Birding Killarney Beach

Dull but dry! Looking west from Killarney Beach towards the Port Fairy lighthouse. Low tide exposes the weed covered rocks which protect the beach from the surf.

Aahh, not enough time! Precious few moments to take in some serious birding, even less time for blogging. However I so enjoyed some birding moments at the weekend, I feel inspired to pen a post or two.

Labour Day long weekend in Victoria generally finds me at the Port Fairy Folk Festival. This year was no exception and I tore myself away from the music for a few hours to Killarney Beach, a reasonably reliable spot for Sanderling and other shorebirds, so I have read.

Being a long weekend I was sharing the beach with horse-riders, dog walkers, fisherman (a few of each) and a lone swimmer (yikes - it's the Southern Ocean for goodness sake!).

I was keen for Sanderling and I spent some time (read "45 minutes") watching a group of waders trying to convince myself that they weren't Red-necked stint and failed - they were. The low-tide had revealed seaweed-covered rocky reefs and patches of exposed seagrass. This underwater garden was laid bare for the camouflaged shorebirds to feast upon.

Several Red-necked stint and two Ruddy turnstone (look hard!)

The stints in particular loved the patches of sea-grass. There was also a pair of Pied oystercatcher and a young Kelp gull hanging around.

  

Oystercatcher, stint and turnstone

Kelp gull

These seagrass patches and reefs are just 50 metres to the west of the car park. Heading further west along the beach towards Port Fairy we come in to some serious Hooded plover territory. I saw six birds including a chick.

Distant view of an adult Hooded plover sending its chick to the safety of dune shrubs - away from the approaching photographer

Meet Hooded plover (Orange flag YY), proud parent doing its thing distracting me away from the chick "Come hither!"

Volcanic rock forms the reefs protecting the little bay from the Southern Ocean surf. White-fronted chat forage

  

Black swan and gulls including this Kelp gull were among the fly-bys.

Looking east, low tide Killarney Beach. You can see two small "islands" of sea grass

Now if you want Sanderling try heading East from the carpark! More to follow ...

Bird on!

Only dropped in for a Chat, but I'll be back!

With a couple of young teens in tow I managed a truncated reconnaissance visit to the Wonthaggi Heathlands last weekend. The car is left at a small car park at the southern end of Chisolm Rd and we blundered on down the track that heads for Cutler's Beach. There has been much rain in the area and our chosen track was one of the many that had become waterlogged.

White-fronted chat, Wonthaggi Heathlands

We were forced to turn around when the track turned into a quicksand-like slurry. This was not before a nice feeling about the place had fallen upon me. The habitat and scenery are pleasing. The place has an unspoilt feel about it and with such species as Southern emu-wren on the target list I'll be back!

As we left I noticed a sign announcing two Heathland Circuit Walks (short and long, 1.6k and 4.2k) which may have been a better choice! Next time I'll go better armed perhaps with the Eremaea bird list for Wonthaggi Heathlands (91 birds over 16 lists). It also contains this useful advice:

Fire dam is a great place to sit down and let the birds come to you.

Of course this may not apply at the moment as there is no shortage of watering spots!

A stone's throw from such interesting human interventions as the Wonthaggi Wind Farm and Victorian Desalination Plant

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Bird on!

Bird Week Day 4 - Oh my, Woolamai! Birds of Phillip Island

White-fronted chat, Cape Woolamai

A few pictures today from another rewarding early morning walk to Cape Woolamai. When the weather is right it is a place worth getting up early for! It appears that there is always something to different of the feathered kind to see and the views are exceptional!

Good-sized meal for a Chat methinks!

Australasian pipit perched on some Cape Woolamai pink granite

Australian magpie chases down a Brown falcon to provide some feedback

These shots were taken within two seconds. When checking my pictures later the magpie appears to end up with something in it's bill that is not there in the first two shots. I am assuming that the falcon is now short a couple of feathers!

A contemplative Australian magpie. I remembered later that Collingwood had just been knocked out of the AFL finals. 

We surprised each other. One shot and this White-faced heron was off!

On the day of my walk in late September 2013 I took a few snippets of video:

The trail starts from the Woolamai surf beach car park and follows the beach until the cliffs commence. Hooded plover are commonly seen along this stretch (but that's another story). Steps take you to the top of the cliffs and shortly thereafter the trail splits into a circuit. Of late I have tended to take the "western" arm as this follows the ocean enabling me to keep an eye out for distant albatross. Sometimes I return this way as well. The views are spectacular. Taking the other arm will certainly add to your Woolamai day list as it passes through heathland (Superb fairy-wren, cisticola) and a good stand of banksia which is full of honeyeaters (wattlebirds and New Holland Honeyeater dominate).

