Around the house.

My wife and are at the moment experiencing a fairly major change in our life. We now have our 9 year old grand daughter living with us permanently. So I am now hearing the words " what can we do now Poppa" too many times to mention in a day.

She mentioned we should have a look around the garden for bugs, she had just found a water feature in the garden full of Tadpoles, this got her going. So it was off on a bug hunt. The photos are the result. All taken with my Panasonic FZ 200 camera set on the close up setting, not macro.

Honey Bee busy on the Silver Birch.

 

Honey Bee.

Leaf  Curling Spider

 

Orb-weaving Spider.

Orb-weaving Spider.

Redback spider on shed door.

Spiny Spider.

Spiny Spider.

 

 

It is very interesting what you can find around the garden, another world in miniature.

 

 

Ross.

Marlay point and surrounds.

Went for a drive down to Marlay point to check out the water birds, unfortunately the place was over run by fishermen, so the only birds around were the gulls. Lots of water on the paddocks after the rain the past couple of weeks. Black-winged Stilts were in abundance.
Further along the road back towards the RAAF base I spotted a Whistling Kite in a spot where they seem to hang out. Also on the road was a Blue Tongue lizard.

 Black-winged Stilt

 

 Blue Tongue Lizard.

 

 Whistling Kite.

 

Whistling Kite.

 

 

 

Ross.

Herb Guyatt Reserve.

 Crimson Rosella.

 

 Juvenile Red Browed Finch. 

 

 Grey Fantail.

 

 Kookaburra.

 

 Red Browed Finch.

 

 Silver Eye.

 

Yellow- rumped Thornbill.

 

 Golden Whistler.

 

 Yellow Faced Honeyeater.

 

Eastern Yellow Robin.

 

After my first sighting of the Scarlet Honeyeater, I have been back to Herb Guyatt reserve a few times; but have not sighted the honeyeater again, except once along the river, still no photo, can hear them calling. On my last run through the reserve I took some photos of the birds I saw, ie the one's that sat long enough, quite a variety.

 

 

 

 

Ross.

 



Swallow Lagoon.

Took a drive out to Swallow Lagoon last week after the 4 + inches of rain. Two of the lagoons were overflowing, so it was fairly wet in most areas.

 Not being good on the naming of the  flora this one is a mystery to me. 

 

 I came across a patch of Rosy Hyacinth Orchids, this one was out and two more were in bud, there were four others that looked as though they had been eaten by the Roos.

 There were many birds calling; but photo opportunities were rare. One I did get which is a first is the above, a Female Scarlet Honey Eater.
As this was all happening a Wedgie was circling overhead he was fairly high and a good distance away, hence the not so clear photo.

 

Ross.

Mallacouta Outing.

Went up to Mallacouta last Thursday for a couple of days, with the intention of taking as many of the bush walks as possible. Unfortunately the rain persisted except for about three hours.
We first went on a small walk at Double Creek which is about 8 Kilometres from Mallacouta on the Genoa road. This was a one kilometre round walk. It was raining at the time and we made four sightings of a Rufous Fantail, a first for me, White Browed Scrub Wrens were busy on the ground and a Koala was keeping an eye on the proceedings. Unfortunately no photos of the fan tail as they didn't stay around. Plenty of Pied Oyster Catchers on the shore.

We then took a walk along the Narrows, the rain had stopped by now. We came across plenty of native flowers, a couple of Orchids and back at the car a Raptor was guarding it's nest. Looks like a Whistling Kite; but I may be wrong.

 King Parrot.

 

 Kookaburra.

 

 Rosy Hyacinth-orchid.  Dipodium roseum.

 

 Tall Cinnamon Bells Potaro Orchid.  Gastrodia procera.

 

 Pied Oyster-catcher.

 

 Raptor Nest.

 

Whistling Kite ?

 

 

Ross.

December Outing

The Heyfield Bird watchers December outing started with a walk around the Heyfield Wet Lands.
8 people attended, and after walking around for one and a half hours we had ticked off approx. 48 species. Photo opportunities were rare; but at least we saw the birds. The usual barbeque that was held at the Wet Lands was transferred to J & M G's property at Coongulla.

On the way we stopped to check out the orchids and found Large Duck Orchids and Small Duck Orchids now growing on the roadside at Glenmaggie.

On to Coongulla where we took a walk through the bush on the shore of Lake Glenmaggie where we spotted a family of Jackie Winter's, J G flushed out a Pardalote from a nest in the bank, too quick for a photograph. We finished the day with a barbeque and a great big pavlova, which must have been healthy because it had fruit on top.

 White Faced Heron

 

 Jackie Winter and Young.

 

 Jackie Winter.

 

 Large and Small Duck Orchids.

 

 Small Duck Orchid.

 

Large and Small Duck Orchids.

 

 

Ross.