Port Macdonnell, French Point, Stony Point, Port Mac, French Point, Piccaninnie Ponds CP, Glenelg River at Donovans, Snow Gum Native Forest Reserve and near Port Mac, South Australia*.

Back out East along the Coast.

Australia, Day Sixty Eight.

Ebird List for Stony Point.

Ebird List For Piccaninnie Ponds.

Ebird List for Donovans.

Ebird List for Snow Gum Block walk.

French Point near Port MacDonnell.

We were up and out early again, around the accommodation we started the day with Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula), House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) and Eurasian Skylark (Alauda arvensis) which made me feel like I was back in Spain but then I added Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla), Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus), Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) and Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles) to the list just to remind me where I really was.

Curlew Sandpipers (Calidris ferruginea).

Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea).

Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) with flag DTZ.

Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis) with two flags and a standard ring.

Our first stop of the day was at French Point where it was again quiet, we did at least manage to find a few waders including Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis) one of which was carrying a couple of flags, 3x Curlew Sandpipers (Calidris ferruginea) again one of these birds had a leg flag, Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus), Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus), White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae), Australian Ibis (Threskiornis molucca), Little Pied (Microcarbo melanoleucos), Little Black (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) and Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), Caspian (Hydroprogne caspia) and Great Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii), Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus), Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea), Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae), Eurasian Skylark and Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens).

Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) 1st winter.

Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) 1st winter.

Australian Ibis (Threskiornis molucca).

Just a little way along the coast we saw a track which appeared to lead to the beach again so we had a look, this turned out to be a very good idea as we had a brilliant time here and picked up some great species including at least 59 Pacific Golden Plovers (Pluvialis fulva), Red-necked Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Red-capped Plover, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata), Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres), Masked Lapwing, Whiskered (Chlidonias hybrida), Caspian and Great Crested Tern, Silver and Kelp Gull, Chestnut Teal, Pacific Black (Anas superciliosa) and Musk Duck (Biziura lobata), Little Pied, Little Black and Great Cormorant, Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), Great White (Ardea alba) and Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), White-faced Heron and Australian Ibis, Superb Fairywren, Australasian Pipit, Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa), Grey Shrikethrush (Colluricincla harmonica), Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata), Singing Honeyeater, White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis) and a Striated Fieldwren (Calamanthus fuliginosus) which just sat up on the top of a shrub and showed brilliantly.

White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae), Great White (Ardea alba) and Little Egret (Egretta garzetta).

Pacific Golden Plovers (Pluvialis fulva).

Pacific Golden Plovers (Pluvialis fulva).

Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva).

Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis).

We returned to the car and then returned to Port Mac where we went into Perriwinkles Café for coffee and some breakfast before heading back out to Piccaninnie Ponds CP again, at the pools by the first car park we saw Whiskered Tern, Little Pied and Little Black Cormorants, Australian Pelican, White-necked Heron (Ardea pacifica), Great White Egret, Swamp Harrier (Circus approximans), Galah, Superb Fairywren, Little Grassbird (Poodytes gramineus), White-fronted Chat (Epthianura albifrons), White-browed Scrubwren and further down towards the coast we heard a single Olive Whistler (Pachycephala olivacea) and saw Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla), Grey Shrikethrush (Colluricincla harmonica), Grey Fantail, Eurasian Skylark, Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis) and on the way out by a small dam in a large we found Masked Lapwing and a pair of Brolga's (Antigone rubicunda) with a youngster.

Stony Point.

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata).

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata).

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata).

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata).

Our next stop was at the Boat Ramps below Donavon's on the Glenelg River where we had stopped several times before hoping for the uncommon in SA Azure Kingfisher (Ceyx azureus), today our persistence paid off when Deb picked the bird up in flight and I got on to it before it disappeared in amongst the riverside shacks, SA Lifer.

Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus)????????

Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus).

Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus) adult.

Red-necked Stints (Calidris ruficollis).

