Tag Archives: Australian Pelican

Hanging with the Pelicans at Hasting Pier

Posted on November 17, 2015 | 4 comments

On the weekend a mate and I drove down the Peninsula and visited the Coolart Wetlands and then onto Hasting Pier for lunch and a spot of birdwatching across the mudflat (as you do)…the tide was rising so many of the birds were pushed to the far bank and not easily seen. At the carpark there is a boat ramp and the fishermen clean the fish and feed the Pelicans. The Pelicans are so focussed on a free feed that they ignore everything else. They are quite a large bird and can be a challenge to photograph – but are very interesting with all the feathers, long bill, large eyes and throat pouch. I like Pelicans: big, confident and goofy on land but majestic in the air.

Pelican, Hasting Harbour

III

Pelicans waiting for the next fish scrap to be tossed

All mine….

Pelican, Hasting Harbour

4 Comments

Posted in Bird Behaviour, Birds, Victoria

Tagged Australia, Australian Birds, Australian Pelican, Bird Photography, Hastings, Nature Photography, Victoria

Flight II

Posted on July 18, 2015 | Leave a comment

A recent visit to the Western Treatment Plant with the Port Phillip Birders produced a good day with many birds on display and good opportunities for taking flight images.

White Necked Heron, Weribee

Pelicans, Weribee

Great Egret, Weribee

A Hunter’s Gaze

Posted on May 19, 2015 | 3 comments

While looking for Tawny Frogmouths at Braeside Park recently, I spotted a Black Shouldered Kite at the top of a dead tree in one of the dried out lagoons. The Kite of course saw me immediately moving from the scrub out into the waist high grass and thistles towards the tree. I did not make eye contact as I moved slowly and just stopped a few times to take a few photos. In the end I was quite surprised at how close close I managed to get. I had to back up a bit so I could use my 400mm Lens. Every now and again he would look at me and then go back to gazing down, around and up. He never did spook and after I took my shots I turned around and went back through the thorns and thistles to the lakeside path. The Kite is a stunning bird and a very successful hunter of mice and other smaller birds and animals. Another of my top 10 birds.

Black Shouldered Kite keeping an eye on me

One of the smaller Raptors in Australia. It still has the large talons, sharp eyes and the hooked beak

Black Shouldered Kite – his glance up told me that something was flying above me…

When I turned around and looked up I saw a half dozen large Australian Pelicans flying in a wingtip formation.

Australian Pelicans

3 Comments

Posted in Bird Behaviour, Birds, Victoria

Tagged Australia, Australian Birds, Australian Pelican, Bird Photography, Black Shouldered Kite, Braeside Park, Nature Photography, Photography, Victoria

Birds of the Bellarine

Posted on April 19, 2015 | 2 comments

The second day of my Easter trip exploring the Bellarine Peninsula took me to several coastal parks and bushland reserves and while the number of birds were not large the photo opportunities to get closer to the regulars was quite good.

Black Wallaby, Ocean Grove Nature Reserve, Victoria 4 April 2015 – feeding on new grass growth after a bush fire in the area.

The Lookout – Red Browed Finch, Ocean Grove Nature Reserve, Victoria 4 April 2015

Silvereye, Lake Connewarre, Victoria 4 April 2015

A careful selection

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I just want to sing ! – Superb Fairy Wren, Lake Connewarre, Victoria 4 April 2015

Welcome Swallow, Edwards Point Wildlife Reserve, St Leonards Victoria 4 April 2015

A squadron of Pelicans flew over me as I walked along the Point – there were 6 large birds flying in perfect formation gliding along the coast.

Australian Pelican, Edwards Point Wildlife Reserve, St Leonards Victoria 4 April 2015

Red Browed Finch, Edwards Point Wildlife Reserve, St Leonards Victoria 4 April 2015

Opposite my accommodation in Queescliff was a park overlooking the beach and the heads at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay. In the park are some large mature trees planted by the early settlers of the area. The trees are stunning and beautifully shaped by pruning and the wind. The one below reminded me of a giant bonsai. I spent some time one evening in nice late afternoon light walking around it and using my wide angle lens trying to capture the feeling. I failed miserably – I never thought that taking a photos of trees would be so much harder than birds.

