Birdline Victoria Weekly Update

Birdline Victoria

Published sightings for the week ending 30 Dec 2012.

Sun 30 Dec	Topknot Pigeon, White-throated Needletail, Cicadabird Cabbage Tree Creek Flora Reserve 58 White-throated Needletails were observed feeding high above the reserve early this morning. 3 Topknot Pigeons were also seen flying through the canopy as we approached the end of the "looped walk" while our recording of a Cicadabird from the drier eucalypt forested areas approaching the Cabbage Tree Creek brdige is our first for this site. Len and Jacquie Axen
Sun 30 Dec	Freckled Duck Coolart Wetlands & Homestead 10 Freckled Duck and 2 Red-kneed Dotterel on the lagoon. On Luxton Drive a Collared and a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater. Also seen in the last week - Black-tailed Native Hen, Intermediate Egret, Spotless Crake, Buff-banded Rail Brian Thomas
	Pacific Golden Plover, Eastern Curlew Western Treatment Plant, Werribee Pacific Golden Plover (11) Seen in rocks at Kirk Pt Eastern Curlew (1) Single bird seen on north spit Hedley Earl
	13 Pacific Golden Plover, 2 Ruddy Turnstone, 4 Brolga Western Treatment Plant, Werribee Largest group of Golden Plovers (13) that I've seen at WTP; at Point Kirk first on the lava rocks then in the glasswort area (looked like a picture from the tundra in Norway). Ruddy Turnstone also on lava rocks closer to Beach Road boat ramp. Brolga ( 2 adults & 2 juveniles) very close to road about 500m west of Austins Rd Pond #1. Calling frequently. G. Santos
	Black-winged Stilt Newells Paddock, Footscray The three eggs (Observation 153308, December 2, 2012) have hatched. Three chicks were spotted on the water edge, near the area where the Regional Rail Links are being constructed. Very well camouflaged against the background. (Moderator's Note: an interesting breeding record close to the city). Thomas Nataprawira
	Grey Plover Rhyll Inlet Phillip Island The Grey Plover was in the company of 12 Caspian Terns and a large flock of Bar - tailed Godwits. The diagnostic black armpits were very evident when it flew.This would appear to be the first recorded sighting on Phillip Island according to Eremaea records. Derek & Sally Whitehead
Sat 29 Dec	Freckled Duck Mill Park Lakes Still a few Freckled Duck on this artificial wetland complex. Lots of other birds at this site at present. Steve Clark
	Banded Lapwing, Great Knot Western Treatment Plant, Werribee Not normally a rare bird on Beach Rd, but this was flying along 280S Rd near 85WC lagoons. Other interesting birds on a very brief visit were Black-tailed Native Hens at Borrow Pits and Great Knot in the first pond past the Beach Rd gate Dave Torr, Doug, Damien and Brendan White
	Eastern Curlew, Bar Tailed Godwit, Nankeen Night Heron Barwon Heads Between the bridge and adjacent to the Ocean Grove boat ramp I saw 2 Eastern Curlews, 9 Nankeen Night Herons [2 immature ] and112 Bar Tailed Godwits. The tide was low and all birds were feeding on the flats. Trevor Lumb
	Fairy Tern Rhyll Inlet Phillip Island Two Fairy Terns and seven Caspian Terns at the mouth of the Inlet. Derek Whitehead
Fri 28 Dec	Red-capped Robin Travancore Park, Travancore (Ascot Vale) A juvenile bird that was quite hard to identify. In the end, its small size, the way it sat, its pale lores and the absence of a pale spot on its forehead helped finaise the identification. Chris Lester
	Budgerigar Kinnairds Road Numurkah Small flock of Budgerigars approximately 15 . Seen along the Broken Creek on Kinnairds Road just before the gate to Kinnairds wetlands Numurkah Catarina Gregson
	Little Tern and Fairy Tern Lakes Entrance - East Gippsland Flock of 28 Little Tern and handful of Fairy Tern flying around Rigby Island - opposite Bullock Island. Faye Bedford
Thu 27 Dec	Powerful Owl Lorne Along the Georges rivers Ocean walk. Lorand Szucs
	Baillon's and Spotted Crakes Banyule Wetlands 2 Baillon's and 2 Spotted Crakes and 3 Latham's Snipe at Banyule Wetlands (distant views); 4 Spotless Crakes at Wilson Reserve (fleeting views at both large billabongs) and Powerful Owl in pines on Yarra Trail east of Burke Road Guy Dutson
	Little Tern Stockyard Point, Westernport Bay Little Tern (1) in breeding plumage. Roosting with a flock of silver gulls at the tip of the Point. Terry Gourley
	Spotted Harrier Craigieburn Grasslands 1 nice male Spotted Harrier today just south of Craigieburn Road East. Also a pair of Wedge-tailed Eagles. Falk Wicker, Andrew Reeson, Daniel Willcox
	Freckled Duck Lake Lorne Drysdale I counted 117 Freckled Duck on the lake today. The majority were on the islands where it was interesting to watch a few climbing on dense branchs where they showed of the climbing ability that earned them the bush name Monkey Duck. Trevor Lumb
	Pacific Golden Plover Chestnut Teal Sharp Tailed Sandpipers Lake Murtnaghurt Checking this lake today I found 41 Pacific Golden Plovers Roosting in succelant plants on a raised spit .Perhaps they have been pushed to this quiet area near the coast by holiday makers? Also 1000 + Chestnut Teal ,perhaps 600 Sharp Tailed Sandpipers and 50 Red Necked Stints.Finally 1 Greenshank and remarkably a SOLITARY Banded Stilt. Trevor Lumb
