The Golden Whistler

Volume 7 Number 9 & 10 November 2018

PRESIDENT'S REPORT NEXT OUTING CAMP WEEKEND What a busy and rewarding September we have DATE: November 24th & 25th remember that November th had. 24 is polling day for the Victorian State Election A small cohort of 10 members gathered at Pallister’s MEET: 8:45am for 9am departure Saturday morning at the river car park/playground between the highway Reserve on the 22nd for what proved to be a lovely bridge and the Visitor Centre at Nelson days outing. It was a new destination for me. ACCOMMODATION: Kywong Caravan Park, Nelson. We walked several kilometres around one of the Please book your own site or cabin at Kywong Caravan walks to constant bird song. The birds were hard to Park, 92 North Nelson Rd, Nelson, (08) 8738 4174, see and our listening skills were put to the test as [email protected] we tried to identify the calls. We thought we heard VENUE: Port Macdonnell & Nelson a Painted Honeyeater at one point but could not find it. EVENING MEAL FRIDAY: Evening get together at the Camp Kitchen, Kywong Several Wedge-tail Eagles circled overhead, one a juvenile. When we returned to the ‘clubhouse’ for EVENING MEAL SATURDAY: Peter is going to book a table but needs to know who is coming ASAP 03 5572 lunch we were delighted when Yellow-faced, White- 3413 or [email protected] eared, White-naped and New Holland Honeyeaters all coming in for drink at the rainwater tank. A BRING: if you have a telescope please bring it along to Pardalote came very close while Red-browed help with shore bird identification Finches and European Goldfinches foraged on the CONTACT: Peter Humphries 03 5572 3413 ground.

Julia and Richard know the area well so we were BIRDLIFE HAMILTON CHRISTMAS LUNCH fortunate to have them guide us. As we chatted DATE: Saturday 15 December 2018 after lunch Adam arrived with thousands of native plants ready for a tree planting bee next day. The TIME: 12 noon reserve is in good hands. LOCATION: Catalpa Cafe, Tarrington The following weekend members were off to Little RSVP: Sally Purnell by 10/12/18 Desert Nature Lodge for BirdLife Nhill's Cross Border ACTIONS: Set activities calendar for 2019 Camp out weekend. See report on next page. Outings will be cancelled on days of The Newsletter was off on annual leave at the end Total Fire Ban, Extreme Heat and of September, so no newsletter for October but other Hazardous Weather condition double issue in November. Hope you had a great holiday Sam, we look forward to some good bird stories on your return. CONTENTS: Charlotte Davis 2. Pallisters Reserve & Cross Border Camp 3. Rocklands & Black Range 4. Sightings 5. Birding Activities & Quiz 6. Birds on Farms Victoria

BirdLife Hamilton monthly newsletter, Editor Samantha Greiner 0428 395 773

Outing Reports September & Nhill Cross Border Camp

PALLISTERS RESERVE BIRDLIFE NHILL CROSS BORDER CAMPOUT We had a very pleasant walk at Pallisters Reserve on We were very well represented at the Cross Border the 22nd of September with 8 people attending. Campout at the Little Desert Lodge. Sixteen of our Pallisters Reserve is a Trust for Nature owned 250ha members attended and we enjoyed a very well wetland and woodland property west of Orford and planned and executed range of activities. There were approximately ½ hour north of Port Fairy. 60+ attendees which were divided into four groups, who were guided to four different venues over two After following the welcome balloons and meeting at day, so we all got to visit each one as a separate the ‘club house’ for a cup of tea, we headed out past a small group. small water filled wetland, hearing and seeing several species of honeyeaters at a magnificent Silver Banksia. We were treated to a meal on Saturday night We followed the farm track across the old paddocks provided by the Luv-a-duck business and salads which are being restored back to wetland ecosystems, provided by the Nhill members. This was much aiming for the ‘Hocking Block’ of woodland. appreciated after tiring days of birding. We heard all about the Luv-a-duck business and what it means to A juvenile Wedge-tail Eagle was being harassed by two the Nhill district, inspiring us to look out for some magpies at a distance, and later an adult was duck meals in the future observed. After pausing to see the pig trap and listen to White-eared Honeyeaters and pardelotes in an old Manna Gum on the track, we disturbed 2 Pacific Black Duck on an old dam. We followed the track north and east which lead us through the Eucalyptus woodland back to the beginning of the Reserve. The Club house was a welcome sight, and people had lunch on the veranda before they went their own way to see other reserves, birding sites or home.

