We saw a few birds…….Kingfisher, Kite, Finch, Bee-eaters, Magpie Goose, Reed warbler, Pelican, Duck.
……….and a platypus!
Platypus photos by Rob Kaufman.
October 2024 Buckland
September Chiltern 2024
September 2024
May and June 2024
Chiltern April 2024
Bill has done a report with some photos. A more comprehensive report can be found at: u3a Chiltern – eBird Trip Report This gives exact locations and all my photos.
The highlight of the U3A Birding Group trip to Chiltern on Monday April 22 was viewing good numbers of honeyeaters, woodswallows, peaceful doves and especially Swift Parrots around a small dam in the middle of the Chiltern forest. Swift Parrots are endangered. They breed in Tasmania in summer and cross Bass Strait to feed in parts of Victoria and NSW for the cooler months. There are often small numbers in the Chiltern National Park but this year they have arrived in big numbers and stayed for at least a month.
We visited 5 sites in the Chiltern area and saw 52 species of bird, including 9 honey-eater species, and a Swamp Wallaby with a joey in the pouch drinking from the dam for at least 10 minutes.
Myrtleford March and April
Bakers Gully 12 Feb 2024
Birds from Bakers Gully Bright and some from Mosaic Trail Myrtleford
Beautiful weather for birdwatching and of course enjoying the warm sunshine. Here are some photos taken by the members. An industrious bee made an appearance and a little spider! A chatty Fuscous sang to our group too.
Eight of us went out in beautiful clear weather for this time of the year. We picked up Denise in Myrtleford and met Jan and Jenny at Nason Springs.
This spot never fails to have something of interest. It looked a bit slow to begin with but we saw a Little Eagle in a tree then a pair of Hooded Robin. Just as we were leaving we saw a mixed group of Turquoise Parrots and Red-rumped Parrots which gave a chance to compare the two.
From there we went to the Duck Pond at Winton Wetlands just because it was on the way. Morning tea was a further detour to the boat ramp (tables, toilets and tea).
The next spot was right at the northernmost part of the Killawarra forest but there were Flame Robins and Brown Falcons to see along the way. North West Track dam is a real mecca for honeyeaters in winter as the ironbark is flowering so well. There were White-browed Babblers nest building there. This was our lunch spot.
Forest Camp further south is usually good but there was a group of primary students on a day camp making too much noise to get anything really.
Overall it was a very relaxing day in pleasant company and lovely sunshine.
The weather was not looking very good but since we were tired of being stuck indoors, eight birders went out to the Beechworth area. As expected the birding was not the best and the weather was stubbornly dreary. The highlight was probably the non-bird sitting in a tree near the rail-trail. This koala was not pleased about being disturbed and kept turning to put his back to us. We changed the lunch stop from sitting out at Lake Sambell to the warmth of the Beechworth Bakery. We ended up with 35 species seen.
Gang Gang
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Yellow-tailed Cockatoo
Kookaburra
Grey Shrike-thrush
Golden Whistler (h)
New Holland Honeyeater
Yellow-tufted Honeyeater
White-browed Scubwren
Australian Raven
Yellow Robin
Willie Wagtail
White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
Wood Duck
Black Duck
Masked Lapwing
White Ibis
Red-browed Finch
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Flame Robin
Eastern Rosella
Crimson Rosella
Satin Bowerbird
Pied Currawong
Superb Fairywren
Australasian Grebe
Welcome Swallow
Australian Magpie
Rock Dove
Coot
Little Pied Cormorant
Purple Swamphen
Mallard
White-faced Heron
Tawny Frogmouth
Roberts Creek Rd 8 May 2023
On the 8th May, 4 of us went to the green tea farm area on Mt Porepunkah Road. It was a bit cool to begin with but we were in the sun for most of the time.
We birded for over an hour and saw 25 species but the cold was probably reducing the number around.
Coffee at the Riverdeck was nice to finish up with.
Winton Wetland 24 April 2023
11 u3a members went to Winton Wetlands on the 24th April. The weather was warm, sunny and no wind so excellent all around. We went to Nason Springs on the Wang side of the Warby ranges to stretch legs and look at the Turquoise Parrots and got fleeting looks at them. Then we went across the range and past most of the wetland to Mt Meg Conservation Area across the road. This spot can be a bit hit and miss and this time was only so-so. Going to the main wetland sites we started with morning tea at the boat ramp then up Boggy Creek and on to Green’s Hill for lunch and a walk. Finally we went to the Duck Pond. We stopped briefly at Nason Springs on the way back.
