[COVER] Property of the Estate of A. Graham Brown. [IIlustration of a British Bullfinch] [caption] J. Gould & H.C. Richter, del et lith. Prints by courtesy of London Library BRITISH BULLFINCH — Pyrrhula p. nesa. Few birds can compare with the cock bullfinch for beauty of colouring, but hi is more frequently heard than seen. His presence is made known by his clear, plaintive "peep,' and is not always welcome because of his habit of feeding on fruit buds, and systematically damaging any crops in which he makes his home. He makes slight amends by eating the seeds of troublesome weeds. Bullfinches are uniquely devoted, and throughout the year may be seen in each other's company. [/caption] [BLANK PAGE] 1 [page number] 27.11.51 (60) Gr. (530) D. (84) T Tuesday We set off from the Bellfield at 9.30, collected our lunch and went up the Mt Victory Rd as far as a turn off to the left with the sign post "Moora Moora Reservoir." We took this which turned out to be a very steep and narrow road leading down below Mt Victory into the Victorian Valley. On the way down we saw a SPOTTED PARDALOTE and PIED CURRAWONG. We crossed a ford over a small creek and stopped for a look round, mainly at the plants but we saw a BLACK-FACED CUCKOO-SHRIKE, After we had descended the road was flat in the valley for many whie miles and we cruised slowly along. We put up many COMMON BRONZEWINGS and to my utter surprise a PHEASANT crossed, the road. It was not the English pheasant but with upper parts black and white. We got only a brief glimpse of it. There were many red-gum 2 [page number] [27.11.51] swamps and | poked round a few to see WOOD DUCK and BLACK DUCK. There were many mobs of kangaroos, but we were disappointed to see no Emus which are said to be common and for which the forest, broken by heathland and with very little undergrowth, was ideal. We came to where the road crossed a canal which we followed up stream for half-a-mile in a patch of burnt scrub with bracken till we came to the reservoir. This still had many trees sti! growing in it with the margins covered with Leptospermum. The only new bird on it was the MUSK DUCK and in the stringy-barks along its margins were STRIATED THORNBILLS. We went on a little way to where we had lunch. The forest was here more open in character, bordering large areas of Leptospermum on our right along the banks of the Glenelg (which we never actually saw). The 3 [page number] [27.11.51] open forest produced birds typical of it — WHITE-BROWED BABBLER, [BROWN TREE-CREEPER] with nest. COLLARED SPARROWHWAK and WHITE-WINGED TRILLER. The roads we were on were made by the Forests COMMISSION and were not tourist's roads as we had thought. Our map was entirely useless and we kept on going south and bearing to the right in an effort to get out of the valley by a gap near the Chimneys. We saw at this (southern) end of the valley a PALLID CUCKOO. We came to a place on the road where a tree had fallen across and we had to turn back and take the previous fork to the left. That road would however, we think, taken us to the Chimney's Gap. The road deteriorated and took a course bearing to the east and was obviously heading for the Mirranatwa Gap. Suddenly fences, 4 [page number] [27.11.51] cleared land, and a farm turned up. We asked our way from an old Danish woman who lived there but didn't know the neighbourhood! We did get more information from a woman who was returning her children from school. It was very fine country west of the gap and there we saw BUFF-TAILED THORNBILLS and a WEDGE- TAILED EAGLE soaring high over the mountains. Over the gap on the Dunkeld Rd to Halls Gap and home. It was a most interesting day over wonderful country for birds. |am making a small sketch map of where we went [Hand drawn map] 5. [page number] 28.11.51 (62) GR. (35) D. (86) T. Wednesday. We left the hotel at 9.30 am and, collecting the lunch, went off on the Mt. Victory Rd and went to the base of the Mt. Rosea track. The weather was cool with sun and clouds. We started up at 10.20, paused at the base of the "staircase" for lemonade at 11.0 and set off again at 11.20, reaching the summit at 11.55 where we had lunch. There is a superb view from there and | took a complete panorama with the red filter on my camera. The birds most common on the top were the [EASTERN SPINEBILL] and [WHITE-BROWED SCRUB WREN. We saw directly below us, on the eastern side, a forestry track which led back to the road where the car was. We wanted to take it but could find no easy way down and Joan was not suitably dressed for a scramble. So we came back by the route we 6 [page number] [28.11.51] had come by seeing a SCARLET ROBIN on the way, and got to the car at 2.15 We were in tow minds whether to take the car into Horsham, or for Joan to sit where she was while | poked about for birds. So we tossed for it Heads for Horsham, Tails for sitting where we were. It came up heads so we made it the best of three and it came up heads again. So Joan sat while | went off. | went down Delley's Dell, a thick ferny path by a stream and came back through the scrub seeing a Mountain Thrush on my way. We had tea at Hall's Gap and then walked up Stone Creek along as far as Wonderland, scrambling on the "Elephant's Hide", where there was no path We got back to the Hotel at 6.0 pm. 29.11.51 Thursday. | was up early and out 64. GR of the hotel at 6.15. | walked up the 38. D. mountain a bit behind the hotel, turned 88. T. off to the right and came back through the open forest and bracken to the road 7. [page number] [29.11.51] The YELLOW-TUFTED HONEYEATER was the only new bird for the walk but | saw 25 birds before breakfast including the local honeyeaters but the Crescent. We left the hotel at 9.30, collected our lunch and set off tor Wonderland. We visited Pansy Falls and back to the rotunda near where we had morning tea, watched by a very tame Grey Currawong. We walked down Stoney Crk, to the road and back via Splitters Falls. We collected our haversack and set off up the Canyon to the top where we had lunch. Then on as far as the top of Silent St, when a rustling on my left drew my attention to a large snake disappearing under a rock. The way was only a few feet wide with the walls rising many feet above us. Joan went rapidly backwards and | sidled past the rock. We made our way back to the car, watching every rock on our way. 8 [page number] [29.11.51] 30.11.51. (66) GR. (68) D. (102) T. We drove over the Mt Victory Road to Lake Wartook where Joan napped in the car from 2:45-3:45 while | went into ti-tree swamp and around the edge of the reservoir. | saw a SWAMP- HARRIER over the reeds. We drove to McKenzie Falls for tea at 4:30 and were home again very tired at 5:15. Friday we packed up our things and went off after breakfast to Hall's Gap where we bought some honey, collected our lunch, bought some Thriptomene plants. MUSK LORIKEETS were flying over the Camping ground and | found also there, the nest and young of the Red Wattle-bird We went over the Mt Victory Rd to Mt Victory Lookout and walked along the ridge to Reid's Lookout where we had a chat to the forester and Saw Spread out below us the Victorian Valley in which we tried to follow 9. [page number] [30.11.51] our track 3 days ago. We returned to the car by the same route. It was very hot and Joan walked with her skirt at the back pulled up over her to shade her head. She was a fine sight to follow! We went on to Zumsteins where we had lunch by the river and left the Grampians on the Horsham Rd. with a total of 66 birds for the area. By the road were a lot of Ravens which had been shot and | checked up on their double feathers for identification. With them also was a BARN OWL. We had tea and a milk shake in Horsham. Joan did a little shopping and we cruised round looking at the town before setting off south on the Henty Highway. We went through miles of very open forest and cultivation & grazing where we saw a flock 10 [page number] [30.11.51] of WHITE COCKATOOS. We turned eastwards at Cavendish and on the plains saw the BROWN SONG-LARK and WHITE-FRONTED CH[AT] In the streets of Dunkeld were PURPLE- CROWNED LORIKEETS and the plains beyond were GALAHS and CORELLAS,. Through Glen Thompson to Lake Bolac, | was getting near my 100 birds for the trip and it was beginning to get dark. Then on our left was a large lake covered in birds. | turned down towards it and saw COOT, HOARY-HEADED GREBE, WHITE-HEADED STILT, PINK EARED DUCK, and BLUE-BILLED DUCK. Made it with one to spare! After Streatham we saw a WHITE EGRET. | am all against the 'bird-lister' but when you do get near the country it does catch you. Home in the dark through Skipton, Lismore, Cressy and so to Colac at 9.10 pm. It was a really wonderful holiday for Joan and | with birds not coming first. 11 [page number] LIST OF GRAMPIAN BIRDS 24 — 30.11.51 BRONZEWING TREE MARTIN DUSKY WOOD-SWALLOW WOOD DUCK SWALLOW W-THR. TREECREEPER BLACK DUCK GREY FANTAIL BROWN TREECREEPER MUSK DUCK WILLIE WAG-TAIL SPOTTED PARDALOTE LITTLE GREBE S-W. PLOVER W-F. HERON WH-NECKED HERON WEDGE-T. EAGLE SWAMP HARRIER C. SPARROW-HAWK MUSK LORIKEET GANG-GANG Y-T. BL. COCKATOO EASTERN ROSELLA CRIMSON ROSELLA BROWN HAWK KOOKABURRA PALLID CUCKOO F-TAILED CUCKOO G. BR.-CUCKOO H. BR.-CUCKOO SATIN FLYCATCHER SCARLET ROBIN FLAME ROBIN RUFOUS WHISTLER GOLDEN WHISTLER GREY THRUSH MAGPIE-LARK B-F. CUCKOO-SHRIKE YELLOW ROBIN W.W. TRILLER MOUNTAIN THRUSH BLUE WREN S. EMU-WREN BROWN THORNBILL STR. THORNBILL BUFF-T. THORNBILL WH. BR. BABBLER WH. BR. SCRUB-WREN WH-NAPED HONEYEATER CRESCENT HONEYEATER YELLOW-W. HONEYEATER YELLOW-F. HONEYEATER YELLOW-T. HONEYEATER WH-EARED HONEYEATER EASTERN SPINEBILL RED WATTLE-BIRD RED-BROWED FINCH GREY CURRAWONG PIED CURRAWONG W.W.CHOGH RAVEN W.B. MAGPIE GOLDFINCH SPARROW STARLING PHEASANT 12 [page number] LIST OF GRAMPIAN BIRDS — SEPT 1951 SPUR — WINGER PLOVER } BANDED PLOVER } PLAINS [three birds bracketed] MOUNTAIN DUCK } LEADEN FLYCATCHER = (?SATIN) WHITE-THROATED WARBLER WHITE-THROATED TREE-CREEPER EASTERN SPINEBILL [photo] Bxvi Callitris seeds eaten by Gang-Gangs — Grampians Nov '51 13 [page number] [photo] H. XI i Wonderland Peak from Bellfield Peak — Grampians 26.11.51 [photo] HVii 2 Moora Moora Reservoir — Grampians 27.11.51 14 [page number] [photo] H VII 3. Lake Wartook — Grampians 29.11.51 [photo] Hv VII 4. Melaleuca Swamp, L. Wartook — Grampians 29.11.51 15 [page number] January 13" 1952. (34) D. (34) T. At 11.0am. Joan and | with the Michael & Jonathon and a caravan behind set out westwards on the Prince's Highway for a week's holiday. The caravan is a Hunter Minor which | collected from Melbourne the day before. The caravan is ingeniously fitted out with most mod. cons. and two berths but as it was our first attempt with a caravan we were a little doubtful of the outcome. We went on the Prince's Highway as far as Stoneyford — MAGPIE, RAVEN, MAGPIE-LARK, SPARROW, STARLINGS — and turned left, on the Cobden Rd. We arrived there at midday and had lunch overlooking the river which at that spot was afloat with water plants and flanked with reeds and trees — DUSKY MOORHEN, LITTLE PIED CORMORANT and LITTLE BLACK CORMORANT. A BLACK-FACED CUCKOO-SHRIKE was seen in the streets. After lunch, at 1.0 pm., we all went for a swim in the baths and were greatly refreshed for it was hot. We set off at 2.0pom, the 16 [page number] January 13.1952] the boys lying down, but not sleeping, in the caravan. We then came across the GREENFINCH, BLACKBIRD, KESTREL, SWAMP-HARRIER, NOISY MINER, GREY FANTAIL, WHITE-THROATED TREE-CREEPER, PIPIT SCARLET ROBIN,- the last five being in the Heytesbury Forest. We went through Timboon to Port Campbell and as we approached the coast, we saw a WHITE-FRONTED CHAT. We passed straight on to the Ocean Rd and found a spot to camp a mile or two to the west, well tucked away in the trees. We unhitched the Caravan, and after considerable difficulty got it into position and | put the tent-fly up beside it, slung from the trees. We had afternoon tea and then took the boys into Port Campbell for an hour on the beach. The sky was closing over and a breeze made things chilly SILVER GULLS and SWALLOWS flew over the harbour. At 5.30 we went into a cafe where Joan & | had an evening meal and the boys had icecreams. Then ‘home’ to the caravan, — BLACK SHOULDERED KITE 17 [page number] [January 13" 1952] Monday January 14" 1952 (39) D. (52) T. While the boys were being given drinks of milk and being put to bed | strolled off and saw what birds | could. We were on heathland with stunted Messmate, banksia, leptospermum, and a dwarf casuarina — and the birds: GOLDFINCH, SKYLARK, BLUE WREN, EMU-WREN GREY THRUSH, [MAGPIE], WHITE-BROWED SCRUB-WREN, BROWN THORNBILL, TAWNY-CROWNED HONEYEATER, and BLUE-WINGED PARROT, STRIATED FIELD-WREN When the boys were bedded down, one on the front and one on the back seat of the car, we washed and went to bed ourselves. From nearby came the calls of the RUFOUS BRISTLE-BIRD and the EASTERN SPINEBILL. The temperature dropped suddenly, a few drops of rain fell and then a cool wind from the sea sprang up which made us very happy that we picked such a sheltered spot. We passed quite a fair night despite a thunderstorm ; the noise on the rain on the caravan was deafening. Joan 18 [page number] [January 14" 1952] slept poorly and Jonathan called for a whizz at 4:15 a.m. which | coped with. We had breakfast at 8.0 am and left by car for Port Campbell. The birds which | listed today as additional to the heathland bird association are [STARLING, KESTREL, SWAMP- HARRIER] YELLOW-WINGED HONEYEATER, and PEREGRINE FALCON. This makes a total of eighteen species. We went through Port Campbell on the Princetown road and stopped at the various tracks leading off to the cliffs and finishing at the Loch Ardt Gorge. There | picked up a dead SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER. On the Sherbrooke River were BLACK SWANS. We returned to Port Campbell for morning-tea and then back to the Ocean Rd. In the inlet were MOUNTAIN DUCK and REED-WARBLERS. We went down a long walk down the side of the cliff to Two Mile Bay. The wind was a bit cold and the boys tired so we had our long trek up very shortly again, in which the boys did very well. 19 [page number] (January 141952] After lunch we set off west, with the caravan behind us to Peterborough. We went slowly though and out on the Warrnambool road. On this stretch we saw the WHITE-EARED HONEYEATER, WHITE-FACED HERON, WHITE-NECKED HERON and WILLIE-WAGTAIL. We had afternoon tea about 4.30 in Warrnambool, made some purchases and went down to, the beach. There was a fair functioning and | took Johnny on the merry-go-round. There was a large inlet at that spot, on which were BLACK DUCK, GREY TEAL, COOT, CRESTED TERN, HOODED DOTTEREL, SPUR-WINGED PLOVER, and a small wader | did not have the opportunity of identifying. Then on to Port Fairy, LARGE BLACK CORMORANT, where we cruised round, looking for a camping spot finally deciding on the edge of the harbour. It is quite a good spot with few flies. The boys and | went for a stroll before tea and watched terns, and people fishing from the fishing boats. 20 [page number] Tuesday January 15" 1952. (43) D. (66) T After Breakfast | took the boys to Port Fairy's South Beach for the morning while Joan had a rest. Purely family duties were not productive of birds. Gulls were by us on the beach and when one immature [guess] bird started running towards the water while looking in the air, my attention was drawn to a WHISTLING EAGLE soaring 1000' [feet] up and 1/2 a mile away, swiftly in the other direction. After lunch Joan sat with the children while, they had a sleep and | was off the leash for 2 1/2 hours. | went out on the Portland Rd and stopped at Goose Lagoon which was teeming with birds. - HOARY-HEADED GREBE, MUSK DUCK, STRAW-NECKED IBIS, WHITE IBIS, WHITE EGRET and a pair of BLACK-FRONTED DOTTEREL. By the road the lagoon was full of rushes and water plants. In the distance the open water was seen to be teeming with duck. | went out to Yambuck where | hoped to see the estuary of the Shaw R. | could only see it from a distance and 21 [page number] [January 15" 1952] there was nothing exciting to be seen. But it had one large freshwater swamp nearby which was teeming with birds and, EASTERN SWAMPHEN, LITTLE GREBE, ROYAL SPOONBILL and WHITE-HEADED STILT were added to the list. | returned to the Goose Lagoon and walked about a mile to the open water, putting up some STUBBLE QUAIL from the paddocks. MARSH TERNS were fluttering in large flocks over the water. There were simply acres of duck. Unfortunately | was looking into the sun and Grey Teal + Mountain Duck were the only birds | could be sure of. There were others which | could not identify. When | returned the family went and had tea with Matron Scanlan at the hospital and then for a few moments to the southern beach. There were GANNETS diving off-shore in large flocks of Gulls + Terns. We ended up by walking right out to the end of the breakwater where we could see the large flocks of Gulls and Terns coming in to roost. 