With the sun-shining, oh, yes, it did! We decided on a trip to The Office. This area of the Werribee River Park looks over the floodplain between the old sandridges and gives a pretty spectacular view if nothing else. On a good day its possible to see the raptors at work.
Unfortunately today was not to be one of those days. And with no sign of the usual Flame Robin family we decided to walk up to the Werribee Mansion and have lunch there.
Usually the area along the golfclub is also a haven for small birds, but the gums must be slower to flower this year and only a handful of resident Red-rumped Parrots were located.
Still the sun was shining and we had a fine chicken panini and coffee. So to look at the Ornamental Pool, and our first real chance to find some birds. Top of the list was a pair of Australasian Grebes and what appears to be their sole surviving chick. They had three earlier in the season. They were pretty protective and this one seems to be doing well a good sign.
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
Flame Robin
More discussion on housing details. Her list of options must be met
Seeing off a rival home seeker. This interloping female was chased off by the male of the pair.
Perhaps she is house hunting, there was lots of discussion with her mate.
Tawny Frogmouth, looking up it was difficult at first to see it against the trunk
Tawny Frogmouth
A find. Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
Good to see in the open. Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater.
Ahh, water, in the lake. Hoary-headed Grebe is pleased to make use of the once more filled lake.
Was chatting with a birder friend, and I mentioned the Point Cook Coastal Park, and he said, that he didn’t plan to go there much as most of the birds were pretty common, and only occasionally was a Plover or a Pratincole enough to take the trip down there.
When we relocated home a couple of years back, Point Cook was on the top of my list as a suitable place, and to be honest, it was second, third and a close run fourth on the list. And of course the logic was it was but a few minutes from the Coastal Park of the same name, and it would be neat to roll out of bed, and stroll on down to the park.
In the end, much wiser heads than mine (EE as it turns out) found us the place that ‘we’ wanted and Tarneit took on our new home address.
But every so often when the light is right, and sometimes when its wrong we venture down to the Coastal Park. And surprisingly, many of the common birds down there have become a bit like friends.
So today we went, not to count, nor to get our lists up, nor necessarily to capture the best bird photos ever, but to visit some friends.
Our friend the Brown Falcon was in the carpark area, and we enjoyed some time with it, as it hunted quite casually from the fence line. Also found a number of Flame Robins that have made the park their winter beach residence.
And of course the usual Pied, Little Pied and Great Cormorants down on the old jetty. They gave us some pretty impressive flight displays while we sipped on a fine cuppa.
Then the local White-faced Heron, and the pair of Pacific Gulls cruised by hunting on the out-going tide. And to our amusement, a pair of Black Swans how have obviously just coupled up were making interesting subjects as they hunted together on the gentle rolling outgoing tide.
As we walked back to carpark, the air literally filled with raptors.
At one point we had all up at the same time, Little Eagle, Black Kite, Whistling Kite, Brown Falcon, Australian Hobby and Brown Goshawk. I was hoping that the resident Spotted Harrier would make an appearance, but we had to be satisfied with those six.
We stopped along the road to look at some Flame Robins bathing in a tiny pool in a paddock, and some ‘new friends’, came over to say ‘hello’. So we spent a few minutes becoming acquainted with several chesnut horses.
We might not have added any ‘new’ birds to our list, but we had as the Sans Bushman said, “Recognised some birds,and built a tiny connection with them, that is growing into a thread”
Enjoy.
Pied Cormorant on landing approach
Open water, easy landing.
Flame Robin, I suspect the colours suggest a first year male moulting in.
Is that another photographer pointing a lens at me?
Time to go
Brown Falcon. I thought it was going to sweep along the fence. But it simple jumped down to take a lizard
The couple that eats together stays together.
After you. Oh no I insist, after you.
The always dependable Pacific Gull
White-faced Heron, racing to shore so as not to lose its catch in the water.
Flame Robin.
Flame Robin about to pounce
Brown Falcon on a turn
Yellow-rumped Thornbill.
Just came by to say hello. One of several horses that welcomed a thoughtful touch. EE was ready to oblige.
Somethings we do as photographers, and bird photographers in particular, seems to rival climbing Mt Everest.
One of those challenges for me is the Rufous Fantail.
Now those who have these amazing birds in their backyard are going to find the next bit of ramble, well somewhat indifferent, if not bordering on the laughable.
