Weekday outing to Badger Weir, Yarra Ranges National Park

14 February 2023

Leader: Phillip West

Our first Midweek outing for 2023 saw 16 birders gather at Badger Weir Picnic Ground in glorious sunshine.  With the temperature in the high teens and heading for the low twenties it promised to be a very comfortable interlude amongst the majestic Mountain Ash and the local Avian community.  The Picnic area provided a very pleasing background of birdsong, and we were able to identify many of these before actually seeing them.  Plenty of Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, some Crimson Rosella, an Eastern Spinebill, a small flock of Silvereyes, a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, and a Pied Currawong.  

Yellow-faced Honeyeater. Photo by Marilyn Ellis

After welcoming some new faces, we commenced our walk by making for the Lyrebird Track. On the way out of the picnic area, we spotted our first Australian Magpie foraging in the grass.  Suddenly 3 Crimson Rosellas flew down onto the path quite near us presenting good opportunities for close-up views.

We crossed the creek and stopped for a while as we noticed the sound of Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos overhead. One was seen and then we were able to establish that there were 3 birds flying over. More Yellow-faced Honeyeaters were spotted in the understory ahead of us, so we paused here to listen and watch.  One bird call in particular eluded identification and although it was only heard by some of us, it proved rather frustrating and unfortunately never got resolved.  This was something of a harbinger for the 800-metre trek along the Lyrebird Track …lots of sounds and not much vision!!  We were able to add Brown Thornbill, White-browed Scrubwren and Red Wattlebird to the list, but sadly no Lyrebird.  However, it was difficult to ignore the beauty of this walk.  The contrast of light and shadow, the various shades of green and brown, the sight of basking Skinks, and the gentle sound of the creek all combined to please the eye.  

Right at the end of this part of the walk, just where the track joins up with the gravel road to the weir, there was a lot of bird activity. Although they were mostly Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, Silvereyes and Brown Thornbills, we also found a Grey Fantail.  We went on down to the weir without much new apart from the call of a Striated Pardalote. However, on the way back along the gravel road, Robert Grosvenor cleverly relocated some Rufous Fantails that we had seen in the vicinity on the previous week’s recce.  Excellent views were obtained by the whole group and as luck would have it an Eastern Whipbird was spotted lurking in the shadows just where the Fantails were busily flitting. Thankfully a few members managed to get sight of this often elusive species.  At this point I should say that we were hearing White-throated Treecreepers on a regular basis, and it wasn’t long before somebody spotted one.  Just a little further back toward the picnic ground we located a family of Superb Fairy-wrens and in the wooded area nearby we got some nice views of a White-throated Treecreeper.

Silveryeye. Photo by Marilyn Ellis

The walk back to the picnic ground was punctuated by the now common sound of Silvereyes and Yellow-faced Honeyeaters. However, keen ears in the group were able to pick up the call of the Spotted Pardalote that was working the upper canopy somewhere nearby and the clinking call of the Grey Currawong.  With a more open canopy along the road, we got sight of a single Sulphur-crested Cockatoo on several occasions.  Perhaps the same bird initially heard at the picnic ground.

A post-lunch amble around the picnic ground yielded more of the common species of the day plus one Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, giving a somewhat satisfactory total of 20 species for the outing.  

Photos kindly provided by Marilyn Ellis.

Bird Data for the day can be found via the links below:

• Badger Weir picnic ground to weir area
• Badger Weir Picnic Ground

Weekdays Outing to Lysterfield Lake Park

4 July 2022

Photographs by Steve Hoptroff

Grey Butcherbird

Skies were blue and the air was calm so conditions for birding looked very favourable as 13 people met in the car park near the start of the Lake Circuit Track. Our leader was Rob Grosvenor who had visited the area many times over the past years. He could advise on likely locations for the different species.

