The Angair bird outing for February was to the revegetated block at 110 Bambra Rd Aireys Inlet, plus a shorter trip to Distillery Creek close by.

During the first part of the walk, we took a side trip along Bimbadeen Drive to view the magnificent old heritage eucalyptus which, when a sapling, had been twisted to mark the border of the local Wadawurrung tribe.

We had a good number of birders, including some new people and a visitor from the UK. Conditions were initially good with sun and no breeze, but the humidity increased, cloud cover came and the sky became dull and glary.

At Distillery Creek picnic ground

All agreed the highlight was witnessing two White-naped Honeyeaters visiting their young in a mud nest in a clump of eucalyptus leaves in a large tree. However, scores of fluttering small Common Grass-blue butterflies were also of great interest.

Common Grass-blue butterfly

Our list of 32 species included Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos; White-throated Tree-creepers; New Holland, White-plumed (not previously reported to eBird), White-eared and White-naped Honeyeaters; Rufous Whistlers; Magpies; Grey Currawongs; Eastern Yellow Robins; and Red-browed Finches.

Marie Pirotta