birding-aus

RE: White-browed Babbler at The You Yangs, Victoria

To: "'Margaret Cameron'" <>
Subject: RE: White-browed Babbler at The You Yangs, Victoria
From: "Paul Dodd" <>
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:50:06 +1000
Thanks Margaret, you've raised a good point about the private property.

Hovell Creek is, indeed, on private property - it is on the western side of
the fence line that runs north-south immediately to the west of the
eucalyptus plantations that are part of the You Yangs Regional Park. See
http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/resources05/05_0513.pdf for the Parks Vic
parknote on this area. From the parknote, it would appear that the creek
itself is the boundary of the park, but since there's a fence to the east of
the creek. I would err on the side of caution and assume that the fence line
itself is the park boundary.

The babblers were clearly visible FROM THE PARK - even though they were on
the private property. One of the reasons we didn't attempt to get nearer was
because of the fence. Additionally, the White-backed Swallow is apparently
often visible at the point that the creek crosses the fence to the south of
the babbler spot (we dipped). The Red-backed Kingfisher was also visible
from the park, even though it was on powerlines that crossed the creek
inside the boundaries of the private property.

Paul Dodd
Docklands, Victoria


-----Original Message-----
From: Margaret Cameron  
Sent: Tuesday, 30 September 2008 12:01 PM
To: Paul Dodd
Cc: 'Marilyn & Dean'; 'Lawrie Conole'; 'Graeme Brown'; 'Charles Silveira';

Subject: White-browed Babbler at The You Yangs, Victoria

Thanks Paul

One of the reasons I put my message on birding-aus (and this one too) is 
that I thought it might stimulate more reports, either in the You Yangs or 
close. (Don't tell me, people who have been seeing White-browed Babblers in 
the You Yangs, because I'm not there any more - tell Paul, tell Marilyn 
Hewish for the Geelong Bird Report, tell the Atlas and the Victorian 
Wildlife Atlas, and put it on Birding-aus.)

I have 2 hypotheses

1 The Little River Earth Sanctuary (Mount Rothwell) is supposed to be 
reintroducing animals that used to be in the area eg platypus. Maybe they 
introduced W B Babblers too and they got away. An enquiry there might be a 
good idea.

2 Ford has a lot of country on the north side and birdwatchers don't go 
inside it. A few years ago they did more works in there making more test 
roads or whatever it is they have. Maybe the babblers were lurking in there 
all the time and when the new works reduced the area of forest they were 
forced to enlarge their range. However Lawrie says he does not think any WB 
Babblers turned up in the surveys done for the environmental management 
plan. (If that's true, Earth Sanctuary seems more likely.)

If I saw a White browed Babbler in the You Yangs I would not believe my eyes

and just try to turn it into something else. Needless to say if I decided it

was a WBB I would write notes with a shaking hand then gallop back into 
phone range and ring up as many people as I could find to come and have a 
babbler hunt. (Any photo I took in such a state of excitement would probably

be a blurred smudge but it would be better than nothing.) Marilyn Hewish's 
reaction is much the same. She has edited the Geelong Bird Report since the 
1991 issue.

I am told you saw them along Hovell's Creek (this is not in your message) - 
this is private property so if your report is encouraging people to go 
searching there please remind anyone who contacts you to get permission from

Wooloomanata first. The owners may know if there are any historic records on

their property though I believe Grey-crowned Babblers would have been more 
likely.

Your paper should include the historic stuff as well as your record and 
Graeme's, and those of anyone else since the 1930's you can find! They are 
not in Belcher's Birds of Geelong. Trevor Pescott in Birds of Geelong (1983)

mentions references in the Bird Observers Club Monthly Notes, especially a 
report by William Heathcote in December 1943. I have not looked at Ian 
Hore-Lacey's list of birds of the You Yangs which was a supplement to the 
Bird Observer July 1959 because I can't find it in my disorganized library.

These birds seem to be a long way from anywhere but we have been having a 
long and terrible drought, and there also already seem to be some 
distribution anomalies which might be attributed to climate change.

Good luck and I'm eagerly waiting to hear from you again!

Margaret

Margaret Cameron
2 Cintra Street
Eastern Heights, Qld
Australia 4305
07 3282 9151




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