Whilst there we also saw Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata), Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa), Chestnut Teal, Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx lucidus), Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa), Collared Sparrowhawk (Accipiter cirrocephalus), Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus), Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus), Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae) and European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis).

Striated Fieldwren (Calamanthus fuliginosus).

Striated Fieldwren (Calamanthus fuliginosus).

Striated Fieldwren (Calamanthus fuliginosus).

We continued on to Deep Creek where we checked out a couple of tracks in the Snow Gum Block and drove all the way around the outer track, on the way we had Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax), White-throated Treecreeper (Cormobates leucophaea), Common Bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera), Fan-tailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis), Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae), Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris), Blue-winged Parrot (Neophema chrysostoma), Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans), Yellow-faced Honeyeater (Caligavis chrysops), White-eared (Nesoptilotis leucotis) and White-naped Honeyeater (Melithreptus lunatus), Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus), Striated Thornbill (Acanthiza lineata), Golden (Pachycephala pectoralis) and Western Whistler (Pachycephala fuliginosa), Pied (Strepera graculina) and Grey Currawong (Strepera versicolor), Eastern Yellow Robin (Eopsaltria australis) as well as Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus) and Swamp Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor).

Brolga's (Antigone rubicunda).

Brolga's (Antigone rubicunda).

Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles).

We headed back to Port Mac where we checked the beaches for Waders but drew a blank, we did find a small channel along between a garden and a park where we had 2 Buff-banded Rails (Gallirallus philippensis) before we returned to the house and then went out for food later.

Inside the Snow Gum Block.

The Southern edge of the Snow Gum Block.

Fan-tailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis).

Fan-tailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis).

The Penguins just to the east of Port Mac.

Another piece of Art work next to the Penguins just to the east of Port Mac.

Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis).

 

Port Macdonnell, French Point, Piccaninnie Swamp CP, Piccaninnie Ponds CP, Nelson in Victoria, Lower Glenelg River CP, Piccaninnie Ponds CP, Donavon's and Dry Creeek, South Australia*.

A day along the coast down in the South East.

Australia, Day Sixty Seven.

Ebird List for Pic Swamp.

Ebird List for Piccaninnie Ponds / West end.

Swamp Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor).

Deb and I were up and out early as we wanted to get to a few good sights today, around Port Mac we started things with Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula), Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), Forest Raven (Corvus tasmanicus), Swamp Harrier (Circus approximans), Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles), Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), European Greenfinch (Chloris chloris), Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena) and Eurasian Skylark (Alauda arvensis).

The Western end of this brilliant Park.

Down at French Point we parked and checked the rocky reef like area, it was amazingly quiet so we only found Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens), Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus), Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae), White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae), Australian Ibis (Threskiornis molucca) and Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea).

90 odd Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus) at a Roo-in.

Southern Emuwren (Stipiturus malachurus) ♀.

Southern Emuwren (Stipiturus malachurus) ♂.

We carried on along the coast to Pic Swamp (Western end of Piccaninnie Ponds CP), on the way we saw Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus), Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa), Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla), White-necked Heron (Ardea pacifica), Great White Egret (Ardea alba), Grey Teal (Anas gracilis), Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos), Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata) and Swamp Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor).

White-necked Heron (Ardea pacifica).

White-necked Heron (Ardea pacifica).

 

We parked and walked out to the Eastern side of the reed beds, on the way we saw Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus), Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis), Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae), European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis), Black Swan (Cygnus atratus), Musk Duck (Biziura lobata), Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa), Magpie Geese (Anseranas semipalmata), Great White Egret, White-necked Heron, New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae), Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida), a flying Australasian Bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus) which dropped into the reeds all too quickly, Striated Fieldwren (Calamanthus fuliginosus), Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), Forest Raven (Corvus tasmanicus), Australasian Swamphen, Welcome Swallow, Grey Shrikethrush (Colluricincla harmonica), Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus), Australian Shelduck (Tadorna tadornoides) and around a 100 or so Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus).

Olive Whistler (Pachycephala olivacea).

