Birdline Victoria Weekly Update

Birdline Victoria Published sightings for the week ending 18 Jan 2015. Sun 18 Jan Marsh Sandpiper Hird Swamp Wildlife Reserve Eight Marsh Sandpipers in shallows. Also 2 Glossy Ibis and 2 Spotted Crake. Malcolm Cousland Sat 17 Jan Dollarbird Seymour River Walk Dollarbird sitting quietly in a hollow about 30m above ground in a River Red Gum. Another Dollarbird atop a dead tree across the river calling often. Valerie La May possible Grey-headed Lapwing Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park John Hall, photographed this bird in a bird hide near Chiltern NP on the 5th DECEMBER 2014. At this time there are no more details. Attached is an image of the bird in flight. Published to encourage people to look out in the area. John Hall per James Mustafa (Australian Twitchers Facebook Group) Fri 16 Jan Common Greenshank, Glossy Ibis McDonald Swamp Wildlife Reserve Pair of Common Greenshanks in shallows next to drain track near Lancaster Rd. Also 30 Glossy Ibis still present. Malcolm Cousland Freckled Duck Lake Murphy Five Freckled Ducks in southern section seen from east side. Malcolm Cousland Thu 15 Jan Pink-eared Ducks Elsternwick Park, Brighton and Elsternwick Public Golf Course 2 in Golf Course and 1 at Elsternwick Park Lake. Infrequent visitor. Debbie Lustig Sooty Owl Morwell National Park Seen and heard at Billy Creek Weir just after dark. Stayed high in the canopy and hawked (presumably) for insects. Brett Whitfield and Lachlan Clark Pink-eared Duck Banyule Flats Reserve Two birds resting on a log in the middle of the wetland during the afternoon. Only the second time I’ve seen them here. Owen Lishmund Terek Sandpiper Glenelg Estuary, Nelson Single Terek Sandpiper foraging in shallow water beside sand bar with Bar-tailed Godwits, Common Greenshanks and Red-necked Stints nearby. Jane Hayes Eastern Koel Yarra Glen Its call alerted me to it presence – stayed about 5 min emitting its call Stephen Fletcher Wed 14 Jan Grey Goshawk (White Morph) Timboon – Rail Trail Single bird seen approx 500m left from beginning of rail trail track. Adrian de Leiros Horsfields Bushlark Sinclairs Road Rockbank Bushlark seen on farm fence along Sinclairs Road , near Reed Crt. Second sighting in this area in two days. Colin Mulvogue Tue 13 Jan Ground Parrot ( eastern ) Marlo aerodrome Two Ground Parrots were observed on separate occasions during an extended walk around the perimeter of the Marlo aerodrome this morning. Around 0940hrs Jacquie disturbed an adult bird from regenerating heathland vegetation alongside the boundary track while some two hours later around 1130hrs, I flushed another bird from short heathland scrub at the nw corner of this site. An earlier EGBOC Camp noted 6 birds from this same area but recent observations have been few and far between relying almost exclusively on sound records. Len and Jacquie Axen Freckled Duck & Gold-headed Cisticola Cardinia Creek Parklands (North) In pond on other side of western fence – 3 Freckled Duck, Grey Teal, Chestnut Teal, Hoary-headed Grebe, Australian Wood Duck, Eurasian Coot & Purple Swamphen. Around walking track – Gold-headed Cisticola (1 seen, several heard), 3 Black-shouldered Kite, Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Superb Fairywren, Eastern & Crimson Rosella, Red Wattlebird, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. (Also S21327419) Gerard Corkeron Nankeen Night-Heron Tanti Ck, Mornington Single bird observed foraging on bank of creek just after heavy rain stopped at ~3:30pm Neil Shelley Channel-billed Cuckoo Ringwood Was shocked this morning to discover the distinctive sound of a channel-billed cuckoo. I first heard it distantly when still in bed (approx 9.45) which I brushed off as a particularly excited and hysterical kookaburra. Re-heard at 10.20 to the northeast approx. 500 meters away from Norwood Reserve. Perhaps this is the same bird sighted in the area on dec 23. A quick wander down the block couldn’t locate the bird. There are a few large fig trees in the area and many large old pines, similar to the habitat where the birds are seen annually in Berwick. James Mustafa Mon 12 Jan Glossy Black-cockatoo Tulloch Ard Lookout Walk, Snowy River National Park Heard then seen along walking track to Tulloch Ard Gorge lookout, while leading tour with Echidna Walkabout. Feeding on Casuarina. 3 birds seen, with at least 1 adult male Martin Maderthaner White-throated Needletail Warranwood Seen while standing on the roof, at 8pm initially 3 White-throated Needletails cruised over the house from the North heading South in a loose bunch then 10 minutes later a single WtN cruised over from the West and headed North. Jackson Airey Grey Goshawk Colac 10′ Cell 4 individual Grey Goshawk sightings today. First on the way out Carlisle/Colac Road just past the Irrewillipe turn off at 7:30am. Second on Old Carlisle Track about 9am. Third on the way home going through Larpent at 4pm, then the fourth just on the outskirts of Colac at about 4:10pm. Adam Fry Sun 11 Jan White-winged Choughs Viewbank 7 in red gums at end of Martins Lane. This species is rare in middle Melbourne suburbs. Richard Loyn Sat 10 Jan Black falcon Donnybrook Single bird observed flying over John Laffan Reserve (Donnybrook cricket ground) Steve Leonard Mon 5 Jan Long-billed Dowitcher, Pectoral Sandpiper, Banded Lapwing Lake Tutchewop Dowitcher located on the southern end of the lake by a birder from Deniliquin who contacted us immediately. Water levels had greatly receded. However, given the rain in the past few days (writing this report very late), they may well be up again. At least 4 Pectoral Sandpipers and 6 Banded Lapwings were also observed. Simon Gorta, Julian Teh, Owen Lishmund, Meredith Thomas & others