Birdline Victoria
Published sightings for the week ending 14 Dec 2014.
Sun 14 Dec Black-eared Cuckoo garden in Yea
Elm tree badly infested with elm beetles was host to Black-eared
Cuckoo, Shining Bronze-cuckoo and Horsfield Bronze-Cuckoo. All visible
at the same time for comparison. Went back later with camera, only
fleeting glimpse of the Shining. I'll try again for photos.
Geoff Leslie
CR Heathwren, BF Monarch, Cicadabird, Brown Gerygone, etc Bunyip State
Park
Some highlights of an otherwise quiet day in the forest included a CR
Heathwren heard briefly along Guide Tk near Buttongrass Walk, a
Black-faced Monarch back for the third year running at the same
location along Ash Landing Rd, Brown Gerygone in quite a few places and
a pair of Cicadabird seen well at Mortimer's.
Steve Davidson - The Melbourne Birder
Spotted Harrier, White-throated Needletail Fairhope (12 km N of
Bairnsdale)
Juvenile Spotted Harrier over paddocks and nearby forest; uncommon
visitor to locality. Needletails have been seen in general area over
last few days, with feeding flock of 75+ over paddocks and forested
ridges in early afternoon ahead of local thunderstorms
Felicity & Chris Healey
Common Sandpiper Girgarre Evaporation Ponds
Single bird seen during a BA Murray Goulbourn visit. Bird flew and we
were unable to relocate it. Photo taken from a great distance and only
attached as a record shot. No public access to the site unfortunately.
Bill & Jackie Morecraft
Eastern Koel Royal Botanic Gardens (Melbourne)
Heard bird calling from area of Arid Garden from 0645 and located high
up in a tall tree. Calling regularly to 0730 then flew further into
gardens.
John Daniels
Sat 13 Dec Magpie Geese Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands--Edithvale
I normally see one or two Magpie Geese at Edithvale but today I counted
eight
Wayne Butterworth
Whiskered Tern Albert Park Lake
Two whiskered tern searching back and forth and plunging into water.
Margaret Lacey
Eastern Koel Selwood St, Hawthorn East
Bird calling incessantly this morning around 8 am.
Tom Tarrant
Fri 12 Dec White-throated Needletail (25) Gardiners Creek Reserve,
Ashwood
25 WTN seen making their way across the Gardiners Creek Reserve trail
around 7.45pm this evening. My first record for this part of the world
James Mustafa, Clancye Milne
Elegant Parrot Little Desert National Park
Two Elegant Parrot first observed behind Merretts Reserve feeding and
drinking in the open farmland. Then over the next hour at least 4 more
birds seen throughout the open woodland bush block of Merretts amongst
at least 40 Blue-winged Parrot. Neophema currently in good numbers in
this area of Little Desert. This was my 400th bird species for my 2014
VicTwitch.
James Mustafa, Clancye Milne
Thu 11 Dec Australian Pratincole Speed
Single Australian Pratincole seen soaring elegantly over the Sunraysia
Highway about a kilometre south of Speed. Light sandy brown coloured
bird with dark black underwings and lighter belly/breast clearly
observed from the car. It continued east across a farming property that
had been recently ploughed. Could not relocate in despite scoping.
James Mustafa, Clancye Milne
Eastern Whipbird Salisbury Street Lang Lang
Whipbird heard calling from Bush ( Lang Lang Rail Trail ) at around
9.00am , heard several times but not located , first heardhere in 20
years of working in area. Very thick undergrowth mostly Blackberries.
Rufous Songlarks still present at Bayles and Eastern Koel still present
in the Frankston North Area.
Colin Mulvogue
Budgerigar Neds Corner Station
Budgerigar seen and heard along the Murray and areas on Lindsay Island.
Small numbers but thought worth reporting as they have been absent from
Victoria for most of this year.
James Mustafa
Eastern Koel Fairbrae Avenue, Belmont
Have heard calls from my backyard in the Highton area a couple of times
from a distance. Located in large pine tree in Fairbrae Ave in
adjoining Belmont, roughly 100 metres in from Roberts Road (-38.169757,
144.330337). I got the impression from the calls that it had moved
around a bit before settling in the tree. Was about three-quarters of
the way up, very well concealed but a clear view of the whole bird was
possible from one angle. First heard it about 7.30pm, sighted around
8pm and kept calling from this position until I left after 15 minutes
or so.
John Watson
Wed 10 Dec Mallee Emu-wren Hattah-Kulkyne National Park--Southern Truck
Stop
Prolonged views of a male Emu-wren as it sat atop a Triodia checking me
out, minutes later another male flew across my path before ducking into
Spinifex, I also heard 2 other birds calling from the general vicinity.
I am unaware of previous records of Emu-wren in this area of the park
Moderators Note: there have been previous sightings of Mallee Emu-wren
reported from this site
Tim Nickholds
Beach Stone Curlew Rocks at Kennett River, Great Ocean Road, Victoria
Close observation of single individual on rocky shoreline at the point
at Kennett River.