Throughout the cape there is the opportunity to see raptors (Swamp harrier, Peregrine falcon, Nankeen kestrel, Black-shouldered kite and White-bellied sea eagle).

If the weather is unpleasant (either too warm or too wet and windy) do not take a young family - this is an 8km round trip!

Before your walk you may like to read the Phillip Island Nature Park's Nature Notes for Cape Woolamai.

The kids trudging, January 2011

Early morning view from the beach

I had forewarning of this burn but was relieved to find no evidence of it!

Up on the high ground

Much higher up now looking back towards the beach that was the starting point. Much rain has created fresh water pools on top of the headland.

The destination!

Bird on!

Cisticola, Fairy-wrens & other Woolamai smalls

If these birds had hung around together a little longer then I may have made a better fist of capturing their moment together. These Golden-headed cisticola and Super fairy-wren shared the same patch of coastal heath when I visited Cape Woolamai recently.

Golden-headed cisticola and Superb fairy-wren, Cape Woolamai

Superb fairy-wren

Superb fairy-wren (female)

Golden-headed cisticola

There are few clues to the correct pronunciation of the name cisticola! It is one of those bird names that has to be heard before an attempt should be made. Sean Dooley does an excellent job in his book "From Anoraks to Zitting Cisticola":

Nothing gives a beginner away more quickly than mispronouncing the names of birds. It shouldn’t matter, but it does, and when I hear an experienced old-timer pronounce ‘plover’ so that it rhymes with ‘clover’ (it should rhyme with ‘lover’), I can’t help but give a misplaced smirk of superiority.
So for the record, if you want to avoid the sniggers of other birders, cisticola should be pronounced ‘sis-tick-er-la’ with the last syllables running together so that it sounds as though you are saying you have tickled your sister, not as if it was the latest flavour of Coke. And certainly try and avoid, as one friend used to say, ‘cisticular’. Particularly with the Zitting before it; people will think you are suffering from a medical condition. 'Sean was a healthy young man until he went to Darwin and picked up Zitting Cisticulars. Now it hurts when he pees.'

In my mind this male Golden-headed cisticola appears distracted by the flight of his love...

A few more Woolamai "smalls"....

Willie wagtail, Cape Woolamai (A "Woolie wagtail" perhaps?)

White-fronted chat

The scene where these shots were taken. Cape Woolamai, Phillip Island. The cape is at the eastern  most point of the island. Here is the view looking west across the rest of the island.

Bird on!

Flame robins enjoying the conditions, Phillip Island

Gorgeous place (on a nice day)! Gorgeous feathery friends!

It's been a while since I've seen Flame robin. Recently at Cape Woolamai I enjoyed walking along the trail with at least one pair keeping just ahead of me.

Flame Robin (AM), Cape Woolamai, Phillip Island, June 2013

I'm outta here!

My first view was a distant snap of the female. Different from the other birds I'd been seeing that morning, I thought: "Now, that has a "robiny" flavour!"

Flame robin, female

 But which one? A splash of colour on the track ahead and an "insurance shot" is taken.

Subsequent views in different positions enabled enough examination of the colouring and pattern of colour to establish that this was Flame robin. We also see Scarlet robin in Victoria which has less orange in the breast that does not extend so far down the belly. The Scarlet robin also has a larger white forehead patch.

Flame robin, Cape Woolamai

When I'm seeing birds in beautiful surrounds I do like to try to capture something of this but find it difficult. The bird shown above appears on the photo below (bottom left).

Spot the robin!

Checking the conditions, Woolamai surf beach

Some White-fronted chat were taking in a similar view and watching the surfers ...

Now play spot the chat!

The old man and the sea!? I was curious to see what would unfold. This is a decent sized wave (in my book)!

Look at him go!

Although I don't think many cameras were pointing at birds, there was no shortage of long lenses!

The gorgeous weather drew many to Woolamai for many different reasons:

The Instagram perspective

And did I mention that in the summer months Cape Woolamai plays host to TENS of THOUSANDS of Short-tailed shearwater? But that's another story!

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Bird on!