Conifer, Queenscliff, Victoria 4 April 2015

Pine, Queenscliff, Victoria 4 April 2015

While I was staying at Queenscliff there was a full eclipse of the moon that lasted for several hours and finished with a rare blood moon. While I did not stay up for the full blood moon (too cold and I had an early start the next day), I did get a few early eclipse shots trying out various settings. I got very few clear shots due to clouds but was happy enough with the one below.

Lunar Eclipse, Queenscliff, Victoria 4 April 2015

2 Comments

Posted in Animal, Birds, Victoria

Tagged Australian Pelican, Bellarine, Bird Photography, Black Wallaby, Lunar Eclipse, Nature Photography, Red Browed Finch, Silvereye, Superb Fairy Wren, Trees, Victoria, Welcome Swallow

Kororoit Creek: A waterway claimed by many…

Posted on March 17, 2015 | 1 comment

I explored a new area last week. The Kororiot Creek mouth opens out into Port Phillip Bay in Williamstown next to the Jawbone reserve. To access the area you need to park at either the sports ground or next to one of the many fishing club shacks that line the Creek mouth on one side. As the nearby areas gentrify this part is fighting to stay the way it has always been – a working class fishing area/village. On the opposite side is a bank of salt marsh vegetation while on the village side it is Banksia trees and attempts at regeneration of creek side flora including White Mangroves. It is a remnant of the tidal wetland that ran right across this coastal area.

Further up the creek is the Mobile Oil Refinery Storage tanks. Considering the local birdlife including many migratory waders, it is surprising that such heavy can co-exist successfully with the wetland.

Great Egret

Welcome Swallow

Little Black Cormorants – I watched these Cormorants hunt as a pack. There were 6 in the group working closely together.

Black Swan P81 – I reported the swan through the myswan link . See Jawbone link above for more details on tagged swan research.

Pelican

Pelican II

New Holland Honeyeater

Little Pied Cormorant

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Posted in Birds, Victoria

Tagged Australian Birds, Australian Pelican, Bird Photography, Black Swan, Great Egret, Kororoit Creek, little black cormorant, Little Pied Cormorant, Nature Photography, New Holland Honeyeater, Victoria, Welcome Swallow

Hastings Harbour Mudflats: Flames, Wrecks and Pelicans

Posted on March 4, 2015 | Leave a comment

Coming back from spending some time at the family farm, I stopped at Hastings to have a look at the mudflats at low tide. Hastings has a popular fishing harbour as well as a mixed industry site. A good amount of work has been done to turn it into a seaside town with a growing tourism market. There is a nice tree lined walk right along the edge of the mudflats and mangroves. Pelican Pier has a cafe with great views of the harbour. I have not been there for a long time and I was surprised to find that it is a pretty interesting place with a lot of scope for bird and general photography. There is a pier with lots of fishermen in action at low tide, many birds (Ibis, Egrets, Spoonbills, Swans & Pelicans) out on the mudflats that move up closer to the shore when the tide comes in and at least a dozen Pelicans hanging around looking for a free feed from the fishermen as they fillet and clean their catch.

Hastings Harbour – heavy industry amongst the mangroves and Great Egrets

An old fishing boat wreck out on the mudflat island. I did not notice the hovercraft in the background until I processed the image.

Pied Cormorant – it took a bit effort to get the fish down. The cormorant kept juggling the fish trying to get it down head first. He got it in the end….

Pacific Gull

Silver vs Pacific Gull – to see the two together gives you an idea of the size difference – the Pacific Gull is a big bird.

Pelican – stretching and drying, and maybe telling stories about the one that got away….

Pelican – everything gets a stretch.

Pelican – with a long neck and bill you can pretty much reach anywhere….

Pelican in the mangroves

The pelicans did not mind me too much as I got in close while they waddled in to the fish cleaning tables. I took a number of close shots of their feathers, eyes and beak throat pouch skin

Pelican close-up

Ricketts Point – Pelican Bandits

Posted on February 20, 2015 | 1 comment

Along Beach Rd at Beaumaris is a rocky platform that becomes exposed at low tide and is a favourite roosting spot for Silver Gulls, Crested Terns, Cormorants, Swans and Pelicans. Many other birds also stop by at times but these seem to be the main ones that are often here.

