Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER – –doesn't mean I'm LOST
Just because I WANDER doesn't mean I'm LOST
We joined the Eynesbury Environmental Group for a walk in the local Grey Box Forest as part of the ongoing Swift Parrot Surveys.
Swifties are highly mobile, nomandic and unpredictable in location. And today was quite a successful Survey day, as we conclusively proved they were Not in the area. 🙂
But a day in Grey is not be be missed and Chris L, put on another of his now famous, “Sunshine” days.
Here’s a selection from the walk.
Enjoy
Been a long time between posts, I know. Hope you remember me!
But the excuse—I’m going to use—is that we just haven’t been doing much that is reportable.
Long term readers may remember that the blog was originally set up to record the bird activity at Grey Box forest at Woodlands Historic Park. Quite a few things have changed, in the park, and in my birding life, and in my life since those humble beginnings.
It has been said more than once, sometimes kindly, others not, that I have Grey Box sap running in my veins. Put me in a stand of Grey Box and my heartrate, breathing and all other out of contol faculties calm down.
So when EE said, casually, ‘Why don’t we go to Eynesbury”, on a sunny morning, before you can say, “We’re off” we were!
After all the rain, Eynesbury Grey Box looks a treat. Plenty of green and still good water laying about in the usual dry water courses that cross the forest.
We had hoped to see Speckled Warbler, Diamond Firetail, Sacred Kingfisher and Jacky Winter. In descending order of importance.
We also had hoped to hear the forest ringing with the sounds of Dusky Woodswallows that regularly return to nest in the area.
However Grey Box is not always forthcoming and in the end we had to admit, that today was not going to be our day.
But here’s a small selection of the action.
It would glide from one perch spot to another and pick off a recently fledged starling or martin along the way.
We often think of Browns as being a bit lumbering or labouring in flight. But, given the right conditions they can put on a turn of speed and manoeuvrability that rivals their more agile cousins
I also suspect she was out for a bit of stretch from nesting as he was sole guardian of the pond as we returned
At first we thought they must have been orphaned, but the male Chestnut Teal quickly came out and gathered them all up.
This is another ephemeral pond, and the first time I’ve seen water in it in over 10 years
There are several captive peafowl at the Old Homestead. Hard not to resist a look at those amazing tail markings. Excuse the rubbish bin.
Doing bird counts as part of citizen science has been a feature of the Werribee Wagtails group for many years.
No longer formally affiliated the members still, however, get together for a monthly outing and also for bird counts every quarter at two locations.
Pinkerton and Mulla Mulla Grasslands (aka Bush’s Paddock) and Eynesbury Grey Box forest were the sites for our recent count.
It is interesting to go back over an area over the seasons and see the changes in habitat as well as the variety of bird life.
The early winter walk is always interesting at Mulla Mulla Grasslands as the Flame Robins return there each year. Sometimes the numbers are quite small, this season they are certainly looking very healthy and in good numbers.
They feed in the open paddocks of the farmland adjacent to the forest area and use the forest fenceline as a secure base to rest.
In the afternoon, we also count at Eynesbury Grey Box. This trip we found 2 pairs of Jacky Winter. Jacky is quite the citizen of Grey Box, both male and female are midtone greys and subtle brown variations. They can also be quite accomodating, and while everyone else moved along the track I sat for a few minutes with one that was feeding and in the end it came in quite close. I might have stayed all afternoon, but duty pressed us on.
And just as well as we also spotted the jewel in the crown of Eynesbury Grey Box. The Diamond Firetail.
The Diamond Firetail is also the signature bird for the area, so always good to locate them.
Time for some shots from the day. The gallery is best viewed by double clicking on an image to go to the larger size.
Enjoy
After about a week of really sunny pleasant weather to celebrate our release from restrictions, we were planning a Little Visit to Eynesbury Grey Box Forest.
And
As it turned out, so the weather turned. So I pulled on my best grey jacket, and we set out under a grey, ashen, sky hoping that the sun might break through a little.
But
When we arrived at the forest, the weather had ‘lowered’ even further, and any chance of well lit photos had disappeared. However we wanted to look to see if the Flame Robins were in good numbers and set off like adventurers along one of the maintained tracks.
