Birdline Victoria Weekly Update

Birdline Victoria

Published sightings for the week ending 18 Dec 2011.

Sun 18 Dec	Broad-billed Sandpiper Western Treatment Plant, Werribee Broad-billed Sandpiper Western Lagoons. Initially with Red-necked Stints and Curlew Sandpipers, but remained after they flushed. Seen around 5pm. Paul Dodd & Ruth Woodrow
	Baillon's Crake, Australian Reed-warbler Serendip Sanctuary Baillon's Crake: 'Borrow Pits' behind North Arm. The first time we've recorded this species at this site. Surprisingly, the habitat didn't seem right - Lignum, Melaleuca and Horehound, but no reeds! Australian Reed-warbler: Also at 'Borrow Pits' behind North Arm. Very rarely recorded species at this site. Paul Dodd & Ruth Woodrow
	Broad-billed Sandpiper Western Treatment Plant, Werribee Broad-billed Sandpiper (1) observed at Western Lagoon feeding with Curlew Sandpiper & Red-necked Stints. Chris Pitfield
	Sparrow City of Casey This is "just" a sparrow I think, but it is unusually light coloured. I don't think it is an albino, because as far as I can tell its eyes aren't red. Besides, its feathers aren't really white. Even though I am not an expert I know a little bit about birds and my guess is that this is some strange kind of "mutant' sparrow. At first I thought it was some sort of finch, but it is a young bird that stays close to adult sparrows. Am I right or perhaps not? The attached photo was taken through a not-too-clean window, so it is a little blurry, but hopefully clear enough. Saskia Haxhi
	White-throated Needletail Fairhope (12 km N of Bairnsdale) 3 seen briefly in unsettled weather high over forest and paddocks. First birds at this site for the season. Chris Healey
	Freckled Duck Kings Rd Rutherglen Nine Freckled Duck were observed on the wetland by Kings Rd this morning. Michael Ramsey
	Red Knot, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Painted Button-quail Western Treatment Plant, Werribee Great few hours early this morning at the farm. Broad-billed Sandpiper (1) Western Lagoons as previously reported.Three Red Knot scoped up nicely on the spit, with a group of Bar-tailed Godwit. A quaily kind of day with a female Painted Button-quail on 29 mile road trying to become roadkill as well as Brown and Stubble Quail. Tim Bawden
	Pink-eared Duck Jells Park Pink-eared Duck (1) seen flying past at low level at dam. First one that I have seen at Jells Park and only a few previous records. Bruce Wedderburn
Sat 17 Dec	Broad-billed Sandpiper Western Treatment Plant, Werribee One bird feeding at edge of channel at 7 pm, in the location reported by Maarten Hulzebosch. This ended a long Broad-bill drought for me. Thanks Maarten. Marilyn and Dean Hewish
	Pink-eared Duck, Painted Button-Quail, Great crested Grebe, Laughing Kookaburra. Newport Lakes and Jawbone reserve Williamstown Button-quail seen in undergrowth on southern side of Newport lakes and Kookaburra seen near carpark which is unusual for the site. Single Great crested Grebe on lake at Jawbone and now 9+ Pink eared Ducks at same site as last report. Paul Randall (wingsonwire.com), Adam Blyth, Andrew Davies, Keith and Judy Humphries
	Musk Duck, Brown Quail, Spotted Harrier, Eurasian Skylark Serendip Sanctuary, Lara Musk Duck (1) Single female on Lake Serendip. Our first record of a wild example of this species at this site. Brown Quail (1) Seen on road causeway near Farm Dam. Our first record of this species at this site. Spotted Harrier (1) Near dam wall - being harrassed by Magpie Lark. Our first record of this species at this site. Eurasian Skylark (1) Windemere Road. Our first record of this species at this site. Paul Dodd & Ruth Woodrow
	Broad-billed Sandpiper Western Treatment Plant, Werribee At least 1 bird still present at the Western Lagoons in area previously reported. Scott Baker, P.S. Lansley