22 [page number] Wednesday January 16" 1952 (39) D (26) T. — After breakfast we packed up, hitched the caravan onto the car and left our spot. We bought a few groceries and | left Joan and the boys at the eastern beach while | went off to get a welding job done on the caravan. This took about 1/2 hour and | then left the caravan at the beach for Joan, setting off myself for the Goose Lagoon at its northern tip where it approaches the Henty Highway. On the way | saw a BROWN HAWK. | walked through tussocks, with a sharp look out for snakes to the edge of the swamp which was alive with SHARP- TAILED SANDPIPERS. | walked slowly along marvelling at the richness of the bird life both in species and numbers — much as the Barrier Reef is alive with marine life. | watched the teal as they came swooping down wind a few yards away. A LITTLE GRASS BIRD'S mournful cry came from the reeds on the opposite shore. A pair of YELLOW-BILLED SPOONBILLS flew heavily into the 23. [page number] [January 16" 1952] wind. The air for a mile around was afloat with Straw-necked Ibis. | had a swim when | got back, before lunch in the caravan. Then we hitched up + westwards to Portland. The trip was uneventful with Jonathon asleep in the caravan and Michael in the back seat. | saw a DUSKY WOOD-SWALLOW and FAIRY MARTIN at Tyendarra. In Portland we had a short look round, bought some ice-creams and then on to the Bridgewater Road which was terrible. We did stop for a flock of WHITE-BROWED & MASKED WOOD-SWALLOWS and a YELLOW-FACED HONEY-EATER. | unhitched the caravan at the beach and went over to the Blow-Holes looking for a better site but there was none and | returned to set up the caravan on the grass at the edge of the beach. Along the beach were five PIED OYSTER CATCHERS and in a final stroll of the evening | played hide-and-seek with a Hooded Dotterel before finding the nest with one egg on the shingle. 24 [page number] Thursday 17" January 1952. (27) D (18) T | got up at 6.30 and walked along to the Dotterels nest. On the way | found a party of SINGING HONEYEATERS in the box-thorn by the beach. It was the first time | had a really good look at them and | smiled to think that | ever confused them with the Yellow-faced Honeyeater. They reminded me more of the Tufted Honeyeater. Though | have probably made a fortuitously correct identification on the coast round Glen Aire, |am now suspicious of any other occasion when | said | saw it. | set the camera up several yards away from the nest and moved it up just before breakfast. Returning at 9.0 am | set the camera up in its final position and waited until 11.0 am smothered in flies. The birds were never far away but never came to the nest. So | contented myself with two shots of the nest and one of habitat. It was a pity for the light was even and required 1/100 sec at f 22. During lunch | 25 [page number] [17". January 1952] noticed the two little birds winging past the Caravan away from the nest 200 yards away! In the afternoon we went into Portland. The two Wood-Swallows were still in the same spot on the road where there was also a party of BUFF-TAILED THORNBILLS. In Portland | looked up Noel Learmouth and found he was at bowls. So | had a very few short words with him and left. We returned by Cashmore and the heathland to Bridgewater Lakes. To the north- west was a fantastic array of huge sand- dunes marching in from the sea, swallowing up the ti-tree. To the south were sheer cliffs with some of the most immense clouds of spray rising up against them that | have ever seen. Below us, sheltered from the sea by the dunes were the Bridgewater Lakes looking oddly out of place, green & reedy, where they were. On one a Magpie-Lark was walking on the water weeds. A visit to the Dotterels assured me that the nest was not deserted — but they were off like a shot. 26. [page number] Friday Jan 18" 1952 We woke late and it was 10.0 (30) D am before | set off with the boys to Portland. (82) T. Michael had woken up with scattered, but definite chicken-pox and a visit to the chemist was advisable. There were also a few Stores to get. On the way | saw a large pair of raptors soaring. Through the glasses, the first | picked up was a WEDGE-TAILED EAGLE and | expected the other to be. But strangely enough it was a [SWAMP HARRIER] circling as if it were the eagles mate. After a few purchases, | called again on Learmouth and had morning tea with him. We had a good chat and got to know each other far better than we did on the unfortunate occasion on the previous day. He has seen over 70 species in his grounds and at the moment a [WHITE-BROWED WOOD-SWALLOW] was nesting just above his deck-chair on the garden. | also heard, while there, a RED-WATTLE-BIRD calling. On the way back | stopped several times for birds and saw a small 27 [page number] [Friday, Jan 18", 1952] Saturday Jan 19" 1952 (29) D (82) T flock of SILVEREYES and a-paitef two immature CRIMSON ROSELLAS -— the first of the parrot and cockatoo family to be seen on the trip. The [HOODED DOTTEREL] was sitting when | got back. | had a good sleep after lunch and at 5.0 pm. the family set off for a walk along the base of the cliff towards the headland, up to a deserted farm, and back over the top. It was roughly two miles which is not a bad walk for Jonathon at 3 years — not to speak of a little boy with his first day of chicken-pox. The last day of the holidays, there is nothing to report about birds — left at 9.15, morning tea at Port Fairy, petrol at Warrnambool, lunch at Terang and home at 2.0 pm. Nothing new was seen. It has a been a good family holiday and, seeing that it was a family holiday, it was quite successful for birds. But | wish | had that Dotterel's photo. 28. [page number] 18'"-23" May 1952 Lorne. On Sunday the family went to Lorne for a week — purely a family holiday with no notice [guess] or forethought as regards the birds. However we of course did go for walks and a few records of interest should go down here. The afternoon we arrived we all went for a walk from Thalassa to Teddy's Lookout. At the start, behind Lorne, | saw a WHITE GOSHAWK. From Teddy's we could see many ALBATROSSES round the fishing-boats and indeed during the whole week they could t2+-always be seen not far out and from the windows of Thalassa we could watch them following the boats in. On Tuesday we went over to Allenvale and up to Phantom Falls. Arriving back, in the orchard at Allenvale was a male MISTLETOE-BIRD — my first record for the district. Next day | saw one opposite Thalassa in Fern Avenue! On Wednesday we drove up the Erskine 29 [page number] [13-23 May 1952] Rd and wandered a bit in wet bush and bracken-paddock. When just entering Lorne on our return we put up a flock of WHITE-WINGED CHOUGHS — my second record for the district. On Thursday we drove to the Sheoak R. and walked up to the Falls. On Friday (the day we left) | spent round Lorne and saw a BLACK- SHOULDERED KITE in front of the Pacific Hotel. In the garden at Thalassa, at last, at long last, | saw the PIED CURRAWONG whose existence in the Otways | was beginning to doubt. All of which points to the doubtful moral that one can see birds in one's own garden without searching. The question remains — what interesting records might | not have got if | had wandered off by myself. 30. [page number] September 30" 1952 — SUMMARY 1951-52. It is well into the next breeding season before | have settled down to this summary, almost 3 months late. The years first big excitement was the hundreds of Blue-billed Duck on L. Thurrumbong in September, with which | have been able, very satisfyingly, to impress my colleagues — even Jack Jones had never seen them in such numbers, and had never seen them flying. The Mallee. at Hattah, was the Year's bird holiday and an extremely fine one it was, with a lot of new species for me and a very good time socially, That was closely followed by the trip to Waaree with Max and the finding of the Ground-Parrot, one of these day's outing | will never forget. A holiday to the Grampians was more of a family nature, though pleasant and — interesting enough. Similarly was our caravaning holiday westwards along the south coast in January, and the 31. [page number] [September 30". 1952] — the holidays at Lorne. Despite these trips | did not get out so much in this district, mainly due to the work involved in the native section at Narroglind [guess], which occupied many of my free week-ends. Narroglind [guess] itself was interesting for the Pipit and Stubble Quail bred on the block. The numerous stakes marking trees attracted many birds as perches. The lower 2 acres, fenced off from cows and rabbits, grew long grass which sheltered many mice, which in turn attracted a pair of Black-shouldered Kites for about 3 months. The season was most extraordinary for the number of water fowl present. Hoary-headed Grebe were still present from the winter of 1951 in large numbers. The Marsh Tern, White-headed Stilt aad Yellow-billed Spoonbill & White-necked Heron were present after a period of 3 years absence, the Avocet after 4 years, and the two lbises after 2 years away. The white Egret made 32 [page number] [September 30". 1952] its first appearance in flocks that | have seen. Gull-billed Terns were nesting. Duck were in vast numbers, particularly Grey Teal, and the Pink-eared and Blue-billed Ducks were present in thousands. The Freckled Duck was also here, though | did not see it alive. Finally the season was remarkable for the invasion of Black- shouldered Kites which were throughout Southern Victoria. | may have seen, at the block, a Letterwinged Kite, but | doubt it. Six new birds were listed for the district — Dove prion (4*" Victorian record), Arctic Skua (Roy WHEELER), Red-kneed Dotterel, Spotted Nightjar, Buff-tailed Thornbill and Brown Tree-creeper. My own personal additions number 12 for the district, and totally new birds for the year were 21. It was a year of unusual events, of unusual bird movements, and | much wish | could have got out more locally to get further details of them. My only 33 [page number] [September 30". 1952] 13.10.52 ([?]) ([?]) main memories are the Blue-billed Ducks, the one Ground Parrot and the one Bustard that | saw. After lunch Max McGarvie and | set off on our Camping trip in the Otways. The R.A.O.U. [Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union] had this year gone to Palm Valley, near Alice Springs, and, quite apart from the expense of such a trip | had to wait for the arrival of Louise! So Max and | decided to look round close to home and spend as much of a fortnight as we wished camping where we liked. The weather for many months had been very and still is, though not raining when we set out. We went off via Stoneyford, Cobden to Waarre. We picked up few birds on the way YELLOW-BILLED SPOONBILL, BLACK SWAN, SWAMP HARRIER RAVEN and MAGPIE before we had our first ‘find’ of CORELLAS at Cobden. Straight through to our destination with GOLDFINCH, STARLING, NOISY MINER YELLOW-TAILED THORNBILL, WHITE-FRONTED HERON, GREY BUTCHER-BIRD, EASTERN ROSELLA, SWALLOW, KOOKABURRA, WHITE-EARED HONEYEATER, BLUE WREN, MAGPIE-LARK, COMMON BRONZEWING AND CRIMSON ROSELLA. Beyond 34 [page number] [13.10.52] 14.10.52 (37) (52) Timboon we came across many pairs of BLUE- WINGED PARROTS of which we continued to see many while we were in that district. Up the Waarre road to our camping spot we saw the WHITE-FRONTED CHAT and stopped for a very good view of a pair of SPOTTED QUAIL-THRUSH — a new bird for Max. We camped in off the road with a tent- fly over the car and tied to the trees opposite. Around us, in light regenerating bush, we could hear the NATIVE THRUSH, FAN-TAIL CUCKOO, FLAME ROBIN RED-TIPPED PARDALOTE, GREY FANTAIL, WHITE-NAPED HONEYEATERS, BLACK-FACED CUCKOO-SHRIKE, GOLDEN WHISTLER and WHITE-THROATED TREE-CREEPER. We went down for water, across the pasture which has now been very much enlarged and the vast stretches of grass-trees have been much reduced in area. Crossing this, down to the stream we saw the PIPIT, SKYLARK, GREY CURRAWONG, STRIATED FIELD-W [WREN] and BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE. We did not have a particularly good night — to newness of camp and the cold, but Max developed severe ear-ache and had very little sleep. We had an early breakfast and set off for the grass-tree. 35 [page number] [14.10.52] at 8.0 am. There had been no rain and scarcely any wind since we arrived the previous evening. Today shone bright with a cloudless sky. It was perfect weather with a fresh northerly spring up late in the morning. We followed our previous route in search of the Ground Parrot, adding to the list the RED WATTLE-BIRD, EASTERN SPINE BILL (in the bush) and KESTREL, DUSKY WOODSWALLOW, SOUTHERN EMU-WREN YELLOW-FACED HONEYEATER, GOSHAWK, YELLOW-TAILED BLACK COCKATOO in the heath. We went thoroughly over the area where we had seen the parrot before but could not flush it. We continued the search and eventually sought shade in a patch of timber of several acres in the centre of the heath. There we saw the RUFOUS WHISTLER and had a very interesting (and instructive) view of the GOLDEN and HORSFIELD BRONZE-CUCKOO, comparing their call, plumage and field characteristics — all within a quarter of an hour. Setting off homewards we flushed the TAWNY-CROWWED HONEYEATER and as we approached camp, saw the BROWN THORNBILL in the branches of felled gums. We rested after lunch and set out 36 [page number] [14.10.52] again for the grass-tree. We hadn't been going very long before Max called a halt and we waded over to the other end of the patch of gums that we had visited that morning. There we found a Black-Shouldered Kite's nest with bird sitting. Max's ear had pained all day and as he was almost all in, he returned straight to the camp, putting up a STUBBLE QUAIL on the way. | pushed on, up and down, in the heath which is hard going because of the height one has to lift one's feet and the forcing of the thighs through thick bushes. | came across a sick young kangaroo which could only make a few hops before falling sideways. | left him to it, wishing | could have shot him. | made a big sweep, zig-zagging and covering as much ground as | could and exploring the greatest area of that shallow valley. | had to put the sleeves of my shirt down for sunburn! | staggered back to camp, seeing a party of WHITE-BROWED SCRUB-WRENS near home. We were too hungry to eat lunch and after a couple of Nembutal [guess] each, turned in early. 37 [page number] 15.10.52 We decided, after our failure with the Ground (52) Parrot, and our general weariness, to move on and (73) spend most of the day in the car. So we packed and drove into Port Campbell — SPARROW and WILLIE-WAGTAIL! | went out to where the family had spent the night carvaning* [caravanning], but Johnny's pot was nowhere to be seen. We donned our rubber boots and explored the muddy, reedy creek at Port Campbell, seeing only one siver SILVER GULL, a LITTLE GRASS-BIRD, BLACK CORMORANT and BROWN HAWK. We had an hour's wait for milk, when Max was feeling very unwell, during which | saw a GALAH fly over the town! Possibly an escape. Looking out to sea from the cliffs we saw a WANDERING ALBATROSS — pure white — fly out to sea. From Lock Ard we picked up two ALBATROSS, with black backs — Black-browed or [?]