Hi birders
Yesterday (Sunday 5/5/02), Scott, Helen & I headed off for a leisurely
tour around some of the better wetland and coastal sites of the
Bellarine Peninsula (near Geelong in Victoria). We started off at the
Belmont Common (aka Jerringot) in Geelong, where 'bush birds' now appear
to outnumber waterbirds.
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Fref: BELCOM52 Obs: 7808 Dates: 05/05/2002 - / / Site: BELCOM
Survey: A500 Time: Area: 10
//ST=0930;NO=2;
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Country: 36.030 Locality: Belmont Common swamp, Geelong, Victoria.
Habitat: Wetland C1/2:GL /8
Lat: 38 10 43 S Long: 144 21 15 E A Accuracy: 100 Altitude: 20 M LR:
//GP;
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-----
CODE--- Count Age S St Br T R Species
2193.0 S Purple Swamphen
3120.0 S Dusky Moorhen
220.0 S Eurasian Coot
200.1 1 S Cattle Egret
8033.0 S Australian White Ibis
8047.0 S Chestnut Teal
8046.1 S Grey Teal
3022.1 S Pacific Black Duck
3001.0 S Australasian Grebe
8007.0 S Hoary-headed Grebe
8310.0 S Little Grassbird
8511.0 S New Holland Honeyeater
8486.0 S White-plumed Honeyeater
8533.0 S Red Wattlebird
3499.0 S Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
8151.0 S Musk Lorikeet
3184.0 S Rainbow Lorikeet
8153.0 S Purple-crowned Lorikeet
8181.0 S Crimson Rosella
8188.0 S Red-rumped Parrot
8160.0 S Galah
8544.0 S Spotted Pardalote
8317.0 S Superb Fairy-wren
8551.0 S Red-browed Finch
526.1 S European Goldfinch
2943.0 S European Greenfinch
688.2 S House Sparrow
493.0 S Common Starling
315.1 S Spotted Turtle-Dove
8038.0 S Black Swan
8362.0 S Yellow-rumped Thornbill
8250.0 S Welcome Swallow
8404.0 S Willie Wagtail
8286.0 S Magpie-lark
8277.0 S Australian Magpie
8255.0 S Little Raven
Our next port of call was the mouth of the Bream Creek to Bancoora.
This is essentially an ocean beach with broken rock platform habitat,
and a bit of coastal scrub. Highlights here were a single GREAT EGRET
foraging on the rock platform (odd location), and a large number (50+)
of DOUBLE-BANDED PLOVERS. Lots of people were enjoying the sunshine,
and walking dogs on the beach etc., so the resident Hooded Plovers
appeared to have been frightened off. One wonders how much longer they
can hang on there with the high levels of disturbance.
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Fref: BANCOOR10 Obs: 7808 Dates: 05/05/2002 - / / Site:
BANCOOR
Survey: AINC Time: Area:
//NO=2;
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
Country: 36.030 Locality: Bancoora Beach, Breamlea, Victoria.
Habitat: C1/2:GL /22
Lat: 38 17 39 S Long: 144 24 8 E A Accuracy: 100 Altitude: LR:
Ocean beach from Bancoora SLSC west to mouth of Bream Creek. Includes
ocean
beach, dune scrub, rocky point, and immediate offshore waters. //GP;
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-----
CODE--- Count Age S St Br T R Species
8102.0 S Double-banded Plover
8103.0 S Red-capped Plover
242.2 S Red-necked Stint
196.0 1 S Great Egret
8031.0 S White-faced Heron
8021.0 S Australasian Gannet
8030.0 4 S White-necked Heron
8122.1 S Silver Gull
8121.0 S Pacific Gull
8477.0 S Singing Honeyeater
8277.0 S Australian Magpie
8055.1 S Black-shouldered Kite
8387.0 S White-fronted Chat
8255.0 S Little Raven
119.0 S Great Cormorant
8023.0 S Pied Cormorant
473.0 S Skylark
8042.0 1 S Australian Shelduck
After Bancoora, we headed to Hospital Swamp. The highlight there came
quickly - a flock of 19 large egrets of which 18 were GREAT EGRETS and
just 1 INTERMEDIATE EGRET.
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Fref: HOSPITA4 Obs: 7808 Dates: 05/05/2002 - / / Site:
HOSPITA
Survey: AINC Time: 20 Area:
//NO=2;
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
Country: 36.030 Locality: Reedy Lake, Hospital Swamp, Victoria.
