Conservation Reserve at the north-western end of Pullans Road (near Gower - see map), the rain stopped and sun broke through so I was out of the car and into the forest only to immediately retreat to the car for the insect repellant to at least try to reduce the mosquito feeding frenzy.

Muckleford Nature Conservation Reserve

There were lots of birds calling in the canopy including Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Yellow-tufted Honeyeater, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Crimson Rosella, Galah but the tall trees and backlight made photography difficult. However, one Eastern Yellow Robin obliged by landing on a branch nearby

Eastern Yellow Robin, Muckleford NCR

and some persistence allowed me to get close enough for an ID shot of this White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike - heavily cropped but first time I have photographed this species :-)

White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Muckleford NCR

but the highlight of this stop was not a bird - this Yellow-footed Antechinus was climbing a tree trunk about 40 metres away (photographs again heavily cropped). It's highly unusual to see dasyurids during the daytime (though this species is supposed to be more diurnal than most) and I can't believe I spotted it - I suppose it helps when your eyes are tuned to detect movement.

Yellow-footed Antechinus, Muckleford NCR

...to be continued

Hybrid Lorikeets

2011-03-12T19:23:00.005+11:00

Never discount your own front or back yard as a place to view and photograph birds. We were greeted early this morning by a family of lorikeets in a tree in our front yard. We get Rainbow Lorikeet here frequently but closer inspection of this little group indicated they were hybrids - most likely Rainbow/Scaly-breasted Lorikeet.

Possible hybrid Lorikeets, Ocean Grove

All four birds had different plumage but were clearly neither Rainbow or Scaly-breasted Lorikeet. I didn't manage to get any good photographs of the adults as all four birds remained under the canopy of the tree making photography difficult with low light, backlighting and branches in the way and the adults came and went all day only returning for short periods to feed the juveniles.

However, the juveniles hung around all day and I managed to get a few reasonable shots (albeit slightly blurry due to slow shutter speed):

Hybrid Lorikeet (juvenile), Ocean Grove

I have seen hybrid Lorikeets before (see report from Ricketts Point from October 2010) but never around home.

Godwits at Barwon River Mouth

2011-03-10T20:32:00.004+11:00

Driving across the bridge from Barwon Heads to Ocean Grove early this evening and noticed large flocks of shore birds roosting on the spit at the mouth of the Barwon River (View Map) so I pulled over for a closer look.

There were hundreds of Red-necked Stint sheltering from the wind among the seaweed and along with them several Double-banded Plover and Red-capped Plover. Further along the beach was a large flock of Silver Gull with a few Crested Tern and Pacific Gull along with 200+ Bar-tailed Godwits, some developing breeding plumage. Most were resting with heads turned away from the wind so I was able to crawl up relatively close without disturbing them.

Bar-tailed Godwit, mouth of the Barwon River

Mud Islands

2011-02-26T23:08:00.005+11:00

My wife and I spent a wonderful day on a BayBOCA trip to Mud Islands. Our first time there and it won't be the last. Mud Islands are east of Queenscliff and north of Sorrento in Port Phillip Bay (see map).

Beach walking on Mud Islands

One of the highlights of the walk around the islands was seeing the Pelican creche on one of the inner lagoons.

Australian Pelican, Mud Island

In addition to the creche, Australian Pelicans could be seen resting and preening all over the lagoon.

Australian Pelican, Mud Islands

There are extensive sand banks on the north and west shores providing feeding grounds for a wide range of waders. I managed to see Red-capped Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Double-banded Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Red Knot, Great Knot, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit, Australian Pied Oystercatcher, Sooty Oystercatcher and, of course, Red-necked Stints

Red-necked Stint, Mud Islands

This bird came very close while I was photographing a juvenile Australasian Gannet resting on the sandbank

Australasian Gannet (juvenile), Mud Islands

This Red Knot also allowed fairly close approach. It's amazing how close you can get to these birds with some patience and staying low.

Red Knot, Mud Islands

...and it was not all birds. An Australian Fur Seal was sun baking on the sand banks as we walked back along the beach

Australian Fur Seal, Mud Islands

On the way back to Sorrento, we passed by one of the channel markers with it's small colony of Australasian Gannets. It was great to see them close up, including more juveniles and some late season downy chicks, but difficult to photograph, hand holding a long lens while jostling for position with 30+ eager birdwatchers on a moving boat...