Julia Schlapp . Sunday night was a feast provided by the Little Desert Nature Lodge. With a guest speaker Simon Verdon, PhD student at La Trobe University, who is working on studying the effect of fire on the Mallee Emu-wren. His work is helping reduce its decline and changing fuel reduction burns to patterns that benefits the Emu-wren, rather than annihilating it. Birding highlight for me were the Black Honeyeaters in the bush block at Glenlee. They were a new tick for me and were fascinating to watch as they flitted about and called to each other. Malleefowl were hard to find, but some were lucky. Some of the mounds Wedge-tailed Eagle © A Carmichael are obviously being worked. The total bird species seen for the weekend was around 120.

BIRD LIST FOR DAYS ACTIVITIES Charlotte Davis Black Swan Yellow-faced Honeyeater Australian Shelduck White-eared Honeyeater Australian Wood Duck Red Wattlebird Pacific Black Duck White-naped Honeyeater Rock Dove Rufous Whistler Wedge-tailed Eagle Grey Shrike-thrush Galah Australian Magpie Crimson Rosella Pied Currawong Eastern Rosella Little Raven Superb Fairy-wren Silvereye White-browed Scrubwren Welcome Swallow Spotted Pardalote Red-browed Finch Striated Pardalote European Goldfinch Total species 26 Splendid Fairy-wren Casuarina Camp, Wyperfeld NP

© S Greiner

2 November 2018 Outing Report October

ROCKLAND RESERVOIR & BLACK RANGE Saturday, the 27th of October saw around fourteen people gather at the Apex Park in Balmoral. It was a chilly morning, and one car load of early birders managed to get there in time to discover, and sample, a brand new coffee shop in the town. Highly recommended! Our first stop for the day was en route from Balmoral to Rocklands, in the hope of once again seeing the resident Owlet Nightjar. Sadly, someone must have warned the target bird that Dot was in the group this time, so it stayed well and truly hidden! However, the group did see their first Scarlet Robin of the day here, along with a few other woodland birds, so it was still Jean Humphries & Ron Miller atop Mudadgadjiin Cave well worth the stop. © C Davis Morning tea (with 'snickerdoodles' provided by the usual suspect) was at Mountain Dam on Rocklands BIRD LIST FOR DAYS ACTIVITIES Reservoir. With tea and cookies consumed, several people wandered off in search of birds and/or 'the Australasian Darter Spotted Pardalote facilities'. Those who stayed behind at the picnic table Whistling Kite Striated Pardalote Wedge-tailed Eagle Eastern Spinebill were alerted to the presence of a less-than-welcome Nankeen Kestrel Yellow-faced Honeyeater visitor by some very upset White-browed Scrubwrens - Brown Falcon White-eared Honeyeater a metre-long Tiger Snake. To the relief of both Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo Fuscous Honeyeater scrubbies and humans, it soon disappeared into the Long-billed Corella White-plumed Honeyeater dense shrubs. Avian highlights at Mountain Dam Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Red Wattlebird included a Sacred Kingfisher, several Blue-winged Musk Lorikeet New Holland Honeyeater Parrots, and for a lucky few, some Varied Sittellas. Eastern Rosella Brown-headed Honeyeater From Mountain Dam we drove on up into the Black Red-rumped Parrot White-naped Honeyeater Range, where our first stop was marked by some very Blue-winged Parrot White-browed Babbler Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo Varied Sittella beautiful orchids, but not much in the way of birdlife. Pallid Cuckoo Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Next stop was Mudadgadjiin picnic area, where we had Fan-tailed Cuckoo White-winged Triller lunch. The first thing we heard on our arrival (even Laughing Kookaburra Golden Whistler before leaving the cars!) was the trilling call of a Fan- Sacred Kingfisher Rufous Whistler tailed Cuckoo. It took a while before someone White-throated Treecreeper Grey Shrike-thrush managed to find the bird to go with the call, but once Brown Treecreeper Australian Magpie discovered, it was seen repeatedly, and was still Superb Fairy-wren Pied Currawong calling when we headed off an hour or two later. Other White-browed Scrubwren Grey Currawong highlights at Mudadgadjiin were Horsfield's Bronze- Speckled Warbler Grey Fantail Weebill Forest Raven cuckoo, and Speckled Warblers. Striated Thornbill Jacky Winter The group broke up after lunch, and people headed Buff-rumped Thornbill Scarlet Robin home (or back to their campground!) by various Brown Thornbill Tree Martin different routes. One little group of die-hards kept Total species 52 going through the Black Range to the Henty Hwy, and made one last stop at a layby south of Cherrypool. Here we were entertained by a dozen or more Dusky Woodswallows busily feeding on bugs in the grass or by swooping right over our heads and catching the insects we disturbed by walking through the grass! We also got to watch a Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike being firmly herded away from a particular tree by what was likely a pair of Fuscous Honeyeaters. They were a bit too quick for us to be certain of the ID. Many thanks to Sam for leading the first part of the outing. The 'official' organisers had managed to get their wires crossed, and did their reconnaissance from the wrong (Henty Hwy) side of the Range!