But. The Rufous Fantail is not a regular, nor a resident bird in my area. In fact over 8 or more years at Woodlands Historic Park, I’ve only seen them on three separate seasons. And then only for a few days, as they either fly South, for their summer location or then North for their Winter escape. And off course I have to be in the forest when they are there, and as there is no prior warning, and no set pattern of location, climbing Everest seems to be a fair comparison.
“It’s a lovely sunny day. Let’s go visit Ambrose,” said she. So EE and I headed up the freeway, parked and then walked in to the area where this amiable bird has been the past few seasons.
Long term reader(s) may recall that last season the area had been cleaned up by the local LandCare(?) group and I was a bit unsure if Ambrose would bother. And after about an hour or so of fruitless searching I was well on the way to convinced. Then, way off on a corner area of the paddock, a familiar little harmonica call echoed, and I went to look.
And there he was.
Waved a wing at me— in Hello— and was gone. More waiting and a fine cuppa of Earl of Grey, and he made one more quick appearance, but didn’t seem to be photographically inclined today. But at least we’d made contact.
“How about lunch at Greenvale, and then we can go on to Woodlands Park in the afternoon,” says She. EE is pretty good on those ideas. So we went.
Woodlands, as the long long term reader will (or at least might) recall is the birthplace of my bird photography. I am convinced that Grey Box sap runs in my veins and in a few minutes of walking down the the old “Dog Track”, I was feeling a weight lifting.
I like Grey Box Forest.:
No TV commercials with people who have to “YELL” to get my attention.
No loud music with people who have to “YELL” to sing a song.
No Dodgey commercials that “YELL” at me to buy some piece of useless rubbish or other.
No Lines at the Supermarket
No pushing and shoving to get a coffee
No futile endless running about chasing something of no particular value.
I like Grey Box Forest.
We found some Flame Robins down by the old dam area, and to our mutual surprise a Pink Robin female.
I was photographing some ‘log-dancing’ between two territorial Red-capped Robin males, when a ginger/gold/rufous/orange flash quite literally sped by my ear.
A Rufous Fantial. First one I’d seen in years. Move over Sir Edmund Hilary, and Chris Bonington. This is serious business.
The Rufous, as pointed out at the beginning is a very infrequent visitor. It also has the most beautiful orange tail. A photo of that is like planting a flag on Mt Everest. One of the most gorgeous examples of it was taken may years ago by an expert bushman. (he has also featured here before)
Alan (Curley) Hartup made a wonderful shot with a beaten up Mamyia C22 and a roll of filum. Yes, filum. It was exhibited and won Curley many well deserved awards and accolades. Look back and you’ll find a the shot featured on the Hartup Exhibtion flyer and for more on Curley see here.
One thing I learned about photographing this bird. It is fast. So fast in fact that it makes the average Grey Fantail seem glacial. And your average Grey Fantail is no slacker in either the speed or irrational flying behaviour departments.
“Perhaps, I should practice more on Grey Fantails,’ says EE. “N0,” says I kindly, and wisely. “The Grey Fantail isn’t in the same speed league.
So we followed the bird, and eventually managed a few close shots.
I struggled to get to the peak. Just couldn’t get the flag in.
Enjoy
A “Hello” wing wave from Ambrose. But he didn’t stay to chat.Female Golden Whister with snackNo Grey Box forest would be complete without a Grey Shrike-thrush or two. They look as good as they sound.One of part of a squadron of Varied Sittella at work among the Grey BoxNot my friend Pinky from Pt Cook, but a lovely bird to meet anyway.One of several male Flame Robins that arrived this past weekEven though they have travelled a great distance, they still manage to look in top shape.A peach of a bird. The wonderful winter dress of a female Flame Robin.A male Red-capped Robin. Intent on discussion with a neighbor over territory rights.The one that got away. EnjoyRufous Fantail. At a stand. Managed a couple of shots, but no tail-spread here. Not much room on top of Mt Everest.
Gazing out of the window, a little blue sky hinted among the grey. That was enough to have the Earl Grey Tea poured, the cameras in the car and away we went. Wanted to have a look along 29 Mile Road at the Western Treatment Plant.
This area has a number of paddocks recently ploughed and the Kites seem to favour the turned over ground. By the time we made it to the “Highway Lounge” at the Caltex Servo on Geelong Road, the little bit of blue has zipped itself up in the dense grey that was accumulating. So we stopped for a quick Mocca, and then continued. Only to be confronted with a misty rain. “Turn back now, or go on?” We went, and the rain continued, and we went and the rain continued. Exposures of a Week @ f/4 seemed to be the order of the day.