Australasian Gannet, Channel Marker, Port Phillip Bay

A brilliant day. Thanks to Tania and BayBOCA.

WTP Again

2011-02-24T22:00:00.004+11:00

Another trip to Melbourne and another detour to the WTP on the way home. It was late afternoon and I was hoping to get there in time for pre-sunset bird activity.

The bonus was there were LOTS of birds actively feeding and finding roosting sites (wasn't formally counting but estimate 30+ species in 45 minutes from Beach Road to the Bird Hide along the coast and back along Lake Borrie).

The downside was clouds came in making it prematurely dark so photography was difficult.

The highlight was this pair of Cape Barren Geese aggressively defending a small mound (just north of the bridge over the Lake Borrie outlet) from gulls, pelicans, ravens and even a Willie Wagtail.

Cape Barren Goose, Western Treatment Plant

Western Treatment Plant

2011-02-20T23:55:00.002+11:00

A took a short trip to the WTP on the way home from Melbourne this afternoon and I was immediately rewarded with a great viewing of several Common Terns feeding in the ponds just inside the Beach Road gate.

Common Tern, Western Treatment Plant

I was really after the Gull-billed Tern that had been reported earlier in the week. There were several tern species roosting on the rocks near the Beach Road boat ramp but no Gull-billed Tern and too far away for good photography. I drove the entire beach section from Beach Road to Little River back around Lake Borrie but dipped on the Gull-billed Tern...maybe next time.

Went back to Austin Road to see if I could find the Stilt Sandpiper that was still being reported as present last week on the rocks on the northern side of T-Section lagoon. Several Common Greenshank but no Stilt Sandpiper. However, did see a flock of 20+ Plumed Whistling Duck.

Plumed Whistling Duck, Western Treatment Plant

Couldn't get any closer before they flew away so continued on around T-Section Lagoons and found more Common Greenshank

Common Greenshank, Western Treatment Plant

but still no Stilt Sandpiper. Was just about to give up and head home when the sun peeped out from under the clouds giving a lovely soft evening glow to the Royal Spoonbills feeding and preening close by

Royal Spoonbill, Western Treatment Plant

and stayed long enough for some close-ups of a singing Golden-headed Cisticola.

Golden-headed Cisticola, Western Treatment Plant

Chicks and Ducks

2011-02-14T22:19:00.001+11:00

Quick visit to Jerringot Wetlands in Belmont Common, Geelong (View Map) this evening on my way home from Geelong. A Chestnut Teal family was close by the road and not scared off by me getting out of the car, camera and tripod in hand.

Chestnut Teal (female), Jerringot Wetlands

Chestnut Teal (male), Jerringot Wetlands

Chestnut Teal, Jerringot Wetlands

While watching the antics of the ducklings all trying to get and maintain some space on this little island, a pair of Purple Swamphens and their five chicks appeared from the vegetation right in front of me. These two remained in view for about ten minutes but only briefly stepped into the sun.

Purple Swamphen, Jerringot Wetlands

Forest and Beach at Cape Otway

2011-02-13T23:25:00.006+11:00

Spent the afternoon at Cape Otway, specifically around Blanket Bay (View Map). Access is from Cape Otway Lighthouse Road, which runs south from The Great Ocean Road approx. 20 km west of Apollo Bay. Turn left onto Blanket Bay Road and follow the signs to Blanket Bay Camping Ground.

First stop was on Blanket Bay Road where it re-enters the Great Otway National Park

at a bridge over a small creek running through wet sclerophyll forest

Within 15 minutes here, I had seen: Silvereye, White-throated Treecreeper, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Red Wattlebird, Laughing Kookaburra, Pied Currawong, Eastern Yellow Robin, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Crimson Rosella, Bassian Thrush, Red-browed Finch, Grey Fantail. In tall forest, the birds are mostly too far away to photograph successfully but the ubiquitous Superb Fairy-wren is usually closeby roadsides and walking tracks.

