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South East

Number 68 December 2013

Tawny Frogmouth near river at Dimboola Camp. Photographer Angela Jones

Morning tea was at Ebenezer Mission where Dimboola Campout Jonathon Starks gave us a local history lesson and then off to Jeparit, to where the Wimmera River flows into Lake Hindmarsh – sometimes. The birds October 4-7, 2013 here were the usual coastal type with large groups of Pelicans and Whiskered on the sandbars in If anyone was to ask me ‘how far away is the Lake except for some Babblers and a Gilberts Dimboola?’ I would have to estimate between 8 Whistler that was heard as we were leaving, and 13 hours away, depending on how many apparently this can be a difficult to see for Birders are in the car and the quality of the some, a bit of playback ensured we all got a look at wildflowers in season. I would highly recommend this agitated little bird. the long drive, it seemed we were hardly in the car, such was the roadside entertainment! Contents On the Long weekend our group of 7 ventured to the Wimmera. Our hosts were Birdlife Horsham, we 1. Dimboola Campout (plus bird lists) were in good hands. We thought we were in for a 5. Evening with Sean Dooley (plus outings and bird lists) good day Saturday when a morning stroll along the 7. Last Big Trip Wimmera River in the Dimboola Caravan Park produced a Tawny Frogmouth nesting on the end of 8. Birding on Lord Howe Island (plus bird list) a branch overhanging the river. 9. Bird Quiz Answers Our 4 hosts arrived at 9ish and our first stop was 11. Wandilo Pasture Strip rehabilitation site Bill Middleton Roadside Reserve, a little gem just 12. Wader Notes North of Dimboola. The Chestnut-rumped Thornbills were a delight to watch and at last a 14. Nature’s Notes Thornbill that was easy to ID. With 24 bird 15. Postcard from Gloucester Tops and gorgeous wildflowers, we were off to a good 16. Sightings, Calendar of Events and Contacts start. Birds South East

about revegetation and Mistletoe birds. I got a bit off task but caught up to the real birdos in time to see 5 male Trillers together, I enjoyed the Rufous Songlark , then back for lunch. Don’t think about daylight saving – it’s not too early for lunch! As we were about to leave after lunch someone yelled that there were Whitefaces at the water, (Whiteface what?) but I was very distracted by the Angela Jones Lace Monitor I just noticed hanging in a nearby gum tree, the locals waited while we southerners Then to Four Mile Beach Camping Area a short took many photos of the impressive reptile. distance around the Lake where we sheltered from the wind in a manmade structure while lunch was Angela Jones taken. We were slightly distracted by the fleeting sights of Regent and Rainbow Bee-eaters but our hosts were intent on lunch not being rushed as they knew where the Parrots were likely to be, and they were right. Just a stroll away was a nesting pair who took their photo call like professionals.

Angela Jones

“Would you like to see if the Splendid Fairy-wrens were nearby?” Yes please. Wow bird. And they I didn’t get a look at the Whiteface as a big reptile were right where Ian and Tim said. Variegated wins any day for me. We were dragged away by Fairy-wrens were there too but a bit quick for me. the locals keen to show us the waterhole, all On Sunday morning the mate of the nesting present got good looks at Diamond Firetails, Frogmouth was spotted in a nearby tree. We another impressive bird. We walked through a anticipated another good day ahead. We joined the Callistemon (real bottlebrush) thicket and were Monthly outing of the Horsham bird group to Snape treated to good looks at a Rufous Whistler on the Reserve near Dimboola. There were 18 people way back. We were then allowed a five minute stop strolling through this ‘Trust for Nature’ site, with to look at Orchids; I successfully negotiated this many diverse habitats providing an impressive bird into a 10 minute stop, many photos taken. list of 53 species for the day. I saw Jacky Winters When we returned to the hut/lunch site the Lace and Rainbow Bee-eaters, then Red-capped Robins, Monitor had changed trees and was on the same Pardalotes, Mistletoe birds. I didn’t see the tree as another Lace Monitor, not quite as big but Southern Whiteface that caused some confusion in equally impressive. Cue more photos. Guess which our ranks, but I did see the Variegated Fairy-wrens Mt Gambier birdo got the closest to the reptiles. doing what all Fairy-wrens do. After morning tea Clue: She was earlier told off by a Horsham we walked through an area that had been success- gentleman for sticking her hand into every hole in fully direct seeded, lots of birds and lots of chat

2 December 2013 Birds South East every tree she found. The outing was over but with Spotted Harrier daylight saving on our side 6 Southerners went to Magpie Wail State Forest just a few kilometres from Dimboola. Slight confusion over the short loop and Southern Boobook (H) the long loop took us on a beautiful wildflower walk to the top of a rise in the otherwise flat country. Bill Middleton Roadside Reserve 5/10/13 Birdlife Horsham are a friendly bunch of people who Jacky Winter showed us their favourite sites and some of their Rufous Songlark best birds with the odd reptile and a few wildflowers too. Our thanks to John and Fiona Starks, Tim Red-rumped Mintern, Ian Morgan and Birdlife Horsham members Chestnut-rumped Thornbill and the Snape Reserve Management Committee for a great weekend; also thanks to Bob Green for White-plumed Honeyeater organising us, sorry you were unable to make it, Brown Treecreeper Gilbert says Hi. A great weekend and it only took me 8 hours to get home. Brown-headed Honeyeater By Angela Jones Magpie BIRD LISTS FOR DIMBOOLA Singing Honeyeater CAMPOUT Superb Fairy-wren Masked Woodswallow Dimboola, 5-7/10/13 White-browed Woodswallow Singing Bushlark Fantail Eastern Rosella Weebill Noisy Miner Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Grey Fantail White-plumed Honeyeater Noisy Miner Magpie-lark Common Bronzewing Welcome Swallow Kookaburra Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Tree Martin Long-billed Corella Fairy Martin Clamorous Reed-Warbler Red Wattlebird Tawny Frogmouth Purple-crowned Lorikeet Coot Grey Shrike-thrush Dusky Moorhen Wimmera River, Jeparit (The Wier/Lake Wood Hindmarsh Estuary) Rainbow Lorikeet Little Black Cormorant Musk Lorikeet Great Cormorant Kookaburra Whiskered Galah Reed Warbler Crested Pigeon Grey Shrike-thrush Pardalote White-browed Babbler Pacific Black Duck Pelican New Holland Honeyeater Coot Brown Treecreeper Caspian Tern

December 2013 3 Birds South East

Black-tailed Native-hen Brown Treecreeper Black-fronted Dotterel Superb Fairy-wren Pacific Black Duck Variegated Fairy-wren Silver Gull Spotted Pardalote Masked Lapwing Striated Pardalote Red-capped Plover Weebill Whistling Kite Chestnut-rumped Thornbill Grey Teal Yellow-rumped Thornbill Gilberts Whistler Yellow Thornbill Great Egret Southern Whiteface Four Mile Beach, Lake Hindmarsh Red Wattlebird Grey Teal Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater Regent Parrot Noisy Miner Black Kite White-plumed Honeyeater Splendid Fairy-wren Brown-headed Honeyeater Variegated Fairy-wren New Holland Honeyeater Rainbow Bee-eater White-fronted Honeyeater Galah Tawny-crowned Honeyeater Red-rumped Parrot Jacky Winter Horsefields Bronze-cuckoo Red-Capped Robin Tree Martin Hooded Robin Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater Southern Scrub-robin Starling White-browed Babbler Magpie Varied Sittella Australian Raven Rufous Whistler Grey Shrike-thrush Snape Reserve, 6/10/13 Restless Flycatcher Emu Magpie-lark White-necked Heron Grey Fantail Wedge-tailed Eagle Willie Wagtail Masked Lapwing White-winged Triller Common Bronzewing Magpie Peaceful Dove Aust Raven Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo White-winged Chough Galah Diamond Firetail Eastern Rosella Mistletoebird Red-rumped Parrot Welcome Swallow Fan-tailed Cuckoo Rufous Songlark Laughing Kookaburra Silvereye and Rainbow Bee-eater

