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Birdline Victoria Weekly Update

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Subject: Birdline Victoria Weekly Update
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Date: 1 Aug 2011 01:30:55 +1000

Birdline Victoria

Published sightings for the week ending 31 Jul 2011.

Sun 31 Jul Baillons Crake, Aust Spotted Crake, Spotless Crake, Buff-Banded Rail, Northern Shoveler Western Treatment Plant
A single Baillons Crake, several Aust Spotted Crake, 3 Spotless Crakes and 2 Buff-Banded Rails in small ponds adjacent to track leading to the Bird Hide. All offered great photographic opportunities. Saw the Northern Shoveler on Lake Borrie (thanks to John Barkla). Red-necked Stint at Western Lagoons. 4 Horsefields Bronze Cuckoo along The Spit Track.
Warren Palmer

Freckled Duck, Australasian Bittern Western Treatment Plant, Werribee
Spent a couple of hours this morning looking for the N. Shoveler with no luck. Freckled Duck, 2 birds Lake Borrie on logs near platforms. Single Australasian Bittern flushed twice from edge of Lake Borrie, great views.
Tim Bawden, Simone Reinertsen

Black Falcon Princess Freeway, Avalon
One beautiful female (judging by size) flying east to west across freeway, seen while driving city bound just past Avalon airport and before BP services on left.17:08hrs.
David Richardson

Hooded & Double - banded Plovers Mouth of the Powlett River South Gippsland
Two pair of Adult Hooded Plover along with immature birds mixed in with a group of Double - banded Plover. Great to see the younger birds though they are not shown in this very ordinary image.
Judy & Keith Humphreys

Swift Parrot Teatree Close Ocean Grove
Swifties have spread a little since last report, but I am still sighting at least 10 daily in the immediate area!!
Denis Sleep

Sat 30 Jul Great Crested Grebe, Grey Goshawk Lake Wurdiboluc
Great Crested Grebe (2) Grey Goshawk (1) white phase
Paul Rose

Swift Parrot Anakie Township
7 or more Swift Parrot seen this afternoon in roadside eucalypts along Geelong-Ballan Rd just on north side of Anakie Township.
Steve Davidson - The Melbourne Birder

Baillon's Crake Western Treatment Plant, Werribee
Beautiful adult Baillon's Crake seen in reeds on lagoon side of track from Lake Borrie to bird hide. An odd mid-winter occurrence.
Steve Davidson - The Melbourne Birder

Northern Shoveler, Brown Quail, Lewin's Rail, Australian Spotted Crake, Spotless Crake Western Treatment Plant, Werribee
Northern Shoveler - First seen on western side of Lake Borrie at around 10:00am with one male and one female Australasian Shoveler. Flew off to the east. Seen later in the day, around 3:00pm, on the Bay, from the hide! Good views for about an hour. Brown Quail - One seen on coast road towards the Borrow Pits. Three more seen later in the day at The Spit. Lewin's Rail - One seen at The Spit. One seen crossing the track near the hide. Australian Spotted Crake - Many seen in the ponds near the hide. Spotless Crake - Two seen in the ponds near the hide.
Paul Dodd, Ruth Woodrow & Carl Billingham

Northern Shoveler Lake Borrie, Western Treatment Plant
We found the Northern Shoveler on the western side of Lake Borrie at about 9.30 am. It was with 2 other Australasian Shovelers.
Ian Davies and Kay Campbell

Plumed Whistling-Duck, Intermediate Egret, White-bellied Sea-Eagle Burramine South Swamp
A single Plumed Whistling-Duck was with Grey Teal on the western side, located by whistling calls. This species had disappeared locally during the autumn so it was a surprise to see in winter. Also an Intermediate Egret was feeding on southern side and an immature White-bellied Sea-Eagle was startled as it was feeding on something by the side of the swamp.
Michael Ramsey

Black Shouldered Kite Altona East meatworks
Single Black Shouldered Kite feeding above grassland.
Raoul Symons