White-eared Honeyeater

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Initial walking was northerly in the bush. It was cold – see the weather conditions – and birds
were not overactive though Grey Fantails maneuvered acrobatically for insects near the tree
canopies. Spotted Pardalotes called unseen and the honeyeaters observed were the White-eared, Eastern Spinebill, Red Wattlebird and that so-familiar Noisy Miner. No blossom was seen.

Grey Shrike-thrush

Superb Fairy-wrens were active at the edges of the track and Red-browed Finches seemed to accompany Brown Thornbills foraging while Silvereyes moved about in small flocks. Good sightings of Golden Whistlers brought smiles to the observers. Around the lake waterbirds predominated. Musk Duck males were making the splashing display which seems to be visible over quite a distance.

Musk Duck, male

The females/ immature males were taking no apparent notice but formed small groups or couples at a distance. Eurasian Coots were the most numerous but were travelling to different spots around the lake so not always obvious.

Masked Lapwing

On the shore there were Masked Lapwing, Australian Wood Duck and Purple Swamphen with Dusky Moorhen and Pacific Black Duck dividing their time between shore and water. Grebes were mostly the Hoary-headed species in flocks and Little Pied and Little Black Cormorants rested on the marker buoys.

Hoary-headed Grebe

The only raptor observed was a Swamp Harrier and the only parrots were Rainbow Lorikeets, Crimson Rosellas and brief views of an Eastern Rosella. No cockatoos were detected.

Swamp Harrier

Crimson Rosella

The highlight for many of us was the observation of Common Bronzewing near the park entrance and the subsequent sighting of a male Brush Bronzewing as we descended
the hill towards the cars.

Brush Bronzewing, male

Common Bronzewing, male

By walk’s end we recorded 42 species (later adjusted to 43 with the addition of a pair of Black Swans). Our heartfelt thanks to Rob for sharing his knowledge of the area.
Diane Tweeddale coordinator BirdLife Melbourne weekday outings

Weekdays outing to Donnelly’s Weir

8 December 2021

Photographs by Danika Sanderson

Sacred Kingfisher

The weather forecast was not really reassuring, predicting late showers for Melbourne. This might mean wet weather in the mountains around Healesville but at least winds were not emphasized. Alan and Hazel Veevers led and had spent considerable time and analysis to prepare a well-received outing.

The weir

My main worry was the ford on the track into Donnelly’s. My car is a small sedan and I worried that its clearance might not be enough if I slowed or stopped in the water. As it was I was one of the few who gratefully accepted lifts from drivers with a higher wheel base and spare seats. Most drivers came through without a murmur.  I am just a wimp at bottom.

The group

There were 20 at the outing and even the car park yielded sightings of Eastern Yellow Robin, Crimson Rosella, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo and Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

A Sacred Kingfisher proved very hard to locate and Australian King-Parrots moved through very quickly except for a calm male which remained perched near the track until most of our group had walked by.

Sacred Kingfisher

Another bird coping with our party was a female White-throated Treecreeper which stayed stationary on its tree trunk for so long we initially wondered if it might be ill – until we passed “it’s” tree during our return walk and saw that it had departed.

White-throated Treecreeper (female)

Birds heard without being seen included Fan-tailed Cuckoo and Spotted Pardalote. Only a few actually saw the Superb Fairy-wrens and Striated Pardalotes were also present while a pair of Wedge-tailed Eagles briefly soared very high overhead.

Superb Fairy-wren (male)

Other elusive small birds were the White-browed Scrubwrens by the well-flowing aqueduct and a flock of Silvereyes briefly sighted as they foraged among dense bushes. It wasn’t totally birds. Plants included flowering spyridium as well as a small colony of hyacinth orchids.

Waterlilies

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

At morning’s end we drove around to the Maroondah Reservoir Park where we lunched in a rotunda even though rain hadn’t arrived yet. We were checked out by 3 Australian White Ibis, living up to their reputation.

Eastern Spinebill

Careful watchfulness meant that no one’s lunch was in jeopardy. A short walk around the base of the dam wall added Corellas, several Little and a single Long-billed Corella plus a few Australian Magpies.