4 December 2013 Birds South East

AN EVENING WITH SEAN DOOLEY

A great crowd of around 70 people turned up to the much publicised “An Evening with Sean Dooley”. After I introduced our group, what we are about, and how we came about, I then gave a brief introduction to Sean and handed over to him. What followed was about an hour of extremely good and funny storytelling of his quest for the Australian record, and the magical 700 mark, told in a way that combined facts about the birds and locations, with some very humorous aspects of birdwatching in general and some specific to his own experiences. For those there who could forget his untimely toilet break (in the middle of nowhere) coinciding with a procession of around 80 cars going past (the Variety Club Bash), and the pants down antics that followed as he finally glimpsed the grasswren he was after.

Wayne Bigg

Sheila Boyle

Outing to Telford Scrub CP and Pick Swamp (with Sean Dooley) The day began with 12 birders at Telford Scrub CP, taking the eastern boundary track, navigating the Wayne Bigg swamp in the SE corner, following the eastern fire trail and returning along the inner track. We As he also does in the book, Millicent’s Adrian Boyle managed 54 species all up with seven of those got a mention, and with Adrian’s Mum & Dad in the being seen outside the fence line of the park, all of front rows luckily Sean didn’t give away too many this within a two hour period as I was under threat secrets. of harsh punishment if a morning coffee break was not factored in. I thoroughly enjoyed the night and from all the feedback I received it seems everyone was in Highlights were Sacred Kingfisher seemingly on call agreement, a definite success from our groups’ as we had just discussed them when a pair called perspective in terms of publicity and all round and sat in the open for us to view at good range. entertainment. Both whistlers calling regularly, although seeing them was a bit tougher but we did manage good Sean brought a supply of his three books with him, views, Rainbow Lorikeets which I don’t often see at selling out of one. I have just finished reading Telford’s made a mad dash though the canopy and “Cooking with Baz” and can highly recommend it to at one particularly good spot, Varied Sittella, Jacky anyone, a well told true story of family and Winter, Crested Shrike-tit and Blue-winged Parrot relationships. were spotted. I must thank all those who helped on the night, and We made it back to the car park where to Nature Glenelg Trust, and all the people who set refreshments were had, and then we decided to up and manned stands at the end of the night. Well grab food and drinks on the way through Mt done. A big thanks to Fiona Blandford (Branch Gambier and re-adjourn at Pick Swamp at 1215pm. Liaison Officer- BirdLife ) for joining us for the weekend as well. At Pick Swamp there were 13 of us and the main part of the swamp looked relatively quiet so we By Bob Green headed around the eastern end of the swamp in

December 2013 5 Birds South East search of Emu-wrens, no luck there but we did Grey Fantail manage to spot an Australasian Bittern flying low Sacred Kingfisher over the swamp which landed a few hundred metres away and instantly vanished into the reeds. We Crimson Rosella went over the dunes to check the beach and ocean White browed Scrubwren where a pair of Pied Oystercatcher was seen, along with numerous dead Short-tailed Shearwaters Fantail Cuckoo scattered along the beach. Grey Shrike-thrush

Fiona Blandford White throated Treecreeper Golden Whistler Rufous Whistler Black Duck Welcome Swallow White eared Honeyeater Tree Martin Red browed Finch Crested Pigeon (o’side) Common Blackbird Sean picked out a Shy following a cray Silver Gull (o’side) boat, and what were probably shearwaters also following. A lot of discussion surrounded one raptor Spotted Pardalote that at first glance had everyone thinking Swamp White naped Honeyeater Harrier but closer inspection showed this bird actually had an all-white tail and was in fact a Eastern Yellow Robin Spotted Harrier with some aberrant . On New Holland Honeyeater the way back to the cars we heard but couldn’t manage a look at some very secretive Southern Laughing Kookaburra Emu-wrens. Black faced Cuckoo-shrike From Pick Swamp we headed around to Piccaninnie Eastern Rosella Ponds to show Sean and Fiona the famous ponds, managing to spot a single Australasian Bittern in Galah flight being harassed by ravens over the far side of European Goldfinch the ponds, we heard but could not spot Beautiful Firetails on the ponds access road, then headed Eastern Spinebill down to the coast car park to finish the afternoon Rainbow Lorikeet off. We bid Sean and Fiona farewell and those left sat down around the cars for an afternoon tea Striated Thornbill break. Jacky Winter The end to a very successful weekend. Varied Sitella By Bob Green Crested Shrike-tit BIRD LISTS 16th November, 2013 Blue Wing Parrot Participants: S.Dooley, R.Green and entourage Whistling Kite Telford Scrub Brown-headed Honeyeater Brown Thornbill Common Bronzewing Yellow faced Honeyeater Dusky Woodswallow Australian Magpie Grey currawong Forest Raven Shelduck (o’side)

6 December 2013 Birds South East

White-faced Heron (o’side) Crested Pigeon Common Starling (o’side) Straw neck Ibis Scarlet Robin (o’side) Piccaninnie Ponds – Ponds area Superb Fairy Wren Grey Shrike-thrush Red Wattlebird Australasian Bittern Willie Wagtail Superb Fairy Wren Shining Bronze Cuckoo Little Raven Australian Magpie Lark Little Grass Bird Yellow rump Thornbill Hoary-headed Long-billed Corella (o’side) Welcome Swallow Striated Pardalote Silvereye Pick Swamp and surrounds Swamp Harrier Spotted Harrier New Holland Honeyeater Whiskered Tern Beautiful Firetail Silvergull Piccaninnie Ponds – Beach area Welcome Swallow Superb Fairy Wren Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater Silvereye Nankeen Kestrel Brown Thornbill Shelduck White-browed Scrubwren White-fronted Chat Swamp Harrier Raven (Little?) Bird lists prepared by Peter Johns Brown Falcon THE LAST BIG TRIP??? Golden headed Cisticola

Silvereye The famous Rollingstone, our first stop just north of Black Townsville on the way home, presented an immedaite problem in the shape of my neighbours. European Goldfinch Two boisterous boys were running hither and thro Striated Field Wren and un-wittingly challenging Bill who was indicating that he would bite if they just came close enough. Scarlet Robin (o’side) They didn't understand that his agression was Australian Bittern directed at them. They would have to be introduced, but well away from my caravan which Common Blackbird he would just defend. Slowly and under strist Grey Shrike-thrush supervision, Bill was introduced to each boy in turn and relaxed. The boys understood that they must Super Fairy Wren not run near him. Eventually, I relaxed too. Pied Oystercatcher The next morning the weather was looking a bit Crested Tern threatening and we set off early and drove all day to Proserpine where I was to be stuck for a week Kelp Gull because I had run out of money for fuel. I birded Shy Albatross Glen Isla Road to its end at the river every day. Lots of the country was half underwater, but that Short-tailed Shearwater ensured plenty of waterbirds and in mangroves Red Capped Plover along the river, Large-billed and Mangrove Gerygones, birds that I hadn't seen for nearly nine Southern Emu Wren (heard) years. But the much commoner Brown Gerygone, I