. We then pulled in to the pine forest at the Sherbrooke River and went up it for a few hundred yards, hearing SILVEREYES. Then we walked down to the mouth, one of us on each side of the river, looking in the reeds. We found 38 [page number] [15.10.52] in that stretch the RUFOUS BRISTLE-BIRD, BLACK-FRONTED DOTTEREL and SINGING HONEYEATER. It was a grey day with a high N-W wind. We had lunch in the car as the first drops of rain fell, which they continued to do for nearly the whole of the rest of the day. We moved eastwards through Princetown to Lower Gellibrand — FAIRY MARTIN, BLACKBIRD, WEDGE- TAILED EAGLE and RED-BROWED FINCH. We turned off the Lower Gellibrand road, putting on a little speed for the Max again was feeling ill. We pitched a camp in an old gravel pit, well up and off the road between Devondale and Chapple Vale. Max went straight to sleep and | wandered for a while in light rain on the river flats, putting up a BLACK DUCK. We had a good big evening meal, during which a SCARLET ROBIN sang nearby. In the evening, while Max went down on to the flats, | walked up onto the heathland but all was quiet and silent. Max saw a YELLOW ROBIN, and as we are now writing, under a cold rainless sky, a BOOBOOK OWL is calling. 39 [page number] 16.9.52 We both had a good night, Max in the car (37) and myself beside it, though there were some (79) heavy showers. We were up shortly after 5.0 AM, had finished breakfast, tidied up and were off at 7.0 to look at the scrub beside the river. The going was very thick, particularly fallen trees and saplings from the flood. At one spot we heard moving [guess] and grunting calls and Max saw what he thought was a ‘green’ SATIN BOWER-BIRD but we are not positive of the identification. We heard and caught the nearest glimpse of an OLIVE WHISTLER. We were back at the car at 9.0 AM and after packing and writing notes set off in it at 10.0. We went through Chapple Vale on the Lavers Hill Rd. We stopped and watched them winching logs up from the gully — an interesting and incredibly muddy operation. It was now very cold and began to rain hard. At Lavers Hill | rang home but could only speak to Nancy Squires. | learnt that supplies could only be got at Beech Forest so went off there dropping Max in the patch of scrub at Weeaproinah. 40 [page number] [16.9.52] which! have often explained myself and where he got onto more Olive Whistlers. Having got my supplies, and picked Max up again, we had lunch in the car in pouring rain on the Ocean Rd. [Road] just below Lavers Hill. Then on, in the heavy cold showers, to Glen Aire, Hordern Vale to the mouth of the Aire R. Where we got properly stuck in greasy ground at the bottom of a long hill. An hour and a half we spent trying to get out and eventually | decided to walk for help. While | was away Max got onto CASPIAN TERNS, REED-WARBLERS and LITTLE PIED CORMORANTS. | walked 2 % miles and returned with a chap called Stewart and a tractor who pulled us up and out of the hill. We made straight for Apollo Bay, where we saw GANNETS and CRESTED TERNS. We callin at Greenacres got a room, a bath, a meal and a warm dry bed, while heavy showers of hail and rain with a bitterly cold wind ranged outside. My Mother with Michael and Jonathan had arrived to 41 [page number] [16.9.52] stay that afternoon and we were all very pleased to see each other. | had a ring from Joan later, who sounded very miserable — | don't know what our plans will be. 17.10.52 After a really lazy start to the day, and getting (40) in provisions, we set off for Apollo B. [Bay] at 11.0 am (87) in the direction of Cape Otway. We finally made camp 5 miles down the C. [Cape] Otway Rd, just off the road under a sand-bank which raised the tent-fly high and gave good shelter. After a small lunch we took the car back to the Ocean Rd, and leaving it there, walked west down the gully which | always associate with Bower-birds. This time however we did not see any. It was a windy day with blue sky broken with large white clouds and an occasional shower. The gully was very beautiful and we admired it just as much as we did the birds. In the gully we came across the LITTLE WATTLE-BIRD, GANG-GANG, KING PARROT (a pair flew over our shoulders and perched ona limb 15' [inches] away, EASTERN SHRIKE-TIT, 42 [page number] [17.10.52] YELLOW-WINGED HONEYEATER, TREE MARTIN. Just as we got to the top of the gully we got a good view, though brief, of a WHITE GOSHAWK. We explored an old wood-cutters track with no result. We drove back to camp, and leaving the car in position walked on down the road. We saw very little and had to spend some time sheltering from heavy showers. Tea, a talk by the camp-fire and bed at 8.10 pm. 18.10.52 We woke early in moderate rain, cold (47) and swarming with mosquitoes. However (91) after breakfast the weather cleared up a bit and we walked from the camp to a fern gully which probably runs into the Parker. Lots of Olive Whistlers but no Pink (or Rose) Robins or Rufus Fantails, that we were looking for. We walked on through curious dune country, covered with banksia, bracken and a mixture of stringy-bark and smooth gums, to find within a few yards of the camp a BUFF-TAILED and STRIATED THORNBILLS. Also within a few yards of the camp are three Whistlers — Oliver, Golden and Rufous. 43 [page number] [18.10.52] 19.10.52 (40) (96) Leaving Max in the Satin Bower-bird gully | went on to Horden Vale to ring Mrs Denny. We were invited to morning tea and arrived about 10.45. An hour later we set off a few miles up the Lavers Hill Rd to see what we could see — nothing much, a CRESCENT HONEYEATER being our only addition to the list. After lunch we went further up the road and, with Mrs Denny, scrambled down to the Ford River where it was very moist and ferny. Though there for more than an hour we saw more of the Robins we were after. But we did see, before we left Glen Aire at 5.30 two WHISTLING EAGLES. Back to camp, a late meal and chat and bed at 9.15. We had a good night and were later than usual setting off. We walked through the heath just to the north of our camp, seeing only Emu-wrens & Field Wrens. The only excitement was when | came across a snake lying on top of the heath and fell over backwards in my retreat. Back to camp to write up these notes. Mrs Denny arrived in her car at 10.0 am and we went on to the second cattle-pit where 44 [page number] [19.10.52] we followed a cattle track off to the water trough where we sat for a while looking down on the ti-tree*[tea-tree], listening to the whistlers but seeing nothing new. Then we moved on to the Parker R. where we chatted to Clarence Marriner, [guess] and where we came across a party of ORANGE-WINGED SITELLAS. Down by the river we heard a SACRED KINGFISHER and a female PINK ROBIN. We found the ground too boggy to go down to the mouth of the Parker so returned to our camp for lunch where we heard and saw the SPOTTED PARDALOTE. After lunch we returned to the Ocean R, and leaving our cars at the head of the track we had explored two days ago. We went down some 2 % miles through fairly good scrub to the Calder R., where we sat and watched for Pink Robins. However we only saw two females which we definitely identified as this species. We also heard the MISTLETOE-BIRD. It was a long, tiring walk up back to the road where we Sat by our car and finished a bottle of beer. We said goodbye to Mrs. 45 [page number] [19.10.52] Denny and returned to our camp, a meal and a chat, and bed at 9.15. 20.10.52 We had a good night, but woke tired. (51) After breakfast we struck camp and moved (102) off down to the light-house. We struck off into the sand dunes which were well covered with grass and good walking. We saw nothing till we came to a small patch of stunted, wind-blown gums where we saw the WHITE-PLUMED HONEY-EATER and PALLID CUCKOO. We searched the dunes and other patches of timber for Orange-breasted Parrots but found not even a Blue-Wing. We went down to Crayfish Bay and watched the terns, garnets and Albatross. We went into Apollo Bay before lunch and visited the RED-CAPPED DOTTERELS. | rang Joan, who is apparently still unhappy, had a word with Mum + Dad who were with Michael and Jonathan and bought ourselves some pies. These we demolished on the breakwater. After lunch we went out to Paradise where we sat in the scrub and saw 46 [page number] [20.10.52] 21.10.52 (89) 129 a female Pink Robin building a nest — still no male. Max saw a pair of COLLARED SPARROW-HAWK[S] and there were (at last) MOUNTAIN THRUSHES. We are very tired and soon sat going through notes and writing this up, during which we have heard the BROWN-HEADED HONEYEATER. We plan to stay here tonight (despite the "No Camping" sign) and | don't think it will be long before we are home. Well we stayed there the night — very comfortably for the weather was mild and still. We were packed up early next morning and had a last look round our ferny gully and the river. We were both delighted to see a pair of SATIN FLYCATCHERS -— the first time | had seen them in the district : the only new personal record for the trip, for me. We filled with Petrol at Apollo Bay and going up by Skene's Crk, turned into Turton's Track. There at last we found a pair of Pink Robins, saw them both, heard the male's song and, | think, definitely 47 [page number] [21.10.52] identified them. Warren Hitchcock wanted skins for the museum so | had a shot at the female with a .22 dust shot and missed. Max had a shot at the male; it flew 10 yards and fell like a stone in 10 feet of cut limbs and leaves and we never found it! We were very greatly disappointed and disgusted — and wet! We went on to the swamp at Gerangamete and had a walk round it before lunch. There we saw the EASTERN SWAMP HEN, SPUR-WINGED PLOVER, WHITE COCKATOO, GOLDEN-HEADED FANTAIL-WARBLER, and MOUNTAIN DUCK. That brought our list for the Otways up to 107, including 5 introduced species. After lunch in the car; in pouring rain we went on the Colac road (BANDED PLOVER at Yeo) to BALL'S DAM where we saw the COOT and DUSKY HOORHEN. Through Irrewarra (WHITE-NECKED HERONS) to Loch Calvert at Ondit (LITTLE BLACK CORMORANT, MARSH TERN, 48 [page number] [21.10.52] HOARY-HEADED GREBE, CRESTED GREBE, MUSK DUCK, and PELICAN) to the Beeac floods on to the floods at Eurack where we had a field day - WHITE HEADED STILT, GREY TEAL, BLUE-WINGED SHOVELLER, HARDHEAD, PINK- EARED DUCK and AVOCET. The flood waters had given us birds! We went on through Cressy, but could not get on the Camperdown road past Foxhow because of the floods so had to turn right and go up through Gnarpurt to Lismore. On that stretch we saw the RESTLESS FLYCATCHER, BLUE-BILLED DUCK and RED-BACKED PARROT. South from Lismore to Camperdown, we saw the STRAW-NECKED IBIS, past Milangil and the "Cape Barron GOOSE Lake" (on which there was practically nothing), and so through to Pomborneit and 5 miles of the Hawksnest Rd where | dropped Max at home. Five miles back again on the Hawksnest road to the Princes Highway where | saw the last bird of the trip on the Black Swamp — the WHITE [EGRET] 49 [page number] [21.10.52] EGRET. Home at 7.10 pm after doing 192 miles for the day — tired dirty and unshaven, and very pleased indeed to be home. It has been, on the whole a very successful holiday. Max' earache and subsequent illness, getting stuck at the Aire R., no new birds for the district, can be balanced by fairly good weather, excellent camping, good country, the Kites and Pink Robins nests, the Satin Flycatcher and a total list of 129 birds — a very good total indeed. And | do now know much more about the Otways, particularly round the Cape, which was my intention. [FOLD OUT — MAP] 51 [page number] [Photo] Camp 5 miles down C. [Cape] Otway Rd Oct 17-19" 1952 52 [page number] SUMMARY 1952 — 1953. There has been only one entry for the whole year since my last summary - that of the trip in the Otways with Max. Little summarising is now necessary. The paucity of bird trips is of course due to the final stages of constructions of Narroglu[?], the move, and the large amount of time and energy of settling in and making the surroundings look something less like a builders yard! Most birding has been done incidental to other trips. (e.g. showing Bob around and immunizing) or in short snatches of time taken off from work. The most important addition to my bird list was the BLACK FALCONS, shown to me at Warncoort by Noel Dennis — in fact, the only ‘new bird' for the year. Galah and Corella were added to the local list and the Giant Petrel was seen off Apollo Bay. At Australia Day Weekend Tina Watson, Margaret Chattaway, and Nancy [Fletcher] 53 [page number] Nov 15% 1953. (37) [Nancy] Fletcher came up and | was able to put them onto a pair of Brolgas —a new bird for all three. More recently, after a late much determined wait at the Windsor | contacted Claude Austin and had a good, but all too short talk on birds. The year has not been as spectacular for water birds as was the previous season. No Black-Shouldered Kites have appeared the year. There are more White-necked Heron about than usual — perhaps last years big influx has left us with a breeding population. And so we end a very quiet year and hope to get out and about more next season. The first entry for over twelve months — reasons being much the same as the first paragraph of the summary. | have not written up my amusing Campaigns in the Colac Shire — were not particularly 54 [page number] [15.11.53] bird-worthy though | lunched each day in the Stony Rises — nor have | written up any of my visits to the creek-mouth or Loch Calvert, two favourite spots for the odd half-hour or so. | don't think they really qualify for the diary, though should | start regular watching on the Loch, | shall write in here. However today an outing was made at Michael's insistence to picnic in the Sheoaks beyond Winchelsea. We set out at 2.45 and the trip down produced RAVEN - MAGPIE - MAGPIE-LARK - STARLING - SPARROW. At Bleak House creek, there were numerous GULLS, GULL-BILLED TERNS, MARSH TERNS, EASTERN SWAMP-HEN and a single HOARY-HEADED GREBE. Beyond Winchelsea a pair of WHITE COCKATOOS were seen. We went first to the small lake just south of the Steel's and had a short walk with the three children. On the water were MUSK DUCK. COOT. a pair of BLACK DUCK. Feeding at or near the edge were 55[page number] [Nov 15". 