Dawn Chorus

Newsletter of Horsham BirdLife June 2015

President/Editor: Deidre Andrews Vice President: Karen Fry Secretary/Treasurer: Richard Lane Outings Organisers: Ian Morgan and Tim Mintern

In This Edition

President's Report ...... 1-2 Interesting Sightings ...... 2 Outings...... 2 Recent Outing Observations ...... 2-3 From over the fence at Rup! ...... 4 Mimic...... 5-6 Competition ...... 7 Facts ...... 6 Cacophony ...... 7

Contributions Most Wanted! If you don’t just want to see the editor’s content RECENT SIGHTINGS in the newsletter PLEASE email any of your Report any unusual local bird sightings to Deidre personal bird stories, photos and/or experiences Andrews and Tim Mintern, so that we can make to others aware to keep their eyes open Deidre Andrews [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

PRESIDENT'S REPORT The summer months proved quite surprisingly mild in the south-west and Wimmera parts of Victoria; with a few hot days popping up here and there. Autumn provided a variety of weather conditions, with an unseasonal hot start to March to, this week, turning blustery cold, as I sit in my office in Ararat it is about 10˚C, the rest of the week not foretelling much higher, brrrrr! Now the winter has hit with a vengeance. Showers to rain, in parts, have greened pasture and grazing fields, but, alas, still not a lot of run-off into dams and wetlands; we shall wait expectantly throughout the season for more of the wet stuff. But this has not deterred our beautiful birds from making an appearance in our gardens and woodlands. I have many native and feral species visit my garden on a daily basis; the common House Sparrow and Blackbirds, Crested Pigeon, a pack of young Australian Magpie, Silvereye, Superb Fairy-wren, European Goldfinch, Musk and Little Lorikeets, Long-billed Corella, Sulphur Crested

1 Cockatoo, the occasional Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo and flying overhead a Black Kite scanning the ground for an unsuspecting morsel; now that winter has arrived an Eastern Spinebill has appeared. I have recently acquired my home – my Christmas activity was moving house. The suburban property has a small front and back yard, which I intend to fill with vegetable patches, fruit trees and to add to the existing Melaleuca, Callistemon and non-native Proteas, I have planted many bird attracting natives. In March a great inspiration in my life passed away, my kind-hearted, gentlemanly cheeky father who, at every opportunity, when my brother and I were kids, passionately showed us the wonderful natural history of . I have a love/hate relationship of emus because of him. On a trip to Swan Hill's Pioneer Settlement, I made him chase after an emu that had stolen my cheese sandwich, alas my dad did not return with my lunch in his hand. On drives in the country during holidays, day-trips or even just in the back-yard, he would enthusiastically point out insects, birds and mammals he had spied with his -eyed sight. Rest in peace, lovely man.

Time for a mulled wine; Cheers

And a reminder if you have a bird story, photo or article you would like put in the magazine just email it to [email protected] Deidre Andrews

INTERESTING SIGHTINGS Report all sightings to [email protected] and [email protected] Date Species Site Observer 04/03/2015 Whistling Kits Carapooee West Anne Hughes April 2015 86 Species, Snape Reserve Birdlife Week inc. Australian Ringneck

OUTINGS The following localities show the sites and campout weekends that have been planned for the year – 2015. These sites may change, however as usual, 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.

Outings

Date Locality Leader The Committee 5th July 2015 TBC Ian and Tim 2nd August 2015 Victoria Valley Ian and Tim 6th September 2015 Little Desert 4th October 2015 Ouyen campout The Committee

1st November 2015 Mount Cole Tim, Ian, Deidre

22nd November 2015 Christmas break-up and AGM Tim and Marion's residence

1st weekend in December Challenge Bird Count Horsham area

RECENT OUTING OBSERVATIONS DATE: 5th Apr. 2015 Site: Rupanyup/Murtoa Leader: Ian The Horsham BirdLife outing for April began at the Murtoa Golf course on a fine, cool and slightly overcast day with fourteen participants. It was good to have Bill and Hennie Neve join us again after an absence caused mainly by the Wartook bushfire of 2014. Many of the Grey Box trees around the course were heavily in flower and this provided food for a host of birds. There were large numbers of Striated Pardalotes and many honeyeaters including Blue-faced, Fuscous, White-plumed, Black-chinned, New Holland and White-fronted Honeyeaters, Eastern Spinebill, Noisy Miner

2 and Red Wattlebird. We also saw Little Lorikeet, Restless Flycatcher, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler and Diamond Firetail. Next stop was the large area of old Buloke along the Dunmunkle Creek north of Rupanyup. There were not as many birds here but we had great views of a pair of Red-capped Robins as well as Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Southern Whiteface and Golden Whistler. After lunch at Rupanyup we finished the day ay Marma Lake in Murtoa. There were also lots of birds here probably due to the extremely dry conditions with very little surface water in the area. We saw Musk Duck, Australasian Shoveler, Pink-eared Duck, Pelican, Black-winged Stilt, Black-fronted Dotterel, Red-kneed Dotterel, White-breasted Woodswallow and Goldfinch. There were 78 species seen in total and a most enjoyable day was shared in good company; thanks to Ian for organising the day.

