Anglesea

Visited: spring

Recommendation: The area around Anglesea is wonderful for wildlife watching but there are some very special spots that you wouldn't expect and probably wouldn't know about. Local knowledge and resources like eBird are key.

I first visited this area in 2019 and I was fortunate to meet the incredible artist and ornithologist Richard Weatherly He gave me some great advice on where to go birding in South Victoria. One spot was near the seaside town of Anglesea, along Coalmine Road. He gave me precise directions down to the correct lamppost. I was dubious but ventured forth and was amazed that the spot was indeed bursting with birds. It was a small patch of bush next to an unsealed road. I loved it there. I watched a Fan-tailed Cuckoo preening first.

I have been interested in cuckoos for a long time and the Fan-tailed being my most commonly seen in Australia. It has a slate-grey head, back, and wings, contrasting with a rufous underside. It has a black and white barred tail, giving it its name. The yellow eye ring helps distinguish it from similar species, like the Brush Cuckoo.

The Fan-tailed Cuckoo is a notorious brood parasite and it lays a single egg in the nests of smaller birds like fairywrens and thornbills. The cuckoo's egg closely resembles the host's eggs and once hatched the chick often pushes the host's eggs out of the nest. They are remarkable animals by anyone's standards.

Fan-tailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis)

Next were a couple of Gang-gang Cockatoo. Rare and very unusual, this is one of few times I have ever seen them. They are confined to the south-eastern corner of Australia. Relatively small for a cockatoo, they are typically around 33-36 cm long. They are mostly a slate-grey color but the males have a striking bright red head and a wispy red crest, often described as looking like a feather duster. Females have a dark grey head and crest, with a barred appearance on the breast and belly due to yellow and orange edging on the feathers.

Gang-gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum)

Only by being stationary and very quiet whilst watching the cuckoo did I spot a Blue-winged Parrot grazing on the ground. These shy birds are about the same size a Rainbow Lorikeet, making them one of the smallest in Australia. They are very shy and fairly difficult to find.

Blue-winged Parrot - Neophema chrysostoma

The White-naped Honeyeater is in a group of black-headed honeyeaters with a white band across the neck (you can just see a bit of it here). In Western Australia, there is the Gilbert's Honeyeater which has a white eyebrow compared to the red of the White-naped. The Black-chinned Honeyeater has the same combination but with a blue eyebrow. They are all attractive birds, as long as you can see their eyebrows!

White-naped Honeyeater - Melithreptus lunatus

Often seen in small groups busily foraging in vegetation, the Striated Thornbill is difficult to find and photograph. At Coogoorah, I listened for the generic high pitched squeaking that indicates thornbill are around and hopefully I can get a good enough look in order to identify them. The Striated Thornbill is a small, active bird that can be easily overlooked. They are small, measuring around 9-10 centimeters long. The upperparts are dull olive-green, with a russet or orange-brown crown with prominent white streaks. The underparts are cream-colored with heavy black streaking.

Striated Thornbill - Acanthiza lineata