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Our eagerly awaited first Penboc outing -
Baldrys circuit in Greens Bush - for the year took place yesterday,
Wednesday 12th February. With the weather perfect for birding -
temperature of low 20's and no wind - 15 birdos gathered around our
leader, Ian Dowling in the Baldrys Crossing carpark.
However even before Ian had finished his preamble
many White-throated Needletails were spotted overhead. A few
minutes later, whilst attempting to cross the road, Wedge-tailed
Eagles - first one, then 2 and finally 3 - were seen soaring
overhead. Were they waiting for a road kill? We saw the wedgies
many times during the morning and at one stage heard what we assumed was the
young pleading with its parents for food.
Early into the walk we had ticked
Brown & Striated Thornbills,
Common Bronzewing, Eastern & Crimson
Rosella, Superb Fairy-wren, Grey Fantail,
Spotted Pardalote. Eastern Yellow Robins were
everywhere.
A White-browed Scrubwren climbed
up into a eucalypt for easy viewing whilst a Fan-tailed Cuckoo
sat silently nearby. Red-browed Finches flittered across the
track and a White-throated Treecreeper did the treecreeper
thing just in front of us.
Whilst looking at a Laughing
Kookaburra a Rufous Fantail fluttered around in
our binocular field of view. Soon after a Satin Flycatcher
was seen attending to fledged young. As both the Rufous Fantails and
Satin Flycatchers are only with us for a short time they are special summer
migrant for us down here.
A Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike was
heard calling for some time before finally showing itself and the calling
Australian Raven was not seen. Screeching
Sulphur-crested Cockatoos were seen, luckily just in one area.
A female or immature Rufous
Whistler was noted then a short time later a female Golden
Whistler showed itself.
However the bird call that had us all scratching
our heads - was it a rosella or a blackbird or a chattering magpie
calling from the mistletoe - turned out to be an immature
Grey Shrike-thrush. Once the beautiful streaking on the
front and the tan eyebrow were seen the source of the mimicry was
found.
Eight honeyeaters were seen - Red
Wattlebird, Noisy Miner, Eastern
Spinebill, & Yellow-faced,
White-eared, Brown-headed,
White-naped & New Holland Honeyeaters. The
White-eared and White-naped Honeyeaters were attending fledged
young.
Back at the cars for lunch we ticked off
Grey Butcherbird, Common Blackbird,
Common Myna, Australian Magpie,
Rainbow Lorikeet. At bird call the total for the mornings
outing was found to be 37 species. And as many of the birds we
overhead we all went home with very stiff necks.
Val Ford
Sorrento, Vic
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