201202_Peach Flat_Christmas Social

Many thanks to Rod and Michele for hosting us at Peach Flat at Briagolong. The lakes and drains are full to the brim. George Creek is aflowing and the boardwalk across to the island and the new hide platform is just above the water line. Thirteen keen birders gathered on a very nice day indeed, relatively sheltered in the valley of The Flat. We walked up the hill then down to the creek then back up the hill, down to the lakes and back to the summer house for morning tea which just plain morphed into lunch, provided by everyone. There was lots of talking with this being our first outing since restrictions were lifted. Gary Wallis, from Welshpool way, was a surprise visitor. We have visitied his properties in SOuth Gippsland several times now. John and Marg do his Bird on Farm quarterly surveys -- to which all are invited. Bird-wise we saw or heard 43 species of which one remained unidentifiable (Jack thought it may have been a Black Kite -- with an almost typical forked tail -- but it was gone too quickly, being pursued by a Magpie-lark. He did recall thinking we had thought we saw a BlK on the last visit) and we heard quite a few Scarlet Honeyeaters -- nothing unusual in that this year! The grass growth over the entire property is impressive so no robins nor many thornbills. The highlights were 3 families of Australasian Grebes, no Hoary-headed Grebes and 3 newly-hathced Eurasian Coots. They are definite examples of hair styles. The grebes are rippers with their severe streaking. Although we didn't see a cuckoo, we heard all 4 species common to these parts. We had an excellent day. Thank you again to Rod and Michele. First outing in 2021 will be on the first Wednesday of February, the third (3rd). 15 Australian Wood Duck -- (1),(2) 2 Pacific Black Duck -- (2) 11 Grey Teal -- (2) 19 Australasian Grebe -- (1),(2)

1 Common Bronzewing -- (1) 2 Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo -- (1),(2) 1 Shining Bronze-Cuckoo -- (2) 1 Pallid Cuckoo -- (1) 1 Fan-tailed Cuckoo -- (2) 9 Eurasian Coot -- (1),(2)

1 Australasian Swamphen -- (2) 1 Masked Lapwing -- (1) 1 White-faced Heron -- (2)

1 Laughing Kookaburra -- (1) 1 Sacred Kingfisher -- (1) 2 Galah -- (1) 2 Sulphur-crested Cockatoo -- (1) 1 Australian King-Parrot -- (2) 2 White-throated Treecreeper -- (1),(2) 2 Superb Fairywren -- (1) 1 Lewin's Honeyeater -- (1) 5 Yellow-faced Honeyeater -- (1) 1 Red Wattlebird -- (1) 5 Scarlet Honeyeater -- (1),(2) 1 Spotted Pardalote -- (2) 1 Striated Pardalote -- (2) 3 Brown Thornbill -- (1) 1 Yellow-rumped Thornbill -- (2) 1 Black-faced Cuckooshrike -- (2) 1 Eastern Whipbird -- (1) 1 Grey Shrikethrush -- (1) 1 Golden Whistler -- (1) 1 Rufous Whistler -- (1) 1 Olive-backed Oriole -- (1) 2 Australian Magpie (White-backed) -- (1) 1 Magpie-lark 3 Pied Currawong -- (1) 1 Willie Wagtail -- (1) 7 Grey Fantail -- (1) 1 Eastern Yellow Robin -- (1) 2 Australian Reed Warbler -- (2) 1 Grassbird 4 Welcome Swallow -- (1) 1 unidentified raptor (perhaps Black Kite)