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Birdline Australia Weekly Update

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Subject: Birdline Australia Weekly Update
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Date: 9 Jul 2012 01:30:47 +1000

Birdline Australia

Published sightings for the week ending 8 Jul 2012.

Sat 7 Jul Oriental Pratincole Western Treatment Plant, Werribee, Victoria
Oriental Pratincole (1) Surprise overwintering - Bird seen in paddock at end of Austin Rd. Possible second bird hawking over Austin Rd with swallows. ID photo only
Gavin and Mal

Wed 4 Jul Regent Honeyeater Quorrobolong, New South Wales
Up to 50 Critically Endangered Regent Honeyeaters have been recorded at a single site in the Hunter Valley in NSW — the largest congregation seen for years. They were on a property near Quorrobolong which was placed under a covenant by the Woodland Birds for Biodiversity (WBFB) Project last year to protect habitat for Regent Honeyeaters and other woodland birds. The remnant vegetation on the property had been managed sympathetically by the landholder so that it was a haven for the honeyeater. WBFB is working to place other properties under covenant to preserve more habitat. The Hunter Valley had already been identified as an important area for the species, and this was confirmed by the recent discovery. There are currently 80+ Regent Honeyeaters in the Hunter Valley, all within a radius of a few kilometres. The world population is somewhere between 500 and 1000 birds. Keen to take advantage of this unusual congregation, a multi-agency team led by the WBFB project caught and banded a number of birds, with nearly half being first-year birds — an encouraging sign for the survival of the species.
'Woodland Birds for Biodiversity' per Birdlife Australia e-news

(Possible) Northern Pintail Erskine, Western Australia
Just a heads up that I've received a report that a Northern Pintail was seen at Erskine today - I haven't had time to chase up any more details yet, so for now I'm cautious as there has been a lot of confusion previously caused by a pale Mallard or Mallard x - this notorious "confusion duck" was still present when I was at Erskine about a month ago. However, this is roughly the sort of time the pintail turned up in 2010 & 2011, so it would be worth a check if you're in the area.
Per John Graff per Birdswa

Tue 3 Jul Letter-winged Kite Innaminka Regional Reserve, South Australia
While camping in the Innaminka Regional Reserve earlier this week lucky enough to stumble upon a colony of Letter-Winged Kites. A total of 7 birds were seen within a 1km radius of our campsite. Two active nests were also discovered within the same area. The birds did not seem at all disturbed by our presence and excellent photographs were obtained. Other notable species seen during our trip through the reserve were Australian Bustard, Australian Hobby and Red-backed Kingfisher.
Joe Park

Sat 30 Jun Grey Falcon Simpson Desert, 226km west of Birdsville on the French Line, South Australia
Have just returned from two weeks in the Simpson Desert, Innaminka Regional Reserve and the Flinders Ranges. Many birding highlights of which the pinnacle was a single Grey Falcon. Two nice looks through the binoculars but the bird took flight before i could get to the camera. Distinctive yellow legs and smokey grey body.
Joe Park

Birdline Australia is sponsored by Birdlife Australia and co-ordinated and hosted by Eremaea Birds.

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