Birdline Victoria Weekly Update

Birdline Victoria

Published sightings for the week ending 15 May 2011.

Sun 15 May	Regent Honeyeater, Rose Robin Chiltern Two Regent Honeyeaters were seen at dawn in the Chiltern Forest. Great views were had in the morning light, both birds were unbanded. A female Rose Robin was also a nice sighting at Bartley's Block. Some other birds around on a fantastic day were Musk, Little and Purple-crowned Lorikeets, cracking views of some male Flame Robins, Western Gerygone and some Speckled Warblers. Michael Ramsey - Bronzewing Birding Services
	Giant - petrel Kilcunda - Victoria -Australia Giant petrel off main beach Kilcunda victoria [near bridge] struggling stressed disoriented, taken to phillip island nature park hospital. Megan Leighstolk
	Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, Spotted Quailthrush Brisbane Ranges National Park Cold and mostly overcast conditions but some good birds observed. A Chestnut-rumped Heathwren was located in dense Golden Wattle regrowth close to junction of Outlook and Redbeak tracks. Male Spotted Quail-thrush seen nearby on Aqueduct track. Scott Baker, Simon Mustoe and Brett Lane
	White-tailed Tropicbird Leongatha An immature White-tailed Tropicbird landed on a main road in Leongatha yesterday. This is over 40 km inland. It was rescued just prior to being crushed by a truck and is now in care and doing well. This follows a period of wet and windy weather. Per Mike Carter
	Painted Button-quail, White-winged Triller, Flame Robin Lyell State Forest Painted Button-quail on drier ridges in stringybark-red box with low shrub layer, and leaf litter patches. Numerous feeding patches. The number of sightings by our group over the last two weeks suggests much higher populations than in recent years. White-winged Triller small group feeding In adjacent paddock, and Flame Robin In adjacent paddock. Gregg Müller
	Collared Sparrowhawk Near Parson Street, Sunshine. A bang on my north window alerted me to a smallish raptor that must have dropped its load in my backyard. It then perched on fence deciding what to do . Eventually moved to pick up dropped load and went out of view. Tony Degabriele
Sat 14 May	Southern Giant Petrel, Kelp Gull Point Lonsdale 3 Giant Petrels seen offshore, one close enough to see bill tip-juvenile Southern. 1 juvenile Kelp Gull in bay. Also 7 Shy & 6 Black-browed Albatrosses . Kevin Bartram
	Sanderling Black Rocks, Bellarine Penninsula One Sanderling amongst about 20 Red-necked Stints and about 10 Double-banded Plovers where the rocks meet the beach. Also 3 adult Hooded Plovers and 2 juveniles. One buff-banded Rail along line of southern bushes just past Blackrocks Rd turnoff on the Barwon Heads-Torquay Rd. Kevin Bartram
	Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Barwon River, Belmont Pair feeding two begging juveniles (who appeared to be only just able to fly) Late breeding record. Glen White
	Swift Parrots Muckleford Still 30 to 40 swifties at Muckleford this morning. Some great views of them as they flew over me with the sun out showing the red under the wings. Debbie Worland
Fri 13 May	Sooty Oystercatcher Bear Gully, cape Liptrap 1 bird seen on rocks at Bear Gully S+S King
	Hooded Plover Bear Gully, Cape Liptrap 2 birds seen feeding on beach south of Bear Gully. One had red tag on left leg, and orange-red tag +white tag on right leg. S+S King
	Buff-banded Rail New reed bed between Lake Hamilton & Rippon Rd, Hamilton Observed from hide (my car) as I was leaving the Lake Hamilton beach after once a month lunch bird count. Bird was activily hunting worms and the like in muddy tyre makes between reeds and tarmac. Not concerned when I drove past and then returned, only ducked for cover when I started to move away and revved the engine a little too loudly, will return this weekend for picture. Samantha Greiner
	Hooded Plover Black Rock Reserve, Barwon Heads Hooded Plover (12) including 2 juveniles - no leg bands recorded. Chris Pitfield
	Little Corella (200+) Northcote A enormous chattering flock of 200+ Little Corella flew east over Victoria Rd in Northcote, inner Melbourne. Tim Dolby
