Birdline Victoria Weekly Update

Birdline Victoria

Published sightings for the week ending 4 Nov 2012.

Sun 4 Nov	Bassian Thrush Bostock Reservoir, near Ballan Pair showing well in pine plantation south west of the car park. Adrian De Leiroa
	Grey-tailed tattler The Honeysuckles - near Seaspray Did not find the wagtail again despite about 3 hours of searching of the saltmarsh this morning. A Grey-tailed Tattler was seen and heard associating with a Greenshank - I have not seen here before in about 12 years of regular visits. Tim Bawden
	Painted Honeyeater Mt Pleasant Rd, Chiltern Mt-Pilot NP Seen at corner of Mt Pleasant rd and Depot rds around midday ( and heard at Bartley's Block). Very active, calling and feeding. Other birds in nearby areas included Pallid, Fan-tailed and Horsefield's bronze cuckoos; Speckled warbler, White-winged Trillers, Red-capped Robins, Leaden Flycatcher and White-throated Gerygone. Janet Chapman
	Franklin's Gull Paynesville Flew by the normal spot several times from 9.20. Landed there about 9.45 for photos, then flew away at 10.15. Flew past once more then we left at 10.40. Chris and Rosemary Lester
Sat 3 Nov	Brolga Road between Clunes and Creswick A pair of Brolgas displaying and dancing in a paddock on the road between Clunes and Creswick at 7pm this evening. They were in a large recently ploughed field on the South side of the road and were tossing sods of earth into the air. Colin Clark
	Lewin's Rail Jawbone Reserve, Williamstown A Lewin's Rail rush into scrub near one of the bridges. 3 Curlew Sandpipers in the mudflats near Maddox Rd, foraging with Sharp-taileds. Tim Nickholds
	Eastern Yellow Wagtail, Great Knot, Common Sandpiper The Honeysuckles - near Seaspray Young wagtail seen and heard repeatedly in salt marsh and paddocks near the causeway in the Honeysuckles near Seaspray. Also Great knots and Common Sandpiper which are unusual here and around 60 Bar-tailed Godwits. Tim Bawden
Fri 2 Nov	Common Tern, Freckled Duck(25), Baillon's Crake Western Treatment Plant, Werribee There were 25 Freckled Duck in amongst hundreds of Pink-eared Duck on first lagoon on right after crossing Little River lower ford, heading toward 280 South Rd. A Baillon's Crake was seen in flight and landing along the far edge of lagoon on right as you head toward The Hide, in amongst melaleucas and roosting teal, and a Common Tern flew inland over lagoons off rocks on coast adjacent to South Borrie lagoons, which appears to be the first for spring here and rather late. 2 Pacific Golden Plover on the gravel along 280 South Rd looked like juveniles, and there was a rather unmotivated Black Falcon nearby that allowed close approach as it sat on the deck. Steven Davidson - The Melbourne Birder
Fri 2 Nov	Franklin's Gull Paynesville Observed at gravel car park from 1645 hrs to 1720 hrs . Initially seen foraging along waters edge. When I arrived it approached within 3 m of vehicle, acting if expected to be fed! Alan Benson
	Franklin's Gull Paynesville Bird was still present at 11am at the large car park opposite the hardware store. It was easy to locate and was not associating with other gulls. Maarten Hulzebosch and Peter Fairbrother
	White-winged Triller Elster creek, Elwood A pair of White-winged Trillers were hanging around the Elsternwick Park lake and a female Brown Songlark was foraging in short grass further down stream on the Elwood foreshore. Gio Fitzpatrick
	Flame Robin Staughton Vale Cliff Face On the path into the cliff face a male Flame Robin perched in the top of dead tree calling contiuously for the 20 minutes I was in the area. Trevor Lumb
	Eastern Osprey Gunnamatta Ocean Beach Eastern Osprey observed resting on rock platform at western end of Gunnamatta ocean beach. Headed east after being disturbed by Pacific Gulls. Neil Shelley
Wed 31 Oct	Scaly-breasted Lorikeet Ocean Grove Nature Reserve Scaly-breasted Lorikeet (3) NW corner, in a mixed flock with Rainbow and Musk Lorikeets. 3 had green heads. There were probably some Scaly-breasted/Musk hybrids as well Angus Hartshorn
Wed 31 Oct	Pink-eared Duck, Pied Honeyeater, Black Honeyetaer Goschen Bushland Reserve One Pink-eared Duck flushed near the old hall. Didn't fly far and landed again in grassy mallee woodland. Seemed healthy. No water nearby. Also 2 male, 2 female Pied Honeyeater, simon starr
	Franklin's Gull Paynesville Franklin's Gull (1) Initially glimpsed flying past gravel carpark opposite Hardware, later seen with a flock of 20 Silver Gulls who were being fed on the grass, SW of the main shopping area Scott Ryan
