On Sunday Diana and I took Paul Berrigan, a visitor from the US (Detroit,
Michigan) and very keen birder (North American list of 745 in only 15 years
of birding!), down to the You Yangs and the southern end of the Western
Treatment Plant for the day (his only real opportunity to do any birding on
a brief business trip).
Along the approach road to the You Yangs entrance gate we had the unusual
experience of seeing 4 separate robin species within 200 metres of each
other - Flame (dozens, in fact), Scarlet, Hooded and Eastern Yellow. The
You Yangs park was itself rather quiet, but the tempo picked up a little
once we hit the "Farm".
Early afternoon mobile phone contact with Chris Lester and Susan Myers who
were on the west side of Lake Borrie peering through their respective
scopes at some 15 distant Freckled Duck sent us heading their way for a
look. However, a parrot flushed from the roadside at the Paradise Rd ponds
brought us to a sharp, doors thrown open halt and produced excellent views
of a juvenile (presumably first year, ie first trip across Bass Strait)
Orange-Bellied Parrot feeding in a small bush alongside a grassy ditch.
Finally moving on we were halted again by the new gate across the access
road to the west side of Lake Borrie, only to see a close, perched Freckled
Duck as we scanned the nearby posts in the lake.
Paul's day list for the previous half hour now read: OBP, Freckled Duck!!
Such special treats are of course somewhat "wasted" on a visitor who is
seeing numerous life-birds and to whom a life Pacific Gull or Black-fronted
Dotterel are in many ways no less exciting than a life Freckled Duck or
OBP. However, I think our sense of excitement and special pleasure
conveyed itself to our guest!
Later in the day we spent two sessions along the north side of the Little
River scanning the well-known reeds for crakes and rails (a la John Barkla
and THAT recent BOCA outing), ultimately adding Australian (Spotted) Crake,
Spotless Crake and Lewin's Rail to the day list.
The Farm continues to produce the goods for locals and visitors alike.
Richard
_____________________
From: Dr Richard Nowotny,
Melbourne, Australia.
Tel. (w) 61-3-9214.1420
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