29
January
In the
area between Mclaughlin's Inlet and Mann's Beach by boat at half to low tide
there were -- near McLaughlin's entrance, 60+ Fairy Terns, many
sitting on eggs, 3 adult Hooded Plovers with two chicks, 1000s
Red-necked Stints, 50+ Eastern Curlew, 6
Sooty Oystercatchers near Manns Beach, 75 Bar-tailed
Godwit, 50+ Whimbrel, 100 Curlew
Sandpiper. Offshore 1000+ unidentified Shearwaters, thanks Duncan
Fraser.
28
January
There
was a Spotted Crake and Black-tailed
Native-Hen at the Heritage Wetlands Wonga Park, thanks Margot
Craddock.
28
January
There
were at least 3 Black-tailed Native-hens at Jawbone Reserve in
the bushes along the footpath this week (23rd and 28th Jan), as well as a
Great Crested Grebe in early January, thanks Vin.
26
January
There
were 2 Latham’s Snipe at Pt. Henry Wetlands Wildlife reserve
near Alcoa off Windmill Rd., Geelong, thanks, John & Sue
O’Malley.
25
January
There
were about 40 Black-winged Stilts with about 50 Banded
Stilts in the north-east corner of Lake Victoria, Point Lonsdale (via
Emily Street), also 1 Great Crested Grebe and on the eastern
shore there were a further 1500+ Banded Stilts as well as
Caspian and Whiskered Terns,
Red-capped Plover, Stints and other waders
(unidentified), thanks Richard Case.
25
January
Birds
Australia VicGroup's census of the ETP found 70 species, 47 of which were
wetland-dependent or raptors. Among the more notable were Little
Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Buff-banded
Rail (3), Baillon's Crake, Australian Spotted
Crake (11), Spotless Crake, Wood
Sandpiper & Red-necked Avocet, thanks Mike
Carter.
24
January
An
Australian Hobby has successfully fledged a chick from their
nest site in a Sugar Gum at Melton Railway Station, thanks Micah
Kawalek.
24
January
In the
Rupanyup area, the Australian Pratincoles that were on a fallow
paddock as reported 14/11/03, have had at least ten nests and now have flying
young. Also on the 18/1/04, one immature Inland Dotterel was
seen in the same paddock and remained for approximately 24 hours, thanks Ian
Morgan.
18
January
Bob
Swindley found two Oriental Pratincoles at the WTP, Werribee,
thanks Mike Carter.
18
January
A
‘black-headed’ gull was seen briefly in flight at Breamlea, some 20 km S of
Geelong on the Otway coast (per Margaret Cameron), about lunchtime the next day
(19th), Jenny Zimmerman watched a similar bird squabbling with Silver Gulls on a
beach at Anglesea, 22 km to the SW. The bird was outstanding with a wholly black
hood and prominent white eyelids. So it was either a Laughing
or a Franklin’s Gull. Rob Ganly obtained some excellent
digital pictures at very close range. Unfortunately, they are not as revealing
as we would like because the bird was mostly facing him and didn’t fly!
Mike Carter believes that the bird is a Franklin’s for the following
reasons:
1) Visible even in the closed wing, is a white bar across the base
of the primaries.
2) The white eyelids are very broad.
3) Although it is a
slightly foreshortened view, bill structure seems to fit that species better,
thanks Mike Carter.
17-18
January
There
were 3 Black-tailed Godwits in the second pond at the Austin
Road lagoons at Werribee and a Hooded Plover at Pt. Impossible, Torquay, thanks
John and Sue O’Malley.
Updates
Late
January
Despite many
attempts the possible Franklin's Gull on the Otway Coast has
not been reported again
28
January
The
Common Sandpiper at Albert Park was still present at the same
place as originally sighted; in the middle of the 3 ponds at the northern end of
the Lake, this time it was with a Black-fronted Dotterel and a
Whiskered Tern was also seen at the park, thanks Hugo
Phillips
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
Birds Australia Victoria. 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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