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Folks,
The Norwegian Blues Twitchathon team, augmented by
my son Andrew, put in Saturday afternoon and Sunday seeking unsuccessfully for
Swift parrots and Regent Honeyeaters around Stawell in central-western
Victoria. Although there were plenty of Swifties in the Deep Lead Flora
and Fauna Reserve during the August 2001 count weekend, they weren't there this
year, although a few of the Grey Box and a handful of the Yellow Gums, plus some
of the mistletoe, were in flower. However, there were plenty of good birds
around, including:
Declining woodland species such as Diamond
Firetails, Scarlet and Flame Robins, Jacky Winter, Buff-rumped Thornbill,
Black-chinned Honeyeater and Brown Treecreeper;
a lone Cattle Egret just south-west of
Stawell;
a single White-necked Heron soaring over the
township
100+ Pink-eared Ducks and a handful of
Blue-billed Ducks among other waterful on a large holding pond immediately
south of the Stawell wastewater treatment plant;
More Blue-billed Ducks in the dusk at Lake
Wendouree in Ballarat, along with a lone Nankeen Night Heron and an
enterprising Brown Goshawk which was fluttering among the willows just off the
north-western shore of the lake, apparently trying to flush one of the many
Starlings that could be heard settling down to roost for the
night.
A very pleasant weekend in the bush, even if the
Swifties were elsewhere (had no real hopes of Regents) - nil return record
sheets will be on their way to Debbie shortly.
Regards,
Jack Krohn
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