Goschen Trip Report and Surrounds

Hi all.

Please see below a trip report for a recent trip (and retrospective information) for Goschen Bushland Reserve and the surrounds area. To see the report with images see my website at http://tim-dolby.blogspot.com.

Goschen Bushland Reserve and Surrounds Trip Report (central-north Victoria)

I have just spent a few days (Nov 2011) at one of my favourite birding location in Victoria, Goschen Bushland Reserve, a small mallee reserve just south between Kerang and Swam Hill. Despite it small size (approximately 25 ha), of all the reserve in Victoria, I think it most comparable to the grassy woodland areas of well know birding sites such as Gluepot Reserve and Round Hill Nature Reserve. When visiting the areas, I usually drop visit a number of other sites in this part of north-central Victoria, including Tresco West Bushland Reserves, Lake Tutchewop, Lake Boga, Round Lake, and a small roadside reserve at Gama.

Goschen Bushland Reserve Once a proposed site for a township, with a church and school – all that now stands at Goschen is a rarely used hall, two tennis courts, and a cricket pitch that’s no longer used. In addition to the township area, some adjoining land has been allowed to regenerate into open grassy woodlands. In the south-west of the reserve there is fenced area containing a communications tower. To get there from the Lake Boga township, take the Ultima-Lake Boga Rd until you reach the Donald-Swan Hill Rd intersection. Go through the intersection, and on your right, there is a dirt tracks leading into the reserve. This loops around through the reserve (past an old hall and tennis court) back to the road 250 m further west. There is bush-camping only at Goschen, however, there is a good caravan park overlooking Lake Boga.

The Flora The flora in the reserve is a mixture of mallee eucalypts and open grassy shrublands. The ground cover consist of native grasses such as Pink Mulla Mulla (Ptilotus exaltus), flowering shrubs such as the Mallee Blue Flower or Rough Halgania (Halgania cyanea), Native Hops (Dodonaea viscosa), Desert Cassia (Senna artemisioides), Inland Pigface (Carpobrotus modestus), and larger trees such as and White Mallee (Eucalyptus dumosa). However, the real specialty of the reserve is Long-leaf Emu-bush (Eremophila longifolia) – also known as Berrigan – a small rough barked tree (usually between two to six metres in height), and vital food source for some of the nomadic inland honeyeaters such as Black, Pied and to a lesser extent, White-fronted Honeyeater. In terms of the commonality of honeyeater species, at Goschen, there is an occasional reversals of status; common honeyeater become scarce, while uncommon nomadic honeyeater – such as Black and White-fronted – becomes common. From a birders viewpoint, it doesn’t get any better than that!

Tresco West Bushland Reserve (discussed in more detail below), known locally as the ‘Daisy Patch’, has a similar range of plant species. Interestingly, on this last tip I stumbled across a small patch of Spinifex (Triodia scariosa). I’ve not seen this species previously at either Goschen or Tresco West, and as far as I’m aware, this is the most south-eastern patch of Triodia in Australia (with the nearest Triodia least 100 km to the north ad west).

The Birds I have visited Goschen Bushland Reserve many times, and it is the usual starting point for our 24-hour Twitchathon. The reason we start there is simple: it is the most southerly site for seeing a range of northern arid-land species such as Black and, occasionally, Pied Honeyeater, Crimson Chat, Cockatiel, Budgerigar, Blue Bonnet, Pied Butcherbird, Yellow-throated Miner and Chestnut-rumped Thornbill. It is most productive in late spring, and summer, especially when there have been some good rains in the region.

On my way to Goschen (when driving from Lake Boga) I usually check the roadside vegetation along Ultima-Lake Boga Rd, where there is a likelihood of seeing Blue Bonnet (yellow-vented race haematogaster), Cockatiel, Pied Butcherbird, Rufous Songlark, Yellow-throated Miner and Spotted Harrier.

A good spot to look for Crimson Chat, Black and Pied Honeyeater is in the west side of the Reserve along the track between the tennis court and the telecommunication tower. Here you may also see scattered flocks of Budgerigar and the occasional Cockatiel. Despite both species being icons of Australia, they are quite uncommon in Victoria, only become apparent during ‘good years’ – when there has been just the right amount of rain, and just the right amount of vegetation growth. This area can also be good for seeing White-browed and Masked Woodswallow, Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Hooded Robin, and White-winged Triller. During good years Peregrine Falcon feast on Woodswallow and Budgerigar, swooping upon them from the vantage point of the communication tower. Little Button-quail can usually be flushed from the grassy area just east of the tennis court, particularly near the over-grown cricket pitch. Here also you can see Budgerigar, Cockatiel, and Peaceful Dove. Immediately east, and south-east, of this grassland area, look for Variegated Fairy-wren, Spiny-cheeked, White-fronted (usually in winter) and Yellow-plumed (uncommon) Honeyeater, Yellow-throated Miner, Red-capped and Hooded Robin, White-browed Babbler, Varied Sittella and Brown Treecreeper, while Australian Owlet-nightjar are sometimes flush from tree hollows during the day, particular in the south-east corner.

The range and variety of birds at Goschen tends to fluctuate from year to year, depending on the amount of rain, the seeding of native grasses, and the availability of flowering plants such as the eucalypts and Long-leaf Emu-bush. Over the last few years, there has been a number of changes in the birdlife, changes that are reflective of the conditions right across south-eastern Australia.

2009 was a superb birding year at Goschen and across northern Victoria. Interestingly, this was not because of good environmental conditions in the state, rather it was because much of Australia was in severe drought, so many of the arid land species, such as Crimson Chat, and the nomadic honeyeater such as Black and Pied Honeyeater, moved to coastal regions in search of food and water. During 2009 15 Pied Honeyeater were seen at Goschen, a rare species in Victoria. Other birds that were regularly seen across southern Victoria were Rufous Songlark, White-winged Triller and Zebra Finch.

By contrast 2010, birdwise, was very quiet in Victoria. The conditions in central Australia were perfect; there had been a lot of rain, so water was plentiful, and there was an abundance of food sources – there was no need to move east and south toward the coast. Parrots in arid Australia did particularly well – such as Budgerigar and rarer species such as Princess and Scarlet-chested Parrot. The inland waters were also covered in thousands of breeding waterbirds; and there was virtually no waterfowl on the east and south coast.

2011 is proving to be another fantastic year in northern Victoria. The reason for this is markedly different from 2009. Rather than Australia being in drought, there is an abundance of water. As the inland areas drying up, birds such as Banded Stilt, that had been breeding at Lake Eyre, are now heading to southerly sites such as Lake Tutchewop (and it won’t be long until the birds are seen at the Western Treatment Plant and Moolap Salt Works). The same goes for many other species, such as such as Budgerigar, Black Honeyeater, Banded Stilt and Grey Teal. Due to the rains, we are also fortunate to have an increase in the numbers of localised species such as Little Button-quail, Brown Quail and Buff-banded Rail.

Tresco West Bushland Reserve – The Daisy Patch Tresco West Bushland Reserve is located 3 km south-west of Lake Boga. To get there take the Lalbert Rd out of town, passing the golf course. The Reserve borders the Lake Boga Golf Course (a good spot for birds), and surrounds the Golf Course Lake. Somewhat similar to Goschen (in terms of birds and vegetation), the habitat around the edges of the golf course includes several stands of Long-leaf Emu-bush, where you can look for Black and Pied Honeyeater, while Little Button-quail occur in areas of long grass around the golf course. Here you may also see Blue Bonnet, Cockatiel, Budgerigar, Pied Butcherbird, Variegated Fairy-wren, Zebra Finch and, occasionally, Crimson Chat and Red-backed Kingfisher. When the water level is just right, the saline Golf Course Lake attracts shorebirds such as Red-necked Avocet, Banded and Black-winged Stilt, Greenshank and Marsh Sandpiper, and flocks of hawking Whiskered Tern (spring). Probably the best spot for woodland birds at Tresco West is the south side of the lake, particularly the south-east corner. To get there, from the Golf Course, continue along Lalbert Rd to the reserves south-west corner. Here several tracks head east – the southern-most track is named Winery Rd. Birdwatch along both tracks for the next kilometre. In spring, this is a good area for Black Honeyeater, particularly in the stands of Long-leaf Emu-Bush, located the grassy woodlands bordering the lakes. Other birds here include Pied Butcherbird, Crimson Chat, Rainbow Bee-eater, Singing, White-fronted and Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, White-browed Babbler, Blue Bonnet, Cockatiel and Budgerigar, occasionally Red-backed Kingfisher, and Zebra Finch.

Other Birding Locations in the Area When visiting Goschen Bushland Reserve, there are a number of other excellent birding locations nearby (discussed below).

Round Lake and the Eremophila Patch One kilometre west of the township of Lake Boga, on the Ultima-Lake Boga Rd, I always stop for a look at Round Lake. Here you may see Whiskered Tern (summer), Black-winged Stilt, Hardhead, Australasian Shoveler, Blue-billed, Pink-eared and Freckled (rare) Duck, Great Crested, Hoary-headed and Australasian Grebe, Great, Intermediate and Little Egret, and, when the water level is low, Australian Spotted and Spotless Crake feed on the muddy edges. Along the roadside here, you can see Yellow-throated Miner, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Tree Martin, and White-breasted Woodswallow. Just north of here, a kilometre along Long Lake Rd, there is a nice patch of Long-leaf Emu-bush, which, when flowering (usually late spring), attract birds such as Black, Singing and Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, White-winged Triller and Rainbow Bee-eater.

Lake Tutchewop The saltbush surrounding the Ramsar-listed Lake Tutchewop supports a healthy population of White-winged Fairy-wren and, in late spring/summer, Orange Chat. The best place to see them is along a track that runs along the western side of the lake (between it and a small water channel). The southern entrance leaves the Murray Valley Hwy, beginning immediately north of the Lake Steggals Rd intersection. The tracks northern entrance starts on the Benjeroop-Tresco Rd – starting immediately after you cross a small water channel 3 km west of the Murray Valley Hwy. Lake Tutchewop is a hyper-saline lake, it is part of the Barr Creek Drainage Disposal Scheme, which divert 550,000 tonnes of salt each year away from the Murray River. Aside from White-winged Fairy-wren and Orange Chat have a look for Blue-winged Parrot, Blue Bonnet, Cockatiel, Black-faced Woodswallow, Brown Songlark, Fairy Martin, White-fronted Chat, and Zebra Finch, and raptors such as White-bellied and Wedge-tailed Sea-Eagle and Marsh and Spotted Harrier. Lake Tutchewop is also major inland site for migratory shorebirds. Some of the shorebirds I’ve recorded here include Common Greenshank, Red-necked Stint, Curlew, Marsh and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Double-banded (winter) and Red-capped Plover, Banded (4000+ in 2011) and Black-winged Stint, Red-necked Avocet and Banded Lapwing. Waterbirds using the lake include Pink-eared and Freckled (rare) Duck, Grey Teal, Australasian Shoveler, Caspian and Whiskered Tern, and occasionally Gull-billed and White-winged Black Tern.

Lake Boga The home of the Catalina (housed in the newly built Hangar), given the right conditions, waterbird can be plentiful on Lake Boga. After years of uncertainty during the drought, in 2010 Lake Boga was reinstated as part of the Mid Murray Storage system (for the Murray Darling River Basin), and was filled with water. It covers approximately 2000 acres and holds in excess of 37,000 mega litres. Here I have seen Great Crested Grebe, Whiskered, Caspian and Gull-billed Tern, Blue-billed, Pink-eared, Musk and Freckled (rare) Duck, Australasian Shoveler, Black-fronted Dotterel, while Blue-faced Honeyeater feed in the trees around the lake. In spring and summer, White-breasted Woodswallow roost on the powerlines around the Lake Boga.

Foster Swamp Just north of Kerang, Foster Swamp, and the adjacent to the Kerang Treatment Plant, at the end of Park St, are worth investigating, particularly in summer when species such as Greenshank, Marsh, Wood, Curlew and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, and Pacific Golden Plover, start appearing in southern Australia. Other birds here include Whiskered and Gull-billed Tern, Australasian Shoveler, Pink-eared and Freckled (rare) Duck, Black-tailed Native-hen, Red-kneed and Black-fronted Dotterel, Australian Spotted and Baillon’s Crake, Black-winged and Banded Stilt, Red-necked Avocet, and White-winged Fairy-wren.

Loddon Weir Just north of Kerang, it is visiting the Loddon Weir, located on Weir Rd. I’ve recorded a nice collection of interesting species here including Gilbert’s Whistler, Western Gerygone, Painted Honeyeater, Red-capped Robin, Grey-crowned Babbler, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, White-breasted Woodswallow and Chestnut-rumped Thornbill.

Back Swamp Located in Kerang, Back Swamp is a series of wetlands between the town and the Loddon River, and there are usually a nice selection of birds here, such as Glossy Ibis, Buff-banded Rail, Nankeen Night Heron, Grey-crowned Babbler, White-winged and Variegated Fairy-wren, Little Friarbird and Blue-faced Honeyeater. Blue-faced Honeyeater is also found in Atkinson Park (in the main street of Kerang), and, when the gums are flowering, there can be large numbers of Musk and Little Lorikeet.

Gama Roadside Reserve Approximately 100 km west of Goschen, another good site nearby for Black Honeyeater is the small roadside reserve at the locality of Gama, on the corner of Gama Sea Lake Rd and the Sunraysia Highway, Again, the best time to look is when Long-leaf Emu-bush (Eremophila longifolia) is flowering, in spring and summer. Despite its size (it hardly seems to be a reserve at all), looks can be deceptive. Aside from Black Honeyeater, other birds I’ve seen here include Brown Quail, Mulga Parrot, Blue Bonnet, Variegated Fairy-wren, Yellow-plumed, White-fronted, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, White-winged Triller, Rufous Songlark, Hooded Robin and White-backed Swallow. This email, including any attachment, is intended solely for the use of the intended recipient. It is confidential and may contain personal information or be subject to legal professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient any use, disclosure, reproduction or storage of it is unauthorised. If you have received this email in error, please advise the sender via return email and delete it from your system immediately. Victoria University does not warrant that this email is free from viruses or defects and accepts no liability for any damage caused by such viruses or defects. ===============================

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