Weekdays outing to Hallam Valley Road, Dandenong South

6 March 2023

Leader: Rob Grosvenor

With the weather largely cleared after Sunday night’s rain a group of 18 midweek birders assembled at the end of Hallam Valley Road.  The wetland here is currently undergoing improvement works.  The link below provides extra detail on the need for these works for those interested.

F10290 Hallam Valley Wetland Renewal – Aqua Metro Pty Ltd

Such works clearly involve some disturbance to the nature of the site.  The water levels were lower than normal with plenty of exposed mud.  Despite this, and the presence of ongoing works and machinery, the morning provided some excellent bird watching.  

Australian Pelican and Black-fronted Dotterel. Photo by Maarten Grabandt

Early highlights included quite a large flock of Rainbow Lorikeets, Brown Goshawk, Black-fronted Dotterel, Peregrine Falcon, and quite a bit of activity in the grassland to the North of the path. 

Peregrine Falcon. Photo by Clancy Benson

Peregrine Falcon. Photo by Clancy Benson

Identification here was a matter of patience and many pairs of eyes.  Golden-headed Cisticola, Silvereyes, and a single Australian Reed-Warbler were noted. As we progressed through the wetland the air began to fill with White-faced Herons and a couple of White-necked Herons also got in on the act.  

White-faced Heron. Photo by Maarten Grabandt

White-faced Heron. Photo by Clancy Benson

White-faced Heron. Photo by Marilyn Ellis

The lower water levels and exposed mudflats seemed to be offering feeding opportunities not normally present here.  Ducks and waterhens were few and far between with Masked Lapwings seeming more numerous. 

Heading up to the edge of the Main Hallam Drain we noticed the lifeless bodies of some Eels that had succumbed to the pump out of water.  

Eel. Photo by Maarten Grabandt

Taking a short detour toward the Freeway in the South-East corner, the Blackberry and grassy verges along this area provided habitat for New Holland Honeyeaters, European Goldfinch, White-browed Scrubwrens, and Superb Fairy-wrens.  

New Holland Honeyeater. Photo by Maarten Grabandt

Up near the pond at the end, a group of 20 Red-browed Finch were seen.  Retracing our steps and continuing to the South-West the small lake just over the main drain yielded Little Black Cormorant, Australasian Darter, Pelican, Australian White Ibis, Straw-necked Ibis and more White-faced Herons.  

Australian White Ibis. Photo by Maarten Grabandt

Australian White Ibis. Photo by Marilyn Ellis

Royal Spoonbills were also recorded in this area and some Yellow-billed were seen flying over. The ponds on the North side of this section had somewhat more water in them and held small flocks of Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Dusky Moorhen and Purple Swamphen.

Australian Wood Duck. Photo by Maarten Grabandt

Grey Teal. Photo by Maarten Grabandt

Pacific Black Duck. Photo by Marilyn Ellis

Through to the South-West corner and during the return walk to the main gate we picked up Welcome Swallows, White-plumed Honeyeaters, Noisy Miners, Grey Butcherbird and Wood Duck.  

Grey Butcherbird with prey. Photo by Clancy Benson

A dead rat being attended by several species of fly and some European Wasps brought home the gruesome face of nature at work (photos by Maarten Grabandt below).

Two late stay Fairy Martins were spotted hawking near the entrance as we went through the Bird list. Bird Data for the day can be found via the link below: https://birdata.birdlife.org.au/survey?id=9154624&h=8df0b5c5

Many thanks to Robert Grosvenor for leading on the day and helping us achieve a very good total of 49 species.

Photos kindly provided by Maarten Grabandt, Clancy Benson and Marilyn Ellis.

Weekdays Outing Coordinator: Phillip West

Beginners Outing to Yan Yean Reservoir Park

27 February 2021

Leaders: Hazel and Alan Veevers

Species count: 49

Grey Fantail. Photo by Eleanor Dilley

Forty-five members were delighted to be out of lockdown and able to enjoy birding at Yan Yean Reservoir in mild weather conditions. From the edge of the reservoir two birds could be seen on the roof of a small tower.

White-faced Heron. Photo by Eleanor Dilley

They were a White-faced Heron and a female Australasian Darter. With the aid of two scopes a female Musk Duck and a Great Crested Grebe were identified in amongst several hundred Eurasian Coots.

Australasian Darter. Photo by Eleanor Dilley

Members then drove a short distance to the wetland area car park. From there, a walk around the ponds commenced. Dusky Moorhens were plentiful, both adults and immatures. An Australasian Grebe was sitting on a nest amongst the reeds until it was startled by a White-faced Heron. 