Habitat: C1/2: /
Lat: 38 14 42 S Long: 144 25 6 E A Accuracy: 100 Altitude: LR:
//GP;
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-----
CODE--- Count Age S St Br T R Species
2034.0 1 S Intermediate Egret
196.0 18E S Great Egret
3013.0 S Royal Spoonbill
8035.0 S Yellow-billed Spoonbill
8033.0 S Australian White Ibis
8034.0 S Straw-necked Ibis
8061.0 S Swamp Harrier
8059.0 S Whistling Kite
8067.0 S Brown Falcon
3052.0 S Nankeen Kestrel
8105.0 S Red-kneed Dotterel
8100.0 S Masked Lapwing
3131.1 S White-headed Stilt
8387.0 S White-fronted Chat
8274.0 S Grey Butcherbird
8277.0 S Australian Magpie
8404.0 S Willie Wagtail
8286.0 S Magpie-lark
8255.0 S Little Raven
8310.0 S Little Grassbird
8362.0 S Yellow-rumped Thornbill
8250.0 S Welcome Swallow
493.0 S Common Starling
688.2 S House Sparrow
8038.0 S Black Swan
8046.1 S Grey Teal
3022.1 S Pacific Black Duck
We stopped briefly in the Barwon River estuary at Ocean Grove, but there
were relatively few birds there, so we pushed on to Freshwater Lake for
lunch and a bit more birding. Things were a bit quiet at Freshwater
Lake, but a dark morph LITTLE EAGLE was welcome, and a single CAPE
BARREN GOOSE somewhat unexpected.
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Fref: FRESHWA2 Obs: 7808 Dates: 05/05/2002 - / / Site:
FRESHWA
Survey: A500 Time: 20 Area: 10
//NO=2;
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
Country: 36.030 Locality: Lonsdale Lakes WR, Freshwater Lake,
Victoria.
Habitat: C1/2: /
Lat: 38 15 52 S Long: 144 34 57 E A Accuracy: 100 Altitude: LR:
//GP;
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
CODE--- Count Age S St Br T R Species
8038.0 S Black Swan
8046.1 S Grey Teal
8047.0 S Chestnut Teal
3022.1 S Pacific Black Duck
8049.0 S Australasian Shoveler
8007.0 S Hoary-headed Grebe
220.0 S Eurasian Coot
3120.0 S Dusky Moorhen
2193.0 S Purple Swamphen
8031.0 S White-faced Heron
8511.0 S New Holland Honeyeater
8486.0 S White-plumed Honeyeater
8151.0 S Musk Lorikeet
8542.0 S Mistletoebird
8533.0 S Red Wattlebird
8404.0 S Willie Wagtail
8387.0 S White-fronted Chat
8538.0 S Silvereye
493.0 S Common Starling
761.1 S Common Blackbird
8067.0 S Brown Falcon
8066.0 S Little Eagle
8039.0 1 S Cape Barren Goose
No tags or bands.
8362.0 S Yellow-rumped Thornbill
473.0 S Skylark
The second, and major, lake in the Lonsdale Lakes Wildlife Reserve is
Lake Victoria, and that was our next stop. At the end most distant from
the vehicle access point a vast number of birds were evident. A flock
of 18 LITTLE EGRETS, many still with plumes, were roosting amongst BLACK
SWANS and other birds. About a dozen FAIRY TERNS were splash diving in
the shallows. We saw about 50 BANDED STILTS, some with and some without
chestnut breast bands; but there were many more off in the heat haze.
Smaller numbers of BLACK-WINGED STILTS were there too - yapping away
like small dogs.
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Fref: LONLAKE7 Obs: 7808 Dates: 05/05/2002 - / / Site:
LONLAKE
Survey: A500 Time: Area: 10
//NO=2;
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
Country: 36.030 Locality: Lonsdale Lakes WR, Lake Victoria, Victoria.
Habitat: Saltmarsh C1/2:QU /8
Lat: 38 16 39 S Long: 144 36 11 E A Accuracy: 100 Altitude: 0 M LR:
SORRENTO 7821:BT900610 //GP;
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-----
CODE--- Count Age S St Br T R Species
8115.0 100E S Banded Stilt
3131.1 S White-headed Stilt
8100.0 S Masked Lapwing
8103.0 S Red-capped Plover
242.2 S Red-necked Stint
196.1 18 S Little Egret
8031.0 S White-faced Heron
8274.0 S Grey Butcherbird
8538.0 S Silvereye
8359.0 S Brown Thornbill
3035.1 S Brown Goshawk
8059.0 S Whistling Kite
8255.0 S Little Raven
8286.0 S Magpie-lark
8277.0 S Australian Magpie
8047.0 S Chestnut Teal
8038.0 S Black Swan
8033.0 S Australian White Ibis
3013.0 S Royal Spoonbill
761.1 S Common Blackbird
315.1 S Spotted Turtle-Dove
8124.0 10E S Fairy Tern
8122.1 S Silver Gull
8023.0 S Pied Cormorant
119.0 S Great Cormorant
3003.0 S Little Black Cormorant
8022.0 S Australian Pelican
8054.0 S Musk Duck
>From Lake Victoria it was a short trip up to the Rip View at Point
Lonsdale, to look out over bay and ocean. With such calm and mild
conditions, there were no albatrosses or other pelagic birds to be seen.
