Birdline Victoria Update No. 199
For the week ending: 27 March 2005
Sightings
25 March
A visit to the Western Treatment Plant produced 2 Black Falcon at the
Paradise Rd ponds. While travelling from Paradise Rd to the Conservation
Ponds there were 20 Black-tailed Godwit on the way and an immature Peregrine
Falcon. From the hide at the mouth of the Little River were 2 Arctic Jaeger
and an immature White-bellied Sea-Eagle. Near Kirk Pt were 2 Singing
Bushlark. Thanks Ben Sinclair.
24 March
Jim Reside found a Pied Heron on McLeod's Morass on about 18 March. It was
still there this morning (24 March). Take the Bairnsdale to Paynesville
road. The morass is on your right as you head south. At the southern end
take a turning to the right marked Girl Guides Tree Plantation. Drive in and
continue 100 m or so until you reach a picnic area marked 'Bartlets'. Bird
is on adjacent section of wetland with White-faced Herons. There may be only
one or two previous Victorian records. Thanks Mike Carter.
23 March
Duck shooting has been banned at Lake Murphy this year due to up to 200
Freckled Ducks that have been seen. Still some shallow water present and
reports from the last few days of a Ruff, a Reeve, 2 Pectoral Sandpipers, 1
Wood Sandpiper and 2 Black-tailed Godwits. And no shooters! Thanks Simon
Starr.
23 March
There was a single White-throated Needletail flying low over Frankston
South, with no signs of a storm front approaching. Stuart Cooney.
21 March
2 different individuals of Spotless Crake (one non-adult with a light
throat) showed well, one at each of the first two clearly marked wooden
bridges (clockwise) along the Pula Reserve Circuit at the Werribee Open
Range Zoo. Other notable sightings included Buff-banded Rail (4), good views
of three species of lorikeet (Musk, Purple-crowned and 4 Little Lorikeets).
Thanks Frank Rheindt.
20 March
The highlights of the Port Fairy Pelagic trip include 5 Hutton's
Shearwaters, 1 northern Royal Albatross, 1 Shy Albatross race Salvini, 3
Buller's Albatross, an early Great Skua and 1 Pomarine Jaeger. Thanks Mike
Carter.
19 March
A Regent Honeyeater was seen singing from a lemon-scented gum in Violet
Town. Thanks Barry McLean.
19 March
Seen from the Avalon Air Show were 3 Brolga, flying in a flock at the
southern end of the runway and a Black Kite, soaring over nearby paddocks.
Thanks Michael Ramsey.
19 March
A single Little Egret was seen hunting in a flooded patch of remnant Grey
Box woodland just south east of the derestriction signs on Exford Road,
Melton South. Thanks Micah Kawalek.
18 March
Two adult Peregrine Falcons seen flying around the Melbourne Sports and
Aquatic Centre (near Albert Park Lake) 7.45pm yesterday 17th March. Thanks
Aaron Organ.
18 March
15 Little Egrets seen from an area immediately north of Shell Road, between
the Lonsdale Lakes Development and Clows Lane, Point Lonsdale. Thanks Aaron
Organ.
16 March
A single adult Great-crested Grebe at Westgate Park (alongside the Westgate
Bridge in Fisherman’s Bend). First seen by George Fotheringham, a volunteer
member of the dedicated “Friends of Westgate Park” who have been steadily
regenerating this attractive and surprisingly productive near-city
wetland/parkland (my list is now 84 species). Thanks Richard Nowotny.
Mid March
From Lake Lorne, Drysdale: Great, Little Pied & Little Black Cormorants are
currently nesting; other breeding species are Darter & Pacific Black Duck
with 11 tiny young (so much for the timing of the duck shooting season!).
The two species of black Cormorants breeding are exceptional records for the
Geelong district. The Freckled & Blue-billed Ducks are still present. Also
observed from Lake Lorne were two Wedge-tailed Eagles circling nearby.
Thanks Gordon McCarthy & Tom Fletcher.
14 March
At Gellibrand Hill (Woodlands Historic Park) there were 250 Fork-tailed
Swifts, 2 Little Eagles, one was dark morph and a Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoo.
Thanks Michael Ramsey.
14 March
At Yuroke (north of Greenvale, near Mickleham) there was a Black Kite,
soaring over paddocks and 5 Fork-tailed Swifts. Thanks Michael Ramsey.
14 March
There were three (but possibly more) White-throated Needletails flying very
low, 5km South of Colac on the road to Gellibrand. Thanks Vin Lam.
14 March
At 9:30 there were 20 Fork-tailed Swifts with about 10 White-throated
Needletails heading north over La Trobe University, Bundoora, Melbourne.
While on Saturday evening at Wilson's Promontory there were over 2000
White-throated Needletails (but no Fork-taileds) foraging low over the main
isthmus (near Cotter's Lake turn-off). A spectacular sight with frequently
fly-bys at head height. Finally, a Rose Robin was seen in the wetter forest
on the Lilly Pilly Gully walk. Thanks Rohan Clarke.
14 March
There was a party of approximately 30 Fork-tailed Swifts over forest at
Lorne at 11 am, there were at least 2 White-throated Needle-tail with them.
Thanks Aidan Sudbury.
13/14 March
On a Birds Australia Survey of Snape Reserve (a Trust for Nature reserve
near the Little Desert, Western Victoria), the following birds were
recorded: Fork-tailed Swift, Painted Honeyeater, Crested Bellbird and
Slender-billed Thornbill. Thanks Tim Dolby.
13 March
The highlights of the Eastern Treatment Plant Boundary Road wetland survey
were 3 Gull-billed Terns presumed to be of the race affinis not previously
recorded in southern Australia and 3 Double-banded Plovers. Thanks Mike
Carter.
13 March
At the Ovens River in Wangaratta there was an Australian King Parrot and an
Azure Kingfisher. Thanks Michael Ramsey.
12 March
At Chiltern Valley No.2 Dam there was a Musk Duck and 20 Pink-eared Duck.
Thanks Michael Ramsey.
11-16 March
Highlights of the BOCA Camp near Moriac, 30 km SW of Geelong, were Grey
(White) Goshawk, Brolga (8), Spotless Crake, Barking Owl, Southern Boobook,
Powerful Owl (2), Rufous Bristlebird (several) and Rose Robin (female), all
seen within 20 km of camp. Thanks Bill Ramsay.
11 March
There was a small flock of White-throated Needletails swooping low over the
Melbourne-Ballarat Freeway near the Pentland Hills exit this morning. Thanks
Dave Torr.
Updates
27 March
Dean Ingwersen failed to locate the Pied Heron at the Macleod Morass in
Barinsdale.
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
www.babblersnest.com/birdline
Regards,
Stuart
www.babblersnest.com
Birdline Victoria
www.babblersnest.com/birdline
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