A bit of birding in lieu of a pelagic trip

The pelagic birding trip we were booked on today from Port Fairy was postponed due to the weather so I dropped into a few places on the way home to see what I could find.

First stop was the wetlands at the start of the Port Fairy Rail Trail. Several Golden-headed Cisticola were calling from the reeds but they stayed in the centre of the wetland so I couldn't get any closeup shots. This was the best I could do.

Golden-Headed Cisticola, Port Fairy Rail Trail
Pentax K-1, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/4, 1/400

Golden-Headed Cisticola, Port Fairy Rail Trail
Pentax K-1, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/4, 1/500

Three Common Greenshank were feeding along the edge of the Moyne River but only one was close enough for a half decent shot.

Common Greenshank, Moyne River, Port Fairy
Pentax K-1, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/4, 1/1000

I tried Belfast Beach but there were people and dogs along the beach so I didn't bother looking for any birds and headed for Killarney Beach, where I found three of my fellow pelagic-trip refugees and we took a walk along the western end of the beach. We spotted six Hooded Plovers but decided not to approach them too closely as they were fairly skittish. A pair of Kelp Gulls was hanging around on the shore and this one stayed still long enough for a long-distance shot.

Kelp Gull, Killarney Beach
Pentax K-1, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/2000

There were also Sooty Oystercatchers and Australian Pied Oystercatchers flying around.

Sooty Oystercatcher, Killarney Beach
Pentax K-1, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/2000

Australian Pied Oystercatcher, Killarney Beach
Pentax K-1, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/500

Australian Pied Oystercatcher, Killarney Beach
Pentax K-1, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/1250

Lunchtime was beckoning so I grabbed take-away in Warrnambool and went to Thunder Point to eat and watch the avian passers-by. These two Little Ravens sat right next to the car allowing me this shot out of the window.

Little Raven, Thunder Point, Warrnambool
Pentax K-1, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/11, 1/250

The final stop before heading for home was a quick drop-in to Lake Purrumbete just outside of Camperdown. There was very little bird activity on the lake but this Little Pied Cormorant posed for a few shots on a fence post in the middle of a flooded paddock - again shot out of the car window.

Little Pied Cormorant, near Lake Purrumbete
Pentax K-1, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/2500

Ash Island

First day of the BirdLife Photography workshop began with an early morning trip to Ash Island, or Kooragang Wetlands, part of the Hunter Wetlands National Park in the Hunter River estuary. The morning was warm and humid with fog hanging around for the first hour or more.

First thing we noticed was the plethora of spider webs with dew drops glistening in the morning sun.

Ash Island, Newcastle NSW
Photograph courtesy of Joanne Smissen

and a few ducks, including this pair of Pacific Black Duck, cruising around a large pond in the morning mist.

Pacific Black Duck Ash Island, Newcastle NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/400

while these two Pied Butcherbirds yodelled together for about 15 minutes.

Pied Butcherbird Ash Island, Newcastle NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/500

The next bird to stop the convoy was a Whistling Kite perched in a dead tree close to the track.

Whistling Kite, Ash Island, Newcastle NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/2500

Whistling Kite, Ash Island, Newcastle NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/3200

In the meantime, a female Superb Fairy-wren was doing it's best to attract our attention, displaying and chattering at us on the other side of the track.

Superb Fairy-wren (female), Ash Island, Newcastle NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/1250

One of the birds I was hoping to see here was the Mangrove Gerygone so we spent some time walking along the track beside a stand of mangroves searching amongst the foliage for small birds. There was a lot of activity going on in the mangroves and we caught quick glances of finches and fantails and for a few seconds, I spotted this little character--just long enough for one shot. Not the best view of this bird but a lifer for me, even if 'only' a juvenile. It turns out that I was lucky to capture this one as this was the only one I saw for the whole four days.

Mangrove Gerygone (juvenile), Ash Island, Newcastle NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/100

Several other small passerines were spotted among the reeds and other vegetation around the ponds.

Australian Reed-Warbler, Ash Island, Newcastle NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/11 1/200

Golden-headed Cisticola, Ash Island, Newcastle NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/2500

Perhaps the highlight of the day, though, was this tree in the middle of a swamp--a perch shared by White-bellied Sea Eagles and Whistling Kites. We couldn't get any closer without getting very wet and muddy (not to mention damaging the environment but it was great to just stand and watch these majestic birds at a distance.

White-bellied Sea Eagle + Whistling Kite, Ash Island, Newcastle NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/1600

Reedy Lake

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

Another quick visit to the WTP

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

Western Treatment Plant - Birds not in flight

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

I 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

Western Treatment Plant

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