December 2013 7 Birds South East just couldn't find. somehow sense it and wakes me and I can hope- fully do something about it becomes a heart attack. After Proserpine it was south to mackay and inland With this change in health it's looking un-likely that to Finch Hatton where the caravan had dissapeared. I'll get away in the caravan again. But you never It turned out not to be a problem because council know. If this weather ever warms up, I just might had installed some powered camp sites at the show make a bold and desperate bid for the open road grounds. With new directions I went up the again. I'm sure Bill will be in it. mountain to Eungella and found the right track to where there are supposed to be Eungella By John Berggy, Rainbow, 4 July 2013 (pronounced Young Galah) Honeyeaters. Nothing. Dogs at a nearby house were going berserk and BIRDING ON LORD HOWE ISLAND finally a lday came out and asked in a slighlt bored manner if I was looking for a Eungella Honeyeater. I In late September/early October I was fortunate admitted I was. I was in the right place, but at the enough to spend a week on Lord Howe Island with wrong time; I needed to be there in the early my extended family and was able to see almost all morning. Next morning I left Finch Hatton in the of the birds I had hoped to see there. Lord Howe dark and got to the honeyeater site at first light. Island is some 570 kilometres east of Port Fifteen mionutes later I got very ordinary views of Macquarie off the New South Wales coast. We flew one bird playing hide and seek in the rainforest to the island from Sydney, a journey taking around canopy. After another fifteen minutes, just when I one and a half hours. The island is a spectacular was thinking of leaving, there were great views of sight from the air and as the plane circled the island two birds in the open in good light. A tick at last on before landing we had magnificent views. Lord 9/1/13; this was my third attempt to see them. I Howe is only some 11 kilometres long and 2.8 had previously been thwarted in my quest for the kilometres across at its widest point, mountainous honeyeaters by flooded tracks and poor directions. at each end, particularly at the southern end, with a narrow fairly flat strip in the centre. At Rockhampton the wet was catching us up and we turned inland over a steep, narrow and tortuous We arrived on the island on a Sunday afternoon and road which was the detour for the temporarily were fortunate to be able to get on to a boat trip closed Capricorn Highway. At our first overnight on around the island and to Ball’s Pyramid, the Leichardt Highway at Dululu, the ambulance approximately 23 kilometres out, on the Monday. bloke's six year old son turned out to be a child Although there was a fairly heavy swell, making the prodigy. He was doing year five and ear six both in trip a little uncomfortable at times, it was well 2013 in a home schooling programme for gifted worth while with many seen. A number of kids. He was also a bird watcher, but without a these were new birds for my life list. For the grown up field guide. I gave him my copy of Pizzey remainder of the week strong winds meant that it and knight and told him to pester his parents to buy was not possible for boats to go out, and in fact for real grown up binoculars. A six, he could confidently two days no planes flew in or out because of the and fluently read the text of P & K. Six days later wind. There were plenty of other places to visit and we had our second-last night on the road at other birds to see including the endemic Lord Howe Ardlethan where some 80+ Superb Parrots settled Island Woodhen which after facing extinction some noisily into trees around the tiny caravan park to years ago is now flourishing and easily observed in roost for the night. The very last night was at Boort, a number of locations. where grabbing my binoculars to look at a raptor The main form of transport on the island for visitors high overhead, I found swiftlets flying very, very is on pushbikes which are available for hire. As fast and even higher up. Probably Australian there is only nine kilometres of roads on the island Swiftlets, but they were too high up to be sure. Bill it is easy to get around, although there are some and I arrived home in the early afternoon of 17 fairly steep hills to negotiate. It is also relatively January to find that the house had been broken into safe to ride on the island as the speed limit is 25 by the simple expedient of smashing in one of the kmh. back doors, but inexplicably, nothing was taken. Perhaps I have nothing of value to anyone. The trip The number of land bird species on the island is was three months and one day and yeilded just five rather low, with at least 10 endemic species having ticks, but that puts me over 700 in Australia without become extinct since settlement, but those that are visiting any of the island territories. A month later, present are generally widespread and plentiful. my dicket heart went seriously downhill overnight Among these are three endemic subspecies: Golden and has stayed down with a morning battle with Whistler, Pied Currawong and Silvereye. The list of bad angina every morning. Bill sleeps in the house birds for the island also includes many vagrants. because if I get angina while I'm asleep, he For the shorebird enthusiasts such as myself there

8 December 2013 Birds South East is much to see and I spent quite some time vainly Grey Ternlet searching for any shorebirds with leg flags but none Masked Booby (b) were seen, nor have they been in the past. The best place for shorebirds is on the grasslands and a Sooty Tern (b)Great Cormorant small swamp near the airport where many birds Sacred Kingfisher arepresent at high tide. Little Black Cormorant In not to have my sightings simply sitting in my notebook I participated in the Lord Howe Island Golden Whistler Bird Monitoring Project organised by the Lord Howe Pied Cormorant Island Board and BirdLife Australia. This involves counting birds seen at any one of around 25 defined Pied Currawong sites, using specific methods for each site. These White-faced Heron include 20 minute searches and general area searches. Silvereye In all, I observed 46 species on the island, including Nankeen Kestrel nine species which were new for my life list. If Magpie-lark anyone is planning a trip to the island I would be pleased to pass on details of the contacts I made Purple Swamphen (b) whilst there. Welcome Swallow (b) By Jeff Campbell Buff-banded (b) Bird list – Lord Howe Island 29/09 to Common Blackbird 06/10/2013. Lord Howe Woodhen (b) Pacific Black Duck x Mallard hybrid Song Thrush Masked Lapwing Pacific Golden Plover Red-tailed Common Starling Bar-tailed Godwit Double-banded Plover Rock Dove BIRDLIFE SOUTH EAST (SA) Whimbrel Emerald Dove QUIZ 2013 ANSWERS Ruddy Turnstone White-bellied Storm-Petrel Section 1 Look It Up Red Knot 1 Which bird was the symbol for the 1984 Olympic Wandering Albatross Games? Eagle Red-necked Stint 2 Which English physiologist (1866-1927) founded the science of endocrinology? Ernest Henry Starling Black-browed Albatross 3 The Egyptian hieroglyph that represents the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper letter M is an image of which bird? Wedge-tailed Shearwater 4 Which chemical do flamingoes absorb from blue Curlew Sandpiper green algae, which gives them their pink colour? Flesh-footed Shearwater Beta carotene Common Noddy (b) 5 Where could you have found a ? Mauritius Little Shearwater 6 In which Australian state is the town of Emu? Victoria Black Noddy (b) 7 The Welsh name is pioden y mor. What is the Kermadec Petrel Australian name of this shorebird? Oyster Catcher White Tern (b) 8 How many species of are recognized? Five Providence Petrel

