Birdline Victoria Weekly Update

Birdline Victoria Published sightings for the week ending 16 Nov 2014. Sun 16 Nov Long-billed Dowitcher Lake Tutchewop After a long drive with the wife and kids we finally reached Dowitcher ground zero, Lake Tutchewop. Apon ariving there were already quite a few other birders present whom had so far been unsuccess at tracking the vagrant down. It was my 5yr old son Billy who first spotted a strange looking wader off in the distence and once a closer inspection was conducted – EUREKA – we had found it! Tim Faulkner Dowitcher sp. Lake Tutchewop The bird has been seen by many visitors again this morning Simon Starr via facebook Eastern Koel Golden Square . Bendigo A single bird calls regularly aprox 8.00 am most mornings. Moving in a north to south direction. Ken Dredge Eastern Koel corner Curtis and Quick st. Long Gully, Bendigo Began calling early morning. Seen at 8:50 a.m. being chased by wattle birds. Peter Weinstock Banded Lapwing Warmies Boatramp Reserve. Newport.3015. Being harassed by Noisey Miners during gentle rain. 0715. Anne-Maree Burgoine Sat 15 Nov Long-billed Dowitcher Lake Tutchewop (North side) Bird seen around 4:30pm and viewed for about 90 minutes on the north shore of Lake Tutchewop. The bird was observed feeding withe Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Curlew Sandpipers, Red-capped Plovers and the odd Stilt and Avocet. The bird flew off to the north around 6pm in the company of approximately 20 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and could not be relocated. The northern shore site is easily identified because there are two delerict concrete structures between the road and the lake shore at that point. Paul Dodd, Ruth Woodrow, Joy Tansey, Tim Dolby and others Grey Goshawk Wallington White morph adult perched in dead tree about 100m from edge of Bellarine Highway, a kilometer east of Grubb Rd Roundabout Russell Woodford Dowitcher (long-billed?) Lake Tutchewop Dowitcher reported today, south side of lake, sighting taken from Vic birders facebook page, no photo simon starr via facebook Thu 13 Nov White-fronted Honeyeater Greater Bendigo National Park–Kamarooka–Old Distillery Dam Two White-fronted Honeyeaters drinking at the dam along with Purple-gaped, Tawny-crowned, White-eared and Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters. Nick Talbot Banded Lapwing Purdies Rd Wunghnu Observed a pair of Banded Lapwings in a harvested wheat field in Purdies Road north of Wunghnu Catarina Gregson Eastern Koel Kennington – near La Trobe University Heard call at about 7am. Then saw the bird, calling for about five minutes from top of a tree, at about 8.30am. Helen Lunt Banded Lapwing Black Rock Reserve, Barwon Heads 1 Banded Lapwing together with Masked Lapwings, flew from the rocks and landed at the sewage ponds East Blackrock Rd. Svante Martinsson Crested Bellbird and Black-chinned Honeyeater Bung Bong State Forest About a dozen Black-chinned Honeyeaters and half as many Bellbirds seen along with lots of other Box-Ironbark locals during a brief early morning visit down Chadwick Track, south of the Pyrenees Highway, west of Maryborough. Marc Freestone Wed 12 Nov Freckled Duck Winton Wetlands–Duck Pond Fifty or more Freckled Ducks seen at about 9.30am. Accessed the pond from the gate closest to the Glenrowan-Boweya rd as this provides good observing cover esp. in the morning. BirdLIfe Murray Goulburn Hooded Plover Kennett River One bird close to water line at low tide approx. 9am Debbie Worland Eastern Koel Quarry Hill and Bendigo There are at least 2 Koels in the Quarry Hill area and possibly a 3rd in the greater Bendigo area that I know of now. 2 birds heard calling to each other 1 near Harkness St Peel St intersection to another down near Reginald St early this morning. Another up Lily St near 3BO heard soon after. Would like other reports to cross reference and find out how many are here now. Greg McKay Orange Chat Western Treatment Plant (Werribee) 29 Mile Rd. at the first curve from Beach Rd there were 2 Orange Chats on the fence and adjoining wetlands. 