Tag Archives: Victoria

The local Botanic Gardens

Posted on June 1, 2016 | 2 comments

St Kilda is an old sea-side holiday destination of Melbourne city. Tourists would travel all day by horse and buggy and coach to go to St Kilda and areas of Elwood for a holiday at the beach. It had many old residential mansions and private hotels that are now sub-divided into units. As an old area that was a thriving holiday resort and had a vibrant local business scene, it was lucky enough to create and retain a beautiful Botanic Garden that is still going strong today. It has a good range of mature trees and enough feeding opportunities to maintain a local and resident population of bird species. As usual one of my favourites is a small family of Tawny Frogmouths.

Rain Man, St Kilda Botanic Gardens

Rain Man, St Kilda Botanic Gardens

Red Flowering Gum, St Kilda Botanic Gardens

Red Flowering Gum, St Kilda Botanic Gardens

Tawny Forgmouths, St Kilda Botanic Gardens

Tawny Forgmouths, in the native section of the gardens

Tawny Forgmouths, St Kilda Botanic Gardens

Keeping an eye on the watchers…

Flowers around the Rose Garden Rotunda, St KIlda Botanic Gardens 1

Flowers around the Rose Garden Rotunda, 

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Posted in Birds, Victoria

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Alert but not alarmed…

Posted on May 24, 2016 | Leave a comment

On the weekend I met up with my local “gang” of birders and we wandered up  Elster Creek to the Golf Course lake and had a look around…besides finding a turtle (my first Eastern Long Necked), we also watched the feeding antics of the local Little Corellas feeding on the ripe seed cones of a tall skinny conifer. They use their feet like we would use our hands. I noticed that when the Noisy Miners (a local, aggressive Honeyeater) screeched out their alarm calls the Corellas stopped feeding and quickly looked skyward but did not seem overly concerned (did the alert suggest a certain generally non-threatening predator?)…I have seen a number of bird species do this…I am convinced there is a common bird language.

Little Corella, Elster Creek, Victoria

Little Corella enjoying a seed cone from a Conifer…

Little Corella, Elster Creek, Victoria

Watching us watch him…

Little Corella, Elster Creek, Victoria

Looking skyward when the alarm call goes out from a different bird species…

Eastern Long necked turtle, Elster Creek, Victoria

Eastern Long necked turtle, Elster Creek, Victoria

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Posted in Animal, Bird Behaviour, Birds, Victoria

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Roadside stop with the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos

Posted on May 22, 2016 | 6 comments

On the way down to the Mornington Peninsula with the Port Phillip Birders (Elwood/St Kilda Branches) to look for Black Faced Cormorants at Merricks Beach, and Albatross at Cape Schank, we stopped to watch the feeding antics of a family of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos. They were working a dead wattle tree that seemed to be full of wood borer grubs.

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

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Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

Finding a wood borer grub

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

A pair of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

Male Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo (with pink eye rings), female or juvenile behind

Birders, Greens Bush, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

The hard core team from Port Phillip Birder at Greens Bush, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria



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Posted in Bird Behaviour, Birds, Victoria

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A Boobook Owl hunting in the veggie garden

Posted on May 21, 2016 | 4 comments

After an afternoon of wandering around Elster Creek and Elsternwick Lake with the local birding gang , I went home and was reviewing the images of the day when an sms came in from Gio (a local naturalist) that he had found a Southern Boobook Owl at the local school above their veggie patch. Postponing dinner, gearing up and heading out in a rush I found Gio, and soon after the Boobook high up in the Red Gum. I have seen a few owls and Tawny Frogmouths locally lately and will hopefully see many more. It is a good sign of a healthy environment.