December 2013 9 Birds South East

9 What is the colloquial name for an amphibious Who wrote the novel A Guide to the Birds of East landing craft? Duck Africa? Nicholas Drayson 10 What does zygodactyl mean? Having 2 toes In Douglas Stewart’s poem Brindabella what was facing forwards and 2 backwards straying on Brindabella? Section 2 Field Guide Stuff One lost magpie What is another name for a diamond bird? Spotted Section 4 Hidden Birds pardalote 1 Change the first letter of these words to find a Which stilt breeds “ irregularly and intermittently bird. when water conditions are suitable”? Banded Full Gull What colour are the eyes of a mature New Holland Mustard Honeyeater? White Cove Dove During which months does the Southern Boobook usually breed? August - December 2 Change a raptor into a more colourful bird. Parrot Which cockatoo is named after a plant? Palm cockatoo 3 Add a bird to these words to make a common saying. Which bittern has a call like a fog horn? Australasian Legal Eagle Is an Eastern Rosella larger or smaller than a Sitting Duck Western Rosella? Larger Stool Pigeon Which cuckoo shrike occurs in Tasmania? Black 4 Use only these letters, some repeated, to make faced a bird - gilweat. Willie wagtail What colour are the crests of a (a) Crested Pigeon 5 Use the opposites of these words to make a Black (b) Spinifex Pigeon? Red bird. Which small local bird is Malurus cyaneus? Him off Her on Superb fairy wren Give out Rob in Section 3 Literature 6 Re-arrange - wider bartch. Birdwatcher The title of a Larry McMurtry novel about moving a herd cattle from Texas to Montana. 7 Put the same bird in front of these words. Lonesome Dove Bumps In the novel Falling Snow by Mary Rose MacColl, Step Chapter 2 “Iris” what are the names of the flower Berry bird girls? Violet Heron Iris 8 Re-arrange - deal vast trilie Varied sitella The title of a book by Carrie Tiffany. Mateship with Birds 9 Find a bird in your last interest payment. Stint (last interest) The title of a recently re-published book by A H Chisholm. Mateship with Birds 10 The opposite of soft feet has white eyes. Hard head In the Alfred Lord Tennyson poem what “…watches from his mountain walls Section 5 Numbers And like a thunderbolt he falls”. Eagle A birdo does three 20 minute surveys and writes down the numbers of birds seen thus. Who wrote Bird Cloud A Memoir? Annie Proulx 3 + 7 x 4 How many birds did they see? Which A D Hope poem has the opening line “For 3+28=31 every bird there is this last migration”? The Death of the Bird Subtract the number of degrees in a straight line, from the number of degrees in a circle. Which In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Chapter V bird’s Atlas number corresponds to your answer? what mistakes Alice for a serpent? A Pigeon 360-180=180

10 December 2013 Birds South East

Straw-necked Ibis A birdo is buying a new field guide for himself and two friends. The normal price is $50.00, but the Keeping to the sequence, how many birds will be retailer has a special offer. For two books bought seen on the next outing? 1 4 14 45 together the price is reduced by $15.00 per book. 3x1+1=4 3x4+2=14 3x14+3 = 45 3x45+4= How much does he pay for the three books? 139 $50 for one book and 2 books at $50 - $15 At a winter bird camp the temperature at 6.00 pm 50 + 2x (50-15) is 12.5C. The temperature drops 1.2 degrees each hour. What is the temperature at 3.00am? 50 + 2 x 35 Number of hours is 9. Temperature drops 50 + 70 = $120 9x1.2=10.8 degrees 12.5-10.8= 1.7 degrees Thanks to those who sent in entries to the 2013 Add the square of 12 to the cube root of 27. Which quiz, especially those who let me know how much bird’s Atlas number corresponds with your answer? they enjoyed it. 144 +3=147 Banded Stilt Well done to the Wendy and David Trudgen and A birdo heard calls she could not identify and saw friends team who had the winning entry. birds she could identify. She listed the unknown Half a point behind were Vicki Natt and Elaine calls as a negative integer and the sightings as a Lawson in equal second place with John Mullins and positive number. Moira Neagle How many birds on the list? -7 heard + 12 seen = ? By Sue Black -7 +12=5 WANDILO REHABILITATION On an bird outing of 30 people: PROJECT OUTING ½ buy lunch on the way

2/5 bring lunch from home Nine participants found there way to the Wandilo The rest have no lunch. How many people have no Pasture Strip on Sunday November 24th to lunch? undertake monitoring for ForestrySA's rehabilitation project. Refer to last year's article (No. 64, Dec, ½ X30=15 buy lunch. 2/5 x30=12 bring 2012) for more information on the project. lunch. Lunch eaters are 15+12=27. Before the day had even started the early birders No lunch people are 30-27=3 heard a Lewin's rail calling from within the 8 The bird group is in a right angle triangle biodiversity corridor between Wandilo and Hackett shaped conservation park. The lengths of the two Hill Native Forest Reserve's. What a treat! Then shortest sides are 2.4 km and 1.3 km. What is the after a short briefing on the project we headed off area of the conservation park in square kilometers? to undertake the 2ha 20minute surveys dotted throughout the site. The 2 shortest sides of a right angled triangle are its height and breadth. With plenty of water lying around the site this year, it was decided to create two new survey sites to The area of a triangle is 1/2breadth x height. Area is ½(2.4x1.3) 1/2x3.12 = 1.56 square km The bird group saw 63 species on their outing, which was 70% of the total on their “ want to see list”. How many birds were on the list? 70% of want to see list (a) is 63 70/100 x a =63 70/100 x 100/70 x a = 63 x 100/70 a= 63x100/70 a=6300/70 a = 90

December 2013 11 Birds South East capture changes in birds using the water and west coast of the Eyre Peninsula. We have also had revegetation around the edges of two . The an occasional turnstone reported from the Great first stop as an entire group was new site number 1 Australian Bight – last year Christine recorded AAZ where Millicent High School students have been near Yalata lands on 15.12.2011 (originally banded planting. On arrival we flushed off spoonbills and at on 28.2.2008). One of the problems heron's but a family of Purple swamphen's secretly is that there are few observers in these isolated led their 3 young across the track infront of a few areas. So it is very exciting for us to have the observers. Waterfowl numbers were down from current wardens at Eyre Bird Observatory sending previous months at this site but there were still in sightings. Four are particularly noteworthy. plenty of Hardhead and Grey teal. Sanderling 45, seen at Eyre on 5th October was originally banded at Yanerbie. Sanderling E2, seen The group then split-up to complete the remaining at Eyre on 26.11.2013, was originally banded in eight sites which were completed before lunch. The Canunda on 10.11.2011 and recaptured there on second new site was another area where 2.12.2012. Glenburnie Primary School students have been working to establish wetland edge plants which this year was proving successful. The highlight at this site was a brief glimpse of a dark-morph White- bellied Cuckoo-shrike. At smoko the group contributed their best observations which included hearing and seeing Golden-headed cisticola, Stubble quail, Striated fieldwren, and Blue-winged parrot. While the best bird star went to the rarely encountered Baillon's crake. A quick wander around in Hackett Hill (with Max) looking for Satin flycatchers resulted in none being seen or heard but we had an interesting chat about tree deaths seen throughout the region lately. Wendy Pilkington

On behalf of ForestrySA, I send a big thankyou to Turnstone YNY was originally banded on King Island the birding team for their involvement in this on 31.3.2013, seen at Eyre on 8.9.2013 and at fabulous long term rehabilitation project. Blackfellows Caves on 17.9.2013 (I could hardly By Bryan Haywood believe my notebook!). Turnstone CVX. Originally banded on King Island 20.3.2007 and regularly WADER NOTES recorded there since, it was seen at Eyre on 2.9.2013. And Margaret photographed it back at Manuka on 20.9.2013!!! Our spring field work has been much more hectic than usual, and here I am, faced with putting together something for the Birds SE Newsletter. Wendy Pilkington Not only is Bryan’s copy deadline past, but my desk is in complete chaos. So, I will limit myself to notes on a couple of flag sightings that I have found particularly exciting. First, turnstone CJC. It was ‘welcome home’ to an old friend when Jeff noticed him in a group of 8 turnstone at Port MacDonnell on 25th August. He had originally been banded aged 2 on 28.9.2010 at Blackfellows Caves. By 21.3.2011 he had moved to Danger Point, and on 23.4.2011 he had a geolocator fitted. He was photographed back at Danger Point on 27.9.2011 but promptly disappeared – and was not resighted until captured on 9.11.2011. It is good to know that he has safely completed yet another migration. And I have finally managed to see a Banded Stilt We have known for some time that turnstone wearing a blue flag! On 26th November I found 2 banded here and at King Island are seen on the flocks in the Coorong. I didn’t manage to get a

