Greetings,
I've just spent a pleasant week driving along the
Great Ocean Rd in Victoria.
Birding did not take a high priority on this trip, the
first priority was going to the beach,
second priority was food (Restaurants) and then
birding. Taking the above into
consideration I still managed to find a few
interesting birds.
Anglesea - Whilst walking along the beach near the
caravan park I saw a small
wader feeding on the beach along the waters edge. I
didn't have my bins so I
could not positively ID it. It kept flying off when
ever I got within 60-70metres of it.
This occurred about 7am and it flew to another beach
around the point when the
swimmers started to arrive about 7.30am. It was the
right shape and size for a
Sanderling. If any body is down that way perhaps they
might take a look.
Lorne - Two Pacific Gulls sitting quietly on one of
the small beaches just west of town.
Port Campbell - Visited all the gorges and Twelve
Apostles and only saw Rufous Bristlebirds
in the Loch Ard Gorge carpark. Also had a look around
Point Addis, I didn't see any but the
people in the house next to the light house told me
they are still there most morning and
afternoons. Lots of Song Thrush in the Caravan Park
and I located a family of Southern Emu-
Wrens in the reeds at the western end of the caravan
park. These birds alowed me to approach
to 2-3 metres.
On the 13.1.00 I took a drive into Port Campbell
National Park, opposite Loch Ard Gorge and
located, Rufous Bristlebirds, Blue-winged Parrot,
Beautiful Firetail, European Goldfinch and
Crested Shrike-tit. (and 4 billion starlings).
I found the best times for the Rufous Bristlebirds was
early in the morning before the crowds
start to arrive.
After finishing along the Great Ocean Road we headed
up to Little Desert National Park and stayed
a night at Whimpeys Little Desert Lodge which is near
Nhill. The day we arrived Victoria was in
the middle of a heat wave and it was about 38degres.
An afternoon and early morning walk failed
to locate any Southern Scrub robins which was
disapponting. I think we are the first people to
visit
and not find them. We did manage to locate
Black-eared Cuckoo, Red-rumped Parrot, Rainbow
Bee-eater,
and large numbers of New-holland H/E and White-plumed
H/E, as well as Whimpey's Malleefowl. But
generally birds were very few and far between.
On the way home to Newcastle I found some Australian
Shelducks at the racecourse in Nhill and
Yellow Rosella and Cockatiel at Deniliquin.
Richard Baxter
Newcastle
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