We saw dozens of AUSTRALASIAN GANNETS flying past, some fishing; and
many loafing AUSTRALIAN FUR-SEALS lolling about in the waves. A few
BLACK-FACED CORMORANTS were fishing just offshore.
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Fref: LONLIG22 Obs: 7808 Dates: 05/05/2002 - / / Site: LONLIG
Survey: A500 Time: Area: 10
//NO=2;
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
Country: 36.030 Locality: Point Lonsdale lighthouse, Victoria
Habitat: Ocean/bay C1/2:QU /19
Lat: 38 17 31 S Long: 144 37 32 E A Accuracy: 100 Altitude: 20 M LR:
//GP;
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-----
CODE--- Count Age S St Br T R Species
21542.0 S Australo-African Fur-seal
8359.0 S Brown Thornbill
8344.0 S White-browed Scrubwren
8511.0 S New Holland Honeyeater
8122.1 S Silver Gull
8121.0 S Pacific Gull
8027.0 S Black-faced Cormorant
8021.0 S Australasian Gannet
2255.0 S Crested Tern
688.2 S House Sparrow
8250.0 S Welcome Swallow
On the way home we dropped in at Lake Lorne in Drysdale. Others have
written to Birding-Aus about the Freckled Ducks there, but I was still
unprepared to see so many and so easily. I counted 70 FRECKLED DUCKS
roosting amongst willows in the grove nearest the side road in - no more
than 40-50m from me and undoubtedly my best views ever of this bird.
Most were sleeping, but a few woke up to preen or swim around. What an
amazing experience!
Lake Lorne is also an excellent place to see BLUE-BILLED DUCK, and this
trip was no exception - great close views of about a dozen birds.
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Fref: DRYS9 Obs: 7808 Dates: 05/05/2002 - / / Site: DRYS
Survey: A500 Time: Area: 10
//ST=1530;NO=2;
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-----
Country: 36.030 Locality: Lake Lorne & The Basin, Drysdale, Victoria.
Habitat: Lake/woodland C1/2:GL /6
Lat: 38 10 55 S Long: 144 33 42 E A Accuracy: 100 Altitude: 70 M LR:
//GP;
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CODE--- Count Age S St Br T R Species
8104.0 1 S Black-fronted Dotterel
8040.0 70E S Freckled Duck
8053.0 10E S Blue-billed Duck
8047.0 S Chestnut Teal
8046.1 S Grey Teal
8049.0 S Australasian Shoveler
8045.0 S Australian Wood Duck
8033.0 S Australian White Ibis
200.1 S Cattle Egret
8034.0 S Straw-necked Ibis
8031.0 S White-faced Heron
3005.0 S Darter
3003.0 S Little Black Cormorant
3004.0 S Little Pied Cormorant
119.0 S Great Cormorant
3001.0 S Australasian Grebe
8007.0 S Hoary-headed Grebe
8151.0 S Musk Lorikeet
8188.0 S Red-rumped Parrot
8274.0 S Grey Butcherbird
8277.0 S Australian Magpie
8286.0 S Magpie-lark
8255.0 S Little Raven
8359.0 S Brown Thornbill
8362.0 S Yellow-rumped Thornbill
526.1 S European Goldfinch
688.2 S House Sparrow
8250.0 S Welcome Swallow
2193.0 S Purple Swamphen
220.0 S Eurasian Coot
3120.0 S Dusky Moorhen
3024.0 S Hardhead
3022.1 S Pacific Black Duck
8526.0 S Noisy Miner
8404.0 S Willie Wagtail
So about 90 species for the day, but at a leisurely pace! The weather
was the weirdest thing - it's late Autumn. But was so warm it felt like
late Summer.
L.
=================================
Lawrie Conole
Senior Zoologist
Ecology Australia Pty. Ltd.
Flora and Fauna Consultants
88B Station Street
FAIRFIELD VIC 3078 Australia
E-mail:
Ph: (03) 9489 4191; Mob: (0419) 588 993
Fax: (03) 9481 7679
ABN 83 006 757 142
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