1953] | SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER, BLACK-FRONTED DOTTERELL, SPUR-WINGED PLOVER, CHATS, GOLDFINCHES and a BLACK-BIRD. On the way back to the car we went by a reedy swamp where we heard the LITTLE GRASS-BIRD, and saw a WHITE-NECKED HERON, LITTLE BLACK CORMORANT and SKYLARK. After afternoon tea | left the family and did a walk of nearly two miles in a circle to the east, almost reaching the shore of the other, larger lake. At first there were many dead, morbid, Red Gums, on which was a STRIATED PARDALOTE and a pair of RED-BACKED PARROT — my second sighting for the district. In a very large, shallow swamp in which was growing short grass were two YELLOW-BILLED SPOONBILL and three STILTS, as well as a fair-sized flock of Sandpiper. There were too many WHITE- FACED HERONS. | saw a hawk — Goshawk or Peregrine — flying low over the swamp with a large, unidentified prey in its talons. There were, in the surrounding dry grass, many PIPITS, 56 [page number] [Nov 15" 1953] 21* Nov 1953 (33) A LITTLE PIED CORMORANT flew over the swamp. For tea we went to the Sheoaks, and in a wander afterwards, ina medium sized gum, was an extraordinarily silent party of WHITE-PLUMED HONEYEATERS, an equally silent WILLIE-WAGTAIL and a nest containing three young BLACK-FACED CUCKOO- SHRIKES — far too big for it. These the children were shown. Michael spotted a KOOKABURRA. This too was silent — in fact, the whole place may be called the ‘Silent Sheoaks' — particularly as we were there from 5.15 to 6.45. On the way home we added a WHISTLING EAGLE to the list — a mere 37 but how nice to look for birds and write the diary again. Joan and | set off for a two weeks holiday to Sydney via the coast. Close muggy weather and on the way to town saw STARLING - SPARROW GOLDFINCH - GREEN FINCH - SILVER GULLS - GULL BILLED TERNS - MARSH TERNS - MAGPIE - MAGPIE LARK - RAVEN 57 [page number] [21°*. November 1952] PIPIT - BROWN HAWK - STRAW-NECKED IBIS - BLACK-FACED CUCKOO-SHRIKE. In Melbourne we came to the MYNAH - TURTLE-DOVE - WHITE-PLUMED HONEYEATER. We had lunch at the Trevor Rice's, in North Kew, looking over the Yarra where we saw the WHITE-FACED HERON - LITTLE PIED CORMORANT - BLACK CORMORANT - BLACK DUCK and KOOKABURRA. Crossing the river on the way there | heard a REED-WARBLER. After a very pleasant meal and look round we left at four, passing out a Town through Doncaster Box Hill, Ringwood, + Croydon. On route we saw the BLACKBIRD, and it was not until we made the big climb up to Kalorama that we changed the kind of birds seen — FANTAILED CUCKOO - YELLOW ROBIN - SPINEBILL and WHIPBIRD. Having settled into Nammoora, at Mt Dandenong and had a cup of tea, we went for a short stroll down into the gully meeting GOLDEN WHISTLER - MOUNTAIN THRUSH - WHITE-BROWED SCRUB-WREN - RUFOUS FANTAIL - GREY [FANTAIL] 58 [page number] [21 Nov. 1953] 22nd November '53 (63) (65) [GREY] FANTAIL. Our stroll was made in light rain, trying to make the air a little less oppressive. We left Mt Dandenong at 9.30 and made our way along the ridge, and down to Ferntree Gully - HORSFIELD BRONZE CUCKOO CRIMSON ROSELLA - NATIVE THRUSH and EASTERN ROSELLA. There we turned left and went through Belgrave, Emerald and Gembrook where we met the CRESCENT HONEYEATER - RED-BROWED FINCH BLUE WREN - BRONZE-WING - TREE MARTIN and WHITE-EARED HONEYEATER. Turning South at Gembrook we came out onto the Princes Highway at Nar-Nar-Goon — DUSKY WOOD-SWALLOW and BELL MINER. Then, out of the bush, we started the second stage of our trip in the Latrobe Valley, through Warragul, Moe and Yallourn where we had a brief look around the SEC [State Electricity Commission]. works and, fittingly enough saw a RED WATTLE BIRD. Then through Morwell and Traralgon to Rosedale — NOISY MINER - WHITE COCKATOO - NANKEEN KESTREL - WHISTLING EAGLE — 16 59|page number] [22"? November 53] birds seen giving a good idea of the changing nature of the country. We had lunch at Rosedale, just over the river on the left in the recently flooded caravan-park. Opposite us was a swamp in which we saw WHITE IBIS - YELLOW-BILLED SPOONBILL - EASTERN SWAMP- HEN - DUSKY MOORHEN - SPUR-WINGED PLOVER and heard the LITTLE GRASS BIRD. Just as we finished lunch Joan saw a Snake in the grass just beside her — 3-4' [feet] away!!! In the afternoon we got into the third stage of that day's journey — the long straight stretches of road in open forest, crossing the steeply cut rivers — with the mountains away to the right. Shortly after Rosedale we came to a large, shallow lake, on or around which were SWAN - MOUNTAIN DUCK - GREY TEAL - WHITE-HEADED STILT - HOARY-HEADED GREBE - RED-CAPPED DOTTERELL. Then in the open timber, in which there was much swampy land — GOSHAWK - LITTLE GREBE - COOT - WHITE-NECKED 60 [page number] [22"" November 53] HERON - LITTLE BLACK CORMORANT - YELLOW-TAILED THORNBILL - and SWAMP HAWK. And so, from Bairnsdale through more undulating and forested country to Lakes Entrance where we immediately booked in at the Club Hotel at 4.30. Settled in we went for a stroll, eastwards through the township where by far the most interesting ornithological observation was the Silver Gulls ‘puddling' in the shallow water and bringing up evidently plenty of food in the mud for they ate vigorously. In the harbour were PACIFIC GULLS - CRESTED TERNS : a pair of CASPIAN TERNS - a FAIRY TERN and a PIED OYSTERCATCHER. We crossed by footbridge to the sea-wall of sand dune and sat watching in the grey evening the incredibly calm and still waters of the ocean, and the antics of the gulls fighting for a morsel on the sand. As we turned to go a pair of PEREGRINES flew swiftly over head. We were in bed very early after tea — 7.30! 61 [page number] 23" Nov.—1953. —. The 'early-to-bed' meant (53) | was wide awake at 5.0 a.m. so | got (85) up and stole quietly forth. It was a warm sunny morning with the call of a whip-bird echoing across the harbour. | first walked over a causeway onto a low island with a few banksias. | saw some WHITE-FRONTED CHATS but none of the waders | had hoped for. So then | walked on the road up the cliff and was able to find some smaller birds which | had no doubt sped by in the car with no time to see before — BROWN THORNBILL — SILVEREYE - YELLOW-FACED HONEYEATER -: GOLDEN BRONZE-CUCKOO and PALLID CUCKOO. | had been too lazy to write this up the previous night, so got half the day before written up before breakfast. After settling our account, | got my punctured tyre mended (Sale, the previous day) and found | will have to get a new tyre, though it only had 62 [page number] [23'7 Nov 1953] done some 7000 miles. Picture-post-card for the children, collect our lunch and off again at 9.30. The day to begin with was fine and cool with scattered clouds. The bush was more open; with less undergrowth than | remembered. The road was extremely good bitumen which lasted till the 252 mile post; just short of Cabbage Tree, after which the road was a good smooth gravel for the rest of the day's journey. Around Orbost was a SCARLET ROBIN and WHITE-THROATED TREE-CREEPER We had lunch at a creek just short of Cann River. It was very still, grey and peaceful, and we heard GANG- GANGS. We stopped frequently in the afternoon to look for plants, seeds of some of which we collected and many we experimented with transplanting into Elastoplast tins keeping the plants as undisturbed as possible and water-logged How they will fare in the boot, | don't 63 [page number] [23 Nov 1953] know. We arrived and booked in at 4.30 at the Malacoota Hotel. We took the car a little way down onto the headland and strolled along it. It was very still, with a few drops of rain, and the inlet looked superb — grey and calm. | saw a YELLOW-WINGED HONEYEATER in the banksia and found a Goshawks nest, the only nest so far of the trip. So home to dinner, after which | am writing this to the sound of heavy rain. It was a disappointing day — 53 birds in all (only 10 more to the trips total) - no Bower-bird at Nowa Nowa; no Wonga Pigeon at Genoa and no Godwits — Barred or Black of tail on the sands here. But watching for plants that attracted us, made up for a lot and transformed what would have been an extremely frustrating day, into a peaceful idling day, in the gray still dusk, silent of birds, which were not so badly missed after all. 64 [page number] 24-11-53 (61) (98) We got off to a good start at 9.0 a.m. in the cool, weather, turning right at Genoa, having departed from Malacoota to the curious shrieking of the RAINBOW LORIKEET. In the bush beyond Genoa | saw a YELLOW-TAILED COCKATOO. The road got more corrugated and rough in N.S.W [New South Wales] and we stopped several times to get plants. We turned down to Boyd Town where we had an excellent morning tea and saw high above a young, pale WEDGE-TAILED EAGLE. Beyond Eden the road and bush was rather dull and we added a JACKY WINTER to the list. At Bega we went off to the right to Bermagui — a delightful road and a relief after the last 60 miles. We stopped just before Bermagui to collect the seeds of a new Callistemon and | saw both the WHITE-NAPED and BROWN-HEADED HONEYEATERS as well as a flock of PIED CURRAWONG and a WHITE-BREASTED SEA EAGLE sailing high 65 [page number] [24.11.53] above an inlet. At Bermagui were six GODWITS of undetermined sp? [species] and far out at sea were very large numbers of SHEARWATER moving South — obviously unidentified also. We met the Princes Highway again at Tilba and spun along good bitumen to Narooma where we had afternoon tea and so on to Bateman's Bay in cool overcast weather with a few scattered drops of rain. We arrived at 5.30 pm. Having done 345 miles twice filling the tank at Lakes Entrance, and no drop had gone into tank in the meantime. The car has given a little carburettor®* [carburettor] trouble today, but has not held us up at all — perhaps that has helped the mileage. | also realized during the day that there were three common birds seen each day of the trip that had not gone into the notebook — WILLIE WAGTAIL, SWALLOW and FAIRY MARTIN. 66 [page number] 25.11.53 We set forth from the Hotel at 9.0 am in overcast weather, and by the time we had made a short trip down to our old Camping spot and crossed by ferry, it was 9:30. The road was very good and we had spun along gratefully on it. From Milton to Nowra we had a steady but light rain. We saw here the NOISY FRIAR-BIRD - ORIOLE - and BLACK-BACKED MAGPIE. At Nowra we had morning tea and | bought myself a dozen oysters and we moved on through Kiama, much admiring the flame-trees and jacarandas, through Woolongong *[Wollongong] to Bulli Pass on the top of which we had our lunch — myself demolishing the oysters with no ill-effects We turned into the National Park and delighted in the wildflowers some of which we collected. Then down to the lake where | set off in high hopes of many exotic birds. It was disappointing and | saw the DOLLAR-BIRD. 67 [page number] [25.11.53] WHITE-THROATED WARBLER and LITTLE FRIAR-BIRD. | walked up the track a way and back again, when a SATIN BOWER-BIRD flashed off onto a sapling and back again. | watched and to my delight found it was at its Bower. | collected Joan and went back. We examined the bower — beautifully and precisely built with many blue odds and ends about it. That was good compensation for an otherwise extraordinarily dull day for birds in the National Park — bringing my total for the trip up to 105 — not too bad | suppose for very continuous travel, for the extra interest in plants and the main fact that birds are 'extras' on this holiday. 26 — 27.11.53 Two days spent in Sydney — on (167) the latter we went up as far as St Ives and Epping to nurseries. Two more birds were added to the list — LITTLE WATTLE-BIRD and BULBUL. Tomorrow we are off again to the Blue Mountains. 68 [page number] 28.11.53 We got away from the hotel at 10.45 (15) and having picked up some goods in the (104) City began our way out west at noon. By 1.0 pm we had got through Penrith and Emu Plains and made our way up Mitchell's Pass where we stopped at Lennox Bridge for lunch. There | saw a STRIATED THORNBILL and another bird which | could not then identify but next day found was the ROCK WARBLER. We went on slowly through the towns along the ridge, stopping once to see Bentley's [guess] Nurseries. We settled our things into the Ritz Hotel, Leura, and took a short drive to Echo Point where we had our first view to the south of the "Blue Mountains", and had had a short walk round to the cascade. 29.11.53 Wasa Sunday and a very quiet (13) day spent mostly reading in beautiful (109) weather in the grounds of the hotel. Before lunch we went fe in the car round Cliff Drive, looking at the view 69 [page number] [26-—27.11.55] from the various vantage points, and collecting a few seeds of plants. Before tea we went again to Echo Point where again | saw and identified the Rock Warbler, spending a quiet hour in the bush. 30.11.53 We went straight after breakfast (9) to Narrow Neck where we walked south, (110) for a mile or so onto the high land south of Katoomba. On the way we came across a family of CHESTNUT-TAILED HEATH-WRENS, the young tailless and unable to fly. | had a magnificent view of them and when | caught one young, had both parents ambling [guess] in feigned injury around me. It was hot and windless and we were very much out of condition. At 4.0 pm. we went by car to Govets *[Govetts] Leap and viewed the more forbidding mountains and valleys to the east as the wind mounted and the weather changed for the worse. 70 [page number] Dec 1% 1953. (60) (124) We left the hotel at 9.15, turning back to the east, and, having picked up our plants at the nursery, were out of the Blue Mountains by 10.30 and it was getting hot. We turned south after Penrith and travelled to the Hume Highway at Narella *[Narellan], just north of Campden *[Camden]. It was the first them we had been in the unpopulated plains west of the divide — typical N.S.W. [New South Wales]. landscapes — undulating with tall gums scattered in the paddocks, rivers lined with trees, much Callitris — all red soil and shimmering. In this stretch | saw the RED-BACKED PARROT and SPOTTED PARDALOTE. We went through Bowral and Mittagong — and had our lunch in a dry piece of scrub, in the shade of a pine. ARUFOUS WHISTLER was singing in the ti-tree behind us and it was only he[re] [guess] that we saw the first SKYLARK. Not long after lunch | stopped at one of those spots that is full of birds — and to my list | added BROWN TREE-CREEPER, DIAMOND FIRETAIL 71 [page number] [Dec 1° 1953] Dec 4" [1953] (42) (134) WHITE-WINGED TRILLER (on nest). CHOUGH (nest only) and STRIATED PARDALOTE. Many others as well including a pair | never caught up with to identify. Then on through Goulbourn *[Golburn], we turned off to the left — south — to Canberra. By the road was a very large reedy swamp in which were both MUSK DUCK and HARDHEAD. Later we stopped again by L. George on which were at least 100 PELICANS, AVOCET and four pairs of WOOD DUCK. Just as we pulled up, on a small weedy dam on the other side of the road, | was just in time to see a Little Grebe cover its eggs with weed and slip off the nest. And so into Canberra — 216 miles: the longest to date. But a day of new country which was interesting despite the heat, and 14 new birds for the list. There had been nothing of ornithological interest to report in the preceding two days. We left the Canberra Hotel at 9.45 and out on the Yass road. 72 [page number] [Dec 4° 1953] The day was hot and close with a north westerly blowing hard. The country was dry red, and steeply undulating. On this stretch | saw WHITE-BROWED WOOD SWALLOW and the RUFOUS SONG-LARK. We resumed the Hume Highway and continued on it to Gundagai, on which stretch we met the RAINBOW BIRD. It was sweltering hot at Gundagai, with dark clouds rolling up. So we went to the river, got into our bathers (when it teamed with rain) and had the most refreshing swim. — QUAIL! And so onto the Wagga road where we stopped to eat some fruit — our only desire for lunch. Just before Wagga | stopped to have a look round and saw our first Gata GALAHS and LITTLE LORIKEETS. There too were birds which | am sure were ELEGANT PARROTS. At Wagga we had another swim in very nice pool — opened only 6 days previously. At half-past four we moved 73 [page number] [Dec 4° 1953] onto the last stage of our journey — 91 miles to Lockhardt *[Lockhart] — all of which except a few miles of reconstruction was a perfect bitumen surface. Just before Lockhart we saw a CRESTED PIGEON, a pair of APOSTLE-BIRDS and a small flock of BLUE BONNETS. We arrived at the hotel — the room stifling despite storm clouds, intermittent spattering of heavy warm rain, and gusty wind. The night of which it is best to have an early night. The only sad thing is that | seem to have lost, probably at Yass where we filled with petrol, my car log-book. It may turn up in the indescribable mass of luggage in the car. 5.12.53 | woke early, fortunately, and set out (51) at 5.30 to have a look round. It was a (141) cool sunny morning and full of bird-calls. The country was flat with as much buloke and below as there was eucalypt. There | saw WEE MASKED WOOD-SWALLOW, RESTLESS FLYCATCHER 74 [page number] [5.12.53] BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE and GREY-CROWNED BABBLER. We set off from the New Gunyah Hotel at 9.0 pm., travelling west, past large stands of belar (Callitris). Just west of Urana, is a large lake —a mass of dead trees in shallow evaporating, the banks of which had a vigorous copice growth in which was a White- plumed Honeyeater feeding young in a nest and in which | got an extremely good view of a Pardalote — red-spot & white on primaries [guess] + all. We filled with petrol at Jerilderie, had some tea and toast and went on west, with the creek running by us on the north, being fed by creeks over which we crossed — reedy & full of warblers, being a faint reminder of Wanganella. Just before Cobargo, | pulled the car in under the shade and went for a short walk along one of those creeks. There | saw YELLOW ROSELLAS in pairs, and, crossing the creek on a log, came into a 75 [page number] [5.12.53] | coppice growth in which were a CHESTNUT-TAILED THORNBILL and BROWN WEEBIL. Arriving back at the car | found | had a puncture! From there we travelled comfortably on the wide dirt roads, gravel or bitumen, through completely flat country to Deniliquin, where we turned south, past Mathoura, to Echuca. No new birds were to be seen, and once in Victoria again, we sped south to Rochester along that straight smooth road. We had intended to spend the night there, but because | had had no confirmation of my booking, and because we were early, we went on to Bendigo, where we booked in at the Shamrock. 