210303_Willung and Rosedale

Our first site was just below the Willung Hall on the Merrimans Creek where 11 of us gathered and, despite a tiny bit of mist, split into 3 groups and birded the three roads out from the intersection. It was a pretty good site with 29 species being noted. There were heaps of Red Wattlebirds and Yellow-faced Honeyeaters plus a flyby of a flock of about 20 Musk Lorikeets. One group had an involved discussion on cataracts and bird identification by eye and ear. We headed off to Rosedale and had morning tea at the park with the statue of Patrobus on the main street. (What year did Patrobus win the Melbourne Cup?)

We then walked across town to Mill Lane and took the footpath to Willow Park crossing the Latrobe River by the footbridge. Lots of blackberries meant lots of small birds. A Brown Goshawk was seeing off a Wedge-tailed Eagle at 500 metres high (eventually gave up and glided away) and a White-necked Heron was trying to see off a European Carp in a rapidly drying pool (we left before the result). Back in town, after indulging in a bit of apple scrumping, we had lunch and that was it for the day. 39 species, a good bag.

Merton Vale Road

White-bellied Sea-Eagle  1
Laughing Kookaburra  4
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo  4
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo  21
Australian King-Parrot  10
Crimson Rosella  11
Eastern Rosella  1
Musk Lorikeet  12
Rainbow Lorikeet  6
White-throated Treecreeper  1
Superb Fairywren  14
Eastern Spinebill  1
Yellow-faced Honeyeater  21
Red Wattlebird  43
Spotted Pardalote  3
Striated Pardalote  1
Brown Thornbill  6
Yellow-rumped Thornbill  12
Black-faced Cuckooshrike  3
Grey Shrikethrush  3
Rufous Whistler  3
Olive-backed Oriole  1
Grey Butcherbird  1
Australian Magpie (White-backed)  5
Pied Currawong  1
Grey Fantail  3
Little Raven  6
Eastern Yellow Robin  1
Silvereye  10
Common Myna  2
Red-browed Finch  12

Willow Park

White-necked Heron  1
Straw-necked Ibis  5
Wedge-tailed Eagle  2
Brown Goshawk  1
Whistling Kite  1
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo  1
Rainbow Lorikeet  2
Superb Fairywren  8
Yellow-faced Honeyeater  4
Spotted Pardalote  1
Brown Thornbill  2
Yellow Thornbill  5
Grey Shrikethrush  1
Australian Magpie (White-backed)  5
Silvereye  20
Common Starling  30
Common Myna  2
Red-browed Finch  2
European Goldfinch  1

210203_Strathfieldsaye Estate _BLEG Birds on Farms

Nine HBWers met at the main agte at the Strathfieldsaye Estate and assisted BirdLife East Gippsland do a Birds on Farms survey on 7 sites across the estate. The weather was dull, dull enough to drive some folks away as the rain fell lightly for the first 2 hectare, 20 minute survey after which it cleared up into a very nice day. We split into two groups with each group doing three surveys on different parts of the estate and then meeting for all to do the final survey before lunch at Lake Tiny, almost aptly named but large enough for a family of Black Swans. The survey sites varied from bush blocks to plantation to grasslands and the lake. After completing the surveys we gathered at the Strathfieldsaye Homestead for lunch followed by a walk down to the shore of Lake Wellington. The bird list was pretty good. Stubble Quail and 5 raptors were the standout birds. 

4 Black Swan 

2 Chestnut Teal 

2 Australian Wood Duck 

1 Stubble Quail 

1 Common Bronzewing 

1+ Crested Pigeon 

1 White-faced Heron 

12 Straw-necked Ibis 

1 Australasian Grebe 

1 Australian Pelican 

3 Wedge-tailed Eagle 

1 Swamp Harrier 

1 White-bellied Sea-Eagle -- Juvenile in serious moult. No fingers and half a tail

1 Whistling Kite 

1 Laughing Kookaburra 

2 Nankeen Kestrel 

5 Galah 

1+ Little Corella 

2 Sulphur-crested Cockatoo 

1+ Crimson Rosella 

5 Eastern Rosella 

2 Musk Lorikeet 

1+ Rainbow Lorikeet 

1 White-throated Treecreeper 

4 Superb Fairywren 

1+ Red Wattlebird 

1+ Yellow-faced Honeyeater 

1+ Noisy Miner 

1 Striated Pardalote 

1+ Yellow-rumped Thornbill 

1+ Brown Thornbill 

1 Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike 

X Grey Shrikethrush 

1 Rufous Whistler 

1 Grey Currawong 

12 Australian Magpie (White-backed) 

1 Grey Butcherbird 

1 Willie Wagtail 

1+ Grey Fantail 

2 Magpie-lark 

2+ Little Raven 

1 Australian Raven 

1+ White-winged Chough 

2+ Welcome Swallow 

1 Australasian Pipit 

1 Australian Reed-Warbler 

5 Tree Martin 

1+ Common Starling 

1+ Common Myna

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)

201104_Seaspray and environs

John, Marg, Michele and Jack had a great day, birding a farm near Seaspray, the beach at Seaspray and Lake Reeve at the Honeysuckles. Although overcast and a bit humid, the day remained dry. Our farm total was 32 including the absolute undisputed standout of 12 Banded Lapwings including a couple of juveniles. These birds have been at this site for at least 6-8 weeks. Magic to see. The farm owner has been doing revegetation work for quite a few years now and the result is plain to see with most birds being seen in reveg areas or areas left to nature. Pigface and samphire abounded. We were disappointed to not spot an OBP!

