Birdline Victoria Weekly Update

Birdline Victoria

Published sightings for the week ending 22 Dec 2013.

Sun 22 Dec	Olive Whistler, Gang Gang, Rufous Fantail Lake Elizabeth, Forrest 2 Olive whistlers, Gang Gangs, Blue-winged Parrots and Satin Bowerbirds in carpark. 2 Rufous Fantails and Satin Flycatchers along track. John Newman
	Sanderling Point Roadknight, Anglesea A single sanderling on the tip of the rock platform today. John Newman
	Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater Tylden Township, Macedon Ranges Single bird, very vocal, passed through going North. Unusual location, altitude and season. Not completely unexpected in Autumn, though few if any records in this area over 500m ASL. Lawrie Conole
	Latham Snipe Castlemaine Golf Course Saw 2 Latham Snipe this morning on dam near 15th fairway. Debbie Worland
Sat 21 Dec	Australian Koel West Footscray Observed in tree top of private driveway in early evening. Made a few calls then became silent. Julie Bellears
	Eastern Koel St Kilda Botanical Gardens Distinctive loud calling heard around 4:30pm from single bird high up in foliage at northern end of Gardens. First observation for me of this species at this site. Russell Cockman
	Common Koel Wy Yung near Bairnsdale I have noticed this bird's distinctive call during the past month and before this have never heard it in this area. Jenny Coutts
	White-winged Chough Simpson Park/ Somers Trail Mitcham Interesting observation this morning . The WWChough I have reported previously seems to have made itself part of a flock of Magpies . It moved about with them feeding and even participated in the usual Magpie brawl . Every where they went it went too. Wondering as it is a flock bird if it has decided to join the magpies for company . Robert Scholes
	Koel Wilson Reserve, Ivanhoe I calling briefly early morning on south end of Waterdale Road nr Wilson Reserve Guy Dutson
Fri 20 Dec	Sooty, Powerful and Masked Owls Cabbage Tree Creek Flora Reserve Single Sooty seen near the picnic ground. Single Powerful seen along the track further east - distant Masked heard at the same spot Dave Torr, Christine Shelley, Mark Buckby, Iian Denham
	Square-tailed Kite Gembrook Over potato field and sports oval. Great to see back in the area! Claire Wolinski
	Terek Sandpiper Stockyard Point, Westernport Bay 16 birds flew in, stayed long enough for photo taken through scope with an I phone.also about 50 gull billed terns. Andrew Caldecott
	Painted Honeyeater. Newstead. Sullivans Track,Muckleford State Forest. Great views of a pair of Painted Honeyeaters beside Sullivans Track, approx 500meters in from Newstead-Maldon Road adjacent to first farm dam on left. Warren Palmer.
Thu 19 Dec	American Golden Plover? Point Cook Coastal Park Finally located group of 27 Golden Plover on RAAF Lake, close to Spectacle Ponds. A bird with greyer plumage and prominent whitish supercilium was fairly easily distinguished. Bulky head and longish primaries. Took flight and this bird separated from main group for a period. Certainly an interesting bird. Scott Baker
	Red-necked Avocet Lake Guyatt, Sale 6 standing in shallows Frank Tyndall
	Freckled Duck Lake Colac Up and about before the heat kicks in. A look around from Stoddard Street to Clark Street and everywhere in between Freckled Duck (6) sanctuary. Musk Duck (1) lake about 100m off shore at yacht club. Buff-banded Rail (1) sanctuary. Adam Fry
	Mallee Ringneck Point Lonsdale Emily Street. Presumably an escapee. Also reported by friends occasionally over the last six months around Point Lonsdale (probably the same bird) Angus Hartshorn
Wed 18 Dec	Eastern Koel Kinglake West Heard calling for about a week mainly in the evening. Neighbour told me it had been seen feeding in fruit trees. Chris Cobern
	Red Knot, Pectoral Sandpiper Western Treatment Plant, Werribee 5 Red Knot and 1 Pectoral Sandpiper at the first pond in from Beach Rd. Gina Hopkins, Jenny Flood
	Square-tailed Kite Devenish Cruising over treetops just north of town at the Wangaratta turnoff. Small head, distinctive underwing pattern and "spirit finger" wing tips all noted. My first record in this local area, somewhat unexpected. Michael Ramsey
	Possible American Golden Plover Black Rock outlet, Thirteenth Beach Amongst a large flock of Pacific Golden Plovers I noted one plover remaining aloof and displaying features that led me to conclude it was probably an American Golden Plover. It was paler overall with little if any gold spangling. The primary feathers extended well past the tail as one expects to see if the species is an American. When it flew is displayed a browny underwing pattern. The bill was heavier than that of PCPs. Hedley Earl
