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Lyrebird Tales
Volume 28 Number 2 June 2019 Birdlife Yarra Valley Newsletter
Badger Weir Park Re-opens
Badger Weir Park was officially re-opened to the public on
Wednesday 10th April by Lily D’Ambrosio who is the Minister
for Energy, Environment and Climate Change. Badger Weir
Park was closed after the storm on October 9th 2016 which
caused extensive damage, felling huge trees and damaging
infrastructure as well as to other parts of the Yarra Ranges
National Park which included 100km of walking tracks.
Two days after the opening, 3 members of Birdlife Yarra
Valley decided to visit Badger Weir Park to view the changes
and to conduct a short bird survey. Driving into the park
there was no obvious change but upon entering the picnic
area the difference was noticeable. The picnic area was much
more open with many of the large Mountain Ash trees
missing.
We were delighted to see that the vicinity had been restored
with care to re-create the original atmosphere from before
the storm. Subtle changes had been made such as replacing
the old bollards with rock barriers, new picnic tables and
barbecues and the pedestrian bridge over Badger Creek
rebuilt. Behind some of the vegetation, large felled trees had
been cut up and remained on the ground, a reminder of the
storm and habitat for insects and wildlife. We were pleased to
see the old-style shingle roof rotundas remained and the
badly damaged old toilet block had been re-furbished and
transformed into a picnic shelter. A new unobtrusive toilet
block has been built further away at the far end of the picnic
area. This replaced the ‘new’ toilet block which was
completely demolished in the storm. Continued on page 3.
Contents 1 & 4. Badger weir Park Re-opens by Valerie Fowler
2. Minutes of Annual General Meeting
3. Convener’s Report, Committee, What Bird is That?
5. Chirnside Park Wetlands by Valerie Fowler
6-7. Interesting Sightings.
7. Sherbrooke Lyrebird Group Dawn Survey Dates
8-13. Reports of Meetings and Outings
14. Calendar of Events
Lyrebird Tales
2 Lyrebird Tales
Minutes of Annual General Meeting
Held on Tuesday 14 May, 2019, at 7.53p.m.
in the Badger Creek Hall Meeting Room, Badger Creek Road, Badger Creek.
The Convener took the chair and welcomed the eleven members present.
Apologies: Lin Bullen, Terry Barnett.
1. It was Moved Valerie Fowler Seconded Michael Feller “that the Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 8 May,
2018, be accepted” Carried.
2. The Treasurer presented the Financial Statement for 2018-2019. It was Moved Michael Feller Seconded Manfred
Hennig “that the Treasurer’s Report be accepted” Carried.
3. The Convener gave an overall report of the year’s activities. It was Moved Valerie Fowler Seconded Michael Feller
“that the Convener’s Report be received” Carried.
4. Election of Office-bearers and members of the committee for 2019/2020.
Office-bearers:
It was Moved Doug Pocock Seconded Peter Fowler that Warren Cousins be elected as Convener. As there were no other
nominations Warren Cousins was elected as Convener. Carried.
It was Moved Graeme George Seconded Michael Feller that Manfred Hennig be elected as Deputy-Convener. As there were
no other nominations Manfred Hennig was elected Deputy-Convener. Carried.
It was Moved Warren Cousins Seconded Michael Feller that Alma Mitchell be elected as Secretary. As there were no other
nominations Alma Mitchell was elected Secretary. Carried.
It was Moved Warren Cousins Seconded Graeme George that Michael Feller be elected as Treasurer. As there were no
other nominations Michael Feller was elected as Treasurer. Carried.
Committee:
Jan Llewelyn Nominated by Michael Feller Seconded by Valerie Fowler. As there were no other nominations Jan Llewlyn was
elected as a member of the committee. Carried.
It was Moved Michael Feller Seconded Valerie Fowler that Doug Pocock be elected as a member of the Committee. As there
were no other nominations Doug Pocock was elected as a member of the Committee. Carried.
Special thanks to Warren Cousins who stepped in to fill in the vacancy of Convener at the meeting in June 2018.
Special thanks to Lin Bullen for her work as Librarian for a number of years. Lin did not nominate for Committee this year.
5. Any other business:
Bank Signatories Manfred Hennig, Michael Feller and Alma Mitchell are currently registered as signatories. As Linda
Bullen has resigned from the Committee the Bank is asked to delete her name as a signatory. Two signatures are
required for each transaction.
As there was no other business the meeting closed at 8.19 p.m.
Lyrebird Tales
June 2019 3
Convener’s Report for Year 2018/2019
At the 2018 Annual General Meeting, at which I was not
present, the Convener position was not filled and declared
vacant. The previous incumbent, Glenn Mawson, had
resigned due to his relocation out of the Yarra Valley area to
Sandhurst. As a quite new resident in Lilydale, and as a
reasonably active newer participant in the outings organised
by this group, I was approached shortly after the AGM and
accepted the nomination at a subsequent meeting.
The branch owes Glenn a huge vote of thanks for his many
years both on the general committee and as Convenor for
many years prior to his departure. These thanks have been
personally given to Glenn by myself, and I suspect others
from within our group.
I would also like to thank all other members of the
Committee. Alma never ceases to amaze with her
thoroughness, detailed knowledge, and long history with this
branch; Michael for handling our finances and coping with the
demands from Birdlife Head Office; Manfred for always being
there and helping so much with choice of our locations for
outings; and Jan and Lin for their inputs and encouragement.
