You Yangs - Scarlet robins, Rufous whistler

I battled the Sunday morning fitness army at the You Yangs last weekend. The place was swarming with cyclists and runners. Without even locating the Tawny frogmouths I left the car park throng after only a few minutes (do they still hang around there?).

I was pleased to eventually find a little solitude around the gravel pits area near where Kurrajong Ave leaves the Great Circle Drive. Restless flycatcher, Striated thornbill, Dusky woodswallow and a few choughs were active here. New Holland and White-plumed were the only honeyeaters identified. I had seen Diamond firetail here in the past but not today.

The next place I stopped was to walk a 100m or so along the Branding Yard Rd. It was here that I had a lovely time with a Rufous whistler and a pair of Scarlet robin. A Shining bronze-cuckoo was hanging around but avoided my camera.

Rufous whistler giving it all, You Yangs, 21 Sept 2014

That was pretty good huh!?

Scarlet robin (male), You Yangs

Scarlet robin - female

Female Superb fairy-wren reaches for a better view of the camera man

Superb fairy-wren

White-naped honeyeater on to something stuck between two leaves 

Striated thornbill was good for my year list

Striated thornbill

A peculiar collection of leftovers include Red-rumped parrot, Pied currawong, Dusky woodswallow and Restless flycatcher ...

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Bird on!

Birds of Sugarloaf Reservoir

Wedge-tailed eagle, Sugarloaf Reservoir Park (31 July 2013)

I think I have found a place close enough to home (which is in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne) that provides birding a little different from my immediate haunts. The bush around Sugarloaf Reservoir has sections of dry open forest and grassland. This provides for different birding from the tall forests and dense fern gullies of the Dandenongs for instance.

Here is a Park Guide. I have just visited for a second time. On both occasions the visit was in winter and I enjoyed walking the first 1km or so of the Chris Phillips Walk (leaving from the Saddle Dam Picnic area).

Pied currawong

White-winged chough have a great habit of nonchalantly wandering away from the observer - slow enough to get you interested but rarely presenting a favourable perspective! 

Missed the opportunity! Out-of-focus White-winged chough

Crimson rosella

White-eared honeyeater

Brown-headed honeyeater

Golden whistler

Superb fairy-wren 

Female Scarlet robin - the "insurance shot"

Managed to get a little closer to the male - Scarlet robin

"Bye!" Scarlet robin

Australian pelican

Great habitat for bush birds!

Eastern grey kangaroo

Bird on!

Inala on Bruny Island, Tasmania

Along with Maria Island further north, Bruny Island is one of the remaining strongholds for Forty-spotted pardalote. Nearly all of the Tasmanian endemics can be seen on Bruny and when I read that the owner of a property on South Bruny was a naturalist and ran birding tours of her property ..... Well thankfully Bruny is one of those places where there is no shortage of other things to do when a birder departs from the family itinerary for a few hours!

Forty-spotted pardalote, Inala, South Bruny (15 April 2014) 

During the tour the focus was not on photography so much as identifying and learning about local birds and animals. The property is called Inala (website: http://www.inalabruny.com.au) and my guide was Dr Tonia Cochran - she knew the local species intimately. At one stage she identified a short chirp as evidence that a Pink robin was close by and wanted to try to call it in. A few "psshh" noises later and the robin duly appeared and checked us out!

And just what is going on here? Pink robin, Inala

Apart from a trio of local Wedge-tailed eagles it was the smaller birds that were the feature at Inala - robins in particular. The endemic Dusky robin was pointed out and I came across some very obliging Flame robin. Several Scarlet robin were also seen, often perching on barbed wire fences.

Flame robin, Inala, Bruny Island, Tasmania

Scarlet robin

Distant view of Dusky robin, a Tasmanian endemic species 

Partially cleared land, Inala

Inala, the gums at left are an example of the favoured by endangered Forty-spotted pardalote

This was an enjoyable & memorable outing which included views of Tasmanian thornbill and scrubwren, Black-headed, Strong-billed, Yellow-throated and Crescent honeyeaters, Yellow wattlebird and those mentioned above amongst many others. I would certainly commend a visit to others!

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Bird on!

McKenzie Flora Reserve, Alexandra

Scarlet robins, rufous whistlers and Buff-rumped thornbills (lifer!) were the highlights of an afternoon walk through this small reserve.

Scarlet robins, female and male (Petroica boodang)
McKenzie Flora Reserve, Alexandra, Vic, 18 March 2012

Scarlet robin (female / immature)

I was extremely disappointed withe these images of a White-throated tree-creeper (Cormobates leucophaea). I need to practice with small fast-moving birds in difficult light! But the images do demonstrate the amazing things these birds can do with their toes!

Grey shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica) with a very brightly coloured lunch!

Rufous whistler, female / imm (Pachycephala rufiventris)
The uncooperative male is below left seen not far from this
Spotted pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus)

Crimson rosella (Platycercus elegans) were plentiful
although there were relatively few birds with this full adult plumage.

A little History of the Reserve (lifted from the Southeast Australian Naturalists' Association website):

The reserve is part of the Run of Donald McKenzie, who was an early pioneer squatter in the district. The land was not made a reserve until the 1970s. Prior to this it was grazed by cattle. Since then a variety of eucalypts have regenerated, including most of the boxes and peppermints. The understorey now has a wide variety of wildflowers and native grasses. There are also some weeds and invasive grasses. The area was burnt in the 1969 fires which stimulated growth.

I am amazed how grazed paddocks can become bush in 40 years.

A few typical scenes. McKenzie Flora Reserve

Common brown butterfly (Heteronympha merope merope)
The place was alive with these butterflies (there must have been thousands)

This butterfly was actually back at the caravan park at Acheron.
I believe it is an Orchard Swallowtail (or Large Citrus) butterfly.
(Papilio aegeus aegeus)

Butterfly identification made possible via the Museum Victoria Butterfly web page!