Dianne Simmons
Inland Dotterel (4), Pratincole sp. (1) Neds Corner Station
After 6 visits and over 10 nights spent out looking for Inland Dotterel
this year, finally managed to locate some birds along Old Mail Rd
heading out towards to Lake Wallawalla. 3 birds originally located in
the middle of the road (almost ran over first bird) and a 4th bird
flushed from the side of the road when out of the car. Light brown with
dark black stripe on face and breast, slight streaking in wings and
dumpy, fat little bodies. The dotterels all ran off the road and could
not be located once in the salt bush area. Also of interest was a bird
I believe to be a Pratincole species which was located in the middle of
the road near the entrance to Murray-Sunset (heading towards Lindsay
Island). Light brown/tawny colour with dark/black wings when it
elegantly flew up from the road. There has been very light spiting rain
early evening over Neds Corner - I wonder if this has inspired the
activity from the birds?
James Mustafa
Black Honeyeater (9) Ouyen 10' Cell
A minimum of 9 birds seen today in Eremophila around the Ouyen area.
Unfortunately, despite many hours searching, no Pied Honeyeater could
be located.
James Mustafa, Clancye Milne
Long-billed Dowitcher Lake Tutchewop
Still present, but now along the eastern shoreline. Hunkered down in
the stiff wind.
Bill & Jackie Morecraft
Tue 9 Dec Little Button-quail, Red-chested Buttonquail, Stubble Quail
Terrick Terrick National Park
Two nights at Terrick unfortunately did not reveal any Plains-wanderer
but did provide many experiences with Little Button-quail and Stubble
Quail. Second night included a Red-chested Buttonquail, overall darker
bird with rufousy flanks clearly observed when flushed. Large numbers
of White-backed Swallow and Rainbow Bee-eater also observed in site.
James Mustafa, Clancye Milne
Long-billed Dowitcher Lake Tutchewop
Bird still present at the northern end of the lake in the midst of a
flock of around 150 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers. Observed from 14:30 to
15:30.
John Stirling & Judy Leitch
Pacific Koel Suburbia; eastern boundary of Croydon adjoining
Mooroolbark
1820 hours heard a male Koel (Eudynamys orientalis) calling clearly
over about a 5-minute period. Area well treed. Am familiar with species
and its call, from holidays at Narooma and Brisbane.
Robert John Bond
Grey Plover and Banded Lapwing Black Rock Reserve, Barwon Heads
A single Grey Plover on the rocks with 25 Golden Plovers and then
feeding on the beach by itself. Also unusual to find a Banded Lapwing
on the rocks and the beach with a flock of 35 Masked Lapwings.
Margaret & Richard Alcorn
Dollarbird Seymour River Walk
Six birds flying up & down the river and calling loudly. Also heard
Leaden Flycatcher.
Val La May
Budgerigar Kow Swamp
Decided to pull over to photograph a peregrine, when the falcon flushed
up a flock of budgerigar from the native grasses on a farmyard. They
flew into private property and nested in trees before being scared away
again by peregrine. Flock was about 8-12 birds
James Mustafa, Clancye Milne
Mon 8 Dec Glossy Ibis,14 Freckled Ducks, 30+ Musk Ducks Chain of Lakes
on Westbank Road, Leslie Manor
Bob Hughes, Hugh Campbell.
Australian Koel Wangaratta
Another regional Koel record. This time calling along the Ovens River
by Templeton Street. My only other record of this species in Wangaratta
was way back in 1993!
Michael Ramsey
House Crow St Kilda Rd (opposite Shrine of rememberance)
Reported and photographed on powerlines along St Kilda Rd opposite the
Shrine of Remembrance this morning. Also reported along Park Street
recently by James Mustafa and Tim Bawden in the early afternoon.
George Matthias via Victorian Twitchers facebook page
Sun 7 Dec Australian Koel Herring Island
A koel was heard calling strongly near Herring Island this afternoon.
Perhaps the same bird recently reported at the botanic gardens or by
the river at Burnley recently.
Michael Ramsey
Spotted Quail-thrush Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park
Single bird heard calling at dawn from a rocky ridge area in the
southern area of Chiltern - a lovely sound to wake up to.
James Mustafa, Clancye Milne
White-throated Gerygone, Leaden Flycatcher and Satin Flycatcher You
Yangs Regional Park
Some nice birds seen despite terrible conditions for the annual
Challenge Bird Count. Birds all seen on the east side of the park.
Members of the BirdLife Challenge Birdcount team
Grey-tailed Tattler Avalon Beach
Single Grey-tailed Tattler seen both days of the weekend allowing
reasonably close approach.
Members of the BirdLife Challenge Birdcount team
Sat 6 Dec Grass owl Myall
Grass owl was seen again early evening near roadside flying low over
thick waterlogged grass paddocks. More confident with identification
with improved views of long feet and dark wings. It soon vanished into
grass clumps
Eric Finder, Malcolm Eyles
Fri 5 Dec Australian Koel Benalla
Heard calling by the eastern side of the lake during the evening. First
record I know of in Benalla and another record of this increasingly
common species in Victoria.
Michael Ramsey
<HR>
<BR> Birding-Aus mailing list
<BR>
<BR> To change settings or unsubscribe visit:
<BR> http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
</HR>
|