Tue 17 Dec	Possible American Golden Plover Pt Cook Apologies for the late posting; we wanted to get some expert opinion before posting. A golden plover we believe to be an American Golden Plover was seen yesterday morning with a group of 23 Pacific Golden Plover on a rising tide near the rocks at Pt Cook, between the homestead and the main picnic area of Pt Cook Coastal Park. The bird is very pale with a dark cap, little gold spangling, shorter tibia than the PGP giving an overall shorter-legged impression, and with a large head and pronounced supercilium that curves down toward the rear of the head. The bird is in active primary moult and there are only one or two very worn old primaries projecting beyond the tertials. At one point the bird flew and was seen to be slightly bigger than the PGP when in flight. Please note: the plovers are very mobile and Cheetham Wetlands and RAAF Lake are nearby - both of which (apart from the Observation Tower) are on private land and off access to the public, please check at the Pt Cook Coastal Park ranger's office for any updates. Steve Davidson & David Richardson
Mon 16 Dec	Eastern Koel Kallista Heard (and recorded) for about 10 minutes, but not seen. (This is the 20th record on Birdline of Koel in Victoria since the start of November). James Morgan
	Eastern Koel Cann River Single bird calling near Cann Valley Motel 2045hrs Garry Cheers
	Eastern Koel Beaumaris First heard at 4:00am in the morning. Heard throughout the morning and found in a large fig tree close to Ricketts Point early afternoon. Kim Croker
Sun 15 Dec	Mallee Emuwren, Shy Heathwren Hattah-Kulkyne National Park Mallee Emuwren and Shy Heathwren seen on northern side of Hattah-Robinvale Road (~100m into mallee/spinifex), approximately halfway between Calder Hwy and turn off to Hattah-Kulkyne National Park. Shaun McKay
Sun 15 Dec	Australian Koel Huon Creek Road, Wodonga My sister lives on huon creek road , Wodonga - while visiting her last weekend heard this very unusual bird call, not familiar to us - Saturday's Age Good Weekend had article re koel, and on google search found sound definitely identifying the bird as koel - I have the call recorded on my phone. Ray Llister
	Grey Plover Western Treatmant Plant, Werribee Seen at the bird hide Greg and Janice McKay
	White-headed Petrel, Arctic Jaeger, Wandering Albatross etc Port Fairy Pelagic 1 White-headed Petrel made several close approaches on the shelf. 2 Arctic Jaegers also on the shelf. 1 Wandering Albatross, we suspect a not fully adult nominate type. Also a 3-4 Grey-backed Storm-petrels, 40 or so White-faced & 30 Wilsons Storm-petrels. Several Fairy Prions, White-chinned Petrels, Flesh-footed Shearwater, 1 Sooty Shearwater, a mixture of about 10 of both Black-browed & Campbell Albatrosses, all sub-adult & 1 immature Yellow-nosed Albatross, 1 adult Northern Giant-petrel. Good numbers of both subspecies of Great-winged Petrel, Shy Albatross, Short-tailed Shearwaters. Kevin Bartram, Scott Baker, Neil McCumber, Rob Drummond etc.
	Lewins rail Western lagoon Western treatment plant 1 pair of lewins rail with 1 black blob (chick) in tow at the end of the 1st road heading right when going through the Western Lagoon gates. Sorry about the photo they were a fair way off Greg and Janice McKay
	Australian Koel Black Rock Nice sighting and listening Sunday morning in Edwards St . Perched in a Morton Bay Fig . Obviously the same one heard at Half Moon Bay . Very co-operative by making itself very visible . Robert Scholes
	Caspian Tern Ricketts Point, Beaumaris One bird on reef with Crested Terns. The first I have seen locally. John Eichler
Sat 14 Dec	Regent Parrot Shepherds Bush Glen Waverley Found lone bird to the side of small foot bridge at the Northern end of the Scrub walk (Moderators note: an escapee at this location). Barry Castle
	Spotted Harrier Glenelg Hwy, Warrayure (truck stop) A beautifully marked adult bird with chestnut underparts spotted white, no white rump, hanging only a couple of feet above the road verge beside Truck parking bay, with Raven hurrying it along across the road Samantha Greiner
Thu 12 Dec	Eastern Koel Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne At least two koels around the gardens in the early(ish) morning while I was looking for Song Thrush (dipped). A male and a female seen in the Fern Gully area, heard almost continuously in the area and there may have been more than two. Unfortunately, didn't realise they were unusual at the time, so didn't chase them too hard. Also the reason for the delay in reporting John Graff

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