We would certainly also welcome any other members to join
us on the Committee. The task on balance is not an onerous
one.
Another special thank you to Valerie for the wonderful work
she does to produce our Lyrebird Tales newsletters. I am
sure many tireless hours are needed to pull this together,
and the results are a credit to her. I always receive
commendations from readers after each new issue is
published.
We have seen a good number of interesting outings during
the last 12 months. These include the regular bi-annual visits
to the Coranderrk and the RACV Healesville Club. The
Coranderrk is one I particularly enjoy as I spend so much
time at the adjacent Sanctuary as a volunteer Tour Guide.
Thanks are also extended to Manfred for arranging our visits
to the RACV facility. For me as a relative newcomer to the
area, many of these outings were a first, and I personally
have enjoyed them all, and particularly the post-walk lunch
and bird call. No doubt the recent visit to Werribee's
Western Treatment Plant was a real highlight with many
wonderful birds seen, and such an excellent contribution by
John Barkla. It was wonderful to see such a good attendance
with a total of 25 persons. Our nine monthly meetings at the
Badger Creek Hall meeting room have all been quite well
attended with a good spread of speakers and topics.
However finding new speakers for future meetings seems to
getting difficult, so any suggestions from members will be
welcomed. We also hope to put together an interesting
spread of outings for the remainder of 2019 and into 2020. I
look forward to sharing in these with you. I always welcome
any inputs on any matters, so please feel free to ring me at
any time on 0425768942.
Warren Cousins. Convener Birdlife Australia - Yarra Valley
Branch
What Bird is That?
Answer on page 7
BirdLife Australia Yarra Valley Branch
P.O. Box 1172, Healesville Vic. 3777 email: [email protected]
Committee
Convener: Warren Cousins Deputy-Convener: Manfred Hennig Secretary: Alma Mitchell Treasurer: Michael Feller Conservation Officer: Michael Feller Other Members: Jan Llewelyn. Doug Pocock
Y.V. BIRDLIFE CAMP October 2019
This will be a come and go to suit you camp over the 11-14th October. People can arrive on Thursday 10th in the afternoon to take advantage of a full Friday’s birding. The camp will be on a private conservation property in Wedderburn. There is plenty of room for tents and caravans. There is some tank water available, shelter for birdcall if the weather is crook and it will be possible to have a campfire. The bird list for the property is about 140 species seen. Book with Doug or Jan at [email protected] or phone
5964 4581 and we will send you information. We need to
know the numbers to organize toilets.
Lyrebird Tales
4 Lyrebird Tales
Badger Weir Park opens continued
We were the first visitors to the park that morning though
some walkers and families arrived later and several workers
were re-fitting the water tank further up the track near the
weir where a section of a smashed large water pipe had been
replaced.
We were happy to see a male Superb Lyrebird cross the road
in the picnic area before disappearing in the vegetation along
the creek. Unfortunately this was the only Lyrebird seen or
heard. We followed the track to the weir, the low vegetation
halfway along the aqueduct appeared undisturbed but the
Mountain Ash behind had their tops smashed off and many
trees were missing. Here we saw a Sparrowhawk and a
mixed flock of Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, Red Wattlebirds,
several Eastern Spinebills, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Crescent
Honeyeater, Grey Fantail, Superb Fairy-wrens and Silvereyes.
Reaching the end of the track the creek appeared
undamaged but the bank of tree-ferns on one side of the weir
had been flattened and erosion occurred.
Returning to the picnic area King Parrots and Sulphur-crested
Cockatoos had arrived whilst Crimson Rosellas were pecking
at seed by the rotunda. Whilst enjoying a cuppa in the re-
furbished picnic shelter we observed a Large-billed
Scrubwren in the nearby bush. Total bird species counted
was 19 – this was compared with lists from the last Yarra
Valley outing in January 2016 (31 species) and January 2015
(29 species). Both these lists included summer migrants.
Valerie Fowler (There is a short video on
youtube of the storm damage to Badger Weir Park).
Lyrebird Tales
June 2019 5
Chirnside Park Wetlands
Behind the large and palatial houses in Chirnside Park lies a
small wetland which is managed by Melbourne Water. Many
years ago this area was just paddocks where Black-
shouldered Kites were regularly seen hovering and an
occasional migrating Flame Robin was spotted when it
stopped for a rest.
The Chirnside Park Wetlands can be accessed by a footpath
alongside the CFA on Edwards Rd or via Anthony Drive which
passes an entrance to the Wetlands. In 2017 the wetlands
were improved with weed control and re-vegetation work
completed. The ponds are fed by storm water drainage and a
wide gravel path borders both sides of the wetland.
In April 2019 we re-visited the wetlands and surprisingly we
recorded 24 bird species. The first pond had somewhat
overgrown edges, bordered by trees and secondary level
vegetation providing good habitat for birds. Further along the
wetland opened out to provide a more open area of water.
The majority of species observed were waterbirds including:
Australian Pelican, Great Egret, White-faced Heron, Little Pied
Cormorant, White Ibis, Grey Teal, Wood and Black Ducks.
