Birdline Victoria
Published sightings for the week ending 14 Feb 2010.
Sun 14 Feb White-throated Needletail Frankston
First Seen over Frankston at 12.30pm and again a little later, Possibly
100+. Second sighting, birds were very low, 25 to 30 metres above
ground.
Colin Mulvogue
Australian Owlet-nightjar, Painted Button-quail, Speckled
Warbler Castlemaine
Relaxing weekend at "The Mud House" on Willy Milly Rd in Castlemaine
produced a few nice suprises. Nesting boxes right in front of the
cottage allowed striking views of an Owlet-nightjar (first peering out
and also sitting on tree branch), then a sugar glider in broad daylight.
One Painted Button-quail flushed metres away from cottage. Dusk and dawn
produced Phascogale and the resident Tawny Frogmouth. Four Speckled
Warblers at Nevills Track (300m from Castlemaine to Maldon Road).
Foraging on the ground with adult bird feeding 3 young. Thought I also
heard a Crested Bellbird?
G. Santos
Australian Koel Bairnsdale
A koel was heard calling about mid morning, in farmland 5km North West
of Bairnsdale.
Rohan Bilney
Sat 13 Feb Nankeen Night-Heron, Buff-banded Rail Banyule Flats
Reserve
2 Nankeen Night-Heron in the large lake, out in the open. While watching
them from the Eastern shore (up the bank just off the footpath) had one
of those special bird moments - a Buff-banded Rail popped out from under
cover and walked along the bank right in front of me, within 2 metres.
Jackson Airey
Wood Sandpiper, Baillon's Crake Eastern Treatment Plant
(Boundary Road Wetland = Banyan Waterhole)
There is now a good variety and a fair number of wetland birds. The high
water level has driven many birds out of the vegetation into more open
areas where they can be seen. These included Little Grassbirds and the
Baillon's Crake, probably regular here but usually skulking in the
vegetation. Another highlight was 3 Wood Sandpipers. There was a loud
chorus of frogs notably on the western side. (Permission required for
access.)
per Mike Carter
Painted Honeyeater Bartley's Block Chiltern
Heard a bird calling to the north of Bartleys' Block in the late
afternoon. This species has been absent from the Chiltern area this
summer and the spring before so it was good to hear at least one was
back in the forest.
Michael Ramsey and Matt Weeks
Gang-gang Cockatoo Donvale
A small flock of Gang-gang cockatoos was flying over and settled in a
tree in our yard. Flew off again and then back into another tree ten
minutes later. Then flew in southerly direction. First time I have seen
gang gangs.
m warner
Fri 12 Feb Collared Sparrowhawk Bell Street Station, Preston
One passed over with birds giving alarm call. Did a little circle. Then
saw later being viciously attacked by a magpie! First I've see at
Preston.
Kevin Bartram
Collared Sparrowhawk Melbourne Zoo
In large eucalypt at the back of the Japanese Garden, located when
feathers of prey floated gently down around us.
Deb Crosby
Thu 11 Feb Black Honeyeater Kooyoora SP Glenalbyn Block, Inglewood
SF Old Inglewood Road 1Km E of Bacon Road
One at first location up to four seen on three consecutive days at
second location. 8-11 Feb
Nevil Amos
Little Corella Strathmore
The previously reported Northern Suburbs flock of Little Corellas is
growing in size, but also growing more confusing in their movements.
When first reported a couple of weeks ago, they would always be heading
north in the mornings, and south in the evenings. But now it's all
changed ..... Tonight I counted a noisy flock of 50-ish flying north at
about 8pm, then a further (and noisier) 100++ also headed north at about
8.45. My earlier theory that they were roosting in North Essendon, and
feeding further north (eg Glenroy, Greenvale), is now clearly no longer
accurate - if it ever was. I haven't had time to chase down where they
might be roosting at nights or feeding in the day. Has anyone in the
nth/west subs located this flock's recent daytime locations or roosts?
Trevor Manley
Zebra Finch, Rufous Songlark Point Cook Coastal Park
Zebra Finch: 5 or 6 birds perched in tree's Near RAAF Carpark . Moved
off towards Pt.Cook Rd. Gate, where I observed them again briefly .
Rufous Songlark: While trying to get a photo of the Zebra Finches, heard
the unmistakable call of the songlark, the bird let me get within 5mts.
Colin Mulvogue
Wed 10 Feb Spotless Crake, Buff-Banded Rail, Latham's Snipe &
Nankeen Night-Heron Banyule Flats
Good 30 minutes between 7:00pm and 7:30pm. Fleeting glimpse of
previously reported Spotless Crake in Grotty Pond (small pond to NE of
main wetland). Long clear views of Buff-banded Rail in same pond. Six
(6) Latham's Snipe and two (2) Nankeen Night-Heron in NW corner of main
wetland. Clear views can be had from elevated position on bike track
between wetland and soccer/cricket fields.