6.12.53 Off at 9.0 in the morning with our (63) boxes [?] headed for home — through (148) Castlemaine, Daylesford, to Ballarat. | stopped a few times for birds. We had a brief lunch in Ballarat and went on south, reluctantly, slowing speed as we approached Colac. At Loch Calvert, 76 [page number] [6.12.53] | soent nearly an hour and added a few birds to the list - WHITE EGRET, CRESTED GREBE, PINK-EARED DUCK, SHARP- TAILED SANDPIPER, CURLEW SANDPIPER and Httle LITTLE STINT. As, at 2.45, we eventually drove in our gate we heard the GREY BUTCHER-BIRD calling! It has been an extremely lazy holiday — for birds | have merely kept my eyes open and did the occasional ‘potter’. The highlights were the Bower-bird's bower and the Heath-wren family. JAN 23°°-29" — Caravanning Holiday. [1953] (53) | write this on September 1° 1954, Circa [guess] | fear been very lazy in writing this diary up. However, before | make the annual summary | feel | should mention two bird outings — the first caravanning holiday with the three elder children. That was of course not primarily birding. We were first to Merricks where Michael had 77 [page number] [JAN 23° — 29% 1954] been staying a week with Aunt Molly. We stayed there two nights and the only thing of interest was a WHITE-BROWED SCRUB WREN which was feeding a young PALLID CUCKOO. On the Monday morning we went on to Waratah Bay just on the western bay of Wilson's Promontory, where we had a sunny camp in the ti-tree scrub. A few yards from the caravan | found a WHIP-BIRD'S nest with 2 young in it. Also | saw large numbers of SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER in the Bay and found one fresh, dead bird on the beach. It was a good holiday — remarkably so — but | really outing saw the avifauna which | would have expected to see in the district. We came home in the one day on the 29" January with the weather steadily deteriorating! All told the total list of birds for the holiday was fifty-three — which shows meagre ornithological activity! 78 [page number] March. 5% 1954. It was a Friday evening (77) and | left about 5.0 pm. to stay the total for 317 weekend with Max McGarvie just N.E. of Cavendish. Just out of Cavendish | killed an OWLET-NIGHTJAR in my car's radiator, which was a new bird to Max and put me nicely on top to start with. March 6" [1954] — Max was working in the morning so | wandered round close to the house — noting with interest, large numbers of RAINBOW LORIKEETS together with MUSK, LITTLE and PURPLE- CROWNED LORIKEETS — which made all four occurring in Southern Victoria. In the afternoon we went into the scrub at the southern tip of the Grampians. It was misty open forest, swamping in parts, and near to the ranges, the undergrowth got much thicker. Birds of interest that we saw this day were EMU - SACRED KINGFISHER - WHITE-BROWED BABBLERS - BLACK-[CAPPED SITELLA] 79 [page number] [March 5'°1954] — [BLACK] CAPPED SITELLA (probably) - MISTLETOE-BIRD. BROWN-HEADED HONEYEATER - FUSCOUS HONEYEATER - and YELLOW-TUFTED HONEYEATER March 7* [1954] — was a most magnificent (67) bird day — the outstanding one for the whole season's birding. We went up the highway on the Horsham route and stopped first at a large swamp on the right of the road, just on the edge of the rising ground to the east. There was not as much there as we had hoped — we came across a flock of CHOUGHS and heard the LITTLE GRASS-BIRD. We also came across a tortoise, the first native tortoise | had ever seen. When Max poked it, it raised its backside and squirted him fair and square with a vilely smelling excretion which made me hoot with mirth. For the rest of the day | kept to windward of Max. We moved on from there to 80 [page number] [March 7° 1954] that spot on the road to Horsham where it crosses the Glenelg River. It was a beautiful spot where we had lunch and a long snoop round. We saw AZURE KINGFISHER, DARTERS, the LITTLE EAGLE (a good find) & NANKEEN NIGHT-HERON. All told we saw fifty-three species at that spot from 12.0 noon — 4.0 pm — the same number as a week's caravanning! That day we saw a total of sixty- seven species. We returned home in time for tea and then | made the long and tedious trip home that night. SUMMARY 1953 — 54. Another quiet year — two holidays — a family picnic — and a week-end with Max. All were good value but the time spent birding was very slight and a firm resolution is being made to get back to the birds the coming season. 81 [page number] [photo] Cherry-tree Lagoon. Glenelg R. [River] 7.3.54 [photo] [photo] 82 [page number] 29*"-4" Sept 1954. A weeks holiday in Lorne with (40) the children at Mrs Doug's house. We had Susie with us, and for two nights, Dani [guess] Armond. It was a really good family holiday with variable weather — for the most part fine and cloudy, with one day light rain. Over an inch of rain has fallen since we have been here but fortunately most of it has been at night. We arrived late on Saturday night. Sunday was fine and a day for the beaches. On Monday we went in the afternoon up to the She-oak Falls. On Tuesday up to Phantom Falls from Allenvale. On Wednesday morning | went for Dani [guess] and in the afternoon the rest of the family walked down the George from Allenvale, where [?] and | went to meet them at the mouth of the river. Thursday was the wet day and in the morning | took the family up to Teddy's [guess] Lookout & back via Lorne. In the afternoon the three adult females went up to the Phantom 83 [page number] [29*-4"" Sept 1954] Falls with every intention of coming back through the Canyon, but Dani was not able to make the grade far past the falls. On Friday morning we went to the Cumberland, which was well flooded but we managed to get quite a way up. Julian did an amazing walk and scramble (quite happily) for one who only 3 % yrs. In the afternoon Joan took Dani back to Queenscliff — Saturday home. Birds can almost be said to be negligble* [negligible] — a total of 40. —less (by far) than a few hours on the Glenelg [River]. A pair of immature Pacific Gulls were (I think) the first of the species | have seen at Lorne, if not the whole Otway Coast. FANTAIL CUCKOOS were calling in the gullies which | was surprised at (31.8.54). Apart from that there was only the avifauna that one would expect as basic at Lorne — in fact | would put it at that figure — 40. But it was an excellent family holiday! 84 [page number] 25" September 1954. (19) — The start of a holiday for just Joan and myself — motoring to Adelaide. It was a Saturday afternoon and we left later than we had meant to, for Portland. It was a fast trip and not much notice was taken of birds — just a stop to watch some SWAMP-HARRIERS; the only other two observations of any interest, being the BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE, and a family of young SPUR-WINGED PLOVER crossing the road. A total of a mere nineteen birds was seen — EASTERN SWAMPHEN HOARY-HEADED GREBE SILVER GULL WHITE IBIS WHITE EGRET WHITE-FACED HERON WHITE-NECKED HERON SWAN WHISTLING EAGLE SWALLOW MAGPIE LARK NOISY MINER RED WATTLE-BIRD PIPIT RAVEN WHITE-BACKED MAGPIE 85 [page number] Sept 26" (8) [?] [photo] Joan sitting in front of the Richmond Hotel, Portland Sunday morning Sept 26". [1954] We had been, for a short time the previous evening at Noel Learmouth's house, and while there had made arrangements to go out the next day. Consequently the Learmouth's collected us from the hotel at 10.30 and we went out the Bridgewater road and collected Cliff Beauglehole, then turned in a track on the right, which was in fact the old road from Portland to Nelson. We were joined there by the Rawlson Thompsons, recently retired to Portland and out for the day rather 86 [page number] [September 26" 1954] than out for birds. My chief aim was to see some Sitellas and if possible to identify the species. We did in fact hear a flock that day some way off but we never caught sight of it, nor did | see any sign of the bird for the rest of the holiday! Cliff and | went off ona short walk and | will long remember the sight an EASTERN SHRIKE-TIT in a Coast Wattle — Ac sophora [Acacia sophorae] — it was a magnificent ef conjunction of yellows, green and black. In fact that day can be largely remembered for its wild-flowers, with which Cliff Beauglehole was well acquainted — Ac. [Acacia] myrtifolia, the Boronias, Heaths and Peas. We spent short walk-abouts in various localities — the most interesting bird being the BLACK-WINGED CURRAWONG in the bush, and, when we arrived back at the harbour, the 87 [page number] [Sept 26" 1954] BLACK-FACED CORMORANT — a bird for which | must keep my eyes open on our own coasts. [photo] Afternoon-tea 26-9-54. L-R [left to right] — Joan, Mrs Learmouth, Cliff Beauglehole, Noel Learmouth, Mrs, and Mr Rawlson Thompson. BROWN THORNBILL CRESTED TERN GOSHAWK PALLID CUCKOO GREY FANTAIL NATIVE THRUSH STRIATED THORNBILL LITTLE GRASS BIRD SPOTTED PARDALOTE BROWN-HEADED HON. WHITE-EARED HON. L. BLACK CORMORANT MOUNTAIN DUCK W-TAILED EAGLE FANTAILED CUCKOO SCARLET ROBIN GOLDEN WHISTLER WH.-BR. SCRUB WREN BLUE WREN SILVEREYE E. SPINEBILL Y.-WINGED HON. L. PIED CORMORANT GREY TEAL. CRIMSON ROSELLA HORS. BR.-CUCKOO YELLOW ROBIN. B-F CUCKOO-SHRIKE RUF. BRISTLE-BIRD W-TH. TREE CREEPER WH-NAPED HONEYEATER YELLOW-FACED HON. LITTLE WATTLE-B 88 [page number] 27" Sept (51) (77) We left Portland at 9.15 and arrived at Mt. Gambier at 11.0, where we had morning coffee and collected supplies for lunch. We went of course and had a look at the lakes. [photo] Blue Lake Mt. Gambier 27.9.54. We had lunch in some mallee- type scrub at Millicent and in a walk afterwards, | met the HOODED ROBIN. The afternoon we spent travelling north up the South Australian coast, making a detour to see Beachport and Robe — the latter two towns remarkable in that the country around about was heavily 89 [page number] [27 Sept.] | covered with the Coast Wattle on which were hundreds of SPINY-CHEEKED HONEYEATERS and SINGING HONEYEATERS, We were also interested to note no less than four dead wombats by the road between the two towns. We had afternoon tea at Robe and proceeded on in good time to Kingston, where | saw the first WILLIE- WAGTAIL of the trip. CASPIAN TERN COMMON BRONZEWING MOORHEN COOT MARSH TERN BANDED PLOVER. WH-H. STILT SH-TAILED SANDPIPER BLACK DUCK BROWN HAWK NANKEEN KESTREL KOOKABURRA CHAT YELLOW-TAILED THORNBILL DUSKY WOODSWALLOW TAWNY-CR. HONEYEATER RED-BROWED FINCH GREY-BUTCHER-BIRD 28" Sept — | was up at 5.30 in (65) the morning and went for the (94) long walk out to the end of the pier 90 [page number] [photo] Hotel — Kingston. S.A. [South Australia] 28.9.54 [photo] Jetty — Kingston S.A. [South Australia] 28.9.54 91 [page number] [28th Sept. ] The jetty was 2/3 of a mile in length so by the time | had returned and also had a look round a nearby swamp, | was ready for my breakfast. We left Kingston at 9.0, having high hopes for the Coorong, past which we were to travel, most of the day. At first the Coorong was a stretch of shallow water the edges of which were thickly grown with melaleuca scrub. At the first major stop, we met the BANDED STILT — thousands upon thousands of them — in almost unbelievable numbers in huge white masses covering the water. Here too, in the scrub, was the WHITE-BROWED BABBLER. Further north the water was much more extensive and deeper, changing the character completely. The birds here were not as numerous or interesting — the main ones being the GREEN SHANK and the BLACK-TAILED GODWIT. On the whole, | 92 [page number] [28th Sept. ] 29.9.54. (24) (97) must say | was disappointed with the Coorong. At the other end of the Coorong (we had had lunch in a roadhouse at Wood's Well) was Meningie. From there we drove on without much stopping, through Tailem Bend, to Murray Bridge (a beer) and so into the Lofty Ranges, visiting Mt. [Mount] Lofty where the ADELAIDE ROSELLA was heard. We arrived at our hotel the SOUTH AUSTRALIA at 5.30 MUSK DUCK CRESTED PIGEON BL-T NATIVE HEN CRESTED GREBE PELICAN FAIRY TERN R-CAPPED DOTTEREL AVOCET LITTLE STINT. S-NECKED IBIS Y-B SPOONBILL BROWN SONGLARK. In the morning | paid a visit to Herb Condon at the Museum and spent a little time going over the Sitellas. In the afternoon we had a look about the National Park where | came on the WHITE-PLUMED HONEYEATER and LITTLE LORRIKEET. We cut across to the coast south of 93 [page number] [29.9.54] 30" Sept [1954] ({?]) ({?]) Adelaide and went up the coast to Port Adelaide, haring the REED-WARBLER when we crossed the Torrens. We went south down the coast, looking in at the beach resorts. At Noarlunga | spotted a Black-capped Dotterell's nest with two eggs. We had beer and sandwiches before eventually reaching C. [Cape] Jervis in the early afternoon. From there we travelled east on the Range Rd to Victor Harbour where we had a walk round Granite Is. Then onto Goolwa where we saw one of the large barges at the mouth of the Murray R. with its large population of cormorants and pelicans. Then home again arriving after dark, to see Adelaide lit up below us as we came came over the ranges. BLACK CORMORANT — PIED CORMORANT BL.-FA. DOTTEREL HARDHEAD BRUSH BRONZEWING P-CR. LORRIKEET GALAH BL-WINGED PARROT FAIRY MARTIN STRIATED PARD. RED-BACKED PARROT 94 [page number] 1* October 1954. 