Galah

Bird call revealed we’d noted 39 species which made a satisfactory total. Into the cars just as the long-expected rain started driving across the car park and feeling very grateful to both Veevers for all their planning. 

Grey Fantail

View bird list for the dayDownload

Diane Tweeddale, coordinator BirdLife Melbourne weekdays outings

Weekdays outing to the Brisbane Ranges

0 November 2018

Watchers. Photo by Danika Sanderson

The day was grey with ten-tenths cloud to challenge photographers trying to record bird colouring above our heads – in the sky or in tree canopies. Eighteen watchers assembled in the Anakie Gorge picnic area car park, eight from Melbourne and ten from Werribee including our leader, Dave Torr.

Yellow-tufted Honeyeater. Photo by Danika Sanderson

After some car park birding, always productive and this time including Australian King-Parrot as well as Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and Yellow-tufted, White-naped and Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, we car pooled to drive to Stoney Creek and then walk back to through the gorge and thus save time instead of a less productive return walk.

Yellow-faced Honeyeater. Photo by Danika Sanderson

Species included Sacred Kingfisher, Grey Currawong and Superb Fairy-wren. Grey Shrike-thrush warbled frequently and both female Rufous and male Golden Whistlers were seen.

Rufous Whistler. Photo by Katmun Loh

A couple of White-throated Treecreepers were watched as they foraged up trunks and branches and then movement down on the rocks of the stream bed was noted.

 

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This turned out to be another treecreeper, drinking and bathing in an extremely tiny rock-pool of water (probably remaining from rain a couple of days previously.

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Few, if any, of us had seen that before. Olive-backed Orioles called their name repeatedly. Loud snarling grunts heard as lunch finished were the calls of a territorial male Koala. It joined the couple of Black Wallabies (and road-killed Eastern Grey Kangaroos) on our marsupial list for the day.

Bassian Thrush. Photo by Katmun Loh

The long morning had been gratifyingly productive and we recorded 42 species for the gorge. Then we drove in convoy to the Stieglitz South Road. This required care as the busy route was shared with large-hauling semi-trailers.

Long-billed Corella. Photo by Danika Sanderson

Not much birdlife was observed as we walked. A thornbill call was heard and the identity as a Buff-rumped Thornbill was demonstrated on an app. That recorded call brought in an unexpected flock of at least 10 thornbills, not travelling near the ground as usual but flying about 5m high through and above the bush canopies.

Walkers. Photo by Danika Sanderson

Apart from a White-eared Honeyeater and an overflying Straw-necked Ibis these were the only additional species for this short walk.

 

Pelargonium rodneyanum. Photo by Danika Sanderson

The species count here was only 7, and a total of 45 species for the day’s Brisbane ranges walk.

We thanked Dave for introducing many and reminding the rest of us of the potentials of this interesting area. Afternoon storm was predicted (and may have quietened the bird activity) and so we departed on this note.

Diane Tweeddale coordinator BirdLife Melbourne weekday outings

Beginners Outing to Westerfolds Park

24 June 2017

Leader: Robert Grosvenor; Species Count: 46

Words by Robert Grosvenor; photographs by Eleanor Dilley

Laughing Kookaburra

Despite the cold weather and the forecast rain, which fortunately did not eventuate, 39 enthusiastic birders met at Westerfolds Park for this outing.

There were at least five new members and a couple of visitors on their first outing.

Prior to starting Eastern Rosellas, Rainbow Lorikeets, Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, White Faced Herons and a lone Pied Currawong were all seen overhead.

Starting the walk a couple of Kookaburras were the first to sighted, followed by Rock doves under the bridge. Grey Butcherbirds were calling regularly and excellent views were had by all.

Grey Butcherbird

Together with Common Bronzewing and Noisy Miners they were probably the most common birds seen.

Common Bronzewing

Near the bridge, a pair of Galahs was sitting in a tree.

