Credit last one to Missus Soulnet.
11 Likes
Yep, they have no idea around motorbikes travelling at 300km/h, which wouldn’t be any problem in nearly any part of the state…
Been in and around Bendigo this week and BH has managed to add to her tally, including these 2 lifers.
#215 Owlet Nightjar - Crusoe Reservoir. Not an owl as such, it is more closely related to the Tawny Frogmouth.
#214 Buff Rumped Thornbill - Kamarooka
Posted BH’s identifiable but obscured pic of a Red-capped Robin earlier in the year but this pic from Kamarooka is bees knees.
10 Likes
Wedgeys at Lysterfield. There was two, but getting a decent photo of both on my phone proved tricky.
11 Likes
Side note, got home about 15 minutes later to see them out hovering above the neighbours paddock (we’re about 5km from lysterfield.
I’ve spotted a pair around there before, I think!!
Off (east side) of Belgrave Hallam road, there’s a Christmas tree farm, just near there
Yep. About a km or so down from there.
1 Like
7 Likes
The celebrity bird of this week is definitely the Painted Snipe. Rather curiously one has turned up in the depths of winter in the Maldon region when by rights it should be in Japan. A small number migrate to Oz in Summer but to be present this time of the year is unheard of and the speculation is that it is a juvenile and not yet ready for migration. There are no other current sightings in Australia. BH tells me around 50 of her fellow birders turned up at the fairly remote swamp area on private property yesterday in pursuit of a birders’ Holy Grail pic. Apparently unless you trudge through miles of swamp the only viable viewing spots are very distant and require perfect eyesight and a powerful camera. So alas BH can only bird vicariously in this case. The mystery to me is how anyone spotted it in the first place. Birders are literally everywhere.
BH’s group’s policy is not to publish the precise locations of extremely rare birds but other sites including Ebird have published it and here is a very clear pic of the actual bird posted yesterday on the Vic Birders FB site from someone who might have been too close for comfort.
This pic from BH’s site shows the birders’ approved viewing location. Not a camera person but hard to believe such a clear shot could be taken from such a position.
Also included a Guardian article from earlier this year.
6 Likes
I reckon tree sparrows were pretty common 35 years ago?
2 Likes
BH remembers them bounding around her garden in Frankston with the house sparrows when she was young. Not anymore though. Not sure why their numbers have dropped but they are an introduced species so maybe it’s not such a bad thing.
2 Likes
I think a Tawny Frogmouth near Coburg lake.
Dodgy camera photo, so don’t look too closely!
Edit: I have no idea why that upload didn’t work. You’ll need to use your imagination
Edit clearly something to do with the edited file…
3 Likes
OK we’re in Bendigo for an appointment with our newest grandchild last Saturday and staying at the Gold Nugget Tourist Park when BH shakes me awake at dawn.
“Time to wake up, it’s birding time,” she says.
“WTF,” says I, staring forlornly out the window, “It’s ■■■■■■■ freezing and the fog’s like pea soup.”
“Ideal birding time for the local sewage farm,” says she, “Hop to it!”
You be the judge.
It’s a Whistling Kite.
This one’s Black Shouldered
BH also managed to pick up pics of 3 new birds, after a bit of a dry spell.
#221 Little Friarbird - Bendigo Sewage Farm
#222 Yellow Thornbill - Diamond Dove Dam
#223 Shy Heathwren - Diamond Dove Dam
PS Wasn’t shy at all, basically ran over BH’s feet.
7 Likes
You’re a good man. Great photos & totally worth it.
I was down south a week ago and it was ■■■■■■■ freezing!!! Hat off to you both.
2 Likes
Location?
Geelong. Coastal.
I’ll have a raw file on the card, I’ll extract a colour version when I get a chance.
2 Likes
