Migrating Honeyeaters - still passing through in small lots

[Martin Butterfield <>]

Rod

This is very interesting as I was seeing the Honeyeaters - 95% Yellow-faced at the time - migrate through Mallacoota when we were last there 9 -15 April.  On 3 days  I was estimating at least 1,000 per hour for 4 or 5 hours per day going over Karbeethong and crossing the Inlet at the entrance to the Narrows.

For them still to be pouring through there must have been incredible numbers somewhere.  Perhaps the Victorian Alps with them coming down to follow the Coast North?

Martin

Martin Butterfield

http://franmart.blogspot.com.au/

On 6 May 2017 at 14:55, Rodney Mackay <> wrote:

Out of area - Honeyeaters migration at Mallacoota.

Yesterday was a beautiful day here and produced a rare birding highlight for me as literally thousands of birds flew over the Mallacoota Foreshores caravan park. When I first noticed them at about 8am they were in full flight and they streamed over virtually continuously till about 9.15, impossible to count ( for me at least). The activity continued with less intensity till I left in my kayak at 10am, but was all over when I returned at noon. I think they were mostly white napped at first but then the yellow faced appeared a bit later with a few wattle birds interspersed. Some paused briefly in the taller gum trees, others were attracted to low shrubbery and grasses at the waters edge where they landed in groups of about 50 or more at a time before exploding upwards from the cover and proceeding on their way. They appeared to be coming from slightly south of east and heading slightly south of west, if that makes any sense. Do they, or could they have, crossed Bass Strait? Did they come from the adjacent Croajingalong National Park on the other side of the inlet? Intriguing and fascinating. Even my non-birding mates were impressed!

Cheers, Rod.

Sent from my iPad

On 4 May 2017, at 8:53 AM, Jean Casburn <> wrote:

This morning a small flock over Duffy around 8.30am.

Yesterday a flock of about 50 White-naped Honeyeater and two flocks of Yellow-faced Honeyeater over 3^rd fairway of Murrumbidgee Golf Course.

Jean