	Giant-Petrel species Mt Martha Beach Immature (all dark body) Giant-Petrel species observed flying low over the bay, less than 100m from shore. Distinguished from Sooty Albatross by shorter and less pointy tail. Neil Shelley
Thu 12 May	Australian King-Parrot Moorabool Reservoir, Bolwarrah Approximately eight King-parrots perching and flying about an extremely tall cedar at the Reservoir. Not often seen in these parts! At the time of sighting my friend mentioned that she had seen them regularly at her place at Gordon in recent weeks. Tanya Loos
	Lewins Rail, Spotless Crake, Little Grassbird, Spotted crake, Buff banded Rail Western Treatment Plant, Werribee, driveway to bird hide. Between 4pm and 4.45pm today from a specific spot on the driveway to the bird hide I saw and (again) photographed the Spotless crake, Spotted crake, Little Grassbird, Lewin's Rail and Buff-Banded Rail. All these birds share the same space and provide a wonderful opportunity for the many birders that tell me they have not yet seen the Spotless crake and/or the Lewin's Rail. As others have reported the White- winged Black Tern is still present on the foreshore near the Beach Rd boat launching area. Hedley Earl
Wed 11 May	Pied Currawongs Castlemaine Large flck of 40+ birds seen at 11.30 this morning in large trees in a private garden, Hargraves street Castlemaine at the intersection of Halford street. Birds have been calling throughout the day in this vicinity over the past 2 weeks but it is the first time I have seen them in such large numbers. Greg McKay
Tue 10 May	Black-tailed Native-hen, Red-kneed Dotterel Lignum Swamp near Bald Hill Rd, east of Carisbrook ~ 20 Black-tailed Native-hens and 50 Red-kneed Dotterels on this small drying Lignum wetland. Geoff Park
	Cape Barren Goose Lake Tyers Beach The CBG first observed around 14/4 is still in residence at Lake Tyers. Later reports of a pair of geese in the general area have yet to be confirmed. It was located today quietly feeding opposite the Waterwheel Tavern in full view of a number of tourists and locals ( who continue to walk their dogs unleashed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ) Len and Jacquie Axen
	Plumed Whistling-Duck, Brolga, White-necked Heron Eurack - Plains Sedgy Wetland Flock of Plumed Whistling-Ducks (49) easily distinguished by light plumes on side (north-west section of wetland). Pair of Brolgas flew also onto wetland quite close to road. One White-necked Heron observed flying overhead. Chris Pitfield
	Little Eagle Geelong Grammar School Corio Little Eagle (1) am. overhead, along railway line north of the school Peter Booth
	Barbary Dove(16) Cnr Maddox St & Kororoit Ck Rd, Newport 16 Barbary Dove have suddenly reappeared at this site and are possibly being released deliberately. All perched on overhead wires. Might be time to get DSE on the blower again... Steve Davidson
Mon 9 May	Grey Butcherbird Watsonia One of a pair of Butcherbirds that attacked and killed our Canary now visiting regularly looking for another easy meal. Mark Pipolo
	Sooty Oystercatcher Mouth of Laverton Creek, Altona. At 15:45, five(5) Sooty Oystercatcher with twelve (12) Pied Oystercatcher at the mouth of the creek. Peter Gibbons
	Great Crested Grebe, Bar-tailed Godwit and other species Mouth and tidal flats of Kororoit Creek, Williamstown North At 15:15, with very low tide, one Great Crested Grebe in the mouth of the creek, breeding plumage displaying prominent ear tufts/crest. Single Bar-tailed Godwit, juvenile/non-breeding plumage, well out on tidal flats. Twenty one (21) Pacific Gull, numerous Black-winged Stilt, Chestnut Teal, Australian White Ibis and Black Swan. Numerous Australasian Gannet, fishing offshore. Peter Gibbons
	Spotless Crake Western Treatment Plant, Werribee After months of seeking out the ultra elusive Spotless Crake I was pleased today to sight both Spotted and Spotless Crake and to note that both Buff-banded and Lewin's Rail share the same patch. Hedley Earl
	Nankeen Kestrel Dandenong South Nankeen Kestrel (1) mid day, south of Greens Road, between Ordish Road and Eastlink Peter Booth