	Brown Songlark Elster Creek, Elwood A female Brown Songlark was seen about 10m down stream of St Kilda Street. Gio Fitzpatrick
	Franklin's Gull Paynsville Vic Bird found about 400m to east of car park where it was seen yesterday. It was with Pelicans, Swans and Cormorants. Tom Wheller
	Cattle Egret Truganina Swamp, Altona 3 Cattle Egrets, 2 in breeding flush on the main pool at 6:30pm. Also a great number and variety of waders - Sharp-tailed, Marsh and Curlew Sandpipers, Greenshank, Red-necked Stint, Avocet, Black-winged and Banded Stilts and if you include Masked Lapwing and Red-capped Plover that gets the wader species count into double figures! All are on the main pool and most are very close to the path. Colin Clark
	Little Corella Warragul South Three birds have been in area for a couple of months David Cann
Tue 30 Oct	White-bellied Sea Eagle Upotipotpon, North-east Vic Flying very high. Seen from the main road. Andrew Martin
	White-browed Woodswallow, Masked Woodswallow, White-winged Triller. Eastern Park, Geelong 3,500 White-browed and at least 200 Masked Woodswallows (low numbers scattered throughout) passing over in waves of up to 500 birds. In a general NE/E to SW/W direction from 08:20 to 12:20. Several hundred dropped and were feeding on flying insects above trees. Also at least 1 male Triller, Tawny Frogmouths and Australian Hobbies. An amazing morning surveying local patch! Craig Morley
	Black Falcon Mill Park Lakes Clear sighting of a Black Falcon circling over Mill Park Lakes. Dropped into a long dive toward the main lake. Houses then obscured my view. Bernie McRitchie.
	Black Honeyeater Dookie Black Honeyeater (1). Male flew over the school in the afternoon, briefly landing in a flowering ironbark before moving on. A few seem about this spring. Michael Ramsey
	Franklin's Gull Paynesville The Franklin's Gull, reported on Saturday 27th of October, was still in the same area at Paynesville this morning. It was near the boat ramp at the south end of the large gravel hardstand area. The gull was in the company of two cormorants, two Pacific Gulls and one Masked Lapwing. John Hutchison
Mon 29 Oct	Freckled Duck Swan Lake, Philip Island Three Freckled Duck on the water, also a pair of Musk Duck. Jenny Skewes
	Chestnut-rumped Heathwren Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park Along Old Coach Road in Mt Pilot section of the park. A pair together with a pair of White-browed Scrubwrens scolding each other or the observers. Mark Stanley, Annette Hatten
	Brown Songlark ETP Rossiter Rd. Carrum 1 Songlark seen clearly close to southern pond. Also present Red Necked Avocet (3) Black wing stilt , Whiskered Tern 2 ( Many more at Treatment Plant ) Sharp Tail Sandpiper (20 to 30) Red kneed Dotterel (9) Shelduck (7) White Neck Heron (1) and 1 Brown Falcon Overhead Colin Mulvogue
	Freckled Duck Seaford Wetlands Southern of wetlands , viewed from Platform . One bird clearly seen another bird amongst Reeds. Possibly more here , though hard to get clear view through reeds. Also present 3 Blue Billed Ducks , Same area as FreckledDucks. Visited from 3.30 to 4.00pm. Colin Mulvogue
	Spotted Harrier Tinamba Cruising low beside the Tinamba - Glenmaggie Road. One has also been seen in the Cobains area for some weeks. Duncan Fraser
	Red-backed Kingfisher Devenish Red-backed Kingfisher (1). Observed in the morning perched on powerlines along the Devenish Rd a kilometre north of the town. Sacred Kingfishers are sometimes seen in this area as well but this bird was clearly different with a streaked crown, pale green-blue upperparts and of course a reddish rump/back. Michael Ramsey
	Buff-banded Rail. Golf Course Doncaster.(Private Club difficult to access) One pair with 4 chicks. Corrie & Ian Macartney
	Spotted Harrier, Little Eagle(2) Bacchus Marsh Pleasant surprise this morning with 2 Little Eagles being harassed by Magpies and a Spotted Harrier quartering low over grassland. David Whelan
Sun 28 Oct	Wedge-tailed Eagle Keilor Young family of wedgies around Keilor area. Immatures judging by plumage. Little fluffy chick in the nest Note to moderator - photo attached this time Andrew Martin
	Square - tailed Kite Pakenham Road Cockatoo Also sighted Tuesday the 30th. Noel & Brenna Billing
	Square-tailed Kite Greater Bendigo National Park (Kamarooka Section) Square-tailed Kite: Alerted to the presence of the bird over Camp Road Dam by the alarm calls of Galahs, Fuscous Honeyeater, etc. On looking up, saw the kite flying overhead just over the canopy. Identified as a Square-tailed Kite by the shape of the tail and the underwing and tail markings. Paul Dodd, Ruth Woodrow & Sanderson Topham