The bird of the day for me was the Little Lorikeet. Tim Mintern

DATE: 27th May Site: Nurcong Leader: Ian As I left Ararat the weather presented me with a cool breeze and sunshine but as I drew closer to Horsham a light fog came across Mount Zero followed by overcast conditions and light breeze. Despite this nine Birdlife Horsham members enjoyed a wonderful day birding around Horsham. Our first stop was the Horsham Council depot where two Bush Stone-curlew lay secreted amongst the native vegetation and Council plant vehicles, next stop, in town, was Allan's house where he showed us a deceased Green Cheeked Conure that had kamikazed into his window, more than likely an escaped caged bird. We stopped in at Nurcong reserve next followed by Jane Duff/Cooper Reserve then finally Mount Arapiles where we ended our day with a sighting of a resident Speckled Warbler, which, on many visits to the area we have been very lucky to see. The bird list for the day totalled 65 species with many woodland, water-based and arid zone highlights including: Bush Stone-curlew, Peaceful Dove, Shy Heathwren, Brown-headed Honeyeater, White- faced Honeyeater, Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, Purple-gaped Honeyeater, Scarlet Robin, Hooded Robin, Southern Scrub-robin, White-browed Babbler, Gilbert's, Golden and Rufous Whislters, Diamond Firetail, Dusky Woodswallow and Mistletoebird. Thank you Ian for a really lovely day, much enjoyed by all. Deidre

DATE: 7th June Site: Cherrypool and surrounds Leader: Ian On a Sunday when most would have slept-in, Birdlife Horsham were out and about in the Wimmera. Following earlier reconnaissance from Ian and Karen the bird sighting prospects were not all that promising, but a total of 61 species were observed, so a pretty good job despite the gusty, cold, sunny and cloudy conditions. We were delighted to have visitors, ''newbies' and 'newbie' 'oldies' joining us on this June long- weekend, swelling our numbers to 17 participants; most began our outing from Horsham but others joined us at our first stop, Cherrypool, along the Henty Highway. This regular stop, for member over the years, now sports a toilet, due to the many campers and users who frequent the destination. Cherrypool Natural Features Reserve, lies on the Glenelg River, whilst there was water in the river; a magnificent Darter was the stand-out species observed, with noisy Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and thornbills seen playing amongst the trees. Our next stop was Maree and Graham Goods fantastic remnant vegetation property near Mount Talbot. There were glimpses of White-throated Treecreeper, Brown Treecreeper, Superb Fairy-wren, rosellas, Striated Pardolote, White-browed Scrubwren, thornbills, Noisy Miner, honeyeaters, Jacky Winter, Scarlet, Flame and Yellow Robin, Golden Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Restless Flycatcher, currawongs and White- winged Chough. We moved on next to Lake Toolondo; apart from many people fishing there were: Musk Duck, kestrel, Hardhead, grebes, cormorant, Eurasian Coot and black duck. John Smith Memorial Reserve was our last stop, just passed Allan's place. A normally noisy location, thornbills and rosellas with the highlight being a Southern Boobook were seen. Along the way members saw many Wedge-tailed Eagle pairs, a Peregrine Falcon with a Brown Falcon, a Little Eagle, pelican, herons, all manner of parrots and ducks. Thanks to Ian, and we hope to see our new friends again.

