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Birding trip report Wetlands and Otway Ranges Gull-billed Tern, Satin Bowerbirds, Grey Goshawk Dave had been out with me previously and last trip had been an introduction to some of the bush birds around Geelong plus the wetland birds of the Bellarine Peninsula. Dave is an experienced birdo with a comprehensive knowledge of the birds of Southern Africa, but he was keen to see more of the birds in his newly-adopted home area of Geelong. Our first stop was at Lake Modewarre. This shallow saline wetland often carries large numbers of water birds during a good season. Winter rains had partly filled the lake, but recent dry spells meant that the shore-line was several hundreds of metres from the high water level. Several Black Swans were still nesting on the lake, but dozens of nests appeared abandoned. In many of the abandoned nests, l the large eggs from the swans were still visible. At least 4000 swans were present on the lake or feeding on grassland nearby. Many thousands of coot were also present. Along the large muddy shoreline were many Red-necked Stints and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers that were busily feeding after their recent long migration from the northern hemisphere. Many Red-capped Plovers were noted. This species of wader is a local resident that nests on the shoreline. The roadside vegetation and grasslands had Yellow-rumped Thornbills, Richard’s Pipit and White-fronted Chat. Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos flew past and a Whistling Kite patrolled over head. A nearby wetland contained a group of Four Gull-billed Terns. This species must be one of the most handsome of the terns. They are often seen on freshwater inland lakes and swamps. Peter Fuller took the great photo of the tern below last week. A pair of Brolgas fed in a grassy paddock nearby.
From the lakes, we passed into the wet forests of the Otways. During our morning tea, it was pleasing to hear the chorus of honeyeaters (Yellow-faced, White-naped and Brown Headed, plus Eastern Spinebill), pardalotes and wrens. A Bassian Thrush caught our attention and we followed it along the creek. On return to the picnic table, we found a pair of Satin Bowerbirds perched on the picnic basket, checking out the food inside. The male glistened a deep glossy blue in the sunshine and the female was also impressive with scallop markings on the breast and a grassy green back, neck and crown. The brilliant purple-blue of their eyes was stunning. We saw quite a few other interesting species, including a distant view of the Grey Goshawk (White phase) that is often noted in the area. The return trip via the Anglesea Heathlands included observations of Crescent and White-eared Honeyeaters, a Pallid Cuckoo and Rufous Whistlers. The perfect weather also contributed to a great day out.Barry. |
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