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Four not too serious fund-raisers (The 24 hour Stints)
embarked on their 3rd birdrace this weekend with high hopes and not much luck!
The two Budgies that had been residents of my garden all
week left on Friday. The Peregine that appeared just before the starting time
cruised around for a while and then disappeared just before starting time! And
so it went on.
We started in the Terrick Terrick NP and spent an hour not
seeing Hooded Robin,Diamond Firetail,Red-capped Robin,Chestnut-rumped
Thornbill,Western Gerygone,Mallee Ringneck,Painted-button-quail,White-browed
Babbler,White-browed Woodswallow and Jacky Winter. Thank god for the single
Gilbert's Whistler who briefly filled our ears.
A little let down we then started to get on a roll.
White-backed Swallow,Cockatiel,Rufous Night Heron,Blue-faced Honeyeater and the
2 friarbirds all to plan.Spent the late afternoon at Hird's swamp where about 20
Glossy Ibis glided past,probably the nicest view of the whole
event.
3 of us saw or heard Crakes independently!! Little
blighters.
Darkness fell and our stomachs were complaining so
spotlighting was put on hold.In fact it didn't actually happen!
OOops.!
However we did manage to rise early and be in the
Wychitella scrub at first light.Scrub-robins,Shy Heathwrens,Variegated Wrens and
Inland Thornbills all did their stuff and further down the road the flowering
Yellow Gums were attracting plenty,most notably still good nos. of White-fronted
Honeyeaters there.Kooyoora state park was 'orribly quiet and we headed south
without a single Robin.
A stop in Newstead was rewarding and then the Daylesford
area supplied some wet forest birds before we hit Werribee for our finishing
burst.Plenty to see ,sparks came from the tip of our pencil for a little while
there and then it was over. 152 species,a lot less than we'd hoped for but it
sure is a lot of fun trying.
Next year!!!
Simon Starr,Pyramid Hill,Vic.
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