birding-aus

Help with ID - Grassland, N of Melb

To: "Birding-aus" <>
Subject: Help with ID - Grassland, N of Melb
From: "Wendy" <>
Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2007 13:16:21 +1100
HI All,
Yesterday afternoon/evening I was birding in an area of Poa dominated Western 
Basalt Plains Grassland, in the vicinity of a dry (ephemeral) Grassy Wetland 
and with good areas of Stony Knolls covered in dense Hedge Wattle (plus Gorse 
and Briar Rose) about 1km from a running Creek. Craigieburn area, north of 
Melbourne

These are descriptions of 2 birds I observed at about 7pm but could not decide 
on ID. Sadly I did not have a camera with me.
Colours may be a bit wrong as it was horizontal light and quite hazy

1.      sitting on  fence wire, near tree violet bushes
About robin size, more horizontal pose (not windy)
small dark eye, tiny pointed beak
grey above with very pale chest and  belly
wide white eyebrow stripe, dark crown
broad, fawn, horizontal bars on chest, broken in middle
pink or red feet
frequently bobbed tail up and down, (not whole bum like pipit)



2.      ????Jacky Winter
Standing on dead stalks top of Briar Rose with back towards me
surrounded by big Poa Tussocks, grazed between, plus Briar Rose/Hedge Wattle
Sparrow-ish size, brown back, slightly darker cap
Dark brown tail, white edges on feathers
Main wing feathers dark brown, white borders
Black eye, slight dark line extend from eye
White eyebrow and below
White fluffy underpants, could not see neck or chest
Flew low, horizontally over tussocks, landed in inter tussock space
Flew again, low, horizontal, dropped vertically into smaller gap (may have been 
concerned I was stalking it)



With thanks in anticipation,

Wendy Moore


Other birds seen



     Bird
     Number


      1
     Grey Fantail
     1


      2
     Superb Fairy-Wren
     many


      3
     Yellow Rumped Thornbill
     10+


      4
     Brown (?Striated) Thornbill
     4+


      5
     Magpie
     8+


      6
     Brown Falcon
     2
     1 very dark

      7
     Silvereye
     2


      8
     Crested Pigeon
     11


      9
     LATHAM SNIPE
     1
     SW of  Wetland (dry), flew away from sitting under a bush

      10
     Little Raven
     2
     (20+ in trees at nearby waste depot)

      11
     Richards Pipit
     3+


      12
     Sacred Ibis
     2
     Flying SE

      13
     Golden-headed Cisticola
     2
     Very quiet, not calling,  in dense tussocks

      14
     Red Rumped Parrot
     2
     Pair

      15
     Black Duck
     3
     In  Ck

      16
     Dusky Moorhen
     1
     In  Ck

      17
     ?Jacky Winter
     1
     see notes above

      18
     ???
     1
     see notes above







     *Goldfinch
     Many (20+)
      Feeding in (spear) thistle flowers in Wl


     *Starlings
     many
      Arrive to roost in area


     *Indian Mynah
     3+



     *?Greenfinch
     4+
     Juvenile? Lacked green colour, in vicinity Goldfinches







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