Birdline Victoria Weekly Update

Birdline Victoria

Published sightings for the week ending 15 Sep 2013.

Sun 15 Sep	Buller's Shearwater & Short-tailed, Sooty, Flesh-footed, Hutton's Shearwater etc Port Fairy Pelagic A Buller's Shearwater seen at the shelf off Port Fairy. Excellent views & numerous photos taken, seen several times. Blue-grey upperparts with M marking; white underparts with white bases to primaries & blackish tips diagnostic. A rare bird, especially in western Victoria. Also Short-tailed Shearwaters back in force, several seen & some came very close to boat, the odd Sooty also seen. 1 Flesh-footed Shearwater, another arrival. Several Hutton's/Fluttering Shearwaters, nearly all turned out to be Hutton's. Only 3 species of albatrosses. Also White-fronted Tern, 1 Brown Skua & both species of Giant Petrel. Kevin Bartram, Scott Baker, Neil McCumber et. al.
	Horsfield's Bushlark Elwood foreshore, Melbourne A single Horsfield’s Bushlark was flying back and forth in the thin strip of Coast Saltbush and Sedges between the Riva restaurant car park and the outdoor gym near the Elwood Canal. It would remain on the ground for 30 seconds to a minute at a time before being flushed by cyclists and walkers this continued for about 2 hours. Gio Fitzpatrick
	Latham's Snipe Balyang Sanctary Geelong. Resting on the far bank on way in. Bob & Jan Hughes
Sat 14 Sep	Painted Honeyeater, Diamond Firetail, Pallid, Black-eared & Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Shining Bronze-Cuckoo Vaughan Springs upper and south along GDT near Italian trk Good birding around the Chinese Cemetery, then along Great Dividing Trail near Italian trk /Gurr trk junction. Phil Robertson
	Grey-crowned Babbler Klemm Road, East Wangaratta Three birds seen by Klemm Road. Pete Fuller
	Gang-gang Cockatoo, Little Grassbird Hay's Paddock (Kilby Reserve), Kew Out walking the dog in the local park and heard some Gang Gangs so I took a list of birds. Gang-gang Cockatoo (6) on Southern side of Glass Creek. Seen a week ago, presumably same six. Little Grassbird (1) Been hearing this bird calling for the last few weeks, probably a pair. Fleeting glimpses included one rushed photo. Bill Stent
	Plumed Whistling-Duck Kings Road Wetland, Rutherglen Approx 1000 ducks with one leucistic bird. All gone two hours later. ? Feeding on canola seed? Gavin and Mal
Fri 13 Sep	Painted Honeyeater Sullivan's Track, Muckleford State Forest 2 heard calling late today - first returns this season to a favourite spot. Geoff Park
	Grey Goshawk Camperdown-Cobden Rd About 2pm saw 1 Grey Goshawk in white morph about 2km's from Cobden on road-side in tall leafless trees. Adam Fry
	Glossy Ibis Lake Connewarre Wildlife Reserve (Reedy Lake) Obs made from the end of O'Hallorans Rd and Fitzgerald Rd, where I walked round to the windmill. Glossy Ibis (1) Single bird flew over me at the end of Fitzgerald Rd and landed about 400 yards away. I followed it around to see if it had any friends, it did but they were all Swamphens. Last seen near the windmill. Also sighted one Brolga and one Pallid Cuckoo. David Fleming
Thu 12 Sep	White-bellied Cuckooshrike Mangalore Flora and Fauna Reserve With Kathy Costello. White-bellied Cuckooshrikes: dark morph and light morph together feeding on eucalypt leaf surfaces for lerps possibly. Val La May
Thu 12 Sep	White-browed Woodswallow Warrandyte State Park (Mt. Lofty) Cloudy 15degC. White-browed Woodswallow (1) Seen sitting on path at northern tip of reserve before flying off. Roger McCart
Thu 12 Sep	White Browed Treecreeper Wyperfield NP 3 birds seen in Semi-arid Woodland south of casuarina campground Garry Cheers