There was also a Straw-necked Ibis which had a broken wing
but appeared quite healthy. Other species included:
Australian Pipit and Brown Goshawk. Valerie Fowler
Australian Pelican photo © Valerie Fowler
Straw-necked Ibis photo © Peter Fowler
Australian Wood Ducks photo © Valerie Fowler
Lyrebird Tales
6 Lyrebird Tales
Interesting Sightings
16/1/19 White-throated Needletail (1) - East Warburton.
Heather Arnold
7/2/19 White-throated Needletails (40+) - Castella. Manfred
Hennig
7/2/19 Tawny Frogmouth 2 at dusk – Toolangi. Manfred
Hennig
7/2/19 Eastern Rosellas (20+) – Toolangi. Manfred Hennig
7/2/19 Crimson Rosellas (20+) - Toolangi. Manfred Hennig
7/2/19 Little Ravens (120+) – Toolangi. Manfred Hennig
Last 4 weeks 4-8 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos – Toolangi.
Manfred Hennig
13/2/19 Scarlet Honeyeater - Chum Creek. Michael Feller
12/3/19 Azure Kingfisher flew into window then away - Chum
Creek. Michael Feller
20/3/19 White-throated Needletails (3) - East Warburton.
Heather Arnold
21/3/19 White-throated Needletails (Approx 30) - East
Warburton. Heather Arnold
1/4/19 Sooty Owls (2) heard calling just after dark - Badger
Weir Picnic Ground. Karen Garth
1/4/19 Boobooks heard calling 1 hour after dark - Badger
Weir Picnic Ground. Karen Garth
7/4/19 Owlet Nightjar collided with windscreen - Albert Rd,
Badger Creek. Graeme George
9/4/19 Bassian Thrush (1) - East Warburton. Heather Arnold
11/4/19 Superb Lyrebird (1 only seen or heard), Crescent
Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Lewin’s Honeyeater,
Large-billed Scrubwren – Badger Weir. V & P Fowler, Alma
Mitchell.
12/4/19 Azure Kingfisher - Lillydale Lake. Valerie & Peter
Fowler
12/4/19 Flame Robin (1) (new bird on the survey) - Lillydale
Lake. Valerie Fowler
12/4/19 Sparrowhawk (1), Brown Goshawk (1) - Lillydale
Lake. V & P Fowler
20/4/19 Crescent Honeyeaters (winter arrivals) - East
Warburton. Heather Arnold
20/4/19 Yellow-faced Honeyeater - East Warburton. Heather
Arnold
20/4/19 Straw-necked Ibis (15+) – Toolangi. Manfred Hennig
21/4/19 Cattle Egrets (first arrivals) - Sheffield Rd The Basin.
Peter Mitchell
24/4/19 Fan-tailed Cuckoo - Lillydale Lake (YVBL outing).
Doug Pocock et al
Azure Kingfisher photo © Valerie Fowler
Fantailed Cuckoo photo © Valerie Fowler
Flame Robin photo © Peter Fowler
25/4/19 Flame Robins (10), Crescent Honeyeater, Eastern
Spinebill - Mt St Leonard. P & V Fowler
25/4/19 Pilotbird - Mt St Leonard. Valerie Fowler
25/4/19 Cattle Egret 2, (first returns), Edwards Rd, Yering.
Valerie and Peter Fowler
25/4/19 Cattle Egret (9), White-necked Heron, Great Egret,
White-faced Heron – Yarra Glen. Valerie Fowler
25/4/19 Whistling Kite (2), Little Eagle (1) - Yarra Glen. Peter
and Valerie Fowler.
Lyrebird Tales
June 2019 7
Cattle Egret photo © Valerie Fowler
28/4/19.Brown Quail (10) – Coranderrk. Graeme George
29/4/19 Brush Bronzewing - Wirra Willa walk, Toolangi.
Manfred Hennig
30/4/19 Scarlet Honeyeater (2) - Chum Creek. Michael Feller
6/5/19 Cattle Egret (35+) – Don Rd, Launching Place. Valerie
& Peter Fowler
7/5/19 Little Black Cormorant (47) – Lillydale Lake. Valerie &
Peter Fowler
12/5/19 Cattle Egrets (10+) Paynes Rd Chirnside Park. Alma
Mitchell
13/5/19 Crescent Honeyeater calling - Badger Creek. Graeme
George
13/5/19 Crescent Honeyeater – Toolangi. Manfred Hennig
_________________________________________________
Sherbrooke Survey Group
This year SLSG celebrated its 60th year with an afternoon
attended by past and present members and Dawn Survey
volunteers. There were several speeches including one on the
history of the group. Tables around the room were decorated
with memorabilia and books featuring the Superb Lyrebird.
We were also treated to a wonderful afternoon tea.
Out of the Yarra Valley
31/1/19 Yellow-billed Spoonbill - McIvor Hwy (Bendigo -
Heathcote). Jim McMinn
31/1/19 Australian Pelicans (6) - On small dam near
Seymour. Jim McMinn
11/5/19 Painted Button Quails – Wedderburn. Doug Pocock
"All is not lost for BirdLife Yarra Valley's previous convener
following his move from his bird filled property at Healesville.
This Tawny Frogmouth was encountered just outside his
Sandhurst back door, well camouflaged in an Ornamental
Pear."
Tawny Frogmouth photo © Glenn Mawson
Answer to What Bird is that? Crescent Honeyeater.
