[Birding-Aus] Birdline Victoria Weekly Update

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Birdline Victoria

Published sightings for the week ending 25 Mar 2012.

Sun 25 Mar	Beautiful Firetail, Southern Emu-wren Button Grass Walk, Bunyip State Forest Other good sightings. Approx. 300 White-throated Needletails, some flying only meters above our heads. Rufous Whistler, Mistletoebird, Dusky Woodswallow, Scarlet Robin, Rose Robin & Bassian Thrush. Noel, Lynne, Asha & Brenna Billing. Alex Maisy & Clive Kaplan
	Flame Robin, Jacky Winter, Scarlet Robin, Labertouche Nth. Wonderful autumn spectacle mid-afternoon in farmland at the very edge of Bunyip SP on Labertouche Nth Rd with at least 25 Flame Robin, 8 Jacky Winter, a pair of Scarlet Robin, Yellow-rumped Thornbill flocks and countless Grey Fantail all feeding in paddocks and along fencelines. Steven Davidson - The Melbourne Birder
	Australasian Gannet, Arctic Jaeger Corio Bay Australasian Gannet (2) sweeping back and forth from outer Corio bay to inner harbour Arctic Jaeger (4) Birds circled the boat several times before an adult landed to catch a small salmon just near our boat Hedley Earl
	Hooded Plover Lake Victoria (Lonsdale Lakes Reserve) 9 Hooded Plovers near Quarry, 4 immature. Three groups within 50 M of eachother. One family of 2 adults and 3 imms. No tags oobserved, possibly too far away and only binoculars. Angus Hartshorn
	Freckled Duck, Banded Lapwing, Marsh Sandpiper Burramine South Some great observations at an ephemeral swamp along Lawless Road which has filled after recent floods. Two Freckled Duck seen loafing on some logs over the wetland, a great find. A pair of Banded Lapwing, heard first from a bare paddock to the south then seen overhead. Also two Marsh Sandpipers flushed from grassy shallows as I arrived, surprised to see as it is somewhat late in the season and waders are very rare in this part of Victoria. The wetland in its current condition was a great habitat though, perhaps they were on their way migrating north. Michael Ramsey
Sat 24 Mar	White-throated Needletail Anglesea Heath 5 White-throated Needletail seen low over Coalmine Rd in Anglesea Heath late this morning. Steven Davidson - The Melbourne Birder
Fri 23 Mar	Flame Robin (Immature Male) Front yard of large residential block in Hoppers Crossing 3029. At 0945 hours, observed an immature male Flame Robin (faint orange tint on breast) in Eucalypts and native shrubbery in my front garden. This is the first I have observed for the season. Peter Gibbons.
Thu 22 Mar	Cape Barren Goose Clyde Nth Seen near waterway at new estate on Clyde Rd both Wednesday & Thursday. First sighting in 15 years travelling that Rd. Denise Carew
	Powerful Owl Near the corner of Dorset and Lincoln Rds, Croydon I heard a Powerful Owl calling approx 3am this morning, near my house in Croydon. It was calling for a couple of minutes before it stopped (presumably moved away from area). I had the presence of mind to try and record it calling, but not the presence of spirit to get out of bed. The recording failed also. Why don't I hear them when I am up at that hour? John Harris - Wildlife Experiences
Wed 21 Mar	Blue-faced Honeyeater Castlemaine, Lyttleton Street About 5-6 birds noisily feeding in flowering eucalypts and hopping around on shop front verandahs in the heart of the downtown area of Castlemaine. Lawrie Conole
	Sooty Oystercatcher Ricketts Point After seeing 1 possibly 2 birds at Half Moon bay last week, early this morning there were 3 Sooty Oystercatchers on the rocks at low tide at Ricketts Point. Sean Dooley
	Song Thrush. Hoppers Crossing A 1849 hours, observed a single Song Thrush in company with a male and a female Common Blackbird in my front garden. An uncommon sighting in my area. Peter Gibbons.
	Black Kite, Scarlet Robin Seymour Bushland Park A Black Kite was seen flying overhead & to west of Goulburn Valley Highway. Three Scarlet Robin as well, two males and female together. (Moderators note: a number of recent Birdline Reports and sightings on recently submitted lists indicate there is a minor influx of Black Kites into Victoria at present so keep a lookout for them). Val La May
Tue 20 Mar	Swift Parrot Spring Hill Track, Muckleford State Forest A lone Swift Parrot spotted feeding on flowering Grey Box. This is my first sighting for the season at a known 'swiftie' hotspot. Have been looking out for them for the last week or two without success until now. Good numbers of Little, Purple-crowned and Musk Lorikeets at the same site. Geoff Park
