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Folks,
I've just got around to rejoining the list after
dropping off to go to the Little Desert Lodge Birds Australia Vic Group campout
last week. From a quick glance through the archive it seems there hasn't
been an official report posted so I'll put in my unofficial two bob's worth for
those who might be interested.
First of all, many thanks to Jon Bottomley and
Margaret Cameron for their organising work. I'm sure I speak for everyone
who attended the campout when I say that Jon and Margaret did an outstanding job
of arranging activities and keeping the program moving. Many thanks also
to everyone who helped Jon and Margaret, to Maureen and Whimpey and their staff
for their excellent contribution to the campout, to our hospitable guides, the
Sutherlands, at Tooan, and to Richard Hill for enabling those who wished to do
so to become involved in the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo project.
I don't know what the final species tally was -
mine was 156 and I know I missed a number of species that others got along
the way. Among the highlights were:
a pair of Black Falcons near Jeparit;
Mallee Fowl and Chestnut Quail-thrush at
Wyperfeld;
lots of White-browed Woodswallows more or less
everywhere
Red-tailed Black Cockatoos (for the lucky ones -
not in my 156!)
some thousands of Banded Stilts on White Lake, near
Douglas;
a couple of Painted Honeyeaters in the Tooan block
of Arapiles-Tooan State Park;
some sensational raptor sightings, including Little
Eagle, Wedge-tailed Eagle and Spotted Harrier;
assorted waterbirds including lots of Whiskered
terns, White-faced and White-necked Herons and something like 54 Yellow-billed
Spoonbills, as well as ibis, ducks and others on a wetland on private property
near Kanagulk, north of Balmoral;
and Reg Johnson's table-waiting skills at the
campout dinner.
I'm looking forward to seeing the official report
of the campout. It was a great week - thank you again to those who made it
happen.
By the way, there was a Tawny Frogmouth in Glen
Iris (an inner south-eastern suburb of Melbourne, about 10 km from the CBD) last
night.
Regards,
Jack
Krohn
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