Birdline Victoria Weekly Update

Birdline Victoria

Published sightings for the week ending 21 Apr 2013.

Sun 21 Apr	Speckled Warbler, Southern Boobook and Pied Currawong Woodlands Historic Park (Back Paddock) Following the recent report of a Speckled Warbler, I decided to check the old Casuarina site at which they were "chooks" during the first Atlas (1977-1981); remarkably, as I was photographing the now burnt, dead, and near-collapsed old Casuarina that I formerly used as a site-marker, a Speckled Warbler called and I was soon on to it and managed a few photographs obscured by twigs, leaves and branchlets. Later, thanks to some alarmed Yellow Thornbills, found a Boobook at a new Casuarina roost about 100 m from the previously well-used one; this appears to be a different individual with a lot of white on the lower underside. Also the first Swamp Wallaby for a number of years and one or more Pied Currawongs calling routinely through the afternoon. Charles Silveira
	Freckled Duck Lake Hamilton, Hamilton Single female on SW shore of the lake with a group of 7 Musk Duck. Karen Doyle & Ivor Preston
Sat 20 Apr	Satin Bowerbird From Porepunkah to Bright along the Ovens River and up through Wandilagong There were flocks of between 10 to approx 25 female and immature Satin Bowerbirds gorging themselves on berries in trees. Very active and noisy. Saw only two male amongst the others. Thrilled to see Red Capped Robins at Porepunkah Caravan park. Over 40 species identified. Ian McConchie and Pauline Schreenan
	Swift Parrot & Lorikeets. Woodlands Estate, Ocean Grove Two Swifties flying & calling. Also,many Lorikeets including Rainbow, Musk, Little, Purple-crowned, Scaly-breasted and Hybrids. Feeding in flowering Yellow Gums & Tuart. Tom Fletcher
	Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo Indented Head Approx. 100 in pine trees near the cnr of Hood and Grassy Point Rds. I heard them as I pulled up to the intersection. I got out to observe, they became unsettled and flew to some more pine trees about 300 yards away (enabling me to count them) . I havent seen a flock this big for awhile. David Fleming
	Swift Parrot Wy Yung, 5km NW Bairnsdale At 7.10 am, 4 Swift Parrots flying west along cliff line of Mitchell River and calling continually as they flew along. Roger Bilney
Fri 19 Apr	Plumed Whistling-Duck Founds Rd, Drysdale Three Plumed Whistling-Ducks on the edge of the second of two dams (if heading away from Drysdale township). I observed them for half an hour or so from 12.30pm. They were still there at 4.00pm when I went back to check that I wasn't seeing things. Unfortunately they wern't there today (20/4/13) in the morning or afternoon when I drove by to check. David Fleming
	Banded Stilt (2) Port Fairy 10' Cell Adult and juv in on a small mud island in Belfast Lough (Moyne River) Ivor Preston
	Hoary-headed Grebe, Yellow-billed Spoonbill, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater Woodlands Historic Park (Greenvale) First recording of Yellow-billed poonbill as I can see on Eremaea and only second record of Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater. Also a large number of Hoary-headed Grebe (46) on the small dam. Scarlet, Red-capped and Flame Robins here as well. Philip Peel
	Swift Parrot Carrum Downs At a reserve in suburban Carrum Downs. Heard call in eucalypt before observing in flight with very distinctive call. Greg Hall
Wed 17 Apr	Swift Parrot Newtown, Geelong Heard and then seen flying in from W, went round in complete circle and then headed S. Flock of 20 Musk Lorikeets flew higher OH to N; Swift Parrot briefly deviated towards lorikeets' flight path, then continued in circle. 17:40. Craig Morley
	Rose and Scarlet Robins Fairfield Boat House One Rose and a pair of Scarlets in autumn flock (also Golden Whistlers, 'Tasmania' Fantails and pardalotes) on Kew side of Fairfield pipeline bridge from Guy Dutson
Tue 16 Apr	Painted Button-quail Heidelberg Heights Single male in my suburban front garden in the evening. Not found the following morning. Continues a series of records of Painted Button-quail turning up in strange places during autumn. Peter Menkhorst
	Musk Duck Lake Victoria (Lonsdale Lakes Reserve) An unusual sighting for Lake Victoria was a large flotilla of Musk Ducks (50+) mixed in with many Hoary-headed Grebes (100+) and also 15 or so Great Crested Grebes.There were probably more of each of these species spread over the lake but this was a tight interacting group. The lake has still many hundreds of Red-necked Stints feeding on the extensive mud flats. Rod Corinaldi
Mon 15 Apr	Banded Stilt Intersection of Toora & Laidlaw Rds, north of Glenthompson 240 Banded Stilts on lake adjacent to Toora Road Dennis Gosper
	Spotted Harrier Mt Hotham Airport Single bird in full plumage patrolling the edge of the airport runway at around midday or at least an hour. Mel Mitchell
	Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater South coast French Island Attracted to the distinctive call, I spotted a lone bird in pine trees in an open paddock; near The Slipway, SW French Island. As far as I know, Western Port the eastern limit for this species. We had a few French Island records in 1980s, also in autumn, I think. Chris Chandler
Sun 14 Apr	Whistling Kite Banyule Flats A Whistling Kite calling hard in billabong (rare for this site) and a Royal and 2 Yellow-billed Spoonbills as well. Richard Loyn
	Brown Skua, Buller's Albatross, Grey-Backed Storm-petrel etc Port Fairy Pelagic Heaps of birds, nothing incredibly exiting, but very good viewing & lots of action all day. Highlight was 2 Brown Skuas on the way back; one about half way to shelf the other closer to shore. Also 4+ Buller's Albatrosses, 1 Grey-backed Storm-petrel in heavy moult, 1 adult White-fronted Tern, heaps of Fairy prions, some very tame, lots of Wilson's Storm-petrels & a few White-faced Storm-petrels & White-chinned Petrels, Hutton's Shearwater. Also large numbers of Common Dolphins. Kevin Bartram, Neil McCumber,Rob Drummond etc
Sat 13 Apr	Fork-tailed Swift Last Hope Track, 6.5 km west of Hattah Several widely dispersed birds cruising around randomly but possibly drifting vaguely southeast. They were flying about 20 metres above the ground and the vegetation was mallee shrubland on sand dunes. About 15 sightings in all over the middle 20 or so of the 40 minutes I was there (from 8:50 am) but most seen at once was three. Paul Peake
	Painted Buttonquail Crusoe Reservoir Group of 4 at southern end. David McInnes
Fri 12 Apr	Whistling Kite Royal Park One flew over at midday. Richard Loyn
	Freckled Duck Coolart Wetlands & Homestead 27 Freckled Duck - the highest number recorded at Coolart.. 5 Red-kneed Dotterel,6 Black-fronted Dotterel, 1 Nankeen Night Heron, and on Coolart beach 12 Red-capped Plovers and 1 Double-banded Plover. Pat Bingham reported by Brian thomas
	Rose-ringed Parakeet (Indian Ringneck) Edge of Furness Park, Main St, Blackburn Single bird in a Eucalyptus tree (Moderators note: most likely an escapee but it is important to report and note this species as it has the potential to become an established as it has in other countries). Adrian Cameron
Fri 5 Apr	Chestnut Teal (aberrant) Western Treatment Plant, Werribee A male Chestnut Teal with bright white breast and white band on belly in Little River downstream from ford. Will Steele and Richard Loyn
Mon 1 Apr	Spiny-Cheeked Honeyeater Organ Pipes National Park 4 + near the Rosette Rock area singing their heads off. Deb Crosby

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