_________________________________________________
SLSG 60th Anniversary cake photo © Valerie Fowler
Sherbrooke Lyrebird Dawn Survey
2019 Dates
• Saturday 22 rd June
• Saturday 6th July
• Saturday 20th July
Meet at Grant's Picnic Ground shelter (Melway map 75
K4) at 6am. Parks Victoria staff will provide a delicious
breakfast after the survey.
Be sure to dress warmly and bring a compass, watch,
pencil and torch.
Lyrebird Tales
8 Lyrebird Tales
Reports of Meetings and Outings
February 9 - Outing to Wittons Reserve, Warrandyte
State Park
On a coolish morning, our group of 12 intrepid birdwatchers
set off from the car park adjacent to the Yarra River. A quick
recce at the river revealed no birds whatsoever; although a
solo Black Duck had been seen earlier.
Setting off in a north-easterly direction (upstream) we didn't
get far when rain started. This sent three of our group
hurrying back to their cars for umbrellas and other wet
weather gear.
The damp conditions seemed initially to keep the birds silent
and immobile, so at first we didn't see much at all. However
after another 15 minutes or so, things improved a little (bird-
wise; not weather-wise as the rain persisted). We had nice
views of a Spotted Pardalote, Rufous Whistler and a
Mistletoebird.
After a bit over an hour, the rain had not only set in, but was
also getting heavier, so a consensus vote yielded to the
conditions and we all set sail back to the carpark. A quick
bird count revealed a tally of 26 species. Warren Cousins
February 12 – Wettability and drying capacity of breast
feathers of Australian birds by Bethany Gillard
Bethany studied at Latrobe University finishing her Masters’
Degree in 2014 and her subject, the title of her talk, was a
topic that many of us knew little about.
Bethany introduced us to the different types and shapes of
feathers, the position of the feather on the bird and its
function dictated its structure. We learnt of two structures of
feathers: The pennaceous vane which is more useful for flight
and waterproofing; it is the ‘blade’ of the feather and consists
of a more closed, hooked together structure. The second
structure of the plumaceous vane is more useful for the most
efficient form of insulation; its structure is looser lacking the
hamuli to hook the feather together. She talked of previous
research regarding the waterproofing of feathers but said the
results had been over generalized. Initially researchers
thought the feathers contained oil but studies proved that the
uropygial gland which is at the base of the tail in some birds
was important for waterproofing by preserving the feather
structure. There were suggestions that it is the arrangement
of the plumage that promotes wetting in Darters and
Cormorants, not the individual feather itself.
Bethany decided to test the following hypothesis:
1) Feathers from water birds would reach a fully wetted
weight more slowly than feathers from non-water birds.
2) Feathers from water birds would uptake relatively less
water than non-water birds.
3) Feathers immersed for a short period of time (e.g. 6
hours) would take less time to dry than those immersed for
longer periods (e.g. 12 hours).
But then came her biggest problem – sourcing the feathers!
Australian Darter photo © Valerie Fowler
As she could not ethically source ‘fresh’ feathers from live
birds, she would have to use road kills but the feathers had
to be un-contaminated, not damaged and also fresh!
After devising a method of weighing both wet and dry
feathers and a means of soaking the feathers without
damaging their structures Bethany concluded that different
sections of the feather became wetter at different times
according to its structure.
Bethany tested aquatic and terrestrial species for
comparison. The aquatic species were: Australian Wood
Duck, Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck and Purple Swamphen. A
Dusky Moorhen and White-faced Heron became available but
she ran out of time to test their breast feathers. The
terrestrial species tested were: Australian Emu (only 5 half
feathers), Australian Magpie, White-winged Chough, Tawny
Frogmouth, Crested Pigeon and a deceased pet Red-rumped
Parrot.
Bethany compared her studies to those cited in the past but
said it was difficult to make comparisons due to the
Australian birds not having been studied before. She
concluded that feathers from water birds reached a fully
wetted weight more slowly than feathers from non-water
birds.
Feathers from water birds uptake relatively less water than
non-water birds and feathers immersed for a short period of
time (e.g. 6 hours) would take less time to dry than those
immersed for longer periods (e.g. 12 hours). Bethany
reminded us that it is a big leap to generalize the results of
tests on a few feathers to an entire species and/or family of
birds and that her results only gave a snapshot of how
feathers behave. She said that the wettability of back
feathers could be totally different from that of breast
feathers. She said that further testing from multiple
individuals is necessary to prove her theory.
Thank you Bethany, what an interesting study, I think we will
appreciate the complexity of feathers in the future when we
see waterbirds swimming or passerine birds having a bath.
We thoroughly enjoyed your informative talk and cannot
image the persistence and patience you needed to complete
your thesis.
Lyrebird Tales
June 2019 9
February 27 - Outing to the Western Treatment Plant
25 members had a marathon but extremely rewarding trip to
the WTP. I'm sure we were all thoroughly happy with such a
wonderful outing, but no doubt arrived home thoroughly
exhausted.
