Within 5 minutes and 20 metres of each other were a collection of peculiarly coloured birds at Port Fairy the other weekend. All three were birds I don't often see. Three times I found myself thinking how strangely these birds were "put together".
The always nervous Black-tailed Native hen is mostly drab but has an alarming yellow eye, green and red bill and striking red legs (and it gets it's name from a black tail!?).
Black-tailed native hen - no large groups here but 5-6 birds momentarily in bright sunlight.
A single Pink-eared Duck refused to cooperate but its impressive shovelling bill can be made out on this photo as can it's zebra markings and pink "ear".
Australian Spotted crake was equally noncommittal but also has some garish colourings on bill and leg.
Australian Spotted Crake
All birds were seen at Port Fairy's Russell Clark Reserve which was conveniently located between our digs and the Port Fairy Folk Festival. We walked past daily. The reserve is actually used as a temporary car park for the festival.
I sat for a while to view and photograph the crake which was on yonder island ….
… the usual local gang of thugs was also present ….
… and came to check me out (iPhone shots now) …..
….. which of course attracted the attention of the constabulary. So much for going under cover!
To my left our rented house, my right the music festival, behind me the Southern Ocean, in front of me a wetland!
Alas only one long weekend!
"Reverse charge call". The first time I've seen a Hoodie's nesting area roped off on the "dune" side preventing access to the shore line. The scrape was apparently on a short peninsula. The dune is behind me! We watched the hoodie for a while (sans camera, we were actually at the beach swimming!) and were thrilled to count five Ruddy Turnstones as well.
Returned the next day but found none of the above but a White-faced heron ...
…. and some other locals. Always impressed at that bill! Long-billed corella.
Between Acts, Stage 1, Sunday Evening, Port Fairy Folk Festival
Decidedly birding theme to this year's festival featuring local gull, "mutton birds" (Short-tailed shearwaters), Hooded Plover and Pied Oystercatcher. Wins my vote! I wonder home many of the 12,000 patrons were as impressed as me!
Birding endeavours during my recent trip to Port Fairy were seriously truncated by illness (temporary!) but here's a selection of shots from the weekend trip away for the folk festival.
Golden-headed cisticola
From the boardwalk at Pea Soup beach a wealth of gulls and terns beckoned further investigation but I really wasn't up to it!
This unbanded Hooded plover was protecting a fenced and signed nesting site at Pea Soup Beach, Port Fairy.
Black-shouldered kite with freshly caught mouse .... Yum!
Down the hatch - whole!
Does my stomach look full?
We walked past a wetland at Russell Clark Reserve daily which afforded good views of Great egret, Chestnut teal and other ducks, Buff-banded rail, Hoary-headed grebe, Purple swamphen and Dusky moorhen. There was a small group of around a dozen Black-tailed native hen.
Music, great coastline, festival fun ....... and birds. Yes, this may become an annual post topic (see Mr Qwirk & the kestrels)!
We have just returned from this year's festival. Today I noticed this banner which captured all things good about the PFFF!
The festival can be as big or as intimate as you like. I am a big fan of the American folk-blues singer Eric Bibb (along with thousands of others). He easily filled the largest stage:
Highlight in this performance? "Don't you ever let nobody drag your spirit down". Youtube clip features an earlier performance (some other festival, some other person's camera).
But often it's the gems you take away from more intimate stages that you remember most. He we see Liz Fencham, April Verch (Canada) and the Australian-Irish duo Hat Fitz and Carla Robinson pictured here with Jeff Lang (right) adding a second guitar.
"But where are the birds?" I hear you complain! The images selected are those readily seen at Port Fairy and were captured within the town area.
Long-billed corella (Cacatua tenuirostris)
This Buff-banded rail (Gallirallus philippensis) wasn't sure whether it should cast a shadow or a reflection for the most interesting shot!
Singing honeyeater (Lichenostomus virescens)
I'm tickled when birds sit on television antennae. I like to think that there must be something good on! On this occasion it is the introduced European starling (Sturnus vulgaris). This Black-shouldered kite (Elanus axillaris) was hunting overhead as we walked to the festival arena.
Hoary-headed grebe (Poliocephalus policephalus)
I did that thing where you pretend you're not interested in the diving bird until he dives - then you scurry to a better position! When he pops up again you can see them think "Crikey! (ozzie bird) I thought you were way over there!" The Hoary -headed grebe can dive with an unnaturally large explosion of water for such a little bird "Pop!"
Black-faced cormorant (Leucocarbo fuscescens)
I have only seen this species twice - both times at Port Fairy
where they are readily seen
And yes Mr Quirk was a Port Fairy sighting again this year!
This is Mr Qwirk. He is a peculiar man. He has an inflated rubber glove taped to his forehead.
Behind Mr Qwirk is a large tent.
Late in the afternoon there was an even better show than Mr Qwirk. Firstly it involved an Australian hobby (lifer!!) soaring around the venue catching large flying insects.
Then appeared no fewer than six Nankeen kestrel which appeared to see the hobby off and commenced their own feast, intermittently perching on the tent uprights or light towers. We could see them targeting the large flying bugs and suspected they were also feeding on the wing but were pleasantly surprised with the photos:
Mr Qwirk finishes his act by bursting his inflated glove with juggled sabres. I reckon it would be even better if he did it with the hobby!
