Coolart Homestead and Wetlands

Another drive to the Mornington Peninsula to look for a few photogenic birds at my regular spots. Started off at Coolart Homestead and Wetlands. Coolart is a late Victorian mansion with formal and informal gardens built on the shores of  Westernport Bay. It has a significant wetlands area with several viewing observatories and hides. A good day of exploring the wetlands, gardens and woodlands can result in a list of 50+ bird species.

Coolart Homestead, Somers

Australian White Ibis

Little Pied Cormorant

Juvenile Eastern Yellow Robin waiting for his breakfast

Eastern Yellow Robin

Eastern Spinebill

Lathams Snipe – a secretive wader that migrates down from Japan for the Australian summer

Black Fronted Dotteral

The Pink Eared Duck is a favourite that does not turn up all that often. I regularly  find a small flock here at Coolart. They are a communal species and love to preen and bicker. The pink ear can be hard to see as they are quite flighty when in large groups on open water (like at the Weribee Pooh Farm). Due to the bird hide near one of their sand bank roosts one can be close enough to see the markings quite clearly.

Pink Eared Duck

Pink Eared Duck II

Welcome Swallow