Some facts about the WTP. Located in Werribee, the historic
plant treats about half of Melbourne’s sewage while providing
an internationally-recognised bird habitat. It occupies 10,500
hectares — the same size as Disney World. It produces 40
billion litres of recycled water a year. It is energy self-
sufficient, generating all its electricity from sewage gas, and
it was declared an internationally-significant wetland for
waterfowl in 1983, under the Ramsar Convention. More than
306 bird species have been recorded at the plant, including
migratory shorebirds that travel from Siberia each year. It is
therefore recognised as a wetland of international importance
under the Ramsar Convention, and as one of Australia’s best
birdwatching sites.
The trip started with two virtually full minivans being picked
up from Healesville stopping at designated points to pick up
the participants and our bird guide John Barkla who as
expected provided an amazing boost to the knowledge base
of the WTP (a huge thank you to Michael Feller for driving the
second bus). Both buses arrived at the WTP at the same time
Red-necked Avocets, Ducks, Waders photo V. Fowler
After a quick rest stop at the relatively new WTP bathrooms,
we headed off at about 10am being almost immediately
rewarded with close views of an Australian Hobby. Our first
main stop was at the T-section Lagoons with a bonanza of
birds. These included uncountable Red-necked Avocets, Stilts
(mostly Pied but also a handful of Banded), both Chestnut
and Grey Teal, Black Swans, both Spoonbills, Glossy Ibis,
Cape Barren Goose, all three Crakes (Spotted, Spotless and
Baillon’s), Golden-headed Cisticola, Striated Fieldwren,
Great-crested Grebe, etc.
Cape Barren Geese photo ©Valerie Fowler
We then drove adjacent to the beach past numerous ponds
and stopped for a short lunch break sitting on the beach with
lovely views of the bay. Again there was a great variety of
birds: Australian Pelican, Australian Gannets Australian Pied
Oystercatcher, six species of Tern (Common, Crested, Fairy,
Whiskered, Little, and White-winged Black), four Cormorants
(Great, Pied, Little Pied and Little Black), and Australian Pied
Oystercatcher. The Brolgas regrettably proved too elusive.
Further on we drove around Lake Borrie to be astounded by
the overwhelming quantity and variety of birds. The many
thousands are a sight that few will forget. There were huge
numbers of Pink-eared Duck, the endangered Freckled Duck,
Grebes, Australian Shelduck, Eurasian Coot, Musk Duck,
Purple Swamphen, and so many more. This is a place that
must exceed any avid bird-watcher’s dreams.
Lyrebird Tales
10 Lyrebird Tales
Spotless Crake photo © Valerie Fowler
Brown Falcon photo © Peter Fowler
We also had many raptors over the day with Australian
Hobby, Black Kite, Black-shouldered Kite, Whistling Kite,
Brown Falcon, Brown Goshawk, and Swamp Harrier.
We finished the day with our bird count and John Barkla
declared an overall total of 95 species. This was an excellent
outcome given that we had missed a few key areas due to
lack of time. I'm sure that this result would have included for
many of us one or more new species. Once again, a massive
thank you to John Barkla (and his partner, Alison) whose
knowledge and enthusiasm made the day so much more
productive and enjoyable for the Yarra Valley members.
Thanks also to all of the 25 persons who attended. I know
the day was long and tiring but I reckon the payback was
worth the effort ten times over. Warren Cousins
WTP Lake Borrie photo © Valetie Fowler
March 9 - Outing to Wild Dog Creek Rd, St. Andrews
and Boomers Reserve.
Box – Ironbark forests, which were visited on this outing, are
infrequently visited by Birdlife Yarra Valley as they do not
occur in the Yarra Valley or areas to the south. Consequently,
despite the very dry and overcast conditions, I was still
hoping to see some different bird species. White-winged
Choughs obliged at the parking area. We followed the gravel
road up into a finger of Kinglake National Park, encountering
numerous Grey Fantails and White-throated Treecreepers, as
well as Brown and Striated Thornbills, Pied Currawongs,
Superb Fairy-Wrens, and Golden Whistlers, amongst others.
Rufous Whistlers provided some good photographic
opportunities, while Varied Sitellas teased the photographers.
The Whistlers and Sitellas occurred where the road turned
more steeply uphill. Some of the party opted to walk back
down the road to the cars while others opted to climb up to a
side track which Peter knew to provide a loop route back. The
birdlife on this loop amounted to a grand total of 2 Grey
Fantails!
Boomers Reserve photo © Michael Feller
We returned to the cars then drove back through St. Andrews
to Boomers Reserve, where we had lunch. Orchids grace the
reserve in spring but on the occasion of our visit hardly a
flower of any type could be seen and the extremely dry forest
appeared even starker beneath the smoky cloudy sky.
Old mining excavations and fenced-off research plots added
some interest, but calls of Australian and Little Ravens,
together with the tinkling of Bell Miners were soon heard in
the distance. Ubiquitous White-throated Treecreepers and
Grey Fantails were seen but a pair of Scarlet Robins and a
Buff-rumped Thornbill became the birds of the day.
Honeyeaters – Yellow-faced, White-eared, Brown-headed,
and White-naped, also appeared, as did Spotted and Striated
Pardalotes. The relative absence of parrots in both areas
visited was quite noteworthy. A Crimson Rosella and some
Galahs were heard in the Wild Dog Creek area, but that was
it. Also noteworthy was the abundant new growth in the
eucalypts, particularly those growing up after the 2009 fires.
This was probably a result of the reasonable rain a few weeks
previously.
