The Golden Whistler - BirdLife...The Golden Whistler Volume 8 Number 7 September 2019 PRESIDENT'S...
Transcript of The Golden Whistler - BirdLife...The Golden Whistler Volume 8 Number 7 September 2019 PRESIDENT'S...
The
Golden Whistler
Volume 8 Number 7 September 2019
PRESIDENT'S REPORT
Spring has sprung and our Currawongs have returned
to the bush nearly four months to the day of their
arrival. Many birds are busy building nests or watching
carefully over their eggs or fledglings.
In the last two weeks I startled a Yellow-tufted
Honeyeater from the middle of a very prickly bush and
there in, the very centre of all the thorns, was a well
concealed nest complete with eggs. At the lunch stop
for the September outing a Spotted Pardalote was
spotted (!!) and on closer inspection we soon found its
well concealed nest hole on the ground below the
scrubby trees. Dot then spied a lovely Grey Fantail
beautifully constructed cup nest high on a branch in
the middle of the forest.
All these birds seemed to have at least mastered the
art of building, maintaining and using a nest this year.
Not so the pair of Magpie-larks at the end of our
garden. At the last count they have tried three times
to build a nest but all have been doomed to failure.
I'm not sure if it is the youth and inexperience of the
birds or the very wet and windy weather that has
caused the failures so far. I am keeping my fingers
crossed for them that they will eventually succeed.
Happy Birding
Susan Mason Breaking news to President's Report
It's up and has survived for three days!! Looks a bit
wonky around the edges but there has been activity in
and out already! Fingers crossed everyone.
NEXT OUTING
DATE: 25-27th October 2019
VENUE: Wilkin Cottage & surrounds
TIME: day excursion 9.30am at Wilkin Cottage
CAMPERS: from Friday afternoon onwards
CONTACT: Annie Carmichael 0488 912 112
PLEASE CONTACT ASAP: if you are going to attend this
weekend even just for a day. There is a spare bunk room with 4 beds, and plenty of room for tents and caravans, please bring sheets and towels. We have the house for 3 nights at $300 with no cleaning fee, tents and vans welcome.
DIRECTIONS: head west out of Casterton, south onto
B160 Glenelg Hwy, after approx' 15km turn south down Grubbed Rd, (road to Mumbanner keep watch for large water tank before Grubbed Rd), turn east onto Durbridges Rd after approx 5.5km, cottage is at the end of this road after a left then right crn, some balloons will be at the turn into Wilken Cottage, if any problems give me a ring on 0488 912 112
Outings will be cancelled on days of Total Fire Ban, Extreme Heat and
other Hazardous Weather conditions
PANYYABYR LANDCARE GROUP
Morning of Saturday 19th OCTOBER
''Finding Nature Event" All are welcome, we would particularly appreciate a BirdLife Hamilton member as Samantha will be away.
We will visit an area, walk through and with the help of
our experienced and patient birdos, work out what we have living around us, and why. We are offering you the opportunity to visit your patch, to help you identify what's there. If you are interested, please contact me ASAP!
Lisa McIntyre Ph 55 749 235 or M 0428 749 235 [email protected]
CONTENTS:
2. Outing Report & Bird List
3. Sightings & Quiz
4. & 5. Correspondence & Local Activities
BirdLife Hamilton monthly newsletter, Editor Samantha Greiner 0428 395 773
Outing Report & Bird List
2 September 2019
NORTHERN GRAMPIANS
After leaving Dunkeld we pulled into Mirranatwa
Hall, to meet a couple of Members. When they
arrived it started to rain pretty heavily and the wind
started blowing, so they decided to go home. After
spotting Black-winged Stilts and Black Swans on the
wetland below the hall Christine, Dot and I decided
to carry on to Moora Moora Reservoir.
When we got to the Dam Wall, no one was there
but the rain had eased so we looked around for half
an hour. On the reservoir we found Little Pied
Cormorant and a White-faced Heron flew in. After
Dot was challenged from identifying a Chestnut-
rumped Thornbill it was off to Moora Outlet Creek
where found Sam, Sue, Kay and her husband Kevin.
Spotted Pardalote nest hole © S Mason
We had a walk along the channel wall finding
Scarlet Robin and a large flock of mixed
Woodswallows overhead, in front of the next storm
front. It was then morning tea while the weather
held and some of Dot's excellent savoury scones to
keep us going in the inclement weather. A quick
visit to Boreang Campground for toilet a break and
then it was off to our lunch stop.
At Red Rock picnic site, while we were trying to eat,
Dot notice a Spotted Pardalote guarding his nest.
Then on a short walk Sue and Dot found a lovely
Grey Fantail nest while hunting for White-browed
Babblers.
Grey Fantail nest © S Mason
We were lucky with the weather, beside the drive to
and between locations, we only had light drizzle on
and off and no wind.
