Thanks again to everyone that recommended locations in and around Chiltern.
We left Melbourne reasonably early Saturday morning and stopped off at
Benalla, looking for Purple-crowned Lorikeets. Three sites were mentioned,
the two car parks either side of the main road and the carpark of the DSE
office a little way out of town. Well, totally dipped out on the Lorikeets
but did see Crested Shrike-tits on the Jim Wood Walking Trail, a first for
us (full bird list at end of email). We realised very soon that we were
several weeks early – the flowering gums aren’t flowering just yet – maybe
another three or four weeks.
After Benalla, made our way to our friends’ B&B in Yackandandah (“Crystal
Creek”) where we were staying. A few good sightings – Yellow-tufted
Honeyeater in the garden for one. Another sighting was the Eastern Yellow
Robin, and whilst not an uncommon bird by any means, this one was our only
sighting this weekend, which surprised us.
Saturday afternoon we made our first visit to Cyanide Dam (the Honeyeater
Picnic Ground) after visiting the Chiltern Info Centre to pick up Barry
Traill’s “Bird Trails of Chiltern” which proved to be most valuable. At
Cyanide Dam we saw Yellow-tufted Honeyeater, White-browed Babbler, Restless
Flycatcher, Grey Shrike-thrush and Brown Treecreeper (which was amazingly
tame!) Since we were losing light we decided to call it a day. Dinner at
“The Bank” in Beechworth – highly recommended.
The following morning we went back to Cyanide Dam and were disappointed –
only seeing the Brown Treecreeper again. However on Lancashire Gap Road we
saw Flame Robins and also the Babblers again. We headed further along
Lancashire Gap Road to Skeleton Hill Track where we saw a Scarlet Robin and
Yellow-rumped and Buff-rumped Thornbills. A spectacular view of a low-flying
wedge-tailed eagle coming over the hill.
Next place on the itinerary was Sugarloaf Reserve, to the west of Chiltern,
south of the freeway. Access is via Gayfer Road and Rocky Creek Road.
Notable sightings included a Nankeen Kestrel on the telegraph wires and
three Southern Whiteface picking over a freshly ploughed paddock. Sugarloaf
Reserve was very disappointing with the only sightings being a Laughing
Kookaburra and a White-throated Treecreeper.
After Sugarloaf Reserve, the final stop for the day was Barnawartha Scenic
Reserve. Several Flame Robins again (in fact, if you want Flame Robins, the
Chiltern area is the place to go, apparently!) We were chasing Turquoise
Parrots but none sighted – in fact, we totally dipped out on those this
weekend. We did get a particularly close view of a Fan-tailed Cuckoo and a
lovely look at an Australian Hobby (a first for us) – which was made even
more attractive by the light from the low sun. Unfortunately no photos of
the Hobby. Another one-off sighting here was a single Spotted Pardalote.
Next morning, first stop was Bartley’s Block. At first we thought that there
was nothing to be seen, but with a bit of wandering we had some good
sightings – Weebill (a first for us), Striated Thornbill, Yellow-rumped
Thornbill and lots of White-winged Choughs. From here we cut through some of
the tracks near Magenta Mine and picked up more Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters
and a good look at a Golden Whistler. Heading back to the main road we
passed Frog Hollow (mentioned in Barry Traill’s guide) and saw an Australian
Grebe in a farm dam opposite! From here we went to Chiltern Valley Dam #1
where we saw more Flame Robins – one male put on a fantastic show (I suspect
he was trying to scare us off). Red-rumped Parrots, but no Turquoise
Parrots. Dam #1 has a little water in it (but I suspect contains
insufficient water to be of any use to the town). There is a small island in
the middle of the dam that a couple of Grey Teal were sitting on. Most
notable sighting here was a small, mottled raptor (a Collared Sparrowhawk?)
we didn’t get a long enough look, and certainly no photos, so we can’t
really tick it off.
