Birdline Victoria Weekly Update

Birdline Victoria

Published sightings for the week ending 22 May 2011.

Sun 22 May	Grey Currawong Braeside Park One Grey Currawong seen in Ibis carpark area at around 1:30pm today. It was being harassed by Noisy Miners, and I clearly saw the defining features when it sat in the tree. Matthew Roach
	Swift Parrot Killawarra Forest Five birds were seen this morning, 2 near Irishtown Track and another 3 near the Camp area. Hundreds of Noisy Friarbirds and Red Wattlebirds are also in the forest, foraging in flowering ironbarks. Also a large number of smaller honeyeaters were present such as Yellow-faced, Fuscous and Yellow-tufted. A few Scarlet Honeyeaters were also observed. Michael Ramsey
	Swift Parrots Muckleford At least 30 to 40 swifties this morning, lucky to spot them with the rain, thunder & lightning Debbie Worland, Noel Young
Sat 21 May	Blue-faced Honeyeater, Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, Rose Robin Heathcote 10' Cell On a fruitless search for Swifties and Regents we nonetheless managed a few good birds on our patch, including 7-8 Blue-faced Honeyeater - 4-5 adults, 2 recently fledged young and a juvenile in a loose group just off the main drag in Heathcote, and pair of Chestnut-rumped Heathwren trackside in dense heathy undergrowth on the hairpin turn on the track to Mt Ida. Stonking views. A Rose Robin was heard along Newlan Track, Spring Plains NCR; this species has been present for some months here now. Also many Flame Robin groups scattered throughout the region, and a probable Painted Button-Quail flushed from the track to Mt Ida. Steve Davidson & Dave Richardson
	Swift Parrot Tarnagulla Flora and Fauna Reserve 3 Swift parrots, sitting very quietly, corner of German Track and Hill and Dale Track. No blossom anywhere Tim Bawden
	Red-necked Avocet, Cattle Egret Bendigo Sewage Ponds Four Red-necked Avocets seen feeding in a shallow pond. Nearby 3 Cattle Egret were observed in paddocks. Also over 100 Musk Lorikeets in one flock being pursued by a Collared Sparrowhawk. Michael Ramsey
	Shy Heathwren, Gilbert's Whistler,Aus Owlet-nightjar, Variegated Fairywren, Purple-gaped Honeyeater, Greater Bendigo National Park (Kamarooka Section) Great morning spent in the park. Highlights were a Australian Owlet-nightjar calling before dawn at Mulga Dam. Good views were also had of Purple-gaped Honeyeaters, Variegated Fairy-wrens and a Shy Heathwren. A female Gilbert's Whistler was also observed. Hundreds of Yellow-faced Honeyeaters are also present in the park, many at every site visited. Michael Ramsey
	Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, Zebra Finch Point Cook Coastal Park One Shining Bronze-Cuckoo seen eating caterpillars in Sheoak near the small playground. Zebra Finches (x 5) associating with Yellow-rumped Thornbills at RAAF Lake carpark. Paul Randall (wingsonwire.com)
	Wedge-tailed Eagle Wantirna South Pair over Wantirna South about 10:45 this morning, circling and gliding quite low just east of Eastlink and south of High Street Road, making their way north-eastward under "escort" by a couple of dozen affronted Little Ravens. Local Rainbow Lorikeets and Australian Magpies seemed pretty unhappy also. jack Krohn
Fri 20 May	Wedge Tailed Eagle Keysbourgh A pair of nesting Wedge Tailed Eagles have been sighted hunting , mating and nesting at Keysbourgh just off the East Link on Hutton Rd between Perry rd and Keys rd Keysbourgh ph 0414408021 Ricky Lovell
	Swift Parrots Muckleford Still 20 to 30 Swifties feeding in Grey Box, hard to find as they are very quiet. Could be due to large numbers of Wattlebirds & Noisy Miners Debbie Worland ,Margaret Badminton and Ken
	Stubble Quail Kooyoora State Park (Wehla) Stubble Quail (2) Streaked, about 20cm. On Burkes Flat-Wehla Rd in long grass Malcolm Cousland
	Speckled Warbler Kooyoora State Park (Melville Caves) Speckled Warbler (1) Long white eyebrow, black streaks on underparts, tail not cocked. Hopping on ground. At Back Rd/Aldridges Track intersection (closed to vehicles). Malcolm Cousland
	Noisy Friarbird Kingower 10' Cell Noisy Friarbird (1). Clearly seen in tree on Wedderburn-Brenanah Rd. Characteristic lump on bill. Malcolm Cousland