	Black-faced Monarch Toolangi Black Range SF (Tanglefoot Tk-Quarry Road) Excellent morning at Toolangi, with the highlight being a male Black-faced Monarch approx 500m from west end start of track. A pair of Pink Robins and Satin Flycatchers also seen. Martin Dwelly
Wed 26 Dec	Latham's Snipe Fishers Wetland Phillip Island Only the second snipe I have seen here, but the first snipe I have ever seen on the ground, all the rest have been flushed . Derek Whitehead
Tue 25 Dec	Australian Koel St James Park, Hawthorn Koel calling on Christmas morning at 9.45 am, on the morning of Boxing Day at 6.45 am. Greg Hunt
	Little Button-quail Little Desert (near Broughtons Waterhole) Two flushed from low treeless heath. Richard, Debbie & Meg Loyn
	Banded Stilt (88) & Red-necked Avocet (220 approx). Truganina Swamp and Laverton Creek, Altona. From 1710 hours onwards, observed a group of 88 Banded Stilts in the main pond at Truganina Swamp, also a large number of Red-necked Avocet (220 approx) feeding in Laverton Creek, north of the Queen Street road bridge. Two Black-tailed Godwits still present at the Laverton Creek Mouth. Peter Gibbons
Mon 24 Dec	Great Crested Grebe Pipemakers Park, Maribyrnong River Lots of good birds along the Maribyrnong River at present, including 2 Great Crested Grebes at Edgewater. Also Rufous Songlark and Horsfields Bronze-Cuckoo near the Frogs Hollow Reserve. Stephen Nutt
	Pectoral Sandpiper Western Treatment Plant Two birds present in shallow lagoon 200 metres east of Little river ford. Also of interest was an Intermediate Egret in partial breeding plumage at the Conservation Lagoon, Glossy Ibis at T-section and Grey Plover on the Spit. Scott Baker
	Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Hooded Plover, Latham's Snipe, Killarney Beach 32 Ruddy Turnstone, 40 plus Sanderling, Hooded Plovers, Latham's Snipe, Oystercatchers (Pied and Sooty) David and Bruce McInnes
Sun 23 Dec	Orange Chat, Black Honeyeater, Budgerigar, Cockatiel, Black Falcon, Spotted Harrier, Freckled Duck, North-central Victoria A couple of days touring around Pyramid Hill, Boort, Kerang and Inglewood was productive as it has been for some months. Good numbers of Orange Chats seen in the Tutchewop, Lake Kelly area as well as around Lake Lookout and nearby grasslands. Black Honeyeaters have moved on from some sites, but seen along Long Lake road near Lake Boga, west of Pyramid Hill and along the railway near Mologa, Small flocks of Budgies around Goschen and Leaghur, Cockatiels around the Kerang and Boort areas, with some small flocks, a Black Falcon west of Kerang, Spotted Harriers roaming all over and amazing numbers of duck at a number of wetlands including Freckled Duck at many wetlands near Boort and Kerang. Also 10 species of Honeyeater drinking at a waterhole in the heat near Inglewood, with 6 species lined up next to each other at once !! Simon Starr
	Broad-billed Sandpiper, Glossy Ibis, Brolga etc Western Treatment Plant 1 Broad-billed Sandpiper seen on the second group of rocks past the Beach Rd Gate. 2 Glossy Ibis on the end pond of T-Section Lagoons. Brolgas at Austin Rd Lagoon. Plenty of terns at the Beach Rd rocks, Common, Fairy, Little, White-winged Black, Whiskered & Crested. At least 18 Freckled Ducks on second pond NE of Beach Rd gates. Kevin Bartram
	White-throated Nightjar, Painted Honeyeater, White-throated Needletail, Grey-crowned Babbler Killawarra Forest A rewarding visit to the forest in the evening after a very hot day. Highlights were 2 White-throated Nighjars. One bird was heard and I had terrific close views of another as it swept down across a dam and drank twice. Also it flew only meters above and around me, an amazing bird. Also a single Painted Honeyeater, a flock over around 20 White-throated Needletails and a small group of Grey-crowned Babblers. Michael Ramsey
Fri 21 Dec	Ruddy Turnstone Ram's Island, French Island 15, with other waders. One bird with both yellow and orange flags on right leg.Also One Sooty Oystetcatcher, Pied Oystercatcher, Caspian Tern. Chris Chandler
Wed 19 Dec	Musk Lorikeet South coast French Island Fairly open farmland. 4 birds flew in from west, paused briefly in a Eucalypt, before continuing north-east. Very few records of this species on the island, unlike Crib Point, where lorikeets are resident. Chris Chandler
Tue 18 Dec	Rainbow Lorikeet Seymour, Alfred Street The Lorikeet was calling and feeding in the top of an Erythrina street tree about 3 metres above ground. Clearly visible from where I was standing a few metres away. In the nearly 2 years I've lived in Seymour I've only heard and seen Musk Lorikeets here. Other local birders say they have never seen Rainbow Lorikeets in this area. Val La May
Wed 12 Dec	Australian Koel Ocean Grove Seen once in the area around the parade but bird heard constantly calling for 5 days, not heard since 14 Dec. Edward Jordan

Birdline Victoria is sponsored by BirdLife Victoria and co-ordinated and hosted by Eremaea Birds.

===============================

To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
send the message:
unsubscribe
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to: 

http://birding-aus.org
===============================