Hello birdlovers... LORNE with message two...
Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road were great.
The Twelve Apostles, with the amber-wash of sunset, were serenity
maximus!!! A beautiful area. I took many slides with Fuji Velvia film,
which I hope will come out well.
Port Fairy, west of Warnambool, was quaint and calm. The dozens of
Short-tailed shearwaters, present at Port Fairy, at late dusk, were
tremendous, flying over my head and the car park, at the Pea-soup colony
area! The echidna in a suburban street nearby and fur seal in the
boating channel were memorable.
Saw a Rufous Bristlebird at Airey's Inlet lighthouse. (Thanks again to
the birders who helped me!) Striking piping call and brief view circa
1pm one day. It emerged after my squeakings and callings for five
minutes.
On the way to Apollo Bay, inland, I saw a Peregrine attack a
Wedge-tailed Eagle. The Wedgie was unphased, the falcon gave up.
Saw many Crescent Honeyeaters in forest near the Otways - Maits Rest.
May have seen an Olive Whistler, but as it was continuosly preening
itself, then flew away into jungle, couldn't positively ID it. Do Olive
Whistlers have a little yellow on their wings/primaries??? Are Olive
Whistlers found at Maits Rest?
The penguin parade at Phillip Island was fantastic, though birding in
such a huge-tourist-crowds way, pissed me off a bit. Particularly when
people are smoking and flicking cigarette butts, using cameras with
flashes, when not supposed to, and throwing sweet biscuits to the
penguins!!!! Dear O Dear. I called a ranger re. the Italian biscuit
episode. Seeing the little creatures so close was fantastic. I was lucky
to see one at its burrow, before nightfall, before all the birds come in
from the brine. A lovely female ranger, in her bright red RANGER jacket,
said, "You weren't supposed to see that!"
Saw many Pacific Gulls along the G.O.R.
Saw a Rufous Night-heron flying over Melbourne city buildings and
Swanson Street, from my room in the Carlton Crest Apartments, about
12:30 am one evening. Cool!!
All in all, a terrific trip. My fiance and I had a ball (medicine!!).
Cheers and "walk to work" and "sweet pretty creature" and "Egypt",
LGJ.
|
