170215_Lakes Entrance Pelagic and Lunch at The Beacons

Commiserations to Jim who missed today's outing due to a personal encounter of his car with a kangaroo near Startford on his way to the rendezvous point at Lakes Entrance. Despite his absence, Jack had still over-catered with the numbers and, as Skipper Pete's boat was licensed for 12 passengers, he walked around to Nancy's place, "The Beacons" at New Works collecting 33 species on the way.

Goodbyes are so hard.

The others cruised to Flanagan Island, did a lap of Rigby Island, landed at the Barrier and walked across to the Southern Ocean, checked out the Entrance and were back at Nancy's for lunch at about noon with ... 33 species under their belt[s]. John and Pam headed off straight away to do a Shorebird 2020 survey at Glasshouse whilst the other initiate, Reuben, stayed for lunch. Highlights of the day were White-bellied Sea-eagle, Musk Duck and Sooty Oystercatchers on the boat and a pair of Eastern Whipbirds in Nancy's back garden after lunch. Following images courtesy of John Hutchison.

Great Cormorant

Sooty Oystercatcher

Musk Duck

Crested Tern

Australian Pied Oystercatcher. Immature left, adult right.

Her two dogs were looking slightly hungry as we watched a family of magpies steal the dog's crunchy food.

Dad [right], mum [centre], the begging youngster on his/her fifth biscuit [left]

The weather was perfect with little breeze, a few clouds and nice, warm sun. Thank you to Nancy for the use of her summer vacation residence.

161207_Sale Lakes and Common_Christmas Social

Fifteen birdos [welcome to Leonie, Sue and Veronica] gathered between Lakes Guthridge and Guyatt in Sale and had a great morning of birding. We slowly walked around Lake Guyatt. Val showed us into the Powder Magazine and we completed our circuit with morning tea and thirty-seven species. Both lakes were full to brimming, the Freckled Duck were all gone, highlights were Latham's Snipe in Flooding Creek, a Pacific Koel calling in the distance and Striated Roulettes.

Part two was a walk to the Rifle Butts from the Cox's Bridge carpark. Two pairs of nesting Olive-backed Orioles held up two sections of the group for ten minutes of observation and use of the scope to really visualise the beauty of these birds. Down at the Rifle Butts and further along at the water trough near the Whistling Kite nests, we saw nesting Yellow-billed Spoonbills, nesting Striated Pardalotes working hard to feed their brood, a Leaden Flycatcher and heard and saw a Fan-tailed Cuckoo and a Shining Bronze-cuckoo. Thirty-two species in all with fifteen additional ones to Part One so 52 altogether.

We then adjourned to a BBQ at the Botanic Gardens and plenty of laughter and story telling and plans for next year both HBW and personal. It was a great day. A big thank you to Ross for the images below.

We decided to miss a January outing so there will be 11 outings next year. Have a healthy Christmas time.

Australian Reed-Warbler Acrocephalus australis

Yellow-billed Spoonbills nesting Platalea flaviceps

Leaden Flycatcher, female Myiagra rubecula

160601_Stockdale Briagolong

Wednesday 01 June 2016 was a bee-ay-you-tif-ul day. Sunny, warm, no wind at all, just right and ripe for bird watching. Fourteen birders gathered at Stratford and Peter led the way to a Trust For Nature block near his house. We had a walk around the block, a third of which had been recently burnt, and saw 22 species -- Scarlet Robins, Yellow-rumped, Brown and Yellow Thornbills, Eastern Spinebills, White-eared Honeyeaters [right in your face easily seen atop sticks -- ticks for some], Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Little and Australian Ravens overhead and morning tea which finished about 11.45!

We then drove north up the Stockade Road to Berrys Road and birded down a side track viewing a very cold Red-bellied Black Snake in the shade of a fall tree plus lifer bird for Heather and Cathy, five Gang-Gang Cockatoos in a tree by the track. Lunch on the track yielded a pair of Crescent Honeyeaters plus Silvereyes, Musk Lorikeets and Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters. Twenty-two species here and 35 for the day. It was a great day. Thanks to Pete. Images by Cathy.