Birdline Victoria Weekly Update

Birdline Victoria

Published sightings for the week ending 11 Dec 2011.

Sun 11 Dec	Bush Stone Curlew Longwood Victoria A pair has been observed during the past week in bush close to the Community Centre and Golf Course. Maureen Smullen
Sat 10 Dec	Buff-banded Rail Jells Park 7.30 am. 1 (possibly 2) birds. South end of park, browsing lawn between patches of dense vegetation. Near large, open, grassed area east of barbeque shelters and bike path. Peter Booth
	Sanderling, Arctic Jaeger Western Treatment Plant, Werribee A juvenile Sanderling with black spangling on mantle & scapulars and worn lesser coverts was at Kirk Point with about 1500 other waders. Also at least 9-10 Arctic Jaeger along coast, including a loose group of 8 birds hammering gulls, terns and gannets offshore from North Spit in the afternoon, a Spotless Crake put in a brief appearance at Pond 4 T section, 8 Freckled duck loafing on Lake Borrie and a Mistletoebird over Ryans Swamp early morning. Steven Davidson - The Melbourne Birder
	Painted Honeyeater Nicholson Two birds observed today but at least 3 have been at this site in the last week. Leah Beekman
	Great Crested Grebe, Baillon's Crake, Australian Spotted Crake Lake Hamilton Great Crested Grebe (1) hiding among the Hardheads Baillon's Crake (1) very small crake hunting 'bugs' on water surface amongst the water ribbons on the beach, very cool calm & collected allowing photo for positive ID, pale pearl gray front chestnut back & wings with strips & spots of black & white, 'zebra' pattern to vent, green bill Australian Spotted Crake (1) very shy dark steel blue bird among the water ribbons on the beach, bright red eye, distinctive green legs and bill, step up in size from the Baillon's Crake Samantha Greiner
	Diamond Dove Wimmera River, Horsham Noticed pale-bellied bird walking dog in Horsham. Red-eyed doves (2) foraging close to river, not far from fishermen. Rather a contrast compared to last sighting in desert at White Cliffs! Clive Curson
	Powerful Owl The 100 Acres Reserve, Park Orchards Two immature birds perched high in a gum directly above a walking track. Richard & Margaret Alcorn
Fri 9 Dec	Blue Winged Parrot Coalmine Rd Anglesea There were more than 50 Blue Winged Parrots feeding on both sides of the road about 2kms past the open cut coal mine at Anglesea. Ian Davies
	Brolga, Magpie Geese, Black-tailed Native-hen, Australian Spotted Crake Reedy Lake Leopold Two adult and one immature Brolga feeding in cereal crop next to lake. Three Magpie Geese at the lake. Also Black-tailed Native-hens and single Australian Crake. Trevor Lumb
	Latham's Snipe, Australian Painted Snipe Berwick Springs Lake Latham's Snipe Counted 94 flushed birds , probably repeat sightings but still plenty of birds present estimate 40 /45 , easily spooked . 19 birds flushed in 1 small area . Most birds are located around 3 hidden ponds in centre of Wetlands , between 2 main lakes . APS flushed from edge of pond , well hidden by T-Tree , seen well in flight. Colin Mulvogue
	White-throated Nightjar Bunyip State Park A total of 4 White-throated Nightjars around the helipad area, a few Australian Owlet-nightjars and Boobooks, but a quiet night otherwise. Steven Kuiter
Thu 8 Dec	Buff-Banded Rail Peter Scullin Reserve Mordialloc This is the first time we've seen a Buff-banded Rail in Mordialloc. Jan & Peter Metherell
Wed 7 Dec	Freckled Duck Lake Lorne (Drysdale) 40+ at Eastern end of lake,feeding close to shore! Denis Sleep
Tue 6 Dec	Painted Button-quail, Chestnut-rumped Heathwren Anglesea Heath Painted Button-quail (2) Flushed along track north of Forest Rd from water channel. Also 2 Chestnut-rumped Heathwren. Malcolm Cousland
	Hooded Plover Point Roadknight 5 on ocean beach - all tagged. Malcolm Cousland
	Black Falcon Western Treatment Plant, Werribee Solitary Black Falcon observed along Point Wilson Rd just after turn-off to Beach Rd perched in dead tree. Andrew Martin
