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Home , Australian magpie, Frogmouth, Golden swallow, Laughing kookaburra, Willie wagtail

The Rainbow

Volume 6 Number 1 February 2017 (Issue 89)

In this Issue Symbiosis Page 2 Willie Page 5 The Sad Death of a Page 6 My Bird Page 8 White-eared Page 9 Honeyeaters Who is Robert Hall? Page 10 Black and White Page 12 Challenge Count 2016 Page 13 Glossy Ibis Page 14 Grey Teal Page 15 Striated Pardalotes Page 16 Sparrowhawks Page 17 Wind beneath their Page 18 Wings Young Spoonbills Page 19 Profile Page 20 Hotspot Profile Page 23 1 The Challenge Page 25 Sightings and Calendar Page 26

The Rainbow Bird

Photo acknowledgements

for title page: Symbiosis Allan Taylor, Lindsay Cupper, Ken Job, Pauline I was recently handed a copy of the Sunraysia Naturalists’ Follett, Richard Wells, Research Trusts’ 1975/76 report by Helen. This will be kept in Finley Japp. the cabinet that holds the books of the Favaloro collection. The report covers a year which seems to be one of the best for sighting birds in recent memory.

Part of the report details the Trust members’ observations on the bird nests in the Tapio area just north of Hollands Lake. There were large numbers of White-browed and Masked Woodswallow nests constructed close to each other and to those of Black-faced -. Apparently, this behaviour is well-known but I don’t know the reason for it.

The article got me thinking about Symbiotic Relationships. When referring to relationships between flora and fauna, it is common to sub-divide these relationships into Mutualistic; Commensalistic; and Parasitic relationships. The former classification refers to situations where two different species both derive a benefit from a relationship or behaviour; the second refers to the situation where one species benefits while the second species doesn’t but is not disadvantaged; and the latter is the situation where one species benefits at the expense of the other.

White-browed and Masked , almost invariably, travel in flocks together. There is, most probably, the advantage of larger flocks providing some protection against predator attack but a more obvious one is that the two species, which are very closely related, seek out the same and food sources so that this might be more efficiently, and with less competition, done in a large flock. The relationships between the two woodswallow species and between them and the cuckoo-shrikes are, therefore, examples of a Mutualistic Relationship.

Incidentally, the above two woodswallow species are known, occasionally, to hybridise.

It has been recorded that New Holland Honeyeaters have been known to try to raise chicks. I think that this behaviour, however, is more a case of the honeyeaters responding to an urge to brood young chicks rather than to attempt to assist the woodswallows.

Apostlebirds and White-winged Choughs are frequently seen together. It is not known whether they derive mutual benefit from this relationship or whether the similarities in their behaviours and their food and nesting sources result in this apparent symbiosis.

Australian Hobbys and Grey will often hunt prey together. This is Mutualistic behaviour and, I guess, both species benefit from their differing hunting techniques and abilities.

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Grey Butcherbirds, also, seem to have an affinity with Striped Honeyeaters. The latter nest slightly later than the and the nest will, often, be close to that of the Butcherbird. I wonder whether the similarity in their calls may have some effect on the Butcherbird behaviour, which seems protective of the Honeyeater.

It is well known that Willie Wagtails often construct their nests close by a nest of a -lark. It is thought that the Willie Wagtails obtain the benefit of the Magpie-larks’ aggressive behaviour in driving off other species. In doing so, the Magpie-larks would drive off predators from the Willie Wagtails nest. If this is the reason for the two nests being constructed close together, it is an example of Commensalistic behaviour.

Another commonly seen behaviour is the case where White-breasted Woodswallows use the discarded nest of a Magpie-lark pair for their own use. The advantage is an obvious one for the woodswallows in that they don’t have to spend the effort in constructing a nest of their own.

Small birds often benefit from the alarm calls of Noisy and Yellow-throated Miners. I recall one occasion when I was photographing the Spotless Crakes at Etiwanda Wetlands when the bird I was watching suddenly jumped in the air and scurried off into the cover of the reeds. It wasn’t until I saw a Whistling Kite above that I realised that the miners had called and the crake had reacted.

Photo by Finley Japp Silver Gulls routinely act as lookouts for other water birds and waders. The gulls seem to enjoy the sport of scolding both human and raptor intruders and, most times, large numbers of other birds will react.

Zebra Finches are known to often construct their nests immediately below that of a Wedge-tailed Eagle. The Cuppers reported that Zebra Finches, also, seem to co-exist with Black-breasted Buzzards. Similar synergies appear to exist where will tolerate smaller species such as Yellow-rumped Thornbills, Striated Pardalotes and nesting in close proximity to their own nests.

Weebills and Thornbills usually forage together, presumably following the same food source. Maybe they derive some benefit from their different feeding techniques in locating and alarming the on which they eat.

I have, also, wondered whether this is the case for what I perceive is a relationship between Inland Thornbill and Shy Heathwrens. The Thornbills appear to forage the upper parts of the heath while the Heathwrens forage on or near ground-level.

Orange, Crimson and White-fronted Chats, Pipits and Songlarks are often found in the same area at the same time. Maybe this is simply a case of them sharing similar habitat and food sources.

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The subject of the parasitic behaviour of is really a subject of its own but the report that I mentioned above contained an article by the late Chris Sonter which is of some interest. He recalled, on a trip to the east of NSW, an incident where two Fan-tailed

Cuckoos and two Shining Bronze- Cuckoos mimicked the call of a male Rufous Whistler while they were in close proximity to the female Rufous Whistler. The male was nowhere to be seen. Chris surmised that the cuckoos were trying to stimulate the female Rufous Whistler to start nest-building in preparation to it receiving the male. Chris wondered whether this in fact happened and if, when the Whistler nested, it raised a chick of either or both species of cuckoo. Further, if two species hatched, he wondered which one would prevail.

Thank you to Helen Devilee for providing the report and my thanks to Pauline Follett for a few suggestions for inclusion in this article.

