Due to some very nice, charming and well meant and encouraging comments on the activities of the blog, I’ve resolved to try and not be as tardy, and get the hot news out when it happens, not two week late all at once. So.

With a small change of plans in the offing, we took the time to go down to the Sugar Gums and have a quick discussion with Jack and Jill, despite much searching, apparently they weren’t having any of it and visitors were off their to do list.  We stuck it out for awhile, but looked like the weather man would be right and so we thought it best to beat the rain back to the car.  On the way back near the Game Keepers Cottage,  (actually the Parks Vic work depot), there is a small stand of mostly blackwood wattle and as we passed by I saw a movement in the scrub.  Which is pretty note worthy on two counts.  1.  “I” saw it, and 2.”Eagle Eyes” didn’t.

By the time I’d get the 500mm attached to the Markins Ball Head and was prepared to do battle, EE had worked out where the bird was, and to our surprise (we are always surprised)  I spend half my life surprised. To find that it was in fact a female Scarlet Robin, apparently of no fixed address.  Try as we might we didn’t sight a male.  And this one looks, well, young.  So encouraged by this, and the fact that the sun had now come out and was warming us up, we decided on a quick trip down Providence Road to the carpark to see what if any of the Flame Robins were doing.  The weather being the weather, changed yet again before we reached the car and was decidedly overcast, which is when the sky went black, and I thought I might be having  turn, but no. The sky was filled with the wingspans of not one, but two very low flying Wedge-tailled Eagles, and their attendant Ravens.  Trying to gain speed and height they circled over the edge of the trees and had the light been with us, I might well have taken some of the best Wedge-tailed Eagles shots of my some what limited career.(yeah, yeah, blah, boring!)

Back to the car and down to the Robins.  And yes, there were a number in attendance, and the three brothers were on the move and we lost them pretty quickly.  We’ve learned that you don’t chase them through the bush, they can outlfly you at about 50 metres a time.

So sitting seems the best option, and then the White-thoated Treecreeper turned up.  On the wrong side of the tree. But, at least its close to the Map Shelter. Speaking of which there is a new schematic of the park on display in the map case. Very interesting reading. Nice to see our taxes at work.

By then the promised hail was just over the horizon and a return to the car was advised and accepted.