My Nature Blog
We were on our way back from Apollo Bay. We stopped at Carisbrook Creek to get photos of the rockstacks. There wasn’t much there this time.
I was walking around, looking for skinks, when I found this little penguin. It was sad to see, but it did allow for some close up photos. These are the only ones I’ll share here.
It’s been a while since I’ve written about Apollo Bay. Blame the heatwave, and the resulting exhaustion. I’m so glad we went to Apollo Bay when we did!
We didn’t do much while there. A lot of time was spent taking my nephew to the beach and fair, so he could play and my parents could relax. I accompanied them to the beach on the final day, where the Barham River met the sea.
A pacific gull! I’m pretty sure I’ve seen one before at Jawbone but that was never confirmed. It was pretty excited to just see one while bludging at the beach.
I initial thought these were swans but took a photo just to be sure. Turns out they were Australian Shelducks! A funny accidental lifer. I was a bit unsure because of the markings, I always second guess myself. The giveaway is that they are one of the few ducks that fly in a V formation.
I’m fairly certain (sadly) that this is just another crested tern, judging by the colour and shape of the beak. Damn. I want to see other terns and shorebirds!
I also found this dead penguin on the beach which was sad.
~
We left on Sunday, at midday, stopping briefly at the fish markets to pick up a present for my aunt who lent us her holiday house. I quickly jumped out of the car when I saw these two birds:
I was so excited. More Cape Barren Geese! I didn’t think anything of it until I saw another bird report later discussing Greylag Geese.
Graylag… never heard of those. I did a quick google and discovered they are a domesticated and almost feral breed. I went to check my birdbook to see if it counted towards my lifelist but I couldn’t find it.
I searched the house for days but couldn’t find it. I was getting really annoyed and then it hit me: I’d left it out for my nephew to read the day before we went to the zoo! I texted mum and, sure enough, Seth had taken the blue bird book home. He loves looking at the different species and gets excited when we see something we haven’t seen before.
I ‘borrowed’ it back off him yesterday and checked. Technically, I was wrong, however it’s no different then the domesticated species of duck that live at some sanctuaries. You learn something every day!
More terns on the rocks. Again, suspect Caspian. Still an awesome sight!
Some cormorants just hanging around.
~
I need to go back to Apollo Bay and explore the area properly. So. Many. Lifers!
When most people think of penguins near Melbourne, they think of Phillip Island. Visiting there requires either an daytrip or a LONG time on public transport, plus an overnight stay
What most people – even locals – don’t know is that there is a penguin colony a short tram ride from the CBD. It’s at the St Kilda breakwater, which is the line of rocks at the end of the pier.
The breakwater was actually constructed for the 1956 olympic games – prior to this, penguins weren’t usually found in the area. In the 1980’s, people discovered penguin where living there and the colony has been the subject of study and conservation ever since.
Now the colony numbers at around 1300. You certaintly wont see that many, but it’s a really interesting place to visit. They have created a environment where the public can see and learn about the penguins, yet most of the colony is fenced off and protected.
You can see the penguins if you visit there at dusk. There are a bunch of helpful volunteers that will show you were the penguins are and answer any questions you have. I recommend talking to them as they know so much about life cycle and history. You’ll probably see about 20-30 penguins, as well as a couple of water rats.
In the summer, it may be too late for young kids. There are also a lot of tourists, so expect for it to be crowded. Also expect to have a lot of people blocking your view just to get a photo.
You can’t catch a train to St Kilda – you have to get there via train. You can catch the 112 or 96 from in front of spencer st Station. The 96 will get you closer, and is a much nicer ride.
I’d take the 96 and spend some time exploring St Kilda. It’s a really lovely area and I’ve visited there a couple of times going to the market or Luna Park. If visiting in the summer, you could easily find a nice restaurant for dinner
We got there at 7.45 in mid November. It was way too early, and the boyfriend went to explore the pier a bit more while I waited. We saw the first penguins at around 8.15
I was worried that I’d get there and not know what pier they were talking about. Seriously – there is just the one pier. It’s long, and you can see a line of rocks beyond the restaurant.
I get lost easily and I was able to find it pretty quickly.
The boardwalk consists of a walkway, and then a larger area with a few seats. This leads towards a further set of steps.
When I got there, we sat on the seat. There was actually a small penguin under the seat, and two hiding amongst the rocks. Wherever there was a penguin, there was a group of people around them talking loudly with camera. Be prepared to have to wait to get a glimpse of it.
Around nightfall, you will start to see the penguins come in. A lot of people hung out around the area where thre was the beach, assuming that you’d see them walk across the beach. Those that did went so quickly that you barely saw them, and even then there was usually someone leaning forward so you could barely see it.
The best chance was waiting until they had gotten onto the rocks and started exploring. The volunteers would shine a torch on them for about 10 minutes, and you were able to get really close to them. There was about 20-30 there.
I found the best vantage spot was sitting in an isolated area beyond the steps. You are away from the crowds and can sit there silently watching the penguins climb up. You don’t get as close, but it’s a lot nicer.