It has been said, either kindly or unkindly, that I have Grey Box sap flowing in my veins. There is something very soothing to me about stepping off the track and merging into the forest. The grey might seem bland to some, but there are so many tones, so many rich shapes and such beautiful trees and that I find it a visually exciting environment.
One of the masters of the forest area at Eynesbury is Jacky Winter.
I find myself enamoured with these delightful little birds that seem both so well adapted and so well suited to the Grey Box area. They don’t come in a wide range of flashy colours, they are somewhat small and inconspicuous, but they always to make the forest dance and sing when we come across them. Perhaps its their ‘tail wag’ with the leadining white edges of the tail flashing their presence.
We were fortunate enough to locate five pairs during the morning.
Perhaps the most interesting were a pair that had located quite a large grub and it took both of them to subdue it. Once they had eaten it they were off to a tree for a rest for the awhile.
Enjoy
A headsup for anyone making the trek out to Eynesbury Grey Box forest at the Golf Club.
In the main lake an enterprising pair of Australasian Grebe have taken advantage of a downed sapling with its branches in the water, and have setup home among the twigs and leaves.
I only managed one shot of the eggs, and I suspect there are four. Everytime the sitting bird leaves the nest, it pulls the loose green weed over the eggs for security.
Hopefully we’ll get a couple more visits to see how things progress.
Long time readers will no doubt recall that I often claim to have Grey Box sap running in my veins.
These amazing old trees are the superstructure for the type of forest and forest birds that I really enjoy working with. And as Woodlands Historic Park has such an untouched stand of Grey Box, its not hard to see why I love it as I practically learned my forest birds craft out there.
Another find stand of Grey Box is at Eynesbury near Melton.
Every second month the local Eynesbury Environmental Group, here’s their facebook page, conducts a morning walk in the forest for interested locals and visitors.
Chris Lunardi does a super job of getting us out in to the forest to look at some of the lesser visited areas and to find interesting birds.
Chris also seems to have an amazing ability to chose days where the weather is kind. And this past Sunday was no exception.
Probably the highlights of the day were a pair of very vocal Peregrine Falcon, and several sightings of Diamond Firetails.
Diamond Firetails often are found around the lawns and golf greens in good numbers, and occasionally a few birds through the bush. We managed to find them in 4 locations throughout the day.
Here’s a visual summary.
Dusky Woodswallow
Had to wrestle with the title. After all the majority of Freckled Ducks I’ve ever seen have been asleep on the bank or on logs. No swimming about for these ducks. Sleeping is their number one activity. And I suspect they have turned it into an art form.
At Eynesbury there is a small clan of Freckled Duck and they seem pretty content with the area and are to be found most days we travel out there.
We were coming back to the vehicle after spending an afternoon with the nesting Jacky Winter and had stopped at a table by the dam for a quick cuppa before the trip home.
Which is when for some Duck Reason, the Freckled all sailed off the little island were they had been preening or snoozing and came by for a quick swim about. Didn’t take us long to replace the cuppa with the camera and here are a few of the more exciting moments.
Enjoy, We did
Been pondering anew, my approach to Bird Photography, again. Yes dear reader, tis that time of year again for tinsel, things red and white, muzak that dumbs the mind at the shopping centre and of course my annual “where is my photography going to bend in 2019”. But
Fear not, this is not that blog.
Great gasps of relaxation and sighs of relief heard across the ‘blogosphere’.
I really wanted to get the remainder of the shots from our Eynesbury excursions, (incursions?) out.
So rather than belabour, here is the best of the rest sort of feature.
There is still one more chapter to put up, but I’m going to do that as a Snapshots type blog as it concerns our favourite Jackys and their now well fledged young. Might even get that done the next few days.
Here tis.
However there was a constant overflying as they kept check on the young one for above.
The adult sovled the problem by flying off the end of the branch, circling and landing nearer the lower bird. It’s not always the loudest and largest beak that gets filled.
And of course Jacky Winter
Eynesbury township just a few minutes from Melton, was established around a golf-club. Part of the deal concerns a stand of Grey Box Forest, that is in close to original condition, or perhaps, well established with old trees and understory, might be a better description.
It was used until the mid 1950s as a pastoral area, and the forest was used to run the shorn sheep from the shearing sheds in the area.
Many long term readers will know that its been noted that I have Grey Box sap running in my veins and a visit to the Eynesbury Forest is enough to rejuvenate the lowest of my spirits.
