Birdline Victoria Weekly Update

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