I've just returned from a few most enjoyable days in Mallacoota. This photo is Ground Parrot habitat at Shipwreck Creek, where I did not see any Ground Parrots. On my trip, I saw 145 birds, a couple of wombats, one platypus, several echidnas, lots of kangaroos and wallabies and countless different species of lizards. I saw just two red-bellied black snakes, which was quite enough. I dipped on a few good birds apart from the Ground Parrots. I missed the Tawny Grassbirds which have recently been seen at Orbost, and, most surprisingly, I missed both Tawny-crowned Honeyeaters at Mallacoota airport and Azure Kingfishers at both Gipsy Point and Mallacoota. I usually get both of these species without any trouble at all.
This beautiful photo of a Hooded Plover was taken by Ken Haines, who wasn't with me on this trip. However, I did see Hooded Plovers at Betka Beach: two adults and two young. This was lucky because, despite good signs, there were several uncontrolled dogs on the beach.
Other highlights were: Glossy Black Cockatoos (six birds on Tower Road, Mt Raymond); Topknot Pigeons at Cabbage Tree Creek (my first Victorian sighting of this species); lots of Southern Emuwrens (both at Shipwreck Creek when I was looking unsuccessfully for Ground Parrots, and at WR Track on the way home, when I was looking unsuccessfully for Chestnut-rumped Heathwren) and three White-throated Nightjars and one Powerful Owl (when I was spotlighting in Mallacoota). I was disappointed at the lack of Ground Parrots, and I always love seeing Azure Kingfishers, but, when all's said and done, 145 species is 145 species, and I did see some good birds.
