Birdline Victoria Weekly Update

Birdline Victoria Published sightings for the week ending 7 Sep 2014. Sun 7 Sep White-winged Triller Long Forest Nature Conservation Reserve One male on Steep Track. Nicole Spillane & Paul Jacobson Painted Honeyeater Newstead township Calling at 10am this morning – first return. Geoff Park Sat 6 Sep Beautiful Firetail Bunyip State Park–Buttongrass Walk Also a pair of Bassian Thrushes, a female Olive Whistler, a pair of Wedge-tailed Eagles and several White-eared honeyeaters. Stephan Megroz Swift Parrot Moonee Ponds Creek (near Fanny Street) in Moonee Ponds A single Swift Parrot in the eucalypts around the park near Fanny Street next to the Moonee Ponds Creek in Moonee Ponds. Chris and Rosemary Lester Fri 5 Sep Rosy-faced Lovebird (Peach-faced Lovebird) Bentleigh East I heard an unusual psittacine call emanating from a plane tree, subsequent investigation revealed a Peach-faced Lovebird perched in the outer branches. Natural colours but obviously an escapee. It flew away strongly. Lewis Hiller Thu 4 Sep Freckled Duck Braeside Park A pair of Freckled Ducks seen swimming in the water in front of the Bird Hide. Also present on or near the water was Hardhead, Grey and Chestnut Teal, Coot, Black Duck, White-faced Heron, Australasian Darter, Purple Swamphen, Little Pied Cormorant and Pelicans. Swamp Harrier and Whistling Kite seen flying overhead. Leonie Proudfoot Wed 3 Sep Grey Goshawk Cape Otway Rd Brett Roberts Eastern Curlew Anderson Inlet, Inverloch. 60 + feeding at low tide, west of Mahers Landing Deb Crosby Tue 2 Sep Freckled Duck GDF Suez Hazelwood Morwell River Wetlands, Morwell One Freckled Duck, a very unexpected sighting in the Latrobe Region, also an Australian Shoveler (male) and a Mallard (hybrid?). Great viewing of a perched adult White-bellied Sea Eagle and an immature in flight. Alix Williams with the Latrobe Valley Field Naturalists’ Bird Group Mon 1 Sep White-winged chough Royal Park, Parkville The lone chough spotted again Chris Nicholson Latham’s Snipe, Freckled Duck Mill Park Lakes Wetlands A solitary Latham’s Snipe at the edge of the water; my first for this season. Also around 12 Freckled Duck; I have seen Freckled Duck here on every visit this year. Richard Arnold Sun 31 Aug Red-browed Treecreeper, Brown Gerygone Wilsons Promontory National Park–Lilly Pilly Gully 1 RB Treecreeper seen and heard in Damp Forest – listed in 4 habitat types old WP National Park bird book by Roy Cooper (1975) but recorded very infrequently in Birdata. At least 7 BGs seen or heard in rainforest and adjacent densely shrubbed Damp Forest – they appear to be very well settled at the Prom. George Appleby Swift Parrot Gilpin Park, Brunswick Still present – possibly 5 birds. Alan Crawford Freckled Duck Blue Waters Lake Reserve, Ocean Grove 25-30 Freckled Ducks were observed roosting around a large willow tree. Brett Ferguson Sat 30 Aug Lewin’s Rail Royal Botanic Gardens (Cranbourne) Heard calling beside the main access road while I was driving from the Australian garden to the Stringybark picnic ground. I stopped and walked back, hearing it calling again. Jackson Airey Grey-Tailed Tattler (possible, confirmation needed) Altona Coastal Park Not 100% sure about my identification – bird was partially hidden behind rocks and quite far away. Bird was located along Racecourse Road, to the left of the ‘bridge’ above the Kororoit Creek. Would love to hear about any other possible IDs for this bird. [Mod note: this record needs confirmation i.e. the bird is most likely a Common Sandpiper, a similar species regalarly recorded at this site. ] Nick Koutoulis Eurasian Tree Sparrows and New Holland Honeyeater Alice Street, Coburg My second sighting of a New Holland Honeyeater in Coburg in six years living here. This one was in a suburban front yard near the corner with Victoria street. Eurasian Tree Sparrows are regularly at this location including one this morning. Nick Talbot Fri 29 Aug Rainbow Lorikeet Alexandra 4 birds along UT Creek and around Lekie Park – a new Alex bird for me. Matt Weeks