By Allan Taylor

Photos by Allan Taylor

Addendum

Another example of symbiosis between bird species was recorded in an article in “The Emu” magazine of 1978. It was recorded that two Little Egrets accompanied a flock of feeding Sacred Ibis. Each Egret selected an Ibis and followed that bird at a distance of some two meters. The Ibis prodded in the mud of the mud-flat where the birds were feeding and the Egrets fed from the areas that had been disturbed by the Ibis.

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Willie Wagtails

On 4th October I took my brother in to Mildura Base Hospital for a cataract operation. While waiting for him, I had a bite to eat at the Hospital’s café. The courtyard to the café is covered by the branches of several trees and most people go outside there to sit and eat their meals or drink their drinks. Two of the nurses sitting nearby mentioned a Willie that was sitting in a nest above our heads. Of course, on seeing the bird, I had to go back to my car and come back with my camera to take a photo. The first image to the right is the result.

At the risk of boring you with the details of my brother’s medical history, I must tell you that he had a second cataract operation on 31st October and, once again, I found myself in the café courtyard having a bite to eat. I immediately looked up for the Wagtail nest and noticed that it had completely disappeared – the Willies had, apparently, finished raising their young. After a few minutes I looked up again and saw another nest that was not much more than a meter above head height. Again, I hurried outside to the car to collect my camera. I hadn’t had time to position my chair correctly for a clear shot when one bird came to put finishing touches on the nest. She did this by wiping the contents of her onto the top of the nest and then wriggling around to get the nest into the correct and comfortable shape. I took a few shots and then decided to move further back so that I could get a nicely framed photo. However, before I could do so, the male came down from somewhere and mated with the female while she was sitting in the nest. The following photo records this event. You will note that I wasn’t far enough back to get the pair and the nest fully into the shot so I have come up with a resultant “action” shot.

By Allan Taylor

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The Sad Death of a Kingfisher

Birdlife Mildura members Mavis & Geoff Preisig and myself often walk the river track where, in 1857, Victorian Government Zoologist, William Blandowski, camped for 5 months on the Murray River Cliffs at Merbein, now known as Chaffey Landing.

Blandowski, employed by Governor Latrobe, was the first curator of the 's Museum of Natural History in Melbourne. During his encampment, he and Gerard Krefft, aided by the 'Nyeri Nyeri’ people, who identified the area as ‘Mondellimin’, assembled a large and significant collection of over 1,700 terrestrial and aquatic from the region, including a Bourke's specimen. 1

With the recent rising river, there was plenty of action in the frog world, with many insects and birds also nesting. On Monday 7th November (2016), I accompanied Geoff and Mavis along the track, as I do from time to time. We had been watching Rainbow Bee-eaters digging out nests in the cliff and nesting Laughing , pardalotes, Red-rumped , Yellow Rosellas and Dusky Woodswallows.

On this occasion, we came upon a , hanging from a small hollow in a black box tree, about 6m off the ground. The bird was alive and obviously in distress.

After due consideration of what action we could take to relieve the bird of its discomfort, we secured a big ladder, a 6m length of 25mm pvc pipe and a torch, as it was dark by the time we returned with the gear.

Above: The Sacred Kingfisher, hanging from a small hollow in a black box tree.

1 Editor’s Note: If you go to Chaffey’s Landing, make sure to read the information signs there. Blandowski had a few enemies in the University of Melbourne, and if he found a particularly ugly-looking fish he would name it after people he didn’t like. More here: https://museumvictoria.com.au/discoverycentre/infosheets/the- melbourne-story/blandowskis-bad-name-/

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It was very difficult to keep the end of the 6m length of pvc pipe under control, while clinging to the ladder set up over a bull ant's nest. Mavis directed the torch while steadying the ladder with her other hand. Geoff had one hand on the ladder and steadied the pvc pipe with the other. I hung on with one hand, while directing the pole with the other. We were very conscious of not harming the bird and using minimal force! After 30 minutes from 3 different angles, the bird was eventually freed and flew off to its nearby mate. We all went home feeling good about our achievement of freeing the Sacred Kingfisher.

Over the next few evenings, there were several sightings of a pair of Sacred in the area. Then on Thursday 10th November, while I was scouting the area, I again saw the bird hanging from the mouth of the same hollow. It must have got its leg caught again and was dead. Its mate was still active in the area. We felt as poorly seeing the dead bird as we were elated at having released it from the hollow three nights earlier.

It is somewhat ironic that Bird Life 's Bird of the Month (December) is the Sacred Kingfisher.

The variety of birds seen in the vicinity of Chaffey Landing and within a short walking distance, have been listed by the Mavis and Geoff. These include: White-browed Babbler, Rainbow Bee-Eater, Common Bronzewing, , Pied Cormorant, Black-Faced Cuckoo-, Darter, Peaceful Dove, Pacific Black Duck, Australian Wood Duck, Little Friarbird, , Spiny- cheeked Honeyeater, Sacred Kingfisher, Whistling Kite, Laughing , Magpie, Magpie-lark, , , Red-rumped Parrot, Crested Pigeon, , Mallee Ringneck, Yellow Rosella, Brown Treecreeper, , Gilbert's Whistler, Dusky Woodswallow, , Great Egret, , Australian Pelican, Welcome and White-plumed Honeyeater. By Richard Wells Photographs by Geoff Preisig and Richard Wells.

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It’s a bird, it’s a – wait, what is that? Addendum to the Kingfisher Story

This is possibly difficult to justify. The poor quality attachment was taken with my phone. It is not a bird, but an eight-legged Goanna!