12 December 2013 Birds South East close look at any of the 2000 in Thompsons Bog. Danger Point. Depending on tides and what we find However, I got very close to a small flock of 30 on where we may have a catch at short notice. the Loop Road. One had a plain blue flag. Another had a rather unpleasant looking growth on its tarsus VWSG Visit to SE SA 30th Mar to 7th April – it looked like a gaul on a stick. It didn’t seem to be affected by the growth, it was moving freely, WADER & TERN NESTING feeding. It also had a full chestnut band. If anyone is interested in growths like this I have several PROTECTION photos taken from different angles. Where-ever possible nests considered vulnerable DOGS BREAKFASTS are being fenced. Everyone is asked to report any breeding activity to Jeff as soon as possible after 9am to 10am each day (if you can help with set-up the sighting. This includes actual breeding and come half an hour early!) signs of potential breeding - Day to be advised – to make up Doggie Bags and [email protected]. We now have prepare displays several depots with temporary fencing kits and chick shelters. We also keep a register of breeding Saturday 4th January - KINGSTON - Thredgold activity. So please, report anything you see. We Beach adjacent to the BBQ and toilets now have a growing number of Hooded Plover with Sunday 5th January - ROBE- Town beach (note individually coded leg flags (2 colours on left, one changed venue) colour over metal on right) – so, sightings please! Saturday 11th January - BEACHPORT - Rotunda THREAT ABATEMENT near Bompas - intersection of Beach Rd and Railway Tce. MONITORING PROGRAM Sunday 12th January - PORT MacDONNELL - We are still struggling with meeting our monitoring Shelter east of the jetty. commitments. An earlier suggestion that individuals take responsibility for a section of beach POPULATION MONITORING and check it weekly has not really happened. So – volunteers please! The nominated section can be COUNTS small or large depending on what the individual Saturday 15th February. Long term sites of Port volunteer considers they can handle. If you would MacDonnell area and area like to be involved with this please contact Maureen or Jeff. We have committed to entering our Hooded Various coastal sites and coastal lakes – dates to be Plover data into Birdlife’s Hoodie Portal. So, we selected. Please contact Jeff or me if you would like also need volunteers to help with this. Once it is all to be involved. set up it should make season reporting simple. AGM WEEKLY OUTINGS Saturday 22nd February– at the Campbell’s We usually go out each Tuesday…….so that you can residence, 22 Lindsay Street, Mt Gambier. be told where and when the activity will be - ring 11 am Equipment maintenance; noon Barbecue on landline Monday evening – 8738 0014. ($5.00/head to cover costs), Please bring a plate of FLAG SIGHTINGS – PLEASE NOTE CHANGED salad or dessert if you can. REPORTING DETAILS 2 pm Meeting. Subscriptions can be paid on the Oystercatcher flag/coloured band sightings to be day. RSVP to Jeff (for catering) - made to David Trudgen - [email protected]. [email protected] Turnstone engraved flag sightings and Hooded Plover colour flagged sightings made Vic coast RETRIEVAL OF GEOLOCATORS through to Kingston – [email protected]. FROM TURNSTONE All other flag sightings – whenever possible – via the AWSG website - We put 30 geolocators on turnstone at Nene Valley http://www.awsg.org.au/reportform.php. If in April. So far we have managed to retrieve 2 (one required, email contact - [email protected]. at Killarney and one at Nene Valley). In early Roger Standen has taken on the huge task of November there were five more in the Nene Valley managing the AWSG flag data base. Banded Stilt area, one at Green Point and one in Canunda. Jeff observations can be sent to Reece Pedler - has also seen a Sanderling with a geolocator at [email protected], or me.

December 2013 13 Birds South East

Maureen Christie, Friends of Shorebirds, SE. 08 flocks of Masked and White-browed Woodswallows 87380014, mobile 0427380014, 6th December, had turned up around both Mt. Gambier and Port 2013 MacDonnell so maybe the northerly winds had pushed them a bit further South than normal. EMAIL ADDRESSES: Small numbers of were seen at Rivoli Mine - [email protected] Bay wetlands on the 23rd and Port MacDonnell on The Campbell Family - the 24th. A Peregrine Falcon was upsetting the local [email protected] birds over the Target car park in Mt. Gambier on the 25th and on the 30th a pair of with one NATURE’S NOTES young were seen at Honan NFR. November 2013 Sightings have reached 7641 observations of common, rare and threatened birds throughout the November started well with c.100 White-browed SE of SA and SW Victoria since September 2001. I Woodswallows seen at 8 Mile Creek, two Banded thank you all for your contributions and keep up the Lapwing at and a White-winged triller good work in reporting the birds you’re seeing and 4km West of Naracoorte. Four Red-tailed Black- for being part of BirdLife South East SA. Cockatoos were seen at Dry Creek NFR on the 7th, with a Painted Button-quail seen at Snow Gum NFR Seasonal notes over the last 3 months have on the 8th. included; On the 11th and 12th Lake McIntyre was the place September 2013 to be with six Freckled Duck and a small number of September the 1st saw the earliest records of Blue-billed present along with a handful of White-browed Woodswallows reported from the Australasian Shovelers. A report from our outing to Keith area, a full month before they were seen in Telford Scrub CP and Pick Swamp with Sean Dooley the Lower South East. On the 13th an unknown is included elsewhere in the newsletter. At Binnum number of Pied Currawongs were at the Valley Bushland on the 15th White-winged Choughs and Lakes Wildlife Park in Mt. Gambier. The 14th had a Brown Treecreeper were seen, and on the same good mix of waders at Pelican Point, Carpenter date at Sand Cave White-winged Triller was seen as Rocks where in amongst the usual Ruddy well as a Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo being fed by Turnstones and Red-necked Stint were found Grey Yellow-rumped Thornbill. Plover, Grey-tailed Tattler and a Greater Sand The 17th saw 6 Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos at the Plover. An Australasian Bittern was at Pick Swamp Hackett Hill to Windy Hill corridor, as well as a small on the 15th while both Royal & Yellow-billed number of Little Grassbirds in a swamp adjacent to Spoonbill were at the Peacock Road quarry (8 Mile Wandilo NFR. Creek). Lewin’s Rail was at Diagonal Rd. plantation on Kangaroo Flat on the 17th, while Pied Lake McIntyre again produced on the 21st with 36 Currawongs were at the Bluff NFR on the 22nd. Freckled Duck, students at Newbery Park Primary Australian Owlet-nightjar was heard at Binnum School in Millicent found a breeding pair of Tawny Bushland on the 30th. frogmouths with one young at the school on the 22nd, a single Lewin’s Rail was heard calling at the October 2013 Wandilo to Hackett Hill corridor on the 24th, a large number of White-browed Woodswallows were Another sighting of Lewin’s Rail at Whennen NFR on sighted at Mt. McIntyre on the 25th, while the Rivoli the 3rd, our group camp to Dimboola produced Bay wetland had 40 Glossy Ibis on the 26th. loads of good birds on the weekend of 4-7 Oct with Jacky Winter, Brown Treecreeper, and Chestnut- A report from the Wandilo Pasture Strip outing and rumped Thornbill at Bill Middleton Reserve. Gilbert’s survey is included in the newsletter as a separate Whistler, Rainbow Bee-eater, Regent Parrot & item. Splendid Fairy-wren were seen at Lake Hindmarsh. Could you please forward your sightings to me on Snape Reserve had an amazing variety of special [email protected] or post them to PO Box birds with some highlights being Diamond Firetail, 3211, . Southern Scrub-robin, Red-capped & Hooded Robins, and Chestnut-rumped & Yellow Thornbills. Deadline for submitting sightings for next newsletter is April 1st, 2014. A Spotted Harrier was at 8 Mile Creek on the 16th, a very weird sighting on the 20th was three By Bob Green Rainbow Bee-eaters over the Big W car park in Mt. Gambier, although this was only a day after the

