For various reasons I decided to get up before the passerine broke wind and go hunting for a Spangled Drongo seen in and near the St Kilda Botanic Gardens. This is well out of range - and earlier in the year than they have been turning up in Mallacoota (orange pins are reports in the last month).
On zooming in to the area it has been moving around quite a bit:
In addition to those reports on eBird a couple of interested, and very charming, Council workers told me it had been seen by the bee enclosure (down by the marker for the playground).
It was still dark at 0620 when I reported to the tram stop.
And still dark 20 minutes later at Carlisle St.
I started
an eBird list as there were a few Common Mynas and Silver Gulls cleaning up crap near a car wash. A bit down Blessington St there was a hint of sunrise!
As there had been sightings in Smith St I went there rather than into the Gardens. No Drongo, but a nicely painted Garage door.
I was impressed (negatively) by this effort at parking. Initially I thought "what a bum taking up a handicapped spot". Then I glanced at the dashboard and they had the relevant pass. I then thought "What is a person with a handicapped doing driving such a powerful car? Particularly when their (in)ability to park shows they couldn't drive a nail in a plank."
As it was by now daylight I started
a new list. The balloons were up - I suspect landing in Royal Park.
While wandering about I chatted with two charming staff from Port Phillip Council, who were very interested in birds. They wondered what was causing all the interest and thought that some folk had seen the Drongo by the Bee Enclosure. They also said the Frogmouths had been seen in an elm close to that. This is the Bee Enclosure: devoid of Drongo!
Here is the elm: more potential froggie roosts than one could poke a stick at, but none of them occupied by a Froggie.
Back to the tram stop after about an hour and a half. This gave a good view of St Kilda Town Hall.
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