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BASS COAST BIRDLIFE

The elusive scarlet honeyeater

2/11/2017

5 Comments

 
The scarlet honeyeater. Photo: Greg MilesThe scarlet honeyeater. Photo: Greg Miles
They seek him here, they seek him there … Nola Thorpe goes in search of a rare bird.

By Nola Thorpe

RECENTLY a bird-watching friend told me he had heard that a scarlet honeyeater had been seen in the Wonthaggi Wetlands so of course I had to go down and find out for myself. This species had not been seen previously in the Wonthaggi area so finding one would be quite significant.
 
It was a beautiful clear spring morning with little wind; perfect bird-watching conditions.
The wetlands were full of various waterbirds – Pacific black ducks, chestnut teals, coots, grebes and purple swamp hens – and the surrounding bushland was swarming with grey fantails, grey shrike thrush and wattlebirds.
 
Something special was the sight of bright blue gems (superb fairy wrens) darting from bush to bush at eye level. Also I had the fortune to come across a pair of spotted pardalotes flying in and out of their nest in an old dead tree.
 
There were ravens, galahs and corellas overhead and magpies and mudlarks scattered across the newly mown grass areas.
 
People were walking with dogs and little kids, some on tiny bikes.  I sat on one of the seats for a while and was joined by an elderly gentleman who lived across the road at the Coal Fields park.  He told me he loved the place and walked there every day.
 
I had a great walk. But although I saw many honeyeaters of various species and had my bird app open to identify calls, I didn’t manage to find a scarlet honeyeater. 
5 Comments
Robin Dzedins
4/11/2017 09:12:14 am

Scarlet Honeyeaters are in the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne at the moment, and have been there for about the last 2 weeks. Not often seen this far south, so really special.

Reply
Mark Robertson
4/11/2017 05:36:22 pm

Hey Nola, could you please put out a signpost at the wetlands directing some of our native feathered friends towards my house in the middle of Wonthaggi? All I can attract is Mynas and Starlings! Even the pond is shunned.Keep searching for those holy grails, and drag the youngsters along as well.

Reply
Jenny Skewes
5/11/2017 05:39:18 pm

I have heard of three places on Phillip Island they have been seen. I was fortunate enough to see a pair feeding on bottlebrushes in Heyley Court Ventnor .

Reply
Jan Fleming
9/11/2017 02:43:59 pm

I went searching in Heyley Court Ventnor.
Unfortunately there was no sign of the Scarlet Honeyeater last week.

Reply
Gayle Marien
20/5/2018 06:46:09 pm

Hi Nola, twice now I have spotted feed headed small birds that might be the scarlet honeyeater. They have been too fast for me to get a good look or a photo and before reading your post I had no idea what they might be. It is a while now some I lay saw them. On both occasions they were in the brush near the path that crosses on the west side of the reed beds.

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