Birdline Victoria Weekly Update

Birdline Victoria

Published sightings for the week ending 23 Jan 2011.

Sun 23 Jan	Buff-banded Rail Mullum Mullum Creek Linear Park A welcome return after a couple of years of not being seen along the path. Sonja Ross
	Stilt SP, Pec SP, Ruff Western Treatment Plant, Werribee Stilt SP seen briefly in Western Lagoons Pond 4 around 0930 then vanished. 4 Pecs in same pond and also seen later in the flooded paddock. Ruff in 85WC9. Dave Torr, Peter Gibbons, Dick Jenkins
	Great Crested Grebe Yan Yean Reservoir 2 ad + 3 chicks - same area as last year, lake near north end of dam wall (5). Peter Bennet
Sat 22 Jan	Brolga Rossbridge (between Ararat & Lake Bolac) Great time spent observing this single brolga who flew in, then enjoyed time in left over flood waters. Tim & Jodie Stirling
	Red-necked Avocet Western Treatment Plant, Werribee 6 RNA at Walsh's Lagoon. Also 2 Grey Plover at Nth Spit seen from Coast Rd and good numbers of Aus Shoveler east of Little River. Log-toed Stint elusive as ever... Steven Davidson - The Melbourne Birder
	Brown Quail Merri Creek, Brunswick East One Brown Quail just north of CERES. Collared Sparrowhawk with dependent young just south of the Kendall street footbridge. Flocks of Little Corella flying over the creek in the early morning for the past week. Stuart Dashper
Fri 21 Jan	Little Corella Gilpin Park and surrounding streets, Brunswick West There was a flock of around 50 Little Corella in West Brunswick today. They have been hanging around for the last few weeks and have been coming here in January for the last three years to raid the local almond and fruit trees. Paul Jacobson and Nicole Spillane
	Bush Stone-curlew Nathalia One bird seen in Red Gum woodland, east of the town along the Broken Creek near Carlands Bridge. Michael Ramsey
	Pectoral Sandpiper Western Treatment Plant, Werribee In the flooded paddock west of the spit lagoons about 2/3rds down the track, at about 10am this morning there were 5 pectoral sandpipers wading and feeding from one of the small peninsulas that jut out into the flooded paddock. I believe this is the first time that more than 2 have been reported. No other waders were with them. Hedley Earl
	White-throated Needletail, Little Lorikeet, Australian Reed-Warbler Newport Lakes Park White-throated Needletail: 4 seen heading north at treetop height. One Little Lorikeet flying through site. Australian Reed-Warbler: at least 4 present, all but one singing. Probably most I've ever recorded here and unusual in light of almost complete abscence over past two years. Possibly flooded out of other areas. Steve Davidson
Thu 20 Jan	Lewin's Rail - adult & 2 juveniles Werribee Western Treatment Plant On the river, approx. half way between Lake Borrie and the hide on the seaside (on the left if you're heading towards the hide). Looks like it is the nest site; it's on the opposite bank to the road, and the shrubs they're popping in and out of form a sheltered 'cove', with tunnels leading further into the shrubbery. Emma Croker
	Pectoral Sandpiper (2) Western Treatment Plant Two Pectoral Sandpipers near the car park at Western Lagoon No 4 at about 3pm. David Brighton
	Little Lorikeet Mt.Burnett , Dandenong Ranges A small flock of 6 seen flying over this evening. Uncommon here, must be attracted to the flowering gums. Also a Lewins Honeyeater been hanging around for last week or 2. Graham Beal
	Banded Stilt Western Treatment Plant, Werribee At midday, 14 Banded Stilts were seen on rocks at Kirk Point. After disturbance by local fishermen, the birds flew towards Geelong, presumably to Avalon or Moolap saltworks. At Western Lagoons, 1 Ruff, 1 Grey-tailed Tattler, 1 Double-banded Plover (previously reported by Steve Davidson), 4 Pectoral Sandpipers and also 1 in flooded paddock north of western lagoons. 1 Terek Sandpiper and 5 Grey Plovers at the spit and also one Grey Plover at 115 East Outlet. A total of 19 Red Knots at a number of locations and late in the after a Great Knot was sighted at the Western Lagoons. Maarten Hulzebosch
	Stilt Sandpiper, Ruff, Grey-tailed Tattler, Long-toed Stint and Pectoral Sandpiper Western Treatment Plant Single Grey-tailed Tattler foraging with Common Greenshanks, lone Pectoral Sandpiper and Long-toed Stint all seen in Western Lagoon Pond no. 4 around 6.30am this morning. Stilt Sandpiper also at this location as previously reported, but very flighty and staying close to large groups of Red-necked Stints. Ruff seen out on the Spit. Dan Weller, Simon Scott, Warren Tomlinson and Clio Gates Foale
Wed 19 Jan	Red-necked Stint St Leonards 10' Cell 8.30 am, high tide two flocks of 50 and 70 approx in number, one bird observed 21/1/11 with orange band/flag above right knee. Jan Gillet also reports daily early morning sightings of flocks of 300 + and has on two occasion past ten days seen a flock of 1500, and one of a 1000+ at Edward Pt. Lauren Leviston
	Double-banded Plover, Stilt Sandpiper Western Treatment Plant. Single bird in basic plumage, first return and pretty early too, Western Lagoon Pond 4. Stilt Sand seen oh so briefly before the flock it was consorting with all took off to pastures unknown. Steven Davidson - The Melbourne Birder
	Tawny Frogmouth Harleston Park, Elsternwick The pair of Tawny Frogmouths that already raised a chick have had another. Except this chick turns out to be two! Deborah Lustig
	Black-tailed Native-hen, Plumed Whistling-Duck Serendip Sanctuary, Lara Black-tailed Native-hen: adult with youngster, which sometimes dived under water in between frantic begging. Excellent close-up view from farm dam hide. (2). Plumed Whistling-Duck: pair at farm dam, on small mound next to nestbox 18 (2). John Watson
Tue 18 Jan	Great Crested Grebe Crusoe Reservoir, Kangaroo Flat (near Bendigo) Breeding pair of Great Crested Grebe with 3 dependent young. This is the 1st year I have seen them breeding. Adult was feeding the swimming young with a 75-80 mm long fish. David Hewett
Mon 17 Jan	Wandering Whistling-Duck Nerrin Nerrin station Single bird at edge of floodwaters, 2 km north-east of Nerrin Nerrin along Woorndoo-Streatham Road. Also seen the following morning Tuesday 18th (Rob Farnes, P S Lansley). Not found Wed. 19th 16:30-16:40. P S Lansley
	Cape Barren Goose Private property in School Road, Balliang East. At 1500hrs, single Cape Barren Goose, observed on dam bank by the owner of a private property that contains remnant Greybox Grassy Woodland. John Simpson per Peter Gibbons.
	Australasian Bittern Braeside On Sunday 16 January David Stabb reported an Australasian Bittern at Braeside, SE of Melbourne. Whereas one might expect to see one there or on other nearby wetlands in winter, January records anywhere in the area in recent times are unheard of. Perhaps they have been flooded out of their usual summer breeding grounds in northern Victoria and NSW. Australian Little Bitterns returned to the Edithvale Wetlands this year and were seen and heard at the turn of the year but have now gone quiet. As may be expected in this exceptionally wet year, the reed-beds are thick and extensive and the water is very deep so there is little chance of seeing these furtive birds. David Stabb per Mike Carter
Sun 16 Jan	Eastern Koel Ashley Gardens Caravan Park, Braybrook Further to the report on 4 Dec 2010 of a Koel at this park, a male was calling at 7am today. Ivor Preston

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