Edithvale tomorrow

[Nicole]

Tomorrow I plan to go to Edithvale Wetlands (Melways 93 D8 on Edithvale Rd). The bird hide is open from 1pm - 5pm but I'll probably go there around 3-3:30pm. As the grass has grown in front of the bird hide there may not be much to see. Previously you could get great close up pics of ducks as there wasn't any grass in front.

Anyone who is interested I can show you the other spot that may have some other birds. If there is time left I'll probably go to Braeside Park as this arvo I got fairly close to some rosellas/parrots.

Let me know if you're interested.

[kipper]

I should be there Nicole, that's if I get back from where ever I'm going. I was contemplating a day trip to Jindabine but I'd have to be going faster than an F1 to get there and back by 3.30pm

[Nicole]

I'd have to be going faster than an F1

I'll say. That's a long drive!

[kipper]

Yeah, think I'll pass on doing that and save it for another weekend. Might head out to Organ Pipes or Jamieson way. Not sure yet.

[kipper]

Just did a whereis search to Jindabyne. Reckons it will take 12hours to get there even though it's only 597km. If going 100kmh it should only take 6hours by my calculation. Then again I've never done this sort of trek before and I'm not sure what the roads are like. Has anybody from Melbourne been to Jindabyne and can give me a rough idea how long it should take.

[fozzie]

Nicole,

Tomorrow I plan to go to Edithvale Wetlands (Melways 93 D8 on Edithvale Rd). The bird hide is open from 1pm - 5pm but I'll probably go there around 3-3:30pm. As the grass has grown in front of the bird hide there may not be much to see. Previously you could get great close up pics of ducks as there wasn't any grass in front.

Anyone who is interested I can show you the other spot that may have some other birds. If there is time left I'll probably go to Braeside Park as this arvo I got fairly close to some rosellas/parrots.

Let me know if you're interested.

If only I lived or was visiting Melbourne, I would have joined you for today's excursion, sounds fantastic.

[Nicole]

Well the weather was pretty ordinary this afternoon. I left at 2:30pm and went to Braeside first. There were some Eastern Rosellas but they were too far away for any decent shots. After that I went to the bird hide and the light wasn't getting any better. I stayed for a little while talking to one of the ladies that mans the hide. They usually share helpful information.

Then Darryl turned up so we went across the road to check out the other side of the wetlands. There were the usual ducks but not the friendly surburban park types. Darryl spotted a really pretty red and grey bird. I thought it was a flower or something. Anyway I just checked out the bird book and I think it was a Flame Robin. It would perch on a branch and then as we got closer it would fly off. Really need a serious telephoto lens in that situation. Also saw some other nice birds (including a kite hovering). Despite the gloomy clouds it was good fun.

[kipper]

Heres the Flame Robin. This was a big crop, no resampling hence why the image quality isn't the best. As I said to Nicole, while the 70-200VR with TC1.7 and the 80-400VR are great lenses for motorsports and even larger birds. For the really small garden type birds such as robins, wrens, swallows etc you really need something around the 800mm mark. The bird took up about 1% of the viewfinder it was that small. Probably a good 15M away

[redline]

prehaps we should organise a trip to the organ pipes and melbourne airport theres pretty close to one other.

[kipper]

Redline, yep I'd be up for that. When I went upto Kyneton I passed Organpipes near Calder and went "Oh, that's where they are!"