Southern Boobook, Elster Creek, Elwood Victoria

Southern Boobook, Elster Creek, Elwood Victoria

Southern Boobook, Elster Creek, Elwood Victoria

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Posted in Birds, Victoria

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Bell Ringers of the Royal Gardens

Posted on May 16, 2016 | 2 comments

On the weekend a mate and I headed to the Royal Botanic Gardens of Melbourne. A Powerful Owl had been reported and we were keen to find it. While we wandered about we also walked through the Bell Miner Colony. The Bell Miner also called a Bellbird is a small honeyeater that lives in large social groups. They are very aggressive to other birds and will defend their food source which is “bell lerp”, a sugary secretion of a small insect that feeds on gum leaves. The bird has a very distinctive call, a bell chime or ping. The ping is a territorial call and extremely loud when ones chimes next to your ear. The red marking of the eye indicates a mature adult. The gardens are one of the few locations that the species can be easily seen. They are small, olive green and usually stay high in the trees. The birds at Botanic Gardens seem to be used to people and come down quite low and with a bit of time can be photographed (and recorded).

Play to hear the colony sound from the Gardens.

Bell Miner, Melbourne Botanic Gardens

Bell Miner, Melbourne Botanic Gardens

Bell Miner, Melbourne Botanic Gardens

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Bell Miner, Melbourne Botanic Gardens

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Bell Miner, Melbourne Botanic Gardens

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Bell Miner, Melbourne Botanic Gardens

“ping”

Juvenile Bell Miner, Melbourne Botanic Gardens

Juvenile Bell Miner

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Posted in Bird Behaviour, Birds, Victoria

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The Roost Tree

Posted on May 10, 2016 | 5 comments

While heading downstream along my local creek I noticed a lump on a dead branch of a Willow Tree that did not quite look right. Moving closer I realised it was one of the local nocturnal Tawny Frogmouths on a daytime roost. It was difficult to photograph but I found a way to get closer by walking into the parking area of one of the apartment blocks nearby. As I moved around the tree I found the partner of the Frogmouth that I had seen from across the creek. It was tucked into a little branch shelter and just about invisible. This species are masters of camouflage and often roost in the open. They are rarely noticed and survive well in an urban space. Even when discovered that can just watch you or move into their camouflaged pose (I am just a branch stump) or just go back to sleep. They are territorial and will roost in a close-by series of trees in a neighbourhood.  It is surprising how many pairs there are in Elwood considering it is an inner city suburb. Always a welcome find…

Elster Creek Tawny Frogmouth, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria

An football sized object in the tree that did not quite blend in…

Elster Creek Tawny Frogmouth, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria

Elongated branch stump pose

Elster Creek Tawny Frogmouth, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria

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Elster Creek Tawny Frogmouth, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria

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Elster Creek Tawny Frogmouth, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria

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Elster Creek Tawny Frogmouth, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria

Expressive and curious eyes

Elster Creek Tawny Frogmouth, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria

The partner on the other side of the tree. 

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Posted in Birds, Victoria

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Exploring Elster Creek at night

Posted on May 9, 2016 | 5 comments

One night a few weeks ago I wandered along the local creek looking for Tawny Frogmouths and Boobook Owls. I have been spending more time lately improving my night and flash photography with my Canon Speedlite Flash units. To get close enough and take a picture of an owl at night I need to become much better at getting into position and using the flash (let alone actually finding the owls). Along the creek to the golf course where the owls had been spotted were many possums – the smaller Ring Tailed and larger Brush Tailed. Using a red coloured flash light and walking quietly I was able to get quite close to the possums and practice my focussing and shooting using the flash. I got mixed results and my owl shots (I actually found a Boobook on a fence at the lake) were terrible…hopefully I will get a second chance…meanwhile I will keep practicing on the local possums…

Ring Tailed Possum, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria

Ring Tailed Possum, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria

Ring Tailed Possum, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria

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Ring Tailed Possum, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria

Demon eyed Ring Tailed Possum

Brush Tailed Possum, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria

Brush Tailed Possum, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria

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Posted in Animal, Victoria

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Nervous Birds at the Pooh Farm

Posted on May 8, 2016 | 4 comments

Over the last 3 months I have been making regular visits to the Western Treatment Plant in Werribee, near the Avalon Airport. The local fields, irrigated by the recycled and treated water have recently been harvested and ploughed. This has brought many Raptors to the   WTP particularly Whistling and Black Kites. These two species are regular visitors and resident at the lagoons and nearby fields anyway but huge numbers have come in including many juveniles. We also found a nice pair of Musk Ducks  – the male has a large bill lobe that becomes inflated in the mating season. The two below were happily sunning themselves in one of the overflow canals.