Fri 29 Jul Sooty Owl Bunyip State Park
One Sooty Owl seen very well at Mortimer Picnic Ground, with partner calling nearby. Apart from a couple of singing Boobooks the forest was dead. But it didn't matter because we saw the Sooty...
Steven Davidson - The Melbourne Birder

Freckled Duck, Northern Shovell\er Western Treatment Plant
Spotted at Lake Borrie. First Freckled Duck, I've seen at Werribee for a while. Doing the usual thing, sitting on a long with head tucked in. Briefly showed dish-shaped bill, but mostly just sat their with it's peaked head & nondiscript grey-brown plumage. Northern Shoveler seen in afternoon at Lake Borrie, best found with sun behind your back. Remarkably hard to find in glary conditions. Prolonged views from eastern side of Lake Borrie. Got some bad photos, but at least it can be identified. Other goodies include: White-bellied Sea-eagle-adult Lake Borrie; heaps of Spotted Crakes at Little River Mouth, offering photographic oportunites; Lewin's Rail (& obligatory Buff-banded) walked across track leading to Little River hide.
Kevin Bartram

White-necked Heron, Swift Parrot Royal Park, Parkville
One White-necked Heron flying over Elliot Ave towards the zoo. Swift Parrot (10) At least two flocks in separate trees in the golf course on the west side of the tram tracks.
Nicole Spillane & Paul Jacobson

Northern Shoveler Western Treatment Plant, Werribee
Male Northern Shoveler seen again on Lake Borrie early this morning, hanging around the cormorant platforms. Constantly chasing Aus. Shoveler males, with aggressive 'bobbing' behaviour. Found by Mark Hall initially, seen by us, Stuart Cooney, et al. Lots of Pink-eared Duck also, and several Aus. Reed warblers seen and heard singing.
Steve Davidson - The Melbourne Birder

Thu 28 Jul Eurasian Tree Sparrow Kyneton, Piper Street
For fine dining take the Piper Street footpath, but for Tree Sparrows take to the nearby car-parks and back streets. Several groups of 4-5 birds seen behind Piper Street. There don't appear to be any Tree Sparrow records from Kyneton during the ongoing modern atlas project - in the gap between the better documented populations in Port Phillip Bay area and Bendigo.
Lawrie Conole

Swift Parot (6) Royal Park
Today I was at Royal Park early in the morning and there were at least 6 Swift Parrots plus 4 species of Lorikeets and Eastern Rosellas. (From email to Dave Torr)
Michael Kessler

Australian Spotted Crake Western Treatment Plant, Werribee
Australian Spotted Crake (2) Pond near Hide. Also Australasian Shoveler Conservation Pond Australian Spotted Crake (2) Pond near Hide, Eurasian Coot Very large number on pond right side of Paradise Road, 400+, Red-capped Plover (8) Beach near rock jetty Australian Pied Oystercatcher (2) On rock jetty south of Trig opposite artificial roost poles
Debbie Lustig

Northern Shoveler Lake Borrie WTP
Further to yesterdays's report, the shoveler was seen from Paradise Road at about 8 am this morning. Actively feeding and sticking close to a female shoveler amongst a few dozen Australian Shovelers and perhaps 100 Pink-eared Ducks.
Mark Stanley

Wed 27 Jul Brolga Serendip Sanctuary, Lara
Two wild Brolgas arrived at Serendip this morning. First seen in the Wallaby enclosure, then subsequently flew off and joined the captive Brolgas.
Ruth Woodrow

Rufous Songlark, Shining Bronze-Cuckoo Heathcote 10' Cell
A couple of over-winterers in the Heathcote area today: Rufous Songlark - silent bird on edge of farmland along Newlan Track, Spring Plains NCR. Shining Bronze-Cuckoo - 1 seen and another heard, Mt Ida section of Heathcote-Greytown NP.
Steven Davidson - The Melbourne Birder

Banded Lapwing Carr's Road, 2.3 km east of Geelong-Ballan Road, Anakie 3221.
At 1400 hours, four Banded Lapwing, observed in recently ploughed paddock on the south side of Carr's Road. Anakie. Open dry land farming area.
Peter Gibbons, Dave Torr, Iian Denham, Michael Kessler