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Striated Pardalotes are common birds in all the wooded areas of the Wimmera. At this time of year they can be found in pairs or in small groups. The groups often appear to be on the move, so it is generally accepted that these birds are either regionally migratory or just nomadic. The Murtoa Golf Course and the Barrabool State Forest consist mainly of yellow gum, grey box, black box and buloke woodland, which is ideal habitat for pardalotes. Over several visits to these places during the Autumn I have seen a lot of small flocks, of pardolotes, feeding amongst the foliage of the trees. The very large majority of these birds had the “normal” broad white wing stripe that commences with a red spot and these are the birds you would expect to see in this district. Very occasionally I came across a bird that had a narrow white wing stripe that commenced with a red spot. These birds are a sub-species that are much more common towards the east from here. I also found a pardalote that had a narrow white wing stripe that commenced with a yellow spot, which is the Tasmanian form of the Striated Pardalote . These Tasmanian birds have an annual migration to mainland southeastern Australia for the winter. It is generally thought that this epic journey, for such a tiny bird, takes quite a toll on the numbers that undertake the migration. It would be interesting to know how many of these Tassie Pardalotes reach the Wimmera. The grey box trees in and around the golf course have been flowering quite well and the Musk, Purple- crowned, Little and Rainbow Lorikeets have been enjoying the spoils. While not entirely a surprise, but certainly unusual, a pair of Swift Parrots were there one morning, feeding with the other birds. White-plumed, Black-chinned, White-fronted, Brown headed, New Holland and Fuscous Honeyeaters have also been enjoying the blossom. Although probably not having anything to do with the good flowering and more to do with the overall dryness of the whole district, I have also seen a Pied Currawong and a Grey Currawong in the same area recently; I suspect they have pushed northwards from the Grampians. On the subject of pushing northwards, Crimson Rosellas have finally made it to Rupanyup. Common to the west at Horsham and to the south at Glenorchy, it was probably only a matter of time. A mature pair has been seen on the southern fringe of town and a Crimson, which mated with an Eastern, had young was seen flying around the township last spring. The young were very similar in colour to normal young Crimson Rosellas. The Eastern may have doubtful parentage to because it appears to have a little more red than normal and not quite the usual colouring on its back. This pair has been seen quite recently again so hopefully one day a photo may help to sort the Eastern out. Walker’s Lake, north east of Banyena, is at present being filled with water from the pipeline for recreational and environmental purposes. There are not many ducks on the lake, at the moment, maybe because of duck season, but there are considerable numbers of Eurasian Coots, Australasian Grebes and Hoary-headed Grebes. I have made mention of the increased sightings of Pied Butcherbirds in the Rupanyup area over the last few years. As I was driving home, from the lake, one flew across the road just west of the old Banyena township. During the process of a discussion, Tim and I were having with a local regarding future sand mining at Taylors Lake, he produced a photo of a bird that he had taken just after the floods in 2011. It was taken in a tree not far from his house. After some deliberation we came to the conclusion that it was an immature Eastern Koel. Fortunately, the photo was good enough to make a positive identification. To the best of our knowledge there is no record of a Koel for the Wimmera previously. Mutton swamp, just south of Rup, is receiving environmental water at the moment from the pipeline. A dam in the middle of the swamp is full to overflowing and is now supporting a few ducks. A couple of days ago it was good to see five Freckled Duck, three Black Duck, four Shelduck and a dozen or so Wood Duck enjoying the spoils. Mutton swamp does not hold water very often but it filled after the floods in 2011 and was water bird heaven for nearly two years. Ian.

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My Antarctica After a 43- hour marathon due to weather diversions, missed flights and some incompetence we eventually reached our accommodation in Fort Lauderdale at 0330. My brother, thinking we were in there before him the night before called us at 7:00am to start the day. Humph!! The ship sailed at its appointed time and we commenced our journey south to the Panama Canal. Gillian's and my body was so run down by this time we came down with very heavy colds and were unable to go ashore at our first stop, Providence Island. Our next port was too rough to get into so the ship stopped at a small island group known as the San Blas Islands near Eastern Panama. The islands are only 10 cm above the high-water line but the people are happy and content. It was here I saw my first Toucan, however, the bird was a captive and small boys were charging $1.00 a look, needless to say I paid and took some photos. Transiting the Panama Canal is still a fascination with the newer, wider canal to be opened next year. Our next port in Ecuador was interesting and the small payment to a local taxi driver had us in the jungle in half an hour. There we saw a variety of birds including a Male Euphonia and Red Masked Parakeets, lots of Turkey Vultures and Howler Monkeys high in the tree tops.

A couple of stops later we left the ship flying down to Cusco to begin our three-days at Machu Picchu. A truly memorable experience with a fantastic knowledgeable guide who made sure we saw all there was to see. Rejoining the ship in Lima our next port was to be the first of my Penguin Colony bookings. Ballestas Islands, 20kms off the coastal town of Pisco was to be the place to see Humbolt Penguins, so named for their survival as a result of the current of the same name bringing them their favoured food. Fifteen people to a speedboat soon had us at a remarkable place where we were greeted by masses of Sea Lions, Blue Footed Boobies, Red Footed Cormorants and my favourite the Inca Tern. The sea was kind to us that day and after spending a couple of hours circling the islands with their millions of birds we headed back to scan our photos. The is so thick on the islands it is harvested every eight years commercially without too much disturbance. We continued south and the weather became cooler and the seas quite remarkably smoother. Glacier Alley was where we saw our first Iceberg and our first Albatross. All of the Glaciers are in retreat due to climate change with only two reaching sea level; a remarkable sight with glassy seas, a photographers' dream. Punta Arenas was my next Penguin Colony tour and again this one did not disappoint. A landing barge took us two hours across a bay to an island where Magellanic Penguins abounded in their thousands. Walking amongst these birds and their nesting burrows was an experience everyone should have. The penguins, around 65cm tall walked right up to you and checked you out without any fear at all. Two hours on the island almost burned up my 8GB memory card and it was time to head back to the ship. The ship continued south and we were now joined by three scientific people to give lectures daily on Antarctica and what to expect after we left Ushuaia. One of these men was the Director General of Conservation of , Lou Sanson and the other two were Australians, Dr Peter Carey and Dr Craig Franklin. All had been Team Leaders in Antarctic Bases over many years and were experts in their fields. Their lectures were fascinating and well attended each session. All commented that our crossing of the Drake Passage was the smoothest they had ever experienced, which was rather a pity as I was hoping for a full blown Cape Horn gale! Our first Gentoo Penguins were sighted almost as soon as we arrived in the ice. Our destination was the US Base Palmer Station and we were joined by a crew from there who stayed aboard overnight conducting talks on their jobs at the base. One question asked of a Krill expert was, Is the Krill tablets we buy at a premium price any better than ordinary fish oil? Her answer was absolutely NO. In fact she said, too much Krill in the human body can be toxic.

