Last month we had hoped to find Swift Parrots in the Yellow Gums at Ocean Grove Yellow Gums Reserve, but once again were disappointed, so this bird remains on my yet-to-see list!

The reserve itself was also frustrating as it was locked up due to replanting that was not at all obvious. However there were masses of other parrots to be seen, though of only four species. Rainbow Lorikeets were screeching everywhere, and appeared to be clearing out tree hollows in the older Yellow Gums for nesting.

Rainbow Lorikeet

We also saw a flock of Musk Lorikeets plus a few Galahs and Eastern Rosellas, often preening and eating in pairs.

Musk Lorikeet

However the highlight was a few hybrid Rainbow and Scaly-breasted Lorikeets, which initially had us fooled…what were these strange looking birds? It is thought that the Scaly-breasted were originally introduced by human intervention.

Hybrid Rainbow and Scaly-breasted Lorikeets

After this surfeit of parrots we went on to the Ocean Grove Reserve where there were only a few parrots, but new were two pairs of Red-rumped parrots near the paddocks on the boundary. This reserve has been exceedingly dry for years, and it was really good to see it now with plenty of water in the waterholes. Sadly, water birds were largely absent, apart from a couple of Pacific Black Ducks. A walk around part of the perimeter and then through the centre elicited several types of honeyeater, with the Yellow-face Honeyeaters being by far the most abundant. An unusual honeyeater in that habitat was the New Holland, which dominate the woodlands in Anglesea and Aireys Inlet.

The highlights here were a Grey Butcherbird which displayed itself clearly as we had morning tea on arrival, and a Golden Whistler near water at the end of the morning.

Grey Butcherbird

Golden Whistler

One of our group, on her first ever bird walk, was particularly delighted at getting good views of these, and they even put on a show for her with their beautiful songs. On the drive back home it was good to see lots of seasonal water in the paddocks at the back of Breamlea, and we glimpsed a few water birds such as Herons to add to our list, making 30 for the morning.

Below is a list of all the birds identified:

1. Australian Magpie
2. Black-faced Cuckooshrike
3. Brown Thornbill
4. Common Myna
5. Eastern Rosella
6. Galah
7. Golden Whistler
8. Gray Butcherbird
9. Gray Currawong
10. Gray Fantail
11. Gray Shrikethrush
12. Great Egret
13. Maned Duck
14. Masked Lapwing
15. Musk Lorikeet
16. New Holland Honeyeater
17. Noisy Miner
18. Pacific Black Duck
19. Pacific Heron
20. Rainbow Lorikeet
21. Rainbow x Scaly-breasted Lorikeet (hybrid)
22. Raven sp.
23. Red Wattlebird
24. Red-rumped Parrot
25. Silver-eye
26. Spotted Pardalote
27. Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
28. Superb Fairywren
29. White-faced Heron
30. Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Ellinor Campbell
Photos taken by Margaret Lacey