	Superb Lyrebird Jackson's Hill Road, Menzies Creek This evening (6pm) just in front if me a male lyrebird crossed Grantulla Road from Hermon's Corner bushland reserve and wondered up Jackson's Hill Road. A car came up slowly behind him which hurried him a little, but he didn't cross to the nature strip until he was past our driveway and could enter our garden at a place of his previous choosing. This is the third time we or others have seen similar behaviour and assume he is the same lyrebird heard calling in our garden and along Menzies Creek and seen foraging on the mown grass in Hermans Corner reserve in the mornings over the last month or so. In the last two years we have sporadically heard Lyrebirds in Winter but never for long, previous to this there is no recent local knowledge in the Menzies Creek catchment. Is this the reward for the improvements to the local native habitat over the last ten years? Will Ashburner
	Little Eagle Epping Plaza Car Park Little Eagle (1) Dark phase eagle loving the strong winds, fairly low over V.R. Michael Reserve. (In the middle of suburbia.) Bernie McRitchie
Mon 19 Mar	Blue-winged Parrot, Elegant Parrot Corner of the Nhill-Harrow Rd and Northern Break track 100+ flock of Blue-winged Parrots including some Elegant Parrots feeding in heathland and roosting in a small patch of Stringybark woodland located on unsignposted track opposite Dahlenbergs Mill track. Nicole Spillane & Paul Jacobson
	White-throated Gerygone, Rose Robin, Painted Button-quail Newport Lakes Park Plenty of activity this morning with a brilliant autumn mixed-species flock in bushland up on west hill overlooking the Amphitheatre consisting of a rather wayward WT Gerygone, Rose Robin, Rufous Fantail, several Spotted & Striated Pardalote, Golden Whistler, parties of Silvereye and many Grey Fantail. The Painted Button-Quail was in dry leaf-litter in the shallow depression alongside path down to main lakes. Steve Davidson
Sun 18 Mar	Swift Parrot Brisbane Ranges National Park Single bird heard calling in flight at Durdidwarrah Rd near Koala Track at 0850. Single bird called briefly at 0940 (unseen but seemed to be stationary) at Waterhole Track approx 500m from Durdidwarrah Rd at; adjacent to Barwon Water land. Calls all came from the same spot, and there were lots of flowering eucalypts in the area (mostly Manna Gum I think). Both records may have been of the same bird. Grace Lewis
	Mallefowl Little Desert Mallefowl present at Little Desert NP at the weekend. Also seen amongst Malllee regulars were several species which must be at the southern edge of their ranges - Spotted Nightjar, Aus. Ringneck, Budgerigar, Bluebonnet, Splendid Fairy-Wren, Variegated Fairy-Wren. Gilbert's Whistler common. Brian Johnston
	Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey Plover & Common Tern Western Treatment Plant, Werribee Single Black-tailed Godwit with Glossy Ibis in third pond east of Little River ford, 5 Bar-tailed Godwit and 6 Grey Plover in the Spit Nature Conservation Reserve. 52 Common Tern at Kirk Point. John Barkla & BirdLife Yarra Valley members
Sat 17 Mar	4 Brolgas Kytanga Farm & Wetlands - private property Widespread and common in the N. & N.E Australia, uncommon in the South. We were taken by a member of the Timboon Field Naturalists Inc during a 3-day camp out for S.E.A.N.A . The birds were seen on a tour around the privately-owned farm, house and property classified by the National Trust. The tour was around sites in the Camperdown area, Derrinallum and Lake Toolirook. It was discuused during the tour that Brolgas were getting hard to see now in the South. Cecily Falkingham
	Procellaria sp, Pomarine Jaeger, Australasian Gannet etc Cape Nelson 1 Procellaria sp seen flying westward about 900 hours. Dark with whitish bulbous bill, large and chunky bird, with short tail. Almost certainly White-chinned Petrel, but I defy anyone to see the tiny white chin or lack of dark tip to bill from shore. 1 adult Pomarine Jaeger in breeding plumage. Also a stream of Fluttering & Short-tailed Shearwaters going westward in equal numbers, about 300 each. 12 Shy Albatross, 4 Black-browed. 3 Kelp Gulls, 2 Sooty Oystercatchers. Australasian Gannets coming extremely close, too close to photograph sometimes! Hundreds going west. Also Forest Ravens stooging around cliffs, 1 Australian Hobby were other highlights. Kevin Bartram
	Brown Quail Lilydale Railway Station Female Brown Quail walking around on the station platform at 4.30am. David Spicer
Fri 16 Mar	White-throated Needletail, Glossy Ibis Western Treatment Plant, Werribee Approximately 20 Needletails on 29 Mile Road, Glossy Ibis just east of Little River ford John Barkla, Keith & Lindsay Fisher

