Check my birding map for specific location.
I arrived at the dam wall at the same time as another rain cloud and ducked for cover under a shelter. There was no other visitors on the track and I didn't see any body working at the dam either. It was quite eerie to be here alone, something about the huge amount of water and the enormous dam wall. As I turned around, I saw a female Scarlet Robin. Terrible conditions for photography but I still couldn't resist. The females are paler than the males but still striking.
eBird List
As I have been making my way north, the rain has set in. After several days of showers I caught a break and stopped at Victoria Dam which is within the Korung National Park. It provides water for Perth, some 50km to the west. It is very well laid out with a walk through the forest between the car park and the dam wall. All through the bush were amazing grass trees. They are very slow growers so to see lots of them at good sizes was wonderful.
Common Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea preissii)
The trees were full of little bush birds. Thornbills and gerygone were singing away, too active to chase. Then I turned a corner and came face to face with a Western Yellow Robin. It was my first sighting since I hit Western Australia so I was really pleasIed. It gripped the side of the tree in typical robin fashion and looked around for bugs. It sat very still and then, in a flash, it was gone.
Western Yellow Robin (Eopsaltria griseogularis)
Scarlet Robin (Petroica boodang)
Although it is towards the end of the wildflower season, there were still quite a lot of blossoms on the ground and in the gum trees. That always means honeyeaters will be present. I could hear the harsh chatter of the Brown Honeyeater and the more staccato call of the New Holland. It was difficult to see them as they were very busy but I finally managed to get the New Holland.
New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae)
As I walked back along the track, the bush birds were zooming about again. It is always tricky to tell them apart. I look for the cocked tail and speckled chest for the Inland Thornbill and the white eye ring for the Western Gerygone.
Inland Thornbill (Acanthiza apicalis)
Western Gerygone (Gerygone fusca)
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