Black honeyeater, Cockatiel in the wild, Goschen Reserve

Black honeyeater, Goschen Bushland Reserve (Dec 2013)

Goschen was gazetted to be a town. Streets were planned. A hall was built, a tennis court asphalted, a cricket oval marked out.

Goschen seems to be in the middle of nowhere, in the Victorian version of the outback, now miles and miles of wheat fields. The gazetted area is now a small bushland reserve, an oasis of dry country bush in a "desert" of wheat fields.

I visited Goschen for a few hours in December 2013 and was amazed at seeing birds I had not known you could see in Victoria. Highlights were "lifers" Black honeyeater and White-fronted honeyeater. While I "dipped" on Budgerigar and Pied honeyeater I was more than happy with other friends not often seen in Victoria (by me): Grey-crowned babbler, Rainbow bee-eater, Hooded robin, Spiny-cheeked honeyeater, Singing honeyeater and White-browed woodswallow.

Black honeyeater

The closest I have been to Cockatiel ever, Goschen (December 2013)

A slightly different angle and a little sun & blue sky … Cockatiel (Dec 2013, Goschen, Vic)

Another small group of cockatiel can be just made out in a dead branch, two thirds of the way up the picture centrally. 

and here's a close up!

Hooded robin can be vary obliging. This one seemed to follow me (it also seems to have a thing for cockatiel)!

Singing honeyeater

White-browed babbler

Distant view of a Rainbow bee-eater

Awful picture of a White-fronted honeyeater makes the post only because it was a LIFER!

Some Goschen scenes to put you in the picture:

The dilapidated hall

The old tennis court was surrounded by flowering gums

The edge of the reserve with adjacent wheat field

Same location as above looking out from the fence along the lines of stubble. 

I will definitely be back!

Bird on!

Birds of the Roebuck Plains

The town of Broome in Western Australia is a well-known birding destination. The tidal mudflats of Roebuck Bay play host to large numbers of migratory waders and it is on these shores that the Birdlife Australia Broome Bird Observatory is located. The observatory provides information, walking trails, bird hides and camping accommodation. It also offers tours and it was a tour called the Lakes Tour that I joined on 24 August 2012.

The trusty vehicle our guide had grown to love, Roebuck Plains

The tour gives access to land owned by the Roebuck Plains Cattle station. It is my understanding that the Roebuck Plains area was originally the massive delta of the Fitzroy River - a large river system that now flows into the King Sound. In "the wet" the plains are awash and impassable. The tour runs in the dry season and visits three residual shallow lakes as they dry out.

Our guide Theresa, a visiting Spanish ornithologist, was a gun at bird ID. This is Lake Campion. We are viewing birds on the other side of the lake.

I was impressed by the Google earth image showing a striking difference in the topography between the plains and the surrounding West Kimberley bush. This is not really appreciable as you zip along Highway One!

This was classic long-range birding using scopes and binoculars. Up close photographic opportunities were few but many species were identified including several lifers.

"Is there a particular bird you would like to see?" asked Theresa
"I have never seen Australian bustard." Sure enough we had our tick within the hour.

Four of a group of seven Australian bustard wandering away from the track

Our first stop was at Lake Eda - we were met with fine views of a White-bellied sea eagle. Brolga were readily seen around the area. Taken through the tinted windscreen of a slowly-moving car these photos are particularly poor but I am amused by the pictures of this bird descending with its landing gear down.

White-bellied sea eagle, Lake Eda

White-bellied sea eagle

Brolga descent and then grazing near Lake Eda

Lake Eda was followed by Lake Campion and then Taylor's Lagoon. At each lake I practiced trying to differentiate between the different waders present (Wood and Marsh sandpiper principally). I enjoyed my first ever sighting of Cockatiel (albeit at a great distance). Australian pratincole paraded obligingly.

Australian pratincole, Lake Eda

An across-the-lake view of a group of Cockatiel, Lake Eda

Not my kit .... unfortunately! Yes I was "out-lensed", Taylor's Lagoon

Red-backed kingfisher

Rainbow bee-eaters

Black-winged stilt

We had a few Zebra finch encounters (above) but my favourite photo opportunity of the day would have to be the Long-tailed finch that came down to drink near a magnificently placed branch!

Long-tailed finch, Taylor's Lagoon

77 species were seen in all including many ducks and other water fowl, budgerigar, raptors. You can see the entire list here (Eremaea website).

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Bird on!

Bird construction Inc. (nests, tunnels, bowers)

It appears that summer in Wee Jasper is still family time with many juvenile birds around and still much evidence of nesting activity.

I am always a little excited to come up from Melbourne and see the Rainbow Bee-eaters. These are distant views taken across the Goodradigbee River but they show the bird leaving and approaching the nesting tunnel.

Rainbow bee-eater, January 2013

Fairy martin bottle nests

This Willie wagtail nest was built over the water. 

It was pointed out by the kids who had noticed it while floating down the river on tyre tubes. 

What works best - the feather or the cap? Not a nest of course but the bower of the Satin bowerbird.

And finally Marj K has some nice shots of Leaden flycatchers nesting at nearby Micalong Reserve.

Bird on!

Double-barred finch - gorgeous at Geikie Gorge

Double-barred finch are the sort of bird which cannot help but look gorgeous. We enjoyed the company of this group of about 15-20 birds at Geikie Gorge in the Kimberley region of Western Australia in August this year.

That's going to ruffle a few feathers!

It knows it looks good!

A photo shoot can be thirsty work after all! In our 1.5 hours at Geikie we also saw Rainbow bee-eater, White-bellied sea-eagle and honeyeaters amongst others. You can see the full list here.

When visiting Geikie it is worth knowing that there are boat tours (departure times didn't sync with the hours we had allowed unfortunately).  We walked the 1.5 hour "Reef walk" which takes you along the gorge's eastern walls up the flood plain to where the gorge wall meets the river. A better option may be to combine a boat tour with the shorter loop walk which breaks off from the Reef walk and rises into the limestone ridges. You can find out more about Geikie Gorge here.

Rainbow bee-eater

Brown honeyeater

White-gaped honeyeater

Rufous-throated honeyeater demonstrating its identifying feature

Finally, a few shots showing the environs ...

and a few Red-tailed black cockatoos to boot!

 Bird on!