We had hoped to see Purple-crowned Lorikeets, Turquoise Parrots, Fuscous
Honeyeaters, possibly Regent Honeyeaters, Diamond Firetails and
Square-tailed Kites. We’ll probably try again in a few weeks once the gums
are flowering.
Paul Dodd and Ruth Woodrow
Benalla ("Jim Wood Walking Trail")
==================================
Australian Wood Duck
Pacific Black Duck
Purple Swamphen
Dusky Moorhen
Eurasian Coot
Masked Lapwing
Spotted Turtle-Dove
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Eastern Rosella
Laughing Kookaburra
Willie Wagtail
Grey Fantail
Crested Shrike-tit
Grey Shrike-thrush
Superb Fairy-wren
Brown Thornbill
Yellow Thornbill
Brown Treecreeper
White-plumed Honeyeater
Red Wattlebird
Magpie-lark
Australian Magpie
Lancaster Road, Cyanide Dam (Honeyeater Picnic Ground), Skeleton Creek Road
===========================================================================
Australian Wood Duck (Lancaster Road)
Wedge-tailed Eagle (In flight over Skeleton Creek Road)
Galah
Crimson Rosella
Laughing Kookaburra
Willie Wagtail
Restless Flycatcher (Cyanide Dam)
Jacky Winter (Beechworth-Chiltern Road)
Scarlet Robin (Skeleton Creek Road)
Flame Robin (Lancaster Road)
Grey Shrike-thrush (Cyanide Dam)
White-browed Babbler (Cyanide Dam)
Buff-rumped Thornbill (Skeleton Creek Road)
Yellow-rumped Thornbill (Skeleton Creek Road)
Brown Treecreeper (Cyanide Dam)
Yellow-tufted Honeyeater (Cyanide Dam)
Australian Magpie
Yackandandah
============
Australian White Ibis
Australian Wood Duck
Masked Lapwing
Spotted Turtle-Dove
Crested Pigeon
Galah
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Crimson Rosella
Eastern Rosella
Australian King-Parrot
Willie Wagtail
Jacky Winter
Flame Robin
Eastern Yellow Robin
Grey Shrike-thrush
Superb Fairy-wren
Brown Thornbill
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Brown Treecreeper
Yellow-tufted Honeyeater
Magpie-lark
White-winged Chough
Australian Magpie
Grey Currawong
Red-browed Finch
European Goldfinch
Gayfer Road, Sugarloaf Reserve
==============================
Nankeen Kestrel (Gayfer Road - on telegraph wire)
Laughing Kookaburra (Sugarloaf Reserve)
Welcome Swallow (Rocky Creek Road)
Southern Whiteface (Rocky Creek Road - on fence alongside field being
ploughed)
White-throated Treecreeper (Sugarloaf Reserve)
Barnawartha Scenic Reserve
==========================
Australian Hobby (In flight over reserve)
Eastern Rosella
Red-rumped Parrot
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Flame Robin
Brown Thornbill
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Brown Treecreeper
Spotted Pardalote
Noisy Miner
Grey Butcherbird
Bartley's Block
===============
Crested Pigeon
Superb Fairy-wren
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Striated Thornbill (Bathing in smaller pond - with brick 'chimney')
Weebill
White-winged Chough (Many in trees near road)
Tracks near Magenta Mine
========================
Australasian Grebe (In farm dam opposite Frog Hollow)
Willie Wagtail
Golden Whistler
Brown Thornbill (Near fire dam in forest)
Yellow-tufted Honeyeater (On track and also near fire dam in forest)
Noisy Miner
Chiltern Valley Dam #1
======================
Grey Teal (Pair on 'island' in middle of Dam #1)
Red-rumped Parrot
Flame Robin
Magpie-lark
...and a possible Collared Sparrowhawk - didn't get a good enough look, but
definitely a small mottled raptor
Chiltern Township
=================
Australian White Ibis
Common Blackbird
White-winged Chough (Many in tree in laneway near bakery)
House Sparrow
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