Juvenile Black Kite, WTP, Victoria

Juvenile Black Kite, WTP, Victoria

Whistling Kite, WTP, Victoria

One of dozens of Whistling Kites on the prowl

White Fronted Chat, WTP, Victoria

Nervous and very wary White Fronted Chat

Musk Ducks, WTP, Victoria

A female (left) and Male Musk Ducks

Female Musk Duck, WTP, Victoria

Female Musk Duck

Female Musk Duck, WTP, Victoria

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Posted in Birds, Victoria

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A hungry Grey Currawong

Posted on May 4, 2016 | 2 comments

On a long weekend stay at Daylesford, I went for an early morning walk around the lake. I had been getting up early to try and find a Nankeen Night Heron still hunting. I did find one and enjoyed excellent views but it was too dim to take any decent pics. While walking back to the house I came across a Grey Currawong. I usually see Pied Currawongs around my own area but only see Greys when I go down the  Mornington Peninsula or into Central Victoria. The Grey has a very distinctive call quite different to the Pied. I watched this bird hunt for grubs under the bark of a dead tree. It was very determined and was quite happy to ignore me as I worked around the tree looking for better shots.

Grey Currawong, Daylesford Lake, Victoria

Grey Currawong, Daylesford Lake, Victoria

Grey Currawong, Daylesford Lake, Victoria

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Grey Currawong, Daylesford Lake, Victoria

very determined to find grubs

Grey Currawong, Daylesford Lake, Victoria

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Posted in Bird Behaviour, Birds, Victoria

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A master fisherman takes a break…

Posted on May 1, 2016 | Leave a comment

On a walk along the Elwood foreshore with a few photography/birding friends we found this Crested Tern on the stone pier. We have often seen Crested Terns here and this one was quite comfortable with us walking up quite close to take a few photos. Later when reviewing the images I noticed that it had been tagged. I have photographed another Crested Tern last year that was also tagged. The Tern’s scientific name is Thalasseus bergii  – Thalasseus from Greek “fisherman” and Bergius, a German museum specimen collector , from the early 1800’s.

Crested Tern, Elwood Beach, Victoria

Crested Tern, Elwood Beach, Victoria

Crested Tern, Elwood Beach, Victoria

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Crested Tern, Elwood Beach, Victoria

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Twitching with the twitchers…

Posted on April 29, 2016 | 1 comment

A rare bird was reported at the Western Treatment Plant a few months ago, a Red-necked Phalarope. It was quite far away in the middle of a large lagoon but I did get good views through my spotting scope and a few average photographs…and there was plenty of company to share my “lifer” (1st time seeing a new species of bird). A twitcher is someone who hunts out rare and vagrant birds to add ticks to their life lists. They can travel all over Australia and the Territories. While I am generally a birder – will view/study, photograph any bird, I will twitch a good Victorian sighting of a rare bird…like the Lake Tutchewop Long Billed Dowitcher. I can can proudly add the Red-necked Phalarope to my twitch and life lists.

Red Necked Phalarope Twitch

Sneaking up on the Twitchers in their natural element

Red Necked Phalarope Twitch

(psst…the man on the left, David E, was a contributor and reviewer to HANZAB for those that know the Aussie/NZ 7 volume Bird Bible) 

Red Necked Phalarope Twitch

Everyone is delighted to observe the rarity…

Red Necked Phalarope Twitch

Fellow obsessive Twitchers – Dave and Gio

Red Necked Phalarope, WTP

The little white dot is a Red Necked Phalarope

Red Necked Phalarope, WTP

Red Necked Phalarope – a  lonely little bird, a long way from home and lifer 330

Cape Barren Geese, WTP

Large Cape Barren Geese conducting a flyby and stirring up the twitchers…

 

 

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Posted in Twitching, Victoria

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Urban trees bringing in the country cousins….