	Broad-billed Sandpiper Western Treatment Plant Picked out a sandpiper working a sandy area at low tide at 7PM at the 85W outfall just east of the marker & the Little River Mouth. The sandpiper was with some Curlew Sandpipers but had with a distinct crown stripe & a long, only slightly curved bill. After watching it a bit, realised that it was smaller than the Curlew Sandpipers & after a Red-necked Stint went past ascertained it was midway between the 2. The straighter bill & the more marked appearance confirmed the bird as a Broad-billed Sandpiper. Managed to get some distant photos confirming the species, the first time I've seen 1 here for ages! Other highlight were a juvenile Night-heron on Beach Rd near the dam where the Banded lapwings are. A very pallid Peregrine Falcon at the Conservation Ponds spooking the waders there. Kevin Bartram
	Rufous Songlark. Truganina Cemetery, Woods Road, Truganina 3029. At 1718 hours, observed a male Rufous Songlark in full song in flight and also perched at Truganina Cemetery. The cemetery is a protected high quality remnant Basalt Plains Grassland reserve. The bird was observed for some twelve mInutes. Peter Gibbons
	Painted Button-quail & Western Gerygone 5km north Axedale On the 4th a Painted Button-quail in the garden and today a Western Gerygone. Marlene Lyell
	Painted Button-quail Bentleigh East Continuing the recent run of suburban reports. A male Painted Button-quail wandering unconcerned down the footpath of our very suburban street! Tim and Lucas Bawden
Mon 5 Dec	Cattle Egret Barwon Heads Cattle Egret (6) Flew into paddock on Lake Rd south of Lake Connewarre Malcolm Cousland
	Brush Cuckoo, Pink Robin Toolangi Brush Cuckoo, heard and then seen, then photographed. A nice adult male Pink Robin also seen. Other birds of interest were Rose Robin (heard), Pilotbird (heard). Kevin Bartram
Sun 4 Dec	Hooded Robin Spring Valley Road, Flowerdale Fire swept through this property in Feb. 2009 Stephen Joblin
	Freckled Duck, Lewin's Rail etc Western Treatment Plant, Werribee 19 Freckled Duck on Lake Borrie, 2 Grey Plover on The Spit, 8 Bar-tailed Godwit & 6 Red Knot on coast east of Beach Road, 4 Latham's Snipe on Ryan's Swamp, 10 Cattle Egret on 160 South Road, 8 Baillon's Crake & 1 Spotted Harrier T-Section lagoons, Lewin's Rail, Arctic Jaeger, Caspian Tern, White-winged Black Tern were highlights on an appalling day weather-wise during BOCA annual bird count. Total species for WTP 107, but sadly no Australian Panted Snipe. John Barkla, Fred Smith & Alison Street
	Black-faced Monarch, Brown Gerygone, Large-billed Scrubwren Glen Nayook Nature Reserve Highlights of a quick visit to this impressive little reserve were close views of a single Black-faced Monarch, several Brown Gerygone and a few Large-billed Scrubwren. Greg Oakley, Tim Bawden
	Cicadabird, Red-browed Treecreeper, Southern Emu-wren, Blue-winged Parrot, Brush Cuckoo Bunyip SP Single Cicadabird calling on Gembrook-Tonimbuk Road, pair of Red-browed Treecreeper and a single Rufous Fantail at Dyers Picnic Ground, several groups of Southern Emu-wren and several Blue-winged Parrot at Buttongrass, all 5 southern cuckoos - Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo, Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, Pallid, Fantail and Brush Cuckoo (calling in several locations). Tim Bawden, Greg Oakley (BA Vicgroup activity)
	Brown Quail, Fairy Martin Jells Park, Wheelers Hill Brown Quail (2) Flew up from knee length grass about 6m off the path. I didn't flush them so flight was relaxed and quiet. Very light rufous on wing backs and landed back on the ground. Walked in but unable to locate them and they didn't flush for me. Fairy Martin are common - maybe 20-30 over a particular reedbed towards the South conservation gate. More with WS over the largest grassy area. Jackson Airey
Sat 3 Dec	Kelp Gull Bushrangers Bay near Cape Schanck Nine Kelp Gulls including several juveniles at the mouth of Main Creek, Bushrangers Bay John Eichler
Fri 2 Dec	Spotted Harrier, Brown Songlark Nambrok (east of Rosedale) Immature Spotted Harrier (picture attached), several Brown Songlarks singing and displaying in grassland (both uncommon species in Gippsland according to Birdata), also many Stubble Quail calling. Jack Krohn
Tue 29 Nov	Eastern Koel Pakington St, Newtown, Geelong, grounds of former Hermitage school Heard for about 20 mins around 8pm, and then on 3 occasions over next two days. Geoffrey Dabb
Wed 16 Nov	Barn Owl Blairgowrie, Mornington Peninsula Flew alongside my car for a few seconds at around 5.30am on beach side of Nepean Hwy between Hughes & Stringer rd. Courtney O'Byrne

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