We had a very pleasant walk in April, down to the Anglesea river near the pony club, and then back along Coalmine Road.

 

Vegetation was primarily Riparian Woodland.   26 birds were identified (see full list below).

 

The trees were alive with honeyeaters due to the Manna gums being in flower. Several Fan-tailed cuckoos were heard and one was finally seen.

The bird call app. on an iphone was very helpful in aiding our identification of a group of Striated Pardalotes who were only glimpsed as they flew quickly through the vegetation.

The highlight was the sight of a Crested Shrike-tit actively tearing away the bark of a tree looking for food. A pair of the Yellow- faced honeyeaters, which are not common in our district, posed nicely in a tree beside the river. Unfortunately I was so busy looking through my binoculars that I forgot to get out my camera for the ‘perfect photo’.

We were pleased to welcome a new member who came from Geelong, and another long- standing member who was attending her first bird walk.

Ellinor Campbell

Below are all the birds identified on this walk:

1. Little Pied Cormorant
2. Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
3. Crimson Rosella
4. Horsefield’s Bronze-Cuckoo
5. Fan-tailed Cuckoo
6. Laughing Kookaburra
7. White-throated Treecreeper
8. Superb Fairy-wren
9. White-browed Scrubwren
10. Brown Thornbill
11. Spotted Pardalote
12. Striated Pardalote
13. Eastern Spinebill
14. Yellow-faced honeyeater
15. White-eared honeyeater
16. New Holland Honeyeater
17. White-naped Honeyeater
18. Crested Shrike-tit
19. Golden Whistler
20. Rufous Whistler
21. Australian Magpie
22. Pied Currawong
23. Grey Fantail
24. Willy Wagtail
25. Australian Raven
26. Eastern Yellow Robin