A few days after the kingfisher episodes…

About 28 December, my kids and I came across a big Goanna in a tree near the Merbein Sandbar. Over the next half-hour we spotted six Goannas within 150 metres of the sandbar. They varied in size but all were spectacular:  Two about 2.5m  Two about 1.5m  Two about 1m I have only photos of the Goannas mating: “the attachment is my best of a bad bunch”, Geoff has several much better quality shots of the Goannas getting into hollows where the Red-rumped Parrots were nesting. There are several photos of two Goannas on the same branch. By Richard Wells

“And let me introduce you to… My Bird”

Wherever I go, when I mention that I am a birdwatcher (makes us sound a little weird, doesn’t it?), the person I’m talking to has an interest in, and has a story about, birds.

The latest was from a lady who lives in Wentworth and feeds the birds in her back garden. One of those birds is a Black Kite. The bird has learnt the in which she feeds “her” birds and hangs back until it is its turn. It will then come in close to be fed. Once, the bird even gently took the food out of the lady’s hand with its talons.

I have heard about Whistling Kites swooping in for the scraps when fishermen gut their fish but, I would think, it is unusual for birds of prey to become as tame as the one mentioned above.

The Black Kite pair nesting at the Wentworth Golf Course this season would tolerate us getting quite close but only when they were perched some 150 to 200 meters away from the nest. They wouldn’t go closer to the nest whilst there were humans in the vicinity.

By Allan Taylor

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White-eared Honeyeaters

At Portland, during the Club’s recent trip to Nelson, we came across what we thought was a “new” honeyeater. It was moving around some blossoming eucalypts at the part of the Alcoa Wetlands where we pulled up our cars. The birds had a very melodious chirruping call and we were excited to get a few identification camera shots.

On checking the photos we found that the birds were, in fact, White-eared Honeyeaters. There calls were altogether different to those that we hear in the Mallee District.

According to the Simpson and Day guide book, there is a southern form of the honeyeater called lichenostomus leucotis. The inland race is called lichenostomus novaeorciae and, according to the guide book, is slightly smaller and duller than the former. The word “leucotis” means white-eared or white-faced – the leuco bit refers to the word “white “ and is also spelt “leuko”, as in leukaemia or the disease of the white blood cells.

The above two photos were taken at Portland while the following was taken locally:

I must confess that I can’t see any definite difference except that, possibly, the top pictures (lichenostomus leuctois” show a more bright, yellowy bottle- green on the back and flight feathers.

By Allan Taylor

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Who is Robert Hall?

A while ago, as we were travelling back from Melbourne, I picked up a little old book from Inglewood. The front cover pictured three little Blue Wrens, in colour, marked on a fabric surface. The book was by one Robert Hall, F.L.S., C.M.Z.S., and before I even progressed to the title, I had a bit of research to do.

It turns out that F.L.S. stands for Fellow of the Linnean Society, which was founded in 1788 and is “dedicated to the study of natural history and Robert Hall in 1912 .” The society is the oldest of its type, and seems to have played quite a role in the early natural history of Australia.

C.M.Z.S. stands for Corresponding Member of the Zoological Society – of which there are a few, including one in New South Wales1 – however C.M.Z.S most probably refers to the society in London, which was founded in 1826 and “quickly became the world’s leading Learned Society in .”

And while I am on post-nominal letters, here is a quick table of abbreviations that I found in Robert Hall’s book2:

Post-nominal Letters Meaning Litt. D. Doctor of Letters, an academic degree equal to or beyond a Ph. D. F.R.S. Fellow of the Royal Society M.A. Master of Arts C.M.G. Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George

But back to this book. The book written by Robert Hall is titled Useful Birds of Southern Australia with notes on other birds,3 was printed in 1907, and is quite an interesting little publication that provides insight into the natural history of the time.

1 But the post-nominal letters are F.R.Z.S. Actually, there is also a Linnean Society, but I couldn’t find the post-nominals it uses. 2 And I couldn’t find a suitable meaning for I.S.O. Can anyone enlighten me? 3 The reason for such a title will soon become apparent.

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Robert Hall writes of a colony of Ibises, which existed in a swamp in New South Wales, totalling 200,000 birds!1 Robert Hall estimated the colony ate 480 million daily.

The birds’ names in the book are also quite interesting: The Varied Sitella is instead the Orange- winged/Black-capped Tree-runner, The Eastern Whipbird instead the Coachwhip-bird, and, most interestingly, the is called… the Australian Magpie.

Though this may seem a little unsurprising to the reader (it did to me), I realised that at the time the official name was still “Crow-shrike” (probably a slightly more appropriate name, for the Magpie of Australia is similar to the European and American Magpies in colour only). “In deference of popular opinion”, Robert Hall “retain[ed] the commonly accepted title [Magpie]” for his book. Indeed Robert Hall’s influence, cemented in this publication, may have been the reason for the Magpie name to become official.2

Robert Hall’s book covers a lot of the common species of the southern East Coast, as well as birds from regional Victoria and southern New South Wales. Each bird’s name is accompanied by similar names, its geographical distribution, a photograph or picture, and stories and accounts of the bird, as well as how the bird is useful to people: the Blue Wrens eat the pesky insects in gardens and are so in the category of -eating Birds. The Great Brown Kingfisher eats and is therefore in the Vermin-eating Birds, and etc. This is definitely the most interesting and unique part of the book, and I used this information for the species profile in this edition of the newsletter.

After reading the book, I decided I wanted to find out more about the author and see if he had published any other books. A quick Google search revealed that Robert Hall did indeed publish some other books including A Key to the and in 1899 and Nature Studies in Australia which he wrote with William Gillies for state schools in 1903.

Robert Hall was born just out of Ballarat in 1867 and attended Scotch College, Melbourne. In the 1890s Robert Hall became a tea merchant, but his real interest was birds so, after a little work in biology in the University of Melbourne he travelled in northern Australia then accompanied a Norwegian expedition to the Kerguelen Islands, in the southern Indian Ocean just north of Heard Island, as naturalist.

Robert Hall had other expeditions both in Australia and around the world. The most notable of these was a trip to Siberia in 1903, where he collected over 400 specimens of 90 species. Hall and his assistant Ernie Trebelcock were particularly interested in waders that bred so far north that there were no specimens in full breeding . At the time nothing was known of where Australian species went for the Arctic summer.