2™4 October [1954] (57) (26) Was spent in Adelaide. We paid a visit to the zoo and were most impressed with the birds. | was particularly keen to see the Blue-winged and Elegant together for comparison, and they were the only two Neophema which had returned to the shade of their box!. We also visited the Botanical Gardens, the National Gallery, and a wild-flower exhibition. We set off from Adelaide on our long journey home. North through [photo] Murray R. at Blanche Town — downstream 95 [page number] [15* October 1954] Gawler, into the Barossa Valley which we found most interesting, to Blanche Town — dry and arid. There we had lunch by the Murray. [photo] Blanche-Town Murray R. [River] — up. stream. After crossing the Murray by ferry it was not very far to Waikerie, most of the way through mallee in which | spent a lot of time and where my two best finds were BLUE-WHITE WREN & CH. QUAIL-THRUSH. SACRED KINGFISHER FORK-T. KITE WHITE COCKATOO RED-KNEED DOTTEREL YELLOW ROSELLLA B-BACKED MAGPIE NANKEEN NIGHT HERON BROWN TREE-CREEPER DUSKY MINER BROWN WEEBILL YELLOW-PLUMED HON. E. WHITEFACE JACKY WINTER LITTLE THORNBILL CR. BELLBIRD PEACEFUL DOVE 96 [page number] 3. October [1954] (66) (142) | was up at 5.30 and had an hour or so in the mallee before breakfast. We passed through mallee to Kingston-on-Murray where again we crossed the river by punt. There was much less mallee from there to Renmark, being mainly irrigation round Barmerah and Berri. However after crossing the bridge over the Murray just beyond Renmark we got into the mallee again — 90 miles of it. We had lunch besides the road where we frightened an EMU. | spent quite a time there and at many spots between our lunching place and Mildura — mallee or buloak — belar parkland. Norm Favalaro's at night. RUFOUS SONGLARK MULGA PARROT CH-CR. BABBLER CORELLA DARTER TREE-MARTIN YELLOW-THROATED MINER BLACK-BACKED WREN RING-N. PARROT CHOUGH BLUE-BONNET ROYAL SPOONBILL NOISY FRIAR-BIRD MASKED W-SWALLOW WHITE-BR TR-CREEPER 97 [page number] 4". October. (67) (52) We were a bit late leaving Mildura (10.30) and made straight for Hattah. | left Joan sun-bathing under the red-gums by the lake and did a nostalgic tour of our old haunts, first along the lake for a while then circling back through the belar country. After lunch | did a small walk through the mallee but it was too hot and all was quiet. So we left that spot at 3.30 and went on to Robinvale. | went down the Chalker Creek track for a few miles and had a walk in the iron-bark forest. There was very much less water than there had been before, and on this walk. | never got in to the lakes. We arrived at Robinvale at 5.45. REGENT PARROT RAINBOW BIRD WH-BR. W-SWALLOW_ RED-CAPPED ROBIN PURPLE-B. WREN RUFOUS WHISTLER (?) SPOTTED HARRIER. CH-T. THORNBILL LITTLE GREBE BLUE-FACED HERON 98 [page number] 5'" October [1954]. We were off from (61) Robinvale fairly early, having crossed the bridge onto the N.S.W [New South Wales] (156) side to have a look at the river there. | had one stop in ironbark and red-gum forest in the morning where | came on the LITTLE FRIAR-BIRD and the GOLDEN BRONZE-CUCKOO. We had lunch at Nyah on the banks of the Murray — see photo — [photo] and arrived at Kerang at 2.15, where we booked in. | was lucky enough to contact a Mr. Wallace with whom | went out for the rest of that afternoon. He showed 99 [page number] [5*. Oct 1954] 6'" October (59) (159) We were of *[off] to the lakes and swamps for which the district is noted. On these | saw the WOOD-DUCK and the PINK-EARED DUCK. He showed me the breeding place of the ibis but did not seem to know of the egrets rookery which | would very much like to have seen. — up at 5.30 and back to the ibis rookery. But there was not much to be seen — it is a little too inaccessible without a boat. [photo] Lagoon [guess] & swamp — site of this rookery 6.10.54 Kerang 100 [page number] [6 October 1954] We were off at 9.0 and made a fairly swift journey home, due south. | had a walk about Dunolly where | saw the YELLOW-TUFTED HONEYEATER, DIAMOND FINCH, and RESTLESS FLYCATCHER. We bought some sand wiches at Ballarat and had lunch some 17 miles further on. But the bush was very quiet — no Sitellas! And home at 3.0 pm, the end of the holiday. Though it was only meant to be a family holiday, with birds taking a second place, it was in fact very successful orinthologically. | met Condon and Favaloro and tolled [guess] up a list of 166 (incl. 7 introduced species) — a very large total for the slam-on-the-brakes type of bird-watching. Four days saw 60 birds and another four over 50. A very good holiday. 101 [page number] 6" November 1954 A few days after returning [margin](44)[/margin]from our holiday | was completely bowled over by a pneumonia and today | left on my week's solitary convalescence at the Richmond Hotel Portland. | left home straight after lunch and made my first stop at the Black Swamp, Stoneyford. | had seen some WHITE IBIS $2} perched in on tree and it was with faint hopes of their nesting that | went to investigate. No luck as far as that was concerned but with them, was one STRAW-NECKED IBIS and two YELLOW-BILLED SPOONBILLS. Chattering heavily was a SACRED KINGFISHER, and over the SWAMP was a GOSHAWK and a SWAMP HARRIER. On the swamp itself were only SWANS. SPUR-WINGED PLOVERS, MOUNTAIN DUCK and EASTERN SWAMPHEN. The next visit was to L.[Lake] Purrumbeet *[Purrumbete] on the advise of Bruce Amos who had camped there last February 102 [page number] [6° November 1954] with David Morgan [guess]. Bruce had seen both Marsh and Spotless Crakes and had given me directions and a sketch — map of where they were. The spot | found easily enough and settled myself, standing quietly in the sodden ground, near to the carex [guess] tussocks. Half-an-hours stillness produced no results at all and that was all the time | could afford. On the lake itself were COOT, MUSK DUCK, HOARY- HEADED GREBE and CRESTED GREBE. In the surrounding grass were many GOLDEN-HEADED FANTAIL-WARBLERS. Standing there | heard the three CUCKOOS — PALLID, FAN-TAILED and GOLDEN BRONZE-. Then on, not very fast to Portland. For the whole trip, while travelling | saw. - SPARROW, STARLING, BLACKBIRD, GOLDFINCH, SKYLARK, DUSKY MOORHEN, SILVER GULL, BROWN HAWK, WHITE-FACED HERON, WHITE-NECKED HERON, GALAH, WHITE 103 [page number] [6° November 1954] CUCKATOO, BLUE-WINGED PARROT, KOOKABURRA, SWALLOW, FAIRY MARTIN, MAGPIE-LARK, BLACK-FACED CUCKOO-SHRIKE, WHITE-FRONTED CHAT, LITTLE GRASS-BIRD, STRIATED FIELD-WREN, PIPIT, RAVEN MAGPIE, YELLOW-TAILED THORNBILL — [?] SONGLARK: | arrived at the Richmond at 5:45, exactly 6 weeks after Joan and | had booked in on our way to Adelaide! 7" November Wet and windy. A walk to the end of the pier in the morning (49) when three CORMORANTS — PIED, BLACK-FACED and LITTLE BLACK were seen on the baths, and a YELLOW-WINGED HONEYEATER in the streets. Two hours sleep after dinner + then a walk out to the end of the breakwater what | had a beautiful view of a CRESTED TERN. Home and a bath before tea — lovely life! 8'" November — A grey day with a south- (66) easterly wind and a threat of rain. | went off in the car to the south on 104 [page number] [November 8" 1954] the C.Nelson road. The country was health land and a coastal scrub of melaleuca, wattle and eucalypt, all stunted and blown flat. | explored a few sandy tracks and eventually ended up at the light-house. The birds met were the RUFOUS BRISTLE-BIRD, TAWNY HONEYEATER and SINGING HONEYEATERS BL W. Currawongs. | came back to Portland and set off on another southerly road, but to the east of the C. Nelson Road. The country was much the same so | returned and found a small patch of light bush a few acres in extent, just before reaching the town. | spent nearly an hour here, strolling through it and added to the list WILLIE-WAGTAIL, NATIVE THRUSH, SILVEREYE, BLUE WREN, RED WATTLE-BIRD, GREY FANTAIL, WHITE-NAPED HONEYEATER STRIATED THORNBILL and GOLDEN WHISTLER + GREY TERN. | called at the museum on my way back and saw a most 105 [page number] [November 8" 1954] 9" November [1954] extraordinary collection of junk — mostly shells, with a few cases of stuffed birds, unlabelled, Not worth it, but | suppose | could scarcely not have gone while | was here. At 4.0 | took the car out beyond the golf-links but it was windy with drizzling rain and all | saw was a BRUSH BRONZEWING. | forgot to say, by the way that in the morning | had seen a BLACK CORMORANT over the town. After breakfast | went for a walk along the pier. It was a grey day with a cold southerly blowing and the water was breaking over the [?] benches —so move them. From the end of the pier | saw, far out to sea, a GANNET and several ALBATROSSES. At 11.0 | drove out on the Bridgewater road to Trewalla and there turned north. | made a few brief stops, during which | saw the EASTERN 106 [page number] [9. November 1954] — [EASTERN] SPINEBILL, BROWN THORNBILL, CRIMSON ROSELLA, SCARLET ROBIN and DUSKY WOOD-SWALLOW. The most thing however was a tortoise walking along the road — smelly [guess] things. | returned home by 12.0 in drizzling driving rain which looks as if it has set in for the rest of the day. Noel Learmouth looked in in the afternoon and we had a fine chat. November 10th. A much better day, clear up well during the afternoon. After T(81) breakfast | drove down the tracks | (40) had followed two days previously but saw nothing new — a Blue-winged Parrot being the only bird of interest | called out to Learmouth for morning-tea and examined his beach-washed specimens and admired his roses, which were superb. After lunch, Noel called for me, and we drove a few miles to the east of the town and did some beach-combing, 107 [page number] [November 10° 1954] We covered about a mile of beach and in that distance, found 50 SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATERS, 4 FAIRY PRIONS, 3 FAIRY PENGUINS, one THICK-BILLED PENGUIN, one FLUTTERING SHEARWATER, one WHITE-HEADED PETREL and a STORM-PETREL, so far not identified. The last four were first-rate and important finds and of course, [crossed out] Noel was delighted. We also saw a flock of about 40 waders, which are provisionally identified as LITTLE STINTS. In the evening | attended the monthly Portland Naturalists Society's meeting. The minutes were concerned with the preservation of a sanctuary and the possible establishment of a quarterly publication. Then specimens were called for, some of which were interesting. Noel brought his beach-washed specimens — the "Storm- Petrel" of the evening afternoon was identified as a DIVING-PETREL and 108 [page number] [November 10° 1954] November 11th. [1954] T(93) (47) the Little Stints were indubitably so! Finally the president, Ossie Lightbody showed some colour slides, most of which confirmed his statement that he was a beginner, but he had one superb one of Bridgwater Bay. So ended the day — memorable for its beach-combing which added at least two New Birds and, even if | have notes on the other two, it is pretty sure that | at last met them for the first time! — dawned beautifully fine. Before breakfast | went a couple of hundred yards along the beach and found 5 Mutton-birds. Then off to Nelson for the day. | made a slow trip via the Princes Highway stopping at odd intervals to look and listen, and adding to the list JACKIE WINTER, YELLOW-FACED HONEYEATER, WHITE-BROWED SCRUB-WREN, WHITE-EARED [HONEYEATER] 109 [page number] [November 11° 1954] | [WHITE-EARED] HONEYEATER, YELLOW-TAILED BLACK COCKATOO and YELLOW ROBIN. The bush by the Glenelg is very fine though not, by the road, very dense. It should make a wonderful National Park. There is very little at Nelson to see, and after a milk shake | went on the beach track where Blue-winged Parrots were very common and | could see, on an island in the river, four Pelca PELICANS, and a flock of MARSH T. | settled myself in the sand-dunes and then walked about ”% mile up the beach finding 10 Mutton Birds only. Back for beer and sandwiches after which | rather unwisely went to sleep on my back in the sun, clad only in bathing trunks. As a result lam now fairly tingling! | made another short beach walk in the other direction finding 5 more Mutton-birds only. A pair of HOODED DOTTEREL were 110 [page number] [November 11° 1954] November 12°". [1954] r (102) (43) on the beach. The weather was deteriorating with a strong N-W wind & high cloud. So | packed up and left. | in the scrub covering the sand dunes were LITTLE WATTLE-BIRDS and SPINY-CHEEKED HONEYEATER. | returned the way | had come, seeing in the Glenelg forest a COMMON BRONZEWING. —a clear day with a very strong westerly wind and occasional showers. | drove out to the Bridgewater Lakes and the sand-dunes to the west were half-hidden in blown sand. | saw a pair of BUDGERIGAR there feeding by the side of the road, and having great difficulty managing with the wind. Then to Bridgewater Bay which was looking beautiful, particularly the shadows of clouds racing across the headland. Then out to the Blowholes which were not functioning as such, but a fine sea was running [guess]. On the way back | saw a WEDGE-TAILED [EAGLE] 111 [page number] [November 12 1954] | [WEDGE-TAILED] EAGLE and a GREENFINCH. Then into the old Nelson track where | stepped in the shelter of Bat Ridge where we had had lunch on our holiday. It was sheltered there but no birds were seen, though | wandered round with the rifle, hopefully looking for Sittellas. After lunch (which | had had at Bat Ridge) Noel Learmouth called for me and we went first to the swamp by the Freezing Works. There we found MANED GOOSE & CHESTNUT TEAL & L. PIED CORMORANT. Then north a few miles to the Woolwash, a site on a stream, open dairy country on one side and the thickly wooded slopes of Mt Clay on the other. | saw the EASTERN ROSELLA, WHITE-THROATED TREE- CREEPER and a nest of the RED-BROWED FINCH. Not much else was seen before returning, going by way of a Goshawks nest on which could be seen, three well grown young. 112 [page number] Nov. 13 [1954] T (104) February 1955 916" Early next morning | left for home and did a fast run — picking up two species — NOISY MINER + WHISTLING EAGLE. That is a very good total for a “quiet week", but the memorable occasion in it was the beachcombing which was quite a new experience. We went on a family holiday, caravanning at Bridgewater Bay with all four children. It was Strictly family, but we did go in and visit Noel Learmouth on one occasion. Points of interest were flocks of RED WATTLE- BIRDS of up to 50 by Bats Ridge, a pair of HOODED DOTTERELL with two immature on sandy beach and one BLUE-WINGED PARROT. Never, | think have | had less to say, ornithologically ona weeks holiday in the countryside! 113 [page number] 26" March 1955 | went on a visit to (6) Max McGarvie — just a year after my previous visit. | had travelled up on the previous (Friday) night and had a long chat with Max & Helen before retiring. In the morning | drove into Cavendish for a refill of petrol and to get a few things for Helen and, up to lunch had seen the following — WEDGE-TAILED EAGLE, WHISTLING EAGLE, BROWN HAWK, MUSK LORIKEET, WHITE COCKATOO, EASTERN ROSELLA, RED-BACKED PARROT, KOOKABURRA, SWALLOW, TREE-MARTIN, WILLIE WAGTAIL, RESTLESS FLYCATCHER, BROWN THORNBILL, YELLOW-TAILED THORNBILL, BLUE WREN, MAGPIE- LARK, MAGPIE, YELLOW-TUFTED HONEYEATER, WHITE-PLUMED HONEYEATER, NOISY MINER, PIPIT, RAVEN and GOLDFINCH. After lunch we went off on the same track we had gone on 6.3.54 at the foot of the western slopes and then in a gate in to the right till we found a 114 [page number] [26"" March 1955] good spot to camp for the night. This brought us in to quite different country and to new birds too - SWAMPHEN, PURPLE-CROWNED LORIKEET, CRIMSON ROSELLA, JACKY WINTER, SCARLET ROBIN, GREY FANTAIL, BLACK- FACED CUCKOO-SHRIKE, WHITE-BROWED SCRUB-WREN, DUSKY WOOD-SWALLOW, GRAY THRUSH, YELLOW ROBIN, WHITE-THROATED TREE-CREEPER, BROWN TREE-CREEPER, SILVEREYE, STRIATED PARDALOTE, SPOTTED PARDALOTE, WHITE-NAPED HONEYEATER, EASTERN SPINEBILL, FUSCOUS HONEYEATER, YELLOW-FACED HONEYEATER, WHITE-EARED HONEYEATER, YELLOW-WINGED HONEYEATER, RED WATTLE-BIRD, RED-BROWED FINCH, CHOUGH, GREY CURRAWONG, PIED CURRAWONG, BLACKBIRD, BLACK- FRONTED DOTTEREL, RUFOUS WHISTLER, BUFF-TAILED THORNBILL and LITTLE WATTLE-BIRD. When we had got our camp fixed up, we set off up the "first spring’, i.e. the Southernmost stream flowing west off the slopes of the mountains. We kept on the western bank until near the top when we 115 [page number] [26"" March 1955] 27" March [1955] (8) 71 crossed and went right over the source and down again on the north slope — keeping out to the north on more heathy country on our return to the camp which we reached about 5.30 pm. Birds seen on this part -GANG-GANGS, HYLACOLA, MOUNTAIN THRUSH, EMU-WREN, GOLDEN WHISTLER, TAWNY-CROWNED HONEYEATER, CRESCENT HONEYEATER, STRIATED FIELD-WREN & BLACKBIRD. The next morning we were a little lazy and not on the move before 9.0 am. We headed north over a shoulder of heathland to the "second- spring’ and followed it eastwards up into the mountains. Though we kept up from the melaleuca thickets along the stream itself, the going was pretty rough, particularly as we had to get through such thickets to cross small tributaries. We worked our way along the stream which at first turned south, 116 [page number] [27 March 1955] __ and then east again until we climbed up onto a ledge over which the water fell in rapids and where we disturbed three mighty Wedge-tailed Eagles. There we had lunch and, with pack considerably lightened set off down stream on the right (northern) bank. Again we had to push across tributaries, and on the whole the going was rougher on the slopes that did not get so much sun. At one spot we stopped and admired two Eagles, perched on rocks nearly a thousand feet above us. Behind and above them, flew a flock of small birds, just visible with glasses. Max said '| wonder what they are?’ to which | said "Sitellas, of course”. The flock swooped down the hillside and very kindly flew into the trees around us. Max's "By God, they are 117 [page number] [27° March 1955] Sitellas was good to hear!! They were very definitely BLACK-CAPPED SITELLAS. The going was very rough and at one stage, Max who was in front of me staggered backwards. | gave him what | thought was a helpful push, to be answered with an irate yell, for he was backing from a large snake — our fourth for the day. We had come well down the stream before we spotted the track below us, that Max had found ona previous occasion. We dropped thankfully down onto it and to easier walking. We walked upstream again to the weir which the track served, rested and then set off down the track at about 3.30. The track was easy walking, but led gradually to the north to skirt a large swamp on which was a WHITE-FACED HERON. 