Birdline Victoria Weekly Update

Birdline Victoria

Published sightings for the week ending 1 Jun 2014.

Sun 1 Jun	Antarctic Prion, Soft-plumaged Petrel, Bullers Albatross Portland Pelagic Antarctic Prion, Soft-plumaged Petrel, Bullers Albatross were amongst a list of 22 species of seabird seen off Portland on the monthly BirdLife Australia pelagic. Other species including NZ (Wandering), Black-browed, Campbell's and Shy Albatross, both forms of Great-winged Petrel, an out of season White-chinned Petrel, Grey-backed and Wilsons Storm Petrels and Sooty Shearwater. Rohan Clarke and all on board the Southern Pride
Sat 31 May	White Bellied Sea Eagle, Spotless Crake Braeside Park Seen from western track near Governor Rd. perched on tree in main pond at around 9.40AM Spotless Crake was foraging in NW corner. Bittern not found. John Daniels
	Grey Goshawk (white morph) Deans Marsh township As we drove into the township we noticed a white morph Grey Goshawk sitting in a roadside tree. Magpies were harassing it and as soon as it saw us looking at it it flew off. This is our second sighting of this species in a week so they must be breeding well! Hedley and Irena Earl
	Beach Stone Curlew Sugarloaf Creek, Great Ocean Road BSC emerged from under the small creek bridge and slowly walked away until it was comfortable standing among piles of driftwood. Amazing to see this bird so far south but we believe it is the same bird that was located at Point Franklin earlier this year. Hedley and Irena Earl
	Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands (Seaford) Single seen for polonged views in low bush near commencement of reed beds on track heading east of Seaford North primary school. Calling quite consistently. Unusual for area and I have not noted here previously. Rob Reed
	Intermediate Egret, Australasian Bittern Braeside Park Bittern as previously reported on western side of main pond. Intermediate Egret in small pond with little water between main pond and governor road gate. Both sighted before 8.30am. Photos available. Joy Tansey
Fri 30 May	Beach Stone Curlew Sugarloaf creek near Apollo BAy I have never seen this bird before so I looked it up and thought I would share this. One bird seen on the beach - quiet area. Ken Conrick
	Freckled Duck Karkarook Park Single Freckled Duck seen in pond near Warrigal Rd. Also single male Blue-billed Duck in different pond. Arthur Carew & John Stirling
	Australasian Bittern Braeside Park The Bittern flew up from reeds about 50 metres ahead of us on the western side of the main wetlands. Nice views in flight and photographed. Headed east and looked to be landing not far away. Owen Lishmund, Steve Lishmund
	Olive Whistler Colquhoun Regional Park (Mississippi Trail) at Oil Bore Crossing, near Swan Reach A pair feeding on Sword Grass fruit and not too concerned about me before moving on. Ken Sherring
Thu 29 May	Barn Owl Pakington St, Newtown Single Barn Owl being jeered by others in a peppercorn tree mid morning. Brett Roberts
	White-fronted Honeyeater, Swift Parrot Rushworth State Forest Single White-fronted Honeyeater heard and subsequently caught and banded at the northern end of Rushworth State Forest, in area of mixed mallee and box-ironbark. Also two separate small flocks of 6 Swift Parrots moving through. Dean Ingwersen
	Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater Trentham Singe bird feeding on Banksias in our garden. Trevor Speirs
Wed 28 May	Grey-crowned Babbler Murray Valley Highway (near Lake Moodemere) A family of seven Grey-crowned Babbler seen in roadside vegetation. Earlier on the same highway there were three Pied Butcherbirds in roadside trees. Nick Talbot
	Regent Honeyeater Chiltern Mt Pilot National Park Following James Mustafa report located Regent Honeyeater in forest adjacent to Ryans road. Did not appear to be a banded bird. Maria Valencia
Tue 27 May	Black Falcon Bacchus Marsh Perching pair of Black Falcons in Grey Box. Possibly the pair from Sat 24/5 (see report #217989). Observed flying from trees at 17:40hrs possibly hunting bats. David Whelan with Bernie McRitchie