Superb Fairy-wren (male), Blanket Bay Road, Cape Otway

Superb Fairy-wren (female), Blanket Bay Road, Cape Otway

I also heard White-browed Scrubwren among the bracken along the creek and Pallid Cuckoo and Australian King Parrot high in the treetops but it took another 20 minutes to find them. They stayed a long way from me (so photographs are heavily cropped).

White-browed Scrubwren, Blanket Bay Road, Cape Otway

Pallid Cuckoo, Blanket Bay Road, Cape Otway

Australian King Parrot (male and female), Blanket Bay Road, Cape Otway

I continued on to Blanket Bay

Blanket Bay, Cape Otway

where there was very little bird life on the beach - only a few Silver Gulls. There were, however, many Crested Terns and Great Cormorants on the small rock islands a few hundred metres offshore.

Welcome Swallows were roosting on sign posts at the western end of the beach and juveniles allowed a close approach.

Welcome Swallow (juvenile), Blanket Bay, Cape Otway

On the way back along Cape Otway Lighthouse Road, I stopped to photograph several koalas in trees along the roadside. No, they're not birds but who can resist? Lots of males calling even in broad daylight.

Koala, Cape Otway

Black Rock Shorebirds

2011-02-10T22:52:00.006+11:00

Had an early evening trip to 13th Beach and Black Rocks (View Map) and was rewarded with gulls, terns and several small waders. The light wasn't great for photography with a grey overcast prematurely darkening the sky but here are a few...

Several Crested Terns fishing offshore behind the breaking surf were too far out for photographs but a lone Caspian Tern cruised back and forth along the shore.

Caspian Tern, 13th Beach

There were hundreds of Silver Gulls resting above the high tide mark, along with three Ruddy Turnstones, but this bird stood alone near the water's edge.

Silver Gull, 13th Beach

As I walked west towards Black Rock, several Red-capped Plovers and Red-necked Stints were busily feeding along the water's edge. Closer to the rocks at the end of the beach, a female Red-capped Plover spent 2-3 minutes attracting me up the beach quickly running away from me then back towards me interspersed with 'broken wing' performances

Red-capped Plover, Black Rock

At the end of the beach, 30+ Pacific Golden Plovers were sheltering among the rocks. This is the first time I have seen this species here.

Pacific Golden Plover, Black Rock

Several (at least 3) showed partial breeding plumage:

Pacific Golden Plover, Black Rock

Low Tide at Point Impossible

2011-02-06T16:31:00.008+11:00

Had another attempt at wading birds at Point Impossible (view map) this morning and was not disappointed. There were several flocks of small waders feeding on the exposed sand flats around the mouth of Thompson Creek and sheltering among the weed higher on the beach.

Mostly Red-necked Stint

Red-necked Stint, Pt Impossible

but a few Red-capped Plover and a single Double-banded Plover in intermediate plumage.

Double-banded Plover, Pt Impossible

There were lots of Pacific Gull, Silver Gull and Crested Tern flying around and resting on rocks and sand flats but this immature Pacific Gull seemed intrigued by my presence, walking in a large circle around me while I knelt in the shallow water photographing the stints and plovers.

Pacific Gull (immature, year 2), Pt Impossible

My main interest here was in finding Hooded Plover. Another birdo and I thought we spotted one on the other side of the creek so waded across for a closer look but no luck finding it. With increasing canine and human activity on the beach at the creek mouth, I decided to try my luck around the point and walked west towards Torquay. Just at the "Nude Beach" sign (fortunately no nudists today - it can be awkward walking along here with a camera and binoculars!) I spotted one Hoody at the bottom of the dunes.

Hooded Plover, Pt Impossible

For anyone interested, it was banded and tagged:

The weather was turning for the worse with rain approaching from the west but I couldn't resist trying for the Great Cormorant sitting on the reef about 200 metres offshore. Getting close enough meant either walking out along the reef, which would have scared away the bird (I find this species to be the most flighty of the cormorants and usually struggle to get closer than 30-40 metres) or wading directly out towards the reef. So, footwear removed, off I went into the water and managed to get close enough for this shot just after a second bird landed immediately behind the one I was stalking.