118 [page number] [27° March 1955] By the time we had got past the swamp we were well to the north of our camp so we turned south through red-gum country, with scattered melaleuca thickets and heath. We were well out in our reckoning for we walked and walked and seemed to get nowhere. At long last we picked up a track which we recognized as that on which we called the "minnow-stream"(p 78). Though we picked up the track a full two miles from the "minnow-stream" (which was the 'second-spring' just above the swamp) we still had over a mile to go to our camp. On this last stretch we saw the HOODED ROBIN and a pair of EMUS with six young. We got back to the car at 6.0 pm — quite exhausted, having probably done 15 miles for the day, half of it at least since [guess] 119 [page number] [27 March 1955] leaving the weir. When we got home we were too tired to eat — an experience | have rarely had — actually it would probably be called exhaustion! A Boobook OWL called just before | left on my 135 mile drive home. It was a magnificent week-end, the exploration being just as much fun as the birds or the botany in which Max has become very interested [MAP p. 126] 17" April 1955 A Sunday. | went out with Bill and Joan Middleton, who are now living at Forest. It was a bad day for birds — very windy. Very little was seen anda complete list was not kept. We went along Barry's [guess] Road, we turned south along each access road. The first one brought us out near Burtons Lookout, the second to a patch of 120 [page number] [17° April 1955] 30! April 1955 (40) burnt scrub, the Carlisle Rd and Tomahawk Creek roads we ignored and went on through Irrewillipe on the Bungador road. Then up the east — west Forests Commission road as far as we could get, where we stopped for lunch. We turned back a bit and came out at Irrewillipe, then reached the FC [Forest Commission] road again on the Carlisle Road and so eastward, with the occasional stop to Burton's \lookout and leave about 3.30. The only birds of interest were DUSKY WOODSWALLOWS and BUFF-TAILED THORNBILLS. But it was good to get out with Bill again and meet Joan. We set off again to Max & the Grampians. This time | took Bob and Bill Middleton and we left at about 9.30 on Saturday morning, going by Mortlake, 121 [page number] [30° April 1955] Penhurst and Dunkeld. We saw the usual birds of the Western District — SPUR-WINGED PLOVER, BROWN HAWK, EASTERN ROSELLA and just outside Caramut [guess] a flock of about 70 Corellas. We arrived about lunch time and after our meal, set off down the track we had been on five weeks previously. At one stage we had been planning to get up to the ledge where we had had lunch previously and camp the night there, but we got a bit weak-minded about it and decided to camp in comparative comfort by the car. So we went instead to the end of the track to the "minnow-pool”. We walked on a bit and got into a good area for birds — EMU (flock of 11). WHISTLING EAGLE, WEDGE- TAILED EAGLE. GANG-GANGS, CRIMSON ROSELLAS, KOOKABURRA, SWALLOW, TREE-MARTIN, 122 [page number] [30° April 1955] JACKY WINTER, GRAY FANTAIL, WILLIE-WAGTAIL, STRIATED THORNBILL, WHITE-BROWED SCRUB- WREN, BLUE-WREN, DUSKY-WOODSWALLOW, MAGPIE LARK, GRAY THRUSH, MAGPIE, YELLOW ROBIN, WHITE-BROWED TREECREEPER, SILVEREYE, WHITE-NAPED HONEYEATER, EASTERN SPINEBILL, YELLOW-FACED HONEYEATER, WHITE-EARED HONEYEATER, YELLOW-TUFTED HONEYEATER, YELLOW-WINGED HONEYEATER, NOISY MINER, PIPIT, LITTLE WATTLE-BIRD, RED-BROWED FINCH, RAVEN, GREY CURRAWONG, PIED CURRAWONG, BLACK BIRD & FLAME ROBIN. Considerable excitement was caused, shortly after we had stopped, by my seeing a BLACK-CHINNED HONEYEATER — which was a "new-bird" for all three ornithologists present. We were in the centre of a flock and had quite a good look at them for some time. We moved the car on right up to the spring and made ourselves a good fine and 123 [page number] [30° April 1955] May 1% 1955 (?) turned in fairly comfortably at about 8.0 pm. We all woke at 5.45 — it had been a mild night fortunately, and we were to be blessed with the perfect autumn day — cloudless, windless and mild. We got away from camp fairly early and by crossing the stream and 150 yards or so of heath we came onto the track which had previously led Max and | so far astray. We turned right and walked up stream to the weir (9.30) and then on the route we took previously to the lunch-time ledge (where we had thought of camping) at 10.30. After a beer we left our packs and walked up the stream, eastwards, on the south bank. It became almost gorge-like in parts and we eventually climbed to a rocky outcrop and surveyed our position. We were | suppose 2/3 of 124 [page number] [May 15%. 1955] the way up the stream, which there was {2} same way north of us and we were more than half way up one of those long western slopes so common to the Grampians. We turned back to the ledge for lunch. Afterwards we returned northward to the eastern slopes of the valley which contained the weir. We pushed up this northward until it soon became clear we could never get to the top of it, where we plunged down into the gully. And there we got into the thickest scrub | have ever been in. It took us an hour to do roughly % mile down to the weir. Half-way we rested and watched the magnificent sight of 4 Wedge-tailed Eagles soaring in a thermal 1000’ [feet] above us. From the weir we went slowly homeward, arriving at 5.30. The birds added to the list that day were [May 15%. 1955] SCARLET ROBIN, HYLACOLA, MOUNTAIN THRUSH, BROWN THORNBILL, EMU-WREN, GOLDEN WHISTLER, BLACK- CAPPED SITELLA, STRIATED PARDALOTE, TAWNY- CROWNED HONEYEATER, CRESCENT HONEYEATER and MISTLETOE-BIRD. We wandered round the camp for an hour before returning to a meal and the long trek home. We were favoured with superb weather, had a good, long, rough tramp and picked up a new-bird. [BLANK PAGE] [FOLD OUT — MAP] 126 [page number] TASMANIAN CAMP-OUT OCT 1955 14-10-55 Joan and | flew over on the midday plane, were we met by Sam Bilson, collected [guess] a 1955 Holden line-car at it / mile [guess] and ensconced ourselves at Wrest Point. The afternoon there was a civic reception well done, without the unconscious humour usually associated with it. In the evening Sam took up out to dinner at the Beach Hotel. No birds to report with the exception of the NATIVE HEN at Devenport Aerodrome. 15.10.55 (Saturday) We went in the morning up Mt Wellington where there was of course a magnificent view, but also a biting wind. On the mountain were a BLACK CURRAWONG and a PEREGRINE FALCON. We had morning coffee at Fern Tree where we went up a gully, saw the PINK ROBIN, GOLDEN WHISTLER and BROWN SCRUB-WREN and where a leech was found climbing Joan's sock. Our descent down the gully was 127 [page number] [15.10.55] 16.10.55 much more rapid! Then across to Huonville where we had lunch, past orchards in flower which were the first of many we saw throughout the state. Then we went down the east shores of the Huon Estuary, to Cygnet, and on, following the coast closely all the way round the peninsular until we turned north on the western shore of the D'Entrecastaux Channel. At Middleton | saw my first YELLOW-THROATED HONEYEATER. So through Kingston back to Hobart —a delightful trip of exactly 100 miles. (Sunday). We prevailed upon Sam to take us in car (thereby saving a lot of money) up the Derwent Valley. We had a climb at the Bush Sun, New Norfolk and on to the Mt Field National Park via Macquarie Plains. At the Russell Falls we met the rest of the party which went on up the mountain as we went to the falls themselves and which were the most 128 [page number] [16.10.55] Impressive | have so far seen in Australia. We then went up the mount [mountain] — it was cold with a light drizzly rain and we had our lunch (an inadequate amount of sandwiches) half way up. At the top it was snowing and blowing hard and we had the most perfect walk round Lake Dobson, in thick snow. We returned (without ever catching up with the main party again) through. Plenty, and we visited the Hatcheries. Then by the same route home. Birds of the day were the BLACK CURRAWONG and EWING'S THORNBILL on Mt Field, CHESTNUT TEAL and CASPIAN TEAL on the Derwent. | was also surprised to see a PACIFIC GULL up above New Norfolk. At New Norfolk we had afternoon tea at the Sun full of antiques and went through their fantastic honeymoon cottage. 129 [page number] 17th Oct [1955] |— Monday —| flew for the day to Melbourne for Uncle Geoff's funeral and had an atrocious trip back where | was as sick as a cat! 18" (Tuesday). We left Hobart and set [October 1955] — off north — east past Cambridge Airfield passed through Serre} Sorrell and then made east and south to Dunally, the narrow isthmus connecting the Forestier Peninsular. Across that peninsular to Eaglehawk Neck where we had lunch by the Tasman Arch. From that part of the coast, there is, stretching south a large bay which was packed with MUTTON BIRDS. Dark masses of them were flowing in all directions as the afternoon ruffled the sea, as well as a huge and steady stream making north off the coast. Then on to the Arthur Hotel at Port Arthur, where we spent the rest of the afternoon walking round the ruins. In the evening there was a meeting at which 130 [page number] [18'" October 1955] 19'" (Wednesday) [October 2955] branch reports were read which | attended while Joan spent a frightful evening in the lounge where Patricia, a mentally odd lass, created havoc. After breakfast we went for a short walk during which | saw the DUSKY ROBIN and BEAUTIFUL FIRETAILS and heard the SPOTTED PARDALOTE. Then we spent the day at Eaglehawk Neck — the morning at the Arch and Blowhole and the afternoon walking along the beach to the Lufra Hotel where Joan, Hugh Wilson & | refreshed ourselves copiously of beer. | thought nothing of the brisk 35 min [minute] walk back for the car and was a bit shaken to find it was exactly the same distance as home to hospital! The MUTTON-BIRDS were not so numerous today but we saw many ALBATROSSES, a pair of PIED OYSTER CATCHERS and many BRUSH WATTLE-BIRDS. | was glad too, to meet again the BLACK-FACED CORMORANTS. 131 [page number] 20" (Thursday) was by far the most successful [October 1955] _ bird-day of the Camp-Out. We went over to the Coal Mines, through Nubeena on the north-west part of the peninsular. In the northern bay there was a grand sight of a large flock of GANNETS diving into a school of fish. The country was well wooded with light undergrowth and there were BLACK-HEADED HONEYEATERS, SWIFT PARROT, SEA-EAGLE AND YELLOW WATTLE-BIRDS. On route | had heard the OLIVE WHISTLER and we came across an echidna which amused us with its burrowing, and a dead kangaroo-rat. | had a good look there at the CLINKING CURRAWONG and feel sure it is the bird that is puzzling us in the Otways. Then someone found the FORTY-SPOTTED PARDALOTE nesting which was a great find. Michael Sharland had only seen 132 [page number] [20" October 1955] 21° (Friday) [October 1955] it once before and it had been some 25 years since its nest had been found. | had a very good view of the little greenish bird. In the evening we had a social evening at which Joan distinguished herself by answering more questions in the quiz than any of the ‘so-called ornithologists! Our last day in camp and a quiet one. In the morning we went round the beach to Stewart's Bay. We found a snake trying to eat a small possum. The head was covered with saliva but had been ejected when it stuck at the shoulders. The snake was trying to get one of the hind legs down when we found it. Even touching its tail did no more than make it twitch. However it died rapidly when | whanged it! At the Bay | saw a family of STRONG-[BILLED HONEYEATERS] 133 [page number] [21%* October 1955] [STRONG]-BILLED HONEYEATERS, the young with no tails but flying. After lunch we read for a while on a rug on the lawn and then drove out to Safety Cove and Remarkable Cave — the latter a gloomy and depressing hole in the earth, connected with the sea by a large tunnel. In the evening | am sitting writing this and planning the next stage of our holiday motoring round Tasmania. 22", (Saturday) We set off from Port Arthur [October 1955] at 8.45, having said our good-byes and Joan, unfortunately with the beginnings of a cold. By Dunally | saw a SEA-EAGLE, a pair of WEDGE-TAILED EAGLES and a BLUE-WINGED PARROT. Instead of following the Arthur Highway we kept north, past Marion Bay and got onto the Ragged Tier at Bream Creek, following it round to Killevie whence we turned north through Nugent to Buckland. | noticed the car was swaying just before 134 [page number] [23' October 1955] we got in and the rear tyre was almost flat when | pulled up at the garage. While that was being repaired, we paid a visit to the church and graveyard with some choice inscriptions + had a cup of tea by which time the car was ready. A little way out of Buckland we came across the first of two echidnas of which we had good views of normal behaviour. At the same time | could hear YELLOW-TAILED BLACK COCKATOOS. At Swansea we had a milk-shake, bought sandwiches and fruit which we ate at a spot favoured by fisherman who were there in large numbers. Shortly after | stopped to inspect a patch of bush in which | found a BROWN HAWK'S nest with 3 eggs. A bough broke as | was climbing down and | bent my thumb severely backwards. Then after 135 [page number] [22"¢ October 1955] 23". (Sunday) [October 1955] waiting a while till the hawk returned. | then rapidly put my glasses up, and in doing so threw a bit of bark in my eye and a biting ant down my shirt — | was almost speechless. So on towards Coles Bay. | paused at Moulting Lagoon where there were hundreds of SWANS with broods of small cygnets. In one case a pair had five young swimming beside them with another perched on one of the parents backs happily preening. We reached the Chateau at Coles Bay about 5.0 pm, were shown our chalet and subsided thankfully into comfort. Joan feels lousy and, as it is such a lovely spot, it is possible we may spend more that one night here. | woke early and was up and out at six. | walked round he behind the Chateau and climbed one of the 136 [page number] [23' October 1955] smaller tors from which | had a very good view of the layout. | had a good look at an Ewing's Thornbill and saw also a SEA-EAGLE. Joan woke late — still doped with Seconal — but feeling much better. After breakfast, we walked back to the Fisheries where they are going to build a cub-house and chalets. Then we attacked Mt Amos. Two-thirds way up Joan gave out, which, with her cold, was very wise. | went on up: the top was a boggy patch surrounded by granite tors, with no indication which was the best. | went up two and gota partial view of Wineglass Bay and a magnificent view south down the coast. After lunch | slept. After a cup of tea at 4.0 pm. we went off by car to Sleepy Beach, where the rock colourings were magnificent and we watched a strong off-shore wind come down the cliffs and explode. 