Birdline Victoria Update - 11/11/01

[Stuart Cooney <>]

Birdline Victoria Update
No. 50

For the week ending 11/11/01

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Birdline Victoria turns 1 this week! 

We started reporting in November 2000 with a
Koel at Yarra Bend Park, Swift Parrots in George Street Sandringham and
White-winged Trillers at Langwarrin.  Since then we've had 194
sightings reported representing an astounding 149 species, suggesting
that what's rare in one part of the state may not be so rare in
others.  The Gang-gang Cockatoo is the most often recorded bird
along with Swift Parrots and Australasian Bitterns, although its been the
Painted Snipes, both this year and last October, that have probably
generated the most interest.

The sightings have come from 88 contributors, 57 of which have sought out
the page to report a sighting, the remaining records coming from the
essential mailing list Birding-Aus.  Mike Carter has contributed the
most number of sightings to the site, along with Michael Norris, Chris
Coleborn, Peter Lansley and Steve Clark
(Click
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         here for more information).  My sincere thanks go to them and
all of the other 52 people who have made Birdline a part of their birding
experience.

The page continues to develop. We now have photos of some of the rare
birds reported on Birdline and a brand new Gallery Page and we encourage
you to send any other photos of your sightings for posting on the
net.  I have also added the official Bush Turkeys home page, a team
in the annual fund-raising Twitchathon event and we are constantly
looking for other ways to improve the Birdline service.

Some of the plans for the site this year are a file upload page so that
people can directly upload their pictures to be added to the site and a
new and more easy to remember web address.  These improvements will
occur as soon as I can work out how to do them (advice
welcomed)!

Thanks once again to the people who use the site and those that have
passed on their pleasure with the site.  From averaging around 40
visitors a week, we now attract over 150 per week, continuing to grow and
Birdline Victoria has become a part of how Victorians go
bird-watching.  Come and visit us at
http://home.iprimus.com.au/scooney/index.htm.

(P.S. The two updates that I missed to make 52 were spent away from the computer at Uni, 50 out of 52's not bad!)

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11 November
6 Glossy Ibis were seen at Bryans Swamp at the southern end of the
Victoria Valley in the Grampians, thanks Steve Clark. 

10 November
3 White-winged Terns were seen at the main Kilcunda Beach, just below the
Caravan Park, thanks John Boyce.

7 November
Another Black-tailed Native-hen sighting, this time on a small marsh
close to Sorrento, thanks Roger McGovern.

6 November
A farmer put up an Eastern Grass Owl while mowing hay in
Gannawarra.  The paddock was on the corner of Brays Rd and the
Koondrook-Cohuna Rd surrounded by some nice box remnants, thanks Chris
Coleburn.

6 November
A single Black-tailed Native-hen was seen at the Lonsdale Golf Club in
Point Lonsdale, thanks Ron Corinaldi.

5 November
58 Freckled Ducks and a Pectoral Sandpiper were seen at Swan Hill Sewage
Farm thanks Peter Lansley.

5 November
A Red-backed Kingfisher and many White-browed Treecreepers were seen at
Yarrara, thanks Peter Lansley.

3 November
A White-winged Triller was spotted at Point Cook Coastal Park in outer
metropolitan Melbourne, thanks Richard Nowotny.

2 November
A White-throated Gerygone was seen when it flew into a 2nd floor office
window at 153 Park Street South Melbourne, then flew into nearby tree
where it remained several minutes in full view while recovering.  It
appeared to be unhurt and eventually flew off north towards the city,
thanks Gina Hopkins.

2 November
4 White-necked Herons were seen on the corner of Napoleon and Glenfern
Roads in Ferntree Gully, thanks Greg Coughburn.

1 November 
A Tawny Frogmouth in Newstead has revealed its chicks for the first time,
thanks John Alexander.

1 November
A Horsefield's Bronze-Cuckoo was seen near the Red White and Blue mine in
the Muckleford Forest, thanks John Alexander.

Late October
A Ruddy Turnstone was seen at the Woodvale Evaporation Ponds (for which
permission is required to gain access) near Bendigo.  This is the
first Bendigo record for the species, thanks Chris Tzaros.

29 October 
A male White-winged Triller was seen at the Banyule Flats, near the
billabong, thanks Joy Tansey.

28 October 
A Grey-tailed Tattler was seen on the Twitchathon at the southern section
of the Paradise Ponds huddling from the onshore winds by the end of one
of the outlet pipes, using it as a windbreak, thanks Paul Rose.

26 October
A Dollarbird was seen, at the same time as last year, at Valencia Creek
in Gippsland, thanks Duncan Fraser.

Late September
A Red-capped Plover was seen at the Waterways development at Braeside,
thanks Greg Coughburn.


Birdline Victoria is a service for birdwatchers to report and find out
about rare and unusual birds in Victoria and is brought to you by the
VicGroup of Birds Australia. Birdline can be contacted on (03) 9882 2390
or on the Internet at
http://home.iprimus.com.au/scooney/index.htm

Regards,

Stuart

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