Galahs 

On the way to the observation platform overlooking the river a Little Pied Cormorant and Australasian Grebe were spied on the river, together with Dusky Moorhen and a solitary Purple Swamphen on the bank.

Australasian Grebe

A magnificent Wedge-tailed eagle overflew and although missed by some returned later in the walk to allow everybody to see it.

We were fortunate to find a single Musk Lorikeet which made a welcome change from all the raucous Rainbows. Both male and female Golden Whistlers were observed on the way back for lunch and a lucky few also saw a female Scarlet Robin. While enjoying our lunch break a King Parrot called and eventually showed itself to the joy of all present.

Dusky Moorhen

The morning walk produced a total of 41 species.

In the afternoon we went in the opposite direction to the rapids observation lookout.

Although the birding was initially quiet it was a very pleasant walk through some lovely bush. Fortunately we then hit on a small hot hot patch with Yellow faced Honeyeaters, Silver Eyes, Grey Shrike Thrush, Grey Fantail, Spotted Pardalote and a Black Faced Cuckoo-shrike, all seen well.

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

At the rapids a pair of Coots were seen, surprisingly the first for the day. Returning to the carpark provided a fleeting glimpse of a Brown Goshawk but a good look at a resting White Ibis.

Grey Shrike-thrush

Overall we spotted 46 species, far better than we expected considering the weather and the start of winter.

View the birdlist for the outing: BM JUNE 2017 Bird List WESTERFOLDS PARK

 

 

 

Weekdays outing to the You Yangs

29 November 2016

Photographs by Merrilyn Serong

Tau Emerald Dragonfly

The day was fine, if overcast, as 19 enthusiasts met in the main car park. A hundred school children had a bicycle day booked but fortunately their route did not overlap with ours. Merrilyn Serong led us and we were soon smiling as the clouds dissipated and a blue sky set in for the day. The car park had those frequently met species, Red Wattlebird and Superb Fairy-wren. Then a very dark Grey Currawong created a long discussion about its identity then definitely confirmed by showing us its nest. This was not the only nest seen. A Willie Wagtail on its diminutive low nest was admired while a Red Wattlebird watched over the rim of its large twiggy nest.

White-winged Chough

An even more solid nest was the mud bowl of a White-winged Chough. Despite the recent rains the dam near the park entrance continues to be dry and waterbirds are no longer recorded. Plants had responded to the wet, however, and groundcovers included rock ferns, mosses and succulents while the trees and shrubs displayed new leaves and some flowers.

Australian Painted Lady

Insects had responded to the plant growth and dragonflies and butterflies were frequently seen. The bush sounded to the calls of Grey Shrike-thrush, Olive-backed Oriole and Fan-tailed Cuckoo. Horsefield’s and Shining Bronze-Cuckoos were also present.

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Honeyeaters included White-plumed and Yellow-faced plus Black-chinned (the last seen and heard by some only). Cockatoos were represented by Galahs and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and parrots by Purple-crowned Lorikeets, Crimson and Eastern Rosellas and Red-rumped Parrots.

Black-chinned Honeyeater

Not far from the nesting wagtail a pair of Jacky Winters foraged actively. The only other robin was an Eastern Yellow Robin. Both Spotted and Striated Pardalotes were vocal. The Laughing Kookaburra and the Sacred Kingfisher called and some heard the call of the Mistletoebird which only gave a very brief glimpse as it flew off.

White-plumed Honeyeater

We had walked around the entrance area before driving on to Gravel Pit Tor and from there to our shaded lunch spot at the small picnic ground where the ephemeral dam was holding water well but only a few honeyeaters were drinking and bathing. We birded in the East Flat in the afternoon but the sun was still high and birds were few. Then it was time for birdcall and we were very pleased to record 47 species for the day.

We thanked Merrilyn heartily for all her preparation which had given us such a satisfactory day.

Diane Tweeddale, coordinator BirdLife Melbourne weekdays outings