End of year Social – December 2022

Phil Marley

Another year down, another occasion to share stories, another suite of bird photos to enjoy.

The Terminus Hotel did its regular excellent job of hosting our annual dinner. The outside marquee was perfect and the food and drink great – as usual. Hard to drag ourselves away to Fitzroy High School for show-and-tell. But we did. No regrets.

There was much to celebrate. Although we cancelled trips to the Western Treatment Plant twice during the year (is this our most cancelled destination?) and the weekend campout at Wedderburn was postponed for 12 months to allow it to dry out after floods, we had nine excellent outings. And a bonus on-line slide show in July.

Outing conditions varied from sunny to tropical to windy to downright wet (is Cranbourne Botanic Gardens our wettest destination?). Through it all, great times were had, good company shared and many fabulous photos captured. And we discovered some new beautiful places (Tahbilk Wetlands and Ocean Grove Nature Reserve and Blue Lake spring to mind).

The show-and tell was all about the stories behind the pictures – the places people had been, the lifers spotted, the birds that attacked cars – the blurred shots, the artistic shots, the precious shots and the grab shots and never-to-be-repeated shots.

So another year finishes. And our happy group goes home with more pleasant memories of our shared feathered interest.

With thanks to Peter and John for yet another year coordinating and curating the group and the outings and for all the careful planning and preparation that goes in to making them so successful and enjoyable.

Here’s to more in 2023.

Australian Hobby and Willie Wagtail – Beverley Oliver

Greater Bluebonnet – Catherine Noone

Hooded Plover – Steve Hoptroff

Galah – Anthea Fleming

Diamond Firetail – John Barkla

Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo – John Young

Pheasant Coucal – John Van Doorn

Spotted Pardalote – Meryle Findlay

Australian Owlet-nightjar – Michiko Iida

Peregrine Falcon – Peter Bennet

Eastern Rosella – Phil Marley

Red-winged Fairy-wren – Rodger Scott

Tawny Frogmouth – Ruth Ault

Spotted Pardalote – Michael Prowse

Rufous Fieldwren – Steve Waller

Australasian Grebe – Stephen Garth

End of Year Social – 2021

Phil Marley
Good timing is everything. And so it was with our End of Year Social for 2021. After last year’s social had to be held online and five outings this year had to be cancelled due to restrictions, we met up in person on 9 Dec to celebrate our photography once again. Just before omicron exploded. Good timing indeed.

End of Year Social – 2019

Phil Marley

The Terminus Hotel in North Fitzroy once again hosted our end-of-year gathering. Clearly mindful of previous Prancing and Dancing, this time they placed us in the beer garden – which was a terrific spot. The weather was kind – gentle filtered sun and no Rain, Dear – reflecting our continued excellent rapport with Jupiter and Zeus.

End of Year Social – December 2018

Phil Marley

Our bird photo mob is not stuck in a twack – we just know what we like. So, predictably, we migrated once again to the excellent North Fitzroy Terminus Hotel for our 2018 end-of-year convocation.