Dusky Moorhen. Photo by Eleanor Dilley

Australasian Grebe. Photo by Alan Veevers

There were very few small bushbirds, though one young Grey Fantail appeared happy to be photographed! In the ponds on the opposite side of the road there were many ducks, including Hardheads with Grey and Chestnut Teal.

Grey Teal. Photo by Eleanor Dilley

Hardheads. Photo by Eleanor Dilley

A Black-fronted Dotterel and Australian Reed-Warblers were seen in the first pond, but the main target was to locate the Common Sandpiper which has frequented this area for several years.

Common Sandpiper. Photo by Alan Veevers

It was finally found as we reached the turning point of the walk. Most members had at least a glimpse of it as it moved from one pond to another. Meanwhile there were good views of Red-rumped Parrots, a Long-billed Corella and some Crested Pigeons.

Nankeen Night-Heron. Photo by Eleanor Dilley

Lunch was eaten at the top of the hill, overlooking the Reservoir. It was good to see that the resident Nankeen Night-Herons were still in their pine tree near the Caretaker’s Cottage. After lunch, a short walk was taken down the fence line to the water’s edge where a close view of a Great Crested Grebe was available. A Whistling Kite circled overhead whilst demonstrating its call to the delighted listeners. Many of the Sugar Gums were flowering and these were attracting large flocks of Musk Lorikeets. On the Reservoir both Little Black and Little Pied Cormorants were perched on dead branches and in the distance a pair of Black Swans was seen.

Great Crested Grebe. Photo by Alan Veevers

The final birdcall for the day was 49 species which was well down on the 70 species seen two years previously. The dominance of Noisy miners throughout the reserve may have accounted for the decline in small bushbirds. However, everyone seemed to have enjoyed the outing, particularly in this attractive location. 

Many thanks go to Eleanor Dilley for contributing her photographs.

View bird list: bm-feb-2021-bird-list-yan-yean-reservoir-parkDownload

Weekday outing to Braeside Park, Braeside

6 March 2019

Forecast:  Strong wind from the SW.  Possible shower.  Temperature: 14 -16°C

Royal Spoonbills in breeding plumage. Photo by Katmun Loh

The forecast was spot-on. Unfortunately, the wind through the trees for most of the morning prevented hearing birds calling. Two showers for the day.  One lasted a few minutes in the morning and a second, in the afternoon, caused a run for tree cover as hail joined the rain for five minutes with sunshine following.

Australian Pelicans. Photo by Katmun Loh

Eighteen persons attended, a few, their first visit to Braeside.  Graeme Hosken led the outing as Geoff Russell was unavailable as his wife was not well.

Geoff completed a recce in February and suggested a route for today leaving the Cockatoo Car Park and heading west to the Howard Road Trail and then following the trail south along the western boundary of the park passing the Community Nursery and Indigenous Garden then the Wetland Circuit which skirts the southern boundary of the wetland and on to the Red Gum Picnic Area for lunch, then back to the Car Park via the Red Gum Trail.

Group setting out. Photo by Katmun Loh

Understory was very dry due to low rainfall during the past months.  Bird activity minimal in the bush along the boundary walk and the wind didn’t help as it buffeted the trees and bushes.  Once out of the wind, sightings improved, Superb Fairy-wrens joined by Yellow Thornbills and then Grey Fantails with a couple of their Rufous cousins, the latter the highlight for the day.  For several in the group, the Rufous Fantail was their first sighting.

Lake edge – Black-fronted Dotterel and Grey Teal. Photo by Danika Sanderson

On reaching the wetland, the wind wasn’t as strong and the Sun was shining assisting with the identification of the many water birds.

Australasian Grebes. Photo by Danika Sanderson

Nine duck species, including Australasian Shoveler, Blue-billed Duck and at least 20 Freckled Duck.

Freckled Ducks. Photo by Katmun Loh

Several Royal Spoonbill, Little and Great Egret, and on the mud flats, Black-fronted and Red-kneed Dotterel plus several Masked Lapwing.

Little Black Cormorants. Photo by Danika Sanderson

Black-winged Stilt. Photo by Katmun Loh

Only one raptor for the day, a lone Black-shouldered Kite having a few problems hovering in the windy conditions.

Australian White Ibis. Photo by Danika Sanderson

At lunch, the count was 52 species which included two Straw-necked Ibis testing the hard ground in the Red Gum picnic area.  On returning to the cars, along the Red Gum Track via the Phar Lap Track, hundreds of Martins, Fairy outnumbering Tree, were feeding over the grassed area to the east.

Welcome Swallows. Photo by Danika Sanderson

Eastern Rosella, White-plumed Honeyeater and a lone Pied Currawong were a few of the several species added to the days observations which totalled 62 bird Species.  Mammals.  Several rabbits only, and no frogs calling.  The lack of honeyeater species could be due to eucalyptus not in flower.

