Birdline Victoria Weekly Update

Birdline Victoria

Published sightings for the week ending 10 Mar 2013.

Sun 10 Mar	Wood Sandpiper, Latham's Snipe Western Treatment Plant, Werribee Sighted in Conservation Pond 35 E9 - NW cnr together with 3 Spotted Crakes. Flock of 60+ Royal Spoonbills at T Section. 2 Freckled Duck northern side of Lake Borrie. Corrie & Ian Macartneyi
Sat 9 Mar	Banded Stilt Mud Islands, Port Phillip Bay There were 5 Banded Stilts with 2 Black-winged Stilts in the lagoon at Mud Islands today, the first time I have seen them there. Other highlights were Red Knot, Grey Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Double-banded Plover, Sooty Oystercatcher, Eastern Great Egret, Little Egret, Buff-banded Rail, Fairy Tern and Little Tern. An unidentified Sand Plover disappeared too quickly to be identified. Many of the waders are coming into breeding plumage. Tania Ireton
	Double- banded plover Rhyll Inlet, Phillip Island Over (25) Double-banded plovers feeding on the mudflats between sand bars at low tide.Despite the holiday boat crowds and jet ski fraternity they were completely at ease.These birds are unusual in the Inlet, Gavin & Mal recorded them in May 2012, the only other recorded Eremaea sighting was in 1980. Derek & Sally Whitehead
	Little Eagle Koomba Park, Wantirna Seen cnr Burwood Highway and Eastlink in thermals heading in south easterly direction. Darren Wallace
Fri 8 Mar	Spotted Harrier Seven Mile Road, Koo Wee Rup North One bird seen near the intersection with Bunyip River Road, hawking over crops at around 8pm. Stuart Cooney
Thu 7 Mar	Zebra Finch Payne Street, Gladstone Park A flock of seven initially heard calling then seen flying from west to east over suburbia at 0920 hours. First ones seen here during the period 1968-2013; previous nearest sighting was at the Aircraft Viewing area, between the golf course and the Control Tower, on the west side of Melbourne Airport, two or three years ago. Charles Silveira
Wed 6 Mar	Little Tern The Cut, Silt Jetties (Gippsland Lakes) Three large flocks of approx 100 birds each of Little Tern with a small handful of Fairy Terns intermingled. Bird observed loafing and preening on sand spits exposed in the water. Majority of Little Tern (55%) in transitional plumage, (20%) in non breeding plumage, (20%) of being fledglings and the remainder still in breeding plumage Juveniles very vocal on the wing. Observations of parents feeding young. Faye Bedford
Tue 5 Mar	Barbary Dove Brighton Beach Station A single bird flying over the railway statiom in the general direction of Jim Willis Reserve where Mike Norris reported a pair, 4 Feb. Sean Dooley
	Broad-billed Sandpiper Western Treatment Plant, Werribee A single Broad-billed sandpiper in first pond(On right) thru Beach Road Gate.(1300HRS). Apart from this Wader the pond was devoid of waders as the others were congragated on the beach at low tide. Warren Palmer
	Fairy Tern, Caspian Tern and Eastern Curlew Rhyll Inlet, Phillip Island On a sand bar at the mouth of the Inlet were (36) Fairy Terns, (19) Caspian Terns and (27) Eastern Curlew, all unusually high numbers for the Inlet.They were accompanied by Bar Tailed Godwits and Crested Terns, none of the birds seemed concerned about a White-bellied Sea- Eagle perched on a log 40 metres away. Derek Whitehead
	Common Sandpiper Altona Coastal Park Initialy seen on bank of Kororoit Creek on edge of coastal park by Racecourse Road ford,then it flew across to opposite bank as tide dropped,then made its way down stream towards the creek mouth.12:20-13:20hrs,aedst David A Richardson
	Brolga Winter Swamp, Cardigan Pair of Brolga feeding. Corrie & Ian Macartney
Mon 4 Mar	Freckled Duck Crusoe Reservoir. Kamgaroo Flat 3 Freckled Duck just south of the pine plantation in an inlet. Other birds of note include Yellow-billed Spoonbill, White-bellied Cuckooshrike, Black-tailed Nativehen. David Hewett
	Ground Parrot Croajingolong National Park (Shipwreck Creek) Single Ground Parrot flushed on the Heath. Fleeting views of a female Lyrebird. A black-shouldered Kite and a few Emu-wren seen. Bill & Jackie Morecraft
	Freckled Duck, Pectoral Sandpiper, Red-capped Robin (1st record for ETP) Eastern Treatment Plant (Boundary Road Wetlands) A wide selection of birds seen on the Eastern Treatment Plant including Freckled (7) and Pink-eared Duck (3200), Pectoral (1), Common (3) and Wood Sandpiper (1), Latham’s Snipe (7), Spotted Harrier (1), Australasian Darter ( 27 most ever) , Blue-winged Parrot (2) and Red-capped Robin (1, first ever at ETP). Mike Carter et al per Tim Dolby
Sun 3 Mar	Brolga Winchelsea 12 Brolga on small water hole near Lake Murdeduke. Peter Warner
Thu 28 Feb	Freckled Duck Lake Lorne, Drysdale Post script to records posted for Geelong Field Naturalists Club Bird Group excursion. Denis Sleep returned in the evening, until sunset, and observed 400 Freckled Ducks across the S portion of the lake!!! At least 200 on water and under cover on evening of 3/3 (CM). Denis Sleep per Craig Morley for the GFNC Bird Group.
	Red-footed Booby Croajingolong National Park (Thurra Camp) An immature Red-footed Booby was found on the beach during afternoon storms. Also two Hooded Plover on beach at mouth of Thurra River. [Moderators note: this is the first VIctorian record. Unfortunately the bird did not survive. TD] Sue and Stephen King
	White-throated Needletail Marlo 600+ WTNT were observed over a 50 minute period above Marlo early this afternoon as two opposing air masses created very hot, humid and still conditions. The birds lazily flew in two wide circular groups above the township but gave not indication that they were feeding at any stage. Our largest sighting by far, this season. (Moderator's note: published as quite high numbers, MR). Len and Jacquie Axen

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