Whilst on one of my bird outings today at Yan Yean Reservoir I discovered a new resident of the wetland area below the damn wall. More on that later, typically when arriving at Yan Yean Reservoir its worthwhile driving all the way to the old homestead where you can get the best outlook of the reservoir. When I arrived the usual population of Nankeen Night Herons were in their favourite perch, an old Cypress beside the homestead.
Walking quietly pass the Cypress so as no to disturb the Nankeen Night Herons, down toward the water I heard the all familiar calls of a pair of Whistling Kites, they nest high up in the pine trees in the catchment woodlands nearbye, you can’t access the woodlands but there are often good views of the kites as they soar high above the reservoir.
After a spell of watching the kites, I made my way down to the wetland below the damn, this is a good location for Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, Rufous Whistlers, Shining Bronze Cuckoo, Spotted Pardalotes, Little Grassbirds, Reed Warblers, Swamphens, Dusky Moorhens, Latham’s Snipe (sometimes), Superb Fairy Wrens, Grey Fantail, Yellow-rumped Thornbills, New-Holland Honeyeaters, Australasian Grebes, Black-fronted Dotterel etc. Whilst making my way around to the eastern side and looking into a very health Eucalypt, I noticed Grey Fantails flitting around and then something caught my eye, a flash of rufous up in the canopy, camera at the ready I waited patiently and out of the leafy canopy appeared a Rufous Fantail, searching for it through the lens I managed a single shot! Very excited to report the first sighting of a Rufous Fantail in this location!
Australasian Grebe
Shining Bronze Cuckoo
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