Summer Roos, Cockatoos, Wrens and flowers in blue hues

wildflower at Traralgon South
Flora & Fauna Reserve

Thank goodness the heat wave stopped long enough for us to venture out again this summer into some of the beautiful spots Gippsland has to offer! Since it's cooled off into a comfortable average temperature in the mid-twenties, a couple of areas visited since my last post have been Blue Rock Lake in Willow Grove, Traralgon South Flora & Fauna Reserve, and the Billy's Creek section of Morwell National Park. Despite it's namesake, Morwell National Park is not in Morwell at all, it's actually closer to Jeeralang and Budgeree in the foothills of the Strzelecki Ranges and technically it's location is Yinnar South, but for some reason it's named 'Morwell National Park'...? The Morwell River, although fairly close by, does not run through it either, so it's a mystery to me as to why it's named after a town that is actually a few towns away.

Superb Fairy-wren at Blue Rock Lake

The Morwell National Park is in two separate sections a short drive's distance away from each other. The more popular section is in Kerry's Road and features an electric bbq, information shelter and bush toilets near the car park area. There are a number of walking tracks traversing a variety of landscapes here, while the other section, Billy's Creek, is situated on Junction Road or alternatively can also be accessed from Braniffs Road.

Superb Fairy-wren at Blue Rock Lake

This section has a number of walking tracks of various difficulty and length, the main track on the flats and following the bends of Billy's Creek. The views from Clematis Track are well worth the hard work of climbing it, while the main track reaches an old weir before steep cliffs and thicker forest reward the visitor. We visited Billy's Creek a number of times this past fortnight to cool off under the shade of it's gums and dip our feet into the clear water of the creek in the late afternoons. On the most recent visit we were greeted by Eastern Grey Kangaroos along the track quite a few times, photos of which can be viewed below.

Blue Rock Lake, Willow Grove

The Blue Rock Lake is near Willow Grove, on the way to Mount Baw Baw on the other side of Latrobe Valley. After another hot day we decided to go there for a bbq, a walk, and for birding as the afternoon is the worst time of all at our house on a hot day. Unfortunately for us the lack of insulation in the ceiling means by early evening the house is swelteringly hot inside, despite our best efforts to keep it cool throughout the day with the blinds, windows and doors drawn/closed. This manages to keep it fairly cool until the afternoon, as the floor to ceiling windows facing the sun at that time intensify it's rays and heat up the entire house. Its usually a good time to go elsewhere though and by the time we get home the heat has subsided, well if it hasn't got too hot already that is.

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

It was lovely and cool by the water of Blue Rock Lake, and many birds were observed but only a few captured on camera this time. Even though it was a hot day it was fairly quiet there with only a few fishermen seen nearby, and no noisy boats or other people to scare the birds away. It was blissfully cool, peaceful, and tranquil actually, with really thick grass you could take off your shoes and sink your toes into.

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Look at the muscles on this big guy!

Don't get too close to Big Daddy!

Mother Eastern Grey Kangaroo

Traralgon South Flora & Fauna Reserve was absolutely devastated by the 2009 bushfires, and almost 3 years on it is still regenerating slowly. The soil there is mainly sand, a remnant of a bygone era when the valley was under water. The coast is actually some distance away from this area so it is always intriguing to me to find sandy soil and typical coastal vegetation growing there. The middle storey is predominately banksias, with an understory of various rushes, wildflowers and other typical native plants found in sandy soil such as tea tree and grass trees. The lack of substantial new growth there meant there were very few birds to be seen, where once it was full of the sound and sight of birds. I recall seeing my first Rufous Whistler there years ago...

Family trio: junior, mother and father Eastern Grey Kangaroos

Moth at Traralgon South Flora & Fauna Reserve

female Eastern Grey Kangaroo at Morwell National Park, Billy's Creek track

'I can poke my tongue out at you too cheeky!'

'Nah, this grass is too yummy to worry about you..nom nom..'

happily grazing together: 3 species of Cockatoo-Galahs, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos & Little Corellas at Glengarry

The Week of Rain and Water Birds

The new camera arrived this week, and with it, so did the rain-lots of it!
Dying to test run the camera out though, we ventured out into the mud and cold at every available opportunity, and were pleasantly surprised with some unusual bird sightings.

juvenile Red-browed Finch at Wirilda, Tyers River

The most surprising species to be observed were some Hoary-headed Grebes. Having never seen this species before, I am assuming that's what they were- going on just other people's photos I sought out afterward. I wouldn't say with all certainty that they definitely were this species as I saw them from a distance, and while looking through heavy rain.

Hoary-headed Grebes on the lake at Traralgon Vineyard

The location of these Hoary-headed Grebes was another surprise in itself. Driving back towards Traralgon from Heyfield, we were almost all the way into town when I saw an old railway bridge I thought I'd like to photograph.
As such, I turned off the main highway and down a road leading to Traralgon Vineyard (according to the sign), in an effort to get closer to the old bridge. Instead of the bridge though, our attention was swiftly caught by a huge lake in front of the vineyard restaurant, which appeared to be a regularly flooded paddock. For there in front of us on this massive lake, were a huge number of water birds of various species.

Black-fronted Dotterel at Traralgon Vineyard

White-necked Heron at Wirilda Environment Centre, Tyers

Shot with the new camera, 2 male Superb Fairywrens

immature Dusky Moorhen, Traralgon Conservation Reservoir

shot with the new camera at dusk, Great White Egret on Northern Retention Pond, T.R.C.R

the same cygnets pictured in a post a few weeks ago, now much larger, but minus another cygnet of the brood, T.R.C.R

I shot what I could without getting the (old) camera too wet in the rain- hence the poor photos of the Grebes, but was happy nonetheless with having seen a species I've not observed before, especially so close to home! The very next day the new camera arrived, and I couldn't wait to go back to shoot some better shots. Disappointment set in though when once again, the rain belted down even more heavily and I only managed to shoot one shot of a Black-fronted Dotterel. I shot that from the odd angle inside the car too, as I was loathe to get the new camera rain-damaged on it's first outing. The Grebes were right out in the middle of the lake and there was no way I could approach them close enough to photograph them without getting saturated.  Maybe I will attempt it again on the weekend....

Other photos this week were shot at Tyers and Traralgon Railway Conservation Reserve (T.R.C.R) using both cameras.  Other commitments and the weather both prevented any trips further afield, so here's hoping the weekend opens up some better opportunities for birding and photography.