1 Two-hundred thousand, to prove it wasn’t a typo. 2 Though evidently this is pure speculation.

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The trip to Siberia was very tough and the group arrived a little late for the birds: they did however collect specimens of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and a few other waders. Much more rewarding was the Korean stop on the way there, where Hall and Trebelcock collected birds such as the Amur Falcon and Long-billed Plover.

Robert Hall returned to Australia and became involved in nature for schools1, publishing the books that I mentioned before. In 1908 he became curator for the Tasmanian Museum and Botanic Gardens. He resigned in 1912 over some disagreements. Robert Hall was a founding member of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union and president in 1913.

He remained interested in for years to come, writing papers, contributing to journals, and publishing Australian Bird Maps in 1922, perhaps his best work. Robert Hall died in 1949 in New Norfolk, Tasmania, where he was cremated. Parts of his bird collection remain in the Tasmanian On the Siberian Expedition. Robert Hall is in the middle. Museum.

By Finley Japp

BLACK and WHITE BIRDS

Recently, we have noticed that a Willie Wagtail pair nested in the same tree as a White-winged Triller pair. This started me thinking that there may be some symbiotic relationship between the two species as Willies are also known to favour nesting sites where Magpie-larks have a nest. I had previously thought that the reason for this had some relationship to their shared colours but, on reading about the matter, I have learnt that the reason is that Magpie-larks strenuously defend their nest from intruders. By doing so, they also drive away predators from the Willie Wagtails’ nest, and young.

It was interesting to be reminded that black and white birds are great songsters. Just think of the Australian Magpie, Pied Butcherbird, Willie Wagtail, White-winged Triller and Magpie-lark.

It was, also, interesting to learn that Magpies tolerate the nests of Yellow-rumped Thornbills, Willie Wagtails and Southern Whiteface and, sometimes, Noisy Miners near their own. The first two species favour nesting immediately below the nest of the Magpie. Striated Pardalotes have been known to burrow into the bottom of a Magpies’ nest without being hunted by the Magpies.

I find these symbiotic relationships between the Magpie and the other species a little strange because, I feel sure, the Magpie is capable of eating the young of the other birds.

By Allan Taylor

1 He was inspired and impressed by the natural history overseas.

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Challenge Count 2016

The 2016 count saw 5 teams take part in the annual challenge to find the most species in a 24 hr period, covering an area of no more than a 25km radius. The teams were:

Buronga Babblers (Barrie MacMillan, George Kerridge, Susan Fisher) 42 species; 188 Gol Gol Greenshanks (Pauline Follett, Jayna Podgorski) 106 species; 2136 Wentworth Wanderers (Col Stewart, Di Stewart, Allan Taylor) 70 species; 1015 Koorlong Kestrels (Alec Hawtin, Sharon Hawtin, Judith Petschel, Lindsay Cupper) 83 species; 1271 Merbein Mopokes (Michael Mack, Kim McGrath, Finley Japp) 102 species; 1212

It must be noted that the Kings Billabong Kingfishers were unable to participate due to flooding of the billabong rendering it inaccessible. The final tally of 133 species and 5822 birds was the lowest result in 10 years. Birds such as the Eastern Great Egret, Great Cormorant, Little Pied Cormorant, Black-tailed Native-hen, Red-kneed Dotterel, Regent Parrot and have been recorded every year since 2007, but failed to be seen in this count.

The flooding of the Murray River in 2016 was the largest flood in more than 20 years. This had the effect of spreading the waterbirds out over a larger area which reduced our counts.

21 species were found breeding, and they were:

Emu, Musk Duck, Black Swan, Pacific Black Duck, Australian Shelduck, Australian Wood Duck, Australasian , Tawny Frogmouth, Brown Falcon, Australian Hobby, Dusky Moorhen, Silver Gull, Galah, Noisy Miner, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Grey Shrike-thrush, Hooded Robin, Australian Reed- warbler, , and .

All teams, except the Buronga Babblers, found species that were not recorded by any other team, and they were:

W/W Wanderers Emu, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. Koorlong Kestrels Tawny Frogmouth, Australian Pelican, Red-necked Stint, Rufous Songlark, Mistletoebird. Gol Gol Greenshanks Pied Cormorant, Banded Stilt, Marsh Sandpiper, White-browed Treecreeper, Yellow Thornbill, White-eared Honeyeater, White-fronted Honeyeater, Gilbert’s Whistler, White-browed Woodswallow, Grey , Jacky Winter, Red-capped Robin. Merbein Mopokes Australasian Shoveler, , Little Egret, , , Wedge- tailed Eagle, Australian Spotted Crake, Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoo, Varied Sittella, Dusky Woodswallow, Little Crow.

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It was interesting that the Gol Gol Greenshanks obtained the highest score of 106 species ( only 4 more than the Merbein Mopokes) but got a substantially higher total of birds. This can be explained partly by the numbers at Mourquong Swamp.

Whilst there seems to be a friendly rivalry between teams it must be remembered that it is the total count for the Sunraysia area that is the most significant. It is impossible to have a level playing field between teams due to a variety of factors such as different types of habitat, varying counting times, varying weather, time of day, and the number of observers. The only comparisons that can be made are by each team over a number of years. The most important thing is to do your best and have fun.

Remember, it is not just the numbers that count, but the rarity of the species. I would like to put out a challenge to the teams for the 2017 challenge to find the most unusual species. Good luck.

By Pauline Follett

Glossy Ibis Land at Gol Gol Swamp

After a very prolonged dry spell, Gol Gol Swamp received environmental water from the swollen Murray River.

On December 6th, when friend Beverley Williams and I stood on a sand-dune overlooking the water spreading in the southern end of the swamp, we were excited about the prospects of its recovery.

