180307_McKinnon's Point and Briagolong Red Gum Reserve

It was a great day for birding. Warm, not hot. Gentle breeze, not windy. Nice light, no glare. Ten people, great company. McKinnon's Point north of Blue Pool then the Red Gum Reserve south of Briag.

First birds were two emus on the road to Blue Pool. Second bird was a Spotted Quail-thrush. Third bird was a disappearing Peregrine Falcon at McKinnon's point. Choughs, robins, fantails, cuckoo shrike and shrike thrush. Butcherbirds, thornbills, parts and scrubbers. Six honeyeaters and wrens too. Bowerbird, lyrebird. Cockies and kooks. And a wedgie. And lots of weevils. A great morning.

Azure Kingfisher  Alcedo azurea

Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis

Pied Currawong Strepera granulina 

170802_Raymond Island

Twelve Heyfield Birdwatchers gathered at the Island side of the ferry and met with Robert Wright who guided us around some of the parts of the island he knows and loves so well. Our walk before morning tea was along the boardwalk from the ferry to the point where we had great excitement watching 50 or so Burranan Dolphins and several Australian Pied Oystercatchers. Then back via A'Beckett Park, a private house with Nankeen Night-Herons in their backyard and three Tawny Frogmouths. No-one spotted the TFs so Robert's Cherry Ripes were safe. After a cuppa we drove a short way to see a pair of Gang-gang Cockatoos then on to the old school site where we walked through the bush to Lake King. No Hardheads or Great-crested Grebes in the rafts of Hoary-headed Grebes so Robert's Cherry Ripes were still safe. We ate lunch seated by a paddock filled with Eastern Yellow Robins, Superb Fairy-wrens and nest-material-gathering Spotted Pardalotes with Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoos calling in the distance. We then walked around the Raymond Island Flora Reserve and then drove to the jetty at the end of Gravelly Point Road. The lake was flat as. Plenty of jellies in the water but no Hardheads, GCG or seahorses. Finally we headed back to the ferry via the north side of the island. The weather was about perfect with hardly any wind. Many thanks to Robert for a great day. Jim did win a Cherry Ripe for spotting the fourth Tawny Frogmouth before the rest of us. 53 species in all. A great day.


Koala Phascolartos cinereus
One of several seen during our visit.

Burranan Dolphin Tursiops australis
Robert commented that he often saw small groups of three or four. We saw at least 50! All in one pod. Sometimes all pretty close together and then spread out over 4-500 metres.

Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus
We had hoped to boat to Crescent Island and view the colony of breeding Peicans and see them in their breeding flush. The boat trip was a no-goer but we did have one pelican in breeding flush greet us as we drove off the ferry and started our walk.

Pacific Gull Larus pacificus
Two birds here. The first two images are the same bird. Yes, it does have a fish hook apparently caught in feathers but was behaving normally. It has the features of a second year bird. The second bird looks a bit older with more white starting on the front of the head but is still a second year bird.

Chestnut Teal Anas castanea

Common Bronzewing, males Phaps chalcoptera

Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis

Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae

Tawny Frogmouth Podargus strigoides

170503_Mitchell River Pumping Station, Den of Nargun

A cool to warm, sunny day saw thirteen Heyfield Birders walking the riverside track upstream from the Pumping Station at Glenaladale and then, after lunch, a walk around the Den of Nargun. Highlights of the 36 species for the day included Wonga Pigeon (heard), Lewin's Honeyeater, a Spotted Quail-thrush at DoN, a gathering of Brown Thornbills, Silvereyes, White-browed Scrubwrens and Red-browed Finches and a discussion of a) the differences between Pied and Grey Currawongs and b) the index of the new Australian Bird Guide.

Pied Currawong Strepera graculina

Scarlet Robin, male Petroica boodang

White-browed Scrubwren Sericornis frontalis

Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis

170301_Macalister Wetlands Reserve and Bellbird Corner

Eight Heyfield Birders gathered at 9 at the start of a warm/hot day.

Macalister Wetlands Reserve was just about dry in the western water and two small pools getting smaller on the eastern section. Undaunted by the potential lack of water birds, we birded hard. Leah and John had already spotted a juvenile Nankeen Night-heron. A Brown Goshawk flew overhead. It seemed like hundreds of Superb Fairy-wrens flitted about the drying and dried mud providing an escort to three Spotless Crake and two Buff-banded Rails. Jack and John [another John] braved the long grass of the eastern section and flushed five Latham's Snipe for all to see. No snakes. We met Rowan! Jack spotted a Golden-headed Cisticola, a pair of Yellow-billed Spoonbills flew in, a single Satin Bowerbird was seen at a world record height, for the species, in a eucalypt, six Australian King Parrots argued in a tree and a Brown Gerygone was positively identified by two birders. Forty-three species in total. An excellent number for a dry wetland!

Spotless Crake

Black-fronted Dotterel

Buff-banded Rail

Golden-headed Cisticola

Yellow-billed Spoonbill

Brown Goshawk, juvenile, probably female.

After morning tea, we motored just up the road to Bellbird Corner. As we jumped out of the cars, Leah spotted five White-throated Needletails !!! Mega. Duncan Fraser and the committee do a great job keeping the Corner well maintained and have erected a new info board and seat. We then met Duncan leaving from one of his regular sortees looking for anything but especially odonata, had a chat for a few minutes and notified him of the Needletails which were not on the Bellbird Corner Bird List. Highlights here were a Brown Falcon, Sacred Kingfisher and a Fan-tailed Cuckoo. Twenty-six species in all and a total of fifty-six species seen for the day -- not that anyone is counting.

Eastern Yellow Robin 

White-throated Needletail heading southwest

Lunch was back at the Port of Maffra where we met Jane and had an excellent discussion about all sorts of things. A great day.