14 December 2013 Birds South East

POSTCARD FROM GLOUCESTER The next morning I made it to the Tops fairly early, only stopping for Brush Turkeys, the very numerous TOPS Lyrebirds and a Satin Bowerbird, all on the road. After a zone of temperate rainforest above the sub- Postcard from where? Gloucester Tops is part of the tropical, there was somewhat stunted wet larger Barrington Tops, a highland plateau generally schlerophyll with a very dense ground layer of flax- around 1320metres asl with its highpoint 1565 metres asl lily, ferns, sedges and grass ranging from about a and overall not very accessable. It is the most southerly foot high to over five foot and impenetrable in most piece of sub-tropical rainforest in eastern Australia, places. This is the home of the Rufous Scrub-bird although much of it, paradoxically, is well above the snow and if they were anything like as difficult to see as line and it gets snow in most years. So why go to such an their congener in Western Australia, the quest inaccessible and out of the way locality? From my point of might be hopeless. I knew that most people failed view its one of the few places where I can still get a tick ad it’s a also a sort of crossover region where southern to see one even after many visits. and northern birds tend to overlap, so it has a formidable Nearly a year earlier, Lloyd Nielsen had given me bird list, most it very different to the sorts of birds that I some hints. Stay on Kerripit Road and stop when see at home in the southern mallee. birds are calling. Get out of the car and wait I had planned that this would be a birding trip and I without moving. I must have stood there more than left home on 2 October to be visiting bird spots in 40 minutes when in the shadows on the edge of the spring. The first of these was a minor disaster in the track maybe 40 or more metres away I saw a not shape of a detour to Fiveborough Swamp at Leeton. very small bird fossicking among the leaves. The water was miles out from the drive-up-to Propping the binoculars on the car door, I could see viewing site and even through the telescope the an almost all dark bird, bigger than a Scrubwren, ducks were dots in the distance. The other hides but not as big as a Logrunner or a Grey Thrush. I and platforms were a two kilometre walk which is was nearly all dark, including the underparts with a well beyond my 100 metre range, so a write-off and smudge of white extending from the throat into the back to the caravan park. On to Forbes next day upper breast. It had a nervous edgy air about it and where I discovered a nice swamp just south of it was barely within binocular range and I watched town. I had just an hour there that afternoon and it for about a minute when it suddenly with a sort of found many (dozens) of Freckled Ducks, scores of jump it disappeared into the thick ground layer. It Pink Ears and nesting Sea Eagles with two well was undoubtedly Scrub-bird. Size, the dark grown young in the nest. The nest day was two long underparts and the ill-defined whitish patch said it sessions at this swamp with most of the ducks, but was an immature Scrub-bird, but immature or not it few swamp-edge crakes and rails, but as was still a tick. I dictated notes into the micro tape compensation, a Black Falcon that terrorised the and realised that the other birds that had been many Feral Rock Doves inhabiting the site, calling had gone silent. A couple of days later I seemingly for the fun of it. Next day it was on to heard just two shorts calls in the same area and Coonabarabran on a drive through site, then next after that none. I had been very lucky (for once). It day on to Walcha on the top of the range and finally was the worst drought anyone could remember and a hairy drive down a very steep road down the it was unlikely that the Scrub-birds had bred and mountain to Gloucester and up the road to they had stopped calling several weeks earlier than Gloucester Tops Caravan Park just outside the usual. National Park. But only after taking a wrong road I had planned to stay for a couple of weeks at least, and wasting hours, fuel and temper. There are only but the forest was tinder dry, birds were hard to two roads and I managed to get it very wrong find and getting caught on the single track up the without trying very hard at all. mountain if there was a fire could be fatal. Other Next day it was up the mountain at dawn. The dirt notable birds included Brown Gerygone, Rufous road winds for 18k and climbs over 1000 metres to Fantail, Green Catbird, Large-billed Scrubwren, the tops. First through sub-tropical rain forest Bassian and Russet-tailed Thrushes, Black-faced where there were Wonga Pigeons, Brown Cuckoo- and Spectacled Monarchs, Shining Bronze Cuckoo, doves and King Parrots as well as many small birds, Yellow-throated Scrubwren, Grey Goshawk, Lewin’s Honeyeaters pretending to be machine Topknot Pigeon, White-throated Gerygone and Red- guns, cryptic Bell Miners, Scarlet Honeyeaters and browed Treecreeper. The final list was 76 which is many more. I didn’t get more than about 10k up ordinary for the locality, but good considering how the mountain on the first day. At about 10am the dry it was. Altogether I was away for just three forest goes suddenly quiet and still and you could weeks. be forgiven for thinking that there were no birds By John Berggy, Rainbow, 7 November 2013. there at all so 10 o’clock is home time.

December 2013 15

Date Common Name Abundance Location Observer/s 15-Sep-13 Australasian Bittern 1 Pick Swamp, Piccaninnie Ponds area Gwen Young 16-Nov-13 Australasian Bittern 2 Pick Swamp BirdLife SE SA outing 16-Nov-13 Australasian Bittern 1 Piccaninie Ponds CP BirdLife SE SA outing 06-Oct-13 Australasian Grebe 3 Intersection of Carpenter Rocks & Waters Rd Neil Dickins 12-Nov-13 Australasian Shoveler B Lake McIntyre, Millicent Rosie & Stewie Pounsett 31-Oct-13 Australsian Shovelor 2 Kangaroo Flat Native Forest Reserve (KF7) BTHaywood 24-Nov-13 Baillon's Crake 1 Wandilo Pasture Strip BirdLife SE SA outing 2-Oct-13 Banded Lapwing 5 Mingbool BTHaywood 01-Nov-13 Banded Lapwing 2 Bay Rd, Allendale East Gwen Young 16-Nov-13 Beautiful Firetail h Piccaninie Ponds CP BirdLife SE SA outing 15-Sep-13 Black-fronted Dotterel B Peacock Rd. quarry, 8 Mile Creek Gwen Young 06-Oct-13 Black-tailed Native-hen 3 Intersection of Carpenter Rocks & Waters Rd Neil Dickins 30-Oct-13 Black-tailed Native-hen B E of intersection Carpenter Rocks & Waters Rd Neil Dickins 23-Oct-13 Black-winged Stilt C wetland adjacent to Lake Frome drain Neil Dickins 12-Nov-13 Blue-billed Duck B Lake McIntyre, Millicent Rosie & Stewie Pounsett 15-Nov-13 Blue-winged Parrot C Sand Cave, Struan BTHaywood 31-Aug-13 2 Neales Rd, south of Lake Mundi Jeff Campbell 13-Oct-13 Brolga 2 Pick Swamp, Piccaninnie Ponds area K Jones & BTHaywood 14-Oct-13 Brolga 2(b) Island Swamp wetland, Nangwarry BTHaywood 30-Oct-13 Brolga 3(b) Honans NFR (Gate 58) Sue Black 30-Oct-13 Brolga 3(b) Kangaroo Flat Road, Glencoe D Lang 05-Oct-13 Brown Treecreeper X Bill Middleton Roadside Reserve BirdLife SE SA outing 06-Oct-13 Brown Treecreeper X Snape Reserve, Dimboola BirdLife SE SA outing 15-Nov-13 Brown Treecreeper A Binnum Bushland BTHaywood 5-7/10/2013 Brown Treecreeper X Dimboola BirdLife SE SA outing 2-Sep-13 Buff-rumped Thornbill B Nangwarry Native Forest Reserve (NA46/42) BTHaywood 30-Sep-13 Buff-rumped Thornbill B(b) Binnum Bushland BTHaywood 23-Oct-13 Cattle Egret 1 Rivoli Bay wetland adjacent to Lake Frome drain Neil Dickins 24-Oct-13 Cattle Egret 5 Swamp at Port MacDonnell Rosemary Miller 05-Oct-13 Chestnut-rumped Thornbill X Bill Middleton Roadside Reserve BirdLife SE SA outing 06-Oct-13 Chestnut-rumped Thornbill X Snape Reserve, Dimboola BirdLife SE SA outing 31-Oct-13 Clamerous Reed-warbler 1 Kangaroo Flat Plantation wetland BTHaywood 16-Nov-13 Crested Shrike-tit 1 Telford Scrub CP BirdLife SE SA outing 06-Oct-13 Diamond Firetail X Snape Reserve, Dimboola BirdLife SE SA outing 2-Sep-13 Emu B(b) Nangwarry Native Forest Reserve (NA46/42) BTHaywood 12-Nov-13 Freckled Duck 6 Lake McIntyre, Millicent Rosie & Stewie Pounsett 16 Newsletter Headine SectionTitleO