Eleven days later, on a sunny Saturday 17th at 10am, we went along the Gol Gol Creek road to the regulator where creek water was diverted into the swamp. We then drove on through the gate in a northern easterly direction with the supply channel on our right . Although the environmental flow

to the swamp had been discontinued, its water was still moving very slowly towards the lake.

Suddenly a flock of black birds appeared in the north-western sky. The shape of this flock was continually changing. When the birds turned in a certain direction, each flashed silver as it disappeared for about 2 seconds. They continually changed from compact formations to lines or V shapes.

Photo by Allan Taylor We recognised that they were small Ibis. Approximately forty flew past us to the eastern end of the water, dipped, quickly rose again and turned back and flew low over the water to the southwestern end where they settled down in shallow water for about ten minutes.

Having taken a drink, the birds all rose together, flew rapidly upwards in a thermal, turned southwards and quickly disappeared.

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In flight, these Ibis appeared black. Information gathered later told us that Glossy Ibis have reddish- brown necks and bronze brown bodies and there is a metallic iridescent sheen on their wings.

Glossy Ibis are very nomadic throughout Australia but most numerous in the northern parts of the mainland. Watching their graceful formation-flying was so thrilling that we felt fascinated and elated.

By Helen Devilee

Grey Teal

I photographed this bird early in December and wondered whether this behaviour might be part of a mating display. I couldn’t find a great deal of information on Grey Teal courtship behaviour but from the little that I found I think that the answer to my question is “maybe”.

Most mating of ducks occurs after the female initiates the procedure with a “lowered bill” display in which she swims with her head just on or below the water-level. This stimulates the males to display to her. The males often do so in a group and the female, eventually, selects the male that she deems most attractive.

Most of the information that I could find on mating habits referred to Chestnut Teal but, I think, some of it applies also to Grey Teal. One of the actions that a male takes to attract the female is to bunch its body up with the tips of the wings thrust upward and forward to show the iridescent speculum on the wing’s secondary flight feathers. I think that the bird in the photo on the right is performing that display.

When paired, most duck couples engage in head-bobbing as part of their bonding and head-bobbing, invariably, occurs immediately before mating.

My supposition in relation to the bird in the top photos is that it could either be displaying; stretching; or rearranging its feathers after getting them wet after diving or being “dunked” by an aggressive rival or suiter.

By Allan Taylor

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Striated Pardalotes

It is not unusual to see Striated Pardalotes displaying, as in the accompanying photos. The most obvious explanation for this type of behaviour is that it is part of their courting rituals. This is undoubtedly so, but it is also recognised that the “raised wing” display is also used as a form of warning to other Striated Pardalotes that are seen as competitors.

There is a nesting hollow in a gum tree that is not far from my home which has been used as a nest for several years. This year there appeared to be four Striated Pardalotes attending the nest. I noticed two of them on a little twig that they used as the nearest vantage point before going into the hollow. One raised its wings and I wondered if this could be a signal that another bird was already in the nest. This thought didn’t entirely make sense, though, because the Pardalotes’ two- note calls could sometimes be heard from within the nesting hole. It sounded to me that the calls were actually amplified by the confinement of the nesting chamber.

Fairly soon after the incident mentioned above, I noticed that two of the four birds where actually going into a nest some ten feet above the older one and on the same gum tree limb. It, therefore, became obvious that the wing display was a warning to the second bird that it was too close to the bottom nest and that it should concentrate on its own nest. The wing display, by the way, didn’t appear to be overly aggressive – the displaying bird didn’t face the other front-on. In this particular case, then, the display was simply a visual expression of the bird’s anxiety, rather than an act of out-and-out aggression. By Allan Taylor

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Sparrowhawks

Every year at this time (November/December) for, at least 7 or 8 years, a pair of Collared Sparrowhawks nests in a very large tree in the park at Dareton. It is impossible to see the nest because it is high in the tree and the tree has many branches. The babies that mature from each hatching make a persistent squeaking call to get the attention of the parents.

The normal number of nestlings that mature seems to be 2 but this year there are three. Last year there was only one and it appeared quite timid and I, therefore, had difficulty in photographing it. The previous year (two years’ ago) a man who lives in a house that adjoins the park told me that the chick was lost. He had seen the body on the ground.

In some of the earlier years, all the birds in the family were very confiding and I could photograph them perching and feeding in branches close to the ground.

I have seen young sparrowhawks in a large pine tree in a garden of a property on River Road, Dareton and, similarly, a large pine tree on Cadell Street, Wentworth, near the junction of the Murray and Darling Rivers. It would appear that the adult birds have a liking for the and the cover that they provide for their nests.

By Allan Taylor

Top photo – this years’ youngsters; Above left – a photo from several years’ ago showing the adult (left) and the young (right-hand bird); Above right – Sparrowhawk bathing in a puddle in the park.

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The Wind beneath their Wings

In early January, Allan sent me a photo he had taken of a young Collared Sparrowhawk with its wings outstretched and its foot in the air. The explanation for this, Lindsay Cupper and Pauline Follett said, was simply airing their wings. I have heard of similar behaviour before, but also for different reasons.

First, the gulls in Galapagos Islands (and I presume around the world) have been known to sit with their wings outstretched in sunny days to get their wings hot enough that any parasites either get uncomfortable and jump off, or die.

Many species of birds have been known to sunbathe on hot days, where they lie down on the ground with wings and tail outstretched. Raptors are known to sometimes sit up while they sunbathe. They will have their wings outstretched and facing the sun, allowing for the back to also be warmed up. sunbathe by exposing a black spot on the lower back (presumably good at absorbing heat), a patch that is retained even by leucistic grebes.

People actually don’t know the specific reason for sunbathing: ideas include for parasites (as I mentioned before) and just for enjoyment. There is a theory that it is to help with feather management, as it seems that the best way to straighten a slightly damaged feather is with a stream of hot air.

