BANYULE

This morning I visited Banyule for the first time this year.  As I drove down Burke Road, I pondered that my bird total for the year was presently 97 and it would be good if I could manage to add three new species to that list this morning.

At Banyule, I parked in the carpark and set off immediately for the Grotty Pond.  Birders know the Grotty Pond because a female Australian Painted Snipe famously turned up here in November 2001.  Today, my expectations were much more modest.  I was hoping for a Buff-banded Rail, but a Latham's Snipe would do.  In days gone by, I often saw Latham's Snipe at Banyule, but it's been a while since I've seen one here.  Alas!  When I reached the Grotty Pond, I saw that the reeds had grown and it was impossible to view the water or its all-important edges from the walking track.  I was surprised to see this as it is not very long since I've visited this spot, and admired Dusky Moorhen at the water's edge together with their cute fluffy black young.  There would be no rails, no snipe and no moorhen today.

I walked back to the lake (pictured above).  Here, again, there was a surprise for me.  The lake had evaporated significantly, leaving some inviting muddy banks, perfect for dotterels I thought.  Evidently the dotterels disagreed.  There were lots of Masked Lapwing, some Pacific Black Duck, quite a few Silver Gulls, one pair of Australasian Grebes, one pair of Chestnut Teal, some Eurasian Coots and some Dusky Moorhens, but no dotterels.

I set off for the river, where there used to be a reliable colony of Bell Miners.  I was thinking of all the easy birds I hadn't yet seen this year:  New Holland Honeyeaters, Eastern Yellow Robins, Spotted Pardalotes.  Surely I could find just three this morning.  Then, out of the blue, without a sound, a Sacred Kingfisher flew to greet me.  He sat right in front of me, wanting to be admired.  I was happy to comply.  Tick.  Number 98 for the year.

My spirits lifted considerably.  At the river, I heard a Grey Shrike-thrush and saw Brown Thornbills, Superb Fairywrens, lots of Grey Fantails and a couple of White-browed Scrubwren.  I did not see any Powerful Owls.  Nor did I see any Eastern Yellow Robins - what an easy bird to be missing!

I walked past the windmill and took the turn back to the main walking track.  There were too many Noisy Miners (of course!) and plenty of Red Wattlebirds, but no hint of robins or Mistletoebirds or indeed anything else I was missing from my list.

Disappointed, I thought I'd go home, but instead, I turned to the right and wandered down to the bridge.  How many years ago were Owlet-nightjars seen here?  I turned to go home, thinking I'd have to be satisfied with a bird total of 98, then a pair of Australian King Parrots (pictured below) flushed from the bushes by the river.  Excellent.  Number 99.

Immediately, from the direction of the golf course, I heard Little Corellas.  I have difficulty discerning the calls of corellas, but I was sure this call was Little, not Long-billed.  I searched the gum trees over the creek, and, sure enough, there were several Little Corellas.  Number 100.  I could go home happy.

In my abysmal birding year of 2021, it took until May for me to reach the grand total of 100 species.  In 2022, I had it on 18 January.  Hooray!  Perhaps things are looking up.

WONDERFUL WERRIBEE!

 Yesterday I went to Werribee, the first time since it re-opened after lockdown.  I had only a couple of hours, but I clocked up 70 species and it was wonderful!

The weather forecast was for thunderstorms, so I took a raincoat, but I didn't need it.  There was some spectacular forked lightning, looking terrific with the You Yangs as a backdrop, and some very loud thunder, but very few drops of rain.  The thunder was interesting because of the reaction of the birds.  Thousands and thousands of shelduck took to the air, in response to a loud clap of thunder.  In fact none of the birds liked it at all.  A flock of sandpipers took fright in front of me, just as I was enjoying them.  I don't remember ever witnessing birds' reaction to thunder before.

I started my visit at the far end of Point Wilson Road, looking for Brolga, but there were none to be seen.  Next stop was the T-section where the shelduck put on their thunder display.  By the time I shut the gate to leave, I had a list of 41 species.  The best sightings were a Horsfield's Bushlark together with a Striated Fieldwren feeding a young bird (photographer's delight!) and a couple of cooperative Stubble Quail.  Apart from that, all the usual suspects were present:  ducks, pipits, skylarks, cormorants and Common Greenshanks.  I was ridiculously pleased to see a European Greenfinch, as I hadn't seen one for the whole of 2021.  One interesting omission from my list was a Eurasian Coot, often in big numbers here.

Next stop was the Western Lagoons where I was hoping to add crakes to my list.  I had no luck with crakes, but I did manage a magnificent White-bellied Sea-Eagle, three Blue-winged Parrots, a Brown Falcon, a scrubwren, some terns and waders and, best of all, five beautiful Brolgas.

Very pleased with my Brolgas, I drove along Beach Road to the jetty.  Here I scanned the bay for Australasian Gannets, then, successful, I drove back into the farm near Freckled Duck Rock.  It is a long time since I've seen Freckled Duck sitting on Freckled Duck Rock, but they used to be reliable, and I think the name will stick forever, with me at least.  Alas, there were no Freckled Duck yesterday.

Freckled Duck in days gone by with Freckled Ducks

I took the coast road to the bird hide, along the way adding Musk Duck and Blue-billed Duck to my list.  The tide was too far in to make visiting the bird hide worthwhile, so I continued on past Lake Borrie to Paradise Road.  I heard, but did not see, Little Grassbird.  An Australian Reed Warbler was more cooperative, flying along the road ahead of the car.  I saw just nine Pink-eared Ducks in a pond opposite Lake Borrie - the only pinkies for the day.

Just as I was leaving the farm, some Zebra Finches came to farewell me and I saw the only Whistling Kite of the day overhead (surprising omission until then).  Some Red-rumped Parrots flew into the gum trees, eager to get themselves onto my list.

There were far too many rabbits and one hare.  I was sorry I didn't see a Cape Barren Goose and I would have liked more waders.  I particularly missed avocets, but I didn't get to the Borrow Pits.  With only two hours, I did pretty well.  The Brolgas were beautiful, and I had excellent views of both the bushlark and the fieldwrens, but for me, the bird of the day was the Stubble Quail, which I hadn't seen since January 2014.  Altogether, it was a great couple of hours:  the best possible antidote to lockdown blues.