Five Mile Radius!

So I too am joining the 5MR revolution. It involves birds, lists and maps - a combination I could only resist for so long. Unfortunately it doesn't involve the metric system. But that's ok, I'm just going to stick with miles. That's what all the cool birders are doing. And also, I like consistency.

Jen of I Used to Hate Birds came up with the concept, and basically, you just keep a record of all the birds you see within a five-mile radius of your home. It encourages local birding, patch birding, green birding and all things good.

When I worked out my 5MR I found I already had 84 birds on my list. I also found that the last new species added were all the way back in 2016 - eep!

the billabong at Wilson's Reserve

There are a few places that I have birded quite regularly, like Wilson Reserve, which is where I got those last new birds - a Fairy Martin and an Australasian Darter. This spot has also gifted me some nice 5MR birds including Powerful Owl, Rufous Fantail, Bassian Thrush and Sacred and Azure Kingfishers.

Another nice little go-to spot has been Glen Iris Park with its small wetlands, and adjoining Dorothy Laver Reserve. This is where I saw my lifer Nankeen Night Heron when I started birding, as well as what I am pretty sure is my lone 5MR White-necked Heron. It's not bad for small park right next to the freeway.

a more recent young Nankeen Night Heron at Glen Iris Park wetlands

I also now have new-found motivation for some overdue local exploring. Looking at my 5MR on the map there are a few places I hadn't realised were so close to home, that I hadn't thought to visit before, or just hadn't gotten round to checking out. And a few I should probably go back to more often, like Wattle Park, where last time I saw this nice kookaburra.

I'm in your 5MR, eating your skinks.

Luckily there are also some pretty active local birders within my 5MR who report interesting sightings. It was thanks to one of these birders that I saw my first new species since I officially started my list.

OMGZ Corellas

I seem to take a while to post about things so this is a bit more autumn action from back in April. That's when the exotic Plane Trees in the streets around here were offering up some very fluffy and apparently very tasty seed balls.

mmm, seed balls...

This didn't not go unnoticed by the huge flocks of Little Corellas that have been descending on Melbourne to apparently attack trees, wreak havoc and have insane corella parties.

another three of the havoc-wreakers

I crossed paths with group of the cheeky guys in a suburban street when I happened to have my camera on board. They were well into the seed balls and I also had a hard time not running over some that were drinking from a puddle in the gutter. Classy.

plenty on the footpath, heaps more in the trees

Luckily most other cars also slowed down to let them get out of the way, though the corellas did take their sweet time about it. One nice passenger even got out to usher them off the road though it seems corellas don't really understand the concept of being ushered.

Autumn Happenings

So, it's autumn!

Pretty much as soon the action on the fig tree died down, Eastern Spinebills appeared in great numbers. By 'great numbers' I mean about five, but that is great numbers for my yard.

Eastern Spinebill

I got an iPhone video out the window of them doing their best hummingbird impressions on the grevillea. (Though it lost a lot of quality in the upload - oops!)




Then, on an Easter trip to the WTP I spied a few of our little winter visitors from New Zealand in the T-Section ponds.

a phonescoped Double-banded Plover

Another sure sign things are cooling down is Swift Parrots! Who doesn't love Swift Parrots? The first report I heard of them this season was along the bike trail through Tikalara Park in Templestowe. Luckily the stars aligned for me the following day and I managed to get out there after work. I got to watch a few of the parrots feeding in the late afternoon sun and a flock of at least 25 was zooming around overhead - so cool!

hello up there!

Looking for a Long-Toed Stint

At the end of February a Long-toed Stint was spotted at Seaford Swamp by Sean Dooley and Andrew Silcocks on a Birdlife survey. I'd been hoping to see one of these little guys. I'd learnt at different wader ID things that they look like mini Sharpies - sounds cute and like a wader I could probably indentify!

That sighting was on a Wednesday, and for the rest of the week there were reports of not just one, but two LTS at the site. However reports were also that the little remaining water in the swamp was drying out quickly... eep!

Yep, pretty dry!

Luckily when I got down there the following Sunday I found that the small remnant of water was still there amongst the reeds.

a hidden oasis

Unluckily though all wading birds were all the way at the far end... 

With the binoculars the Red-kneed Dotterels were pretty obvious, and through the scope I could see quite a few Red-necked Stints. One did seem to have noticeably different plumage and when it finally ran out across the open water I could also make out the yellow legs of a Long-toed Stint - yay, lifer!

Unfortunately it was running out across the open water to go hide in the reeds on the other side with the other Stints and Dotterels.

it may or may not be in this photo

I entertained myself phonescoping Royal Spoonbills and their White Ibis friend while I waited for the waders to come out again.

Royal Spoonbill x 1

Feast of the Figs

In summer my mediocre backyard bird list gets a boost - it's fig time!

Both the Red and Little Wattlebirds that usually come for the grevillea have another food source, and are happy to add a bit (or a lot) of fruit to their diet.

an obviously red-wattled bird

But there are also some much more colourful visitors...

Hello in there!

Rainbow Lorikeets only come down into my garden when there are figs to be had even though they're always around, flying over or high up in the neighbours' trees. They can be super stealthy when they want to be creeping around after figs, but most of the time don't mind having their photo taken.

Diamond Dove!

Back in early February two Diamond Doves were spotted at a dam in the Kamarooka section of the Greater Bendigo National Park.  I've been lucky to see these lovely little doves in north-west Western Australia but they aren't so common in Victoria.

Many successful stake-outs at the dam suggested that the doves were hanging around, and up to three individuals had been seen by some birders. It seemed like a great chance to see these little guys again - and much closer to home this time. Hello, Bendigo birding trip!

Crusoe Reservoir

Actually, it wasn't just a birding trip.  I dropped a non-birder and his MTB off in Harcourt to ride the rest of the way so I couldn't head straight up to the dam in Kamarooka.  But that's ok - there's Crusoe Reservoir!

View from the start of my walk...things looking pretty dry!

I'd always found Crusoe to be very birdy, but this time it was much quieter.  Perhaps it was the forecast 34 degrees, or maybe there wasn't enough flowering to bring in the number of honeyeaters I've seen on previous visits.

Unfortunately I didn't see any of these little Yellow-footed cuties either.

Out West

Last weekend I was hoping to catch up with some Rainbow Bee-eaters in the You Yangs before they left for the season. It was pretty cool and overcast, not overly birdy, and after a while I thought I must have been too late.

Hovells Creek in the Western Plantation

Luckily, just I was walking back to the car I heard the call and briefly saw a small group of Bee-eaters flying overhead.  They were more silhouette than rainbow, but I guess that counts as successful?  And I did see a few other things too, I guess.

Next was nearby Serendip Sanctuary for lunch. With their captive birds, the resulting freeloaders, and wetlands with hides, there was some pretty reliable birdiness to be had there.

speaking of freeloaders

On the Wildlife Walk we found Australian White Ibis, Sulphur Crested Cockatoos and a Magpie Goose in the Brolga enclosure.

the Magpie Goose was in a tree

this Brolga preened and ignored

And then on to the birdhide!