Hi birders
A couple of points of interest (at least for me!) from some casual birding
on the coast and some wetlands near Geelong (south-central Victoria)
yesterday. Apart from the usual pleasantries such as Hooded Plovers,
Striated Fieldwrens, Aus Gannets, etc. at Bancoora near Torquay, a few other
things.
One was a congregation of about 40 Little Egrets at Lake Victoria in the
Lonsdale Lakes Wildlife Reserve at Point Lonsdale. Quite an impressive
gathering - some birds with plumes (they nest just across Corio Bay).
Banded Stilts provided the other highlight. At Lake Victoria I came across
a roosting group of about 130 birds, and soon they spread out to feed in a
shallow lagoon near the lake edge. They were quite skittish, flying a lot,
and seemed to be recently arrived.
At Avalon Beach between Geelong and Werribee, I found up to 500 Banded
Stilts in ponds and the main lagoon. They were particularly skittish and
were definitely new arrivals as I only saw I banded Stilt there a couple of
weeks ago.
I presume that Banded Stilts have moved out of the Western District lakes
(eg. the ones around Douglas - Natimuk) recently, accounting for these birds
around Geelong???? Lots of rain making the lakes too fresh up there????
.... or too many duck shooters spooking them???? Don't know.
Has anyone checked the Moolap or Altona saltworks recently? Are there
elevated numbers of Banded Stilts there - or any at all?
Below some general lists for the sites mentioned:
Avalon Beach, Victoria.
Sum Max
Black Swan 20 20
Chestnut Teal - -
Little Pied Cormorant - -
Pied Cormorant - -
Little Black Cormorant - -
Great Cormorant - -
Australian Pelican - -
White-faced Heron 5 5
Australian White Ibis - -
Royal Spoonbill 10 10
Common Greenshank 1 1
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 1 1
Black-winged Stilt 10 10
Banded Stilt 450 450
Red-necked Avocet 2 2
Masked Lapwing - -
Silver Gull - -
Galah - -
White-fronted Chat - -
Magpie-lark - -
Australian Magpie - -
Little Raven - -
House Sparrow - -
Welcome Swallow - -
Common Starling - -
Bancoora Beach, Breamlea, Victoria.
Sum Max
Australasian Gannet - -
Great Cormorant - -
Whistling Kite - -
Swamp Harrier - -
Red-capped Plover 10 10
Hooded Plover 2 2
Pacific Gull - -
Silver Gull - -
Crested Tern - -
White-fronted Chat - -
Skylark - -
Welcome Swallow - -
Lonsdale Lakes Wildlife Reserve, Lake Victoria, Victoria.
Sum Max
Black Swan 10 10
Grey Teal 5 5
Chestnut Teal 40 40
Hardhead 5 5
Australasian Grebe 10 10
Hoary-headed Grebe 250 250
Little Pied Cormorant - -
Pied Cormorant - -
Little Black Cormorant - -
Great Cormorant - -
White-faced Heron 5 5
Little Egret 40 40
Great Egret 2 2
Yellow-billed Spoonbill 1 1
Banded Stilt 130 130
Superb Fairy-wren - -
White-browed Scrubwren - -
Striated Fieldwren - -
Brown Thornbill - -
New Holland Honeyeater - -
Red Wattlebird - -
White-fronted Chat - -
Magpie-lark - -
Willie Wagtail - -
Australian Magpie - -
Little Raven - -
European Goldfinch - -
Welcome Swallow - -
Silvereye - -
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L A W R I E C O N O L E
2/37 Myrnong Crescent, Ascot Vale, Victoria 3032 AUSTRALIA.
Phone AH (03) 9370 3928; BH (03) 9510 5750; Mobile (0419) 588 993.
E-mail: <>
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