White-fronted Chat (Epthianura albifrons).

We reached a spot where the path narrowed as it went in between some scrub on the left and reeds on the right, here we picked up Blue-winged Parrot (Neophema chrysostoma), Southern Emuwren (Stipiturus malachurus), Brown (Acanthiza pusilla) and Yellow-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza chrysorrhoa), White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis), Australian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus australis), Golden-headed Cisticola (Cisticola exilis), Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis), Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa), Common Starling, White-fronted Chat (Epthianura albifrons) and a more showy than usual Olive Whistler (Pachycephala olivacea) which was a lifer for me.

Great White Egret (Ardea alba).

Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida).

We turned around and walked back towards the car, on the way we saw Little Wattlebird (Anthochaera chrysoptera), Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus), Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis), Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax), Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), Small White (Pieris rapae) and Australian Emperor (Anax papuensis).

Shingleback Lizard (Tiliqua rugosa).

Shingleback Lizard (Tiliqua rugosa).

We reached the car and then headed for Piccaninnie Ponds CP, on the way we saw Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae) and at the ponds we picked up many of the species seen at Pic Swamp but added Australian Crake (Porzana fluminea), Little Grassbird (Poodytes gramineus), Brown Songlark (Cincloramphus cruralis), Brown Falcon (Falco berigora), Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia), Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) and a Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) which was off into cover before I got the camera on it.

The start of the track.

The habitat above the river.

We drove down to the beach nearby but as we passed through some scrub on the way we heard more Olive Whistlers calling so we walked back from the parking spot to check them out and had 4 birds fly from one side of the road to the other, they were all calling noisily and chasing each other during what we assume was a bit of a territorial dispute.

Common Brown (Heteronympha merope).

Red-bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus).

Red-bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus).

We returned to the car park and then walked up onto the beach where we saw Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris), Silver and Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) and along the coastal path a couple of Shingleback Lizards (Tiliqua rugosa).

Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus).

Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus).

We headed over the border to Nelson in Victoria where we refuelled and got a late breakfast at a nice café down by the river mouth, we decided to take the coffee and finish it sat on a bench overlooking the river where new species for the day list were Nankeen Night-Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus), Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia), Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus) and Caper White (Belenois aurota).

Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx lucidus).

The spot was a woodland side in the Lower Glenelg River CP where we walked a trail down to the Glenelg River, during the walk new species included Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans), Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus), Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx lucidus), White-throated Treecreeper (Cormobates leucophaea), Yellow-faced Honeyeater (Caligavis chrysops), Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis), Eastern Yellow Robin (Eopsaltria australis), Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae), Rufous Bristlebird (Dasyornis broadbenti), Red-bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus), a second Short-beaked Echidna, Common Brown (Heteronympha merope) and several Blue-spotted Hawkers (Adversaeschna brevistyla).

Lower Glenelg River near Donavon's

Blue-spotted Hawker (Adversaeschna brevistyla).

Blue-spotted Hawker (Adversaeschna brevistyla).

We returned to Nelson for a late lunch, the café by the river was closed so we went elsewhere, BIG MISTAKE as the steak sandwich from the café at the Mobile service station on the main road was by far the worst food I have ever had in Australia, absolutely disgusting.

Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis) ♂.

Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis) ♂.

Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis) ♀.

Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis) ♀.

On our way to what was going to be our final stop of the day at the Snow Gum Block in Dry Creek we popped in at Piccaninnie Ponds and Donavon's Landing but added nothing new at either so we carried on into the forests. 

Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus).

Rufous Bristlebird (Dasyornis broadbenti).

Rufous Bristlebird (Dasyornis broadbenti).

Rufous Bristlebird (Dasyornis broadbenti).

On the edges of the Pines we saw Red-necked Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus) and around the Snow Gum Block more Swamp Wallaby's and Western Grey Kangaroo's, we only added Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina) to the bird list before the weather put pay to any more birding.

Red-necked Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus).

Swamp Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor).