Birdline Victoria Weekly Update

Birdline Victoria

Published sightings for the week ending 28 Oct 2012.

Sun 28 Oct	Hooded Plover Lake Victoria (Lonsdale Lakes Reserve) Hooded Plover (6). Sand flats starting to be exposed so some waders (I saw none last summer) Angus Hartshorn
Sun 28 Oct	Satin Bowerbird Great Otway National Park (Triplet Falls) Satin Bowerbird (1) Observed a male bowerbird collecting bright objects from around the picnic tabes to transfer to his nest. Got some great photos! Hedley and Irena Earl
	Freckled Duck Coolart Wetlands & Homestead 3 Freckled Duck on the lagoon, Blue-billed Duck with 4 ducklings. Australian White Ibis have over 80 nests and Straw-necked ibis have 29 nests. Straw-necked Ibis have been recorded nesting only three times in the past - 2 nests in 1987, 6 nests in 1992 and 3 nests in 1995. Brian Thomas
Sat 27 Oct	Franklin's Gull Paynesville Franklin's Gull found in large gravel car park next to the cruising Yacht club opposite the Paynesville Hardware. Tim Mckellar
	Satin Bowerbird Bunyip State Forest Good day birding in the Bunyip State Forest. A female/ imm male Satin Bowerbird at the Dyers creek campground was unexpected -probably edge of range. Also recorded at this location Beautiful Firetail (heard only) and nesting Flame Robins. Pilotbird on Ash Landing road and Southern Emu-Wren in south of park were other species of interest. Sunset at the helipad provided nice views of White-throated Nightjar. Heard a distant Sooty Owl but was unable to locate. Scott Baker, P.S. Lansley and Sanderson Topham
	Lathams Snipe Little Lake Boort Good views of a Lathams Snipe and Spotted Crake from the road at the east end Malcolm Cousland
	Latham's Snipe Mill Park Lakes Photographed two. Also great photo's of Ballion's Crake, Freckled Duck and Blue-billed Duck. What a great place. The birds are so tame and unafraid of humans. Bernie O'Keefe
	Freckled Duck, Glossy Ibis Burramine South Swamp Four Freckled Duck observed with Grey Teal on the eastern side of the swamp. Non-breeding or female birds with no red on the bill visible, peaked heads quite obvious. Also a dozen Glossy Ibis observed feeding in shallows on the western side. A flock of Black-tailed Native-hen and four Intermediate Egrets, one in breeding condition with a red bill some other good sightings here. Michael Ramsey
	White-browed Woodswallow, Superb Parrot Yielima 10' Cell Very high numbers of White-browed Woodswallows seen this morning. Most observed in huge flock of over 2000 swarming over Mannions Rd, just an amazing spectacle. The whole sky was full of circling and calling birds. Another 300 drinking from a small dam on Yielima North Rd as well as other flocks scattered around the area. A few Masked Woodswallows in the flocks as well. Superb Parrot, Grey-crowned Babber and White-backed Swallow were some other birds around the area. Michael Ramsey
	White-throated Nightjar, Painted Honeyeater, Purple-Crowned Lorikeets Chiltern - Mt Pilot NP White-throated Nightjar calling and hawking around the base of Mt. Pilot (the Aboriginal Painting Site -Yedomba?) Painted Honeyeaters calling Bartley's Paddock. Tons of Turquoise parrots at Bartley's, as-well as some Purple-crowned Lorikeets. Aaron Sandford
Fri 26 Oct	Freckled Duck, Nankeen Night-Heron, Buff-banded Rail, Baillon's Crake, Australian Spotted Crake, Bla Mill Park Lakes Went in search of the Freckled Duck (9) Roosting in middle of lake, also saw Nankeen Night-Heron (1) Getting swooped by galah above lake Buff-banded Rail (1) Top end of lake in grass, ran across to reeds but gave good views Baillon's Crake (1) Running on floating vegetation, took many pictures Australian Spotted Crake (15) Seemed to be everywhere, if anything more like 30 around the lakes Black-tailed Native-hen (3) On the island together Latham's Snipe (2) Flushed from same spot as the buff banded rail Philip Peel
Fri 26 Oct	Glossy Black-cockatoo Mallacoota Road from Genoa A lovely family, of 1 young with mum and dad. Tim Mckellar
	Bar-tailed Godwit, Red Knot, Eastern Curlew Mallacoota Inlet 92 Bar-tailed Godwits, 74 Red Knots, and 2 Eastern Curlews roosting at high tide next to main Jetty in township. Tim Mckellar
	Ground Parrot, White-throated Needletail, Superb Lyrebird Shipwreck Creek 2 Ground Parrots flushed, at least 8 WTNTs hawking over heathland and surrounding bush, Superb Lyrebird on way in, a few Tawny-crowned Honeyeaters and many Southern Emu-wrens Tim Mckellar
	Latham's Snipe, Baillon's Crake, Freckled Duck, Koel (Quarry Hill) Mill Park Lakes Virtually the same birds seen as previously reported by Phillip but I thought I'd add some photos. Also the Common Koel is still up here at Quarry Hill mainly in a large fig cnr Peel and Harkness Street. If anyone knows a wildlife rescue centre with a female one ready for release please let us know. We'd love it released here so that the male stops calling all through the early hours of the morning starting at about 3.15am. The whole neighbourhood just wants it to find a mate and move on. Greg and Janice McKay
	Square-tailed Kite Axedale On our property, 3kms North of Axedale. Hunting through and over the treetops. Alerted by Cockatoos screeching alarm. Only second sighting here in 6 years. Bob Cook
	Great Crested Grebe Kororoit Creek at Racecourse Road ford At 11:45 am (high tide) saw a Great Crested Grebe about 100 metres east of the ford. Andre Dreyfus and Len Towerzey
Thu 25 Oct	Ground Parrot, Brush Cuckoo, Sacred Kingfisher, Azure Kingfisher Mallacoota Region Flushed Ground Parrot at Shipwreck Creek heathland, Sacred KF along Watertrust road, Azure at Double Creek and Brush Cuckoo at Gipsy Point Cemetery. Also heaps of orchids around including this Duck Orchid. Tim Mckellar
	Mallee Emu-wren, Striated Grasswren, Near Mt Crozier campsite, Murray-Sunset National Park At least 7 pairs of Mallee Emu-wren and 2 pairs of Striated Grasswren in Mallee-Trioda habitat north of the Mt Crozier camp. 60 species seen over a few days last week. Ian Miles
	Brolga 7.3 km west of Winchelsea on Princes Highway, north side of road A pair of Brolga feeding in paddock, same pair sited Saturday morning also, seem to only be there in the early morning (7-8am). Heading west from Winchelsea towards Colac on Princes Highway, 7.3km from 100kmph signs, reasonably close to the road in the paddock between the highway and railway line, north side of the road Vonda Potter
Wed 24 Oct	Rufous Fantail and Painted Button-quail Casuarina Walk, Mallacoota Loads of action with 1 Rufous Fantail, 1 Painted Button-quail, many Brown Gerygone, many Cuckoos and at least 5 pairs of Wonga Pigeon. Monarch seen at Shady Gully. Tim Mckellar
	Black-faced Monarch Casuarina Walk, Mallacoota Loads of action with 1 Rufous Fantail, 1 Painted Button-quail, many Brown Gerygone, many Cuckoos and at least 5 pairs of Wonga Pigeon. Monarch seen at Shady Gully. Tim Mckellar
	Glossy Ibis, Red-necked Stint, Horsfield's Bushlark, Brown Songlark, Freckled Duck Western Treatment Plant, Werribee Leucistic Red Necked Stint located in a large feeding group. Iian Denham, Alana Denham, Mark Buckby
	Freckled Duck Mill Park Lakes 11 Freckled Duck still present on Mill Park lakes as previously reported. The wetlands are compact and birds very approachable -a good opportunity for photography. Also recorded 2 Black-tailed Native-hen, Lathams Snipe and numerous Spotted Crake. Scott Baker, Sanderson Topham
	Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Australian Reed Warbler Albert Park About 150 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos were feeding on pine cones in the golf course and 12 Australian Reed Warblers were hanging around the pollution control ponds. Interestingly the Reed warblers were frequently leaving the reeds to forage in tall Canary Island Date Palms beside the Lake. Gio Fitzpatrick
	Rufous Songlark Warringal Park, Heidelberg Seen this morning on the Yarra bank behind Warringal Oval - at first on the river-bank fence, then moving about among trees and shrubs. My attention first drawn by very short burst of song. This species used to be a regular summer migrant when cattle were grazed at nearby Banyule Flats in 1970s, but since removal of stock and re-vegetation of former open paddocks is now seldom seen. Anthea Fleming
	Cicadabird Fairhope, 12 km N of Bairnsdale One Cicadabird heard calling in riparian forest by Nicholson River, the first record for locality this season. Chris & Felicity Healey
Tue 23 Oct	Pilotbird Cape Conran Coastal Park At least 6 birds observed and were very vocal around carpark of boat ramp at West Cape. Tim Mckellar and Ian Davies
	Scarlet Honeyeater Cape Conran Coastal Park Scarlet Honeyeater observed and others heard at East Cape car park. Tim Mckellar and Ian Davies
	Masked Owl, Sooty Owl Cabbage Tree Flora Reserve Excellent views of male and female Masked owl on road into picnic ground, 1 Sooty at picnic ground. Also Black-faced Monarch and Rose Robin Tim Mckellar and Ian Davies
	Caspian Tern Royal Botanical Gardens, Melbourne A Caspian Tern flew over the gardens above tree level towards the Yarra river. Gio Fitzpatrick
Mon 22 Oct	Sooty Owl, Masked Owl, Southern Boobook Mitchell River National Park Night life action with 3 Sooties observed, a young Masked owl heard and many Boobooks. Also Peregrine Falcon observed on nest with 1 possibly 2 fluff ball chicks, Wonga Pigeon, at least 5 White-throated needle tails and a White-throated Nightjar heard. Many mammals with Sugar gliders, Yellow-bellied Gliders, Brush tails and wombats. Tim Mckellar and Ian Davies
	Rainbow Bee-eater You Yangs Regional Park Scott Baker, Peter Lansley,Sanderson Topham