5 Our next three days in and around the Danco Coast and Paradise Bay of the Antarctic Peninsula was truly an amazing experience. The ship would head for the high seas overnight and return to the ice fields at first light 0400 in the morning. One day in Paradise Bay 77 Humpbacked Whales were counted on the glassy seas. We reluctantly had to leave Paradise Bay and headed to the Antarctic Sounds on our way to the Falklands, still the seas were smooth! The Falklands, the King Penguin Colony and Gentoo Penguin Colony was the most amazing place I have ever been to. Walking amongst these stately birds was a cathartic experience and one I shall never forget. Mother Nature was surely working overtime with the King Penguins, just a truly amazing bird. The day was quite warm (12 degrees) and the birds were suffering from the heat. It was a grand sight watching the Gentoo Penguins running in and out of the waves at the beach like little kiddies, struggling to stay in front of the waves, then rolling in the sand pooped. I could have stayed there forever, but two hours of this magic was soon over when a thick fog rolled into the bay. Another 8GB bit the dust there! Our next stop was Montevideo, followed the next day by Buenos Aries where we left the ship and flew to Iguazu Falls. Why a waterfall? Well 29 Niagara Falls fit into the Iguazu Falls. Toucans abounded as well as a variety of other birds and . Our tour included the top and the very wet tour of the bottom of the falls where special bags were thoughtfully provided to house cameras and any other thing you wanted to stay dry. Three ventures under different falls were enough to half fill the boat and get everyone wet through. That night sitting on the balcony of our hotel having a meal we heard a roaring like a Lion; our enquiries the next day revealed the noise came from one of the only 60 left in the wild, Jaguars. The trip home was through Florida for a week of R & R and straight to Portland for a funeral, sadly being forced to miss the campout. John and Gillian Francis.

Photos... Humbolt Penguin, Ecuador Toucan, King Penguin, Gentoo Penguin, Brazilian Toucans and an Inca Tern, Courtesy of John Francis

frogs. They stay together for life and gather in large flocks in the non-breeding season. They display an elaborate mating dance where they jump up in the air with their wings widespread, they prance about bowing and calling and shaking their heads. In southern Australia they breed from around September to December. The female usually lays Also known as the Native Companion or two eggs with both parents sharing incubating and Australian Crane, Brolgas are a member of caring responsibilities. the Crane family.

A tall, slender, grey to silver bird, standing at 1m, with a red band extending around the back of the head. They are omnivores – they eat both vegetable and matter, like wetland plants, seeds, insects and amphibians, like

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Competition 6 # NAME THAT BIRD! What part of the bird is known as the Cacophony Syrinx? A Bird Lovers' Paradise – See picture diagram for answer Bush setting - property for sale

vocal organ of birds Three-bedroom architect-designed brick veneer house with native garden on 60 acres, Perched on a sandy rise of bush land at McKenzie Creek, 10km south of Horsham. A Tranquil rural-living setting, bordered by covenant protected blocks. With abundant Indigenous flora and fauna, including many different Wimmera bird species. With power, solar hot water, NBN, large storage of rainwater and access to the Grampians pipeline system for supplementary water. Not to forget the wine cellar (wine not included!). Two large sheds, incorporating triple garage, workshop and green house.

If interested please contact JanBert & Mabel Brouwer (03 53846293 or [email protected]), who are downsizing to a smaller property in Horsham.

Competition 7 # JOKES

When should you buy a bird?

There was a rooster sitting on top of the shed. If it laid an egg, which way would it roll?

Why did the little bird get into trouble at school?

What do you give a sick bird? .

Why does a stork stand on one leg? 7

Save the Date: June 18th & 19th for a chance to see and hear Birdlife Australia's Sean Dooley and other guest speakers hosted by Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority and Pannyabyr Landcare Group.

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