	Sulphur-crested Cockatoo cross Little Corella Red Hill, Victoria For the last year we’ve had a flock of about 10 Sulphur-crested Cockatoos that occasionally land on our veranda. On 2 occasions there have been a pair of Little Corellas with them- have photos. I know its the same group because of this one individual pictured. He is the size of a Little Corella, has a smaller crest than the other Cockatoos and has peri orbital blue pigment. Initially we thought it was just a young Cockatoo but he/she/it is a very dominant individual and last week we saw it mating with one of the adult Sulphur-crested Cockatoos. I suspect that it is a cross between Sulphur-crested Cockatoo and a Little Corella but am happy to be corrected. It is significantly different from the other 9 birds Mark Lethlean
	Latham's Snipe, Australian Spotted Crake, Buff-banded Rail. Heathdale Glen Orden Wetland, Werribee 3030. At 1645 hours on a quick visit to this Wetland, I observed and then flushed two(2) Latham's Snipe in the western section of the Wetland. Other birds of interest were single Australian Spotted Crake, Buff-banded Rail and Great Egret. The Wetland is in very good condition and always, I believe, a good 'site faithful' location for Latham's Snipe. Best numbers of Snipe I have observed at this Wetland was 14 birds on one visit in mid November 2009. Peter Gibbons
	Powerful Owl Clematis Powerful Owl calling from the bottom of our paddock at 6.15 this evening. Arthur & Denise Carew
	Latham's Snipe Rigby's Wetland, Wheeler's Hill I Latham's Snipe flushed this afternoon. App.12 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, groups of 8 Black-fronted and 16 Red-kneed Dotterel also seen. Arthur Carew & Johb Stirling
	Swift Parrot Kooyoora State Park (Wehla Block) Two seen and heard on Burkes Flat-Wehla Rd near Devils Range Track Malcolm Cousland
Wed 11 Sep	Black-faced Cormorant, Whiskered Tern Western Treatment Plant There was a fine adult Black-faced Cormorant on the jetty with Pied Cormorants at 15E Outlet this afternoon, and numbers of Whiskered Tern are returning with 5 at T-section Lagoon, foraging over Pond 5. Steven Davidson - The Melbourne Birder
Wed 11 Sep	White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike [dark morph] Woodlands Historic Park (Greenvale) Seen In the Sugar Gum Plantation just south of the Rangers office. Photos taken and have been ID. First Record at Woodlands Historic Park in Eremaea history. [Mod note: excellent record] Matt McCrae per Philip Peel
	Cattle Egret, Swamp Harrier, Black-winged Stilt Golf Links Road, Narre Warren Rd A group of 10 Cattle Egrets observed in a paddock alongside cattle, south side of Golf links Road. Four Black-winged Stilts were also witnessed chasing off a Swamp Harrier from a flooded area in which the Stilts were feeding and possibly nesting. Daniel Nugent
	Buff-banded Rail Monash University Clayton Campus Was surprised to see a Buff-banded Rail in suburbia wandering around the Monash university library by the pond in the morning, seemingly unperturbed by passing students. The first I've seen here. Lewis Hiller
	Gull-billed Tern Lysterfield Lake Park Was here for a quick visit and had seen a few silver gulls flying over the lake. Later on, I looked up again and noticed a gull that wasn't quite the same as before. Watched it land and got up pretty close watching it through my binoculars the whole time. The views I got repeatedly pointed to a gull-billed tern. White body with black beak considerably longer than a silver gulls. It also had the blackened head. It took off but I managed to follow it around the lake for the next 20 minutes and all signs pointed to gull-billed tern. (Moderator's note: it would be great to have this sighting followed up by any other observers if possible). James Mustafa (3042)