Date Common Name Abundance Location Observer/s 21-Nov-13 Freckled Duck 36 Lake McIntyre, Millicent R. Pounsett, S. Boyle & L. Johns 05-Oct-13 Gilberts Whistler X Four Mile Beach, Lake Hindmarsh BirdLife SE SA outing 26-Nov-13 Glossy Ibis 40 Rivoli Bay wetland adjacent to Lake Frome drain R Pounsett, P&L Johns, S&N Boyle 11-Oct-13 Golden Whistler 2 Dickins Scrub, Carpenter Rocks Bernice Dickins 16-Nov-13 Golden-headed Cisticola X Pick Swamp BirdLife SE SA outing 07-Oct-13 2 Kingston Marina entrance Rosemary Miller 23-Oct-13 Great Egret 15 Rivoli Bay wetland adjacent to Lake Frome drain Neil Dickins 14-Sep-13 Greater Sand Plover 1 Pelican Point, Carpenter Rocks Bob Green 14-Sep-13 Grey Plover 1 Pelican Point, Carpenter Rocks Bob Green 14-Sep-13 Grey-tailed Tattler 1 Pelican Point, Carpenter Rocks Bob Green 31-Oct-13 Hardhead 2 Kangaroo Flat Native Forest Reserve (KF7) BTHaywood 06-Oct-13 Hooded Robin X Snape Reserve, Dimboola BirdLife SE SA outing 15-Nov-13 Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoo 1(b) Sand Cave, Struan BTHaywood 5-7/10/2013 Horsfields Bushlark X Dimboola BirdLife SE SA outing 05-Oct-13 Jacky Winter X Bill Middleton Roadside Reserve BirdLife SE SA outing 06-Oct-13 Jacky Winter X Snape Reserve, Dimboola BirdLife SE SA outing 16-Nov-13 Jacky Winter 1 Telford Scrub CP BirdLife SE SA outing 28-Oct-13 Latham's Snipe 1 Native Wells NFR Sue Black 13-Nov-13 Latham's Snipe 2 Atlantic Heath Rd Felicity Lord 17-Sep-13 Lewin's Rail 1(h) Diagonal Road Plantation, Kangaroo Flat BTHaywood 3-Oct-13 Lewin's Rail 1(h) Whennen Native Forest Reserve (WN1) BTHaywood 17-Nov-13 Little Grassbird X Pasture Strip, Glencoe Bob Green 31-Aug-13 Magpie Goose 95 Reids Rd swamp, Kaladbro Road Jeff Campbell 31-Aug-13 Magpie Goose 38 Kaladbro Swamp Jeff Campbell 03-Nov-13 Malleefowl 2 Robinson Rd, Taratap Felicity Lord 05-Oct-13 Masked Woodswallow X Bill Middleton Roadside Reserve BirdLife SE SA outing 07-Oct-13 Musk Duck 10 Kingston Marina entrance Rosemary Miller 13-Oct-13 Olive Whistler B Pick Swamp, Piccaninnie Ponds area K Jones & BTHaywood 29-Oct-13 Olive Whistler 1 Dry Creek Native Forest Reserve (DC3) BTHaywood 31-Oct-13 Olive Whistler 2 Kangaroo Flat Native Forest Reserve (KF7) BTHaywood 30-Sep-13 Owlet Nightjar A(h) Binnum Bushland BTHaywood 8-Nov-13 Painted Button-quail 1 Snow Gum Native Forest Reserve (SG4) BTHaywood 25-Oct-13 Peregrine Falcon 1 Target car park, Mt Gambier Bob Green 07-Oct-13 Pied Cormorant X Kingston Marina entrance Rosemary Miller 13-Sep-13 Pied Currawong X Valley Lake Wildlife Park, Mt Gambier Bob Green 22-Sep-13 Pied Currawong X Bluff NFR Bob Green December 2013 17

Date Common Name Abundance Location Observer/s 07-Sep-13 Pied Oystercatcher 2 Sea Parade, Port MacDonnell Neil Dickins 05-Oct-13 Rainbow Bee-eater X Four Mile Beach, Lake Hindmarsh BirdLife SE SA outing 06-Oct-13 Rainbow Bee-eater X Snape Reserve, Dimboola BirdLife SE SA outing 20-Oct-13 Rainbow Bee-eater 3 Big W car park, Mt Gambier B&T Green 06-Oct-13 Red-capped Robin X Snape Reserve, Dimboola BirdLife SE SA outing 15-Sep-13 Red-kneed Dotterel B Peacock Rd. quarry, 8 Mile Creek Gwen Young 27-Oct-13 Red-kneed Dotterel 30 Sarnia Swamp, 5km w of Naracoorte Rosemary Miller 11-Nov-13 Red-kneed Dotterel 4 Lake McIntyre, Millicent Rosie & Stewie Pounsett 2-Sep-13 Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo 2 Nangwarry Native Forest Reserve (NA46/42) BTHaywood 30-Sep-13 Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo B Binnum Bushland BTHaywood 20-Oct-13 Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo B Binnum Bushland BTHaywood 7-Nov-13 Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo 4 Dry Creek Native Forest Reserve (DC8) BTHaywood 17-Nov-13 Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo 6 Pasture Strip, Glencoe Bob Green 05-Oct-13 Regent Parrot X Four Mile Beach, Lake Hindmarsh BirdLife SE SA outing 15-Sep-13 Royal Spoonbill A Peacock Rd. quarry, 8 Mile Creek Gwen Young 23-Oct-13 Royal Spoonbill 1 Rivoli Bay wetland adj to Lake Frome drain Neil Dickins 31-Aug-13 Rufous Songlark 1 Keith David Sando 05-Oct-13 Rufous Songlark X Bill Middleton Roadside Reserve BirdLife SE SA outing 15-Nov-13 Sacred Kingfisher A Binnum Bushland BTHaywood 15-Sep-13 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper D Pick Swamp/Feasts Paddock Gwen Young 1-Sep-13 Shining Bronze-cuckoo 1 Bryton Wood, Moorak BTHaywood 2-Sep-13 Shining Bronze-cuckoo 1 Nangwarry Native Forest Reserve (NA46/42) BTHaywood 3-Oct-13 Shining Bronze-cuckoo 1 Nangwarry Native Forest Reserve (NA46) BTHaywood 4-Oct-13 Shining Bronze-cuckoo 1 Bagdad NFR (BA8) BTHaywood 31-Oct-13 Shining Bronze-cuckoo 1 Mt McIntyre Hardwood Plantation BTHaywood 9-Nov-13 Shining Bronze-cuckoo 1 Bryton Wood, Moorak BTHaywood 15-Nov-13 Shining Bronze-cuckoo A Sand Cave, Struan BTHaywood 16-Nov-13 Shy Albatross X Pick Swamp BirdLife SE SA outing 07-Sep-13 Sooty Oystercatcher 1 W of Port MacDonnell breakwater Neil Dickins 5-7/10/2013 Southern Boobook h Dimboola BirdLife SE SA outing 25-Sep-13 Southern Emu-wren 1(h) Topperwein Native Forest Reserve (TO3) BTHaywood 13-Oct-13 Southern Emu-wren A Pick Swamp, Piccaninnie Ponds area K Jones & BTHaywood 29-Oct-13 Southern Emu-wren 2 Picks Plantation, Caroline Forest BTHaywood 16-Nov-13 Southern Emu-wren h Pick Swamp BirdLife SE SA outing 06-Oct-13 Southern Scrub-robin X Snape Reserve, Dimboola BirdLife SE SA outing 06-Oct-13 Southern Whiteface X Snape Reserve, Dimboola BirdLife SE SA outing 18 Newsletter Headine SectionTitleO

