The Wren Volume 6 Number 2 June 2017 Male Red-backed Fairy-wren in song Barry Deacon PRESIDENTS REPORT Contents It is always exciting to go somehere new and An Interrupted Lunch / Nature Adapting .................. 2 see unfamiliar birds, some possibly for the The Clermont Report / C.P. Holiday Park ..................... 3 very first time (lifers). When cyclone Debbie was finished belting us from pillar to post, I Stentwood at Woodvale / Cyclone Debbie ................... 4 finally was able to fly to Victoria for my pre- Discovering DeMoleyns ............................................ 5 booked break. Save the Bush Sone-curlew Project / Did You Know ...... 6 Once settled in I got the opportunity to visit Botanic Gardens Surveys / Sightings of Interest ........... 7 Kamarooka Forest, which is the northern A Major Myna Invasion ............................................. 8 section of the Greater Bendigo Natinal Park, Crazy Bird Stories ................................................... 9 where I wasn’t disappointed. There is such a Poem – A Change of Plan ........................................ 10 diverse range of trees and shrubs here that there is alwys something flowering, creating a Poem – A Change of Plan ........................................ 11 continual supply of nectar to sustain twenty New Birds in our Area / E.H. Report Summary ........... 12 species of honeyeaters. I was lucky enough to E.H. Report Summary / Sightings of Interest............. 13 see six plus good sightings of a Shy Greater Bendigo National Park ................................. 14 Heathwren, a Red-capped Robin and Crested February Monthly Outing ........................................ 15 Shrike-tits. Profile / Sightings of Interest .................................... 16 On another side of Bendigo I enjoyed the DeMoleyns Lagoon ................................................ 17 company and an escort around a ‘Save our Bush Stone-curlew Project’ at Shelbourne. Goodbye to the Waders / Christmas in the Congo ....... 18 Land clearing, fires and foxes have March Monthly Outing / April Monthly Outing 19 devastated the local wild population of this Sightings of Interest / Monthly Outings Calendar ......... 20 iconic bird. Daryl Barnes The Wren AN INTERRUPTED LUNCH I was enjoying a leisurely late lunch on the verandah, when a bird hit the window beside me and landed in my lap. Lucky it wasn't in my lunch. At first I thought it was a very young bird of some sort but couldn't guess which because of very buff colours and edges to the feathers. I searched my bird app and Bird book and came to the conclusion it must be either a Bassian Thrush or a Russett-tailed Thrush. They are so very similar and because it was in my hand, I could check details, one of which was a clincher for me, the white marking on the inside of the outside tail feathers. Apparently the Bassian Thrush just has tips of white. I played the sounds of both Thrushes and yes I have heard the Russett-tailed Thrush but hadn't known what it was. I don't recall hearing the other one here. Oh dear I hope there are more around because it didn't survive. I sent photos to my brother David who confirmed that it WAS an adult Russet-tailed Thrush. Report and photo by Rosemary Braithwaite NATURE ADAPTING TO HUMANS AND HUMANS HELPING NATURE Having suffered the extreme heat in early March we were surprised to see a pair of our resident Peaceful Doves starting a nest in one of our galvanised pipes we use to tie our shade cloth over the pool. They continued to build and finally it was obvious that it was going to be the family home. We were so worried with the excessive heat that the eggs would not survive, so, after preparing in advance the sun umbrella with extra length etc, when mum went for a break, my husband Gary quickly erected it above the nest. We felt at least some hope of success. After a couple of weeks it was finally obvious that a pair of chicks had hatched. Being so close was a joy to watch both mum and dad share the job of looking after the chicks, with mainly mum feeding. I was worried when, at times, both parents left the nest open to predators. With cyclone Debbie fast approaching we were of course worried about the nest being so prone and wondering what we could do to protect it. Unfortunately, the morning prior to the cyclonic winds hit us, when we woke, the chicks were gone. Mum kept returning to check, but something had obviously taken them while she was away early in the morning. Both Gary and I were devastated as we were thinking of ourselves as grandparents and so enjoyed our daily entertainment of watching them feed. I may be imagining it but I am sure the look in the mums eyes changed once the chicks had hatched. To see the motherly