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Birdline Victoria

Published sightings for the week ending 1 Apr 2012.

Sun 1 Apr	Hooded Plover Surf Beach, Inverloch 4 Hooded Plovers on the beach at the end of Surf Parade, near Flat Rocks. Deb Crosby
	Rufous Fantail Williamstown In a tree along side the railway line by Railway Place, Williamstown at 7.15 am. Shona Innes
Fri 30 Mar	Sooty Owl Badgers Weir, Healesville Falling bomb and chittering calls from 2 birds heard just before dawn at gates to Badgers Weir, Healesville. Also there a Southern Boobook vocalising. On nearby Mt Donna Buang a magnificent Olive Whistler seen up close, with 2 Pilotbird nearby. Several parties of Flame Robin foraging on tracks, lots of Rose Robin still present and vocal, and many Yellow-faced Honeyeater moving through on migration.

Steven Davidson - The Melbourne Birder

	Eastern Curlew Offshore from Mt Eliza 1 bird seen flying south. George Appleby
	Red-capped Plover & Flame Robin Lake Victoria, Point Lonsdale Five days ago I saw an active Red-capped Plover chick that had hatched that day or the day before. (I had been watching the nest for three weeks). The second egg was abandoned. Two days ago and again today there has sadly been no sign of the chick . A lone Female Flame Robin has been seen two days ago and again today. Robin Spry
	Swift Parrot Teatree close Ocean Grove 2 Swifties feeding in Yellow Gum,two doors from my home this morning. Only stayed a short period. Denis Sleep
	Flame Robin (f) McCallums Creek, Red Lion 3371 Earliest sighting I've had of this usual winter visitor. Lovely! Jenny Lacey
Thu 29 Mar	Australian Bustard State Forest to the south of Big Desert Wilderness Park Single bird observed along Red Bluff Track in low Heathy Mallee Warren Tomlinson and Nathan Kay
	Blue-winged Parrot, Beautiful Firetail Yellingbo NCR App 20 birds feeding among flowering eucalypts and on track beneath. Present from 12.00 - 4.00 p.m. Most appeared to be juveniles.Single Beautiful Firetail feeding and drinking near B-wings. Bassian Thrush and Brown Goshawk other good sightings on the day. Arthur Carew, John Barkla, Keith & Lndsay Fisher, Mark Caruana
	Kelp Gull, Yellow-faced Honeyeater Western Treatment Plant, Werribee First year Kelp Gull near the boat ramp at the end of Beach Rd. My first here in 26 years of visits. Whilst watching this bird we heard the distinctive chip, chip contact call of a Yellow-faced Honeyeater and turned around to see 2 moving low through the wetlands from the south, most likely on migration. Steve Davidson - The Melbourne Birder
	Little Eagle (Pale Morph). Mt Pleasant, Ballarat Single bird soaring over our property at 1200 hrs. Rarely seen in this area. Warren Palmer
