Aussie Finch Forum

Yeah mate, it's only a very short contract which goes up until Feb 12th.
So I'm right to come up to The Alice from March 8th - 12th and to head up to Chiltern and hopefully catch up with E. Orix the fortnight before.

Has anyone seen the 'Big Year" movie yet?? Very well done with 2 exceptions (every fincher will pick one up). You can't fail with Owen Wilson/Jack Black/Steve Martin combination although its not actually a comedy.

There's a movie???
THATs on my birthday list!!!

So I finally made some time to update for Australia Day (January 26th)
I have long wanted to add any of the crake species to my life list, but so far they have all eluded me. After doing a bit of reseach, I discovered that one of the best places to see them in the greater Melbourne area is the Mill Park Lakes (a man-made wetland in the northern suburbs) So I set out in the morning with the aim of seeing at least one species of crake (we get 3 species in Victoria; Baillon's, Australian Spotted and Spotless. All of which have been seen at this site, some more commonly than others) and of getting my list over 100 species before the end of the month. I am pleased to say I succeeded on both counts, adding Australian Spotted Crake and Latham's Snipe to my life list and adding a good number of extra species to my Big Year list including Black-tailed Native-hen, Blue-billed Duck and Australasian Shoveler. Sadly, the photo's I got of the Australian Spotted Crake did not turn out too good, though they are better than the Beautiful Firetail I got on the 1st. Will post it if you really want to see it.
Not a great many decent photo's to show for my efforts, but here's the best of them:
Black Swan:

Blue-billed Ducks courting :

Australasian Grebe with chick:


Species count to date: 102.

Going well Madhatter. Some good pics along the way too.

Looking good mad hatter!!!

Show us the crake! Show us the crake!!

Alright, just for you Jay:

Beauty ten times better than any shot I would've gotten. Well done!!

Great shots. Must be a satisfying feeling knowing your are on your way with your Life List.

Just got home from my first overnight birding trip around the Chiltern area, including a visit to E.Orix. Added approximately 20 species to the year list, though sadly no Regent Honeyeaters, so I'll have to go back again later in the year. Perhaps around October when the Ironbark is in flower.
As you can probably imagine, I'm pretty bushed and still have alot to do to prepare for the working week. So I'm afraid you'll have to wait until later in the week for the full trip and aviary visit reports.