And then of course there are the cormorants. The Australasian Darter for example is more often than not seen with its wings out on sunny days. The most obvious reason for this is that they are drying themselves after a swim, however cormorants have been seen with wings outstretched during pouring rain. It is possible they are trying to warm up, but birds have been seen acting like this even when visibly distressed by the heat. Some say it’s to cool down, and there is even a theory that cormorants metabolise quickly when eating fish and so have to cool down after each meal. The answer is likely a mixture of these things.

And finally, Allan and I have observed a Hobby simply stretching its wings, legs and tail in the evening sun after a long

day.

From these last few paragraphs, it is obvious that we still know little about this widely-observed habit, but in any case the act of a bird stretching its wings, for whatever reason, is both interesting and provides a good photo opportunity. . By Finley Japp – Photo by Allan Taylor and Finley Japp

Birds are in our Nature February 2017 - 18 The Rainbow Bird

Young Spoonbills

Today, 31st January, Jayna took me to the Forestry Reserve just past Lock 10 at Wentworth.

In amongst the large gum trees that line the Murray were several nests of White-faced Herons and one of a Yellow-billed Spoonbill family. To top it off, a Sacred Kingfisher pair were tending a nesting hole in a gum not very far above head-height next to the tree with the Spoonbill nest.

The area had been under water during the recent flood and this, doubtlessly, encouraged the water- birds to nest there.

Jayna and I photographed the parent Spoonbills coming to their nest to feed their four nestlings. Jayna remarked on the fact that the adults had a twig in their bills. We discussed whether they might be building a new nest (unlikely when they were still tending this batch of chicks) or re-lining the current nest.

It was not until I was going through the photos this evening that I discovered what had taken place.

The following collage of photos shows the adult that has just landed on the nest limb. It has a twig in its bill. The other two photos shows the adult bird (at the rear of the nest) handing the twig over to one of the juvenile birds. The last photo in the sequence shows that juvenile, presumably, inserting the twig in the nest. The adult, then, went through the procedure of regurgitating food for several of the young birds in succession. By Allan Taylor

Birds are in our Nature February 2017 - 19 The Rainbow Bird

Species Profile: Rainbow Bee-eater

The Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus1) is a beautiful bird to say the least. Its bright orange wings are highlighted in the sun as it glides over one’s head. Its soft green throat and chest and magnificent regal blue tail and back make it stand out as it sits on a favourite branch sunning itself or finishing a meal. And in close view the head is more than a black eye-strip (striking enough by itself): a soft orange crown blends into yellows and greens, with bands of black and turquoise further highlighting the bright red eye. There is no wonder people call it one of the most beautiful birds in Australia, and one of the most beautiful bee-eaters of the world.

The Rainbow Bee-eater goes by numerous other names, including Berrin-berrin, Gold-digger, Gold- miner, , Golden Merops, Spinetail, Needlebeak and Pintail Sandpiper2. It inhabits almost all of mainland Australia (it does not to Tasmania, is rarer south of the Divide, and in arid is rare to non-existent) as well as Papua , East and some of the offshore islands in South-east Asia and . The birds of the north are resident, while those in the south, including here in Mildura, are migratory and come from around October until, depending on the conditions, March.3

The Rainbow Bee-eater is a member of the family Meropidae, of which there are 31 species. The Rainbow Bird is the sole Australian representative, and its closest Australian relative is the Dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis)4. In Papue New Guinea it at least has a cousin, the Blue-tailed Bee-eater.

Bee-eaters feed in two ways: the first is by sitting on a favourite branch and waiting for an insect (often a bee or wasp, a or ) then flying and plucking it out of the air. The other way is to go on extended periods of flight, hoping to pick up an insect. In either case, the bee-eater will then return to its perch and determinedly rub the sting end of the insect against the end of the perch to remove the toxin reservoir.

1 Merops (Greek): Bee-eater, ornatus (Latin): adorned. 2 Though I do not know why. 3 It is possible that they are leaving later and later, because older books say February while newer reports say April or May. 4 Which is really not very close at all.

Birds are in our Nature February 2017 - 20 The Rainbow Bird

In Mildura, numbers seem to fluctuate quite a bit: some years there are plenty, sometimes very few. They usually stay to breed and nest, which is wherever there is a soft-earthed cliff or a bank of sand, for you see, Bee-eaters create a tunnel ending in a small dome where they lay 5 or so glossy white eggs which tended by both sexes and sometimes “as many as eight adults have been seen in attendance at one nest hole.”1 Filewood, Morris, Hough and Peters, in May 1977 took this observation further by banding sixteen birds from seven burrows. “Three birds were trapped at one hole and another three at a second hole. All six birds were observed entering the holes with food and all had brood patches. Presumably, all these birds brooded the eggs or feed the 2 young.” In Nigeria, a species of bee-eater regularly has helpers – male and generally one-year old.

People used this nesting habit to their advantage in the early days of Australia, as one Mr. Arnold, quoted in Robert Hall’s book Useful Birds of Southern Australia,3 explains. “The Spaniards capture bee-eaters at night by going round and pouring water into holes in the banks and trees where they roost, at the same time holding a net over the entrances, into which the affrighted birds speedily dart.”

The birds while breeding have two tail-shafts, the male’s being longer than the female, which are broken off when nesting, a useful indicator if you are at one of the many nesting sites in Mildura, like at Chaffey Landing, the Cowra Avenue swamps, or along Meridian Road. In fact, if you come across a cliff in the river or a sandy bank in the bush chances are Bee-eaters nest or have nested there.

A. H. Chisholm makes an interesting point in his book Mateship with Birds (1922). “Incidentally, it is curious to reflect that the remarkable nesting trait of these two [Paradise and Golden-shouldered] Parrots is shared by certain other species of long tails – a factor that would seem rather opposed to occupancy of an earthen burrow. The beautiful Long-tailed Kingfisher, of Cape York, also breeds in ’ mounds. Further, the so-called Bee- eater […] always makes its nest by burrowing in a bank or in sandy ground […]. Why this point of similarity between birds whose only other feature in common is the possession of long tails?”

