Gippsland Trip 2017 - Part IV: South Gippsland

For the final five days of our Gippsland trip we made our way back west towards Melbourne, camped a few nights at the Prom and got in a couple of bonus birds on the final drive home. Because who says no to bonus birds?

From Mallacoota, our first stop for birds was at Metung, which had been a busy little spot in November '17. Generous amounts Topknot Pigeons were regularly being seen in a large fig tree in a residential street. I believe one day someone even had the amazing combo of Topknots, Pacific Koels and a Brown Cuckoo-dove all in the tree at the same time.

the famous fig tree

When we arrived the tree seemed deserted, but thanks to tips from other birders we were able to find some of the Topknot pigeons roosting in gum trees in a vacant lot nearby. We did eventually see some flying in and out of the fig tree but didn't quite get the amazing views some other birders had been lucky to. Still, a vast improvement on my only previous sighting of this species - their grey tummies way up high in the rainforest canopy in Queensland. State bird for me, lifer for Karen!

That night we camped at Holey Plains State Park which is conveniently not too far off the highway between Sale and Rosedale. We didn't really do much birding here but overnight heard a Southern Boobook - trip bird!

Holey Plains was also conveniently placed to set us up nicely for a pretty early start in the wet forest of Tarra Bulga National Park the next morning. Our main target here was those stealthy little Pilotbirds.

the suspension bridge at Tarra Bulga

We were one of the first to arrive in the carpark and were were quickly surrounded by Crimson Rosellas hoping for a handout (they were disappointed) then only a few steps into our walk had a close encounter with two Superb Lyrebirds. Walking the trails from the carpark we saw Gang Gangs, a Large-billed Scrubwren, low-down Crescent Honeyeaters and we were also able to watch some Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos feeding in a wattle tree. We also found a nice male Flame Robin when we returned to the carpark. I think I've seen one of these guys in the carpark almost every time I've been here.

one of the hopeful rosellas

As for Pilotbirds, we had only seen one very briefly when I nearly ran it over on the road coming into the park where there was nowhere to stop. Luckily, when we'd finally given up hope of seeing another one, a toilet stop just before we were about to leave lead us to a Pilotbird out in the open on the asphalt path outside the toilet block - yay! And as we were watching the Pilotbird, I heard some wings fluttering just to my right. I turned and saw two Olive Whistlers had appeared just next to us. Double lifer moment for Karen and a major birding win!

Gippsland Trip 2017 - Part III: Mallacoota

Ok so, we made it to Mallacoota!

Mallacoota is a well-known and popular destination for birding, especially amongst Victorian birders. That's because Mallacoota is at the far eastern tip of the state and so gets some of the real east east coast species that don't venture too much further into Victoria - hello, state listers! And visiting during November meant Mallacoota had even more birdy-potential with migrants having made their way down for the summer.

Our most hoped-for birds here were Glossy Black-Cockatoos, White-headed Pigeons, Australasian Figbirds, Azure Kingfishers and of course our arch nemesis: Ground Parrots.

Mallacoota aerodrome

Our first stop for the Ground Parrots was the aerodrome on the first evening. No Ground Parrots... but a White-throated Needletail flying low of the heath, which was full of pretty wildflowers, and some new mammals for the Perthling with our first Common Wombat and Eastern Grey Kangaroos for the trip. Yay mammal lifers! I'm not quite sure how we'd avoided kangaroos up til then but somehow we had.

Also minor birding fail here when I realised too late that the dark shapes making strange noises disappearing out the back of some dense casurina trees must have been Glossy Black-Cockatoos - oops!

heathland near Shipwreck Creek: much more scenic Ground Parrot habitat

Our quest for Ground Parrot glory continued at Shipwreck Creek in Croajingolong National Park. We visited early the next morning and again in the evening the same day. Ground Parrots remained the hide and seek carry-over champions. And at that point we decided that that was ok - it was just getting too frustrating and we did not want to start having angry feels towards these beautiful birds and their lovely heathland habitat.

And that heathland habitat was pretty good to us. On the morning walk we were able to watch a small party of gorgeous little Southern Emu-wrens going about their business - so adorable! And in the evening we had a White-bellied Sea-Eagle soaring overhead, two Tawny-crowned Honeyeaters and more Emu-wrens.

me vs. Ground Parrots, at dusk

Shipwreck Creek was also where we finally connected with some Scarlet Honeyeaters. Scarlet Honeyeaters are one of the birds usually associated with far-east Gippsland and are often a target bird for many Victorian birders from further west when they head out this way. But considering our trip coincided with the tail end of a major influx of Scarlet Honeyeaters into Victoria during spring 2017 (or The Myzomelypse, if you prefer) it was kinda weird that we hadn't come across any until we were actually all the way out at Mallacoota.