The Spring Camp for BirdLife East was organised by Heather Alexander and Jack Winterbottom and based at the Toora Tourist Park. At least half of the 22 participants arrived the day before and were well settled in by lunchtime on Monday, the “official” start time.

Day 01 – Monday It was a beautiful day for spending time birding very locally at Agnes Falls and then the Toora Bird Hide on the shore of Corner Inlet. Agnes Falls, an impressive tourist destination in its own right, had river, falls and big trees. Almost miraculously Heather Alexander spotted a Bassian Thrush halfway up a tree apparently resting in a fork. Morecambe and Stewart later informed us this was a favourite nesting spot and, sure enough, photos and observation by early-rising BLEGgers over the next few days showed this to be the case. An easier observation was a Grey Shrike-thrush feeding young in the toilet block. Early arrivals had informed us on Sunday evening that the hide was fantastic with more waders than ever seen by mankind. A slight exaggeration but there were plenty of seven species of waders including 120 Eastern Curlew, a significant proportion of the entire world population. Red-necked Stints, Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Curlew Sandpipers, Red Knots, Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwits. Fairy and Little Terns too plus a small variety of bush birds in the scant vegetation around the hide and mangroves. Earlier in the day, Ian and Merryl Wright had spotted an intriguing looking bird at Port Franklin Beach. That evening the Wright Mystery Bird had its images lightened in Photoshop and placed onto the Australian Bird Identification Facebook page. The alternatives were White-gaped Honeyeater, Brown-headed Honeyeater or Strong-billed Honeyeater which would have been a mega for being a Tasmanian endemic bird. As common things occur commonly, it was identified as a White-gaped Honeyeater. • Site 01: Agnes Falls: 31 species. • Site 02: Toora Bird Hide: 39 species. • Park Birds: 22 species. • Running Total: 76 species. • Bird of the Day: Bassian Thrush. Day 02 – Tuesday Tuesday incorporated a circular drive from Toora to Screw Creek at Inverloch then to Bald Hills Creek Wildlife Reserve near Tarwin Lower then to Walkerville South and finally Cape Liptrap Lighthouse before returning to Toora through Fish Creek. At Screw Creek audible Beautiful Firetails created a stir but remained unseen (as at other sites over the week) and an Olive Whistler also created a stir and was eventually seen. Raptors included a Brown Goshawk "thermaling" upwards out of sight and a passing Collared Sparrowhawk with prey in talons. Bald Hills Creek WR was just excellent with a delightful environmental mix of woodland and water. Julie Clark, Ken Russell, Derek Russell and Jack Winterbottom took hours to hunt down a vocal Olive Whistler giving plenty of clues as to its location which delayed them from getting to the water where a heap of duck species was seen. Chestnut and Grey Teal, Australian Wood Duck, Freckled Duck, Pink-eared Duck and Blue-billed Duck. Australasian and Hoary-headed Grebes plus ibis and swans with young were also noted. Varied Sitella, Sacred Kingfisher plus many Yellow-faced and White-eared Honeyeaters were and heard through the reserve. A White-necked Heron too. Walkerville South had only 23 species before the highlight of the day/night ... Cape Liptrap was the venue for tea for 5 individuals (Rob, Bev, Julie, Heather and Jack) who stayed behind for sunset and birds of the night. While waiting, we observed shearwaters and gannets flying past both ways, Shy Albatross both flying and resting, White-bellied and Wedge- tailed Eagles and a flock of Australian Shelduck heading to Tassie. Finally, at about 8.15pm, a Tasmanian Boobook flew in. It saw us by the Lighthouse picnic tables and did a U-turn. A walk to the carpark found it sitting on a car park fence post but it took off almost immediately but was seen several times over the next hour before we headed back to Toora. No image