Great Cormorant, Pt Impossible

The light was gone and drizzly rain started so I made my way back to shore, found my sandals (now covered in damp sand blown down the beach) and hiked it back to the car, wet from above and below but thrilled with two hours well spent at one of my favourite wader spots :-)

Portarlington

2011-01-30T23:08:00.007+11:00

Not the best day for birding today with the temperature hovering above 40°C for most of the afternoon. However, low tide late in the afternoon on the beaches along The Esplanade in Portarlington (View Map) provided a few opportunities for observing gulls and terns resting on the stony sandflats with many juveniles present. The Crested Terns were particularly cooperative...

Crested Tern, Portarlington

While there, a small group of Ruddy Turnstones arrived.

These little birds are great to watch as they roll over stone after stone looking for food.

Ruddy Turnstone, Portarlington

Little Corellas at St Leonards

2011-01-28T17:09:00.003+11:00

A quick lunchtime trip around the Bellarine Peninsula today and I discovered (not hard given the amount of noise they were making) a flock of Little Corellas at St Leonards Lake Reserve (View Map). It was difficult to count numbers as they were scattered among the eucalypts on both sides of the lake but I estimate 200-300 birds. I have seen one or two Little Corella here previously but never in these numbers. I suspect they've flown south because of the floods inland.

Little Corella, St Leonards Lake

Western Treatment Plant

2011-01-26T19:18:00.008+11:00

It has been two months since I've been out birding due to work and family commitments and having spent the last two weeks overseas reading reports every day of rare shorebirds at the Western Treatment Plant, there was only one place to go.

Started at Western Lagoon where there had been reports of Long-toed Stint and Stilt Sandpiper. Did get to see the Long-toed Stint thanks to several other birdos with spotting scopes but too far away for even a record photograph. Dipped on the SS so went over to T-Section for a look only to find that the party had moved to Austin Road...

...so back in the car and drove around to the other side of the pond to see what the attraction was and, sure enough, the Stilt Sandpiper was there, close to the shore.

Stilt Sandpiper, Western Treatment Plant

While there, a single Pectoral Sandpiper landed nearby.

Pectoral Sandpiper, Western Treatment Plant

Couldn't get very close with so many observers there but close enough for record shots of two lifers for the day!

Did, however, get close enough to some of the more common birds:

Red-necked Stint, Western Treatment Plant

Golden-headed Cisticola, Western Treatment Plant

Shorebirds at Breamlea

2010-11-06T18:29:00.015+11:00

Another beautiful day in paradise today so I rose early and headed on a shorebird hunt.

One of my favourite spots for plovers and other small shorebirds is Point Impossible between Breamlea and Torquay (see map). There are at least two pairs of Hooded Plover that frequent the beaches either side of the mouth of Thompson Creek along with (seasonal) mixed flocks of Red-necked Stint, Double-banded Plover and Red-capped Plover.

I arrived there early and scanned the beaches in both directions but nothing but gulls :-(

Heading back along Point Impossible Road there's a spot where the road is very close to the bend in Thompson Creek and a flicker of white caught my eye on the creek bank so I pulled over for a closer look. A single Common Greenshank was feeding about 400 metres upstream but I was almost due west of the bird and looking directly into the sun so shooting from here was not going to be much use. Tripod over my shoulder, I crossed the creek (only just over knee deep at low tide) and slowly stalked the bird from the other side, hoping to get close enough to get the sun side-lighting the bird and close enough for at least a good record shot, never having seen this species here before. I got to within about 150 metres and sat on the sandy bank (another good reason to cross the river - the south bank is sandy with dune sand blowing inland, the north bank is mud) to let the bird settle (it had started to get twitchy as I approached). I soon realised that it was not me that was making the bird nervous as two small terriers ran along the shore from the opposite direction barking at each other and the bird flew up stream away from me. Ah well...back to the car.

As the tide was out and Thompson Creek is tidal almost all the way up its length, I drove into Breamlea and parked at the end of Horwood Drive where it meets the creek, just in case the Greenshank had landed on the mudflats further upstream. No Greenshank but there was a pair of Whimbrel a long way upstream.