Fan-tailed Cuckoo with prey. Photo by Katmun Loh

An enjoyable day.

Graeme Hosken, BirdLife Melbourne

Beginners Outing to Lillydale Lake

28 July 2018

Leaders: Hazel and Alan Veevers; Species Count: 49

Little Pied Cormorant. Photo by Eleanor Dilley

Thirty-one members gathered by the lake in perfect weather for bird-watching – sunshine and very little wind. Water birds were plentiful with many Eurasian Coots, Purple Swamphens, Dusky Moorhens, and lots of Australasian Darters.

Pink-eared Ducks. Photo by Eleanor Dilley

Unfortunately the wetlands boardwalk was closed for repair, but from the track around the outside of it there were good views of Little Pied and Little Black Cormorants as well as a pair of Pink-eared Ducks.

Little Pied Cormorant with fish. Photo by Bevan Hood

Little Black Cormorant. Photo by Eleanor Dilley

On some rocks alongside the lake, a young Darter was wrestling with a huge fish, desperately trying to manipulate it into a swallowing position.

Australasian Darter with fish. Photo by Eleanor Dilley

Two Whistling Kites circling overhead provided close-up views for the beginners but were the only raptors seen all day.

Whistling Kite. Photo by Eleanor Dilley

It was pleasing to see family groups of Superb Fairy-wrens in many different locations on the route away from the lake towards Hull Road wetlands. Despite everyone’s best efforts, none of the expected Tawny Frogmouths could be found in that area.

Golden Whistler (f). Photo by Eleanor Dilley

However, Golden Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, King Parrots, Rainbow Lorikeets, Eastern Spinebills, as well as White-plumed and New Holland Honeyeaters, were seen.

Rainbow Lorikeet. Photo by Eleanor Dilley

The Hull Road Wetlands contained plenty of water but very few birds, though an Eastern Yellow Robin and Crimson Rosellas were spotted in the surrounding trees.

Grey Teal. Photo by Eleanor Dilley

Both Grey and Chestnut Teal were also found but only two and four, respectively, of each species. Returning to the carpark, two White-faced Herons were feeding in a small pond.

White-faced Herons. Photo by Eleanor Dilley

After lunch a short walk was taken beside the lake. A lone Masked Lapwing stood on the beach, seemingly minding its own business as we walked by.

Masked Lapwing. Photo by Bevan Hood

Members stood for a while on a look-out platform enjoying the sight of an Australasian Darter swimming and diving for fish, clearly demonstrating how it got the nickname “snake bird”. A Grey Butcherbird, perched obligingly close to the group, gave the photographers an ideal opportunity for a photo.

Grey Butcherbird. Photo by Bevan Hood

Heading back over the hill members paused to admire the distant view towards the Dandenong Ranges before returning to the car park. A very pleasant outing ended with a tally of 49 species.

View the complete bird list for the day: BM Jul 2018 Bird List Lillydale Lake

Weekdays outing in the Wonthaggi area

16 May 2018

The meeting point car park filled with cars as 24 assembled under cloudy skies in Wonthaggi. Rain storms had fallen the previous day so we were grateful for a cold but dry day. Nola Thorpe led the walk and warned us that her recent recce had yielded very few birds in the heathland. However we were a hopeful mix of Melbourne and Wonthaggi birders as we drove off in convoy – you never know with birding.

Eastern Spinebill in the heathlands. Photo by Bevan Hood

The heathlands car park was already occupied by a pair of horse riders, regulars, who wished us good birding as they set off. Initially Nola’s dire prediction looked accurate for we saw and heard little. Then there were Grey Shrike-thrush calls and glimpses of New Holland Honeyeaters. In more timbered country there were Spotted Pardalote, Grey Fantail and Grey Butcherbird. Near a small dam, five Australasian Shelducks flew overhead.

Walking the track. Photo by Diane Tweeddale

The dam, which birds frequent in summer, was uninhabited as recent rains had provided plenty of surface water elsewhere. A small flock of Red-browed Finches foraged on the ground and White-eared Honeyeaters called and perched on emergent boughs, seeming to take on the roles of Singing Honeyeaters elsewhere. A cool burn had been done about a month previously and it was interesting to see the growth of grass blades and of the Xanthorrhoea bases below the burn line.

The heathlands are a mosaic of different burnt zones which will hopefully provide habitat for many species. We searched unsuccessfully for the elusive Southern Emu-wren and the Striated Fieldwren before returning to the cars to drive to the desalination plant. The car park was under surveillance as we assembled – several Eastern Grey Kangaroos watched quietly from a bracken patch.