was able to be taken. About 9.15 we called it quits and were back at camp by 10.30, well satisfied with our efforts. Some were unable to get to sleep. Not the Tasmanian Boobook but two local Southern Boobooks serenading each other in the park! There was another Mystery Bird (a duck at Bald Hills Creek) had its image darkened in Photoshop and placed onto the Australian Bird Identification Facebook page. The alternatives were Grey Teal, Spotted Whistling-duck or a cross thereof. The answer was ….. Grey Teal. • Site 03: Screw Creek: 48 species. • Site 04: Bald Hills Creek Wildlife Reserve: 55 species. • Site 05: Walkerville South: 15 species • Site 06: Cape Liptrap Lighthouse: 32 species. • Park Birds: 22 species. • Running Total: 107 species. • Bird of the Day: Shy Albatross. Day 03 – Wednesday Wednesday saw us heading to Wilson’s Promontory. First stop was Duck Point where we had an hour to walk the bush track to the point and return via the beach. Lots of great birds including Crescent Honeyeaters, Horsfield’s and Shining Bronze-cuckoos, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Red-capped Plovers and Red-necked Stints, 40 Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoos and 1 flagged Sooty Oystercatcher captured by Lisa Singer. As we were departing 2 Sooty Oycs did a formation flypast for us. Morning tea was at Darby River after which we walked to the surf beach. On the way there, a nice piece of turf on the river edge was devoid of any life but on the return, it yielded a pair of Latham's Snipe, Pacific Black Duck, Chestnut Teal, Grey Teal, Little Pied Cormorant and Little Black Cormorant. John Hutchison was able to photograph another flagged Sooty Oyc on the beach but no Hoodies. Lunch was at where Ron Mackenzie pretended to feed the Silver Gulls which initiated an incoming snowstorm of that species which irritated both us and the resident Pacific Gull which was continually being closely followed by a gaggle of gulls which he would rush at, they would retreat several nanometres and then, when he went on his way, would shadow him. Again. After lunch we walked the track to Lilly Pilly Gully. Many Crescent Honeyeaters gave us ample opportunity for observation and imaging, Brown Gerygone were seen and heard, a juvenile Rose Robin was seen and parents heard and plenty of other birds were very accommodating including the ubiquitous and totally photogenic Eastern Yellow Robins. Scarlet Honeyeaters were also heard. The ears of Pam and Merryl are amazing. Dinner was at the Royal Standard Hotel in downtown Toora. They provided very nice meals for us and almost everyone received the meal they had ordered. We were partitioned off in The Atrium. Whether that was to protect us from the staff dressed as Halloween personalities or them from us remains unresolved. • Site 07: Duck Point: 43 species. • Site 08: Darby River: 32 species. • Site 09: Tidal River: 7 species. • Site 10: Lilly Pilly Gully: 34 species. • Park Birds: 22 species. • Running Total: 119 species. • Bird of the Day: Scarlet Honeyeater Day 04 – Thursday For our last full day we were joined by Rohan Bugg, a Toora local and birding enthusiast (’s answer to Rob Wright) and left slightly earlier (8.30), went through the roadworks yet again and drove to Wonthaggi with a slight deviation into Inverloch. First stop was the Wonthaggi Bushland Reserve (although many people claimed it was actually the Wonthaggi Wetlands; just as the sign said; but not according to GoogleMaps). An hour spent there gave us lots of species including a Peregrine Falcon and really cute baby Dusky Moorhens. Next was the Wonthaggi Desalination Plant where we had morning tea first then most of us set off to the bird hide with some deciding to walk some of the other trails on offer. The place has been the beneficiary of millions of dollars spent on landscaping and revegetation and it is looking pretty good and will be quite fantastic in another decade. After being greeted by a single emu on the way in, we also saw Black- shouldered Kites, Nankeen