	Freckled Duck (29+), Spotted Harrier (2), Glossy Ibis (2) Western Treatment Plant, Werribee Freckled Duck numbers increasing with 29 on Lake Borrie. Possibly more hidden as birds were loafing way out in middle of Borrie with several other duck. Didn't visit Western Lagoons and didn't see Mr Hulzebosch's BBS report until we got home... Steven Davidson - The Melbourne Birder
Fri 16 Dec	White-throated Needletail Monkey Creek Single bird over ridgetop forest at regular survey site, Monkey Ck, near Bruthen, East Gippsland. This marks completion of 5 years of Bushfire Recovery Surveys by EGBOC (soon to be BirdLife East Gippsland). EGBOC Bushfire Recovery Survey group (per Chris Healey)
	Buff-banded Rail, Pink-eared Duck Jawbone Reserve, Williamstown Mid-day, warm. Buff-banded Rail (1) at bottom of arboretum, across lake from birdhide. Headed uphill into shrubs. Pink-eared Duck (2) Pair on lake, near islands, among Hardheads Peter Booth
	Broad-billed Sandpiper, 2 Western Treatment Plant, Werribee. Two Broad-billed Sandpipers were observed around midday at the Western Lagoons ponds 4/5. They were feeding at the end of the centre road. I assume they will stay as it was low tide and they seemed to prefer to feed in the lagoons rather than the foreshore. Also of wader interest were the 97 Banded Lapwings still present at Beach Rd in the paddock behind the dam. Maarten Hulzebosch
	Peregrine Falcon Clonbinane Pair seen several times over 2-hour period - very noisy (calls recorded). At one stage joined by a third peregrine. Peter Mitchell, Barbara Moss, David Wakefield, Laurie Macmillan
	Speckled Warbler Clonbinane Two birds seen together on large property undergoing large-scale revegetation. Third bird later seen on different part of property. Peter Mitchell et al
	Satin Flycatcher, Olive-backed Oriole, Blue-winged Parrot, White-necked Heron Trawalla State Forest 37.44025, 143.40808, off the Beaufort-Carngham Road. A reliable spot for Satin Flycatchers in summer. Several were calling and one male came down from the canopy to forage on the ground. A female also seen. A small flock of Blue-winged Parrots were hanging around the dam. Olive-backed Orioles were calling and there was the bizarre sight of a White-necked Heron weaving through the dense trees to get to the dam. Steve Cla
	Stubble Quail Vacant land, Galvin St, Altona Heard at least one calling around 6am at the Park Parade end of the vacant land in Galvin St. I haven't heard them in Altona before, although they're occasionally reported. Peter Shute
Thu 15 Dec	Sooty Owl, Powerful Owl Bunyip State Park Single adult Sooty at Mortimer's Picnic Ground around midnight, and a juvenile bird heard distantly near previous sighting along Link Track on 12th Nov. Also here a very close but elusive Powerful Owl heard & not seen. Single Southern Boobook on dusk, lots of others heard. Steve Davidson - The Melbourne Birder
	Cicadabird Woori Yallock I saw a pair of either immature birds or a pair of females. There seem to be varying opinions on which they were. 1st time they were in a small brush tree. I saw them the following day, and they were in my big beech tree. They have been singing too, but not the harsh call the male uses, it was much more melodic. Laura Musgrove
	Plumed Whistling-Duck, White-throated Nightjar, White-throated Needletail, Painted Honeyeater Killawarra Forest - Warby Ranges Another great tour with over 140 species recorded on the day. Highlights were White-throated Nightjars in Killawarra Forest at dusk, one bird flew overhead, almost metres from our heads, then was joined by another bird, the first bird perched on a Grey Box branch and gave its spooky call, awesome!!!! Also Plumed Whistling-ducks near Peechelba, and White-throated Needletails, Gilbert's Whistler and great views of Painted Honeyeaters at Killawarra Forest as well. Michael Ramsey - Bronzewing Birding Services