Whimbrel, Thompson Creek, Breamlea

Stalking them proved fruitless as wading birds obviously have a considerably higher foot surface area to body mass ratio than humans so are much better adapted at walking on the sandy mud flats of the creek than I am. They were not particularly concerned about me but were walking upstream as they fed and the further we walked, the further away they got so I stopped, lowered the tripod and knelt down in a sandy(ish) spot hoping they would come back my way and get close enough for some good shots.

As I waited, three Red-capped Plover landed on the sandy bank about 50 metres away from me so I slowly crept up on them on two knees and three tripod feet until I was close enough to one of them

Red-capped Plover, Thompson Creek, Breamlea

...and as I was about to try and get even closer, a Common Greenshank flew over me and landed in the creek on the other side of the sand bank.

Common Greenshank, Thompson Creek, Breamlea

No idea if it was the same bird I saw downstream half an hour earlier but highly likely. The two Whimbrel never came back.

So, dipped at Point Impossible but very happy with the morning...muddy knees and feet and all.

Royal Park

2010-11-05T22:30:00.010+11:00

Meetings in Melbourne most of the day today but finished early so had an hour to kill before picking up my son from University of Melbourne.

The Melbourne suburb of Parkville has some great places for walking and birding. Royal Park is a favourite as the combination of a range of habitats and proximity to the Royal Melbourne Zoo attracts a wide range of birds. The Trin Warren Tam-boore Wetlands in the north western section of Royal Park (next to Manningham Street - see map) have been created to collect and treat storm water run-off and are a great place to find water and bush birds.

Australian Reed Warbler were calling from the reeds all over the wetlands and several species of honeyeater were active (New Holland, White-plumed, Red Wattlebird) but were too far away or in the wrong locations to get good shots.

However, this Pacific Black Duck landed and started to have a splash bath right in front of me.

Pacific Black Duck, Royal Park

Sometimes the common birds give me the greatest pleasure :-)

Jerringot Wetlands

2010-10-31T18:04:00.005+11:00

What do you do when it's windy, cold and raining and you don't feel well? Of course, go birding!

In weather conditions like today, the best (and probably only) places to look for birds are in wetlands or the sea so I chose the more protected option and headed for Jerringot Wetlands, between Barwon Heads Road and Barwon Valley Golf Course in Belmont Common, Geelong (see map) and is usually a good spot for a range of waterbirds.

Spring has sprung at Jerringot with many birds nesting or with young. This clutch of Black Swan cygnets were huddled together on what was presumably their original nest site in the middle of the lake.

Black Swan cygnets, Jerringot Wetlands

These two grebe chicks were swimming around by themselves with no adults in sight. I think they are Australasian Grebe but it's difficult to distinguish them from Hoary-headed Grebe at this age.

Australasian Grebe juveniles, Jerringot Wetlands

Lorikeets and Terns at Ricketts Point

2010-10-27T23:39:00.012+11:00

Travelling interstate and overseas for work for the last 5 weeks, I have been reading with envy the postings from many Melbourne birdos reporting the various species of terns frequenting the beaches of Beaumaris and Mordialloc.

So, it was with some anticipation that I visited both locations this afternoon on a brief trip to Melbourne. First stop Mordialloc jetty and no luck - plenty of terns but all Crested Tern on both north and south sides of jetty. Better luck at the second stop at Ricketts Point in Beaumaris (access to Ricketts Point is from Beach Road just NW of the intersection with Reserve Road - see map).

There were approx. 200 Crested Tern on and around the rock platform.

Crested Tern, Ricketts Point, Beaumaris

Among the largest group was a single "odd one out" that is either an Arctic Tern or Common Tern. Unfortunately, the mid afternoon sun was not in the best position for viewing or photographing this bird and the whole flock was scared off by a dog before I could try and approach it any closer. In flight, the bird did appear to have the Arctic Tern's distinctive black tips to primaries.

Stop Press 28 Oct:
I've had some offline feedback that it might be a White-fronted Tern - which I now think it is based on the head (minimal dark colour in front of the eye) and wing plumage - happy to be convinced otherwise though :-)

Which Tern? Ricketts Point, Beaumaris

I hung around for another 20 minutes in the hope that the terns would return to the same reef but, alas, no...

