Birdline Victoria Weekly Update

Birdline Victoria

Published sightings for the week ending 9 Sep 2012.

Sun 9 Sep	Western Gerygone, Gilbert's Whistler, Black-eared Cuckoo Bailieston Historic Area (central section) Great morning's birding at Bailieston - Western Gerygone appeared to be breeding, Gilbert's Whistlers seem to be having a good couple of years and were seen and heard in a number of places. Single Black-eared Cuckoo near the road. BirdLife Melbourne
	Grey Fantail Banyule Flats Reserve, Heidelberg On the Windmill Track on the east bank of the south arm of Banyule Billabong, I found myself in a swarm of Grey Fantails. The birds were perching in shrubs and bushes and tree-branches on both sides of the track,and as I walked I was continuously disturbing them - groups of six to 12 would fly up, dash about and re-settle. They chased insects about and there seemed to be always as many flying as perched. They were fairly pale grey above, unlike the darker GFs we see here in winter. My estimate is that hundreds of birds were present. Presumably a spring migrant flock on their way south. Anthea Fleming
	White-breasted Woodswallow Carmichaels Road Wetland, Yarrawonga White-breasted Woodswallow (1) first return for spring, circling overhead. Michael Ramsey
	Australian Ringneck race semitorquatus Shepherds Bush Australian Ringneck race semitorquatus or Twenty-eight Parrot which occurs in SW WA, so must be an escapee. Bruce Wedderburn
Sat 8 Sep	Brown Booby (immature) Dept. of Defense area- end of 29 Mile Rd. south of the T Section- Western Treatment Plant First seen in the same spot (the bumper pilings off the very end of the pier) on 28 July on the OBP survey by Noel Billing, Clive Kaplan and others in their group. It was there again this past Saturday when once again access to this area was granted for the OBP survey. It is not an area open to the public, so I did not post this initially, but Michael Ramsey suggested that I do share the knowledge even though it is not from an area generally accessible to the public (and I do like how the bird seems to be taking charge and directing the gannets). Noel Billing, Clive Kaplan, R. Bruce Richardson
	Spotted Nightjar Rushworth State Forest Spotted Nightjar spotlit soon after dark in slashed mallee in the north of the forest. Tim Bawden
	Cape Barren Goose Baxter-Tooradin Road near cnr Tyabb-Tooradin Rd Cape Barren Goose 2 with five very young, very downy, striped goslings. Not far from Moonlit Sanctuary which has two breeding (wild) pairs at present. Debbie Lustig
	Australian Shelduck Darebin Creek, Ivanhoe, 3079 Between 7.30 and &.45 a.m. I saw two Australian Shelducks flying upstream, following Darebin Creek and going upstream towards the Heidelberg Rd Bridge. I saw them from our back windows, and identified them by their large size and distinctive white forewings. I have never previously seen this species here in 45 years' residence. Anthea Fleming
	Rose Robin Warby-Ovens National Park (Granite Track) One Rose Robin calling in a flock with other robins, probably on migration as the habitat is not ideal here but the timing is right in early spring. Michael Ramsey
	Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo Schlapps Road, Gapsted Up to 50 YTBC have been around the area for a few weeks now. Not usually seen this far north in North East Victoria. Michael Ramsey per Jan Heywood
Thu 6 Sep	Peregrine Falcon Fitzroy North A well-marked bird circling around Fitzroy High School, 1 PM today. Peter Bennet
Wed 5 Sep	Freckled Duck Old Melbourne Rd, Lara (Melways Map 424, A4) Single Freckled Duck (male) on large farm dam/lake on north-west side of Old Melbourne Rd. Richard Nowotny & Rosemary Purdy
	Northern Giant-Petrel Point Addis Northern Giant-Petrel (1) 'blown-up' photos (taken at quite a distance) indicate a dark tip on the bill. It appeared to be an immature. It was flying about in the same vicinity as two White-capped Albatrosses who were landing on the water and taking off again. The petrel also landed on the water a few times. They were several hundred meters off the point. The photo is very poor but the dark tip does seem indicated in this photo and a few others (all are poor quality, blow-ups). R. Bruce Richardson