	Australian Koel Quarry Hill, Bendigo Australian Koel: Initially heard, then tracked-down and seen well in the top of a tree in a private yard. Paul Dodd, Ruth Woodrow & Sanderson Topham
	Spotless(1) , Spotted(2) and Baillions Crakes(1) Black Tail Native Hen(1) Latham Snipe(12) Berwick Springs Visited Eastern Side of Reserve , All birds seen well and pretty much in the same area's as last Spring. Flushed 12 Snipe but did not explore the northeast section , expect more here. Great clear views of Spotless Crake. also seen 1 Buff Banded Rail. Colin Mulvogue
	Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Freckled Duck Burramine South Swamp A flock of 24 Sharpies were observed actively feeding on the south side of the swamp with Red-kneed Dotterels. A great find, waders are rare in this area. Also 12 Freckled Duck, great views of two birds roosting at the base of a large red gum. Glossy Ibis still present here along with both Baillon's and Australian Spotted Crakes, Intermediate Egret and hundreds of other ducks, spoonbills and herons. A great site at present. Michael Ramsey
	Scarlet Honeyeater Baranduda Scarlet Honeyeater in the flowering Red box around the Community Centre. Also pair of either Satin or Leaden Flycatchers seen in small section on bush behind the Community Centre on a Baranduda Land-care field day. Aaron Sandford
	Soft-plumaged Petrel, Royal Albatross Portland Pelagic On a special pelagic organised for some of the people from Biosis, we had extended vews of a Soft-plumaged Petrel, several birds of both the Northern and Southern races of Royal Albatross, several Wandering Albatrosses, a late Cape Petrel and lots of White-chinned Petrels among a good number of species. There were however, not that many birds of most species. There were also 3 or 4 White-fronted Terns roosting on Lawrence Rocks and a Humpback Whale on the way in. Chris Lester and Rob Farnes
	Red-browed Treecreeper Emergency Track, near Camels Hump car-park, Mt Macedon area One heard calling from 1245 hours onward then spotted beneath a Koala comfortably wedged high up in a eucalypt; the treecreeper was then seen vigorously and repeatedly plucking hairs from the Koala which watched it do so. Previously heard and seen the Red-browed Treecreeper at several sites in this general area: the bush north of Riddells Creek, Hanging Rock and Benloch. Charles Silveira
	Olive-backed Oriole Braeside Park A single, very vocal bird heard and seen mid morning on the Self Guided trail. (Moderator's note: rarely recorded from Braeside Park with only a few recent records). Glenn Boyd
	Glossy Ibis Lake Goldsmith, 15km south of Beaufort. A flock of 33 Glossy Ibis on the western side of the lake nearest Stockyard Hill. There were also at least 5 Freckled Duck among the 1000s of other ducks and swans on the lake. Euan Moore
	Sacred Kingfisher, White morph Grey Goshawk, Hooded Plover Anglesea area Sacred Kingfishers nesting alongside Distillery Creek track in eucalypt hollow 12 metres high. White morph Grey Goshawk seen near Anglesea riding school and pair of Hooded Plovers in spot given to me by Geoff Gates on beach near Anglesea Trevor Lumb
Sat 27 Oct	Spotted Harrier, Black -faced Monarch. Pakenham Road Cockatoo Young Spotted Harrier second year. Sighted on Saturday and again on Monday the 29th. Noel & Brenna Billing
	Freckled Duck Glenelg River estuary, Nelson One bird observed in channel between sandbars in estuary lake BirdLife Cross Border Campout per Peter Barrand
	Red-necked Avocet Glenelg River estuary, Nelson Single bird feeding with Bar-taied Godwits near river mouth BirdLife Cross Border Campout per Peter Barrand
Fri 26 Oct	Topknot Pigeon Cabbage Tree Creek Flora Reserve Two separate flocks totalling 13 Topknot Pigeons were located flying through the forest canopy in the vicinity of the bridge this morning. Len and Jacquie Axen
Thu 25 Oct	White-headed Pigeon North Arm, Lakes Entrance White-headed Pigeon (1) flying west through lakeside forest at dusk. First time I've seen at site. Rufous Fantail, Black-faced Monarch, Shining Bronze-Cuckoos have returned. Anthea Stubbs
Mon 15 Oct	Regent Honeyeater Chiltern N.P. ,Victoria At least 3 birds at flowering trees at the junction of Cyanide and All Nations Roads. One bird presumably sub-adult as slightly browner and paler than the other two..but not full juvenile plumage. Apparently un-ringed...but not easy to see as very mobile. John Hopkins

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