G'day All,
Over the last few weeks I and some mates were able to do some intensive
birding in Nth Victoria. In spite of the severe drought and its obvious
debilitating effect upon the native fauna and flora, not to mention the
local agricultural and supporting industries, bird species and numbers were
reasonably good. It was most enjoyable to get out and see them.
Alone and in groups, organized and when the mood struck, several of us
tramped the swamps, patrolled the rivers and creeks, scanned the vast canopy
of the open country skies of the area, as well as the extensive open
plainsland. We enjoyed the tang of the Callitris Cyprus Pine Forests as we
walked through them and found the shade of the Black, Grey and Yellow Box
woodlands pleasant on the hot days of summer. The area is a complex of
diverse habitat and this reflects the diversity of the bird species. We went
by day and by night and amassed a good number of birds.
Some of the highlights for our tripping were BLUE BILLED DUCK, GREAT CRESTED
GREBE, good numbers of NANKEEN NIGHT HERON, ROYAL IBIS & GLOSSY IBIS were
around the swamps and lakes. Skulking in the rushes and reeds were a couple
of LITTLE BITTERN, and about 20 AUSTRALASIAN BITTERN, not forgetting the
occasional BAILLON'S CRAKE, SPOTLESS AND AUSTRALIAN SPOTTED CRAKES that
would venture out now and then onto muddy flats. There was the usual
diversity of raptors, including WHITE-BELLIED SEA-EAGLE, SPOTTED HARRIER,
BROWN & COLLARED SPARROWHAWK, AUSTRALIAN HOBBY & PEREGRINE & BLACK FALCONS.
A lone SQUARE-TAILED KITE was a picture of grace and beauty, as it soared
overhead. It is always a delight to see a family or two of BROLGA out on the
plain, and BUSH STONE-CURLEW in the woodlands. Some ordinary waders such as
BLACK-KNEED & BLACK-FRONTED DOTTERELS, SHARP-TAILED, COMMON GREENSHANK,
MARSH & CURLEW SANDPIPERS, PIED & BLACK-FRONTED STILTS, RED-NECKED AVOCETS &
RED-NECKED STINTS were in the swamps and lakes, adding to the liveliness of
the swamps and lakes. Along the Murray River, BARKING OWL was heard and in
the sharp, early morning sunlight, or in the soft coloured hues of the
gloaming, an AZURE KINGFISHER would flash by the observer. LATHAM'S SNIPE
could be flushed from the grassy verges of the swamplands. A single PAINTED
SNIPE was seen among the flooded lignum and grassy banks of Hird Swamp, and
their dry-land counterpart in so many ways, PLAINS-WANDERS were to be seen
at night on the plains, together with LITTLE BUTTON-QUAIL & the odd STUBBLE
QUAIL. A PLAINS-WANDERER was found on a nest. Hundreds of BANDED LAPWING and
a scattering of AUSTRALIAN PRATINCOLE were also observed. Around the
samphire, apart from the usual resident birds, such as the dainty and
beautiful WHITE-WINGED FAIRY-WREN, numbers of ORANGE CHATS made their
presence known, flying from among the bushes to sit on the top of them in
the morning light, the males shining like molten gold. A couple of
BLUE-WINGED PARROTS were also enjoyed. In the open, grassy forests and
granite outcrops of the area, PAINTED & BLACK HONEYEATERS & DIAMOND DOVE
were reported and the resident PAINTED BUTTON-QUAIL, SOUTHERN WHITE-FACE &
DIAMOND FIRETAIL were to be enjoyed, as well as the AUSTRALIAN RINGNECK. Not
to be overlooked, quietly sitting on a suitable branch of the woodland, were
EASTERN YELLOW, RED-CAPPED & HOODED ROBINS, and the bold JACKY WINTER with
his restless tail. They would have to compete at times with a RESTLESS
FLYCATCHER or two. Other Bushbirds that brought the forest alive with their
calls, movement and colour included GREY, WHITE-BROWED & CHESTNUT-CROWNED
BABBLERS, BLACK-CHINNED HONEYEATER, EASTERN CRESTED SHRIKE-TIT & GILBERT'S
WHISTLERS. There was the odd OLIVE-BACKED ORIOLE & PALLID CUCKOO and a fair
number of HORSFIELD'S BRONZE-CUCKOO to be seen too. The DOLLARBIRD has been
conspicuous by its absence this year, and while RAINBOW BEE-EATERS are back,
they still have not recovered from the large number that died several years
ago when, one afternoon, the temperature dropped by about twenty degrees in
less than a half hour. A few WHITE-BROWED WOODSWALLOW, MASKED AND
BLACK-FACED joined LARGER NUMBERS OF DUSKY AND WHITE-BREASTED WOODSWALLOWS
in the area, and some WHITE-BROWED bred. About 26 species were observed
breeding. Around the sandy ridges and banks of the pits and lakes of the
area, WHITE-BACKED SWALLOWS displayed with the grace that is their own.