Posted on April 27, 2016 | Leave a comment

Over February and March many of the large Sugar Gums and Red Flowering Gums along Elster Creek were in full bloom. This brought in many additional nectar loving birds to the area. Musk Lorikeets turned up in large numbers to join the local populations of Rainbow Lorikeets and around 10 Little Lorikeets joined in the flowering frenzy. Each species make distinctly different calls when flying and feeding. It was great to stand near the trees and learn and pick out the different calls.  I had never seen Littles in the area before and it was wonderful to be able to add the new species to my local lists and even photograph them (though that did take quite a few walks along the creek to finally get them).

Play to listen to Little Lorikeets. (plus a bit of Rainbow Lorikeet and a begging Noisy Minor chick)

Musk Lorikeet, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria

Musk Lorikeet, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria

Musk Lorikeet, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria

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Musk Lorikeet, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria

Spot the second one?

Musk Lorikeet, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria

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Little Lorikeet, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria

Little Lorikeet – a very small bird with fantastic camouflage and a bzzzt type call

Little Lorikeet, Elster Creek, Elwood, Victoria

Little Lorikeets  – well suited to life in the green foliage of gums, following flowering trees around Victoria – who knows how they realise trees are flowering so far from their usual haunts…

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Posted in Bird Behaviour, Elster Creek, Victoria

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The Boss is back….

Posted on April 25, 2016 | 2 comments

On a section of the Great South West Walk in the Lower Glenelg National Park, I stopped for a photography break and was soon joined by a pair of Superb Fairy Wrens, a male in beautiful blue breeding plumage and an adult female. The female is dominant in the pairing and may have a group of suitors in the area. The Fairy Wren certainly made sure the male knew she was in charge. Each time he jumped to the top of a stump she chased him off…it seemed to be a bit of a game between them…

Male Superb Fairy Wren, Great South West Walk, Lower Glenelg National Park, Victoria

Male Superb Fairy Wren, Great South West Walk, Lower Glenelg National Park, Victoria

Female Superb Fairy Wren, Great South West Walk, Lower Glenelg National Park, Victoria

 The female Superb Fairy Wren keeping an eye on the local players…

Male Superb Fairy Wren, Great South West Walk, Lower Glenelg National Park, Victoria

Male Superb Fairy Wren keeping a lookout and claiming the stump..

Male Superb Fairy Wren, Great South West Walk, Lower Glenelg National Park, Victoria

A quick hop off the stump

Female Superb Fairy Wren, Great South West Walk, Lower Glenelg National Park, Victoria

The boss is back…

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Posted in Bird Behaviour, Birds, Victoria

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Tiger snake of the Great South West Walk

Posted on April 20, 2016 | Leave a comment

While walking part of the Great South West Walk in the Lower Glenelg National Park I came across a Tiger snake sunning itself in the afternoon sun.  I moved to the side of the track and photographed it as it got closer to my camera. It seemed curious about the lens. A good way to not fear a snake is to try and photograph it (safely)…well after the yelp of fright from initial contact… they are harder to photograph than birds…while moving much slower, they are less visible and less common to find.

Tiger Snake, Great South West Walk, Lower Glenelg National Park, Victoria

Tiger Snake, Great South West Walk, Lower Glenelg National Park, Victoria

Tiger Snake, Great South West Walk, Lower Glenelg National Park, Victoria

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Tiger Snake, Great South West Walk, Lower Glenelg National Park, Victoria

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Posted in Animal, Victoria

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Street Art with a soundtrack

Posted on April 16, 2016 | Leave a comment

While exploring the backstreets and laneways looking for new street art, I have been finding some very good buskers. I had great background music while photographing a stunning new piece in Degraves Place off Degraves Street. The guitarist was very good. Further along I listened to a trio of musicians – The Collingwood Casanovas…

Degraves Place Street Art, Melbourne CBD

Very colourful Degraves Place street art, Melbourne CBD

Degraves Street Busker, Melbourne CBD

Degraves Street Guitarist

Buskers in Centre Place, Melbourne CBD

Buskers in Centre Place off Flinders Lane

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Posted in Busker, Melbourne CBD, Victoria

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