Kestrels, Brown Falcons, Brown Goshawks, Swamp Harriers, Wedge- tailed Eagles, Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoos, White-browed Woodswallows and Spotless Crake, Latham's Snipe and Buff-banded Rail in the small lakes. After lunch and a protracted bird call, we adjourned to the Wonthaggi Heathlands where Striated Field-wren and Southern Emu-wren were the target birds. Rob Wright was the only one to see SEW (18 of them actually and a good image) and Jack Winterbottom was able to equal Rob with images of two SFWs on dead bushes on the heathland itself. Pam Hutchison and Jack also were able to identify a Rufous Fantail – a bit of an unexpected bird considering the southern-ness of South Gippsland. Despite a long day, Robert and Rohan both had a look at Baxter Wetland, a sewage facility and a recce of New Zealand Hill Reserve at Foster on the way back to Toora coming in way behind the others. At Happy Hour Immediate-Past-Past-President announced Thursday’s BotD and overall Bird of the Camp. This was a brave move as we still had half a day of birding in the morrow. • Site 11: Wonthaggi G238 Bushland Reserve (aka Wonthaggi Wetlands): 49 species. • Site 12: Wonthaggi Desalination Plant: 53 species. • Site 13: Wonthaggi Heathlands: 32 species. • Park Birds: 24 species. • Running Total: 137 + 2 park birds + 2 travellers (birds not seen at birding sites) = 141. • Bird of the Day: Rufous Fantail. Day 05 – Friday The weather report did not augur well for taking cars down a farm track in the wet. A look at the rain radar showed lots of yellow and red pixels acoming so Heather and Jack decided to abandon Plan A and activate Plan B which was to go to Alberton Cemetery allowing an easy run for home if necessary. Some elected to go straight home while the remnant soldiered on. And what a serendipitous change of plan it turned out to be. On arrival the wind of the storm front was well and truly there. This did not deter a female White-headed Pigeon (a what?? where??) from alighting on a power wire then coming right to us settling above John and Pam’s van. Great photos taken. In the cemetery, which runs down to the , there were plenty of other birds including a big flock of, say, 250 White-browed Woodswallows and a few Masked Woodswallows either soaring in the very strong wind or hunkering down on the fence wires. We looked carefully skywards for Needletails and Swifts but no such luck. On Friday, Woodswallows were reported all over southern Victoria, even large flocks in suburban Melbourne. If you weren’t outside, you didn’t see them. Most of the remnant then went home but 4 of us went to Robertson’s Beach (cuppa) and then Mann’s Beach. Just a few good birds including Australian Gull-billed Tern, Crested Tern, Caspian Tern (one flagged), Whiskered Tern, Little Tern and Common Tern, Australian Pied Oystercatcher (one flagged), 27 Royal Spoonbills and a dozen Common Greenshank. • Site 14: Alberton Cemetery: 39 species. • Site 15: Robertson’s Beach: 28 species. • Site 16: Mann’s Beach: 26 species. • Park Birds: 24 species. • Running Total: 146 + 1 park bird (Southern Boobook) + 6 travellers (Satin Flycatcher, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Fairy Martin, Musk Duck, Australian Hobby and Barn Owl) = 153. • Bird of the Day: White-headed Pigeon. • Bird of the Camp: IPPP Healey pronounced Bird of the Camp ….

the Southern Emu-wren. Images by John Hutchison, Ken Russell, Jack Winterbottom, Gary Cousens, Robert Wright

White-plumed Honeyeater

White-headed Pigeon

White-fronted Chat

White-eared Honeyeater

White-browed Woodswallow

Masked Woodswallow

White-browed Scrubwren

White-browed Scrubwren

White-bellied Sea-eagle

Striated Fieldwren

Sooty Oystercatcher

Australian Pied Oystercatcher

Southern Emu-wren

Royal Spoonbill

Shining Bronze-cuckoo

Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoo

Eurasian Skylark

Above: Bar-tailed Godwit following Eastern Curlew

Above: Dusky Moorhen Below: Common Greenshank

Common Blackbird

Caspian Tern (back) and Common Tern (front)