Tue 10 Sep	Stubble Quail Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne 1 adult male apparently run over in a driveway. George Appleby
	Freckled Duck Braeside Park 3 Freckled Duck resting in front of bird hide, also sighted a Buff Banded Rail on road exiting to Governor Rd Wayne Butterworth
	Southern Boobook Croydon Southern Boobook (1) Driving home along Glenwood Dve saw this owl on the power line. Thought it was our resident tawny frogmouths but ran home got the torch and confirmed it was a beautiful Boobook! Brett Harman
Mon 9 Sep	Buff-banded Rail Brisbane Ranges National Park Afternoon visit to Thompsons Rd, Durdidwarrah Rd, Lease Rd and Aeroplane Rd. total surprise to see a buff banded rail cross over Durdidwarrah Rd. Buff-banded Rail (1) Single bird crossed over Durdidwarrah Rd in front of our vehicle. First time we have seen a rail in the Brisbane Ranges Hedley Earl & Irena Earl
	Speckled Warbler Mt Black Quarry site, Heathcote-Graytown National Park Great days birding. Also Fantail Cuckoo, Horsefields Bronze Cuckoo. Ian Mayo & Murray Chambers
	Powerful Owl Kallista 10' Cell Powerful Owl On a powerline beside the Kallista-Emerald Rd clutching a magpie. Mark, Emily and Jack Bennett
	Freckled Duck Farm dam near Allansford Approx 100 Freckled Duck on the banks, or in the water, of a dam on a dairy farm near Allansford. A few Pacific Black Duck and Chestnut Teal and some Coots were also there. Heather Saunders
Sun 8 Sep	Pied Cormorant (850) Point Cook beach A large number of this species - estimated 850 with 60 mixed Great and Little Black Cormorants in two groups with Silver Gulls and very few Aust Gannets in a feeding frenzy offshore. I've seen similar flocks offshore here before but never with such a dominance of Pied Cormorant. George Appleby
	Painted Honeyeater Earlston First record for season Doug Robinson
	Powerful Owl Brisbane Ranges National Park I went out last night to do some spotlighting, looking specifically for Southern Boobook’s. The first and only owl I photographed was a Powerful Owl above my car at 7 pm . Many Boobooks were heard but did not present themselves. It was located on the corner of Reid’s Rd and Aeroplane Rd, about 50 metres down the left hand side of Aeroplane Rd. I suspect my playback of the Boobook bought the Powerful Owl in, perhaps looking for a quick meal but I am not sure if they take their smaller cousins. But I have heard that Rufous Owls will take Barking owls as a meal so perhaps they do. Bernie O'Keefe
	Blue Petrel, Southern Royal Albatross etc Port Fairy Pelagic 1 Blue Petrel seen around the shelf. Most of the time sitting on the water, occasionally flew. Excellent prolonged views. 1 adult Southern Royal Albatross seen around the boat all day. Other highlights: Wandering Albatross, Hutton's Shearwater, Cape Petrel & a few Northern Giant Petrels, Grey-backed Storm-petrel. Kevin Bartram, Scott Baker, Neil McCumber, Tim Dolby, Andrew Silcocks, Martin Cake, etc.
Sat 7 Sep	Brolga Greens Lake, Corop Brolga (4) first seen on northern bank and later on southern bank. Presumably the same birds. 2 adults 2 juvs. Marlene Lyell
	White-winged Triller, Australian Raven Serendip Sanctuary, Lara White-winged Triller (1) A spring arrival. Australian Raven (1) Near office on Saturday morning - but heard throughout the day? Paul Dodd & Ruth Woodrow
Wed 21 Aug	Chukar A'Beckett Rd Narre Warren North (near Harkaway) This bird crashed into our window but seemingly not badly hurt, fell in love with its reflection and stayed all day. As it was not afraid of us we presume it escaped from an aviary. It must be the same bird that stayed at the Wilson's in Harkaway a week or so later. It could be in danger of foxes, wedgetailed eagles, apart from dogs and cats. Betty Joyner

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