birding-aus

RE: RFI Hattah-Kulkyne NP, Lake Tyrell and Bronzewing

To: "birding-aus" <>, "Troy Mutton" <>
Subject: RE: RFI Hattah-Kulkyne NP, Lake Tyrell and Bronzewing
From: "Tim Dolby" <>
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:23:50 +1100
Hi Troy,

Yes, Bronzewing is an excellent place to see Chestnut Quail-thrush -
you'll need to walk in a bit. This is also a good site for Malleefowl -
the reserve probably has more Malleefowl per hectare than anywhere else
in Victoria - and also Black-eared Miner.

Hattah's is a great place. I've got a summary of Hattah and Lake Tyrrell
on my trip report web site at http://tim-dolby.blogspot.com/ and click
on Hattah in the right side menu. (There's a section on Chiltern also.)

You may also want to have a look at the section entitled "Birds of
Northern Victoria - and where to find them" (see
http://tim-dolby.blogspot.com/search/label/Birds%20of%20Northern%20Victo
ria%20-%20and%20Where%20to%20Find%20Them). FYI I've included information
on the specific species you asked about below (from by website).

While at the site, have look at VicTwitch 2009 - I've just including
information on a recent visit to Apollo Bay. My current Victoria total
for the year (2009) is 245 - chasing 330.

Good luck with this - interested to hear how you go - and if you have
any questions just ask me.

Cheers,

Tim Dolby

________________________________________________


Malleefowl
A good site to see Malleefowl in along the Dattuck Track in southern
Wyperfeld National Park. I recommend parking 100 meter up from the
intersection with the Ring Rd and concentrate efforts on the right hand
side of the track. I have also seen them on the Wirrengren Plain Track
in northern Wyperfeld in areas with Mallee. At Hattah I've recorded them
in the mallee areas i.e. on the road in the park early in the morning
and at dusk, or in the mallee on the Nowingi Track. Bronzewing Flora and
Fauna Reserve near Northern Wyperfeld is also a good place to see
Malleefowl - this reserve probably has more Malleefowl per hectare than
anywhere else in Victoria.

Spotted Nightjar
A good place to see this species is at dusk near a good dam in a mallee
area. They also have a preference for areas with white peeble or stones
(such as along mallee track), which suits this species camouflage. Dams
in the the Whipstick and Kamarooka, part the Greater Bendigo National
Park near Bendigo, are exellent. They are reasonanbly common at night
along the Mournpall Track particularly along the section after the Lake
Mournpall Campground. I once had up to 12 Spotted Nightjar recorded in a
4 kilometre section of track. (Note at night that Tawny Frogmouth and
Barn Owl are quite common along here also.) Also at At Hattah National
Park I have flushed a bird during the day on the Nowingi Track, and
recorded them at night at the Hattah Campground - camping next to Little
Lake Hattah at the end of the campground. I have also seen them on the
Dattuck Track and the Devil's Pool at Wyperfeld National Park.

Little Button Quail
There are a number of good places to see Little Button-quail. Goschen is
particularly good, specifically in the cricket ground section (the large
grassy area on the northside of the reserve). Walk around here until you
flush a bird. The nearby Tresco West reserve, particularly near and
around the golf course is also excellent. I have also flushed them on
the Dattuck Track in Wyperfeld in the larger track side areas of grass.
Terrick Terrick grasslands are also good, in the paddock area - and also
the areas grassland areas. At Hattah they can be common in grassy areas
bordering mallee.

Lake Tyrrell
On the way up to the Mallee it's really worth visiting Lake Tyrrell.
There are two good access points:

1. From the township of Sea Lake drive up the Calder Hwy until you reach
Baileys Rd (about two and half km up). This joins up with Lake Tyrrell
Rd which is really a dirt track (and is sometimes used as a racing
track) around the lake. There is a large lookout overlooking the lake
just before you reach Lake Tyrrell.

2. From Sea Lake, take the Calder Hwy and then turn left onto the
Robinvale - Sea Lake Rd (about 1 km down). About another km along you
come to the east end of Lake Tyrrell Rd. Turn left onto this road; you
can follow it around until you get to the lookout (mentioned above).

In the last few years some of the birds that I've seen here include
Orange Chat (found beside the lake or on the right hand side of the
track that leads east from the lookout), Rufous Fieldwren (in the areas
of planted saltbush about 100 metre infront of the base of the Lookout),
White-winged Fairy-wren (near the lakes edge - but anywhere),
Black-faced Woodswallow (near and about the Lookout), Brown Songlark (in
the bordering paddocks), Singing Honeyeater and Blue Bonnett.
Blue-winged Parrot can also be quite common at Lake Tyrrell. In 2006 I
saw a flock of 50+ in the salt-bush plantation 100 metres in front of
the lookout.

A excellent place for birding is near the entrance point from the
Robinvale - Sea Lake Rd, in the area just before the small creek line.
Here I have seen Budgeriargar, Blue Bonnett and a range of other open
woodland birds.



_______________________________________________________________
Troy wrote:

Hi birders,

I'm going to be visiting Hattah-Kulkyne NP for a few days in late April,
and was wondering if anyone has any hot tips for any specific places
worth checking out.

I'm going to be checking out the Nowingi Track for Grasswren and
Emu-wren, and am hoping that someone can point me in a more specific
direction for Malleefowl, Spotted Nightjar, Chestnut Quail-thrush and
Little Button-quail. I will also be having a look at Lake Tyrell and the
reserve at Bronzewing - does anyone have any specific places to look at
either of those places? I'm basing my visit to Bronzewing on a report by
Tim Dolby from March 08 where Chestnut Quail-thrush were found, and Lake
Tyrell from a few random places around the web.

I will be heading to Hattah via Lake Tyrell from Chiltern (where I'll be
spending about 10 days as I commute to and from Albury for Uni) and
returning to Sydney via Wagga Wagga, so am open to any locations roughly
on that route, particularly for Malleefowl.

Cheers
Troy

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