Boggy Bridge Visits 4 & 5

 

Check my birding map for specific location.

So I am back at the little spot in the wetlands again for my final few visits. It looks barren here but it is teeming with life and I am so happy to have found this little spot as the birds have the choice to go anywhere. And they do when they are flushed. They just disappear and you are lucky to see them again. But in this area there are lots of birds and when they disappear, others turn up to replace them. 

As usual, the Spotted Crake was running around at my feet. I sat in the van and watched for a while as I was sure I had seen more than one. There were at least 4 in this area which was just wonderful.

Australia Spotted Crake (Porzana fluminea)

The grebes were out in good numbers and unusually, they were quite tolerant of me. For the first time I saw the Hoary-headed Grebe here as well.

Australian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae)

Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus)

The Purple Swamphen were placidly milling about as usual but I got a nice shot of one just standing in the right light.

Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus)

On the far side of the small creek I explored a bit further and was rewarded with Red-kneed Dotterel and White-fronted Chat. 

White-fronted Chat (Epthianura albifrons)

Red-kneed Dotterel (Erythrogonys cinctus)

As I walked back towards the van I flushed a raptor from the other side of the road. It flew up to a nearby tree and I snapped away, not sure what species it was. The light was right in my eyes so I worked my way around it and it was very tolerant. Turned out to be a juvenile Brown Goshawk and what a beauty!

Brown Goshawk (Accipiter fasciatus)

Back on the main road, as I was leaving, there are several signs warning of turtle crossing. You never see the animals on these signs and on my first visit I sneered a little at them. Today, I see something on the road. As I get closer, I see that it is a Long-necked Turtle. I shoot it from a distance and then closer up. It was quite big and although I was nervous about picking it up, I moved it to the other side of the road. 

Long-necked Turtle (Chelodina longicollis)

eBird Lists

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S130563482

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S130795007

Benalla Botanical Gardens

 

Check my birding map for specific location.

Benalla Botanic Gardens are a lovely place, just over the bridge from the main shopping area. Set alongside a lovely lake there are a variety of trees and plants but also sports parks and a playground. It is very well laid out and there is a nice walk alongside the lake and into the gardens. 

I walk here each morning at dawn with the young dog from the family whose house I am looking after for a while. The house is only a couple of minutes from the house and every day I am amazed at the bird activity. Pied Currawong call and Australian King Parrot fly overhead and in the distance I can hear cackling. 

The gardens are home to hundreds of cockatoo. They are mainly Little Corella but there are also Long-billed Corella and Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. And at dawn, they tear around the place shrieking. It is marvellous!

Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea)

Long-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris)

The Little Corella hoon around the park and play in the trees. For once, the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo are the quiet cousins. 

Further along the path around the lake are some grassy areas and very tall gum trees. On the other side are reeds lining the edge of the lake. For the first time in Victoria, I heard, looked for and found some Blue-faced Honeyeater. It seems fitting that they were here as they are also full of character, even in a still photograph.

Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis)

Then behind me, I hear the call of the Australian Reed Warbler. It used to be called the Clamorous Reed Warbler which seems more appropriate given the amount of noise they make. I am beginning to see a theme at these gardens.

I tracked the Reed Warbler and got him peeking out from in between the rushes.

Australian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus australis)

On the way back from the gardens I could hear Rainbow Bee-eaters, a bird I wouldn't expect to see in the middle of a town, but there they were sitting on the power lines. I never tire of seeing and photographing these birds.

Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus)

eBird Lists

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S128227932

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S130864160

Reef Hills State Park Visits 1 & 2

 

Check my birding map for specific location.

This state park is a little south west of Benalla and only 10 minutes from the house sit where I have been staying. There are a few tracks in the park and most of them are passable in my little van so I have been exploring. I found a dam in the north eastern part of the park and immediately saw a Speckled Warbler, which was fantastic. But it was dark and gloomy with no real opportunity to photograph the birds. 

Moving further into the park, I found another dam and tried my luck. And my luck was in. The sun was behind me but never seemed to get high enough to give me enough light but the birds were fantastic and that was enough. On my first visit there, I didn't get any great shots but I knew it had great potential.

So, on day 2 I got my flask and packed some food and headed down there around 7am. I backed the van to the edge of the water close to where the birds were the day before. It was very quiet but I could hear the kookaburra and cockatoo begin to wail so I knew it wouldn't be long. 

A flash of red in the canopy caught my eye and I knew straightaway it was a Gang-gang Cockatoo. I've only ever seen them once so it was exciting. They are uncommon birds but very distinctive. They didn't come too close but hopefully I'll get better shots of them next time.

Gang-gang Cockatoo (Callocephalonfimbriatum)

Once the cockatoo had gone, I settled down and poked my camera out of the bug net in the back of the van and waited. The honeyeaters didn't take too long to come down and as the sun got a bit higher, the place got busier. I was amazed at the variety of species and how these incredible birds were coming down to the water just feet away from me. 

First up was the Eastern Shrike-tit. It was only a couple of weeks ago that I saw them in Nagambie and I hadn't managed to get a good shot. And here there was, one right in front of me.

Eastern Shrike-tit (Falcunculus frontatus)

One of the reasons I wanted to come here was that I had seen reports of Turquoise Parrots in the area. They would be another new bird for me and I thought I saw them on the first visit. I was very hopeful on the second. As I lay in the van shooting the honeyeaters on the ground next to the water, all of a sudden the parrots were just there. I really wanted to get good shots but largely managed to focus something just behind them. Still, I got a couple of half decent ones.

Turquoise Parrot (Neophema pulchella)

There were several kingfishers working the dam including a juvenile so there was plenty of posturing and squabbling. Great to watch. This bird is the juvenile - they have black flecks on the breast.

Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus)

Regular visitors to the small patch of sand were the honeyeaters - white-plumed, yellow-tufted, brown-headed and fuscous were all there. Also coming and going were the Restless Flycatcher, Olive-backed Oriole and Little Friarbird. I struggled to get them all!

Restless Flycatcher (Myiagra inquieta)

Little Friarbird (Philemon citreogularis)

Olive-backed Oriole (Oriolus sagittatus)

Can't wait for visits 3 and 4! The video below doesn't show many birds but listen to that noise!

eBird Lists

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S129538057
https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S129538057