The Musk Duck Volume 5 Number 14 June 2020 Silvereye- Ditchfield Lane Photo: Mario Gross CONVENOR’S REPORT Our AGM in early March was conducted, with Peter Sedgwick now replacing Annette Ferguson on the committee and Graham Dent has been appointed Treasurer. Our inaugural Autumn held camp- out at Port Fairy was also achieved prior to the restrictions placed upon us by Covid19. These restrictions unfortunately cancelled all our subsequent meetings and outings including the much anticipated branch outing using the Golden City Paddlesteamer on Lake Wendouree. With restrictions slowly lifting as soon as we are able, our syllabus will resume. However the last few months have provided an opportunity to become very engaged in what happens in our own backyards. Thanks to Ian Ashton for commencing a monthly branch backyard survey and to all who have participated. This pooled data is a valuable resource in reviewing our branch bird lists. And for those who agreed, the data was provided to Federation University via Dr. Grant Palmer for his students to utilise. On a very positive note, we were successful in receiving a grant from the Ballarat council to enable the further printing of our branch produced Common birds of the Ballarat region brochure. Have your bino’s focused on birds and your efforts support habitat conservation. Louise Humble Meetings & Reports Meeting Report Mar 11, 2020 Birds of Costa Rica Tim and Wendy Sandiford Situated in Central America, Costa Rica is well-known as a fine destination for eco-tourism. Protected reserves make up 25% of its total area – with forest still increasing despite population growth. It’s a perfect destination for birders, with 10% of the world’s species, 934 in 2019. The Sandifords spent three weeks there in November 2019, at the end of the wet season, using public transport, local accommodation and hiring guides where possible. They recommend Steve Bird’s book Birds of Costa Rica, identifying more than half of those he included, 157 in all. Their travels covered a very wide range of habitats with very picturesque settings. 1.San Jose this city’s parks provided immediate viewing including some common species: the raven-like Grackles, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Orange-chinned Parakeets and Inca Dove. 2.Savegre River Valley- at 3000 metres altitude, the Los Santos Reserve is home to many striking hummingbirds, flycatchers, tanagers, toucanets, chlorophonia and the very splendid Quetzal. These last can nest in holes created by the Acorn Resplendent Quetzal - Male Woodpeckers. 3.Naman Island’s mangrove cruise provided many Tiger Herons & the migratory American White Ibis. 4.At Monteverde Mountain Cloud Forest Reserve, the turkey-like Crested Guan and Lesson’s Motmot were seen, and we were shown a video of a Lineated Foliage Gleaner making its nest. 5.Arenal National Park, at the foot of a volcano, was home to more interesting and colourful birds (and some rainbow eucalypts): a group of resting Black Vultures, the common Great Kiskadee and lively mixed flocks of both Scarlet and Blue and Yellow Macaws (at the bus Resplendent Quetzal - Female stop on departure). – Shirley Faull. Lesson's Motmot 2 The Musk Duck Newsletter Meetings and Reports WEDNESDAY OUTING March 11, 2020 Lake Burrumbeet Leader – John Greguke We had wonderful weather for our trip to Lake Burrumbeet, lead by John Gregurke who has a wealth of local knowledge. Starting on the southern shore there was a nice display by resident Whistling Kites In the bush on the shore edge a nice selection of bushbirds including Golden-headed Cisticola and Blue- winged and Red-rumped Parrots. Driving over to the Eastern side we were treated to more raptors with Nankeen Kestrel and then Brown Falcon & Black Kites. A six Raptor morning in contrast to low Duck numbers and species. On the Eastern shore along from the caravan park three Yellow-billed Spoonbills were feeding in a bay, good numbers of Pelicans but no waders found and only two lone Black Ducks. That being said we had a respectable 51 bird species recorded. Thanks to those intrepid members who are able to attend our Wednesday outings, this being our only group outing I have to report on. Hopefully Wednesday morning outings can resume in September and we can continue to explore and share local birding spots. -Jenny Garley Nankeen Kestrel Photo: Jenny Garley Favourite places – Glengower Cemetery. I was asked if I might write a few words about a favourite birdwatching place. The place I have chosen is very quiet with low visitation and is about twenty minutes from our home in Allendale. I was not the first to visit this place, Roger & Fran Thomas, the Ballarat Field Naturalists and many others no doubt. Helen O’Donnell and the late Wallie Coles visited many times during Swift Parrot surveys. I first visited with Helen and Murray Grant while conducting the Swift Parrot surveys. John Gregurke