Wed 28 Mar	Rose Robin Pound Bend Reserve Warrandyte A male Rose Robin - about 200m north of the picnic area. A first for this section of the Yarra for us. John Young
	Little Corella Berwick 10' Cell Little Corella 200+ on grassy roundabout Berwick-Cranbourne Road and Sladen St, Berwick. More in trees nearby. Debbie Lustig
	Grey Goshawk, Silvereye, Flame Robin, Pied Currawong, Grey Currawong Ocean Grove Nature Reserve White morph Grey Goshawk briefly glimpsed in flight as it burst from cover with Grey Shrike-Thrush sized prey in talons in vicinity of Information Centre (along W side). Also small flock of Silveryeyes along N boundary one of which clearly had very dark and richly coloured chestnut flanks indicating a Tas race bird, though not all birds were so obviously coloured. Also two Pied Currawongs seen along N boundary with black rumps and very limited white in wings. Grey Currawongs seen and heard in vicinity and single "brown" Flame Robin along N boundary. Also male Rufous Whistler, and nearby a female, seen in vicinity of Information Centre. Craig Morley, Rob Ganly
	Caspian Tern Altona Beach Single Caspian Tern in flight being harassed by Silver Gull during Silver Gull feeding frenzy not far off shore. Paul Randall (wingsonwire.com)
	Whistling Kite Tikalara Park, Templestowe Whistling Kite (1) Cruising over the ridge. Birds agitated by it. Unusual in the area. Sonja Ross
	Black Falcon Western Treatment Plant, Werribee A pair of Black Falcons soaring over paddocks to the south of the Beach Rd gate. Joined by a third Black Falcon to give a brief aerobatic display without evidence of malice. Dispersed in different directions. [Ed note: the presence of three birds seem to indicate that Black Falcon have successfully breed in the region around the WTP. TD] Peter Thomson
Tue 27 Mar	Royal Spoonbill Royal Park Wetlands New to this area? [Ed note: yes, it does appear to be the first record of Royal Spoonbill at Royal Park. There have been several recorded from the Albert Park, a few from near the mouth of the Yarra River, and from Williamstown.TD] Jan Thomas
	Freckled Duck, White-winged Black Tern Western Treatment Plant, Werribee 7 Freckled Duck were loafing and preening on Lake Borrie opposite Paradise Rd Lagoons around 10am, and there were 37 White-winged Black Tern on Lake Borrie and adjacent ponds, with several rapidly gaining alternate plumage. Fairly quiet around the plant with few waders remaining, no Common, Fairy or Little Tern seen, Pink-eared Duck numbers down on Borrie, only one Aus. Spotted Crake and no Buff-banded Rail seen or heard.

