The brolga is off my back!

Yes, finally I am able to state that I have seen brolgas and name the date, place & circumstance. Having never been quite sure that childhood memories of seeing these birds in SW Victorian paddocks were real or imagined I don't have to fret any longer.

The sighting was not a 30 minute utopia of photographing courting birds in a graceful dance. Rather it was a 30 second "Shit, they might be brolgas!", car screeching to a halt (from 100kmh), camera & binocular fumbling liaison that could easily have ended in disaster!

Anyway it was still special. The birds loomed large in my mind's eye as I was taking the pictures - so I am somewhat disappointed at the distant, grey, brolga-shaped silhouettes that resulted!:

Pizzey: "Flight distinctive: neck and legs extended,
wingbeats slow, majestic..."
I agree!

Disappearing over the flat plains of north-central Victoria

Hannah knew I was looking out for them ..... we "high-fived" and drove on to Terrick Terrick National Park (report to follow!).

Badger Creek Lyrebirds

Enjoyed a very close encounter with this female lyrebird on the trail to Badger Creek weir (video below).

Two males we saw weren't as engaging but both demonstrated impressive mimicry close to hand that alerted us to their presence (a whistler "whip", a kookaburra's laugh).

For completeness sake I include a shot of a captive male Superb lyrebird taken at Healesville Sanctuary a few years ago:

Orioles back in Hochkins!

I remember first seeing an olive-backed oriole in Bundanoon NSW & had just imagined they were a North-of-the-Murray sort of bird until coming across one at Hockins Ridge Reserve in North Croydon last December. I remember suggesting to a fellow birder in January that we could pop in & see them again. Lucky we didn't because I have not seen them since. This prompted a dive into Pizzey to learn that they are of course, semi-migratory. We'll they're back! This view is of a bird at the top of the tree canopy - therefore is not a great image. They have a call which is actually sort of familiar & quite recognisable.

As a result of this momentous occasion, the Turnstones end of August tally has raced along to 172!

I reckon it's a suburban gem!

Common bronzewing and Grey butcherbird are resident locals