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.

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