On the weekend, my partner Fiona and I travelled up to Lake Eildon National
Park in the Upper Goulburn Valley of Victoria (circa 37º13'S 145º56'E).
The object was to record calls of Large Bentwing-bats (Miniopterus
schreibersii) for a study on call dialects in that species, but the bat
roost was empty, and so I only recorded a few forest species: Lesser
Long-eared Bat (Nyctophilus geoffroyi), Gould's Wattled Bat (Chalinolobus
gouldii), Little Forest Bat (Vespadelus vulturnus), King River Bat (V.
regulus) and Coastal Freetail-bat (Mormopterus cf. planiceps). We also
heard Brown Treefrog (Litoria ewingii) and Peron's Treefrog (L. peroni).
The birding was excellent - even though we didn't actually do much
deliberate birding, we recorded about 45 species with a few real highlights.
The habitat varies from dry box-ironbark forest through moist and wet tall
open-forest to riverine Red Gum woodland.
* Painted Button-quail - On Mount Pinninger we observed a male adult
trying to shepherd 4 very tiny new-born young across a 5 metre-wide open
patch. I've rarely seen such bold moves in the open by this species. The
adult made constant clucking noises (not unlike a chook Gallus spp.), and
the young made constant peeping noises. Great stuff.
* Satin Bowerbird - Common around Jerusalem Inlet; very vocal.
* Olive-backed Oriole - Abundant in drier forest throughout the area.
* Brush Cuckoo - Vocal in late afternoon and during the dawn chorus at
Jerusalem Inlet (close to western edge of Victorian range).
* Cicadabird - Heard at Mount Pinninger, and several seen/heard at
Jerusalem Inlet (western edge of Victorian range).
* Pilotbird - Several heard in moist forest beside the road between
Mount Pinninger and Jerusalem Inlet (north-west extent of range in
Victoria).
* Collared Sparrowhawk and Brown Goshawk - One each at Jerusalem
Inlet.
* Little Wattlebird - Several around Jerusalem Inlet (uncommon so far
inland in eastern Victoria; unusual habitat).
* Australian Owlet-nightjar - Calling at Mount Pinninger.
* Masked Owl - A group of three birds flushed from beside the road on
Mount Pinninger; two were much paler underneath than the third, and I
speculate that this represents an adult and two well advanced young. Rare
bird in Victoria.
Lawrie Conole
3 Gezireh Street
Pascoe Vale South 3044 Vic
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
TOTAL SPECIES LIST - BY SITES (destined for the Atlas ..)
[NB: Format in Courier 10 to line up columns]
Selection string: SITE="pinnin".or.SITE="jerus"
Units: Presence/absence.
JERUS PINNIN Total
Brown Goshawk + - +
Collared Sparrowhawk + - +
Painted Button-quail - + +
Common Bronzewing + - +
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo + - +
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo + - +
Australian King-Parrot + - +
Crimson Rosella + + +
Brush Cuckoo + - +
Fan-tailed Cuckoo + - +
Southern Boobook + + +
Masked Owl - + +
Australian Owlet-nightjar - + +
Laughing Kookaburra + + +
Sacred Kingfisher - + +
White-throated Treecreeper + + +
Red-browed Treecreeper - + +
Superb Fairy-wren + + +
Spotted Pardalote + + +
Striated Pardalote + + +
Pilotbird - + +
White-browed Scrubwren - + +
Large-billed Scrubwren - + +
Brown Thornbill + + +
Yellow-faced Honeyeater + + +
Crescent Honeyeater - + +
Eastern Spinebill + - +
Little Wattlebird + - +
Red Wattlebird + + +
Eastern Yellow Robin + - +
Golden Whistler + + +
Rufous Whistler - + +
Grey Shrike-thrush + + +
Magpie-lark + - +
Grey Fantail + + +
Rufous Fantail - + +
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike + - +
Cicadabird + + +
Olive-backed Oriole + - +
Australian Magpie + - +
Pied Currawong + + +
Grey Currawong + - +
Australian Raven + + +
White-winged Chough - + +
Satin Bowerbird + - +
Welcome Swallow + - +
Silvereye + - +
Column legend:
1 JERUS Jerusalem Inlet, Lake Eildon NP, Victoria (330m ASL, 37 15 57S
145 58 3E).
2 PINNIN Mt Pinninger, Lake Eildon NP, Victoria (540m ASL, 37 13 41S 145
56 20E).
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
|