Dot Callander White-throated Gerygone, Bartley's Paddock © D Nichols

August 2018 3 Sightings

Annie Carmichael Marion Halliday 2 White-faced Herons, we have watched them grow Lewin's Rail with chicks, as visitors to Hamilton we were over a few weeks, unfortunately one has disappeared, Ess thrilled to see the Lewin's Rail feeding its chicks, Lagoon, Casterton, 28.10.18 06:45pm at stormwater ponds below railway Gray St, Lake Hamilton, 29th & 30th October

Charlotte Davis White-necked Heron, Ess Lagoon, Casterton, 26.10.18 Jonathon Lee There has been an Australasian Bittern feeding at the Eastern Barred Bandicoot reserve for the last couple of weeks. Best place to spot it is at the small wildlife dam behind the old Hamilton Reservoir. Seen it twice around 10pm 23.10.18, there has also been a Square-tailed Kite

Dave Nichols Recent trip to Chiltern had the following; Plenty of Red- capped Robin, Speckled Warbler, Western and White-throated Gerygone (Bartley's Paddock), Turquoise Parrot (Honeyeater Dam) and nice lot of Diamond Firetail in Albury. Plenty of Yellow-tufted and Black-chinned, but didn’t see any Regent Honeyeaters.

Samantha Greiner 20 Australasian Shoveler, Serpentine, Henty

Samantha & Marlene Greiner Mixed flock of White-browed & Masked Woodswallow over

Church Hill as we left for holidays 07.10.18 (which then followed us to Brim and Wyperfeld Casuarina Camp!) Best sight was a wild Bush-stone Curlew hanging around a place on the outskirts of Albury that breeds 1 Barn Owl roosting in small shrub, Casuarina Camp Bush-stone Curlews. 27 - 30 October Wyperfeld NP, 11.10.18 Sue & Neville Mason Malleefowl Keith Hately Reserve

4 November 2018 Twitchathon, Activities & Quiz

TWITCHATHON SCORE FOR THE LOCAL CALENDERS RESTLESS FLYCATCHERS BIRDLIFE HAMILTON Jane Hayes, Steve Clark, Reto Zollinger DECEMBER & Yvonne Ingeme Saturday 15th Our final Twitchathon tally was 126 species in the Christmas break up lunch 12 hr race. I am not sure when the results will be Cafe Catalper, Tarrington posted. We covered approximately 460 km from the 12 noon Black Range/Cherrypool to Portland. Sally Purnell We don’t expect to have a competitive score – one of the 3hr teams had nearly as many species - but it was interesting to compete in my first BIRDLIFE WARRNAMBOOL Twitchathon. Our biggest dip was the Australian DECEMBER Pipit, we all saw them but not the same bird at the same time. Thursday 6th I was out-voted on the best bird, which was a CHALLENGE BIRD COUNT & XMAS BBQ Tawny Frogmouth family (see photo below). I would Meet at Lake Pertobe, Warrnambool at 12.30 pm have selected either the Black Falcon, Spotted (Bird count over any 24 hours from 1 December) Harrier, Glossy Ibis or Curlew Sandpiper as best Peter & Rhonda Barrand 03 5527 171 bird as they are more uncommon.