On leaving the car park, I heard lorikeets across Beach Road and as there had been a report of a pair of Scaly-breasted Lorikeets earlier in the week, I stopped for a closer investigation. There were at least 10 Rainbow Lorikeets (difficult to count exact numbers as they were in almost continuous movement within and among the Coast Banksia trees).

Rainbow Lorikeet, Ricketts Point, Beaumaris

There was a Scaly-breasted Lorikeet among the Rainbows

Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Ricketts Point, Beaumaris

but the bird it spent most time with appeared to be neither a Rainbow or Scaly-breasted, appearing to have hybrid features of both: the blue head but duller than Rainbow and scaly breast as well as back.

Hybrid Rainbow and Scaly-breasted Lorikeet?

I have not seen this before so any ideas appreciated.

Queenscliff Boat Ramp

2010-09-14T18:21:00.002+10:00

Queenscliff, on the Bellarine Peninsula, offers a range of birding possibilities including the mudflats and salt marshes of Swan Bay, the marina and ferry terminal, beaches, coastal scrub and parks. View Map

I was in the car park at the Queenscliff boat ramp (at the northern end of Hesse St, past the railway terminal) today watching gulls and terns playing musical poles on the mooring poles just offshore when this Little Black Cormorant landed 4 metres away from me and was not the least concerned when I went back to the car and returned camera in hand (literally - this was shot hand-held with a 28-200 zoom lens - I couldn't get far enough away to use anything longer).

Little Black Cormorant, Queenscliff

I suspect that it (along with many other birds frequenting the area - particularly gulls, terns and pelicans) is habituated to people at the boat ramp with bait and fish scraps.

A weekend in the Mallee

2010-09-12T23:07:00.021+10:00

With all of the recent rain and Spring having sprung, I decided to head north for the weekend to check out the Mallee Parks with a hope to see as many parrot species as possible.

First stop was Goschen Bushland Reserve, a remnant mallee and grassland oasis surrounded by farmland about 20km west of Lake Boga View Map. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate as a heavy cloud cover stayed around all morning but I did see Eastern Rosella, Galah, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Red-rumped Parrot and Blue Bonnet.

Blue Bonnet, Goschen Bushland Reserve

So, off to Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (View Map) where I set up camp at Lake Hattah campground (Lake Hattah is full with water right up to the edge of the campground!) then drove up Mournpall Track, which passes through a range of habitats, each worth investigating but, with limited time available, I restricted myself to parrot-friendly places - the best are usually those with old trees with hollows. Approx. 6km north of the visitor centre, the road passes through an area of open grassland with a grove of River Red Gums on the edge of the lake. Within 5 minutes at this site, I had seen Galah, Little Corella, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Regent Parrot and Mallee Ringneck.

Regent Parrot, Hattah-Kulkyne NP

Mallee Ringneck, Hattah-Kulkyne NP

Back at the campsite as dusk was arriving and I was preparing dinner it was feeding time for this juvenile Yellow Rosella as well:

Yellow Rosella, Hattah-Kulkyne NP

Next morning, I ate breakfast with Apostlebird and White-winged Chough and one Australian Raven marauding around the picnic table but it was still too dark for any decent photographs (sometimes it's good to just sit and watch).

A quick pack up and off to Wyperfeld National Park View Map. On arriving at the Casuarina Campground in the Northern section of Wyperfeld, there was a small flock of Major Mitchell's Cockatoo chasing each other around the sheoaks. They were only there for about 5 minutes but enough time for a few photos.

Major Mitchell's Cockatoo, Wyperfeld NP

So, a total of 1402 km travelled for 10 parrot species in one and a half days including first time photographs of Regent Parrot - not a bad weekend. Hope to be back soon :-)

____________________

PS...just to show it was not a parrot only weekend, one lifer for me:

Shy Heathwren, Wyperfeld NP

2 birds found in Mallee scrub approx. 50 m off the James Barrett Nature Drive directly opposite start of Dattuck Track (access from Wonga Campground in the Southern section of Wyperfeld NP).

Bush birds by the beach, Ocean Grove

2010-09-09T15:47:00.007+10:00

The Ocean Grove Spit is a 2 km long sand dune complex that separates Bass Strait from the Barwon River Estuary View Map. The dunes are covered in coastal scrub consisting mainly of Leptospermum, Kunzea and Acacia.

