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Visited: summer
Recommendation: I don't think I got the best out of this area but the possibilities of seeing wildlife are actually very good. From the coastline around Portarlington to the Point Henry outcrop and the fields and bush inbetween, there is a lot of potential here.
I ventured onto the Bellarine Peninsula, east of Geelong, to look for Black-faced Cormorant. At Point Henry, a very odd, seemingly abandoned salt plant, I found young Pacific Gull. These birds have such a huge bill, it almost looks unnatural.
The Pacific Gull's massive bill is an adaptation that serves several purposes including prying open clams, mussels, and other molluscs. Their technique also involves dropping shellfish from a height onto rocks to crack them open for easier access to the insides, which is often seen on shorelines where they are present.
Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus)
It was very quiet otherwise so I continued along the coast to Portarlington. The shorefront was very pleasant. In fact the whole area was lovely. I was surprised at how rural it was. I expected it to be very built up but the townships were small and surrounded by pastoral fields. Portarlington itself had a wide pier that led out to the sea wall which you could also walk on. There were cormorants in and around the sea wall but not the black-faced. However, as I drove down the esplanade I spotted some more and there it was. A single Black-faced Cormorant, surrounded by Pied Cormorants. Not the greatest shot but a lifer nonetheless.
Black-faced Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscescens)
This area of coastline is lovely to drive and there are all sorts of shore, water and bush birds to be found here. As well as 3 species of cormorant, 2 species of gull, there were terns, gannets and oystercatchers. Walking along the shoreline I found cockatoo, parrots and lorikeets. Fairywren, butcherbird and scrubwren flitted about the scrub and bushes.
One particular bird that is usually overlooked by birders and the public alike is the Rainbow Lorikeet. They are one of the most common birds in Australia, found in cities and rural areas alike. They are very noisy as they gather in groups, socializing noisily. But they are still amongst my favourite birds to photograph with their brilliant plumage and seeming sense of fun.
Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus)
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