Leader: John Van Doorn A daunting Melbourne day with the suburbs under heavy showers and grey skies in abundance, but for those who decided to head off on another midweek birding adventure the drive toward Westernport Bay was blessed with some blue sky, and the rain began to clear.  By 10am we had a group of 11 birders and welcomed back two overseas visitors … J from Germany and B from Sri Lanka.  G from Inverloch was a new attendee for this group. We were all rugged up and ready for whatever the weather could throw at us! No rain to begin with, but a rather blustery wind that succes ..read more

23 March 2024 Leaders: Hazel and Alan Veevers Species count: 70 A large group of 43 Beginners assembled at the Southern Carpark in fine but cool weather conditions. After two months with little rain, the bush was very dry and only Crested Pigeons, Eastern Rosellas  and Noisy Miners were seen in this area. As the group set off towards the wetlands, a pair of Tawny Frogmouths were located in a tall Eucalyptus tree which was known to be a favourite day perch for them. Tawny Frogmouth. Photo by Steve HoptroffMale Darter. Photo by Eleanor DilleyAustralian Pelican. Photo by Steve HoptroffAustra ..read more

13 March 2024 Leader: Robert Grosvenor Wet mornings are always difficult decision times for birders and Wednesday the 13th was just such a morning.  The rain, although patchy, was not expected to clear until lunch time. On arriving at the rough layby that serves as a parking area here, only a few cars were lined up. Our leader Robert was here and about 4 others. Gradually the numbers improved and when we set off soon after 10am we had a group of 14 keen birders. Thankfully, the rain was barely enough to colour the surface of the grassland that was showing the cracks that appear in the dry ..read more

14 February 2024 Leader: Phillip West Our first outing for 2024 began with a somewhat cool and cloudy outlook. But compared to the hot conditions and total fire ban of the previous day this was something of a relief, and our group of 18 keen birders were in good spirits. The parking area at Pound Bend abuts a rather beautiful semi-cleared space. It suits perfectly for picnic gatherings while at the same time retaining some lovely tall eucalypts that provide an excellent playground for some of the larger bird species.   Photo of the group by Loh Kat Mun Our welcoming party was a somewhat c ..read more

27 January 2024 Leaders: Hazel and Alan Veevers Species count: 57 In mild, sunny conditions the 32 attendees began by taking a short walk near the Beach road carpark where lots of bushbirds were found. These  included Silvereyes, Red-browed Finches, both Yellow and Yellow-rumped Thornbills, Willie Wagtails and numerous Superb Fairy-wrens. A Little Wattlebird made a brief appearance, followed by several Red Wattlebirds. A raptor spotted flying rapidly overhead was, after some discussion and perusal of camera images, identified as a Peregrine Falcon. Yellow-rumped Thornbill. Photo by Roger ..read more

6 December 2023 Leader: Robert Grosvenor The last outing for the year and ideal weather…again! We have been fortunate this year to get our outings in without any serious weather disruption. Let us hope 2024 is as kind. We had twenty-five attendees who managed to navigate a late road closure and meet up in an alternate car park along with all the picnickers. This parking area sat a little bit deeper into the manicured environment and provided our initial birding habitat…plenty of large trees but open canopy and tracts of grassland and playground areas.  At the end of the day this turned ou ..read more

14 November 2023 Leader: Clancy Benson Jawbone Reserve sits neatly between housing and the sea … a beautifully preserved and wild piece of Williamstown.  Something natural and protective for the wildlife and birds that frequent our shoreline and salt tolerant flora.  The weather wasn’t particularly warm, and the sunshine was a rare visitor, but the rain stayed away and the wind, although present, was little more than a breeze and not too cold. All said, quite tolerable conditions for a morning walk and bird watching for the 14 birders in attendance. Group photo by Qifan Su Clancy has ..read more

It was quite humid when the cars started to arrive in the car park at the Education Centre. There was a forecast of rain so decisions were made about what to bring along in the way of shower protection. Birds were calling and flitting around in the upper canopies – it was a feast for the eyes and ears! Eighteen pairs of eyes were ready for the trek. There was quite a bit of water in the nearby swampy area adjacent to the Woori Yallock Creek. Frogs were calling too. Australasian Grebe was spotted close to the other side of the water’s edge. Little Pied Cormorant put in an appearance (see photo ..read more

The midweek outing in October took us on a 2-day adventure into Southwestern Victoria. With an afternoon walk on day 1 there was plenty of time to make the journey down to Colac where we met up at 3pm to explore the area around the lake. Local expert Adam Fry was our guide for the afternoon, and he was just as pleased as we were to welcome the change in the weather. The sunshine reflected off the mostly calm waters of the lake. The gathering group were presented with excellent views of Whiskered Terns swooping and skimming the surface of the water. Whiskered Tern. Photo by Steve Hoptroff After ..read more

23 September 2023 Leaders: Hazel and Alan Veevers Species count: 63 The excursion got off to a good start with fine sunny weather and a pair of Tawny Frogmouths nesting in their usual tree beside the carpark.  Tawny Frogmouth on nest. Photo by Eleanor DilleyTawny Frogmouth near nest. Photo by Steve Hoptroff There was plenty of activity at the main lake with five different parrot species, including Red-rumped Parrots, investigating hollows in the old stags in the water. Australian Reed-Warblers were very vocal as they flitted around in the reeds and a Little Pied Cormorant was perched near ..read more