	Swift Parrot Kooyoora State Park (Glenalbyn block) Swift Parrot (2) Flying. Also Hooded Robin (3), White-naped Honeyeater, many Striated and some Spotted Pardalote. Malcolm Cousland
	Fantailed Cuckoo, Blue-billed Duck, Darter Greenvale Dam An adult Fantailed Cuckoo seen on road in. Seems to be more than usual around this year. The only bird I saw on the dam was a female Blue-billed Duck. One adult male Darter on the dam & 1 adult male on Brodies Lakes. Kevin Bartram
Thu 19 May	King Parrot Valley Tes, Mt Waverley 2 King Parrots flew overhead near the playground area. Common Bronzewing also seen later near creek. Chris Gittins
	Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater 5 k's north Axedale. Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater has returned. It may be the same bird as the call is quite broken up and sounds like it's voice hasn't broken yet :-) Reported in July last year from same site. Marlene Lyell
Wed 18 May	Gang-gang Cockatoos Wattle Park, Burwood Flock of about 15 Gang-gangs. Haven't seen them here before. Little Corellas still busy in the vicinity. Sue Taylor
	Blue-winged Parrot, Lewin's Rail Western Treatment Plant, Werribee 7 BWP in the morning at Kirk Point - late afternoon there were 2 at Western Lagoon 4 and 5 at T-Section - probably the same birds? Lewin's Rail by Bird Hide, Buff-banded in several places, 3 Sea-eagles over the sea. Dave Torr, Peter Gibbons, Christine Shelley
Tue 17 May	Pink-eared Duck, Black-tailed Native-Hen Terrick Terrick National Park Recent reports of how great the birding is at this Park are most definately not overstated. We can hardly believe the variety of birds that we have seen so we will mention only those that seemed special to us. Lignum swamp in Davis Road revealed Pink-eared Ducks, Spotted and Spotless Crakes, Black-tailed Native-hen, Red-kneed Dotterel and White-winged Fairywren. Kow Swamp Road and surrounds revealed many raptors, parrots, rosellas including the Yellow Rosella, Budgerigars, bronze cuckoos, eagles, sparrow hawks, falcons. kites, honeyeaters etc Hedley and Irena Earl
	Little Eagle Coldstream A pair were circling over pasture and vineyards near the junction of St. Huberts Rd and Maroondah Hwy around midday. I've seen a single bird in this vicinity a few times in the past couple of weeks but this is the first time there have been two. Plenty of rabbits around which appear to be what they are hunting. Steven Creber
	Swift Parrot Kooyoora State Park (Glenalbyn block) Swift Parrot (3) overhead - a few others heard. Malcolm Cousland
	Spotted Harrier Mysia 10' Cell Spotted Harrier (2) North of Borung Malcolm Cousland
	White-necked Heron Mont Albert North One at the wetlands of Koonung Creek Reserve. Knud Hansen
	Brolga Balliang 10' Cell 3 Brolga in ephemeral lignum swamp (not sure if it's got a name but is most likely on private property) west of Edgars Rd, Little River, which is shallowly inundated at present. Possibly the trio that has relocated from WTP. Also in bushland along perimeter roads around You Yangs(which is closed indefinitely) plenty o' bird action with Brush Bronzewing, Black-chinned Honeyeater, a vocal Olive-backed Oriole, 1 Diamond Firetail, a Fantailed Cuckoo, 2 Jacky Winter and a bunch of Flame Robin. Steve & Wren Davidson
	Northern Giant Petrel Fishermans Beach, Mornington Bird was still present this morning but after lunch had disappeared. Seemed healthy and happy, perhaps waiting for a good gust of wind to aid take off. Paul Randall (wingsonwire.com)
	Northern Giant Petrel Fishermans Beach Mornington Bird reported by Glenn yesterday was hanging around the boat ramp at 4.45pm. It looked alert and healthy and was hoping we would feed it which we didn't. A few Gannets dived in the distance. Fiona Parkin & Jon Thornton
