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Birdline Victoria Weekly Update

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Subject: Birdline Victoria Weekly Update
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Date: 15 Dec 2014 09:15:35 +1000
   Birdline Victoria

   Published sightings for the week ending 14 Dec 2014.

   Sun 14 Dec Black-eared Cuckoo garden in Yea
   Elm tree badly infested with elm beetles was host to Black-eared
   Cuckoo, Shining Bronze-cuckoo and Horsfield Bronze-Cuckoo. All visible
   at the same time for comparison. Went back later with camera, only
   fleeting glimpse of the Shining. I'll try again for photos.
   Geoff Leslie
   CR Heathwren, BF Monarch, Cicadabird, Brown Gerygone, etc Bunyip State
   Park
   Some highlights of an otherwise quiet day in the forest included a CR
   Heathwren heard briefly along Guide Tk near Buttongrass Walk, a
   Black-faced Monarch back for the third year running at the same
   location along Ash Landing Rd, Brown Gerygone in quite a few places and
   a pair of Cicadabird seen well at Mortimer's.
   Steve Davidson - The Melbourne Birder
   Spotted Harrier, White-throated Needletail Fairhope (12 km N of
   Bairnsdale)
   Juvenile Spotted Harrier over paddocks and nearby forest; uncommon
   visitor to locality. Needletails have been seen in general area over
   last few days, with feeding flock of 75+ over paddocks and forested
   ridges in early afternoon ahead of local thunderstorms
   Felicity & Chris Healey
   Common Sandpiper Girgarre Evaporation Ponds
   Single bird seen during a BA Murray Goulbourn visit. Bird flew and we
   were unable to relocate it. Photo taken from a great distance and only
   attached as a record shot. No public access to the site unfortunately.
   Bill & Jackie Morecraft
   Eastern Koel Royal Botanic Gardens (Melbourne)
   Heard bird calling from area of Arid Garden from 0645 and located high
   up in a tall tree. Calling regularly to 0730 then flew further into
   gardens.
   John Daniels
   Sat 13 Dec Magpie Geese Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands--Edithvale
   I normally see one or two Magpie Geese at Edithvale but today I counted
   eight
   Wayne Butterworth
   Whiskered Tern Albert Park Lake
   Two whiskered tern searching back and forth and plunging into water.
   Margaret Lacey
   Eastern Koel Selwood St, Hawthorn East
   Bird calling incessantly this morning around 8 am.
   Tom Tarrant
   Fri 12 Dec White-throated Needletail (25) Gardiners Creek Reserve,
   Ashwood
   25 WTN seen making their way across the Gardiners Creek Reserve trail
   around 7.45pm this evening. My first record for this part of the world
   James Mustafa, Clancye Milne
   Elegant Parrot Little Desert National Park
   Two Elegant Parrot first observed behind Merretts Reserve feeding and
   drinking in the open farmland. Then over the next hour at least 4 more
   birds seen throughout the open woodland bush block of Merretts amongst
   at least 40 Blue-winged Parrot. Neophema currently in good numbers in
   this area of Little Desert. This was my 400th bird species for my 2014
   VicTwitch.
   James Mustafa, Clancye Milne
   Thu 11 Dec Australian Pratincole Speed
   Single Australian Pratincole seen soaring elegantly over the Sunraysia
   Highway about a kilometre south of Speed. Light sandy brown coloured
   bird with dark black underwings and lighter belly/breast clearly
   observed from the car. It continued east across a farming property that
   had been recently ploughed. Could not relocate in despite scoping.
   James Mustafa, Clancye Milne
   Eastern Whipbird Salisbury Street Lang Lang
   Whipbird heard calling from Bush ( Lang Lang Rail Trail ) at around
   9.00am , heard several times but not located , first heardhere in 20
   years of working in area. Very thick undergrowth mostly Blackberries.
   Rufous Songlarks still present at Bayles and Eastern Koel still present
   in the Frankston North Area.
   Colin Mulvogue
   Budgerigar Neds Corner Station
   Budgerigar seen and heard along the Murray and areas on Lindsay Island.
   Small numbers but thought worth reporting as they have been absent from
   Victoria for most of this year.
   James Mustafa
   Eastern Koel Fairbrae Avenue, Belmont
   Have heard calls from my backyard in the Highton area a couple of times
   from a distance. Located in large pine tree in Fairbrae Ave in
   adjoining Belmont, roughly 100 metres in from Roberts Road (-38.169757,
   144.330337). I got the impression from the calls that it had moved
   around a bit before settling in the tree. Was about three-quarters of
   the way up, very well concealed but a clear view of the whole bird was
   possible from one angle. First heard it about 7.30pm, sighted around
   8pm and kept calling from this position until I left after 15 minutes
   or so.
   John Watson
   Wed 10 Dec Mallee Emu-wren Hattah-Kulkyne National Park--Southern Truck
   Stop
   Prolonged views of a male Emu-wren as it sat atop a Triodia checking me
   out, minutes later another male flew across my path before ducking into
   Spinifex, I also heard 2 other birds calling from the general vicinity.
   I am unaware of previous records of Emu-wren in this area of the park
   Moderators Note: there have been previous sightings of Mallee Emu-wren
   reported from this site
   Tim Nickholds
   Beach Stone Curlew Rocks at Kennett River, Great Ocean Road, Victoria
   Close observation of single individual on rocky shoreline at the point