1 Simpson and Day The Birds of Australia Second Edition. 2 A brood patch is a featherless area on the underside of a nesting bird. The area has many blood vessels going through making it possible to keep the eggs warm. 3 See article “Who is Robert Hall?”

Birds are in our Nature February 2017 - 21 The Rainbow Bird

The current population of the bee-eaters is unknown, as the bee-eaters fly many miles a day and gather in large groups which are always difficult to count. However, there is a trend of more bee-eaters staying in the north for the breeding season, and the bee-eaters that come here are staying for longer. The following is written by Allan about the changing population.

“I recall Barrie McMillan, perhaps two years’ ago, commenting on the fact that the numbers of Rainbow Bee-eaters that are visiting this District seemed to have reduced. I hadn’t noticed the decrease, probably because I don’t recall the situation ten or twenty years’ ago. However, this year, it is striking how few of that species have been seen in the District. There were a few sightings at the start of their season here (around 1st October) but I have seen few since that time.

A pair that dug a nesting hole in the Kelso Block abandoned it shortly afterwards. I saw two other pairs at differing parts of the Kelso Block but all three pairs appear to have moved on. I saw a pair near the corner of Meridian Road and McSwain Roads but I’m not sure whether they are still there.

Sheilah Gaines, who lives at Wedderburn and receives copies of our newsletter, has commented on not seeing the Rainbow birds down there this year. Sheilah has suggested that the better weather conditions further north may have convinced the birds that there was no need to journey further south this year. This, certainly, appears to be the case for a number of bird species this year.

After discounting the effects of the weather to the north of us, it does seem that there are other factors causing a marked reduction in the numbers migrating to our District in recent years.”

That is quite true, and though IUCN labels the population as “Stable”, it says that there is little to no data about the species’ trend. For the moment though, we can enjoy watching the avian ranbows fly over our head calling with their “distinctive metallic ‘pirr’, often repeated, usually in flight.”1

Thank you to all who contributed to this species profile, for the photos, information, and in Allan’s case, whole paragraphs of writing.

Edited by Finley Japp

Photo acknowledgements by order of appearance: Pauline Follett, Allan Taylor, Lindsay Cupper, Ken Job, Finley Japp, Allan Taylor.

1 Jim Flegg’s Birds of Australia.

Birds are in our Nature February 2017 - 22 The Rainbow Bird

Hotspot Profile: Kings Billabong

Kings Billabong Park is a haven for wildlife. The 2000 or so ha reserve is home to over 150 species of birds1 including rarities such as Glossy Ibis, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Spotless Crake and Brown Quail. (both Whiskered and Caspian), Hooded Robin, Sacred Kingfisher and waterfowl including Musk Duck are only some of the many birds regularly seen in the wildlife reserve. When the swamps are full birds like Australian Spotted Crake, White-necked Heron, Common Greenshank and the aforementioned Glossy Ibis visit for extended periods of time. Nankeen Night-heron, Black-tailed Native-hen, Rainbow Bee-eater and Brown Treecreeper are just a few of the birds recently observed breeding. Allan Taylor last year saw different Pallid Cuckoos being fed by Dusky Woodswallow, Little Friarbird, White-plumed Honeyeater and Singing Honeyeater! This is truly a place rich in birdlife, and this article covers three of the best places to go in the reserve.

Kings Billabong Nature Walk

The Kings Billabong Nature Walk is the first place most birdwatchers go in the wildlife reserve, and is certainly worth visiting. Crested Shrike-tit, Olive-backed Oriole, Golden Whistler, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Brown Quail (Ken Rix has several times seen the scrapings in the area before the hide) Hooded Robin and much more have been seen along the track. The lower side of the levy bank supports Nankeen Night-heron (particularly in the thick stands of dead and young trees in the water). When this side of the billabong is full enough Whiskered Terns have also been seen feeding and roosting, and a Gull-billed has been recorded at this place as well. At the right time of year Masked and White-browed Woodswallows gather on the walk (towards Baggs Bridge2) that can be taken along the wetland.

Just before the causeway Golden Whistler, Olive-backed Oriole and can be seen, and just after the wetland is a hotspot for birds, where the above species can be seen as well as Dusky Woodswallow, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Sacred Kingfisher and Crested Shrike-tit. The Shrike-tit has been known to breed in the area.

The walk to the bird hide, and then past Ducksfoot Lagoon, is nice walk worth doing regardless of the birds. On the birding front, I have seen Sacred Kingfisher and numerous waterfowl, as well as little wrens, at Ducksfoot Lagoon, while I have seen in the area near the bird hide, while the hide itself presents some up-close views of wetland birds.

1 Parks Victoria has observed 150 but, talking to members of the club, the number must be at least 160. 2 Also called Bag Bridge.

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Psyche Bend Lagoon

These salty wetlands are sometimes dry, but when they have water in them they can be home to some different bird species. I have seen Caspian and Whiskered Terns and Silver Gull sitting together on the bank, Avocets and Black-winged Stilts wading in the marsh, Red-capped Plovers and Black- fronted Dotterels running along the water’s edge, and Hooded and Red-capped Robins as well as Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo in the bush between the swamp and road. Recently Allan and I saw 13 White-necked Herons in the very salty water, which I though quite unusual. I also remember that a White-winged Black Tern or some other similarly rare and unexpected bird was sighted there in 2014, which caused quite a stir.

