Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: Marysville, Acheron Way, Rainforest Gallery, O'Shannassy Aqueduct Trail, Warburton, Emerald Lake Park and South to Pakenham, Victoria.

Friday 29 July 2022

Marysville, Acheron Way, Rainforest Gallery, O'Shannassy Aqueduct Trail, Warburton, Emerald Lake Park and South to Pakenham, Victoria.

In search of Lyre's.

Australia, Day Fourty Four.

Australian King-Parrots (Alisterus scapularis).

We were up early to a damp and grey sky but before we had even left the accommodation good birds were s seen from the window as we had breakfast, first came several Australian King-Parrot (Alisterus scapularis) then Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca), Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina), Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans), Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae), White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis) and Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla).

Just a small bit of the stunning woodland along the Acheron Way Road.

We left Marysville and were soon on the Acheron Way road where we had been told we stood a good chance of catching up with the elusive Superb Lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae), as we started the rain eased off so we made a couple of stops adding Eastern Whipbird (Psophodes olivaceus), Eastern Yellow Robin (Eopsaltria australis), Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus), the first of at least 4 Bassian Thrushes (Zoothera lunulata) and then Deb had our first Lyrebird which jumped up off the roadside into the scrub too fast for me to see it.

Bassian Thrush (Zoothera lunulata).

Superb Lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) honest it is.

We continued on and after a short way I saw my first Lyrebird and by the time we reach the end of the drive we had seen 8 in total as well as a female Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis).

Tree Ferns along the Rainforest walk.

We made a stop at the Rainforest Gallery walk where we went out onto the Gallery and then did the loop walk, it was very nice but we did not add any species of bird.

More Tree Ferns.

We continued on towards Warburton but we made a stop on the way at the O'Shannassy Aqueduct Trail where we followed the water channel, we had good views of a Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus) and heard a Bell Miner (Manorina melanophrys) in the canopy up on the ridge but we did not see it, this species was to remain a heard only bird.

Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans).

We again returned to the car and then dropped down to Warburton for some lunch at the bakery, whilst we had a pie and cake whe had more Australian King-Parrot (Alisterus scapularis) fly over, several nicely coloured Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans) and down by the Yarra River behind the Bakery I had a small flock of Pacific Black Ducks (Anas superciliosa).

Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa).

Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae).

Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris).

Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos).

We dropped down towards Pakenham via Emerald where we visited Emerald Lake Park, during the walk around the woods and lakes we picked up Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae), Little Pied (Microcarbo melanoleucos) and Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris), Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae), Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra), Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa), Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus), my one and only convincing looking Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) of the trip, Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula), Common Bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera), Grey Butcherbird (Cracticus torquatus) as well as more Crimson Rosella's, Superb Fairywrens and Laughing Kookaburra.

Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans).

Grey Butcherbird (Cracticus torquatus).

We returned to the car and headed for the hotel in Pakenham, as we approached there were good numbers of Long-billed Corella's (Cacatua tenuirostris) so once we had checked in I went for a walk back to the area but they had moved on, however I did see Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala), Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis) and Rainbow Lorikeets (Trichoglossus moluccanus).