WINGS Birding ToursField Reports

October 30: Gavin reports from Victoria and Tasmania, Australia Part 1

On our 2022 tour of Southeastern Australia covered a large loop around the state of Victoria (and a bit of New South Wales). Our first few days around Melbourne were unfortunately caught by a passing storm, with blustery winds and rain. As we headed inland though conditions improved greatly, and by the time we returned to the coast it felt much more like spring. The wet forests around Healesville produced our hoped-for birds like Superb Lyrebird, Satin Bowerbird and Gang-Gang Cockatoo, as well as some extreme close ups of Common Bronzewings, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Spotted Pardalote, and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos. The comparatively arid plains of central New South Wales were kind to us, with a brilliant pair of Plains-Wanderers showing very well and a muppet-like Tawny Frogmouth sitting on a roadside nest. In the giant mallee parks of Northwestern Victoria, we enjoyed a near-perfect day in the field, with Striated Grasswren performing extremely well, showy Pink Cockatoos, a perched Chestnut Quailthrush that lingered for over five minutes, perched Regent Parrots, nesting Red-capped Robins and stunning Splendid Fairywrens; always a crowd-pleaser. As the temperatures climbed, we began to spot a few non-avian species as well, like a handsome Central Bearded Dragon and quizzical looking Shingleback.