Date Common Name Abundance Location Observer/s 05-Oct-13 Splendid Fairy-wren X Four Mile Beach, Lake Hindmarsh BirdLife SE SA outing 16-Oct-13 Spotted Harrier 1 Earls Cave Road, 8 Mile Creek Gwen Young 5-7/10/2013 Spotted Harrier X Dimboola BirdLife SE SA outing 16-Nov-13 Spotted Harrier 1 Pick Swamp BirdLife SE SA outing 16-Nov-13 Striated Fieldwren X Pick Swamp BirdLife SE SA outing 16-Nov-13 Swamp Harrier 1 Pick Swamp BirdLife SE SA outing 5-7/10/2013 Tawny Frogmouth X Dimboola BirdLife SE SA outing 22-Nov-13 Tawny Frogmouth 3 Newbery Park Primary School, Millicent J White, I Fewster and M Craig 06-Oct-13 Tawny-crowned Honeyeater X Snape Reserve, Dimboola BirdLife SE SA outing 16-Nov-13 Varied Sittella 1 Telford Scrub CP BirdLife SE SA outing 05-Oct-13 Variegated Fairy-wren X Four Mile Beach, Lake Hindmarsh BirdLife SE SA outing 06-Oct-13 Variegated Fairy-wren X Snape Reserve, Dimboola BirdLife SE SA outing 05-Oct-13 Weebill X Bill Middleton Roadside Reserve BirdLife SE SA outing 06-Oct-13 Weebill X Snape Reserve, Dimboola BirdLife SE SA outing 24-Nov-13 White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike 1(d/m) Wandilo Pasture Strip BirdLife SE SA outing 05-Oct-13 White-browed Babbler X Wimmera River, Jeparit BirdLife SE SA outing 01-Sep-13 White-browed Woodswallow c.20 Keith David Sando 05-Oct-13 White-browed Woodswallow X Bill Middleton Roadside Reserve BirdLife SE SA outing 27-Oct-13 White-browed Woodswallow B Bryton Wood, Moorak BTHaywood 31-Oct-13 White-browed Woodswallow 5 4km W of Naracoorte Rosemary Miller 01-Nov-13 White-browed Woodswallow c.100 Youngs Rd, 8 Mile Creek Gwen Young 1-Nov-13 White-browed Woodswallow D Bryton Wood, Moorak BTHaywood 04-Nov-13 White-browed Woodswallow 50+ 4km W of Naracoorte Rosemary Miller 25-Nov-13 White-browed Woodswallow E McRosties Plantation, Mt McIntyre BTHaywood 08-Oct-13 White-plumed Honeyeater 3 Peweena Swamp, Mingbool Neil Dickins 15-Nov-13 White-winged Chough B Binnum Bushland BTHaywood 06-Oct-13 White-winged Triller X Snape Reserve, Dimboola BirdLife SE SA outing 03-Nov-13 White-winged Triller 1 4km W of Naracoorte Rosemary Miller 15-Nov-13 White-winged Triller A Sand Cave, Struan BTHaywood 06-Oct-13 Yellow Thornbill X Snape Reserve, Dimboola BirdLife SE SA outing 15-Sep-13 Yellow-billed Spoonbill B Peacock Rd. quarry, 8 Mile Creek Gwen Young 11-Oct-13 Yellow-rumped Thornbill 2 Dickins Scrub, Carpenter Rocks Bernice Dickins 31-Aug-13 Zebra Finch c.5 Oasis, near Mount Monster CP L McInerney Abundance Code: A =1=3, B = 4-10, C = 11-30, D = 31-100, E = 100-300, (b) = breeding, (h) = heard only, X = present (no abundance), d/m = dark morph,

December 2013 19

Sept 5-8th Birdlife Cross-Border Campout - Calendar of Events Warrnambool October 4th-9th - Birdlife Australia - Sunday January 19th – Little Dip (near Congress and Campout. Congress in Robe) Portland then campout at Nelson Meet at Bog Lane (off Robe/Beachport Rd) by 8am. Leader Iain Stewart (08) 8735 4269 Contacts Saturday 15th February - Shorebird Population Monitoring Counts Convenor, Sightings Coordinator, Conservation Head out and help the Friends of Shorebirds count Contact waders to better understand population numbers in Bob Green this area. [email protected] Contact Jeff Campbell ([email protected]) or Maureen (08) 8725 0549 Christie 8738 0014 if interested. Secretary Saturday March 8th - AGM at Bluff to Sue Black Woolwash corridor (near Glencoe) [email protected] Come out for our Annual General Meeting and help PO Box 7, Glencoe, SA, 5291 search for banded birds caught as part of the seasonal mist netting project by ForestrySA. Wendy Deputy Convenor/OH&S and David Trudgen have been supervising the Wayne Bigg catches since 2010 with well over 100 birds banded through the study to understand movements along [email protected] the corridor between the Woolwash and Bluff Native Treasurer/Newsletter Editor/IBA Contact Forest Reserves. Bob Green will also give a talk on his mammoth effort of monitoring this site and Bryan Haywood many others for the last eight years. [email protected] Follow the signs off the Millicent road towards the 08) 8726 8112 Bluff. 8am start, AGM at 11am. Leaders Bryan Haywood 8726 8112 and Bob Green 8725 0549. Committee Members Maureen Christie, Gwen Young and Wendy Trudgen April 11-13th - Bangham campout. Contact Bob Green 8725 0549. DEADLINES FOR SIGHTINGS/ARTICLES IN OUR 2014 NEWSLETTERS May – Red-tailed Black Cockatoo and 1 April 2014 Orange-bellied Parrot counts. TBA 1 July 2014 July - Orange-bellied Parrot count. TBA 1 October 2014

20 Newsletter Headine