We sojourned to Seaspray CBD (Merriman's Creek) for lunch then a look at the beach (Crested and Caspian Tern and Pacific Gulls) and then a look at Lake Reeve at the Honeysuckles where the standout were a pair of White-bellied Sea-eagles. All in all 46 species for the day. This did not include Scarlet Honeyeater which could be heard in the roadside vegetation from south of Longford.

The Christmas Outing will be at Peach Flat. Marg Gwyther will co-ordinate the catering. Please contact her if coming. An email will be sent in a couple of weeks.

Images from John Gwyther and Jack Winterbottom. The grainy ones are Jack's! The WBSE were at a distance of 500 metres +!

Black Swan
Australian Shelduck
Australian Wood Duck
Grey Teal
Chestnut Teal
Spotted Dove
Common Bronzewing
Crested Pigeon

Pied Stilt
Banded Lapwing
Masked Lapwing
Red-capped Plover

Silver Gull
Pacific Gull

Crested Tern

Caspian Tern

Great Cormorant

Australian Pelican

White-faced Heron

Straw-necked Ibis

Black-shouldered Kite

Swamp Harrier
Whistling Kite

White-bellied Sea-eagle
Galah
Superb Fairywren
Little Wattlebird
Red Wattlebird
White-fronted Chat

White-browed Scrubwren

Brown Thornbill
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Grey Butcherbird
Australian Magpie (White-backed)
Willie Wagtail
Grey Fantail
Magpie-lark
Little Raven
Eurasian Skylark
Golden-headed Cisticola

Welcome Swallow
Common Starling

Common Myna
Australasian Pipit

Scarlet Honeyeater (image John Gwyther)

Australasian Pipit (Rob Clay Syndrome)

Banded Lapwing, adult

Banded Lapwing, juvenile

Red-capped Plover, male

Superb Fairywren, male

White-bellied Sea-eagles and Black Swans

201007_Sale and the Common

Our scout in Seaspray reported that the weather was "mizzling" whereby it was mist and drizzle and you needed wipers on your specs to make sense of anything. The outing venue was changed "on the run" to Lake Guyatt and, after that, Sale Common. We walked as far as we could heading south to the first flooded part beyond the Brick Watering Trough. Several sensible folk had opted to wait a week or so to do the Seaspray outing so we had a perfect 9 folks including Gabby (from USA) with Rod and Michele. We will be doing the Seaspray outing on the first Wednesday in November whilst the "opt-for-a-different-date"rs will do their visit shortly. This way we can be happy we are obeying the Covid social distancing and gathering thing.

Lake Guyatt came up the usual trumps with plenty of good species but the absolute highlight was the small gathering of Scarlet Honeyeaters in flowering eucs near and at the Rifle Butts. We had been a bit confused by the call for a while but then it suddenly clicked. Scarlet HEs are having a bit of an irruption across Gippsland atm. We first thought they were Mistletoebirds.

The birdcall for the day came up with 64 species, an excellent total for quite a social walk!

The first four images are John's and the others are Jack's.