Thank you again for sponsoring us BIRDLIFE HORSHAM Jane Hayes NOVEMBER 18th Christmas break-up and AGM Please contact Deidre Andrews on 0402 317 142 Please bring morning tea and lunch, binoculars and wear appropriate outdoor gear. Please note subject to change due to seasonal variability

BIRDSWING BIRDING & WILDLIFE TOURS PORT FAIRY PELAGIC TOURS 2018

Tour Cost: $180.00 per person Taking bookings now for: BRAIN TEASER OF THE MONTH Sunday: THIS MONTH’S QUESTION: here is another 16th December translated Laten name: 'embroidered flower- fancier', well done if you have already guessed Number of Passengers: 21 Honeyeater but which one? BYO Lunch, morning tea available on board & proper fitted toilet THIS MONTH’S ANSWER: the bird with this Contact Neil Macumber translated Latin name 'flower-fancier with little Web: www.birdingwildlifetours.com.au fleshy bits' is Red Wattlebird Email: [email protected] Mobile: 0413 628 306

© M Greiner

August 2018 5 Birds On Farms

Hello landholders and birdwatchers, Thanks to everyone that has already undertaken and submitted their Birds on Farms surveys for Spring 2018. From your emails and postal mail received and by viewing Birdata, I can see the bird sightings rolling in on a daily basis. If you haven’t yet undertaken the Spring surveys, this is fine. The preferred window is open through until the 10th November, if needed. However, if it looks like you will be unable to undertake some or all of the surveys within this timeframe, let me know and I may be able to assist in some way. For Summer 2018/19, the preferred survey period will be during January, but can occur anywhere from around Xmas day through to early-mid February if needed. Again, let me know if you’ll need some extra assistance during this time. Another email will be sent out prior to the start date. From the Spring 2018 Birds on Farms surveys received so far, there have been some notable trends and highlights: The number of species recorded as ‘breeding’ has skyrocketed compared to the autumn and winter survey periods; There has been an influx of Woodswallows, particularly White-browed and Masked, over the past 2-3 weeks. Some mixed flocks have had 200+ birds. They are an annual spring-summer migrant in Victoria, but whose numbers can vary dramatically from year-to-year. Compared to the past decade or so, this year is unusually good – but may reflect drought conditions further north of the country; There have been scattered sightings of Black Honeyeaters within Birds on Farm plots and nearby. This is typically an arid zone species that feeds on nectar in the shrub layer – particularly emu-bush Eremophilia spp., - but has been seen across much of Victoria in the past month. This temporary expansion of large numbers of a species beyond their typical distribution is known as an ‘irruption’, and in this case is probably driven by unfavourable weather and poor food availability for the Black Honeyeater in central parts of Australia. In the summer of 2017/18, there was a well-publicised irruption of Scarlet Honeyeaters across Victoria. Many people have reported seeing bird species for the first time ever on their property during surveys, including Dollarbirds, Black-chinned Honeyeaters, Singing Honeyeaters and Grey Currawongs. I was particularly impressed by a landholder/birdwatcher in western Victoria that observed a critically endangered Red-tailed Black-cockatoo flying into their property barely 5 minutes after a Birds on Farms plot survey had been completed. They resisted the temptation to add it into the official survey results, and instead added it into the Birdata database as a separate ‘incidental’ observation. No doubt frustrating for the landholder, but a gold star award for honesty and for the integrity of the Birds on Farms data collection! The table below provides a quick overview of involvement in Birds on Farms, based on the surveys submitted and lodged into Birdata so far. Some data is still arriving for these earlier survey periods, so these numbers will increase. By this time next year, our aim is to have regular bird surveys being conducted at 180 properties across Victoria – and to be establishing similar bird monitoring programs on private land in surrounding states as well.

Survey period Number of properties Number of 20min-2ha surveys submitted Spring 2017 40 104 Summer 2017/18 40 101 Autumn 2018 61 175 Winter 2018 66 177 Spring 2018 80+ * 200+ * * = predicted Thanks again for your involvement in and support for Birds on Farms. Always feel free to contact me with questions or feedback about any aspect of the program. Chris Timewell Woodland Bird Project Coordinator

BirdLife Australia greatly appreciates the support it receives for the Birds on Farms program by the Wettenhall Environment Trust

6 November 2017