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.