Swift Parrot Kingower State Forest
24 Swift Parrot on Pigeon Rd between Rheola- Arnold Rd and Plantation Rd.
Malcolm Cousland

Common Myna Marlo
While the Common Myna has been recorded in small flocks in the farming areas around Lochend, Newmerella and Tabbara and occasionally near Marlo, this is the first time (unfortunately) that we have recorded their preseence within the Marlo township, where a pair were seen in a variety of locations this morning.
Jacquie and Len Axen

Northern Shoveler Western Treatment Plant, Werribee
Further to earlier report (which I phoned in via John Barkla) the male Northern Shoveler was with a small group of Australasian Shoveler among the trees on Lake Borrie this morning. Other highlights were numbers of Buff-banded Rails (at least 8) and a similar number of Spotted Crakes. Cape Barren Geese were also nesting on Borrie.
Dave Torr, Peter Gibbons, Iian Denham and Michael Kessler

Australian Spotted Crake Western Treatment Plant, Werribee
Many Spotted Crakes in and around ponds close to the bird hide.
Paul Randall (wingsonwire.com)

Swift Parrot Lake Tyers
12+ Swift Parrots in stringybarks. Also Musk Lorikeets and a variety of honeyeaters in the surrounding flowering ironbark.
Brett Whitfield, Lucas Bluff, Rohan Bilney

Northern Shoveler Lake Borrie, Western Treatment Plant
Dave Torr just called me to say he is looking at a Northern Shoveler on Lake Borrie with an overseas visitor.
Dave Torr et al.

Tue 26 Jul White-headed Pigeon Orbost
6 White-headed Pigeons were observed flying over the main street of Orbost this afternoon during a heavy shower of rain.
Len and Jacquie Axen

Eastern Barn Owl (possible) Reids Lane, Warranwood
Walking the dog last night along Reids Lane heard a tremendous screeching just off the road in trees. Gave about 10-12 screeches in a row. I've never heard anything like that before (and not familiar with the EBO) but certainly sounded like a bird at the time. Once home listened to call recordings and a dead-ringer for the Eastern Barn Owl (aggressive) screech. Will take the spotlight tonight.
Jackson Airey

Mon 25 Jul Swift Parrot Royal Park
Three Swift Parrots feeding in Eucalyptus next to Royal Park station while cold and drizzly. Lots of Rainbow Lorikeets and a few Musk Lorikeets were in the tree too. Red Wattlebirds were busy trying to chase everything away including Ravens.
David Spicer

Sun 24 Jul Eastern Spinebills Watsonia
Two Eastern Spinebills have setup home in the Privet bushes in my backyard. Nice to see them there.
Mark Pipolo

Spotless Crake Lake Connewarre
Spotless Crake (1) flying away, and then diving into the reeds, a small dark coloured quite featureless bird with rail/crake appearance and flight
Angus Hartshorn

Sat 23 Jul Shining BC, Speckled Warbler, Crested Shrike-tit, OB Oriole, Jacky Winter, Diamond Firetail Eynesbury
Shining Bronze-Cuckoo heard the upward call. Speckled Warbler, Crested Shrike-tit and Olive-backed Oriole all seen in the canopy. A Jacky Winter calling very loudly and for a prolonged time. Diamond Firetail, 8 to 10 feeding in paddock on northern boundary.
Bernie McRitchie

Blue-winged Parrot Western Treatment Plant, Werribee
Blue-winged Parrot (2) In weeds right side of track between 145 WA Pond 39 and 145WB Pond48. Flew north
Debbie Lustig

Thu 7 Jul Little Corella Yarra Valley
For some months now, we've been seeing flocks of Little Corellas around our suburb and neighboring ones, right up to the foot of the Dandenong mountains. We've seen them in small groups and also in flocks of several dozen. Just a couple of days ago, there was one in our yard, eating the nuts that fall to the ground from our maple tree (I got some photographs so I could confirm that it was, indeed, a Little Corella).
Bonni Hall

Birdline Victoria is sponsored by Birds Australia - Victoria and co-ordinated and hosted by Eremaea Birds.

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