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!

Bird Week Day 5 - A Peregrine & Pardalote Day, Phillip Island birds

"Peregrine" and "Pardalote"- two gorgeous sounding words that also just happen to be associated with the most wonderful of creatures!

Falco peregrinus arises from the Latin per and agri - literally "from abroad" or subsequently "wandering". I gather the northern hemisphere peregrines are inclined to migrate. I had jumped out of the car recently at Oswin Roberts Sanctuary (Phillip Island) and had one of those great car park moments when you know the birds are "on"! Looking up I saw the silhouette of a falcon purposefully gliding across the small arc of sky I had vision of. 'Grabbed the camera and managed one shot:

Peregrine falcon flying over Oswin Roberts Sanctuary

My impression is that the name "Pardalote" is a name known only to birders or those that have had a close experience with these beautifully marked birds. I  gather that Pardalotus refers to being "spotted" and arises from Greek origins. Although I could hear many Spotted pardalote on this day at Oswin Roberts (I am inclined to think of it as Ozzie Bob's) it was the Striated pardalote that was providing most photo opportunities:

Striated pardalote checking out tree-hollow nesting options, September 2013

The next three photos were taken within a minute or two of each other when passing through a small-bird hot spot!

Brown thornbill, Oswin Roberts Sanctuary

White-browed scrub wren, Oswin Roberts Sanctuary

Superb fairy-wren, Oswin Roberts Sanctuary

Oswin Roberts Sanctuary is also good for honeyeaters (in addition to those shown Wattlebirds, White-eared honeyeaters are also common) ...

Still struggling for a decent photo of White-naped honeyeater I'm afraid

New Holland honeyeater

Yellow-faced honeyeater

I generally don't leave Ozzie Bobs without seeing an Eastern Yellow Robin at some stage

Dusky woodswallow numbers are seasonal - they are starting to increase again now that Spring is here

Fan-tailed cuckoo 

Grey currawong

iPhone shot of the park's eastern boundary and adjacent farmland where Swamp harriers and Whistling kite are often seen.

Whistling kite

Even by Ozzie Bob standards this was a pretty productive morning!

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Bird on!

Woods Reserve, Tuerong

'Enjoyed a half hour wander through part of Wood's Reserve at Tuerong on the Mornington Peninsula recently. We walked through a noisy colony of Bell miners (Manorina melanophrys) and as our eyes became accustomed the individual birds responsible for that wonderful "tink" materialised!

Bell miner Wood's Reserve, Tuerong. I find it's like watching the night sky. Initially the birds are hard to spot but once you get your "miner eyes" more and more birds materialise!

I have a few shots with Bell miners leaping in this fashion with little use of their wings.

A nice recording of Bell miner calls & a valiant attempt to film these near-invisible birds can be seen here (a Canadian punter's youtube account):

Other birds seen included a pair of Wedge-tailed eagles, Yellow robin, Grey fantail and a wealth of other honeyeaters including Yellow-faced, New Holland and White-naped.

Grey fantail 

Yellow-faced honeyeater 

This is one of those "nearly shots"! It nearly has Yellow-faced, New Holland and White-naped Honeyeaters all in the one shot (see particularly out of focus White-naped at bottom left)

 Bird on!

Wee Jasper birdsong

The air is full of birdsong at Swinging Bridge Reserve, Wee Jasper. "Song" is not always apt when much of the "noise" is coming from the large parrot population. Sulphur-crested cockatoo, King parrots, Crimson rosella and Galah were the most obvious during our visit last week. Yellow-tailed black cockatoo and Gang-gang (although not seen on this occasion) are also regular visitors.

Australian King parrot (male above, immature below)

Immature Crimson rosella

Rufous whistler were actively singing .... err ... whistling! A constant joy!

The penetrating piping of White-throated treecreeper added some further charm.

Yellow-faced honeyeater was the predominant honeyeater species and leant its frequent brisk call to the chorus. 

My first thought was that this was an immature Black-chinned honeyeater but it has been pointed out that Brown-headed honeyeater is a much better fit - Excellent - a lifer! A review of Pizzey suggests that there are five honeyeater species with that familiar white nape and paler front. Of these I am yet to see the Strong-billed honeyeater endemic to Tasmania.

The Leaden flycatcher buzzing calls added a different dimension as did the Satin bowerbirds at their bower. Noisy friarbird were ..... well, noisy! Kookaburras provided a daily (or twice daily) chorus. When I first heard roosting Australian wood ducks calling ("gnaaaaw") I wondered if I was listening to a broken kookaburra that couldn't get going!

Australian wood duck - We don't really "quack"

Large numbers of Superb fairywren led the small bird voice accompanied by White-browed scrubwren. Diamond firetail provided an occaisonal finchy flavour.

All in all a most pleasant and amazing soundscape!

Bird on!