Birds, Bunker and BBQ

 As a contribution to the Victorian Seniors Festival U3A Mallacoota organised a visit to the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) followed by lunch at the WW2 Bunker Museum site, an inspection of the Bunker and a natural history exploration of part of the Bunker site.  Thank you to East Gippsland Water for permission to visit the WWTP and to the Mallacoota and District Historical Society (MDHS) for opening the Bunker Museum site.

I had had some concerns about the weather we might experience with rain forecast at some stage.  As we started the sky was clear although the wind was a little brisk when out of the shelter of the trees.

We gathered on Betka Rd beside the entrance to the tip and followed tracks through the bush checking out the birds as we went.  Most observations were by ear, with quite of lot of calls being evident.  The most frequent calls were of Yellow-faced Honeyeaters  earning their historic vernacular name of Bush Canary.  Of course Grey Fantails came to inspect us.  As we approached the entrance to the WWTP a Leaden Flycatcher was heard - my first record for the season - but remained hidden somewhere in the dense foliage above us.

On entering the WWTP an unusual site for the area was an Australian Pelican soaring over the ponds.  This appeared to disturb the waterfowl a little, possibly they mistook it for a large raptor, but they settled down again.  

As we headed towards the ponds with more fowl a moderate sized (a little over 1m in length) Red-bellied Black Snake was seen absorbing a few sun rays: after a period of mutual observation it headed back down its burrow.

The waterbirds on the ponds have been in reduced numbers for a few months as several species have headed off to the floodwaters of the Western inland.  This meant we didn't see any Pink-eared Ducks or Hardhead nor surprisingly any Eurasian Coots (which have been in remarkably reduced numbers this year across East Gippsland).  A few Australasian Shovelers were the least common Ducks seen.   As usual several Australian Shelduck were present and several ducklings of that species were evident (in reduced numbers compared to recent visits presumably due to predation by birds of prey).  The Black Swans were accompanied by a flotilla of cygnets. 

As the site contains extensive timbered country with much regrowth after the 2019-20 fire  a good range of bush birds were seen and (notably) heard.  As we were close to leaving a Restless Flycatcher posed nicely for a photo.

Within the WWTP we recorded 30 species which I regard as a pretty good outcome for a rather windy day with quite a few of the on-water species missing in action.

On the way back to the cars it was surprising to note a number of specimens of Glossodia major (Large Waxlip Orchid).  Most of these were the 'normal' blue/mauve flowers

.. but we did notice one white form flower.

On our way to the Bunker we swung into Betka Beach to look for the Hooded Plovers.  However as the mouth of the Betka River was closed again the water was covering most of the area where the Hoodies roost and nest so they were not available for viewing.

After a very enjoyable BBQ cooked by members of U3A and MDHS (who hadn't come to the WWTP) we checked out the display in the Bunker Museum itself and then went to explore 

• some of the nest boxes erected by Birdlife Australia; and 
• the Nature Trail being developed by MDHS in the vicinity of the Bunker.

Previous checks of the nest boxes had found no clear evidence of occupancy but on this occasion inserting aprobe camera (thank you, Caroline) into 2 boxes found they were occupied (o the camera was rapidly withdrawn to avoid stressing the Ring-tailed possums.

On the way to look at other parts of the Nature Trail we came across a nice specimen of a sun orchid: I think Thelymitra arenaria.  In the first image the orchid is just visible above the pamphlet.

We then went to explore the signage and tree-fern plantings.

All in all I found it a very pleasant outing covering a few of the many enjoyable aspects of Mallacoota.