A short walk along the river side at lunchtime today revealed thornbills, silvereyes and fairy wrens highly active amongst the flowering Kunzea and Acacia bushes.

Silvereye, Ocean Grove

Brown Thornbill (juvenile), Ocean Grove

Ripview, Queenscliff

2010-09-08T19:07:00.006+10:00

Ripview, at the end of Hesse St past Victoria Park and Fort Queenscliff, offers an excellent view of the Rip (aka "The Heads"), the entry to Port Philip Bay. View Map

This is a popular site for watching the in- and out-going shipping as well as seabirds.

I visited there briefly today (another lunchtime excursion). There were gulls, terns, cormorants and gannets all fishing offshore and flying past.

Pied Cormorant, Queenscliff

Unfortunately, this site is not as good as it was previously for birdwatching. The removal of the old, rusting storm-water drainpipe and adjacent sign was probably justified for a number of reasons but it was a reliable location for cormorants, gulls and terns.

Pied Cormorant, Queenscliff (March 2009)

Sometimes progress is not always good.

Barwon River Estuary

2010-09-07T18:01:00.015+10:00

The Barwon River forms a broad estuary between Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove. View Map

There are usually gulls, terns, cormorants, ibis, herons, pelicans and ducks on the beaches and mudflats and in the river as well as a range of other birds in the surrounding mangroves, saltmarsh and coastal scrub.

Another quick lunch stop today in one of the turnoffs on the Ocean Grove Spit Riverside camping area (only in use as such over summer) overlooking the estuary and immediately found flock of 24 Royal Spoonbill feeding in the shallows right on the bank approx. 800 metres up river.

Royal Spoonbill, Barwon River Estuary, Ocean Grove

I walked slowly along the riverbank as the spoonbills walked towards me, concentrating on feeding and preening.

Royal Spoonbill, Barwon River Estuary, Ocean Grove

For most birds, it's best to shoot with as close to full front lighting as possible but for white birds like these spoonbills, getting correct exposure is challenging in bright sunny conditions. Back or side lighting can be effective highlighting the subtleties of plumage and, in flight, makes the wings almost translucent. Made no difference here as without wading 200m or more into the river, I was stuck with side lighting anyway. Even backlighting was going to be difficult as the beach is only a few metres wide where the birds were, leaving no room to maneuver.

As I was approaching the flock to try and get some side-lit portraits of individual birds, a walker coming the other way spooked the flock and they flew off, fortunately in my direction, which gave me a few shots of them in flight.

Royal Spoonbill, Barwon River Estuary, Ocean Grove

As usual with wildlife photography, you take what you get, so it was back to the car to finish the sushi lunch (if you're in Ocean Grove make sure to drop in to the Noodle and Sushi Bar across the road from the Post Office) then back home to work.

Pt Lonsdale Lighthouse

2010-09-06T17:21:00.013+10:00

Point Lonsdale forms the western side of the entrance to Port Phillip Bay (affectionately know as "The Rip" or "The Heads"). View Map

The lighthouse is a great spot to view seabirds (and the changing weather).

I took a brief break from work to get some lunch and take the camera for a walk this afternoon. Left home in bright sunshine but, unfortunately, Victoria's reliably fickle coastal weather struck and by the time I got there (10 mins drive) heavy dark cloud had come in creating an eerie light and the promise of yet more precipitation.

Approaching Storm, Pt Lonsdale Lighthouse

Before it started to rain I managed to see one Shy Albatross skimming the waves about 500m offshore

Shy Albatross, Bass Strait, Pt Lonsdale

...precipitation promise fulfilled so ran back to car, grabbed lunch and back to work...shortest birding "trip" for the year - about 12 minutes out of the car...at least the office is warm and dry ;-)

Indented Head

2010-09-03T19:05:00.010+10:00

Indented Head on the Bellarine Peninsula in Victoria is a great place for relatively close-up views of seabirds that frequent Port Phillip Bay. In particular, the boat ramp at the end of McDonald St is in the flight path of many birds moving up and down the bay. View Map

These were two of many that flew past in 30 minutes spent there late this afternoon.

Australasian Gannet, Indented Head

Australian Pelican, Indented Head