Dear Birders,
Recently (1/4/97) I spent an afternoon observing in Boweya Forest, a
remnant Box-Ironbark ecosystem located 25km north-west of Wangaratta. The
main purpose of the outing was to search for Regent Honeyeater and Swift
Parrot. Though these were not found I recorded quite a few interesting
species.
Perhaps the most unusual was a male Gilbert's Whistler seen
singing in undergrowth. This area is well west of this species usual
range. This species has also been recorded in Killawarra Forest (2km east)
and Chiltern Forest (40km east). Perhaps a remnant population is present
in north-east Victorian Box-Ironbark Forests.
Also of note on the outing was a small flock of White-browed Woodswallows
over the forest giving chap-chap calls. Perhaps this is indicitive of the
recent dry spell over Victoria in the last few months. Large numbers of
Striated Pardalotes were also recorded, many of these were probably
autumn/winter visitors. Race was not idenitfied but the Tasmanian
race has been observed in the forest before so some may have been of this
taxon.
Small numbers of autumn/winter visiting Honeyeaters were recorded. The
most common was Little Friarbird as well as many Fuscous Honeyeaters in
non-breeding plumage. One Yellow-faced Honeyeater was heard just outside
the forest. Other wintering visitors included a few female Golden
Whistlers.
Hopefully I will return to the forest sometime during winter to search
again for Regent Honeyeater and Swift Parrot. The Swift Parrot was seen in
the forest last winter and the local area (including Warby Range and
Killawarra Forest) is quite an important region on the mainland for this
species.
SPECIES LIST: Total no. species recorded - 45
Australian Wood Duck Brown Goshawk
Masked Lapwing Peaceful Dove
Crested Pigeon Common Bronzewing
Galah Eastern Rosella
Red-rumped Parrot Brown Treecreeper
Superb Fairy-wren Weebill
Western Gerygone Striated Pardalote
Red Wattlebird Noisy Miner
Noisy Friarbird Little Friarbird
Yellow-faced Honeyeater Fuscous Honeyeater
White-plumed Honeyeater Brown-headed Honeyeater
Black-chinned Honeyeater Jacky Winter
White-browed Babbler Grey Shrike-thrush
Gilbert's Whitsler Rufous Whistler
Golden Whistler Grey Fantail
Willie Wagtail Magpie-lark
Restless Flycatcher Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
White-browed Woodswallow Dusky Woodswallow
Australian Magpie Grey Butcherbird
Australian Raven White-winged Chough
Diamond Firetail Mistletoebird
Welcome Swallow Tree Martin
Common Starling
Good birding...
Michael Ramsey
Bundoora, Vic.
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