Dear all,
made it to the Spit and the T-junction area (Werribee, VIC) yesterday
(Wednesday) to follow up on some reports of Orange-bellied Parrot and
Rallidae in those areas. A flat battery resulted in my staying longer than I
had anticipated, and I spent most of the day walking around the entire
area...
Neophemas: In the T-junction area around the most southerly (rocky) pond,
two Orange-bellied's appeared out of nowhere around 11am and alighted right
in front of me on a bush. One individual stayed for about 2min, while the
other took to its wing and landed on the muddy bank of the rocky pond about
20m further off. Both allowed for great views, buzzing several times. The
individual at the pond had single bands on each leg, one of them blue, the
other of some non-defined colour (metal?). The second individual (on the
bush) hid its legs, but possibly lacked bands. A Kestrel then flushed both
individuals, and they joined 5 other Neophemas that were flushed by the
Kestrel further ahead. The other Neophemas might have been Blue-winged's.
Later in the day, I saw 9 perched Blue-winged Parrots independently along
the track near the gate to the pools around the T-junction area.
Rallidae: Spending quite some time at the track along the Spit, patience
rewarded me with great looks at 1-2 Spotless Crakes and three different
Spotted Crakes. In the early morning, I heard what I think were two Lewin's
Rails, but they wouldn't come out.
Moreover, good birds included a Stubble Quail, 85 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers,
19 Curlew Sandpipers, hundreds of Red-necked Stints, 32 Double-banded
Plovers, an immature Aussie Hobby etc. Full list below.
Cheers
Frank
20 April 2005: The Spit (at Werribee Treatment Plant)
Stubble Quail (1), Aus Pelican, Pied + Little Pied + Little Black Cormorant,
Hoary-headed Grebe, Black Swan, Aus Shelduck, Pacific Black Duck, Gray +
Chestnut Teal, Aus Shoveler, Pink-eared Duck, Hardhead, Blue-billed Duck,
Musk Duck (1), Lewin?s Rail (2, heard only), Aus Spotted Crake (3), Spotless
Crake (1-2), White-faced Heron, Great Egret, Aus White + Straw-necked Ibis,
Royal + Yellow-billed Spoonbill, Brolga (3), Common Greenshank, Bar-tailed
Godwit (1), Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (ca 85), Red-necked Stint (hundreds),
Curlew Sandpiper (ca 20), Pied Oystercatcher, Masked Lapwing, Red-kneed
Dotterel (1), Double-banded Plover (ca 30), Red-capped Plover, Red-necked
Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Silver + Pacific Gull, Crested Tern,
Black-shouldered Kite, Whistling Kite, White-bellied Sea-eagle, Brown
Goshawk, Swamp Harrier, Aus Hobby (1 imm.), Nankeen Kestrel, Brown Falcon,
Galah, Blue-winged Parrot (ca 10), Orange-bellied Parrot (2, one had bands
on both thighs, the other might have lacked bands), Superb Fairywren,
White-browed Scrubwren, Striated Calamanthus, Brown Thornbill, Red
Wattlebird, White-fronted Chat, Willie Wagtail, Magpie Lark, Aus Magpie,
Little Raven, Welcome Swallow, Skylark, Golden-headed Cisticola, Little
Grassbird, House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Red-browed Finch, Common Starling.
---------------------------------------------
============Frank E. RHEINDT================
DEPARTMENT OF GENETICS
University of Melbourne
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