Tag Archives: Emu

Cockatoos and Barbed Wire Emus

Posted on March 27, 2016 | Leave a comment

On a day trip with a few birder friends, we explored Eynesbury Forest in the western plains about half an hour from Melbourne. Eynesbury is a growing commuter suburb established in a rural setting with a 288 hectare Grey Box Forest. It has a good variety of birds and animals and has an open under-story with good foliage for the smaller birds. I have always enjoyed walking in the area. On this particular trip we found large groups of cockatoos and parrots. I found the group below feeding on salt bush seeds. Later we explored the old colonial homestead grounds and found the barbed wire Emu.

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Eynesbury Forest, Victoria

Sulphur Crested Cockatoos feeding on seeds, Eynesbury Forest

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Eynesbury Forest, Victoria

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Eynesbury Forest, Victoria

Barbed Wire Emu, Eynesbury Forest, Victoria, 20 Feb 2016

Barbed Wire Emu, Eynesbury Homestead, Victoria, 20 Feb 2016

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Posted in Birds, Black & White, Victoria

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Emus, Falcons and a weird Giant Koala

Posted on March 17, 2016 | 2 comments

During a drive around the various state nature reserves just outside the boundaries of the Grampians National Park I stopped at Cherrypool Wetlands along the Henty Highway. The water level was quite low and I worked my way around the edge of the scrub that ran down to the water and mud. When I pushed through some bushes I came face to face with a family of Emus. I was as stunned as they were but they had better reflexes and took off before I could get my camera into action. By the time I spotted them again they were still running but now on the other side and the adult emu was well in front of his family….the chicks were about half his size.

Emu, Cherrypool Highway Park, Wartook, Victoria

Emu, Cherrypool Highway Park, Wartook, Victoria

Emu chicks, Cherrypool Highway Park, Wartook, Victoria

Emu chicks, Cherrypool Highway Park, Wartook, Victoria

While driving back to camp I found a Brown Falcon feeding on a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo. A good catch for the Falcon but very bad luck for the Cockatoo

Brown Falcon with cockatoo, Wartook State Forest, Victoria

Brown Falcon with cockatoo, Wartook State Forest, Victoria

I had driven past this bizarre sight several times in a few days and decided to pull in for a cold drink. Australia has a strange custom of building large animals, fruits, fish etc as tourist attractions. The Koala below had very hairy ears and a cool silver goatee…

Giant Koala, Dadswells Bridge, Victoria

Giant Koala, Dadswells Bridge, Victoria

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A Serendipitous Visit to Serendip Sanctuary

Posted on March 1, 2015 | 1 comment

When I visit the You Yangs I usually pop into a local bird and animal sanctuary at the base of the You Yangs Range. It is little known park close to Melbourne, free to visitors, with breeding programs for several  rare birds. It  also maintains a sanctuary for injured birds and animals, some too badly injured to be released. It is a great place to see and photograph rare and hard to find birds. The aviary birds are used to people and so are quite relaxed and offer photographers a good chance to get in close. Around the site are many wild birds breeding and taking advantage of the abundant food and protection. There are some large wetlands and many migrating visitors. The park also has resident populations of emus and Brolgas.

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo

Emu

Emus are free to wander around and don’t bother people too much.

Emus

Emus – these two snuck up behind me to see what I was doing (unsuccessfully trying to photograph a family of Black Chinned Honeyeaters)

Emu and chick

Emu and chick walking and feeding along the edge of the main lagoon – the chicks are very cute and there were a number at the Sanctuary but considering how protective (and big) the parents are I kept my distance.

Black Wallaby

Black Wallaby – relaxed and snoozing in the shade.

Black Wallaby

Black Wallaby II

Magpie Geese

Magpie Geese – several thousand were spread across all the lagoons and wetlands.

Magpie Geese

Magpie Geese

Magpie Goose

Magpie Goose – does not quite make my top 10 prettiest birds list…

Tawny Frogmouth,

Tawny Frogmouth – nocturnal specialist and master of camouflage.

Tawny Frogmouth,

Tawny Frogmouth II

Bush Stone Curlew

Bush Stone Curlew

Red Rumped Parrot

Red Rumped Parrot

Red Rumped Parrot

Red Rumped Parrot II

Buff Banded Rail

Buff Banded Rail – secretive wetlands bird that birders only usually get glimpses of – but at Serendip there is an aviary full of them that allows for long views and many photos. In fact you have to be careful while you move around taking pics. They get under your feet while looking for insect snacks.

Buff Banded Rail

Buff Banded Rail II

Whistling Kite Nest

Large Whistling Kite nest – the Kites were still around and making a nuisance of themselves amongst the nervous flocks of Magpie Geese

Cape Barren Goose

Cape Barren Goose  – this one followed me around the Wallaby/Kangaroo Pen – he must have been expecting a feed. He made me a bit nervous as every time I turned around he was a few steps closer to my backside.

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