Birding On My Own - Australia and New Zealand 2002
Emmalee Tarry

Phillips Island

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Churchill Island

Outside the Koala Center, a Canadian birders was looking at Honeyeaters in the parking lot and I joined him. He was in Australia to participate in the World Masters Softball tournament and now he and his son were doing a little sight-seeing. The son was in the Koala Center. The flowering trees were filled with White-naped , White-eared, and New Holland Honeyeaters.

Coming out of the parking lot at the Koala Center I turned right and then right at the next intersection to Coghlan Road. At the far end of the Koala Center there is a cemetery with a pond.

A pair of Cape Barren Geese are raising a family here. Here is one adult with the gosling.

This is a close up of the Cape Barren Goose which has a lime green cere on the small black bill.

At the end of the road I turned right onto Ventnor/ Lower Rhyll Road and found two places to park and walk in the woods.

Turn the other way on Ventnor Road to go to Churchill Island a small Island off of Phillips Island. Churchill was privately owned for many years and connected only by a ferry. There is a short causeway and the farm is a historical site open to the public.

Before you cross the causeway to the island there is a wetland with boardwalks. I really didn't see anything new here, but there were quite a few birds: Black-winged Stilt, Pelican, White Ibis, Purple Swamphen, Australian Swamp Harrier, Red-kneed Dotterel, White-fronted Chat, Cape Barren Geese.

In the pastures on Churchill Island a pair of Masked Lapwings had 3 chicks.

Pied Oystercatcher had a nest right on the causeway in a patch of purple flowers.

The pasture also had Skylarks singing in flight.

October is late spring in Australia.

Churchill Island is maintained as a historic farm and had this cow with very large horns. I am not sure what breed this represents. I suspect this is the bull not the cow.

Phillips Island

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