A total of 32 bird species was seen or heard – a respectable
tally given the very dry conditions. Michael Feller
Lyrebird Tales
June 2019 11
March 12 - Meeting: Quiz and documentary on
Colombia
We first participated in two bird identification quizzes. The
first quiz featured bird images seen from an unusual position
and the second from a small section of a bird’s plumage.
Whilst some bird species were easily identified others caused
some discussion. Thanks to Warren for his idea for the
evening.
We then watched a documentary from the internet suggested
by Michael. The documentary titled ‘The Birders / A Melodic
Journey through Northern Colombia’ which was produced as
a promotional video in 2019.The documentary follows a road
trip by Keith Ladzinski, a National Geographic videographer
and Diego Calderon, a biologist and birdwatching guide. The
route follows the birdwatching route of North Colombia
visiting Los Flamencos National Park, Tyrona National Park
and Santa Marta National Park. The documentary showed the
indigenous people of the coastal area; their fishing boats,
ceremonies and music. The scenic beaches of Tyrona and the
spectacular mountain scenery of Santa Marta and the difficult
winding four- wheel track to reach it. Keith Ladzinski talked
of his wonder visiting the area and the excruciating patience
required to capture images of some of the bird species and
the reward when it’s successful. Diego Calderon took Keith
Ladzinski to film in an area of Colombia close to the border of
Venezuela where he had been held captive by the terrorist
group FARC for 4 months ten years previously. The
documentary recorded Diego’s great courage returning to the
area for the first time since his capture.
For some members present it was an insight into the country,
an addition to previous talks about the birds of Colombia and
a trip down memory lane for those who had visited and
birdwatched there, challenging their memories to name the
bird species.
March 27 - Outing to Banyule Flats, Heidelberg
Nine birdwatchers met in the car park and first looked for
reported Tawny Frogmouths near by with no success. We
then proceeded on to the Banyule Wetlands, which were
drying up and hosted far fewer birds than on our preview.
However we saw family of Pink-eared Ducks with 3 chicks,
Grey and Chestnut Teal, Wood Ducks, Black-fronted
Dotterels, White and Straw-necked Ibis, a White-faced
Heron, a Darter, Dusky Moorhens, Masked Lapwings and
numerous Silver Gulls. We then walked around the far side
of the wetlands seeing, among others, a Sacred Kingfisher,
Australian King Parrots, Grey Butcher birds and Superb Fairy
Wrens.
On our return for lunch we ran into a local who showed the
elusive Tawny Frogmouths we had been looking for. After
lunch we followed the main trail to the Windmill Track, and
then took this into the banks of the Yarra River, finally
looping back to our cars in increasingly hot weather.
All together we saw 50 species –4 raptors, various little bush
birds including an Eastern Yellow Robin, the highlights being
the Pink-eared Duck family, the Tawny Frogmouths and the
Sacred Kingfisher. Jan Llewelyn
April 9 - Meeting Mike’s Seabird Adventures by Mike
Tarburton
Mike entertained us with stories from his career monitoring
and studying seabirds. Mike was inspired by Dr D.L Serventy
(1904-1988), a Western Australian ornithologist
conservationist who became internationally recognised for his
study of the migration patterns and the biology of Mutton
Birds.
Mike talked about his own studies and monitoring of breeding
seabirds starting in Western Australia which included Cape
Naturaliste in the south west. He then studied colonies of
seabirds in several outlying islands off the coast of Australia
including Phillip Island which is part of the Norfolk Island
group and has been identified by BirdLife International as an
Important Bird Area (IBA). In this area he studied the
Masked Booby, Grey Noddy, Black-winged Petrel and the
Wedge-tailed Shearwater. Mike talked about the precarious
nature of the White Tern’s egg which was just balanced on a
branch on Lord Howe Island.
Royal Albatross in NZ photo © Peter Fowler
NZ Australian Gannet Colony photo © Valerie Fowler
When Mike’s career took him to New Zealand he studied and
monitored many seabirds including colonies of Australian
Gannets and Royal Albatross. Monitoring breeding colonies of
Hutton’s Shearwaters was much more difficult as they had
their burrows at the snowline in the Kaikoura Mountains
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12 Lyrebird Tales
requiring a helicopter flight to access the site. Mike
discovered that the Hutton’s Shearwater flies anti-clockwise
around Australia.
Mike also went to Fiji spending time studying seabirds on the
island of Vatu-i-Ra, a small uninhabited island off the coast of
Viti Levu. It is one of the 28 internationally important bird
areas recognized by BirdLife International for Fiji. Here Mike
studied White-tailed Tropicbirds, Yellow-tailed Tropicbird, the
Red-footed Booby and the Brown Booby which was much
scarcer. Mike said that the more common Black Noddy used
their colony every 10 months but the birds only breed every
2nd cycle.
Mike showed us images of many other seabirds from places
including Christmas Island and Samoa and gave us
information about each species and gave us an update from a
previous talk on the status of the other bird he is passionate
about – Swiftlets. We learned how climate change is affecting
their breeding sites causing a dramatic decline in the species.
Thanks Mike for yet another very interesting and informative
talk told with great enthusiasm – I am sure we all learnt
something new and enjoyed your stories.
