The April bird walk took place on the cold wet Easter weekend, but in unexpectedly pleasant weather. We visited two properties on the western side of the Painkalac Creek, and saw 30 species.

Highlights were a Female Golden Whistler, and a Grey Shrike-thrush actively killing a caterpillar before swallowing it, then quickly flying off.

Grey Shrike-thrush (by Paul Wright)

A couple of White-faced Herons posed for us near the water, more than 100 Wood Ducks paraded around a horse paddock, and several Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos flew over.

Wood Ducks (by Paul Wright)

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos (by Rob Shepherd)

We finished at the pool at the Distillery Creek picnic ground which was surprisingly short of birds, except for a pair of Yellow Robins eyeing us in with apparent interest in between dips in the water.

Eastern Yellow Robin (by Paul Wright)

Some days before, large number of birds had been seen here, with special sightings including Rose Robin, Crested Shrike Tit and Bassian Thrush.

Rose Robin (by Katie Pahlow)

Ellinor Campbell