The local Eynesbury Conservation Group, you can look them up on Facebook, conduct a walk on a Sunday morning every two months. Usually led by the award-winning Chris Lunardi, a local identity; EE and I make it a point to turn up if at all possible.
Much to see in a day, so we cheated, and went back for a second look the following day.
Here are some of the Gems of the Forest.
Little Eagle, one of a pair. And try as I might I’ve not been able to locate their current nest site.
Peregrine Falcon, a new bird for me at Eynesbury, this one is working on short wings with quick flutters. Target— Tree Martins that are nesting in the forest. We found at least one carcass to confirm its skills.
A fledged Jacky Winter. Not from our usual pair, but one of two young birds on the wing. Well done Jacky
A trip through the Greybox will always be accompanied by the trills from the many Brown Treecreepers in the area. A threatened species, so its good to see them so active in the forest
At the lake, an Australasian Grebe was nurturing at least one new addition to the family
Big, bold, noisy and hungry. Sulphur-crested Cockatoos are working in the wattles that have seeded
“Our’ Jacky Winter young. The nest is near falling apart, and the young still have a few days to go to fledge. Jacky made it quite clear today, that we were not welcome. So we moved on quickly
Normally at this time of the year the forest would be ringing with the calls of hundreds of Dusky Woodswallows. Again, it is feared they are in decline, and this is the first season we’ve seen so few. But those that have come down, have wasted no time in getting off their first batch. This pair are feeding two young
Two Black Kites were in the air having the best time on the strong winds. it really deserves a blog page of its own to describe and show the antics of this couple of birds, but two should do eh?
And finally two of the Tawny Frogmouth from the Children’s Playground park. Other photographers, you know who you are Lyndell, seem to be able to get them on days when they are low down, in the open and all together. They seem to be quite happy to sit in the trees while kids play about on the swings and climbing things just metres below.
Another episode to come I think.
Quick snapshot.
We, EE, Mr An Onymous and I had gone up to Eynesbury for the Eynesbury Environmental Group’s Sunday walk in the forest.
We motored up in style in the An Blackmobile, and what other colour would Anonymous chose. (Let’s not go there).
We arrived in good time, thanks to great navigating by the unnamed driver. Chris, he of the awards, was waiting in the car park and the sun was shining. How good.
We waited for the rest to arrive, and heard a unusal call in the tree line at the carpark. A little searching and lo and behold, to our astonishment, and joy and delight, let it be said, there was a Swift Parrot at work in the tree, feasting on lerp.
Still in the Little Visits Mode:
The monthly Birding Walk at Eynesbury was on again today.
We drove into the Grey Box forest in the warm sunshine, and slowed down to enjoy the play of the light among the trees. It has rained overnight and there was that wonderful distinct crispness to the air and the whole forest seemed to sparkle in the moment. The great Grey Box stood soaking up the light and the tones of the light playing over their trunks was a delight to see.
Continue reading “Little Visits: A Morning in the Sunshine at Eynesbury”
The monthly Bird Walk at Eynesbury rolled around and the calendar clicked over the last Sunday in the month, so we looked out the window, and sure enough Sunshine!
So Sunshine, we headed out to Eynesbury to catch up with the group of locals in their exploration around the Grey Box forest.
Chris had initially planned on being away, and asked another local, Leigh, to take the day. As it turned, Chris turned up anyway. Nice to catchup.
The sunshine added to the recent rain made the open areas around the housing estates glow in most impressive green with lots of new growth coming on.
So we set out for a looksee along the river gorge to the east. In times past before the housing establishment, a small creek drained water outward the gorge and as it tumbled over the rocky edge a wonderful waterfall would suddenly appear. And. Today was such a day. The little creek has now been somewhat controlled to a drain-way through the estate, but in the last few hundred metres runs over the rocky ground, forming little pools as it goes. Then. Taking is self to the edge, it plunges down the 30 or so metres to empty into the creek, that runs toward the Werribee River. And spectacular it would be too in full flood and great light, but I was just a bit late as early morning shadow hid the sparkle of the water.
For a birding day, it was a bit quiet, even for me and my missing bird karma as Mr An Onymous puts it.
