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Yesterday morning I drove though low cloud, drizzling rain and a very near
miss with two kangaroos near Greens Bush to Hastings on the western
side of the Mornington Peninsula. However once at the western end of
Warringine Park creek walk the weather cleared and remained mainly fine for the
3 hours spent there.
Whilst changing into boots Rainbow Lorikeet,
Superb Fairy-wren, Brown Thornbill,
Red Wattlebird, Noisy Miner,
Magpie-lark, Spotted Turtle-Dove and
Common Blackbird, Starling and
Myna were ticked off.
Along the track beside the creek White-browed Scrubwren,
Galah, Striated & Spotted Pardalote,
Grey Fantail and Bell Miner were soon
encountered. The Bell Miners were vigorously defending their territories
[+ nests?] by going quite ballistic with a Grey Butcherbird and
an Australian Magpie.
Once the Bell Miner patch was passed good views were had of
Laughing Kookaburra, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo,
Willy Wagtail, White-eared & New
Holland Honeyeaters, Grey Shrike-thrush,
Eastern Yellow Robin, male & female
Mistletoebird. At this place Golden
Whistlers appeared to be 'sorting themselves out'. One male was seen
and probably 2 females.
On a nearby fence were Eastern Rosella,
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike and resting Welcome
Swallows. Flying over were Masked Lapwing,
Silver Gull, and Little Raven.
Australian White and Straw-necked
Ibis were feeding in an adjacent paddock.
At a small wetland near the eastern end of the track Australian
Wood Duck and Purple Swamphen were noted.
However the highlight of the day was a group of about 12 very agitated,
very noisy Striated Thornbills flying around at head height and
lower, madly chasing what seemed to be each other. On more than one
occasion they went down to the ground for a 'fisti-cuff' less than a metre from
where I was standing. The hormones were obviously well and
truly switched on for the upcoming breeding season!!
Val Ford
Sorrento, Vic
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