Yellow robins, Sherbrooke

Eastern yellow robin, Dandenong Ranges National Park, Sherbrooke

Eastern yellow robin are really at home in the Sherbrooke Falls area of the Dandenongs east of Melbourne. They are readily seen and are enchanting to watch as they perch in classic robin poses!

I love to photograph them - they are both handsome and obliging. They tend not to fly too far away while hunting. On occasions a curious bird won't mind perching right in front of you if this allows a good view of a potential feed (see above!). They may only perch briefly but generally long enough to get settings and focus correct! Most importantly when perched they are extremely still - a blessing given that their preferred habitat often involves shaded forested areas with dull light!

I have not been at Sherbrooke's picnic areas on busy days but the local Crimson rosellas must be receiving food from the visiting public. They are extremely tame around the picnic tables.

A new bird for the blog and my Victorian life list is the charming Large-billed scrubwren. 

I knew there was something different about this bird. At the time of viewing my only ID conclusion was "not a Brown thornbill". In my experience of this area, this is what nine out of ten small brown birds in the under-storey turn out to be! It's always good to be reminded that it's worth a second look to check for the "10 percenters"

White-throated treecreeper

The feeble winter sun shone briefly in Melbourne earlier this week!

Bird on!

Birdsong from Doongalla in The Dandenongs

You sort-of "had to be there" but I felt immersed in bush and birdsong at the Doongalla section of the Dandenong Ranges earlier last week. The video doesn't really do it justice (you may turn your speakers up a little ....)

What can you hear?

I do remember the first time I heard a Crimson rosella making its "Honky tonk" call. "What was that?" This was the first time I had been able to watch a bird at close range make the call. I was intrigued that such little bill movement was required for such a resonant piping!

Crimson rosella

Laughing kookaburra perching and stretching a wing. Another flew to the ground having spotted something of interest. 

Australian King-parrot

Eastern yellow robin not far from its nest

Not a great shot of a Red-browed treecreeper but I see these infrequently so this was a good day!

You can read more about the history of the Doongalla homestead here (go to page 3 of this pdf file which is a chapter from a local history written by a Richard Coxhill). The house was destroyed by bushfire in 1932 and the property eventually bought by the State Government. I cannot believe that it once looked like this:

Doongalla Homestead c1910 from Richard Coxhill's "History of the Basin" (photo credited to a Fergus Chandler)

Bird on!

Doongalla hollows and nests

There was a definite Spring feel in the air at a recent visit to the Doongalla section of the Dandenong Ranges National Park this week.

Hollows were being explored by rosellas, lorikeets and tree-creepers.

Surely bigger than you need Crimson Rosella?

Rainbow lorikeet

A White-throated treecreeper disappeared into this hollow with some nesting material

This Eastern Yellow robin visited the nest briefly. Closer inspection revealed no eggs at this stage

More photos and a little video (I was immersed in forested gullies and bird calls) to follow!

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Bird on!

Yellingbo in the fog

Grey shrike-thrush

Most of the planets aligned for spending an hour at the usually productive Yellingbo recently. The weather was dry but the outside temperature dropped to 4 degrees Celsius as I drove towards Yellingbo in fog (Planet Fog)!

The locale known as Yellingbo includes some linear reserves of bushland which form Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve. It is my understanding that the reserve is the main focus of an effort to conserve an endangered sub-species of Yellow-tufted honeyeater known as Helmeted honeyeater. The reserve is out of bounds except for guided walks. My observations are from the roadside from which I've enjoyed many good sightings in recent years.

Both the camera and my cold fingers didn't want to work normally and no decent photographs resulted!

 I did find it interesting to observe:

1.  The behaviour of a few Grey shrikethrush and some Superb fairywrens. Presumably hunting, they would jump out onto the road after cars had passed.
2. A White throated tree-creeper being tailed by an Eastern yellow robin. I am sure I have seen this pairing before.

 

Every honeyeater turned into a Bell miner (there was an impressively large colony).

Bird on!



"What's up?" at Ben Bennett Reserve, Caloundra

This Mistletoebird was checking out potential prey not predators

On Saturday 18th May I made my third visit to the Ben Bennett bushland reserve in Caloundra. Each of these visits has been in May. Once again I had a thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours and could easily have spent longer. Today's visit was dominated by the smaller birds of the subtropics.

Striated pardalote

Grey fantail

Gray fantail

Varied triller

Spangled drongo

Of the Family Pachycephlaidae the Golden whistler presented a better photo opportunity than Grey shrike-thrush and Rufous whistler (below)

Eastern yellow robin kept popping up demonstrating all those classic robin poses!

Red-browed finch

There were some of the palest Brown thornbill I have seen

The place was alive with honeyeaters. Most that caught my eye turned into Noisy miner, Little wattlebird, Brown honeyeater or Lewins honeyeater but there was the odd special surprise ...

Brown honeyeater

Brown honeyeater

Lewin's honeyeater

The last "tick" added to the day's list was Scarlet honeyeater, photographed as my lift arrived! 

From only 15 lists contributed to date I notice that the Eremaea species list for Ben Bennett is up to a respectable 68 species. The Eremaea page also provides an excellent description of the site and describes how secluded and relaxing the place feels.

Best we don't tell anyone!

Lowland rainforest section, Ben Bennett Bushland Reserve

Wet heath abuts Melaleuca woodland, Ben Bennett

Bird on!