I had my second visit to Wonthaggi Heathlands last weekend. I have enjoyed the birding on both occasions. One bird on the target list for this location is Southern emu-wren. I certainly was not expecting to see its oversized namesake but there you go ....!
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First tick of the afternoon: Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae 6 Sept 2014
One of a pair seen on pastoral land looking west from the car park at Wonthaggi Heathlands |
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| Grey fantail were also active along the car park fence line |
Two circuit walks leave from the car park which is at the end of Chisolm Rd just southwest of Wonthaggi (find Cameron Street then head west along Campbell Street - at its navigable end is a dog leg and you are then in Chisolm Rd which becomes gravel - follow this south until you reach the car park - google maps does not recognise Chisolm Rd). One finds oneself unexpectedly close to the sea and also the local windfarm. On this occasion I only had time for a late afternoon walk around the shorter loop.
I am increasingly impressed and consider myself very lucky to be able to travel relatively short distances from home to encounter different honeyeater strongholds. The calls of White-eared, Yellow-faced and New Holland honeyeaters as well as Red wattlebird told me which honeyeater gangs were active here!
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| Yellow-faced honeyeater, Wonthaggi heathlands |
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| New Holland honeyeater |
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| Nicely focussed on the dead branch with "scribbly gum" effect! White-faced honeyeater |
The next two pictures were taken at my previous visit which was in November 2013. As you can see it was quite wet! Things were much dryer this time.
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| A section of heathland on the Short Loop trail, Wonthaggi Heathlands |
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| Australasian pipit, Wonthaggi Heathlands |
This next series of photos follows (what I eventually worked out to be) a young male Golden whistler having a drink and a bath in a drying out puddle. I have not seen whistlers at ground level before - they must have brief visits.
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| Golden whistler, immature male, Wonthaggi Heathlands |
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| Now behaving a little more whistler-like |
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| Superb fairy-wren were abundant but not cooperative today! |
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| Red-browed finch |
So as the sun started to get low I realised I was going to dip on Southern emu-wren on this occasion.
But I did see an emu!
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| Looking south-west from the Short loop trail, Wonthaggi Heathlands. Note the thin sliver of sea on the horizon. |
Bird on!
