Grey fantail nest building, Phillip Island birds

Grey fantail, Phillip Island

Such a song - often heard but I'd not watched one singing close up before. The bill really opened wide for the highest silvery notes at the end of each song phrase

"I think I might build something of greatness ..."

Foundations, 50cm from a previous nest (last year's?) about a metre off the ground

Poor view of the arrival of another load of some fibrous plant matter.

What's good on TV? Spider webs of course

Sticky stuff though!

This nest building requires some agility! There was much rapid fussing around the edges.

The next shots were taken one day later and the nest has taken greater shape. It gets tested for size ...

The all important interior design cannot be ignored

One week later ... Voila! What a fine creation. Pizzey describes the fantail nest as a "beautiful small grey cup, tailed like wineglass without a base".

This one's wineglass stem is a little off!

A peak inside reveals a single egg which is not shown well in this iphone shot

I wonder if I'll find a second egg soon.

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Bird on!

Birding Wonthaggi Heathlands - of Emu and Emu-wren

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 ....!

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

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!

Yellow-faced honeyeater, Wonthaggi heathlands

New Holland honeyeater 

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.

A section of heathland on the Short Loop trail, Wonthaggi Heathlands

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.

Golden whistler, immature male, Wonthaggi Heathlands 

Now behaving a little more whistler-like

Superb fairy-wren were abundant but not cooperative today!

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!

Looking south-west from the Short loop trail, Wonthaggi Heathlands. Note the thin sliver of sea on the horizon.

Bird on!

A Bronze-cuckoo shines

Shining Bronze-cuckoo - a lifer for me!

Daughter and self visited Swan Lake at Phillip Island only to find that gumboots would be required if we were to proceed! 

We re-traced our steps to the car park when an obliging bronze-cuckoo appeared and perched above us (didn't actually call at this stage). Being a bit of a bronze-cuckoo nuff nuff I assumed that it would be the Horsfield's variety Chalcites basalis that I tend to see more often. The bird neatly displayed several angles demonstrating identifying features that distinguished it as a Shining bronze-cuckoo Chalcites lucidus. Lifer!!

I have since studied the call (very distinctive) and of course now I'm spotting them everywhere!

There was an even more obliging Grey fantail:

Grey fantail at Swan Lake, Phillip Island, Victoria

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Bird on!

Caspian terns, Phillip Island

These pictures were all taken last weekend while walking along a stretch of beach which extends from Cowes to Observation Point at the northeastern corner of Phillip Island.

This is the closest I have been to a Caspian tern (near Silverleaves, Phillip Island)!

Five things I have learnt about Caspian terns 

• I believe that their name relates to the region of the Caspian Sea. The name Hydroprogne caspia was given in 1770 by the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas who led expeditions into "The East" visiting the Russian provinces, Ural Mountains and Caspian Sea)
• Their distribution is widespread, but scattered, occurring in Eurasia, North America, Africa and Australasia
• They are the world's largest tern with a wingspan of up to a 1 metre
• They can be quite dispersive. In Victoria we see them a little less in the winter months.
• Males and females are alike. Non-breeding birds have lighter flecks in that impressive black cap

They are a pretty regular sighting at Rhyll Inlet's Observation Point which I visited at the weekend (ostensibly to see if any migratory waders had arrived).

Looking towards Rhyll from Observation Point

This Caspian tern dwarfs these Red-necked stint while sharing a bath

Observation Point often has good numbers of Pied oystercatcher

Red-necked stint, Red-capped plover and a lone Hoodie (blurred top left) making use of the seaweed

Hooded plovers

I caught up once again with some of my banded friends. I have been photographing the bird at bottom right for some 5 years - What a trooper!

Red-capped plover

Australian White ibis crossing Westernport Bay from French Island

Grey fantail are often seen where the trees meet the beach

On this day Willie visited the beach as well

I have not noticed Willie wagtails with such brown on the wing before. I am wondering if these indicates an immature bird.

A few other beach scenes follow. The return trip had me looking into the setting sun. The clear waters of the bay were lent a metallic sheen and there were ships to be seen.

The container ship Ambrosia

What's that I spy? A tall ship at the Cowes jetty?

Closer inspection reveals the Sydney based Soren Larsen.

You can find out more about the history of this restored tall ship (and star of The Onedin Line BBC television series) here.

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Bird on!