Sun 8 May	White-winged Black Tern, Lewin's Rail Western Treatment Plant, Werribee Around 12 White-winged Black Terns seen N of Beach Rd, firstly on rocks, then on a pond c500 m N of the gate. Got some nice pictures, some in breeding plumage. Also Lewin's Rail, in usual spot on Little River, 40 m S of turnoff to Lake Borrie track. Kevin Bartram
	Black Falcon Willaura / Stavely (between Dunkeld and Ararat) Late in the season. Seen several times during the day over a recently burnt barley crop. Other raptors seen: Peregrine Falcon, Australian Hobby, Collared Sparrowhawk, Black-shouldered Kite, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Brown Falcon and Whistling Kite. Inka Veltheim
	Swift Parrot Cowes Small flocks, between 5 - 20 birds, flying between flowering trees in Cowes streets around the Primary School. Elizabeth Shaw, Patsy Hunt and Jon Fallaw
	Scarlet Robin Blackburn Lake Scarlet Robin (male) at the northern end of Appletree track. Male Mistletoebird and brown plumaged Golden Whistler also in that vicinity. Steven Creber
	White-winged Fairywren and Australian Spotted Crake Mitiamo A good days birding today. We've searched for White Winged Fairy Wrens in 5 states and never seen any but today 70 km from home managed to find some at Mitiamo. Thanks for the heads up Chris. Also at Tomara dam sighted quite a few Aus Spotted Crakes some with chicks. Stopped at Terrick Terrick on the way home and the quails were thick on the ground in the grassy areas. Greg and Janice McKay
	Pied Butcherbird Bellarine Highway, Moolap Perched on power line. Tom Fletcher
Fri 6 May	Spotted Nightjar Earlston, 13 km north of Violet Town 1 sitting on track at night Doug Robinson
	Cattle Egret, Great Crested Grebe, Flame Robin Winton Wetlands 34 Cattle Egret were seen feeding with cattle along the Lake Mokoan Road, quite a good number. I assume they feed out in the paddocks during the day and roost in the wetlands at night. They are scarce autumn/winter migrants in the north-east. Two Great Crested Grebes also seen and 3 beautiful male Flame Robins in the late afternoon light, were observed near the old boat ramp. Michael Ramsey
Thu 5 May	Mallee Emu-wren Hattah-Kulkyne 3 birds 200m up Nowingi Track from its junction with Old Calder Highway Greg Roberts
Mon 2 May	Peregrine Falcon, Collared Sparrowhawk Westgate Park While conducting our regular monthly bird survey we saw a Peregrine Falcon and immature Collared Sparrowhawk, both in the process of consuming the last remains of recently caught prey. Thanks go to the local White-plumed Honeyeaters for drawing our attention to the sparrowhawk which is the same bird reported on 27/4. Also of interest were three Flame Robins, an estimated 9-10 Spotted Pardalotes and at least 20 Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters. Andrew McCutcheon, Euan Moore & Rob Youl
Fri 29 Apr	Orange-bellied Parrot (2), Pink-eared Duck, Black-faced Cormorant Western Treatment Plant, Werribee Stacks of birds about the plant this morning. Best were 2 Orange-bellied Parrot, 11 Pink-eared Duck seen in various ponds in vicinity of 145WA & 145WB Lagoons, a Black-faced Cormorant seen on beacon well offshore from end of Beach Rd, and a Black Falcon and Singing Honeyeater also in vicinity of 270S Borrow Pits. Many waterbirds have returned with up to 1000 Hardhead seen all throughout plant, plus hundreds of Hoary-headed Grebe and Straw-necked Ibis, 80+ Cattle Egret, 200+ Little Pied Cormorant at Ryans Swamp and 3 White-necked Heron. Hangers-on consisted of a dark Arctic Jaeger offshore, 8 White-winged Black Tern at Lake Borrie and a Fantailed Cuckoo singing at first light on Pt Wilson Rd. 96 species for the morning. Steven Davidson - The Melbourne Birder
Mon 25 Apr	Wedge Tailed Eagle Gordon Adult Bird seen low in dense forest and then flying through that same dense forest. A striking sight for a bird with 2 Metre wingspan. The bird was clearly guarding a kill or preparing to attack prey. Some hours later it was observed on a tree stump near original sighting butchering a kill. Later investigation found a few remains of a Brown Hare including front part of skull picked clean of flesh and no braincase. Darren Bellingham

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