Steve Happ Photography

Bumbang Island

6th February 2010.

It has been raining for about three days and the wind has swung around to the south so it has become cold as well. I even had the doona on me all night. Its weird, the weather, it goes from very hot to very cold, and it will probably go back to very hot again in a couple of days. This morning I did not feel like getting out of bed, but eventually I got out, had breakfast and headed up river about a couple of kilometers from Robinvale to Bumbang Island. You could not actually get across to the island but I stayed on this side and walked along the bank. There were quite a few house boats tied up along the river, and there was one particularly old one that had a paddle wheel driving it. The dog from that house boat came out and spent the time with me.

There were quite a few Yellow Rosellas around, who seemed to be flying in and out of the grape vines. The guns were going off to scare away birds, but they still seemed to be flying in and out without worrying too much. A bunch of Welcome Swallows were darting around over the water and the Yellow Thornbills were twittering away madly in the trees lining the river bank. There was not a lot of bird action around but this mob of Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike were having a bit of fun in the dead trees. This is a juvenile one. They have the black mask across the eyes and the adults have a full black face going right around the eyes from forehead to chest.

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, juvenile (Coracina novaehollandiae)

Down on the corner of the island bend, a Whistling Kite flew over me, soared across the river and came back towards me. He seemed to check me out for a little while, but was not really interested. Mostly I have seen Whistling Kites along the Murray River, and a pair of Australian Hobby, but that has been it for raptors.

Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus)

As I was going back to the car, a pair of speedboats came racing by, towing the racing skiers behind them. They must have been practicing for some races that are coming up next month.

Robinvale bird list 6/2/10

Yellow Rosella
Red-rumped Parrot
Galah
Noisy Miner
Kookaburra
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Laughing Kookaburra
Australian Wood Duck
Pacific Black Duck
Little Black Cormorant
Little Pied Cormorant
Willy Wagtail
Welcome Swallow
Crested Pigeon
Yellow Thornbill
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Australian Magpie
Magpie-lark
Whistling Kite

Murray River – Robinvale

This morning I drove about 2 kilometres down stream from the bridge across the Murray River at Robinvale and just kept walking downstream from there. There were quite few birds around when I got started. Mainly Brown Thornbills and a solitary Sacred Kingfisher. This is a juvenile White-winged Triller I think. If I got it wrong please let me know.

White-winged Triller (Lalage tricolor)

I headed inland a bit away from the river at one stage. It was dry sort of mallee country with low trees, mainly grey box type of trees. A big mob of about twenty White-winged Choughs came hopping across the forest floor. They are very funny the way they move across the ground. There were also lots of Brown Treecreeper. They seem to inhabit forests with trees that are a bit scaly, like the stringy barks and the grey box.

I kept walking and walking along the banks of the Murray River, hoping to get a look at the Euston Weir, but I just never did see it. There must be a massive bend in the river there. There was a good looking swampy patch over the other side of the river, but I do not know how to get to it. I will try another day. This Murray River is massive. I cannot even begin to comprehend the size of it. And the flood plain is just covered with millions of hectares of agriculture. Its mind-bogglingly immense.

When I got back to camp a pair of Red-rumped Parrots were feeding right near my camp, so I had to get the camera out and lay on the ground to get some low angle shots. I like this one the best.

Red-rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotous)

Robinvale Bird List 3/2/10

Brown Thornbill
Yellow Rosella
Sacred Kingfisher
Brown Treecreeper
White-winged Chough
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Australian Wood Duck
Whistling Kite
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Australian Magpie
Willy Wagtail
White-winged Triller
Little Pied Cormorant
Darter
Crested Pigeon
Magpie-lark
Purple Swamphen

Robinvale Bird Photography

This morning I followed the Murray River just west from the bridge at Robinvale. As usual, there were heaps of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos about everywhere. As well as them screeching monkeys there were a few kookaburras, and quite a few Red-rumped Parrots as well as Yellow Rosellas.

I heard a lot of screaming from the Whistling Kites as well. Back home, they do not seem to make noise at all compared to these birds around the Murray River. There are quite a few of them, wheeling over the banks of the river on both sides.

Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus)

This Australian Hobby was coming in from the other side of the river and landing in a tree near me and screeching away like crazy and pretending that he had a broken wing. I do not know what his story was.

Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis)

I also found a couple of reed-warbler nests in the bull rushes after I noticed one trying to catch what looked like a grasshopper or a moth. They were hanging on a single reed stem and were intricately built.

Australian Reed-warbler nest

There were quite a few Rainbow Bee-eaters catching bugs over the river. Sometimes they would catch a bug and bash it against the side of a branch.

Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus)

This is a funny photo. It looks like these kids are having fun, just jumping from one branch to another. “Wheee, look at me, mom”!

Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus)

Robinvale bird list 1/2/10

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Laughing Kookaburra
Red-rumped Parrot
Rainbow Bee-eater
Australian Wood Duck
Pacific Black Duck
Striated Pardalote
Australian Raven
Whistling Kite
Brown Thornbill
Yellow Thornbill