New Holland Honeyeater

Superb Fairywren

Chestnut Teal

Royal Spoonbill

Black Swans

Dusky Moorhen

Hardhead

Red Wattlebird

Rufous Whistler, male

Scarlet Honeyeater

Australasian Darter

Australasian Swamphen

Australian King-Parrot

Australian Magpie

Australian Pelican

Australian Reed Warbler

Australian White Ibis

Australian Wood Duck

Black Swan

Black-faced Cuckooshrike

Brown Goshawk

Brown Thornbill

Cattle Egret

Chestnut Teal

Common Blackbird

Common Starling

Crimson Rosella

Dusky Moorhen

Eastern Spinebill

Eurasian Coot

European Goldfinch

Fan-tailed Cuckoo

Galah

Golden Whistler

Grey Butcherbird

Grey Fantail

Grey Shrikethrush

Grey Teal

Hardhead

House Sparrow

Latham's Snipe

Laughing Kookaburra

Little Black Cormorant

Little Pied Cormorant

Little Raven

Little Wattlebird

Magpie-lark

Masked Lapwing

Mistletoebird

New Holland Honeyeater

Olive-backed Oriole

Pacific Black Duck

Pied Currawong

Rainbow Lorikeet

Red Wattlebird

Royal Spoonbill

Rufous Whistler

Sacred Kingfisher

Scarlet Honeyeater

Shining Bronze-Cuckoo

Silvereye

Spotted Dove

Spotted Pardalote

Striated Pardalote

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Superb Fairywren

Swamp Harrier

Welcome Swallow

Whistling Kite

White-browed Scrubwren 

White-faced Heron 

White-necked Heron 

Yellow-billed Spoonbill 

Yellow-faced Honeyeater 

200805_Stratford

It must have been the urge to get one last birding outing in before stage 3 COVID restrictions came into force the next day. That is the only explanation as to why 11 of us braved the forecast 8 degrees, showers, wind and chance of a thunderstorm to gather in Stratford. Despite the very fresh breeze, it was sunny and not too cold. Maybe we all knew the forecast was wrong.

After splitting up into two groups to meet COVID rules, we wandered from Apex Park through the railway bridge construction site and along the river bank to the lookout and back (see attached map). Being at tree-top height for the dense foliage down the slope, we got some great views of a number of species. Twenty four species is a good count with an elusive Eastern Whipbird in there too. A dozen or so Silvereyes cavorted for a few minutes in close sight in a wattle tree. Most of them seemed to be Tasmanian lateralis lateralis. Most photogenic birds were Grey Shrikethrush and Grey Fantail.

Apex Park, Stratford (-37.97135, 147.07913)

2.40 km
113 Minutes

3 Pacific Black Duck
1 Great Cormorant
2 Galah
192 Little Corella
1 Crimson Rosella
1 Rainbow Lorikeet
1 Superb Fairywren
2 Eastern Spinebill
2 Yellow-faced Honeyeater
3 Red Wattlebird
2 New Holland Honeyeater
1 Spotted Pardalote
1 Striated Pardalote
2 White-browed Scrubwren
2 Yellow Thornbill
1 Eastern Whipbird
2 Grey Shrikethrush
51 Australian Magpie (White-backed)
1 Willie Wagtail
4 Grey Fantail
3 Little Raven

2 House Sparrow

Pied Cormorant

Welcome Swallow

Silvereye

Little Wattlebird

Common Blackbird 

Common Myna 

Common Starling

Crested Pigeon

Number of Taxa: 30

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a socially-distanced morning tea, we went up to the Knob Reserve for a wander through the bush to the farm/bush interface to the south of the oval, then up to the lookout. Not a massive number of birds but our socially-distanced lunch at the Oval was visited by a magnificent White-bellied Sea-eagle who soared overhead for a couple of turns.

Everyone was glad they came out.

NEXT OUTING: none for a while until we see COVID restrictions eased. Stay tuned (and stay safe and sane).

BLEG_Knob Reserve

1.07 km
65 Minutes

2 Pacific Black Duck
1 Straw-necked Ibis
1 White-bellied Sea-Eagle
2 Laughing Kookaburra
4 Galah
2 Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
1 Crimson Rosella
2 Rainbow Lorikeet
1 Striated Pardalote
1 Black-faced Cuckooshrike
2 Australian Magpie (White-backed)
1 Grey Fantail
2 Magpie-lark
2 Little Raven

Litle Corella

Whistling Kite

Number of Taxa: 16

200603_Lake Guyatt and Sale Common

A baker’s dozen of us gathered at Lake Guyatt today for our first birding session post lock-down. A bit of sun, a bit of cloud and a bit of a nippy breeze at times but at least we were out and about.

A lot of bird activity around the lake down to the Powder Magazine and back. Buff-banded Rail was promised but not seen, ditto for Mistletoe birds in the copious Mistletoe branches covered with flowers. Jack, nursing a bung knee near the carpark, counted 53 Freckled Ducks roosting in the willows.

Down to the Swing Bridge for morning tea (once we had sorted out the car drop-off at the north end -- only took 20 minutes to explain!), a nice catchup chat, with social distancing that didn’t seem to trouble numerous mozzies.

The walk along the boardwalk and track was great, with full lagoons but only shallow water in the open areas. A lot of reeds and grass though that hid a variety of birds. The stand-out sighting was about 30 White-fronted Chats about 100m away.

As always, the group strung itself out, which meant that some did see what others did not. A gaggle of raptors near and far got seen by the stragglers, which was nice. Heaps of Chestnut Teal in the lagoons.

All up, 50 species – a good total.

Next month we’re aiming to do the Birds on Farms count on Big Dog Island near Welshpool. The target date is Wednesday 1^st July; details TBA.

A discussion over lunch about an away trip settled on Mallacoota in October, date TBA but would be Mon and Tue nights there. August outage could be visiting a property near Seaspray, OBP NOT guaranteed.

Australian White Ibis 

Goose plus his cygnets which he/she has been looking after for a few months now.

Chestnut Teal

Freckeld Duck 

The Bluebird of Happiness

Royal Spoonbills, Great Egret and a belie

Mr Out of Season Superb Fairy-wren