Mon 16 May	Black Falcon, Cockatiel Korrak Korrak NCR Black Falcon (2) Pair of black falcons perched in clear view in a dead roadside tree in mid-afternoon several hundred metres north of the reserve. Got great views as I drove right up to them. They obligingly sat and looked at me for a minute or so before slowly flying off, giving great views of blue grey eye ring, grey legs. Both birds uniformly very dark. Had several sightings of dark falcons with flat gliding profile over the previous few days but this close view confirmed identification. Cockatiel (70) Cockatiels observed several times over two days, one flock of over seventy birds counted on 19th. Gregg Müller
	Red Kneed Dotterel and others Greater Bendigo NP and Terrick Terrick Birds aplenty in Breater Bendigo NP including several flocks of Crested Shrike-tit, Fuscous, White-eared, Yellow-faced, White and Yellow-plumed and White-naped Honeyeaters. Diamond Firetails, Hooded, Red-capped and Scarlet Robins, Gilberts Whistler(female) Babblers, Southern Whitefaces in plague proportions, Brown quails by the dozen (literally), parrots, rosellas, choughs, cuckoos, wrens, several raptors and the usual small bush birds. Red-kneed Dotterel were found at Lignum swamp not far from the rock at Terrick Terrick. This area offers an incredible variety of all types of birds that it is a "must stop' for all serious birders. Thanks to those who have made posts before our visit that resulted in us making the trip. Hedley and Irena Earl
	Little Corellas Canterbury rd. Canterbury. The mob of 200 to 300 Little Corellas that have been hanging about the Boroondara city area. Today I saw them in Boroondara Park on Canterbury road and in the Mangarra Road opposite the park. They were feeding on Cotoneaster berries and Liquid Amber prickles, although typically they were chucking more on the ground than they were actually eating. Ruth Minifie
	King Parrots Glen Iris. Melbourne. Four King Parrots seen feeding in Hill'n'Dale Park Summerhill road Glen Iris at 9.15 this morning. I saw only green birds, no mature males. Ruth Minifie
	Hooded Plover Blue Rocks/Black Rocks, Bellarine Peninsula A single, juv, unbanded bird associating with Double-banded Plovers and Red-necked Stints. Also, unidentified Albatross flying not far from shore. Sanderling from the other day not sighted. Paul Randall (wingsonwire.com)
	Little Corella Canterbury For the first time, there was a flock of several hundred of Little Corella, moving from certain trees to other trees, in basically a western direction. They made so much noise many neighbours came out to marvel. Debra Duncan
Sun 15 May	Nankeen Night-Heron, Azure Kingfisher Barmah Forest (Barmah Lakes) At least 100 Nankeen Night-Heron (adults and juveniles) near the Barmah day visitor centre. On the Kingfisher Cruise saw several Azure Kingfisher getting awesome very close views Jackson Airey
	Scaly-breasted Lorikeets Lindenow South, Gippsland As we drove past the Primary School at about 10.30 am, I saw two Scaly-breasted Lorikeets - noticeable because definitely stouter and larger than Musk Lorikeets. They flew towards us and then turned parallel to the car - good views in bright sunshine. Possibly aviary escapes. Anthea Fleming
	Northern Giant Petrel Fisherman’s Beach, Mornington Single bird seen at the boat ramp and adjacent beach this afternoon. Presumably the same bird seen by Neil at nearby Mt. Martha on Friday. Appeared healthy, feeding on fish (fishers discards?) near Silver gull flock. Came ashore very briefly. Pacific and Kelp Gulls also present. Extremely approachable. Glenn Ehmke
Fri 13 May	Black Falcon, White-winged Fairy-wren The Meadows, Terrick Terrick National Park Black Falcon (1) - sitting on a fence post then flew off North to harrass some ducks in the next paddock. White-winged Fairy-wren 1 male in plumage with a number of female/juveniles Jackson Airey
Tue 10 May	Great Crested Grebe Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (Hattah Lake) Great Crested Grebe (1) full adult with crest and frill raised, swimming on Lake Bulla near junction with Lake Hattah. Janine Duffy
	Painted Button Quail Heyfield Golf Course I haven't seen this species here for the last 9 years. There does seem to have been an increase in sightings of these birda in the district this year. Peter Ware
Sat 16 Apr	Striated Heron Mallacoota - Township Striated Heron seen along the narrows walk Leslie Rasmussen

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