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 

170906_Peach Flat

Although the quantity of species was not extravagant [46], the 10 birders plus Rod and Michele saw a quality gathering. A slow walk around the lakes, with water about 2 feet below full, took until morning tea. Flame Robins,  20+ Satin Bowerbirds, a Hardhead, Aussie and Hoary-Headed Grebes, resident White-faced Herons, two Little Pied Cormorants, Flame Robins, overflying Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoos, Willie Wagtails, plenty of European Coots with one youngster and Flame Robins [8] were the standout species. Did I mention Flame Robins? There were 3 fully coloured males and 5 females/juveniles. The Australian Bird Guide tells me they are "often seen in loose groups of up to 20 birds ... the only Petroica to form flocks". They had accompanying escorts of Yellow-rumped Thornbills. Just magic. Good images taken by all in nice dry weather but a bit windy.

Light drizzle accompanied morning tea after which we walked up George Creek for 650 metres then ascended to a ridge top with nice views then returned to our morning tea stop for lunch. The only new birds we saw during our walk through the dry forest with manuka and dogwood understory were Yellow-tufted and White-naped Honeyeaters. Nice dry weather for walking.

Back for lunch and the variable weather swung between some light rain again and brilliant sunshine during which Bev saw a Mistletoebird, Heather saw 20+ Satin Bowerbirds again. We had finished lunch and were starting to pack up to go when the superstar arrived.

A male Rose Robin. Excellent views by all. LOTS of images taken. A most amenable bird. For the day we saw Flame, Scarlet and Rose Robins and Jacky Winter. Four of the potential eight robins at Peach Flat. A great day and a big thank you to Rod and Michele for hosting us.

Images: Alexander, Winterbottom

Australasian Grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae

Hoary-headed Grebe Poliocephalus poliocephalus

Hardhead Althea australis male

Satin Bowerbird Ptilonorynchus violaceus

Yellow-tufted Honeyeater Lichenostomus melanops melanops

Flame Robin Petroica phoenicea First two images, male. Third image, female

Scarlet Robin Petroica boodang, male

Jacky Winter Microeca fascinans

Rose Robin Petroica rosea