Musk Lorikeets in Ocean Grove

Several species of eucalypts are coming into flower in Ocean Grove creating a haven for honeyeaters and parrots, in particular Swift Parrots and several species of lorikeets. I was driving home from the post office at lunchtime when a flock of lorikeetish birds of indeterminate species flew across the road and landed in a small grove of trees in a side street. I (very briefly) considered continuing on but, as I had the camera in the back of the car, did a quick U-turn, parked and unpacked the camera. By the time I got the camera out of the car, I had identified the birds as Musk Lorikeets and I then went looking for a suitable location to catch them in the viewfinder. Not ideal shooting conditions in the middle of the day but, fortunately, the sky was light overcast which meant a reduction in harsh shadows, though looking up into trees made viewing heavily backlit.

Despite eucalypt flowers being mostly on the outside of the clusters of leaves, this is the usual view I seem to get of nectar-feeding birds

Musk Lorikeet, Ocean Grove

However, this individual eventually exposed itself more photogenically for a few seconds...

Musk Lorikeet, Ocean Grove

Musk Lorikeet, Ocean Grove

...and then they were gone.

Long weekend in Central Victoria - Day 3

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

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

Heathcote

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