	Horsfield's Bushlark Western Treatment Plant, Werribee Scott Baker, Peter Lansley,Sanderson Topham
	Pacific Golden Plover, Horsfield's Bushlark Western Treatment Plant, Werribee 6 Pacific Golden Plover seen with a small number of Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in shallow pools just north of Walshes Lagoon. A single Horsfield's Bushlark in T-section Grasslands; this species has been a little late to arrive this spring. 1000's of Red-necked Stint are throughout the plant at present, and Whiskered Tern in numbers like I've never seen them. There was a single White-winged Black Tern amongst one mob. Despite much effort we couldn't find a single Pacific Gull or Buff-banded Rail... Steve Davidson - The Melbourne Birder
	Common Koel Quarry Hill (Bendigo) 1st seen and reported at 6.15 last night. The bird continued to call until 7.45 in a large fig tree corner Peel and Russell Streets then flew off to a large gum Reginald street. This morning was woken by it agin calling from the fig. Started calling 6.30 -6.45 then flew off. Greg McKay
Sun 21 Oct	Rufous Fantail, Black-faced Monarch, Cicadabird Tarago SF ( 23rd Oct) Brilliant birding here this morning in sunny still conditions with the above-mentioned species making their spring returns. We also had a very tame Pilotbird regarding us from only a metre away, many more Brown Gerygone along the Tarago River valley than I've seen so perhaps they are slowly expanding west in number. And thanks to Luke Shelley's report, in neighbouring Bunyip SP along Forest Rd we witnessed at least 50 Scarlet Honeyeater in Mountain Ash regrowth where Grevillea barklyana has recovered and is flowering profusely. Other Scarlets were heard further west along Bunyip River Rd, where we also had a returning male Satin Flycatcher. Steven Davidson - The Melbourne Birder
	Glossy Black-Cockatoo Lake Tyers Regional Park 5km east of Nowa Nowa Five Glossies feeding in Allocasuarina on Lake Tyers House Road about 1.5km south of Princes Highway and immediately north of Devils Hole Track. The birds were found by BirdLife East Gippsland members on regular Monday outing. This species is not often seen this far west. Just three days earlier Glossies were found by BirdLIfe East Gippsland members on annual Mallacoota camp at Gipsy Point, a more reliable place to find them in Victoria, but still hit and miss. John Hutchison
	Blue-winged Parrot, White-winged Triller Wonthaggi One male Blue-winged Parrot seen in Wonthaggi Heathlands where seen annually. Also female Triller. Crescent Honeyeater, Shining Bronze-Cuckoo and 3 Japanese Snipe along Chisholm Rd. Mike Tesch
Sat 20 Oct	Gull-billed Tern and Grey Currawong French Island coast GB Tern seen foraging at high tide off Palmer Point (NE corner of island) and currawongs (at least 4) seen in mangroves near seaward edge - odd habitat. George Appleby
	Freckled Duck Wonthaggi 11 Freckled Duck seen from bird hide at Baxters Swamp. Also 4 Blue Billed Ducks. Mike Tesch
Fri 19 Oct	Spotted Harrier Tylden One bird flying over my place around 7pm. Spotted Harriers are pretty much a lowland bird in Victoria, and there are very few records at this altitude (600m) or above. Lawrie Conole
Sat 13 Oct	Dollarbird Glenrowan West 3 Dollarbirds seen on my property first for season plus Ballions Crake, first record for my dam. Kate Daniel
	Nankeen Night-Heron Caulfield Park Nankeen Night-Heron Juvenile Debbie Lustig
Fri 12 Oct	Little Egret interesting behaviour Western Treatment Plant, Werribee l was entertained at the Western Lagoons by a Little Egret frantically chasing after a Little Black Cormorant which was swimming and feeding close to the edges and just under the surface in shallow water. Doubtless the Egret was picking up easy prey from the turbulence until another Egret joined in resulting in an altercation. Sadly by the time this was resolved the victor discovered the Cormorant had left for a quieter neighbourhood. Spotted Harrier beside Beach Rd and also at T section. Also two Cape Barren Geese , one Brolga , two Buff-banded Rails. Trevor Lumb
Wed 10 Oct	Black-tailed Native Hen Coolart Wetlands & Homestead Single bird seen on the track between wetlands & lagoon Yvonne Incigneri
Tue 9 Oct	Franklins Gull Paynesville The bird was observed and photographed at Paynesville opposite the Paynesville Hardware Store. Peter and Glenys Cross
Mon 1 Oct	Dollarbird 136 Babbler Lane Tabilk Delighted to see the Dollarbird have returned yet another year. Young bird sighted high in tree over creekbed. Calling frequently but only aroused the attention of some annoying cockatoos which chased it to another tree. This is the third year adults and young have been sighted and usually remain until late February. Diamond Firetails aplenty and also Nankeen Night-heron sighted and photographed. Jenny Dean

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