There were initially few birds to be seen or heard near Blazing Saddles on the beautiful autumn morning of our bird walk, but we ended up identifying 32 species.

This was very different to February last year when the area seemed alive with birds, and we counted 43 bird species.  This gave us time to spend looking at some plants, and the large number of kangaroos on the river flats.

However, when we went on further we came to an area near the creek with a number of interesting species.

After that we had wonderful sightings of some Flame Robins, with the male bird’s brilliant orange red-chest shining in the sunlight.

We then saw a similar looking bird with a shining yellow/bronze chest, and were initially greatly excited as we thought we had discovered a totally new species. On further examination we realized it was an immature Flame Robin, but really good to see all the same.

A final excitement was an unknown raptor flying over the paddocks, and then two raptors being chased by a Wedge-tailed Eagle.

Morning tea at Distillery Creek produced a few more species and gave us time to check all our resources to try and identify this raptor.

Margaret Lacey’s stunning camera work and lightening reflexes were an integral ingredient in our research but it needed an expert to later identify the bird as a Collared Sparrowhawk.

Elllinor Campbell

Below are all the birds identified on this walk:

1.  Australian Wood Duck

2.  Pacific Black Duck

3.  Little Pied Cormorant

4.  Little Black Cormorant

5. Collared Sparrowhawk

6. Wedge-tailed Eagle

7. Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

8.  Crimson Rosella

9. Laughing Kookaburra

10. White-throated Treecreeper

11. Superb Fairy-wren

12. White-browed Scrubwren

13. Striated Thornbill

14. Spotted Pardalote

15. Yellow-faced Honeyeater

16. White-eared Honeyeater

17. White-plumed Honeyeater

18. Little Wattlebird

19. Red Wattlebird

20. New Holland Honeyeater

21. White-naped Honeyeater

22. Grey Shrike-thrush

23. Australasian Magpie

24. Pied Currawong

25. Grey Fantail

26. Willy Wagtail

27. Magpie Lark

28. Flame Robin

29. Welcome Swallow

30.Tree Martin

31. Common Starling

32. Red-browed finch