Luke Sullivan
Rufous Fantail Fairy Dell near Bruthen
4 Rufous Fantails - and one Grey Fantail at Fairy Dell
David Clark
Dollarbird Rodwell rd, Tambo Upper, East Gippsland
I believe the pair of Dollarbirds seen over the past month or so down at
the Tambo River has reproduced successfully. Now there are three birds
calling, one higher in pitch, presumably made by the offspring.
Faye Bedford
Tue 9 Feb Dollarbird Bluff Creek Falls, Burrowa-Pine Mountain
National Park
Good view of a young Dollarbird. Also heard at least two Superb
Lyrebirds calling and went down the Bluff Creek track to get a closer
view. My wife stayed on the vehicle track and saw three male Lyrebirds
working their way down the opposite slope.
David Clark
Long-billed Corella Warrigal Road /Dales Park
A big group of approx. 50-60 Long-billed Corellas seen on the grass at
6.00 pm
Frank Arnold
Mon 8 Feb Black-tailed Native Hen Bairnsdale Sewerage Ponds
The EGBOC Monday outing to the Bairnsdale sewerage ponds and Macleod
Morass had a very interesting morning including a single Black-tailed
Native Hen at the sewerage ponds. Other sightings included 7 duck
species
Ken Sherring
Possible Tawny Grassbird Macleod Morass, Bairnsdale
Single bird seen foraging along edge of rank vegetation by pond.
Superficially similar to the locally common Little Grassbird, but
distinctly larger, with comparatively longer, graduated tail, held
cocked for much of time at about 45 degrees. Rich rufous crown and pale
eyebrow distinctive; grey-brown upper with darker streaking on mantle,
underside pale buffy-white, unmarked. Attached photo by Ken Sherring.
[Editorial note: confirmaion of this record is needed before being
accepted. If accepted this is the first record for Victoria.]
EGBOC group (per Chris Healey)
Baillon's Crake Mt St Joseph Pond, Altona
A single Baillon's Crake showing consistently for half an hour from
approx 9am this morning. It was working the reeds along the edge at
about 1 o'clock to the south platform. Spotted Crake also showing.
Everything but the Baillon's very nervous after a fox raced into the
centre of the pond after the young teal.
Joy Tansey
Sun 7 Feb White-bellied Sea-Eagle Jamesion River - Otway Ranges
Juvenile sea eagle seen gliding up the beach before roosting in a tree
at the end of the point.
Aaron Ledden
Freckled Duck, Marsh Sandpiper, White-winged Black & Whiskered
Tern, Glossy Ibis, Red-capped Plover Lake Mokoan
Freckled Duck: 1, roosting on log in middle of the lake. Marsh
Sandpiper: 2, probably the same birds observed here over the last few
weeks. White-winged Black Tern: 1, found with the hundreds of Whiskered
Terns. Glossy Ibis: 4 birds on the southern side. Whiskered Tern: 400+,
very common, breeding confirmed, now the water level of the lake has
dropped could walk out further and see a large breeding colony with many
near fledged young being fed by busy parents. Red-capped Plover: 15,
around the expansive mud on the northern side. Also an odd sighting was
a free flying Greylag Goose that was roosting and flying around with
Black Swans near the spit. It seemed quite happy with the other
waterfowl.
Michael Ramsey
Gould's Petrel + other seabirds Off Portland
The Birds Australia Vic Group pelagic that got out off Portland had 3-4
Gould's Petrels around the vessel at the first berley point beyond the
shelf. Also seen on the day were Wandering Albatross, Pomarine and
Arctic Jaeger, Wilson's, Grey-backed and White-faced Storm-Petrels and
White-chinned Petrel.
Rohan Clarke et al.
Little Eagle Royal Park, Melbourne
A single bird seen soaring high up over the grassland behind the
Childrens' Hospital. Also a Grey Butcherbird calling in the trees
nearby.
J and A. Flack
Thu 4 Feb White-breasted Woodswallow Private property, Emu Creek,
Bulla
Two birds, loosely associated with Dusky Woodswallows.
Lawrie Conole
Birdline Victoria is sponsored by Birds Australia - Victoria
<http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/the-organisation/victoria.html> and
co-ordinated and hosted by Eremaea Birds <http://www.eremaea.com> .
===============================
www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
send the message:
unsubscribe
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to:
===============================
|
