The January bird walk was around Aireys Inlet, looking particularly  for water and coastal birds.

We started at the Allen Noble Sanctuary by admiring the new sign erected by the shire, with lovely pictures, taken by Margaret Lacey, of eight water bird species which may be found there. Several of these were not to be seen on that day, but we particularly enjoyed the sight of Welcome Swallows skimming over the water for food, and then resting on the reeds beside the water.

The Painkalac Creek was quiet, with only a few birds to be seen in the distance. The regular Great Cormorants were visible resting in their usual place on high, dead branches at the back of the dunes. On the walk up to the cliff top we were regaled by the soaring song of a Rufous Bristlebird. A raptor flew over which we were unable to identify. Our two guesses turned out to be wrong when an expert later identified it, from a photo, as a juvenile Black Shouldered Kite.

We all admired the fancy new viewpoint built near the lighthouse, and were rewarded with the sighting of a Gannet flying over the rough ocean waters. A Singing Honeyeater, warbling happily, posed on a nearby bush for us.

We finished by returning to the sanctuary for morning tea at the table there.

Like magic our 32nd bird, the always delightful Spotted Pardalote, appeared and hovered momentarily  over the table like a 3D apparition,  providing a memorable finish to a pleasant morning.

Below are all the birds identified:

1.  Grey Teal

2.  Pacific Black Duck

3.  Australasian Gannet

4.  Little Pied Cormorant

5.  Great Cormorant

6.  Eastern Great Egret

7.  White-faced Heron

8.  Black Shouldered Kite

9.  Purple Swamphen

10. Dusky Moorhen

11. Eurasian Coot

12. Pacific Gull

13. Silver Gull

14. Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo

15. Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

16. Australian King Parrot

17. Crimson Rosella

18. Superb Fairy Wren

19. Rufous Bristlebird

20. White-browed Scrubwren

21. Brown Thornbill

22. Spotted Pardalote

23. Singing Honeyeater

24. Little Wattlebird

25. Red Wattlebird

26. New Holland Honeyeater

27. Australian Magpie

28. Pied Currawong

29. Willy Wagtail

30. Silvereye

31. Welcome Swallow

32. House Sparrow

Ellinor Campbell