WERRIBEE SOUTH

In mid November 2012 we were based not far from Melbourne, capital of Victoria, visiting family and friends and birding in the local area before heading to Tasmania. We stayed in a lovely little van park on the shores of Port Phillip Bay at Werribee South. Most of the images below were taken nearby.

  

Whiskered Terns

Red-necked Stint

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Pied Cormorants

The four introduced finch species present in Victoria, below. 

Common Greenfinch

European Goldfinch

House Sparrow - male

House Sparrows & Tree Sparrow (on right) 

Out at Braeside Park a pair of lorikeets were checking out some tree hollows for a suitable nest site.

Rainbow Lorikeets

Cheers & Happy Birding

HORROCKS ODDS & SODS

After publishing my last post on Horrocks I have been out and about, with the opportunity to capture a few more images of the local wildlife and scenery. 

The creature below has many names including bobtail (which the locals use), stump-tailed skink, pinecone lizard, bogeye and sleepy lizard. Thy are the most commonly seen reptile here and we have a few that reside in the caravan park. 

Shingleback Lizard

Some short bush walks yielded a few wildflowers, but it seems the major displays in this area at least, have long since finished. 

Acorn Banksia

Starflower

Calandrinia

Walking into one of these spiders is always a danger with their strong webs strung up between the low growing vegetation. This specimen being about half the size of my hand.

Orb Weaver

At Port Gregory the wildlife didn't look at all threatening, with these Banded Stilts in the ponds across the road from Pink Lake being the highlight of another visit there. 

Banded Stilts

Pink Lake

Another couple of visits to Bowes River yielded some more waders along with an obliging Osprey and some loafing cormorants. 

Eastern Osprey

Pied and Little Black Cormorants

There are a few pairs of these plovers, some with chicks in tow, tribute to a successful breeding season.  

Red-capped Plover

Sanderling & Red-capped Plover

Red-necked Stint

Bar-tailed Godwit

Grey-tailed Tattler

If the birding gets a bit slow, fishing is always an option!

Evening at Horrocks Beach 

Cheers & Happy Birding

NSW NORTH COAST

After our inland jaunt it was off to the north coast for some R&R and the wedding of my brother-in-law at Evan's Head. Spring was approaching and the weather was superb. We camped at Yuraygir National Park boasting sixty-five kilometres of undeveloped coastline, the longest stretch in the state.

Sandon Beach rock scape - Yuraygir

This reptile came close to our camp site on a couple of occasions looking for an easy meal, of course we didn't oblige. It was quite a large specimen of about 1.5 metres (they can grow to over 2 metres) and its bite is known to be mildly venomous. All the more reason to keep some distance from these beautifully patterned omnivores.

Lace Monitor

The dead fish below was also quite big, roughly 30cm in length. Much larger than the annoying and similar  Toad Fish that stole the bait or got hooked when I used to fish in the past, generally for something a bit more appetizing!

Beached Puffer Fish

Masked Lapwings

Rocky Point beach - Yuraygir

Our base at Evans Head for the weekend was the local caravan park in a picturesque setting adjacent to the Evans River. An assortment of water loving birds gave me some excellent photo opportunities. Much easier than those little brown jobs that inhabit the bush!

Pied Cormorant

Little Egret - in breeding plumage

Australian Pelican

Australasian Darter - male

After the wedding we spent a week at a van park just outside Yamba, where for a total of  fifteen hours work we received a free site. There were some nice birds to be found in the area, including these spoonbills shining in the spring sun.The one on the right was in breeding phase with its bright yellow eyebrow and funky tuft of head plumes.

Royal Spoonbills

The two species below were actually in the park right near our van. The rail was one of a pair snooping around the cabins and the babblers were a real surprise this close to the coast, roosting for the evening in a nearby tree.

Buff-banded Rail

Grey-crowned Babblers

Cheers & Happy Birding