Eastern Grey Kangaroos watching the car park. Photo by Bevan Hood

We lunched at the picnic area of the desal plant before walking on the trails and checking the ponds. Here waterbirds predominated with large flocks of Pacific Black Ducks and Grey Teal. A few Eurasian Coots and fewer Chestnut Teal and Australasian Grebes were also present.

Pacific Black Ducks and Grey and Chestnut Teal on the desalination plant pond. Photo by Bevan Hood

Both White-faced and White-necked Herons used the ponds and Straw-necked Ibis flew over. Raptors here were Black-shouldered Kite, Nankeen Kestrel, Swamp Harrier and Peregrine Falcon while Welcome Swallows swooped across the ponds. As always, Superb Fairy-wrens were among the reed beds. Back to bird call and the group’s lists were 36 species in the heathlands, 39 species at the desalination plant and a gratifying total of 59 species for the day.

Heathland flowers. Photo by Diane Tweeddale

We thanked Nola for all her preparation which had produced such a great result for this cold season of the year.

Diane Tweeddale, Coordinator BirdLife Melbourne weekdays outings.

Weekdays outing to Bellarine Peninsula

20 November 2017

All photographs by Bevan Hood, member

Whiskered Tern

Blues skies and a light breeze combined with heat. Leaders were Leonie Robbins and Diane Tweeddale and at Balyang initially there were 12 people which swelled to 13 at our second stop, Jerringot. The sanctuary deserves to be more widely known.

Rainbow Lorikeet

High water levels from recent rains meant no mud was visible around any ponds making seeing crakes and rails unlikely. Australasian Darters were rearing pairs of well-grown young in nests overhanging the Barwon River and Little Pied Cormorants were nesting in the trees around and in the large pond. Not bad for a constructed wetland. Australian Pelicans sat on the tops of duck nesting boxes.

Purple Swamphen

Rainbow Lorikeets and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos investigated nesting holes while a few Red-rumped Parrots and a lone Long-billed Corella foraged on the grass. This was the only location of the outing where we recorded parrots and cockatoos.

Grey Teal

The ducks showed plenty of cross-breeding but a couple seemed purebred enough to call Northern Mallard and Pacific Black Duck. Chestnut Teal swam aloof from the riffraff and a very few of Grey Teal were also observed.

Chestnut Teal

Welcome Swallows swooped near the bridge and House Sparrows favoured the picnic area. Far above a Brown Goshawk circled and soared. The sanctuary recorded 34 species.

White-faced Heron

Next was the Barwon Heads golf club with adjacent Jerringot. Little Grassbird and Australian Reed-Warbler were calling among the reeds. A couple of Crested Pigeons bobbed near our shady lunch spot but flushed when we began assembling.

Australasian Grebe

A highlight was the presence of several White-necked Herons flying around with one obliging bird foraging, apparently unconcerned by us eating our lunches about 4 m away.

White-necked Heron

It foraged delicately but no prey appeared to be taken despite more than one frog species calling. There were two fluffy Purple Swamphen chicks in the company of two protective adults. Time spent here, including lunch, allowed us to record 23 species.

The Hospital Swamp drive features two left turns with minimum warning and the group straggled in to the meeting area but we all made it. Again, no visible mud for crakes, rails or waders. Whiskered Terns quartered the water while our sole sighting of a Great Egret was here, across the lake on the top of a nesting box. A Swamp Harrier gave good views.

Swamp Harrier

Less obliging was a Double-fronted Dotterel which flew rapidly in from the lake, calling, and then as quickly flew out again. Time was passing so we left this area, recording 11 species during our brief visit.

Our last stop was Tait’s Point, high above Lake Connewarre where we’d hoped for Caspian Tern. Never go hoping, it doesn’t work. Scopes came in useful here and confirmed Australian Shelduck and Wedge-tailed Eagle far away. A distant “branch-lump” resolved into an Australian Magpie which was less exciting than we’d hoped. Cormorants perched on a jetty and Great, Little Pied, Little Black and Pied were noted.

Little Pied Cormorant, Little Black Cormorant, Great Cormorant

A New Holland Honeyeater lifted our “bag” of honeyeaters which had been only White-plumed Honeyeaters and numerous Red Wattlebirds till then. The sun was hot enough at 3pm to lead to a group decision to stop the outing here and tot up the list. Tait’s Pt yielded 22 species and the overall count was 54 species. Not bad considering the weather. The only birds recorded at all locations were Australian Magpie and Masked Lapwing which reflects the adaptability of these species.

Diane Tweeddale, co-leader and Co-ordinator Weekdays Outings