Neil Scott
OUTING BIRD LIST
Black Swan
Australian Shelduck
Grey Teal
Pacific Black Duck
Little Pied Cormorant
White-faced Heron
White-bellied Sea-Eagle
Swamp Harrier
Black-winged Stilt
Masked Lapwing
Gang-gang Cockatoo
Long-billed Corella
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Crimson Rosella
Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo
Laughing Kookaburra
White-throated Treecreeper
Superb Fairy-wren
White-browed Scrubwren
Weebill
Chestnut-rumped Thornbill
Brown Thornbill
Spotted Pardalote
Striated Pardalote
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
Red Wattlebird
New Holland Honeyeater
White-naped Honeyeater
White-browed Babbler
Varied Sittella
White-winged Triller
Rufous Whistler
Grey Shrike-thrush
White-breasted Woodswallow
Masked Woodswallow
Dusky Woodswallow
Australian Magpie
Pied Currawong
Grey Currawong
Grey Fantail
Willie Wagtail
Little Raven
Scarlet Robin
Welcome Swallow
Tree Martin
45 Total Species
Sightings, Obituary & Quiz
Month 2012 3
Dawn Black
White-bellied Sea-eagle and Comb-crested Jacana,
Ord River Cruise, Kimberly, WA, August Heize de Chelard & Family
Highlights of three day camp at Wonga camp Wyperfeld National Park: Regent Parrot, Pallid Cuckoo, Tawny Frogmouth, Mulga Parrot, Australian (Mallee) Ringneck Parrot, 5 Southern Boobook calling at night
& 2 Chestnut Quail-thrush, end of September Liz Fenton
Brolga & Plumed Whistling-duck, south Lake Bolac,
26.09.19 Marlene Greiner
50-60 Masked & White-browed Woodswallow flock flying in front of storm front, Church Hill, Hamilton, 02.10.19 Samantha Greiner
2 Black-chinned Honeyeater and 2 Speckled
Warbler, Woohlpooer State Forest, Mooralla, 21.09.19
4 Red-tailed Black-cockatoo, Edwards Road, Bahgallah State Forest, 28.09.19
Arborline Nursery 3 Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, 25.09.19
Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo, 26.09.19
Hayley Glover
Banded Lapwing, Victoria Point Road, Vic Point, 20.09.19 Wendy Radley
Brown Thornbill constantly chasing his reflection in glass sliding back door, and on our cars, singing loudly all
the time, Kennedy St, Hamilton, Spring
Kevin Williams
25+ male & female White-winged Trillers, Old Reservoir, Parklands Reserve, HIRL, Hamilton, 30.09.19
VALE
Lionel the leucistic Australian Magpie of Strathkellar, it has been reported that he died sometime in August.
© L Fenton 2018
Brown Thornbill ready to feed young in nest © K Williams
BRAIN TEASER OF THE MONTH
THIS MONTH’S QUESTION: How many different
species of cuckoo can we, in the western district of
Victoria, expect to see during spring?
THIS MONTH’S ANSWER: Kay Williams has very
generously supplied the answers to the cryptic
clues from the Gould League's The Bird Lover from
1967: 1. Martin, 2. Swan, 3. Thrush, 4. Pelican, 5.
Robin, 6. Dove, 7. Blackbird, 8. Moorhen, 9. Wren,
10. Petrel, 11. Grassbird, 12. Plover, 13.
Honeyeater, 14. Heron, 15. Pipit, 16. Sandpiper,
17. Finch, 18. Egret, 19. Sparrow, 20. Spoonbill,
21. Myna, 22. Teal, 23. Raven, 24. Starling
Letter of Appreciation & Activities
4 Newsletter Headine
Hi everyone,
Thanks so much for all your work and dedication
that you have shown to the Panyyabyr Landcare
Group, over the last few years, especially with
respect to the Woodland Bird Monitoring.
The data that is being collected will be an invaluable
resource as years go by.
After speaking to Dave a few days ago, we think
that it may be time to alter our program, but just
only a little bit!
We would still be extremely grateful if the Woodland
Bird Monitoring - 20 minute surveys - were still
conducted in Autumn & Spring each year, at the
Oliver's, the Weatherly's and at a farm revegetation
site (to be decided on), as that collection of
information is too important to let slide.
So, rather than invite everyone to ''help'' record
bird species during the 20 min surveys, we thought
Bill & Dave could work out between them when to
do that, and just go off & do it themselves. It
would be more scientific, with less giggling and
story-telling - often off topic!!!
And then we would organise a very relaxed,
informal ''Finding Nature'' event, where we would
invite interested people to visit one site, and spend
a few hours there, looking at birds and talking
about them. We even thought that we could invite
people to offer a site to visit, eg if they were about
to embark on a tree planting project, and the group
could record bird species sighted before the work
began, to give an informal base count to look back
on in coming years and generations.
I would love to hear what you think about this idea,
and hope that you will be interested and able to
help us.
And of course, any comments, ideas & even
criticisms will be well listened too!
Thanks again, we really appreciate the knowledge
and time you have given us already.
Cheers
Lisa McIntyre Panyyabyr Landcare Group
BIRDLIFE HAMILTON
NOVEMBER
Saturday 23th Lake Condah & Tyrendarra
Sue & Neville Mason with Wendy & Peter McDonald
DECEMBER
21st Christmas Lunch
2020's calendar
TBA
BIRDLIFE WARRNAMBOOL
NOVEMBER
Saturday 2nd
ST HELENS
Orford Hall, Orford at 10.00am
Jock & Ros Bromell 03 5568 1327
Thursday 7th
GREEN LINE SURVEY
Picnic area Penshurst-Warrnambool Road,
Hawkesdale 9.00 am
Peter Barrand 0400 692 053
Tuesday 26th to Tuesday 10th December
CHRISTMAS & COCOS KEELING ISLANDS
Contact organisers & leaders for further details
Peter & Rhonda Barrand 0400 692 053
DECEMBER
Saturday 7th
CHALLENGE BIRD COUNT & XMAS BARBECUE
Lake Pertobe 12.30pm
Bird count over 24 hours from 1st December
Peter & Rhonda Barrand 0400 692 053
BIRDLIFE HORSHAM
NOVEMBER
Sunday 3rd
Mt Korong and Wedderburn district
Sunday 17th
November Christmas break-up and AGM
DECEMBER
Sunday 1st
Challenge Bird Count
Contact Deidre Andrews M 0402 317 142
Please meet at the Horsham Library, 28 McLachlan
St, at 8:30am unless otherwise informed; bring
morning tea and lunch, binoculars and wear
appropriate outdoor gear. Please note subject to
change due to seasonal variability
Activities Continued
August 2018 5