Not many people seem to know the HEATHCOTE district in central Victoria,
a Box-Ironbark area which we visit quite often. We hope to do some
atlassing in the district and would be glad to know if anyone else is
also interested in doing this, or would like to contribute records.
On 9th August 98 4 BOCA members on a day trip from Melbourne recorded
c.60 species while looking unsuccessfully for Swift Parrots in the
Redcastle Forest(Swift Parrots really had been seen there a fortnight
earlier). Weather was very fine and sunny - unusually warm for August
providing you could escape a chilly breeze.
White-faced Heron, Black Duck, Wood Duck, Wedgetailed Eagle, Masked
Lapwing, Blackfronted Dotterel, Domestic Pigeon, Common
Bronzewing, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Longbilled Corella, Galah, Musk
Lorikeet, Little Lorikeet,
Purple-crowned Lorikeet (at nesthollow), Eastern Rosella, Crimson
Rosella,
Redrumped Parrot, Horsfield Bronze-Cuckoo (heard not seen), Laughing
Kookaburra, Welcome Swallow, Blackbird, Redcapped Robin (pair at
Cherrytree), Scarlet Robin,
Flame Robin, HOODED ROBIN (pair near Holt's Flat), Jacky Winter,
Golden Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Restless Flycatcher, Willy
Wagtail, White-browed Babbler,
Superb Fairy-Wren, SOUTHERN WHITEFACE (small flock near Costerfield
Hall),
Weebill, Buff-rumped Thornbill, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Brown
Thornbill,
Brown Treecreeper, White-throated Treecreeper (heard not seen),
Red Wattlebird, Noisy Friarbird, Noisy Miner, HONEYEATERS
White-naped, Brown-headed, Black-chinned(heard not seen),
Yellow-tufted, White-eared, Yellow-faced, White-plumed, Fuscous,
New Holland, Eastern Spinebill, Mistletoe-Bird,
Spotted Pardalote, Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Olive-backed Oriole,
Magpie-Lark, White-winged Chough, Grey Butcherbird, Magpie,
Australian Raven,
+Raven sp, prob.Little.
Plus a few species seen only in Heathcote township:
Crested Pigeon, Starling, Indian Mynah, Pied Currawong.
I used to see Tree Sparrows near the Ampol Service Station in Heathcote
but not lately.
ANTHEA FLEMING
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