   at Kennett River.
   Dianne Simmons
   Inland Dotterel (4), Pratincole sp. (1) Neds Corner Station
   After 6 visits and over 10 nights spent out looking for Inland Dotterel
   this year, finally managed to locate some birds along Old Mail Rd
   heading out towards to Lake Wallawalla. 3 birds originally located in
   the middle of the road (almost ran over first bird) and a 4th bird
   flushed from the side of the road when out of the car. Light brown with
   dark black stripe on face and breast, slight streaking in wings and
   dumpy, fat little bodies. The dotterels all ran off the road and could
   not be located once in the salt bush area. Also of interest was a bird
   I believe to be a Pratincole species which was located in the middle of
   the road near the entrance to Murray-Sunset (heading towards Lindsay
   Island). Light brown/tawny colour with dark/black wings when it
   elegantly flew up from the road. There has been very light spiting rain
   early evening over Neds Corner - I wonder if this has inspired the
   activity from the birds?
   James Mustafa
   Black Honeyeater (9) Ouyen 10' Cell
   A minimum of 9 birds seen today in Eremophila around the Ouyen area.
   Unfortunately, despite many hours searching, no Pied Honeyeater could
   be located.
   James Mustafa, Clancye Milne
   Long-billed Dowitcher Lake Tutchewop
   Still present, but now along the eastern shoreline. Hunkered down in
   the stiff wind.
   Bill & Jackie Morecraft
   Tue 9 Dec Little Button-quail, Red-chested Buttonquail, Stubble Quail
   Terrick Terrick National Park
   Two nights at Terrick unfortunately did not reveal any Plains-wanderer
   but did provide many experiences with Little Button-quail and Stubble
   Quail. Second night included a Red-chested Buttonquail, overall darker
   bird with rufousy flanks clearly observed when flushed. Large numbers
   of White-backed Swallow and Rainbow Bee-eater also observed in site.
   James Mustafa, Clancye Milne
   Long-billed Dowitcher Lake Tutchewop
   Bird still present at the northern end of the lake in the midst of a
   flock of around 150 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers. Observed from 14:30 to
   15:30.
   John Stirling & Judy Leitch
   Pacific Koel Suburbia; eastern boundary of Croydon adjoining
   Mooroolbark
   1820 hours heard a male Koel (Eudynamys orientalis) calling clearly
   over about a 5-minute period. Area well treed. Am familiar with species
   and its call, from holidays at Narooma and Brisbane.
   Robert John Bond
   Grey Plover and Banded Lapwing Black Rock Reserve, Barwon Heads
   A single Grey Plover on the rocks with 25 Golden Plovers and then
   feeding on the beach by itself. Also unusual to find a Banded Lapwing
   on the rocks and the beach with a flock of 35 Masked Lapwings.
   Margaret & Richard Alcorn
   Dollarbird Seymour River Walk
   Six birds flying up & down the river and calling loudly. Also heard
   Leaden Flycatcher.
   Val La May
   Budgerigar Kow Swamp
   Decided to pull over to photograph a peregrine, when the falcon flushed
   up a flock of budgerigar from the native grasses on a farmyard. They
   flew into private property and nested in trees before being scared away
   again by peregrine. Flock was about 8-12 birds
   James Mustafa, Clancye Milne
   Mon 8 Dec Glossy Ibis,14 Freckled Ducks, 30+ Musk Ducks Chain of Lakes
   on Westbank Road, Leslie Manor
   Bob Hughes, Hugh Campbell.
   Australian Koel Wangaratta
   Another regional Koel record. This time calling along the Ovens River
   by Templeton Street. My only other record of this species in Wangaratta
   was way back in 1993!
   Michael Ramsey
   House Crow St Kilda Rd (opposite Shrine of rememberance)
   Reported and photographed on powerlines along St Kilda Rd opposite the
   Shrine of Remembrance this morning. Also reported along Park Street
   recently by James Mustafa and Tim Bawden in the early afternoon.
   George Matthias via Victorian Twitchers facebook page
   Sun 7 Dec Australian Koel Herring Island
   A koel was heard calling strongly near Herring Island this afternoon.
   Perhaps the same bird recently reported at the botanic gardens or by
   the river at Burnley recently.
   Michael Ramsey
   Spotted Quail-thrush Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park
   Single bird heard calling at dawn from a rocky ridge area in the
   southern area of Chiltern - a lovely sound to wake up to.
   James Mustafa, Clancye Milne
   White-throated Gerygone, Leaden Flycatcher and Satin Flycatcher You
   Yangs Regional Park
   Some nice birds seen despite terrible conditions for the annual
   Challenge Bird Count. Birds all seen on the east side of the park.
   Members of the BirdLife Challenge Birdcount team
   Grey-tailed Tattler Avalon Beach
   Single Grey-tailed Tattler seen both days of the weekend allowing
   reasonably close approach.
   Members of the BirdLife Challenge Birdcount team
   Sat 6 Dec Grass owl Myall
   Grass owl was seen again early evening near roadside flying low over
   thick waterlogged grass paddocks. More confident with identification
   with improved views of long feet and dark wings. It soon vanished into
   grass clumps
   Eric Finder, Malcolm Eyles
   Fri 5 Dec Australian Koel Benalla
   Heard calling by the eastern side of the lake during the evening. First
   record I know of in Benalla and another record of this increasingly
   common species in Victoria.
   Michael Ramsey
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