The pandemic has inspired many people to venture out and enjoy our wonderful environment, and for some this included birdwatching.

We were pleased to welcome some new birders to our June bird walk, on a pleasant sunny morning at Distillery Creek, Aireys Inlet.

Looking for birds up above

The flowering Ironbarks were attracting scores of active, and very raucous, honeyeaters contending for the spoils. We were particularly pleased to see Crescent Honeyeaters, with their smart lapel-like chest decorations.

Crescent Honeyeater

Unfortunately, the high trees made it hard to identify all the species, so while the quantity of birds was quite extraordinary, we only identified 13 species.

Little Corellas

The highlight for me was a small group of White-naped Honeyeaters tearing the bark away from one spot on a Stringybark Gum, and in doing so displaying the stringy nature of the bark which I had never seen revealed in this way before. Some of the group were also lucky to see a tree with a pattern of rectangles fitting the description by Margaret Lacey last month, about Yellow-tailed Cockatoos method of searching for larvae of the longicorn beetle.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoos

Galahs

We all enjoyed several sightings of the always captivating Yellow Robin.

Eastern Yellow Robin

We had hoped to see birds bathing in the special pond at the picnic ground, but it proved to be a quiet moment there, though maybe they were waiting for us to leave them in peace!

Morning tea

Next month we expect to go birding in an area near Anglesea.

Bird list:

1. Sulphur-crested cockatoo
2. Crimson Rosella
3. New Holland honeyeater
4. Crescent Honeyeater
5. Singing Honeyeater
6. White-naped Honeyeater
7. Yellow-faced Honeyeater
8. Eastern Spinebill
9. Red Wattlebird
10. Eastern Yellow Robin
11. White-throated Treecreeper
12. Little Raven
13. Willy Wagtail

Ellinor Campbell.

Photos: Margaret Lacey