	Tawny Grassbird, Black Falcon Woodlands Industrial Estate, Braeside Heard the 'chuk' alarm calls of the Tawny Grassbird intermittently over the course of half and hour in north-western corner of the reedy swamp this morning, the same place I saw it on Sunday. Refused to show itself, perhaps due to the wind. The Australasian Bittern wasn't present, presumably hiding in Braeside Park but a nice surprise was a male Black Falcon passing overhead heading towards Braeside Park Tim Nickholds
Mon 26 May	Australasian Bittern, Magpie Goose Woodlands Industrial Estate, Braeside Following up Tim's report I found the Australasian Bittern soaring over the site upon arrival. No luck with the Tawny Grassbird, but 2 Magpie Geese flew alongside the site and into Braeside providing good views. James Mustafa
	Swift Parrot Ocean Grove Alerted by their calls! 11 Swifties in slow flight, heading east over my home in Teatree Close at 12-45 today. Quite a few street side Yellow gums have come into flower over the past week. I feel this has attracted a few more swifties to the area! Denis Sleep
Sun 25 May	Bar-tailed Godwit (leucistic) Port Phillip Bay (Mud Islands Reserve) A leucistic individual with a flock of approx 50 normal coloured birds, some of which showed traces of breeding plumage. Euan Moore, Jenny Rolland, Tracey-Ann Hooley
	Speckled Warbler Coys Diggings section of Bailieston Historic Reserve 3 Speckled Warblers at Coys Diggings, a species we have not seen here for quite some time. John Barkla, Alison Street & Frank O'Connor
	Tawny-crowned Honeyeater Private property 200m north of Bailieston Historic Reserve A single Tawny-crowned Honeyeater brought our honeyeater tally to 13 species in our trip to Bailieston (the others were New Holland, Black-chinned, White-naped, White-eared, Yellow-faced, Fuscous, White-plumed, Yellow-tufted, Eastern Spinebill, Noisy Friarbird, Red Wattlebird and Noisy Miner). John Barkla, Alison Street & Frak O'Connor
	Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Black-chinned Honeyeater Bailieston Historic Reserve, Bailieston One Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, one White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike and 7 Black-chinned Honeyeaters seen together (and potentially different ones calling later in different parts of the reserve). John Barkla, Alison Street & Frank O'Connor
	Swift Parrot Bailieston Historical Reserve, Bailieston 25 birds (9 in one tree + 16 in an adjacent tree) in view at one time early in the morning and many other sightings of groups of 2 to 6 potentially different birds within the reserve and on the adjacent properties. Whilst we could not be certain they were not from the original 25, our guess was there were potentially up to 50 or 60 birds present. John Barkla, Alison Street & Frank O'Connor
	Powerful Owl Bairnsdale After an unsuccessful night undertaking Powerful Owl surveys, one just flew into the side of my car opposite Clifton Waters Village at Wy Yung. A little dazed and confused it flew off seemingly unharmed. Very atypical Powerful Owl habitat - urban, a few scattered trees, surrounded by farmland and more than 5km from the closest (albeit small) forest fragment. Perhaps in town chasing fruit bats? Rohan Bilney
	Whistling Kite Murray Street Caulfield, near Caulfield Hospital One Whistling Kite flying slowly north against the wind, escorted by a couple of unhappy Little Ravens, about 1:30 pm. Unusual sighting over such a built-up area. Jack Krohn
Sat 24 May	Black Falcon Rowsley Valley A pair seen soaring above the Glenmore Rd, spotted by Bernie McRitchie. A group of trailbike riders were travelling along the paddocks adjacent to the Parwan Creek and they flushed what was likely to be potential prey, as one bird plummeted towards the riders and the second followed soon after. At least one bird was seen by both observers circling at height a short time later. David Whelan with Bernie McRitchie
	Swift Parrot Serendip Sanctuary Four Swift Parrots flew overhead in a north-westerly direction near the office buildings in the early afternoon. There are not many flowering gums at Serendip currently, so presumably they were flying towards the You Yangs. Also some Crimson Rosellas are returning and a female Darter at the billabong. Ruth Woodrow

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