had recorded Swift Parrot at the site. So where is this place? It is commonly referred to as the Campbelltown cemetery but is officially the Glengower Cemetery. A small country cemetery completely surrounded by farmland, the entrance track is through well treed private land that the owner generously allows access. The Birds are quite special as many of them have now become rare in our district. As you walk up the drive it is almost impossible not to see Brown Treecreepers and usually quite a few. Other birds of note are Diamond Firetail, Peaceful Dove, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike and Jacky Winter. There have been the odd rarity including Black Honeyeater. Since May 2019 I have been making monthly visits with a few extra visits making 16 in total. Most visits are fairly short consisting of a walk up the entrance track from the Creswick Newstead Rd, up to and around the cemetery itself then back to the start. An average of 20 species were recorded on these visits with a minimum of 14 in June 2019 and a maximum of 31 in October 2019. The Musk Duck 3 Meetings & Reports Roger and Fran Thomas also visit the cemetery on a regular basis and we have shared our observations. We have produced a bird list for the cemetery trust. This list of 78 species is still growing, the last species to be added was Noisy Miner found by Fran Thomas. Unlike some places these birds are uncommon in the Ballarat region and possibly declining. The number represent how many times I have recorded each species out of 16 visits. Australian Shelduck 0 Brown Falcon 0 Australian Wood Duck 4 Australian Hobby 3 Pacific Black Duck 0 Galah 14 Common Bronzewing 3 Long-billed Corella 11 Crested Pigeon 6 Sulphur-crested Cockatoo 8 Peaceful Dove 8 Musk Lorikeet 7 Australian Owlet-nightjar 0 Purple-crowned Lorikeet 3 Whistling Kite 6 Crimson Rosella 8 Black Kite 8 Eastern Rosella 8 Brown Goshawk 1 Swift Parrot 0 Wedge-tailed Eagle 2 Red-rumped Parrot 15 4 The Musk Duck Newsletter Meetings and Reports Blue-winged Parrot 1 Crested Shriketit 6 Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoo 3 Golden Whistler 2 Shining Bronze-Cuckoo 2 Rufous Whistler 2 Pallid Cuckoo 2 Grey Shrike-thrush 12 Southern Boobook 0 Olive-backed Oriole 0 Kookaburra 4 Masked Woodswallow 3 Sacred Kingfisher 1 White-browed 5 Brown Treecreeper 16 Woodswallow Superb Fairy-wren 15 Dusky Woodswallow 11 Weebill 0 Australian Magpie 15 Yellow-rumped Thornbill 0 Willie Wagtail 16 Buff-rumped Thornbill 0 Australian Raven 10 Brown Thornbill 3 Little Raven 8 Spotted Pardalote 0 Restless Flycatcher 2 Striated Pardalote 9 Magpie-lark 5 Yellow-faced Honeyeater 3 White-winged Chough 6 White-eared Honeyeater 0 Jacky Winter 3 Fuscous Honeyeater 0 Flame Robin 3 White-plumed Honeyeater 15 Hooded Robin 0 Niosey Miner 0 Rufous Songlark 5 Red Wattlebird 12 Silvereye 2 Black Honeyeater 0 Welcome Swallow 16 New Holland Honeyeater 3 Tree Martin 4 Black-chinned Honeyeater 3 Blackbird 2 Brown-headed 2 Common Starling 3 Honeyeater Mistletoebird 0 White-naped Honeyeater 4 Red-browed Finch 0 Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike 5 Diamond Firetail 5 White-winged Triller 1 House Sparrow 1 White-bellied Cuckoo- 2 European Goldfinch 3 shrike The Musk Duck 5 Meetings & Reports April Bird Count Report from Grenville Jenny and Peter Sedgwick 1. House Yard Total 35 species Slow start, then a boom, then a slow and painful fizzle out, hoping for something new, but day after day disappointment. AWARDS Highlights- Flame Robin, Golden Whistler female which was identified for us after an altercation with the window (she recovered) Most photographed- Eastern Spinebill Closest to the window- Superb Blue Wren, cleaning up the overnight moths Most often in the Pool- Striated Thornbill Biggest gang- White-winged Choughs, 7 - 20 Best represented species group- Thornbills (4 species)- Yellow-rumped, Striated, Brown and Buff-rumped. Most unwelcome- Grey Currawongs Notable AWOL- Scarlet Robin, White-naped HE, Brown- headed HE 2. Entire property outside garden. Total (35 acres) Total 35 species 11 different species to the garden. Australian Raven, Magpie-lark, Common Miner (Indian), Wood Duck, Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Australasian Grebe, White faced Heron, Brown Goshawk, Brown Falcon, White-naped HE Notable AWOL- Eastern Rosella, pigeon species, WT Eagle, White- faced Heron But our absolute May delight on several crispy, frosty morns, was this Australian Owlet-nightjar, dozily sunning itself in it’s hollow doorway. It has been seen in daylight under the same circumstances at odd times over the last few years and is a most welcome, probably part time, resident. His Recovering female Golden Whistler alarming shriek has been heard over summer nights. Photos: Jenny Sedgwick Australian Owlet-nightjar 6 The Musk Duck Newsletter Meetings and Reports The pioneering lady twitchers of Australia.