I?ve just spent the period 3-9 September 1999 surveying birds on
Gunbower Island (35º45?13?S 144º18?28?E), on the Murray River near
Cohuna on Victoria?s Northern Plains. Spring is certainly well under
way there with ample rain, sunshine and migratory birds. Following
are some observations from some points on the trip between Melbourne and
Cohuna, and on Gunbower Island itself.
* I stopped for about 30 minutes and an 'Atlas 2ha' survey at Terrick
Terrick National Park (36º10?10?S 144º14?30?E) between Bendigo and
Cohuna. Rufous Whistlers have arrived in numbers (largely absent
from nearby areas in subsequent weeks). A Black-eared Cuckoo was a
pleasant surprise. See attached list at bottom for further
details.
* On the southern edge of Mitiamo (the small town near Terrick
Terrick), I saw a small flock of 4-5 finches on overhead
powerlines. I occasionally see Zebra Finches there, but these were
slender, long-tailed finches - looked like Neochmia versus the
stockier, short& square tailed Taeniopygia (Zebras or
Double-bars). The chances of them being Red-browed Finches N.
temporalis are virtually nil, and I had a distinct impression of
dark dorsum and vaguely banded ventrum. Very little to go on
because they vanished by the time I stopped the car, but I suspect
they were Plum-headed Finches N. modesta - major rarities in
Victoria. Keep an eye out if you?re in the vicinity & let me know
how you go ....... they may just be aviary escapes of course.
Other birds of interest on the plains between Raywood & Mitiamo -
Brown Songlark, Black Falcon, Brown Falcon, Nankeen Kestrel,
White-fronted Chat, etc.
* In an earlier e-mail to Birding-Aus, Simon Kennedy had commented on
the abundance this season in central Victoria of Horsfield?s
Bronze-Cuckoos. They were abundant at Terrick Terrick and Gunbower
Island too, but I haven?t yet heard or seen a Shining Bronze-Cuckoo
in those same areas. There are a few Black-eared Cuckoos about -
both at the Terricks & Gunbower; Pallid Cuckoos and Fan-tailed
Cuckoos are widespread and numerous too.
* Other migrants (intrastate and inter-state) back in force at
Gunbower included Rufous Whistler, Rufous Songlark, Little
Friarbird, Noisy Friarbird, Olive-backed Oriole. A few
White-breasted Woodswallows have returned to Gunbower too. Western
Gerygones are still scarce at Gunbower - mostly in Black Box
woodland at present. Most of the winter migrants seem to have
moved out again - Scarlet Robin, Spotted Pardalote, Pied Currawong,
etc.
* This trip I saw and heard the first Little Ravens at Gunbower that
I?ve recorded there - a flock of about 20 near Cohuna and smaller
numbers at odd spots in the forest.
* The great Black-breasted Buzzard saga continues, and gets more
interesting! In Feb99 I saw an adult BBB at Cemetery Bend on
Gunbower Island; in Jun99 I saw an immature at 86 Break about 10km
east of there. This trip I saw both an adult and an immature near
the junction of Wattle Track and Peters Creek Track, which leads me
to suspect they?re now paired. The conclusion which probably
follows logically from that is that the first recorded breeding
attempt by BBBs in Victoria (and below 30ºS) may be under way
somewhere on Gunbower Island this spring.
Lists for Terrick Terrick and Gunbower Island appear below the signature
block.
