Victoria 23rd November to 2nd December with Inala Nature Tours.
Words are mostly by Angus McNab our excellent tour guide.
29th November Red Gum Forest and Riverina
This morning, we had a much needed sleep in, it was 12:30ish when we finished last night and the extra bit of sleep may not have been enough but it helped. As we packed our bags into the vehicle our first target appeared, the Blue-faced Honeyeater. A great way to start. The Gulpa Reed-beds were our first stop and water levels were still quite high despite the dry conditions of the past few weeks.
Gulpa Reed-beds
Gulpa Reed-beds
Wandering the board walk to the bird hide we heard many of the calls we were becoming familiar with Grey Fantail, White-plumed Honeyeater, Laughing Kookaburra, Sacred Kingfisher, Australian Reed Warbler, and Dusky Woodswallow. We got better views of a Rainbow Bee-eater than we’d previously had before we got to the bird hide. From the bird hide we could see out over the well vegetated wetland and a number of birds Swamp Harrier, Little Pied Cormorant, lots of Australian Reed Warblers, Straw-necked Ibis, and Australian White Ibis. We scanned for other birds but high water levels and thick vegetation were limiting factors. We had a long drive today and headed east for quite a distance stopping in Wangaratta for lunch. Nearby in the southern end of the Warby-Ranges National Parks we searched for Turquoise Parrots. Walking the road we heard the high pitched call and we had a few birds zoom past at a million miles per hour which made for poor views. We kept trying for the next hour and we saw a lot of parrots, almost all of them Red-rumped. We flushed Red-rumped Parrots from the roadside, from the trees, from shrubs, they flew over our heads, but they weren’t the birds we were after. There were White-winged Choughs, Tree Martins, Welcome Swallows, House Sparrows, Whistling Kites, and so many White-plumed Honeyeaters. We did find a Restless Flycatcher before we turned around which was a nice surprise. On the walk back we had some small flocks of Red-rumps, with which there were 1-2 Turquoise Parrots hiding. We could hear them chipping from the trees, and when they flew out we did get a look at one male as it looped around but they managed to evade us for the most part. We had a short look further into the park and found nothing but more Red rumped Parrots.
30th November Seymour to Healesville
We woke up and not only had it been raining but it was still raining. We braved the conditions and headed out into Mangalore Flora Park.
Mangalore Flora Park
Mangalore Flora Park
Straight off the bat we lucked out and had a Painted Buttonquail run beside us parallel to the trail, in an open enough area to be seen. We waited and watched as it slowly returned and walked briskly between vegetation patches. We didn’t get the best views but it was as good as we would get. Turns out we should have called it there and then, but we walked for another hour, and had looks at a number of common birds – all of them wet. White-winged Chough, Superb Fairywren, Australian Magpie, Grey Shrikethrush, Galah. We went back to the accommodation to change our clothes and have a nice, long, hot breakfast. We made an unplanned stop at the Yea Wetlands due to some well-positioned advertising, which worked out wonderfully. The visitors centre supplied umbrellas and we could walk whilst remaining relatively dry. Despite the conditions there was a lot of bird activity. Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Long-billed Corellas, and Galahs perched in the rain, Grey Fantails were as active as ever, and a White throated Gerygone was singing its little heart out in the canopy, giving us pretty good views of this little bright yellow-bellied bird. Shining Bronze-cuckoo was a bit less confiding but was singing enough to get our attention. It flew between trees in a small clearing which afforded us views. Heather spotted an Azure Kingfisher over the creek and we got the best views of this species that we had had! We could see it from multiple angles as we wandered the board walk. It eventually flew off, giving Brian a close up view as it flew by his head. There was too much water to walk off the main trail but we still managed to get some good birding in. As we went to leave John spotted a Platypus just before it seemed to disappear into its burrow, unfortunately not coming back out. The rain didn’t look like it would stop but we continued on and drove out to the Cathedral Range State Park in search of cockatoos. We drove slowly up the range stopping periodically but didn’t have much luck. The rain had eased and we took a loop trail to find some birds. There were Striated Thornbills, Spotted Pardalotes, Crimson Rosellas, Laughing Kookaburras, and then some more exciting birds for us such as Australian Golden Whistlers, Leaden Flycatcher, Brush Cuckoo – which took a lot of work – and Common Cicadabird. The latter two migrants from Papua New Guinea that like to be in the top of trees. It was a lovely walk, made nicer by the lack of rain and lovely scenery. The rain started again as we left (fortunate timing), and we headed in towards Marysville. There was a big biking event just finishing up, so we also missed most of the traffic delays and road closures, arriving in Marysville just after the last riders. We stopped here for Australian King Parrots, the birds here are very familiar with the bakery and that patrons often drop crumbs. The bakery was very busy, but no parrots, they were across the road with the Sulphur-crested Parrots eating seeds that had been put in the garden bed. Being familiar with people they were approachable and very photogenic.
Azure Kingfisher
Eastern Grey Kangaroo
Eastern Grey Kangaroo
Golden Whistler
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
1st December Superb Lyrebird & amazing nocturnal mammals Healesville
We headed out early and visited Mt Donna Buang, it was much wetter forest than we had spent time in since the second day, and there were king ferns and huge eucalypts everywhere.