So reaching the Beach Road corner, we pondered a very early mark. Then a flash of red, and another and the paddock opposite was covered in Flame Robins. Well, covered is such an all encompassing word, so its probably better to use dotted here and there. In the end we found four males, at least as many females and several juveniles in varying states of moult.
I propped the 300mm ff/2.8 with a TC 2.0 (Making 600mm) on a post, and wished I’d been clever enough to include a beanbag. The rain changed to a drizzle between downpours. The birds seemed to ignore it an hunted happily. Feeling pretty confident in the rain, they chose to ignore us pretty much completely and we were able to move about with them without them fleeing.
In the end being sodden completely and beginning to worry about the cameras getting drowned, we called it quits. And by then the small meagre light had been completely swallowed up in dark and ominous low cloud, which soon turned to massive downpour. Time for home.
Relaxed enough to accept our presence
Look what I got!
One of the many females that were out in the paddock area
This one skipped down the grass verge until it was so close I couldn’t get focus.
Well it might not be a rock, but this Petroica looks the part.
Any perch in a storm
The concrete culvert offered both a hunting perch and the opportunity for food in the ditch
I know why I’m here, but what are you doing?
Exciting to have several birds hunting together
Out the window of the car shot. He is on the roadside verge.
I used that heading a couple of years back to announce the arrival in the Woodlands Backpaddock of a family group of Flame Robins with three males that hunted closely together. They have been over the past 4 or 5 years very consistent in their wintering over at Woodlands.
So much so that I’ve named them collectively, “The Three Brothers”
Well, they are are back. Roll the Thin Lizzy, Boys are Back in Town, sound track. (Play it loud).
We passed through the hallowed gates today and within about 5 minutes had located a fast moving flock. Perhaps 8-10 birds, a good number of Thornbills, and a Golden Whistler pair, and the usual fantails and wagtail outriders.
Here is Mr Red-slash. He has a particularly long red bib, goes much further up his neckline that normal.
Not the best image I’ve ever made of him, but given the degree of difficulty I’m pretty happy. More to follow I expect.
Even though he’s much further away, and I’ve had to nail a big crop, you can see his wider turn on the red chest feathers. Besides he has a much more imposing look in this one. I think, if it works that way, that he is the dominant male. The others always seem to take cue from him.
The weather is certainly not co-operating for bird photographers. We have been out about 6 times and only one of them has had any sunshine, and when it did, the birds were no where to be found.
After looking at the gloomy weather in the morning, it was already time to call it quits, but I had changed cameras due to a technical glitch with one of them. (Technical glitch is tech speak for the #@$$% shutter packed it in and it will have to take a trip to camera hospital, and most likely the outcome will be, “Cheaper to buy a new camera mate”, always said with a smile.
So to try out the old system, we loaded up, and headed on out.
It is so late in the season now, that the Flames are not likely to be seen as a flock, in fact, my guess is that another week and they will be gone.
Found Lockie and Primrose, both very busy with the business of breakfast. She captured a great big moth, and spent a few seconds tendering it up on a brach, before gulping it down and looking very pleased with herself.
We also found a small hunting family of Flame Robins and they were very furtive. One landed in a tree and gave me a few seconds to get a peekaboo shot through the leaves.
Also saw a pair a of Scarlet Robins. We are both hoping that they will setup a territory. He is most vocal and travels about the canopy displaying as he goes. Time I guess will tell.
Via Flickr:
This little male was hunting in the early morning rain, and took to working from a stump about 6 metres from me. He filled the frame on the 500m +TC2.0, and when he dropped on to the ground to feed he was beyond the closest focus of the lens, but I had a really good view of him that close. DOF is so small that its legs and eyes, cap and chest iin focus, everything else is out of focus.
These images I’ve posted directly. Cannot figure out how to get them out of Flickr as a set.
This bird landed in a small growth tree and proceeded to play peekaboo through the leaves at me. The TC20 on the 500mm lens made autofocus a real nightmare. But. The result was worth the persistence. Sometimes images make me smile and this one does.This female has already built at least one nest, and is starting to show the egg patch in her chest feathers. Perhaps with a few days of warmer weather she might be ready to lay.This is one of two males in a small hunting party. They are moving so quickly through the scrub now as they bulk up for their soon coming journey to the high country. He landed just near my camera position but was gone without stopping to feed. Obviously looking for the best stuff now.