--
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
LAWRIE CONOLE
3 Gezireh Street, Pascoe Vale South,
Victoria 3044 AUSTRALIA. 37°44'27"S 144°56'17"E
Phone (03) 9354 2484; Mobile (0419) 588 993
E-mail: <>
Home page: http://www.users.bigpond.com/ocoineoil/
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
TERRICK TERRICK NATIONAL PARK, 3 September 1999
36 10 10S 144 14 30E
Lawrie Conole; 09/09/1999
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Australian Shelduck Tadorna tadornoides
Straw-necked Ibis Threskiornis spinicollis
Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus
Common Bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera
Peaceful Dove Geopelia placida
Galah Cacatua roseicapilla
Red-rumped Parrot Psephotus haematonotus
Fan-tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis
Black-eared Cuckoo Chrysococcyx osculans
Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx basalis
Brown Treecreeper Climacteris picumnus
Superb Fairy-wren Malurus cyaneus
Striated Pardalote Pardalotus striatus
Weebill Smicrornis brevirostris
Chestnut-rumped Thornbill Acanthiza uropygialis
Yellow-rumped Thornbill Acanthiza chrysorrhoa
Yellow Thornbill Acanthiza nana
Southern Whiteface Aphelocephala leucopsis
White-plumed Honeyeater Lichenostomus penicillatus
Jacky Winter Microeca fascinans
Red-capped Robin Petroica goodenovii
White-browed Babbler Pomatostomus superciliosus
Varied Sittella Daphoenositta chrysoptera
Gilbert's Whistler Pachycephala inornata
Rufous Whistler Pachycephala rufiventris
Grey Shrike-thrush Colluricincla harmonica
Restless Flycatcher Myiagra inquieta
Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys
Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen
Australian Raven Corvus coronoides
White-winged Chough Corcorax melanorhamphos
Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena
Tree Martin Hirundo nigricans
33 species
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
GUNBOWER ISLAND, 3-9 September 1999
35 45 13S 144 18 28S
Lawrie Conole; 09/09/1999
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae
Australian Shelduck Tadorna tadornoides
Australian Wood Duck Chenonetta jubata
Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa
Grey Teal Anas gracilis
White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae
Nankeen Night Heron Nycticorax caledonicus
Australian White Ibis Threskiornis molucca
Straw-necked Ibis Threskiornis spinicollis
Yellow-billed Spoonbill Platalea flavipes
Black-breasted Buzzard Hamirostra melanosternon
Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus
Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus
Collared Sparrowhawk Accipiter cirrhocephalus
Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax
Little Eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides
Brown Falcon Falco berigora
Painted Button-quail Turnix varia
Black-fronted Dotterel Elseyornis melanops
Banded Lapwing Vanellus tricolor
Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles
Common Bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera
Peaceful Dove Geopelia placida
Galah Cacatua roseicapilla
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita
Yellow Rosella Platycercus flaveolus
Eastern Rosella Platycercus eximius
Red-rumped Parrot Psephotus haematonotus
Pallid Cuckoo Cuculus pallidus
Fan-tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis
Black-eared Cuckoo Chrysococcyx osculans
Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx basalis
Barking Owl Ninox connivens
Southern Boobook Ninox boobook
Tawny Frogmouth Podargus strigoides
Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae
White-throated Treecreeper Cormobates leucophaeus
Brown Treecreeper Climacteris picumnus
Superb Fairy-wren Malurus cyaneus
Spotted Pardalote Pardalotus punctatus
Striated Pardalote Pardalotus striatus
Western Gerygone Gerygone fusca
Yellow Thornbill Acanthiza nana
Striated Thornbill Acanthiza lineata
Red Wattlebird Anthochaera carunculata
Noisy Friarbird Philemon corniculatus
Little Friarbird Philemon citreogularis
Noisy Miner Manorina melanocephala
White-plumed Honeyeater Lichenostomus penicillatus
Brown-headed Honeyeater Melithreptus brevirostris
Jacky Winter Microeca fascinans
Red-capped Robin Petroica goodenovii
Varied Sittella Daphoenositta chrysoptera
Crested Shrike-tit Falcunculus frontatus
Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis
Rufous Whistler Pachycephala rufiventris
Grey Shrike-thrush Colluricincla harmonica
Restless Flycatcher Myiagra inquieta
Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca
Grey Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa
Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae
Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus
White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus leucorynchus
Dusky Woodswallow Artamus cyanopterus
Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen
Australian Raven Corvus coronoides
Little Raven Corvus mellori
White-winged Chough Corcorax melanorhamphos
Diamond Firetail Stagonopleura guttata
Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena
Tree Martin Hirundo nigricans
Rufous Songlark Cincloramphus mathewsi
Sugar Glider Petaurus breviceps
Common Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula
Eastern Grey Kangaroo Macropus giganteus
Little Mastiff-bat Mormopterus planiceps
White-striped Mastiff-bat Nyctinomus australis
Gould's Wattled Bat Chalinolobus gouldii
Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus
Fox Vulpes vulpes
Eastern Signbearing Froglet Crinia parinsignifera
Common Froglet Crinia signifera
Spotted Grass Frog Limnodynastes tasmaniensis
European Carp Cyprinus carpio
85 species (72 birds)
To unsubscribe from this list, please send a message to
Include ONLY "unsubscribe birding-aus" in the message body (without the
quotes)
|
