It’s a fair bit further north than Balnarring Patrick, but I had a Weebill at
Bowen Parkway, Waterways on January 30 this year.
It surprised me a bit, because we don’t get them that close to the coast in my
neck of the woods in NSW. I picked it up by call and then photographed it to
make sure I wasn’t dreaming. There was no doubt about it’s identity.
The following day I had a Diamond Dove at the same site, which I took be an
escapee, and inquiries backed up my hunch as the most likely explanation. I
mentioned seeing the Weebill and no-one batted an eyelid, so assumed it was
normal. The photo was no oil-painting and since the sighting appeared to be run
of the mill I ditched it….
On subsequent visits I’ve had Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters at the same general
location as well, which suggests there is a somewhat inland influence
persistent in that neck of the woods, although I’m not sure if Spiny-cheeked
Honeyeater isn’t a well known suspect locally.
Kind regards,
Allan
> On 15 Apr 2018, at 5:37 pm, Patrick Scully <> wrote:
>
> Hi All,
> And thanks Mike. I had thought that if anyone knew about Weebill on the
> Mornington Peninsula, who would know better than yourself. My wife's aunt
> is the Anglican Vicar at Balnarring and said that when she moved there in
> 2007, that she had Weebill in the garden but then a family of Butcher Birds
> moved in and that was the end of them. She has a field guide but is not
> what I would call a birder, in the sense of seeking out birds and I'm not
> sure that she even owns any binoculars. When I suggested that they may
> have been Thornbills, and described Weebill as having a white eye, she
> mentioned seeing the white eye. After reading your email, I wonder if she
> may have been seeing Buff-rumped Thornbill.
> Would you know if they are more common on the Mornington Peninsula Mike?
> All the best,
> Patrick Scully
>
>
> On Sun, Apr 15, 2018 at 1:23 PM, Mike Carter <> wrote:
>
>> Regarding the status of Weebill on the Mornington Peninsula in my time
>> here since 1964 it has never been common or widespread. Several decades ago
>> I saw them around Devils Bend Reservoir but I don't think they are there
>> now. I also seem to recall seeing the species at least once at the
>> Langwarrin Reserve. The booklet 'Where to Find Birds around Frankston and
>> the Mornington Peninsula' edited by Larry Wakefield published by the
>> Mornington Peninsula Branch of the Bird Observers Club in 2006 listed it as
>> a vagrant. There is only one record for the Edithvale - Seaford Wetlands; a
>> bird photographed at Seaford within the last 5 years by Andrew Silcocks. We
>> have never seen it at the Eastern Treatment Plant but there is little
>> suitable habitat for it there. I am not particularly familiar with the
>> Balnarring region but would be surprised if it was regular there.
>>
>> Mike Carter, 03 5977 1262
>> 181/160 Mornington-Tyabb Road
>> Mornington, VIC 3931, Australia
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Birding-Aus On Behalf
>> Of Patrick Scully
>> Sent: 14 April 2018 7:49 PM
>> To:
>> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Range of Weebill
>>
>> Hi All,
>> I posted a photo that Kevin Bartram took at Kamarooka of a Weebill on my
>> Facebook page and my wife’s aunt made a comment that she used to have them
>> in her garden at Balnarring, on the Mornington Peninsula. I know that the
>> Weebill is found over pretty much all of mainland Australia. Would anyone
>> know if they can be seen on the Mornington Peninsula? The other thing I’m
>> wondering about is the exact place that the Brevirostris race finishes and
>> the lovely more yellow Flavescens race starts? I’ve looked at both the
>> Morcombe app and Pizzey app maps and to me it is a little unclear.
>>
>> Ken Haines and I had an enjoyable time last September seeing Flavescens at
>> Mica Creek, Mt Isa.
>> Happy birding,
>> Patrick Scully
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