With the ongoing closure of the Backpaddock at Woodlands, the opportunities for following Flame Robin families has been greatly diminished. I have to admit defeat at this stage, as here we are getting close to the end of the winter over season, and I really only have a few images that I am satisfied with. Problem is of course not being able to follow the birds as they move across the light Grey Box scrub along the ridge lines in the Backpaddock.
Not that it is doom and gloom as a few parties come out on raiding sessions into the area outside the park, but it’s impossible to predict where and when, so it is pretty much hit and miss.
Also not being able to track the Red-capped Robins movements, it will slow me down a bit when they go to nest, as I don’t have any idea where they are in the territory, and they certainly aren’t going to put up flags. (Not that I am tracking nests, but rather where it is all happening so I can prepare for shots of the fledged young. I try not to disturb the nesting birds as she will get anxious and abandon a nest at any stage. I think her main concern is Cuckoos, but Ravens made havoc of several nests sites last year.)
So here is a compilation of the work from about the past two weeks. Weather has not been kind either.
The female is Primrose, and she has a territory that is outside the backpaddock. She is currently being courted by two males, but I think she seems to favour Lockie, so things will be as previous. I do hope the younger male finds a mate as he seems most capable of defending himself. With all the young that were produced in the area past season, it is a ponder as to where they all go.
The Flame males were beginning to call with their territory call the last few days. They usually are gone in a fortnight or so after that. They go early, and then the females follow about a week or so later. But, I haven’t seen very many females, and am assuming they are up on the grey box ridges.
*** The images in the blog are now part of a gallery. As such if you click on an image it will open them all up in a slide show. That way you can advance through the photos rather then see them one by one and have to come back to this page for a new pic. I think it’s more elegant, and I wish I had figured it out earlier in the blog.
Hope you like it.
Primrose on the fence line near the cemetery
A male Flame Robin who came on a hunting expedition from the closed off Backpaddock area. Usually there would be a number of birds, but he was pretty much on his own.
Interestingly marked young Flame Robin. It must be a juvenile moulting through into its adult colours.
Red-capped Robin Female. This is Primrose, (see the lovely apricot wash on her chest) overseeing a territorial dispute between Lockie, and a would be suitor.
Female Scarlet Robin enjoying a long squishy worm. It gets a good belting on the branch to soften it up. Nice to see both of the Scarlets are still in the area. I’m hoping they stay for the nesting season.
Monday dawned all nice and bright. No rain, little wind, a good day for a stroll along Moonee Ponds Creek at Woodlands to look for Flame Robins.
But, by the time I’d arrived and walked into the paddock, the weather turned a dismal shade of grey. So back to the car, put on the Driazabone (they really are!), and put in the wet weather covers for the cameras. Thank you Mr Aqua-shield.
As it turned out, I had only arrived down at the creek, when the first of a number of Flame Robins began hunting in the area near me. In between showers, I managed to find 5 birds, and all of them seemed to be young males in state of moulting through. I didn’t spy any males nor single females.
But the rain set in. Down by the Billabongs is a lovely place, lots of wonderful Red Gums and plenty of shelter from the rain, so I headed there. So did a large and significant sized flock of Yellow-rumped Thornbills, together with their tame, pet Willie Wagtail and a flotilla of Silver-eyes. So we all sat in the shelter of the Red Gums. I had chosen a particularly large tree with a dry side, and plenty of shelter from the wind. I think the birds chose it at as an alternative feeding area.
The rain eased and I took the time to walk around to near the Cumberland homestead site. I could hear the “Mip, Mip” of a Black-shouldered Kite and through the mist eventually I spotted one on a tree, and then another further down the range. They both flew when the rain eased and one came down to a tree near me, but the rain was simply toomuch to pursue the issue any further.
Heading back up the hill toward the old Church site, I spotted the Flame Robins at work in the paddock.
Here is a male who posed long enough for me to get organised.
Young Flame Robin in moult. He is hunting down along the Moonee Ponds Creek, near the Billabongs area at Woodlands.
Had a wander over the weekend with the organised Beginners Group of Bird LIfe Asutralia (Melbourne Group). Titles get so long these days, and the acronyms are dreadful, but by the time I get it all typed I’ve forgotten what it was I was going to ramble on about.