137 [page number] [23' October 1955] 24" (Monday). [October 1955] on the sea as the ‘ruffling’ of the surface scattered in all directions. We left Coles Bay just before 9.30 am and instead of proceeding up the east coast as we had planned, turned west onto the Campbell Town road. Just as we got to the turn off the rain came down and continued solidly churning [guess] the forty odd miles through stony, uninteresting bush. At one pause in the rain | went a little way off the road and was attracted by a high, repeated piping call, which being followed up, proved to come from a SPOTTED QUAIL-THRUSH. Good views of the CLINKING CURRAWONG convinced me more than ever that it is the bird we have in the Otways. Around L. [Lake] Leake we began to see the other (Deloraine) side of Launceston. We had lunch at Campbell Town and then sped rapidly to Launceston, 137 A. [page number] [((24"" October 1955] — arriving about 2.0 pm. We booked in at the Metropole, | left the car in to be serviced and we set off by bus. We walked from the Basin up the gorge to the gardens which were intelligently planted with azaleas and maples. A walk up a very steep road and bus back to the Museum and from there to the hotel. After dinner we went to the flat of Heather Jones, zoologist at the Museum, who was on the camp out where we drank beer and chatted till 10.0 pm. 25" (Tuesday) It was a windy clear day [October 1955] when we started off from Launceston at 9.0 am and headed west. The thirty-mile trip through rolling country, green with lush pastures and given character by hawthorn hedges, poplars and other English trees in which were half-hidden old stone groves [guess] passed far too quickly. We finished our provisioning at Deloraine and 138 [Page number} [25"" October 1955] turned onto the Lake Highway. Then the weather turned against us, teeming rainstorms with only brief intervals between, We climbed rapidly onto the plateau where the rain turned to driving snow. We had morning tea at Breona during a brief interval from snowing, but virtually the visibility was nil which was a great pity with such good scenery around us. A last fill of petrol at Bronte and so to Lake St Clair where it has, since we arrived at 2.0 pm, been raining, hailing Or, as it is now, snowing heavily. But there is no wind, and it is very peaceful and private and we are both very happy. The wallabies (many with young) and pademelons are extremely tame and | have photos of them being fed by Joan. They are a delight and have thrilled Joan so much that they have made this part of the trip quite worthwhile. 138A. [page number] 26" (Wednesday). We spent the morning at L. St. [October 1955] Claire. The weather had cleared up considerably and through there was cloud on the surrounding peaks, we were not wet and there was no wind. | pottered round for a while and then we walked round the lake. Our first track was the lake's edge track for a way where | had a beautiful view of a Ewing's Thornbill, which up the base of the L. Hugel track in magnificent beech forest — but no sign of the Scrub-Tit. We left at midday, — very well satisfied with our night ‘camping’ and the memories of the wallabies — begging food in the tent at breakfast and ‘mum’ scratching when | put a biscuit in her pouch for Joey. The drive down to Queenstown was taken slowly and was interesting. The bush was v. [very] thick and as the weather 139 [page number] [26 October 1955] 27 (Thursday) [October 1955] steadily cleared we could see more of the peaks around us, Queenstown was dreadful — bare eroded hillsides. We found we could not go down to Strahan next day by railway as planned. We left in the morning, again through interesting, very thick bush, but several excursions into did not reveal the Scrub-tit. Zeehan was as equally depressing as Queenstown — more so, perhaps as it was very much more deserted. We put our car on the train and instead of waiting that day in Zeehan and travelling north with it in the morning, we travelled on the 1.20 rail-coach to Burnie where we thought we would be happier than Zeehan! We went through extremely thick bush with deep gorges, eventually coming out onto cleared hillsides like Beech Forest, with the gullies not cleared. However it was 4% hours of bush and we were very relieved to see the 140 [page number] [27" October 1955] 28th (Friday) [October 1955] sea and get into a comfortable hotel. A real day off. The morning we simply sat on the front, reading in the sun. After lunch we returned to the writing-room at the hotel where | am writing this. But a rude awakening was near. When | went to check on the car | found, that, owing to a long weekend, the train was not on its usual schedule and the car would not be available before the morning! So after a consultation with Joan we decided she would stay on another night and come on in the morning and | would catch the 5.0 pm train. What | could have said about the fool at Zeehan! | took the train and arrived at Devonport at 6.30, had a meal at the hotel and spent an extremely pleasant evening with Mac and Mrs Mac, during which an undue amount of whisky was drunk — no birds except SILVER GULLS nesting on three islands, close offshore, which | noticed from the train. 141 [page number] 29" (Saturday) We were to have gone out to [October 1955] Wrights Island but the weather was too rough. But what was so unkind was that it teemed with rain almost all day. Joan arrived at 11.0 and we spent the whole day sitting in front of the fire. At 4.0 Mac and | went off in the car and he showed me where, on two previous years, the Masked Owl had nested. There was no sign today. On the way back | got a very good look at a pair of BROWN QUAIL which allowed me to approach to about 15 feet on the road! In the evening Mac showed us some of his shades. It was very good indeed to make contact with the Macdonalds again and having their cheerful fare [guess] did help us to cope with the rain. But the weather was very unkind! 30". (Sunday) We left the hotel at 9.0. It [October 1955] had cleared up and really was a beautiful day of blue sky and white clouds. A good road, the sun behind us 142 [page number] [30'" October 1955] and a strong following wind made driving a pleasure, so that the 182 miles passed almost without notice. We had morning tea at Entally House and looked over it — a brilliant idea for a local museum. But there were no birds of note and we drew in to Wrest Point at 3.0 pm. It has been a good holiday. The Camp-Out consisted of too few orinthologists and too many odd-bods — which is understandable enough with a Tasmanian camp in ideal country and hotel accommodation The country we liked — Port Arthur, Coles Bay and L. [Lake] St. [Saint] Claire. Queenstown & Zeehan were interesting — but once only. The latter part of the holiday was dogged a bit by bad weather and change of plans but not too seriously. The Forty-spotted Pardalote was the prize of the trip, and the sight of multitudinous Mutton Birds — the most memorable — altogether 78 species for the trip. [FOLD OUT — MAP] 144 [page number] [Photo] A.G.B. CLAUDE AUSTIN MAX BILL MIDDLETON 12.11.55 — Grampians. PETER ROSS 145 [page number] 11 November 1955. Set off with Bill Middleton after lunch and arrived at Cavendish 5.0pm, where we met Max McGarvie, Claude Austin and his brother-in-law, Peter Ross. After refuelling the cars and ourselves we went north up the Henty Highway till we got to the road off to the right (i.e. east) which continues over the range through the Chimneypot Gap to the Victoria Valley. We camped a few miles in on this road and had a short scout round. At 9.0, as we were turning in a light rain fell. 12° November. After breakfast we did a [1955] more thorough exploration of the area round the camp which was quite flat and with not much undergrowth. Birds seen were the RAINBOW LORIKEET, with a call very like a noisy miner, WEEBILLS, SPOTTED PARDALOTE with nest in rotten tree, BUTCHER-BIRD (first record for the area), BLACK- CAPPED SITELLA, BOOBOOK in a wild cherry, WHITE-BROWED BABBLER, five EMUS and a MISTLE-TOE BIRD. 146 [page number] [12'" November 1955] November 13th. [1955] We then went on by car, just the other side of the Gap — There were not many birds in the heathland there, but in a gully we had a good hearing of the MOUNTAIN THRUSH'S song. We had lunch at the turn-off from the Gap road to the access road to the weirs — PHOTO p. 144. We went on to the ‘Second Weir’ where we came across the SATIN FLYCATCHER. In a gully across the road my car stuck and considerable man power was used to get it out. We found there was no through road (it was blocked by swamp) to the first weir so we camped as close as we could. We put up a SNIPE in the swamp. We made an early start at 5.30, walking on up the road to the first weir, flushing a NATIVE THRUSH from its nest by the path. After a rest at the weir we went on to ‘Eagle Falls’, left our lunch and proceeded on up to 147 [page number] [November 13" 1955] the east in gradually climbing, very rough country. We got well up to a spur and were disappointed to find that even then we were not looking down on the Victoria Valley for there was yet another spur beyond us. However we did see a pair of Hylacola which we all felt sure were CAUTA. Back to the Falls for lunch and then back to the Minnow Pool where there were YELLOW-TUFTED HONEYEATERS. Then back to the cars at the camp and retracing our steps to the Gap Road near the junction of which we flushed a QUAIL-THRUSH — another first record for the district. From there home. And it was a long trek home — over 150 miles and | consider myself very lucky | stayed awake. | passed the turning in Mortlake and backed into a tree in the street — non compis mentis. But | think it was the best small camp out | have been on. 148 [page number] December 6" 1955 December JANUAR ¥ 31° 1955. — After immunising the Colac Shire | came leisurely back from Gerangamete where | heard a SATIN FLYCATCHER (where Bill Middleton had found one) and found a RUFOUS WHISTLER at Yeo [Yeodene]. Then | went on past Warrowie Station , where | saw GULL-BILLED TERNS. to Beeac. Near Mingawalla | disturbed a PEREGRINE FALCON at nest in a sugar-gum plantation. On the lakes by Beeac there were very large numbers of GREY TEAL and a few AVOCETS. | had noticed Gull-billed Terns carrying food from the region of L. [Lake] Airey W. N.W. when on a visit to Kath and Hans Noble On the trip past Warrowie (see above) | thought | could see where they might be nesting — a long low island running NS [North South] a hundred yards or so from the western slope of Thurrumbong. On this day, about 4.0 pm, we had Bob and staying with us, and, feeling as if we wanted some exercise, | 149 [Page number) [December 31° 1955] suggested we go out to the island. So with Mike and Johnny, we took the car down to the lake's edge and waded out. We were well rewarded. SWANS and SILVER GULLS were nesting and were at all stages — from eggs to young. About 50 nests of GULL-BILLED TERNS were found and a CASPIAN TERN'S nest with two eggs. This latter was a real find — being the first inland record of nesting | can find. [photo] GULL-BILLED TERN — NEST & EGGS L. [Lake] Thurrumbong 31.12.55 150 [page number] [b&w photograph of chick and egg on ground] [caption] GULL-BILLED [b&w photograph of chicks on ground] TERNS nests at L. [Lake] Thurrumbong 31.12.56 [/caption] [table] PAGE 1. 5. 6. 8. 11. 15. 17. 20. 22. 24. 26. 27. 28. 30. 33. 34. 37. 39. 41. 42. 43. [/table] DATE 27.11.51 28.11.51 29.11.51 30.11.51 13.1.52 14.1.52 15.1.52 16.1.52 17.1.52 18.1.52 19.1.52 18-23.5.52 30.8.52 13.10.52 14.10.52 15.10.52 16.10.52 17.10.52 18.10.52 19.10.52 LOCALITY Victoria Valley Mt Rosea : Stoney Creek Wonderland : McKenzie Falls* [MacKenzie Falls] + L. [Lake] Wartook Mt Victory : Horsham, Cavendish, Dunkeld, L. [Lake] Bolac, Skipton, Colac LIST OF GRAMPIAN BIRDS : PHOTOS Colac, Stoneyford, Cobden, Timboon, Port Campbell. Loch Ard : P. Campbell, Peterborough, W'bool [Warnambool], Port Fairy Port Fairy — Goose Lagoon and Yambuk. Goose Lagoon — Port Fairy — Portland — Bridgewater. Bridgewater — photo of Dotterels : Portland, Bridgewater Lakes Bridgewater Portland : walk along cliffs. Bridgewater — Colac: Lorne. — family holiday only. YEAR'S SUMMARY 1951-1952. Colac — Cobden — Waarre. — Max [McGarvie]. Waarre. Waarre — Sherbrook R. [River] — Lower Gellibrand — Chapple Vale. Chapple Vale, Lavers Hill, Glen Aire, Aire R. [River] — Apollo Bay Apollo Bay — C. [Cape] Otway Rd. — Bower-bird Gully Glen Aire — Mrs Denny [guess]. — Ford R. [River] Parker R. [River] : L. [Lower?] Calder River with Mrs Denny [table] PAGE DATE LOCALITY 45. 20.10.52 C. [Cape] Otway — dunes: Crayfish Bay : Apollo Bay : Paradise 46. 21.10.52 Apollo Bay : Turton's [Track] : Gerangamete : Loch* [Lough] Calvert floods, Cressy, Gnarpurt, Lismore, Stony Rises : Home. 50. MAP OF OTWAY TRIP. 52. SUMMARY OF 1952-53 53. 15.11.53 The Sheoaks — Winchelsea 56. 21.11.53 Colac — Melbourne — Mt. Dandenong 58. 22.11.53 Mt. Dand. [Dandenong] — Ferntree Gully —- Gembrook — Lakes E. [Entrance] 61. 23.11.53 Lakes Entrance — Malacoota. 64. 24.11.53 Lakes Entrance — Bega — Bermagui — Bateman's B. [Bay] 66. 25.11.53 Bateman's Bay — National Park — Sydney 67. 26-27.11.53 Sydney 68. 28.11.53 Sydney to Leura 68. 29.11.53 Leura — a Sunday. 69. 30.11.53 Leura — Narrow Neck. 70. 1.12.53 Leura — Penrith — Campden* [Camden] — Goulburn — Canberra 71. 4.12.53 Canberra — Yass — Gundagai — Wagga — Lockart* [Lockhart]. 73. 5.12.53 Lockart* [Lockhart] — Deniliquin — Echuca — Bendigo 75. 6.12.53 Bendigo — Daylesford — Ballarat — Colac. 76. 23-29.1.54 Caravanning Holiday — Merricks — Waratah Bay 78. 5,6.3.54 Colac — Cavendish : Cavendish. [/table] [table] [table] PAGE 79 80 81 82. 84 85 88 89 92 93 94 94 96 97 98 99 101. 103 103 105 106 [/table] DATE 7.3.54 29.8-4.9.54 25.9.54 26.9.54 27.9.54 28.9.54 29.9.54 30.9.54 1.10.54 2.10.54 3.10.54 4.10.54 5.10.54 6.10.54 6.11.54 7.11.54 8.11.54 9.11.54 10.11.54 LOCALITY Cavendish : Horsham Road. Summary of 1953-54 Photos of Cherry-tree Lagoon (7.3.54). Lorne — family holiday Colac — Portland Portland — out with [Noel] Learmouth Portland — Kingston Kingston — Adelaide — the Coorong Adelaide — H. [Herb] Condon. South of Adelaide — C. [Cape] Jervis : Goolwa Adelaide Adelaide — Waikerie Waikerie — Mildura Mildura — Robinvale — Hattah. Robinvale — Kerang. Kerang — Colac Colac — Portland — L. Purumbeet* [Lake Purrumbete] Portland Portland — C. [Cape] Nelson. Portland Portland — Beachcombing [table] [PAGE 108 110 112 112 113 115 119 120. 123. 125 126. 126 127 129 129 130 131 132 133 135 137 137A DATE 11.11.54 12.11.54 13.11.54 9-16.2.55 26.3.55 27.3.55 17.4.55 30.4.55 1.5.55 14.10.55 15.10.55 16.10.55 17.10.55 18.10.55 19.10.55 20.10.55 21.10.55 22.10.55 23.10.55 24.10.55 25.10.55 LOCALITY] Portland — Nelson Portland — Bridgewater : Woolwash Portland — home. Bridgewater Bay — caravanning Cavendish — "first spring” Cavendish — "second spring" Irrewillipe — Bill + Joan Middleton Cavendish — "minnow-pools" Cavendish — upper "second spring" Cavendish — map TASMANIAN CAMP-OUT — Trip out Mt. Wellington — Southern Peninsulas Mt. Field National Park — Melbourne — Hobart — Port Arthur Port Arthur — Eaglehawk Neck — The Coal mines — Stewart's Bay : Safety Cove Port-Arthur — Cole's Bay. Cole's Bay Cole's Bay — Launceston Launceston —L. [Lake]. St Claire* [Clair]. [table] [PAGE 138A 139 140 141 141 143 144 145 145 146 148 148 [/table] DATE 26.10.55 27.10.55 28.10.55 29.10.55 30.10.55 — MAP. 12.11.55 11.11.55 12.11.55 13.11.55 6.12.56 31.12.56 LOCALITY] L. [Lake] St. Claire* [Clair] - Queenstown Queenstown — Zeehan — Burnie Burnie Devonport Devonport — Hobart PHOTO. COLAC — Grampians — Chimney-pot Gap Chimney-pot Gap — 2nd weir 1st weir — Eagle Falls + beyond — Minnow Pool — Home Summarizing [guess] — Gerangamete — Beeac L. [Lake] Thurrumbong [Salt Lake] - PHOTOS N.B. Otway Campout 9-11.12.55 in next volume [COVER] [colour illustration] [caption] J. Gould & H. C. Richter, del et lith. No. 5 of a series of British Birds THE CROSSBILL — Loxia c. curvirostra. The two counties where this bird is most frequently found are Norfolk and Suffolk. It makes its home among coniferous woods, especially Scots pines. It arrives in England during the winter and stays throughout the spring and summer to nest. The Crossbill is an early breeder, eggs being laid usually in late February or beginning of March. Its tameness will allow a close approach, but it is so well concealed by the thick pine branches that it is not easily seen. The Crossbill's name is, of course, taken from the odd feature of its crossed beak. — Eric Hosking. [/caption]