We did manage a fine Eastern Yellow Robin, an Eastern Spinebill and a couple of Crested Shriketits as we strolled along one of the forest tracks. And so another birding morning came to a close, lots to talk about, plenty of things to share about the few birds we did see, and to get a perspective of the area from Leigh’s point of view. He has been in the area almost since its inception and gave a fine running commentary of points of interest along the way.
EE and I took a cuppa by the lake, and then headed down to see the Tawny Frogmouths in the local park-area. See the May report for details. Sure enough, dependable as clockwork there they were. One has added an additional extra piece of camo to the perch as a branch has broken off higher up and now obscures the perching branch very well.
Off to look for Flame Robins, but no luck there either, and it was time for home, just as we went past the old shearing shed area a small shape darted into the tree. A Speckled Warbler. And to make its point is warbled away quite merrily. Just about managed to get off a couple of shots before it was gone. Looking at it the shots, it’s no wonder they are so hard to spot given the wonderful markings on the feathers that blend into the scrub so well.
Thanks to Leigh and Chris for the day, and also to everyone who turned up and enjoyed both the sunshine and the birds. Looking forward to the July Sunday.
All we needed were some grey birds and it would have been complete.
We turned up at the monthly Eynesbury Residents Birdwalk. Did one back in April see details of the area in that post. Details Here
This time the lake was in fact a, lake!. Water had been added and the ducks were happy and in residence again. And there was a “Farmers Market” in full swing. Make note to self, leave earlier, bring wallet, and enjoy some shopping therapy before the walk in June!
Chris had a walk to the north eastern area of the forest planned for us, and the six or so hardy stalwarts set off for a looksee. And a quiet day it happened to be. We did get a good view of the ubiquitous Superb Fairywren, and again noted how many Brown Treecreepers have made this their home.
Chris pulled out the best spotting by giving us a grand view of a male Flame Robin, rich in colour and brightening up the day. Just as we were enjoying it all, he took off not to be seen again.
A couple of Striated Pardalotes come down out of the top branches and all got a good view of these delightful little birds. Not to be out done a Jacky Winter helped add to the charm of the area, as only Jacky can, and performed some feeding twists and turns in an open area. But, in the end, we had to say it was a quiet day.
Perhaps the recent rain had made the food scarce. We turned back and meandered through the open forest. You can do that in Grey Box, its a lovely forest to walk through. Tracks become optional. Chris offered all sorts of running commentary on fox and rabbit issues, to what sort of native plants were working in well in the local gardens, and one our number told how her three sickly looking Running Postman were now clambering all over the garden pots. Super.
A Common Bronzewing, a few more Treecreepers, and the inevitable Red-rumped Parrots kept us entertained until we eventually reached the roadway, and back to the cars.
Might have been a quiet morning, and the light might have been less than ideal, but we all were pleased to have seen a little more of the Eynesbury Forest and to enjoy some great company at the same time. Now we’re looking forward to the June walk.
Way to go Chris.
EE and I grabbed a quick bite to eat, and a cuppa, then went round to a small open park area among the houses on the west side of the lake. We’d been told that a pair of Tawny Frogmouth were in the park and ‘easy to spot’. Hmmm.
You know that feeling? You’re walking into a park for the first time, checking trees, checking trees, knowing that Tawnies are, well, not necessarily ‘easy to spot’. In fact, I’d left the camera in the car. Now that is confidence. EE on the other hand, well, she would wouldn’t she? Had camera out, and at the ready.
Looking, looking. Well I suppose I’d taken about five steps into the park. “Oh”.
If only everything was that “Easy to Spot”. There aren’t a lot of trees, so Tawnys didn’t have a lot of choice. “There they are!!! ” Trudge back to get camera, (all five steps).
We then moved down to the forest proper to look for more Flame Robins. No such luck, not as ‘easy to spot’. A flock of Maned Ducks, (Wood Ducks) were house hunting and that kept us amused for a few minutes. A duck in tree.
Then the sound of Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters on the way back got us looking and eventually locating a couple.
So in the end a good day at Eynesbury, and another triumph for Grey Box
Enjoy
I’ve said before that I enjoy the company of Jacky Winter.
We were at Eynesbury today on a bird count day. Found time to find several Jacky Winter. They were most co-operative, and I’ve put them here in a gallery as it gives a chance to view them in the carousel. Click on one image and you’ll be able to show through the set.
Enjoy. Jacky and I did.
Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER - --doesn't mean I'm LOST 