Mt. Donna Buang Car Park
The carpark ended up being the best place to bird and we had Flame Robin and Pink Robin, both of which were wonderfully behaved, happily moving along the forest edges giving us spectacular looks at these little balls of colour.
Flame Robin
Pink Robin
Crescent Honeyeater and Olive Whistler avoided us but were present, singing from perches we couldn’t see. We then tested everyone’s ability to climb hills as we walked up the mountain, and it was up the mountain. Superb Lyrebirds, Flame Robins, Grey Fantails joined us for the walk, though it was hard to look up to often as no one wanted to slip.
We reached the top just as energy levels dropped, but were excited to see there were toboggan runs potentially available. They were closed but we were picked up and driven back down the mountain. We tried again for the Crescent Honeyeater and Olive Whistler, but it wasn’t to be our time. We headed to Toolangi next, another wet forest site. As we arrived we had a male Rose Robin greet us! Low and in the open it was a sight to see, we hadn’t realised that this bird and its partner were constructing a nest just down the trail. I’m not sure who spotted the nest, but it was an incredible spot! The female was busy going back and forward during the 10 minutes it was taken to point out to everyone. We walked the boardwalk and got a few more looks at the female Rose Robin, and the dense wet rainforest it inhabited.
Rose Robin
Spotted Pardelote
Coming out the other side of the gully a Wedge-tailed Eagle was spotted being harassed by a Pied Currawong above the canopy and in the canopy, there were more Crescent Honeyeaters. We eventually found one not 20m above us and got pretty good views as it moved through some vegetation. The predicted rain didn’t fall, and we had a lovely outdoor lunch in Kinglake before going for a walk through the local area. Walking the Everard Track, we had beautiful warm conditions, but our timing must have been a little off as the birds were quiet, siesta time I guess. We saw a few birds and had a standoff with some Spotted Quailthrush that called between themselves but just couldn’t be seen. We finished a little early today to get some rest before a little spotlighting tonight. I know I fell asleep in seconds, and the break felt short, but it was good to have for everyone. After dinner in Healesville, we headed to Badger Creek Weir for our nocturnal activities. Upon arrival that predicted rain arrived – exactly 5 hours late. We battled on, and it was worth it, both Powerful Owl and Australian Boobooks were calling, Yellow-bellied Gliders were heard sporadically, but it was the Greater Gliders that stole the show. We probably saw 10, but 6 of these were little more than eyeshine. Little green-yellow spots against a tree. As we walked, we got closer and closer to the gliders, eventually getting some really nice looks, just as the rain really kicked in. Everyone was happy with what we had seen, and rather than get soaked we called it a night.
Greater Glider
2nd December Healesville to Melbourne and depart
Mt. St. Leonard
Mt. St. Leonard
We woke to beautifully clear skies and headed straight out to look for birds. We had a few targets we’d missed so spent the early morning on Mt. St. Leonard looking for the remaining wet forest birds. As we looked up into the canopy to look for Crescent Honeyeaters, there were small birds flying high in the sky. Martins? Nope they were White-throated Needletails! They looked small but they weren’t, they were just a long way away. As we watched they soared effortlessly, it was wonderful. There were a lot of birds calling but with no mid-canopy they were either very high or very hidden. The Satin Flycatchers were so high we could barely make them out. As it warmed, activity levels rose and we could hear the call of the Olive Whistler. We couldn’t see it but could be heard, moving through the forest it came up below us where we got a brief look, but it wasn’t lasting. Walking further up the hill, nearing the top we came across another bird that was much more confiding and sat up in low shrubs and on low branches giving everyone a good look and photographic opportunities. As we watched a Pilotbird was moving towards us, it gave us a 0.5 second view as it flashed across the trail and was then gone, but the whistler kept on giving. Above us the needletails circled the tower and we got some pretty close views of these typically high-flying birds. Our final stop was below the mountains along a streamline on the edge of suburbia. The Bell Miners were piping as we exited the car which gave us our direction. Walking towards them we spotted White-naped and Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, Eastern Rosellas, Red Wattlebirds, and could hear a chorus of Common Blackbirds. The Bell Miners always sound close, and aren’t, but we did eventually get close to them as they continually forage in the eucalyptus leaves. As we watched we could hear the sound of a sparrowhawk, so we headed towards it. It was thought to have been a Collared Sparrowhawk but as we approached we found it was actually the white morph of a Grey Goshawk! We were fortunate that it sat beautifully in a window between the leaves giving us a great look at it.
Grey Goshawk (white morph)
Wandering back to the car we were lucky enough to chance on a Satin Flycatcher that was low, just what Bevan was after. We spent a bit of time watching it as it ate a dragonfly, moved between perches, and sang its song. A blur of rufous was spotted in a tree and although we didn’t get sustained looks we managed to finish with an Australian Rufous Fantail. There was a small battle between the rufous and Grey Fantails that resulted in the Rufous Fantail leaving but not before a few flybys.
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