WALKING ALONG THE MARIBYRNONG

Yesterday, early in the morning, I decided to walk some trails that I'd last walked several years ago with some friends.
Our journey started at Valley Lake. The lake itself was fairly devoid of birds, but as we climbed up to a viewpoint looking over it, several welcome swallows, some Eurasian tree sparrows and a distant peregrine falcon were seen.

WELCOME SWALLOW

Hirundo neoxena

AUSTRALIAN MAGPIE

Gymnorhina tibicen tyrannica

We then began to walk through PA Kirchner Reserve. Here we got our first taste of a few species that would prove common throughout our walk: white-plumed honeyeaters, blackbirds, superb fairy-wrens, little wattlebirds, Willie wagtails, Australian magpies and noisy miners. A highlight of this particular section of the walk was the presence of many bell miners, and two pied currawongs.

PIED CURRAWONG

Strepera graculina

BELL MINER

Manorina melanophrys

WILLIE WAGTAIL

Rhipidura leucophrys

Eventually we came to the Maribyrnong River itself, and began to walk along it. Here we saw several different waterbirds. Chestnut teals, dusky moorhens and Pacific black ducks were swimming in the river, while little pied cormorants, little black cormorants and an Australasian darter sunned themselves on branches overhanging it. The trees around the river also held a few new species: red-rumped parrots, sulphur-crested cockatoos and several dusky woodswallows were present. At times, white-faced herons and rainbow lorikeets flew overhead.

AUSTRALASIAN DARTER

Anhinga novaehollandiae

DUSKY MOORHEN

Gallinula tenebrosa

PACIFIC BLACK DUCK

Anas superciliosa

SULFUR-CRESTED COCKATOO

Cacatua galerita

DUSKY WOODSWALLOW

Artamus cyanopterus

We walked until we reached a rock-crossing, and then headed home.

SPECIES SEEN:
1. Pacific Black Duck
2. Chestnut Teal
3. Dusky Moorhen
4. Little Pied Cormorant
5. Little Black Cormorant
6. Australasian Darter
7. Spotted Turtledove
8. Feral Pigeon
9. Crested Pigeon
10. Red-Rumped Parrot
11. Rainbow Lorikeet
12. Galah
13. Sulfur-Crested Cockatoo
14. Long-Billed Corella
15. White-Faced Heron
16. Dusky Woodswallow
17. Little Raven
18. Australian Magpie
19. Pied Currawong
20. White-Plumed Honeyeater
21. Little Wattlebird
22. Red Wattlebird
23. Noisy Miner
24. Bell Miner
25. House Sparrow
26. Eurasian Tree Sparrow
27. Common Starling
28. Indian Mynah
29. Willie Wagtail
30. Superb Fairy-Wren
31. Peregrine Falcon
32. Blackbird
TOTAL: 32

PHILLIP ISLAND WITH FRIENDS

Today, my friends and I headed out to Phillip Island, aiming to get some good looks at a myriad of waterbirds.
On the drive to the island, asides from a variety of common birds, a few distant straw-necked ibis were sighted.
Our initial stop on the island was Fisher's Wetland. Here we got our first views of a species that would prove to be abundant all over the island: Cape Barren geese, even sighting a few goslings. Several other waterbirds were also present, including Eurasian coots, Pacific black ducks, chestnut teals, hoary-headed grebes, white-faced herons, Australian white ibis and Australian pelicans. As we walked along the boardwalk, shrubs and trees around us held grey fantails and white-fronted chats.

CAPE BARREN GOOSE

Cereopsis novaehollandiae

CAPE BARREN GOOSE (Goslings)

Cereopsis novaehollandiae

HOARY-HEADED GREBE

Poliocephalus poliocephalus

We then visited Kitty Miller Bay, in hopes of seeing hooded plovers. Unfortunately we were not lucky enough to spot a plover. Instead all that was seen was a distant Pacific gull, a few distant great cormorants, an offshore little black cormorant and some silvergulls. On our drive out of Kitty Miller Bay we saw many more Cape Barren geese, some swamp harriers, many purple swamphens, some magpie-larks and many masked lapwings. 

Our next stop was the Nobbies. Here a walk along the boardwalk brought us close views of nesting little penguins. All three Australian species of gull (Pacific gulls, kelp gulls and silvergulls) soared overhead, and a nesting pair of Pacific gulls provided good views. A black-faced cormorant was drying its wings on an outcrop of rock, a few Greater crested terns darted past, and common starlings could be heard calling throughout the walk.

