Bartley's Block, Chiltern

Bartley's Block is the site of a gold rush era brewery. While there is very little evidence of the old buildings remaining, the site is great for birdwatching as there are open grassy areas surrounded by mixed Acacia-Eucalypt forest with several dams and boggy areas providing water.

Bartley's Block, Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Pentax 16-50mm f/2.8 @16mm, ISO 800, f/4, 1/640

Again, Superb Fairy-wrens seemed to be everywhere and I found this female collecting spider webs (presumably for nesting).

Superb Fairy-wren (female), Bartley's Block, Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 800, f/8, 1/800

Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters and Noisy Friarbirds were in the trees right near the car park.

Yellow-tufted Honeyeater, Bartley's Block, Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 800, f/8, 1/1250

Noisy Friarbird, Bartley's Block, Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 800, f/8, 1/1600

Noisy Friarbird, Bartley's Block, Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 800, f/8, 1/1600

We spotted a Bronze Cuckoo perched among the foliage high in a tree near the back of the block and, following a lengthy discussion about whether the bars went all the way across the breast or not, we settled on Horsefield's Bronze Cuckoo.

Horsefield's Bronze Cuckoo, Bartley's Block, Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 800, f/8, 1/2500

We found another one (or maybe the same one) an hour or so later in a much better location for photographs

Horsefield's Bronze Cuckoo, Bartley's Block, Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 800, f/8, 1/400

along with a male Mistletoebird in the same tree.

Mistletoebird (male), Bartley's Block, Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 800, f/8, 1/1600

Several species of birds were 'hanging out' in this wattle bush but only the Silvereye and White-eared Honeyeater were photographable.

Silvereye, Bartley's Block, Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 800, f/8, 1/5000

White-eared Honeyeater, Bartley's Block, Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 800, f/8, 1/4000

White-eared Honeyeater, Bartley's Block, Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 800, f/8, 1/4000

A tiny Weebill (Australia's smallest bird) was flitting about the foliage in this box tree. After I got this shot, we realised it was in and out of a nest so we left it alone

Weebill, Bartley's Block, Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 800, f/8, 1/5000

and headed back to Lake Anderson for some more evening shots.