Lignum Swamp

For most of the year this location is dry and dead-looking, visited only by a few Chestnut-rumped Thornbills, Southern Whiteface and Blue Bonnets. A passer-by would think little of it. However, when big rain hits, or the river is flooded enough to flow over into Psyche Bend Lagoon and then Lignum Swamp, the place is transformed.1 White-necked Herons stalk in the water, Yellow-billed Spoonbills keep a look out while herons and ibis feed, Black-tailed Native-hens breed and Australian Spotted Crakes are everywhere calling and having fun. Red-kneed Dotterels run around the edges: at first a few, but as the temporary wetland dries up they come more and more. The Chestnut-rumped Thornbills call excitedly, annoyed at all the uninvited guests but also grateful for the water. And the highlight is the Glossy Ibis: they come and go in groups of 10 or so throughout the day. I have also seen a Greenshank at this swamp in early summer. Summer does seem to be the time when this swamp fills, so I suggest looking here if you go to the Psyche Bend Lagoon or anywhere in Kings Billabong. In fact, at the time of publication the swamp still had water in it.2

Directions:

Kings Billabong Nature Walk is well sign-posted and easily accessible. Detailed directions can be found on the Birdlife Mildura website. To get there go down Eleventh St until Irymple Avenue, then turn left until it morphs into Billabong Road. Turn right here and follow the signs until the carpark.

1 Please be aware that though rain is great for the birds of Kings Billabong, cars, rain and clay plains around the Lignum Swamp do not mix. Please make wise decisions about driving after rain as they cannot be easily reversed. 2 Get out there quick!

Birds are in our Nature February 2017 - 24 The Rainbow Bird

Psyche Bend Lagoon and the Lignum Swamp are situated close together in the southern part of the park. To get there follow the signs to Psyche Pumps (keep going down 11th Street until Cureton Ave, then turn right) and go down onto Psyche Bend Road. Take the first public road on the right. Then, after the yellow road sign arrow, go over the bump and veer left. You will come to the Psyche Bend Lagoon, which you can explore. To get to the Lignum Swamp, turn right here and follow the road until you see the area that may or may not have water in it.

Of course, these are just a few of the many places to go birdwatching in Kings Billabong. Numerous backwaters are visited by herons, spoonbills and ibis, the river bank is home to numerous honeyeater species (on hot days they can be seen bathing on the bank), and in the bush birds like the Red-capped Robin, Brown Treecreeper and Brown-headed Honeyeater feed and move about. It is a great birding location, and equally nice for those looking for some peaceful time.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the article. The next hotspot profile is the Wargan-Mallee Bushland Area, including the Cowra Road Swamps, so if anyone has any interesting information, noteworthy sightings, or particular hotspots in this area, it would be great if you could email me or Allan. Thank you!

Edited by Finley Japp

The Challenge

I’ve been flicking through a few books lately, and one of these books is Neville W Cayley’s What Bird is that? It’s a great book, and I particularly like the breaking down of the scientific names, and I appreciate that it was revolutionary in Australian natural history. However, not all the illustrations are incredibly accurate. The plates of a single or a couple of species are very good (these are only in the large version), but the original plates detailing 15 or so species each weren’t so great. So in this section of the newsletter my first challenge to you is to figure out what this bird to the right is. Extra points for knowing another name for this bird!

And my other challenge is a photograph: this bird was photograph was taken in an unlikely place in the region, and for a while I was confused as to which family it was from, but the markings on the wing and eyebrow stripe give it away. Answers on the next page, and if you know the scientific name of this species then congratulations, you’re doing very well. Finley Japp

Birds are in our Nature February 2017 - 25 The Rainbow Bird

Club Calendar

Date Location February Saturday 11th Ned’s Corner. Our Summer survey. Etiwanda, if it is very hot. March Sunday 12th Mourquong. A survey as part of Shorebirds 2020 April Saturday 8th Hollands Lake and area May Monday 8th Hattah with Echuca Group. June Saturday 19th (weekend Ned’s Corner Camp. This is dependent on arrangement that suit before is Queen’s Birthday) them. July Sunday 9th Walpolla August Saturday 5th Campout at Scotia or Tarawi. This is dependent on arrangements that suit them.

Unusual Sightings

Date Species Number Location Notes Observer 16/10/16 White-necked Heron 2 South Mildura Over large block S Fisher 24/10/16 Australian Wood 2 River Front With 12 young J Petschel Duck 24/10/16 Tree Martin 1 McDonald’s, Feeding young J Petschel Deakin Ave 31/10/16 Black-Cockatoos 5 Near Horsham Flying high A & S Hawtin 31/10/16 Musk Lorikeet Wartook Feeding in A & S Hawtin Garden flowering gum 31/10/16 White-throated 1 Wartook Climbing tree A & S Hawtin Treecreeper Garden trunk 31/10/16 Red-browed Finch 4 Wartook Feeding on lawn A & S Hawtin Garden 15/10/16 Gilbert’s Whistler 2 Merbein In trees G & M Priesig Common 20/10/16 1 Merbein Nesting in hollow G & M Priesig Common Pacific Golden Plover 1 Iraak P & C Dunstan Scarlet-chested Gluepot P & C Dunstan Parrot 10/11/16 Sacred Kingfisher 1 Chaffey See story R Wells & Landing G & M Priesig 10/11/16 Tawny Frogmouth Chaffey With young R Wells & Landing G & M Priesig 28/11/16 White Tropic Bird 1 Off Newcastle Approx. 300km Betty & Cheryl at sea Woods

Birds are in our Nature February 2017 - 26 The Rainbow Bird

2/12/16 Pied Butcherbird 1 Reserve Road H Devilee & B East, Williams Coomealla 10/12/16 Glossy Ibis 40 Gol Gol Flew and H Devilee & B Swamp wheeled like a Williams flock of starlings 20/1/17 Baby Darters 4 Junction J Podgorski Island, Wentworth 20/1/17 Baby Boobook 3 Log Bridge, J Podgorski Wentworth 20/1/17 Baby Yellow-billed 4 Log Bridge, J Podgorski Spoonbills Wentworth 20/1/17 Sacred Kingfisher 2 Log Bridge, Flying in and out J Podgorski Wentworth of nesting hole near spoonbills 22/1/17 Nankeen Night- 12? Kings J Podgorski & Heron Billabong P Follett 23/1/17 Spotted Crakes, 10, 12, 3 Lignum See story. Later F & I Japp Glossy Ibis, White- Swamp, Kings seen by A Taylor, necked Heron Billabong P Follett, and J Podgorski

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