PACIFIC GULL

Larus pacificus

COMMON STARLING

Sturnus vulgaris

BLACK-FACED CORMORANT

Phalacrocorax fuscescens

LITTLE PENGUIN

Eudyptula minor

The final site visited was Swan Lake. The walk to the lake passed initially through bushland, where red wattlebirds, little wattlebirds and white-browed scrubwrens were all seen, along with swamp wallabies. The hides were both fairly productive, with Australian shelducks, Pacific black ducks, chestnut teals, grey teals, black-winged stilts, Eurasian coots and even a lone musk duck being present. The walk back from the hides provided great views of two blue-tongued lizards, and just as we were about to exit the area a flock of yellow-tailed black cockatoos flew by. 

SWAMP WALLABY

Wallabia bicolor

EASTERN BLUE-TONGUED LIZARD

Tiliqua scincoides scincoides

LIST OF SPECIES SEEN:

1. Cape Barren Goose

2. Chestnut Teal

3. Grey Teal

4. Pacific Black Duck

5. Australian Shelduck

6. Musk Duck

7. Hoary-Headed Grebe

8. Eurasian Coot

9. Purple Swamphen

10. Masked Lapwing

11. Swamp Harrier

12. Little Black Cormorant

13. Great Cormorant

14. Black-Faced Cormorant

15. Australian White Ibis

16. Straw-Necked Ibis

17. White-Faced Heron

18. Australian Pelican

19. Silvergull

20. Pacific Gull

21. Kelp Gull

22. Greater Crested Tern

23. Red Wattlebird

24. Little Wattlebird

25. New Holland Honeyeater

26. White-Browed Scrubwren

27. Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoo

28. Galah

29. Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo

30. Rainbow Lorikeet

31. Eastern Rosella

32. Magpie-Lark

33. Australian Magpie

34. Spotted Turtledove

35. House Sparrow

36. Common Starling

37. Common Myna

38. Black-Winged Stilt

39. Grey Fantail

40. Willie Wagtail

BIRD SPECIES SEEN: 40

1. Swamp Wallaby

MAMMAL SPECIES SEEN: 1

1. Eastern Blue-Tongued Lizard

REPTILE SPECIES SEEN: 1

Shovelers and Crakes at the WTP

Once again, my friends and I decided to celebrate the holidays with some birdwatching. Early in the morning, we headed out to the Western Treatment Plant, to see what we could see.
An initially quiet drive through grassland provided no species of note, until we reached Lake Borrie. Here, the skies were thick with flocks of Australian shelducks, and the lake itself held a wide variety of waterbirds: purple swamphens, hoary-headed grebes, Australian white ibis, pink-eared ducks, chestnut teal, grey teal, Pacific black ducks and a few Australasian shovelers. As we drove along the shore of the lake, a nearby cattle egret caught our attention. Stopping here provided a few more species: white-naped stilts and a yellow-billed spoonbill. 

AUSTRALIAN SHELDUCK

Tadorna tadornoides

AUSTRALASIAN SHOVELER

Anas rhynchotis

PURPLE SWAMPHEN

Porphyrio melanotus

CATTLE EGRET

Bubulcus coromandus

As we drove to the bird hide, we observed a few more species: golden-headed cisticolas in the reeds, Eurasian coots in lakes, and white-faced herons and Australian pelicans flying overhead. At the hide itself, a large flock of birds was present: various waders, along with silvergulls and crested terns, sat on a distant sandbar. Shrubs around the hide held white-fronted chats and Willie wagtails, along with a skulking Australian spotted crake that eventually provided good views.

WHITE-FRONTED CHAT

Epthianura albifrons

AUSTRALIAN SPOTTED CRAKE

Porzana fluminea

We stopped to observe a Musk duck and a nearby flock of waders, within which were Australian pied oystercatchers, red-necked stints, curlew sandpipers and a lone Lesser sand plover, before heading home.

Waders and Falcons at the WTP

Yesterday morning, I visited the Western Treatment Plant with some friends, in hope of seeing some of this season's waders.
When we arrived, we immediately spotted some of the Treatment Plant's commoner birds in the grassland near the entrance: superb fairy-wrens, Willie wagtails, house sparrows, crested pigeons, black kites and brown falcons were all present. The shed where fairy martins had been roosting last year was still being used, and we were able to get great views of them. At one point, a brown falcon tried to dive-bomb one, and the entire flock around the nests rose up high into the air.

BROWN FALCON

Falco berigora

BLACK KITE

Milvus migrans

As we headed past Lake Borrie, it started to rain, so we settled down and observed a distant flock of waterbirds. Pink-eared ducks, grey teal and chestnut teal were abundant, and we watched 3 Cape Barren geese fly in to graze. In the distance were 3 yellow-billed spoonbills. Reeds around us held many calling golden-headed cisticolas.