Steven Davidson - The Melbourne Birder

	Brolga Calivil Creek Brolga Wetland, Hampsons Road 10 feeding with ravens in paddock on corner of Boort-Pyramid Rd and (east of )Hampson Rd Malcolm Cousland
	Swift Parrot Royal Park Several birds heard, and one seen, along Park St (east of the tram line). Also large numbers of Rainbow and Musk Lorikeet, all feeding on flowering Spotted Gum. Tim Dolby
Mon 26 Mar	Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Mistletoebird, Weebill, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Brown Quail Eastern Park, Geelong Total of 140 Yellow-faced Honeyeaters moving through in generally W direction in small flocks 2s up to 25 from 09:15 until 11:25. 1 White-naped Honeyeater at 11:25. other highlights in this beaut urban parkland: Mistletoebird moving through, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (rare) heard in Geelong Botanic Gardens and a Weebill (rare) in vicinity of Geelong Conference Centre, also Gang-gang Cockatoos incl ad male feeding a begging juv male. Six Brown Quail reported earlier in day(Ben) and Rose Robin (M and F) on 25/03 and Rufous Fantail on 24/03(Jenny). Craig Morley, Jenny Possingham, Ben Wilkinson
	Hooded Plover Point Franklin, Great Otway N.P. 5 birds foraging on beach, also one Double-banded Plover. Keith & Lindsay Fisher
	Magpie Werribee 3030 For the second time this year I had the pleasure of watching an Albino Magpie feeding with the other local Magpies that frequent my back yard. He's VERY white and where he should be Black, he is a lovely Caramal Colour :) The photos are not the best as I had little time to react so I used the zoom on my Nokia phone.............. Vanessa Robinson
	Little Corella Hawthorn A large flock of Little Corellas (200-300) decended on Carson Crescent and Burton Avenue, Hawthorn, today, making quite a mess. John Gray
Sun 25 Mar	Rufous Fantail, Crested Shrike-tit, Rose Robin, Speckled Warbler, Spotless Crake Long Forest Flurry of activity near Long Point. Several Spotless Crakes heard in dense reed beds along Comadai Ck. Mike Tesch
	Australasian Bittern Saunder's Landing, Lower Glenelg National Park I was just over for our annual school camp kayaking lengths of the Glenelg River - the kids make their own kayaks in Year 7! I am a birdwatcher myself, and was excited to watch the first Australasian Bittern I have ever seen. It was bigger than I expected, and flew among some of the trees and down to the reeds around Saunder's Landing. The kids found it quite exciting as well. A great suprize! Tim Badger
	Wandering Albatross, Brown Skua etc At sea off Portland One magnificent Wandering Albatross, one Brown Skua harrassing shearwaters and a Giant Petrel species. Was difficult to get a good look at most species because the primary task was tuna fishing! Plenty of Shy, Black-browed and Yellow Nosed Albatross about along with smaller petrels, storm petrels and gannets. Most birds out along the 500-1000m line. Adam Dixon
	Gilbert's Whistler, Chestnut-rumped Heath-wren, Diamond Firetail Bailieston A fairly quiet day, apart from a flurry of birds in one go on the western ridge overlooking Bailieston. First a pair of Chestnut-rumped Heathwrens, then an immature Restless Flycatcher accompanied by an immature/female Gilbert's Whistler (pictured) & then a family of 8 Diamond Firetails, juveniles included. Kevin Bartram
Sat 24 Mar	Black Falcon Benalla - eastern edge of town A single bird putting up a large flock of Galahs late in the afternoon. Other raptors recorded were a single Black Kite, 2 Black-shouldered Kites and a Brown Goshawk. Possible first record of the species for the township. Most recent record for the Benalla area appears to be from 1993 in the Atlas of Victorian Wildlife. (Moderators note: Black Falcons have been recorded from Benalla before, most recently from the tip in 2009 in Eremaea records. They are frequently seen around Winton Wetlands and St James to the north). Martin O'Brien
Sun 18 Mar	Grey Goshawk Narringal East, on Cobden-Warnambool Rd 1 White morph Grey Goshawk seen perched in a tree on side of road. Unfortunately took off before I could get a photo. Kevin Bartram
Sun 11 Mar	Pilotbird Cape Conran Coastal Park Pilotbird (1) Hopping around picnic area at old Joiners Homestead, quite late in afternoon (5pm). Stayed in area for some time, giving plenty of clear views. It has been ages since I've seen this species in East Gippsland - good to have them back! Janine Duffy