Doongalla beauty & a 100th birthday

Yellow-tailed black cockatoo, Doongalla Reserve, The Dandenongs

The last time I posted from Doongalla was in early September (a Spring morning). Last Sunday afternoon the feel was decidedly different as we had our first warmer day of the early Summer. Birds could be heard but seemed harder to spot. Golden whistler in particular seemed to have retreated to the canopy perhaps less interested in courting than they were in Spring.

It was during a birding walk away from the main group that my companions Richard and Moses pointed out my birding highlight of the afternoon (see Moses video of the YTB and a Crimson rosella at its nest here):

Richard then located this cheeky Golden whistler that had been teasing us for several minutes.

Golden whistler

I can claim that I located the White-browed scrubwren and Fan-tailed cuckoo unassisted!

Dreamy Doongalla

This botched out-of-focus iPhone shot does actually convey the dreamy feel of the afternoon!
(added a blurred vignette later on)

The birding ramble was an aside for an interested trio - the main event was a family 100th birthday after-party! In the photo below we see our 100 year old "Greatie" seated second from left. Her siblings, all seated, had travelled from Sydney for the party the day prior and witnessed the Queen's letter etc. Her two daughters, one who had travelled from Finland for the occasion, are standing.

If we forget about the two ankle-biters at the back, we have 370 years of sibling experience in this one picture!
A further 98 year old sister couldn't make the trip from Sydney.

The Doongalla homestead burnt down, the land reclaimed by government and the bush allowed to re-grow but at the time of Greatie's birth Doongalla apparently looked like this.

Bird on (for many a year)!

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Pretty little things

At Oswin Roberts Sanctuary, Phillip Island on Sunday morning and it was pardalote city! Maybe I should bird before 11 more often because by 9am the place was alive with Striated & Spotted pardalote, Grey fantail, Brown thornbill, honeyeaters, Superb-fairy wren, Red-browed finch & the list goes on!

Spotted pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus)

Adult male



Striated pardalote (Pardalotus striatus). I eventually twigged (!) that this dead branch emanated from a hollow that I suspect would make an ideal nesting site (see below right).



Although not as becoming with the close-up views provided by its spotted counterpart, Striated pardolote amazed me with their prolific numbers and activity. On several occasions I saw groups of striated pardalote numbering 10 or more.

Grey fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa)
I must have been stirring up some insects as this fellow looked to land on my lens ....twice!
(It didn't seem aggressive!)

Brown thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla)

Black-faced cuckoo-shrike (Coracina novaehollandiae)

Finally there was also distant views and calls of Satin flycatcher (Myiagra cyanoleuca) and Fan-tailed cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis).

Signs of the times

The signs I am referring to are those closing a reserve or walking trail when there appears to be little reason for doing so. I wonder about the following causative factors:

1. Under-resourced parks seemingly unable to repair trails in a timely manner.
2. An increasingly litigious society - one that seems to value the potential for financial gains through compensation greater than accepting a degree of personal responsibility for risk of injury.  This is not helped by "No win, no fee" legal services.
3. Management practices that put 1 & 2 together to conclude that it is just easier to close the park down even when the risk is trivial.

A favourite haunt of mine has been the Stoneyford Nature Trail at Silvan Reservoir Park which is run by Parks Victoria. On a recent return visit I found discarded signage indicating that the trail was closed due to the failure of two pedestrian bridges. The "failed" bridges are pictured below. The Parks Victoria Silvan Reservoir Park page continues to indicate that the track is closed indefinitely.

Having driven some distance for the visit I brashly decided to explore. I was accepting of the apparently significant risk of great personal injury! As you can see below the conditions were pretty treacherous!

On this occasion I'm glad I did continue. I thoroughly enjoyed some good birding.

I understand that management has a duty of care to the public and that the situation may not be safe for a mob of 30 raucous buffoons bouncing on one of the bridges. I just feel that there has been an unjustified increase in the number and duration of closed parks and trails.

Crested shrike-tit (Falcunculus frontatus)
Only my second sighting of this bird and
first photograph. Usually seen 20 metres up!

White-throated tree-creeper (Cormobates leucophaea)
unforgiving midday light

Eastern yellow robin (Eopsaltria australis)
enjoying a dust bath in the January heat

Enjoyed several different views of
Fan-tailed cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis)

Kookaburra feeding young in tree-hollow
and then off to continue the shopping!

 

Bird - yet to be identified! Any suggestions?

 The discarded signage at the start of the Stoneyford Nature trail:

"Failed bridges" #1 and #2.

I cannot fathom how anyone could come to grief on either of these structures. We are not talking a canyon here. You would have to crawl along the creek bed to get under! There's no trolls surprising any billy-goats gruff on these babies!