GOLDEN-HEADED CISTICOLA

Cisticola exilis

YELLOW-BILLED SPOONBILL

Platalea flavipes

As we drove alongside the Little River to the bird hide, Australasian pelicans, hardheads, several musk ducks and a lone blue-billed duck were seen. At the hide itself there was little of interest: however, the shrubs around the hide held many white-browed scrubwren. We drove towards the T-Section Lagoons, stopping on the way to observe a stunning pair of Australian shelducks.

AUSTRALIAN SHELDUCK

Tadorna tadornoides

At the lagoons themselves, we observed large flocks of waders and terns. Yellow-billed spoonbills were resting on a spit of sand, along with two royal spoonbills and several Australian shelducks. Behind them red-necked avocets and white-naped stilts were feeding. Australia's 3 commonest waders were present in large numbers: sharp-tailed sandpipers, red-necked stints and curlew sandpipers. In the distance was a flock of whiskered and white-winged black terns, joined by several bar-tailed godwits. As we approached the flock, a black-shouldered kite flew overhead.

ROYAL SPOONBILL

Platalea regia

SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER

Calidris acuminata

CURLEW SANDPIPER

Calidris ferruginea

BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE

Elanus axillaris

As we left the treatment plant, we saw several more black-shouldered kites hovering above grassland, and a single soaring black kite.

BIRDING SRI LANKA: Horton Plains

While staying at Bandarawela, we made a brief visit to Horton Plains National Park. Here, I was able to see some of the Hill Country's commoner endemics: Sri Lanka white eyes, Sri Lanka scimitar babblers, dull-blue flycatchers and yellow-eared bulbuls. As always, areas of grassland in the park also held many birds: pied bushchats, paddyfield pipits, brown shrikes, Jerdon's bushlarks and blue-tailed bee-eaters were abundant. A lone raptor, probably a black kite, perched on a shrub and gave us great views. Several purple-faced leaf monkeys and giant squirrels were seen, but strangely no sambar were present at all, despite their abundance on previous visits.

DULL-BLUE FLYCATCHER

Eumyias sordidus

PADDYFIELD PIPIT

Anthus rufulus

JERDON'S BUSHLARK

Mirafra affinis

BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER

Merops philipinus

PIED BUSHCHAT

Saxicola caprata

BROWN SHRIKE

Lanius cristatus

BLACK KITE

Milvus migrans

PURPLE-FACED LEAF MONKEY

Trachypithecus vetulus

BIRDING SRI LANKA: Bandarawela

During the school holidays, my family and I visited Sri Lanka for 9 days. 3 of those were spent at my father's home in Bandarawela. The forest around the house held a wide variety of birds, including one lifer. 

Fruiting trees attracted rose-ringed parakeets, yellow-fronted barbets, brown-headed barbets and red-backed flamebacks. A small, flowering shrub at the front of the garden was often visited by Loten's sunbirds, purple-rumped sunbirds and pale-billed flowerpeckers. The forest itself held many Sri Lanka scimitar babblers, velvet-fronted nuthatches, cinereous tits, Tickell's blue flycatchers, grey-headed canary flycatchers, emerald doves, and both small and orange minuets. Sri Lanka junglefowl, along with an extremely shy Indian pitta, roamed the forest floor, while crested serpent eagles soared overhead. Late in the evening of my second day, my life lesser hill myna flew into a tree in front of the veranda.

ROSE-RINGED PARAKEET

Psittacula krameri

YELLOW-FRONTED BARBET

Psilopogon flavifrons

BROWN-HEADED BARBET

Psilopogon zeylanicus

VELVET-FRONTED NUTHATCH

Sitta frontalis

ORANGE MINIVET

Pericrocotus flammeus

EMERALD DOVE

Chalcophaps indica

RED-BACKED FLAMEBACK

Dinopium psarodes

SRI LANKA JUNGLEFOWL

Gallus lafayettii

TICKELL'S BLUE FLYCATCHER

Cyornis tickelliae

LESSER HILL MYNA

Gracula religiosa

SRI LANKA SCIMITAR BABBLER

Pomatorhinus melanus

LOTEN'S SUNBIRD

Cinnyris lotenius

CINEREOUS TIT

Parus cinereus

GREY-HEADED CANARY FLYCATCHER

Culicicapa ceylonensis

Some of Sri Lanka's commoner birds, such as jungle crows, white-vented drongos, red-vented bulbuls, yellow-billed babblers, Indian mynas and spotted turtledoves, were also present. The tea estate just above the house held many chestnut-headed bee-eaters, along with a single distant brown shrike. 

CHESTNUT-HEADED BEE-EATER

Merops leschenaultii

WHITE-VENTED DRONGO

Dicrurus caerulescens

YELLOW-BILLED BABBLER

Turdoides affinis

Mammal-wise, barking deer, Indian palm squirrels and Indian giant squirrels were all seen.

BARKING DEER

Muntiacus muntjak