90+ species for the day. Gordon McCarthy & Tom Fletcher Dowitcher Lake Tutchewop No reports have been received by birdline today, positive or negative, of the Dowitcher at Lake Tutchewop despite many birders apparently visiting the site. Will update any news as soon as we recieve some. An ebird list entered for today recorded the bird ar 2pm. We can’t confirm whether this is accurate simon starr for birdline victoria Pomarine Jaeger, Arctic Jaeger Ricketts Pt, Beaumaris Among a loose flock of feeding Crested Terns, gannets and gulls offshore from Ricketts Point, I noticed a pale and a dark morph Arctic Jaeger. Also present was a pale morph Pomarine, identified by its much bulkier body shape and larger size (substantially bigger than the Crested Tern it was harassing). Sean Dooley Eastern Koel Gresswell Habitat Link Nature Conservation Reserve Unmistakeable call of a male Koel heard from 6:20am this morning (12 Nov) for about 15mins. Previously heard on the morning of 3 November – just hours before the first report of a Koel in the Royal Botanic Gardens in the City. Reza Mohammed Tue 11 Nov Possible Stilt Sandpiper Cheetham Wetlands (Altona Meadows) Sorry about late report ( no access to net due to work ) . Observed what I first thought a Marsh Sandpiper with a group of Sharp tail and Curlew Sandpipers, a closer look ( about 300mts ) showed a thicker bill and a faint white eye brow , bill slightly curved down , bird same size as Curlew SP. Very grainy pic added . Seen about 300mts South East of Ford from Boardwalk at Sunflower Dve. (Moderator’s note: published to hopefully confirm identify) Colin Mulvogue Grey-crowned Babbler Kerang, Murray Valley Hwy A family of Grey-crowned Babblers was seen at the pull-of on the north side of the Murray Valley Highway about 10 metres after crossing the Lodden River bridge in Kerang. Jennifer Spry, Brian Johnston Long-billed Dowitcher Lake Tutchewop Bird still present. A bit flightier today and alternating between north and south shores of the lake. Well done again to the Sawyer’s for their initial find. Amazing! Dean Ingwersen, Andrew Silcocks and a group of other birders. Eastern Koel Bennet St, Long Gully, Bendigo Photo of Koel and Pee Wee. P. Weinstock eastern koel Bennet street Long Gully, Bendigo 8.00 a.m. calling loudly from elm tree. Chased away by peewees who have a substantial nest in the tree. The bird has been in the area for several weeks and has been sighted around town as per earlier reports. P. Weinstock Mon 10 Nov Beach Stone-curlew Snowy River estuary As we walked along the estuary shoreline at Corringle this evening a Beach Stone-curlew was observed quietly roosting among timber debris some 500m west of the entrance. Given the frequent sightings of this species in Victoria during 2014, it is interesting to speculate just how many are present at any one time. Len and Jacquie Axen American Dowitcher Lake Tutchewop Bird still present at Latitude: -35.499044 Longitude: 143.753457 Waiting on ID confirmation James Mustafa, Scott Baker and Tim Nickholds Short-billed Dowitcher (possible) Lake Tutchewop There is currently a Short-billed Dowitcher in breeding plumage at Lake Tutchewop. Per Joshua Bergmark Sun 9 Nov Brolga Rokewood/Shelford Rd Adult & chick on roadside verge. Approx 2k west past Gumley/Gumley Sth crossroads. A small waterhole very close to road near old bluestone bridge. She took the chick over to the stone wall fence in amongst high Phalaris grass. Male (?) flew onto waterhole when we pulled over. 6pm Peter Warner Wood Sandpiper Killarney Wetlands, Middle Swamp Single Wood Sandpiper observed in the Killarney Wetlands. It was in the swampy area which is to the right of the road when travel towards Killarney Beach. A handful of Sharpies also present. Scott Baker, Kevin Bartram, James Mustafa Sat 8 Nov Leaden Flycatcher Warby Ranges (Booth Winery) Heritage Trail behind Booths Winery. Diamond Firetail was at Ben Warby’s 1857 Sheepwash. Leaden Flycatcher, Varied Sitella were upstream on slope above Weir 3. Sitella chased away by Rufous Whistler, which were very abundant and provided continuous sound screen. Neil Murray Fri 7 Nov Dowitcher sp. (either Long-billed or Short-billed) Lake Tutchewop A Dowitcher sp. either Short-billed of Long-billed has been recorded and photographed at Lake Tutchewop but confirmation of which species is required. Posted here to confirm this sighting and obtain more photos is possible. Eremaea Moderators via Peter Sawyer Sat 1 Nov Eastern Koel Hawthorn Koel has returned to the same pine near corner of Lisson Grove and Through Street for third consecutive year. John Gray