Cocky male BROWN SONGLARKS flittered to fence posts and dead isolated trees
on the plains, as did the SINGING BUSHLARK & RICHARD'S PIPIT. It was
disconcerting to discover for the first time some COMMON MYNA in our neck of
the woods. We have followed their slow but sure encroachment to the north,
and now they have finally arrived, though the two seen died of lead
poisoning.
It can be very hot and dry in North Victoria in summer, but the birding can
be excellent too.
Many of the above birds are associated with the TERRICK TERRICK National
Park and its surrounds. A Friends of Terrick Terrick National Park group has
now been formed to help protect, investigate and promote this little gem of
a park.
A comprehensive list of the species seen over the last few weeks in Northern
Victoria is below. I reckon I missed a few that should have been included on
the list, but they don't come to mind at the moment.
I trust all will have a safe and satisfying New Year, and will have the
opportunity to get out and enjoy the unique fauna and flora that makes up
our country.
Regards,
Chris Coleborn
BIRDS SEEN NTH VIC DEC '06
Emu, Stubble Quail, Blue-billed Duck, Black Swan, Australian Shelduck,
Australian Wood Duck, Pacific Black Duck, Australasian Shoveler, Grey Teal,
Chestnut Teal, ink-eared Duck, Hardhead, Australasian Grebe, Hoary-headed
Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Darter, Little Pied Cormorant, Pied Cormorant,
Little Black Cormorant, Great Cormorant, Australian Pelican, White-faced
Heron , White-necked Heron, Great Egret, Nankeen Night Heron, Little
Bittern, Australasian Bittern, Glossy Ibis, Australian White Ibis,
Straw-necked Ibis, Royal Spoonbill, Yellow-billed Spoonbill,
Black-shouldered Kite, Square-tailed Kite, Black Kite, Whistling Kite,
White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Spotted Harrier, Swamp Harrier, Brown Goshawk,
Collared Sparrowhawk, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Little Eagle, Brown Falcon,
Australian Hobby, Black Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Nankeen Kestrel, Brolga,
Buff-banded Rail, Baillon's Crake, Australian Spotted Crake, Purple
Swamphen, Dusky Moorhen, Black-tailed Native-hen Eurasian Coot, Little
Button-quail, Painted Button-quail, Plains-wanderer, Latham's Snipe, Marsh
Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, Sharp-tailed
Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Australian Painted Snipe, Bush Stone-curlew,
Black-winged Stilt, Banded Stilt, Red-necked Avocet, Red-capped Plover,
Black-fronted Dotterel, Red-kneed Dotterel, Banded Lapwing, Masked Lapwing,
Australian Pratincole, Silver Gull, Caspian Tern, Whiskered Tern,
White-winged Black Tern, Rock Dove, Common Bronzewing, Crested Pigeon,
Diamond Dove, Peaceful Dove, Galah, Long-billed Corella, Sulphur-crested
Cockatoo, Cockatiel, Purple-crowned Lorikeet, Crimson (Yellow) Rosella,
Eastern Rosella, Australian Ringneck, Red-rumped Parrot, Pallid Cuckoo,
Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo, Southern Boobook, Barn Owl, Tawny Frogmouth,
Azure Kingfisher
Laughing Kookaburra, Sacred Kingfisher, Rainbow Bee-eater, White-throated
Treecreeper, Brown Treecreeper, Superb Fairy-wren, White-winged Fairy-wren,
Spotted Pardalote, Striated Pardalote, White-browed Scrubwren, Weebill,
Western Gerygone, Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Yellow
Thornbill, Southern Whiteface, Red Wattlebird, Noisy Friarbird, Little
Friarbird, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Singing Honeyeater,
White-plumed Honeyeater, Black-chinned Honeyeater, Brown-headed Honeyeater,
Painted Honeyeater, White-fronted Honeyeater, Black Honeyeater, Orange Chat,
White-fronted Chat, Jacky Winter, Red-capped Robin, Hooded Robin, Eastern
Yellow Robin, Grey-crowned Babbler, White-browed Babbler, Chestnut-crowned
Babbler, Crested Shrike-tit, Gilbert's Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Grey
Shrike-thrush, Restless Flycatcher, Magpie-lark, Grey Fantail, Willie
Wagtail, Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike, Olive-backed Oriole, White-breasted
Woodswallow, Masked Woodswallow, White-browed Woodswallow, Black-faced
Woodswallow, Dusky Woodswallow, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie,
Australian Raven, Little Raven, White-winged Chough, Singing Bushlark,
Skylark, Australian (Richard's) Pipit, House Sparrow, Zebra Finch,
Red-browed Finch, Diamond Firetail, European Goldfinch, Mistletoebird,
White-backed Swallow, Welcome Swallow, Tree Martin, Fairy Martin, Clamorous
Reed Warbler, Little Grassbird, Rufous Songlark, Brown Songlark,
Golden-headed Cisticola, Silvereye, Common Blackbird, Common Starling,
Common Myna.
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