April 13 - Outing to Big Pats Creek
On a lovely fine day (16-18 degrees, no wind) 10
birdwatchers met just east of Warburton and followed our
locally based members Noel and Heather by car to Big Pats
Creek picnic ground. Car parking was at a premium as a
hiking group had also selected the same venue as their
starting point.
We got off to a great beginning with a most co-operative
Bassian Thrush appearing just as we left the carpark. It
allowed for good viewing and I suspect some good photos.
This most auspicious start was however not reproduced as
we continued. Although the forest was certainly beautiful and
the creek very picturesque, the birds were not being too
helpful. A Superb Lyrebird was heard in the distance, but alas
no views were achieved.
Bassian Thrush photo © Valerie Fowler
After about two hours we decided to move on to Little
Peninsula Tunnel which is about 14 km east of Warburton on
the Woods Point Road. As with so much of our history, the
tunnel came into being because of the Gold Rush when the
Yarra River was diverted to make it easier for gold miners to
search for gold.
We first stopped for lunch at a pretty picnic spot right
opposite the river. We then crossed the river via a doubtful
footbridge, and headed up the adjacent open area that ended
up being very steep. Nothing new was seen as such, but the
location more than compensated with its natural beauty.
Overall the day yielded a modest total of 22 bird species.
Warren Cousins
April 24 - Outing to Lillydale Lake
White-faced Heron photo © Valerie Fowler
A small group met in the usual place for our regular walk at
the Lake. We had one new face, Lyn, who showed how keen
she was after having travelled all the way from East St Kilda
by public transport plus by foot. A big effort; well done.
The weather was pleasant and dry. As is typical, there were
numerous Little Corellas on the grassy area near the
playgrounds. Sharp eyes did however notice amongst them 1
or 2 Long-Billed Corellas. We started walking around the
southern part of the lake to look at the Australian Darters,
their nest and fledglings on one of the islands. Then we
headed in the direction of the wetlands towards the Hull Road
end of the reserve before heading back for our lunch and bird
call.
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike eating olives © V.Fowler
Lyrebird Tales
June 2019 13
Overall we did quite well with 47 species. They're all nice, but
perhaps some of the favourites were the Yellow-tailed Black
Cockatoos, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Eastern Great Egret,
Golden Whistler, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, and the Little Pied and
Little Black Cormorants. Warren Cousins
May 11 – Survey at Coranderrk Nature Reserve
Female Blue-billed Duck photo © Valerie Fowler
An intrepid group of 14 birdwatchers met at the gate
opposite Fleay Road nice and early. Intrepid because the
prior day had been very wet and cold, so today's weather
could have been problematical. However we ended up having
a beaut day; certainly a mild late Autumn, but nevertheless
dry and pleasant for us all.
We had a few absent friends, but it was nice to welcome back
Glenn Mawson, and Alma joined us for most of the walk.
After locking the entry gate behind us, we parked at the Bush
Hut and headed off from there in the direction of the lake. On
the way we got in some good birds with the usual culprits;
Superb fairy-wren, Brown Thornbill, Red-Browed Finch,
Crimson Rosella, Laughing Kookaburra, Galah etc.
The lake was a busy place, as usual with large numbers of
Eurasian Coot (54), Blue-billed Ducks (15), and a degree of
temporary confusion between some Hoary-headed Grebes
and Australasian. It was nice to see a group of Swans at the
far shore plus a solo Little Pied cormorant and a pair of
Australian Darters. No Great Cormorants were seen today.
We then noticed a Swamp Harrier on the prowl, but it
perched soon after low down to the water's edge.
After leaving the lake there was a bit of excitement when
most of the group had good views of Crested Shrike-Tits.
These beautiful birds are not seen so very often, but once
seen will never be forgotten. He had to be the best bird of
the day. At the same place we got Lewin's Honeyeater and
Grey Shrike-Thrush.
A bit further on Glenn was first around a corner of the track
and noticed a raptor on the ground that turned out to be
eating a rabbit. It soon flew off but was identified as a
Square-Tailed kite. These have been seen before at the
Coranderrk but still a nice find.
We returned to the Bush Hut for lunch and bird call. Whilst
there, Manfred was lucky enough to see another Crested
Shrike-Tit, but it decamped before he could get a photo.
After exiting the reserve, I was just about to lock the gate
when Valerie called me over. Her "eagle" eyes had spotted a
Tawny Frogmouth on a small tree directly opposite the gate.
Unfortunately all the other birdwatchers had already left. I
immediately phoned Marian Weaving (our Tawny expert) and
although we always put some light-hearted pressure on her
to find us a Tawny, she was thrilled that we had seen one.
In all another excellent day at the Coranderrk. We had a total
of 49 species with the overall quantity of birds counted being
384. Warren Cousins
May 14 – Meeting. AGM. & Bird Stamps by Valerie
Fowler
Valerie’s talk about the birds featured on postage stamps
took us around the world starting in New Zealand, across to
North and South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East,
India, Asia, the Pacific and back to Australia. The wide
selection of bird species included, Ducks, Herons, Storks and
Flamingo through to Raptors, Owls, Kingfishers, Rollers,
Hornbills, Sunbirds, Hummingbirds, small passerines and
exotic Birds of Paradise. We also saw extinct and endangered
bird species as well as rare bird stamps. Accompanying each
stamp were photos of the featured bird and dialog about the
species. We learnt about her favourite birds she had seen
and those still on her wish list!
