Target: 300 Birds: #193 to #195 around Anglesea, Victoria, June 29

After some luck finding and photographing the Lewin's Rail at the Western Treatment Plant, I headed towards Anglesea to see if I could have any more luck. And I most certainly did!!!

My first stop was Point Addis where I was looking for sea birds and bristlebirds. As soon as I could see the water I could see a horde of sea birds circling around. I quickly parked, leapt out of the car, and the first bird I looked at was a lifer - a Black-browed Albatross. Unfortunately the photos looked more like a black-browed smudge as the birds were a long way from the shore. There were plenty of interesting birds, but all of them fit into the "too far away to identify" category. Then, within what seemed like no time at all, they were all gone. I was about to get in the car and go but I decided to stay and have see if I could get a bristlebird photo. A bit later, there was a beautiful Rufous Bristlebird walking around within centimetres of my feet, and I managed to keep my cool and get a photo. More luck!

My next stop was the Eumeralla Flora Reserve in Anglesea where I was looking for a few notoriously hard to find species. It seems that I hadn't run out of luck because not long after I left the car I stumbled upon a Brown Quail just a footstep away. I got some nice close-up phots and then backed away leaving the quail alone. Just as I left the quail, I found a distant Tawny-crowned Honeyeater. It was too far away for the sort of photo that I was hoping for, but I still got a better photo of this species than I have ever achieved in the past. Then, only moments later, I managed to find myself standing within a group of about 6 Southern Emu-wren as they hopped around in the bushes. I should have gotten much better photos than I did, but I am extremely pleased with the photos I did get. Unfortunately I wasn't lucky enough to find a Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, but considering how fortunate I had been all day long, I was not at all dissapointed!