	Pink-eared Duck, Black-winged Stilts Snipe Wetland - Hollands Landing, West Gippsland 135 Pinkies amongst Teal and Eurasian Coots.swimming in wetland and loafing on bank. Behaviour of Black-winged Stilts indicate breeding activity on site. Faye Bedford
Wed 14 Dec	Banded Stilt Lake Linlithgow, Hamilton Approx 6 to 8 seen with Black-winged Stilts on sand bank out in easterly side of lake.As we are visitors from Queensland these were a lifer for us. This lake is full of many species at present. Kevin and Kay Williams
	Lewin's Honeyeater Warburton Single bird seen near river. Michael Bird
	Baillon's Crake, Australian Spotted Crake and Spotless Crake Western Treatment Plant A great day at WTP with 72 species seen. The 3 crake species seen at T-intersection lagoon 4 reedbeds. Ian Miles
	Freckled Duck, Bush Stone-curlew, Scarlet Honeyeater, Painted Honeyeater Chiltern - Rutherglen A large diveristy of species observed, over 140 over the day. Some highlights were a lovely male Scarlet Honeyeater and Painted Honeyeater at Chiltern. A pair of Bush Stone-Curlew and a single Freckled Duck on a wetland near Rutherglen. Michael Ramsey - Bronzewing Birding Services
Tue 13 Dec	Spotted Harrier Leakes Road, Rockbank., one kilometre north of Western Freeway. At 1620 hours, adult Spotted Harrier observed hovering low over barley crop then perched on boxthorn bush. Peter Gibbons
Mon 12 Dec	Buff-banded Rail and young Tidal River A Buff-banded Rail was seen in the grass at the edge of the camping ground, on the river side. We went down onto the Loo-Ern track below the spot, looking for it, and saw a group of three young half-grown rails in the same area. Jenny Skewes
	Brolga, Black-tailed Native-Hen, White-necked Heron Freshwater Swamp sw of Edgars Road and Mouyong Road, Little River. At 1745 hours, observed a single adult Brolga in this Lignum swamp, also 80+ Black-tailed Native-Hen, 20+ White-necked Heron, good numbers of Great Egret, Pacific Black Duck and Grey Teal present amongst other species. The swamp is in good condition after recent heavy rain. Peter Gibbons
	Common Sandpiper Greater Melbourne Tour Common Sandpiper (1) Jawbone Reserve Western Side Opposite Creek Mouth , feeding off rocks , chased away by BW Stilts. Colin Mulvogue
	Great Egret, Nankeen Night-Heron, Wedge-tailed Eagle Domain Wetlands, Templestowe Great Egret and Nankeen Night Heron are new birds for me at the wetland in several years of walking there. The Wedge-tailed Eagle had caused several kookaburras to carry on before it appeared low over the area. Sonja Ross
Sun 11 Dec	Latham's Snipe The Briars, Mornington Two Latham's Snipe at the wetland overlooked by the second hide (the one with the glass windows). Fiona Parkin and Jon Thornton
	Swift Parrot Newport Lakes 2 Birds at North East Corner of reserve. Also a female Painted Button Quail in that area. Plus 1 Sacred Kingfisher and 4 Nankeen Night Herons. Golo Maurer
	Common Koel Mt Martha, Mornington Peninsula A male calling and sighted below Mt Martha Reserve throughout the day. Larry Wakefield
Sat 10 Dec	Leaden Flycatcher Providence Ponds Pair seen at Providence ponds flora reserve nearby picnic area. Vincent Brugman
	Indian Peafowl Bullock Rd., French island A great day out with the Friends of French Island National Park on the annual wetland monitoring. Highlights were 43 Greenshanks and 16 Curlew Sandpipers at Bullock Swamp. At least one Indian Peafowl was heard calling loudly around 1100hrs off Bullock Rd. in the north of the island. Martin O'Brien
Thu 8 Dec	Double-banded Plover Avalon Saltworks One Double-banded Plover was found during a wader count. This is my first early December record of this species. Also seen at the saltworks was one imm. Spotted Harrier. Maarten Hulzebosch
	Rufous Bristlebird Point Addis Rufous Bristlebird (1) Crossed track to Redrock Beach. Also 50 or more Magpies in the grass paddock to the north of the point. Malcolm Cousland

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