Valerie showed us examples of bird stamp displays from the
websites of the American Topical Association, the Southern
African Philately and the UK Bird Stamp Society. These were
serious bird stamp collectors and in each exhibit information
about the bird and its habitat was included. We were warned
about counterfeit stamps and in the examples we were
shown, it was hard to differentiate between the two.
Valerie said that if we were now thinking about collecting bird
stamps we should know some statistics: There are 27,000
stamps with birds on which depict 3,500 species.
We saw a chart of how many bird stamps have been issued
worldwide each year from 1854 to the present day – 2018,
the highest record with 1,811. A second chart showed the
favourite bird featured on postage stamps which was the
Bald Eagle; it has featured on 385 stamps, followed by the
Western Barn Owl with 293. Further down the list the Emu
was on 72 stamps. The third chart showed that Sierra Leone
was the country most prolific with bird stamps (973) followed
by Guinea (900). Australia was number 13 on the list with
483 bird stamp issues. She warned that the most expensive
Australian stamp is the inverted Swan and is worth $171,543
The talk ended on a lighter note, not to get too serious about
bird stamp collecting and we were shown a set of four
Croatian bird stamps with a Zebra Finch, Canary, Sulphur-
crested Cockatoo and a blue coloured Budgerigar all wearing
silly hats.
Thank you Valerie for the many hours you spent researching
and setting up your brilliant and comprehensive story about
Bird Stamps of the World. I am sure we will all be on the
lookout for Bird Stamps after your amazing presentation.
Alma Mitchell.
Lyrebird Tales
14 Lyrebird Tales
BIRDLIFE YARRA VALLEY
email: [email protected]
Postal address: Birdlife Australia, Yarra Valley Branch, P.O.
Box 1172, Healesville, Vic. 3777.
Meetings are held in the Badger Creek Hall Meeting Room at
7.45 p.m. Badger Creek Rd. Badger Creek
(next to CFA). Melway Edn 39 278 F8.
Meetings and Outings automatically cancelled on days
of Total Fire Ban in the Central and North-central Fire
Districts. (Central unless notified otherwise)
Calendar July to September 2019
July
Tuesday 9 - No meeting - winter recess.
Saturday 13 - Outing to Sherbrooke Forest Ridge Track -
Meet at Grants Picnic Ground, Monbulk Rd at 8.30 a.m.
Directions: Melway Map 75 K4.
Wednesday 24 - Outing to Baluk Willam Nature
Conservation Reserve. Directions: Melway Map 84 D7. Meet
at 9.30 a.m. corner of Courtney's and Orchid Roads,
Belgrave South. (Nearest public toilets are at Belgrave South
Recreational Reserve Melway Map 84 F4)
August
Saturday 10 - Outing to The Gums & Island Creek Picnic
Area Kinglake National Park and a private property Phillip
Lobley Winery Dam five minutes from The Gums.
Directions: Melway X910 Q11. Meet at The Gums Camp
Ground at 9.30 a.m.
Tuesday 13 - Meeting. Speaker and Subject TBA.
Wednesday 28 - Healesville Parks & Oval. Directions: Meet
at 9.30 a.m. at Coronation Park Car Park (opposite Coles Car
Park) Melway Map 270 C12.
September
Tuesday 10 - Meeting. Speaker and Subject TBA.
Saturday 14 – Outing to Alexandra Area. Directions: Melway
Map X910 T8. Meet at 9.30 a.m. at Visitor Information
Centre Car Park, cnr. Grant & Vickery Streets, Alexandra.
Convoy to different locations. Check if there is car-pooling
from Healesville at 8.30 a.m. Meet in Library Car Park (next
to Coles Car Park). Melway Map 270 C12.
Wednesday 25 - Outing to Plenty Gorge Park.
Directions: Melway Map 183 H8. Meet at 9.30 a.m. at the
Red Gum Picnic Area. From Plenty Road turn into Gordon's
Road. Park entrance on left.
Calendar October to December
Basic dates only. Check September newsletter for
further details.
October
Tuesday 8 - Meeting. Speaker and Subject TBA.
Saturday 11-14 Birdlife Yarra Valley Camp at Wedderburn.
Book with Doug or Jan at [email protected] or phone
5964 4581 and we will send you information. We need to
know the numbers to organize toilets. See notice inside this
magazine.
Wednesday 23 - Silvan Reservoir Park. Directions: Melway
Map 120 H11. Meet at main car park Silvan-Monbulk Road at
9.30 a.m.
November
Saturday 9 - Outing to Coranderrk (Bushland) Nature
Conservation Reserve. Directions: Melway Map 278 F10.
Meet at 9.30 a.m. sharp at Gate 1 (opposite Fleay Road),
Badger Avenue, Badger Creek Gate will close at 9.30 a.m.
sharp.
Tuesday 12 - Meeting. Speaker and Subject TBA.
Wednesday 27 - Outing to RACV Healesville Country Club,
Healesville-Kinglake Road, Healesville. Melway Map 269
J12. Meet at 9.30 a.m. at lower first car park on the right.
December
Saturday 14 - Outing to Badger Weir Park, Badger Creek for
Christmas break- up and BYO picnic lunch. Directions:
Melway Map 278 K9. Follow Badger Weir Road to car park.
Meet at 9.30 a.m.