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Hi All,
Thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions and help
for my Victorian long weekend. All in all a great trip (wihch was a
sideline to a holiday with friends), and saw 6 target species (those in
bold).
I went birefly to the Royal Botanic Gardens in
Melbourne early on the morning of Australia day (26/1), got to my first gate at
6:40am only to see the sign tnat the gates open at 7:30 am. I didn't have
to wait long, becasue by the time I reached the second gate, a security guard
opened it, so i had the place pretty much to myself for the first half hour or
so. Finally saw Song Thrush in Australia ( I had seen
them before in the UK), with several birds feeding under shrubs or on the
lawn. They were vastly outnumbered by Blackbirds (I couldn't believe how
many blackbirds were there). Also nice to see the large number of smaller
native birds around, especially Brown Thornbills and White-browed
Scrub-wrens.
Travelled down to Anglesea in the middle of the day
on Friday (27/1), with the highlight of the drive being a Little Eagle flying
over the Freeway and being chased by Magpies near the Little River.
Stopped in At Point Addis at around 2:30pm, but no Rufous Bristlebirds here or
at Aireys Inlet. Went for a quick walk in some coastal heath at Anglesea
(not to be confused with the Anglesea Heath which looked more like woodland to
me from the road), highlights being a few Southern Emu-wrens.
Returned to point Addis about 645pm, and finally
saw Rufous Bristlebird in a closed-off camping ground at the
side of the road just below the carpark. Although the camping spots had
been ripped up and replanted the track wasn't and a track from the beach lead
through here, so I didn't feel too guilty as long as I stayed on the
track.
Got up early the next morning (28/1) and went to
the back beach at Point Roadknight, and saw a pair of Hooded
Dotterels, and then drove on to meet Dave Torr who took myself and a
couple of US birders tthrough the Western Treatment Plant. This really is
an amazing and HUGE place. We had a great day, travelled to lots of ponds
of which the names were familiar but I can only remember a few. Saw 88
species for me (89 for Dave who spotted a Great Egret which I
missed). Highlights included: another Song Thrush (didn't
expect one here); Striated Fieldwren in the shrubby saltmarsh
near Point Kirk, and mroe elsewhere (but can't remember the palce name); a
couple of groups of Cape Barren Geese, including 6 on the
lagoon at Paradise Rd; 4 Banded Lapwings in a paddock near Avalon Airport; a
group of Black-tailed Native-Hens; and a single White-winged Black
Tern with a flock of Whiskered Terns at Walsh's Lagoon.
Also amazing here were the vast numbers
of waders and waterfowl. A great day even if we did miss the
Long-toed Stints, Red-necked Phalarope and Wood Sandpiper - we were either
accompanied by, or met, otehr gorups who also missed these that day (Oh well,
that's birding for you). I'll definitely be up for another visit to this
spot. Thanks Dave for a great day.
Stopped in at Point Addis again on the way home,
and got great veiws of a Rufous Bristlebird on a path (in the
same area), probing the gorund. Surprisingly here (at least I didn't
expect them in Meleleuca scrub) were Bassian Thrush and White-throated
Treecreeper. Also a flock of Buff-rumped Thornbills were moving through
the low heath near the car park, again a habitat with which i don't normally
associate this species.
Rain the next day (29/1), and a walk in the coastal
heath at Anglesea revealed more Striated Fieldwrens, which i
had missed here two days earlier.
Guess I'll just have to come back for more
Victorian birds on another trip. Cheers.
Frank
Frank Hemmings
Curator
John T. Waterhouse
Herbarium
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental
Sciences
University of New South Wales
UNSW SYDNEY
2052
AUSTRALIA
Tel +61 2 9385 3274
Fax +61 2 9385
1558
CRICOS Provider
Code:00098G
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