I always check the platform as I drive past and yesterday I noticed that it was visible with quite a few birds around. The carpark is only several meters from the edge of the rocks and screened by low salt bush so it is easy to get your gear ready and walk slowly onto the platform without spooking the birds. They are generally used to people and just move a bit further away. The best time to go is weekdays as the weekend and good warm weather guarantees lots of people visiting the area.

Ricketts Point, Beaumaris – at the end of my visit, two skin divers set up their hunting gear at the point tower and finally spooked the birds.

Little Pied Cormorant drying off

Little Pied Cormorant II – dry and fluffed up after preening

Australian Pelican – the short and tall of it…a few of the pelicans seemed to favour the upright resting position – I have not seen this before.

Pelican stretching or yawning

Pelican – cooling down or drying off a bit

Tagged Crested Tern – many of the Crested Terns on the rocks were tagged

Tagged Adult Crested Tern

Pacific Gulls – a grey/brown juvenile (1st year) and a Gull with almost adult plumage. It can take several years to reach full adult plumage.

Fisherman in their boat off Ricketts Point

Fishermen in their boat off Ricketts Point

Pacific Gull

The Pelicans developed an intense interest off shore and all started to watch the 1st year Pacific Gull move towards the fishing boat. One of the fishermen threw some bait or a chunk of fish to the Gull which attempted to bring it back to the rocks to consume. Several of the pelicans took off with a just a few flaps and immediately hounded the Gull in the air until it dropped the prize and one of the pelicans dived down and retrieved it. I have not seen this type of behaviour before – it is usually the other way round – maybe they knew the Gull was young and took advantage.

Pelicans with a sudden offshore interest.

Pelican taking off with a just a few beats of its wings

Pelican – off to harass the Gull.

1 Comment

Posted in Bird Behaviour, Birds, Victoria

Tagged Australian Birds, Australian Pelican, Bird Photography, Crested Tern, Little Pied Cormorant, Nature Photography, Pacific Gull, Ricketts Point Beaumaris, Victoria

Dandenong Valley Wetlands, Wheelers Hill

Posted on February 7, 2015 | 2 comments

A late afternoon and evening walk around the Dandy Valley wetlands produced a good list of bird species (50+) and a few nice photo opportunities in the evening light. I met up with a birding mate, John, and we hunted for elusive Crakes and Rails. We did finally find two Spotted Crakes in a shaded patch of the reeds. While waiting for John to arrive I explored the Dandenong Creek for a few kilometres and found a good number of smaller birds and bushland species. Overhead the sky continually had birds flying into or around the wetlands: Swamp Harriers, Pelicans, Ibis and various species of Ducks. It is an impressive place that has only recently been created to help purify the creeks before they run into important wetlands at the coast and Port Phillip Bay. Well worth a repeat visit.

Australian Pelican

Black Faced Cuckoo-shrike

One of the lagoons of the Dandenong Valley Wetlands

Many of the lagoons are drying out and getting shallower which is perfect for the Sandpipers, Crakes and Rails.

Wood Sandpiper

Australian White Ibis

I practiced my flight shots with the Ibis and found on processing that there was a Royal Spoonbill in the mix (the bird with the straight bill below)

Australian White Ibis & Royal Spoonbill

Australian White Ibis II

Australian White Ibis III

Hundreds of Ibis flew in over the last 30 mins before dark. They came in large V formations and circled the park looking for appropriate landing areas to roost for the night.

Australian White Ibis IV

Wetland vegetation in late afternoon light

2 Comments

Posted in Dandenong Valley Wetlands, Victoria, Wetlands

Tagged Australian Birds, Australian Pelican, Bird Photography, Black faced Cuckoo Shrike, Dandenong Valley Wetlands, Nature Photography, Photography, Royal Spoonbill, Victoria, Wetlands, White Ibis, Wood Sandpiper

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Tag Archives: Australian Pelican

Hanging with the Pelicans at Hasting Pier

Flight II

A Hunter’s Gaze

Birds of the Bellarine

Kororoit Creek: A waterway claimed by many…

Hastings Harbour Mudflats: Flames, Wrecks and Pelicans

Ricketts Point – Pelican Bandits

Dandenong Valley Wetlands, Wheelers Hill

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