	Brown Songlark, Banded Stilt Truganina Swamp, Altona Brown Songlark in the grassland area over the wooden bridge at the back of the retirement village. Banded Stilts also still present on the main pool (Moderators note: We have had a number of Brown Songlarks reports recently. It has been established that they have returned for Spring. We won't be publishing any more reports of this species unless they specifically fit the report criteria). Colin Clark
	Pink-eared Duck Fisher's Wetlands, Phillip Island, VIC Lone bird amongst 45+ Eurasian Coot. This is the first Pink-eared Duck we have seen on Phillip Island over 15 years of birding on the Island. Derek & Sally Whitehead
Tue 4 Sep	Tawny Frogmouth Corner Napier and Kerr Street, Fitzroy, Inner Melbourne Two Tawny Frogmouths perched on a 5th floor balcony railing of a medium-rise apartment block in a very built-up area of the inner city. One remained from 2-5pm, the other from 2pm-7pm. A Prof. Elizabeth M. Dax, passed on by McComas Taylor
	Pink Robin, Rose Robin, Flame Robin Toolangi Black Range State Forest Lots of robins back in the forest for summer with Pink, Flame & Rose all vocal & conspicuous. [Moderators note: Nice report. Robins seem to be doing well this spring, returning in good numbers to our woodlands, forests and pastures. This is probably reflective of the good rains we've had across the state in the last year or so, and the consequential forest and understory growth (perfect conditions for robins). Due to the high number of reports we've been receiving we will curtail future Birdline reports of bird family Petroicidae unless they specifically fit our report criteria.] Steven Davidson - The Melbourne Birder
	Great-Crested Grebe Maribyrnong River near Heavenly Queen Temple, Footscray Spotted the last two days among silver gulls. Thomas Nataprawira
Mon 3 Sep	Brush Bronzewing, Swift Parrot Newport Lakes Park An incredibly beautiful male Brush Bronzewing on path in dense scrub area above North Lake, and a Swift Parrot fly-by, heading south-east. Steve Davidson
Mon 3 Sep	Flame Robin St Kilda Botanical Gardens Two Flame Robins were seen foraging high in English Elms with a pair of Brown Thornbills. Gio Fitzpatrick
	Scarlet Robin Blackburn Lake, Blackburn One male Scarlet Robin seen on the Appletree path. Richard & Margaret Alcorn
	Latham's Snipe Wannarkladdin Wetlands 2 Latham's Snipes seen on edge of pond near south west corner opposite the Patterson River Wayne Butterworth
Sun 2 Sep	Broad-billed Sandpiper, Black Falcon,Pallid Cuckoo Western Treatment Plant, Werribee Broad-billed Sandpiper on coast near Beach Rd, 2 Black Falcons circling with 7 Black Kites, a Wedge-tailed Eagle, a Swamp Harrier & a Nankeen Kestrel at Ryan's Swamp. Brolgas, Pallid Cuckoos, 2 Fan-tailed Cuckoos and many Horsfield Bronze-Cuckoos together on 29 Mile Road. John Barkla, Fred Smith & Alison Street
	Oriental Pratincole, Pallid Cuckoo Western Treatment Plant, Werribee Oriental Pratincole flying around the Western Lagoons gate, landed in grass on the Austin Rd Lagoon side for a while & then took off again, offering very good flight views.3 Pallid Cuckoos in the evening just north of the gate on 29 mile road, single Brolga & Brown Quail there too. About 40 Fairy Terns at the Beach Rd rocks. Kevin Bartram
Sat 1 Sep	Black Falcon Westgate Park A single bird came from the direction of Kororoit creek, circled once over the Westgate Bridge then headed up stream along the Yarra. Gio Fitzpatrick
	Cattle Egret Tooram Road, Allansford At least 184 egrets with cattle. Tom Fletcher & Sandra Lea-Wood
	Eastern Curlew Anderson Inlet 47+ Eastern Curlew east of Mahers Landing, also 3 Striated Fieldwrens, 1 Horsfields Bronze Cuckoo, small flock of Red-Necked Stints, 4 Red Capped Plovers. A lovely day on the Inlet. Deb Crosby
	Pink Robin Davies Hill, Woodend Pretty much a full set of Petroicidae for around these parts. 1 male Scarlet Robin singing on golf course; 1 brown Pink Robin clicking from the rough; a group of 4-5 Flame Robins in Eurabbie woodland at west end; a few Eastern Yellow Robins in Narrow-leaved Peppermint forest. Lawrie Conole
Tue 28 Aug	Osprey Somerville Single bird flying high from east to west 2.30 pm. Keith Caldecott

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