Oh, yeah, we went with the beginners group to Woodlands. Now as the National Parks people are on strike, the gate at Somerton Road is closed. Which in some way s me thinks is a good thing. But with nearly twenty cars parked along the road it did look to say the least a bit dangerous. And as Somerton Road is apparently the extension of some race track or other, speeds along the road are simply overwhelming at times, with some of the best passing manoeuvres that would do credit to Mark Webber at Albert Park F1, are taken with out much concern for the narrowness of the roadway. Anyway I digress.
The weather was pleasant if just a bit overcast and after a stroll around the Moonee Ponds Creek tracks, – Note: the river was in a flood, probably 1 1/2 meters or more deep.- we decided to move around to the Providence Road carpark and spot Robins. And on this day, the resident Tawny Frogmouths had moved to a new tree and were not to be found. I was pretty much accused of climbing up in the morning and moving them. <ggg>
The gate to the Backpaddock is now closed, so we made do by following the kangaroo tracks down toward the Dam area. Now the robins were pretty much on strike too, it seems. However I broke away from the main group and with a little bushcraft, and determined perseverance and highly developed robin finding skills. And let’s face it. LUCK, I found the pair, Lockie and Primrose. They were taking a bit of a stroll down toward the dam as there were some nice wet patches of run-off water from the previous couple of days. Next, call up the group, so some thirty birdwatchers descend on 10 square metres of robin feeding territory and the fun begins. “There on the tree just on the left of the other tree, near the branch sticking out behind the wattle, near the laid over stump, about a metre off the ground, oh, never mind it’s flown away.” Much too much fun.
Some of the beginners did however manage to get a good views of Lochie and another male, and Primrose seemed completely unpreturbed by it all and just continued to feed. So after about twenty hectic minutes with the binoculars and pointing just about everybody had seen some good robin views.
We then moved back to the cars and had another great view of several of the Flame and Scarlet robins in the paddock near the cemetery. Enough for all, so lunch was at the Woodlands Homestead. Then a bit of a walk around Woodlands Hill, but no raptors were up.
Dorothy and I went back for another look in the pm, and found some Flame Robins and Lochie and Primrose again. Here he is in the sunshine.
Redcapped Robin Male, hunting in the sunshine after several days of intense rain.
Here he is again with a nicer background. He is my second most favourite of the Red-caps because he is very relaxed with me most of the time.
The lack of posts here has little to do with enthusiasm and much to do with the weather. When its been good weather, I have been elsewhere, and when I’m all set to go to the paddocks, the weather turns viral.
But I loaded up the Driazabone (and they are which is why they are so good), and headed out. The weather went from inclement to downright foggy. I had trouble seeing cars coming along the track to the forest.
And it really didn’t get much better. However a good trusty tripod is such a good thing, even if its a bit heavy. Or gets left behind in the marshes and requires a return trip just to retrieve the missing tripod in the middle of the night. (Don’t ask, just put it down to old timers forgetfulness).
I’ve taken of late to shooting from the tripod with it very low to the ground, legs stretched out and laying behind it. It gives the feeding birds an interesting perspective and makes the depth-of-field, both a challenge and an opportunity. Harder to nail focus on small birds, but when it does the soft backgrounds don’t get in the way. The robins on the moss beds are standing on a very narrow sharp area and everything else is out of focus. Old bones do creak a bit when I get up to move but.
The wonderful thing about mist for a photographer is soft delicate light that comes from it all, and the lovely moody effects it adds to landscapes. It’s a bit tough through when the bird is about 8 metres away and the mist makes the image all soft and fuzzy.
But as a photographer mate says, “The light now melds over everything it touches”, and he’s right. No harsh shadows, no contrasts, soft muted colours and light that edges its way around three dimensionally. Super.
The robins have indeed become conspicuously absent the past few times. The much anticipated flock hasn’t eventuated and its really small isolated families that move rapidly from place to place. But there are a few gems among them.
Male Red-cap in the soggy grass. He is a bit wet from hunting about, and very wary of me.Another “Fatboy”. This male was on his own. He found a super big purple worm, but took off with it before I had a chance to get some eating shots. I found him on a branch looking decidedly overweight.Another Red-capped Male. I had to walk a long way in to find him and again he was very wary of me. But the light just enveloped him.
Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER doesn't mean I'm LOST 