pride of having her chicks was a wonderful sight and we were so lucky to have had them so close. Story and photo by Kim & Gary Brett 2 The Wren The Wren THE CLERMONT REPORT Mid April 2017. On a recent drive out to Theresa Creek Dam the first thing we noticed was the lack of water birds anywhere..Howeverwedid manage to spot over one hundred Plum-headed Finches nearby. By the T.V. tower off McDonald’s Flats Road we watched on as some eighty plus White-browed Woodswallows put on an aerial display catching insects. Although we didn’t sight to many, we heard lots of Striated Pardalotes wherever we went. On about the 8 th of April we had our first sightings of a Grey Fantail for this year plus our first sighting of a Red-backed Kingfisher. Birds other than the more common species like Magpies, mudlarks, willies and Brown Honeyeaters, we saw a pair of Rufous Whistlers and a few Brown Songlarks and White-naped Honeyeaters. Generally around Clermont from a birding perspective, things have been very quiet. Report by Bob & Ollie McTrusty CAPE PALMERSTON HOLIDAY PARK. Barry & Lesley, Gerry and I planned a trip to visit the Cape Palmerston Holiday Park and surrounding area and on Thursday March 9 th the plan was implemented. After the hour’s drive from Mackay we were keen to stretch the legs. We did so once we had arrived at Knobblers Creek where the tide was on the make. After receiving our birding fix we drove back to the park office and caught up with owners Col and Kate who were most welcoming. We had a lengthy chat with both and gained some of the history of the park plus we were informed of the current additions that were being undertaken and of future developments that were in the pipeline. It was a first time visit for each of us and we left the office with a map of the area and continued exploring tracks with high anticipation of good sightings. Neither the large or small dam in the park provided us with many bird species there was potential habitat for rails and crakes around both. Although we didn’t set eyes on one, the highlight for the morning was listening to a Wonga Pigeon call from within dense beach scrub. We paused for a smoko break sitting in the rotunda before departing the holiday park. After a drive through Greenhills residential area we made our next port of call the wetlands at the entrance to Notch Point. Here there were quite a variety of water birds scattered about and holding our interest for awhile. Once through the gate into Notch Point we parked up for a lunch break looking over Marian Creek. Here is where we got some good sightings of several birds including Pale-headed Rosellas, Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Red-tailed Black Cockatoos, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes and Pied Butcherbirds. Lathams Snipe Barry Deacon By mid afternoon we were back on the Bruce Highway heading for Mackay having racked up 72 species. However, arguably the best bird sighting for the day came when we were going for a quick look in the Sandringham Bay Conservation Reserve. By a flooded drain adjacent the road stood a Latham’s Snipe that very obligingly hung around for a photo shoot. Report by Daryl Barnes. Month 2012 3 The Wren STENTWOOD at WOODVALE in VIC Situated on the edge of the Whipstick Forest just a few clicks west of Bendigo and Eaglehawk was my sister Bev and husband Ken’s property called Stentwood. It was here that I spent a restful sixteen days recovering from a bout of bronchitis on their Angora and Anglo Nubian goat property…...also with Andy the Alpaca. The Whipstick Forest wis part of the Greater Bendigo National Park and comprises variable habitat although the area immediately adjacent Stentwood had only sparse understory dominated by Ironbark, Yellow Box and Yellow Gum trees. There was little to no habitat for smallish bird species and I only had a few sightings of a Willy Wagtail plus a few circling Welcome Swallows. Either by sight or by sound Noisy Miners were the most dominant bird by far with small numbers of Galah coming in second. The resident half dozen or so Crested Pigeons were there to clean up spilt seed and grain around goat feeders. Frequent visitors to the house yard were a close family of twenty plus White-winged Choughs. White-winged Choughs Steve Dew Their beautiful high-pitched walling calls would ring out loud and clear.. A White-backed Magpie or two were often seen and heard around and occasionally a pair of Eastern Rosellas would land nearby until they were hunted off once the Noisy Miners became aware of their presence. Story by Daryl Barnes. CYCLONE DEBBIE As far as cyclones go for Mackay, this would have to be the one with the most devastating and widespread effect on the area in most peoples memory.