The January bird walk was around Aireys Inlet, looking particularly for water and coastal birds.
We started at the Allen Noble Sanctuary by admiring the new sign erected by the shire, with lovely pictures, taken by Margaret Lacey, of eight water bird species which may be found there. Several of these were not to be seen on that day, but we particularly enjoyed the sight of Welcome Swallows skimming over the water for food, and then resting on the reeds beside the water.
Welcome Swallows
The Painkalac Creek was quiet, with only a few birds to be seen in the distance. The regular Great Cormorants were visible resting in their usual place on high, dead branches at the back of the dunes. On the walk up to the cliff top we were regaled by the soaring song of a Rufous Bristlebird. A raptor flew over which we were unable to identify. Our two guesses turned out to be wrong when an expert later identified it, from a photo, as a juvenile Black Shouldered Kite.
Juvenile Black Shouldered Kite
We all admired the fancy new viewpoint built near the lighthouse, and were rewarded with the sighting of a Gannet flying over the rough ocean waters. A Singing Honeyeater, warbling happily, posed on a nearby bush for us.
We finished by returning to the sanctuary for morning tea at the table there.
Like magic our 32nd bird, the always delightful Spotted Pardalote, appeared and hovered momentarily over the table like a 3D apparition, providing a memorable finish to a pleasant morning.
Below are all the birds identified:
1. Grey Teal
2. Pacific Black Duck
3. Australasian Gannet
4. Little Pied Cormorant
5. Great Cormorant
6. Eastern Great Egret
7. White-faced Heron
8. Black Shouldered Kite
9. Purple Swamphen
10. Dusky Moorhen
11. Eurasian Coot
12. Pacific Gull
13. Silver Gull
14. Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo
15. Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
16. Australian King Parrot
17. Crimson Rosella
18. Superb Fairy Wren
19. Rufous Bristlebird
20. White-browed Scrubwren
21. Brown Thornbill
22. Spotted Pardalote
23. Singing Honeyeater
24. Little Wattlebird
25. Red Wattlebird
26. New Holland Honeyeater
27. Australian Magpie
28. Pied Currawong
29. Willy Wagtail
30. Silvereye
31. Welcome Swallow
32. House Sparrow
Ellinor Campbell