The

Golden Whistler

Volume 8 Number 7 September 2019

PRESIDENT'S REPORT

Spring has sprung and our Currawongs have returned

to the bush nearly four months to the day of their

arrival. Many birds are busy building nests or watching

carefully over their eggs or fledglings.

In the last two weeks I startled a Yellow-tufted

Honeyeater from the middle of a very prickly bush and

there in, the very centre of all the thorns, was a well

concealed nest complete with eggs. At the lunch stop

for the September outing a Spotted Pardalote was

spotted (!!) and on closer inspection we soon found its

well concealed nest hole on the ground below the

scrubby trees. Dot then spied a lovely Grey Fantail

beautifully constructed cup nest high on a branch in

the middle of the forest.

All these birds seemed to have at least mastered the

art of building, maintaining and using a nest this year.

Not so the pair of Magpie-larks at the end of our

garden. At the last count they have tried three times

to build a nest but all have been doomed to failure.

I'm not sure if it is the youth and inexperience of the

birds or the very wet and windy weather that has

caused the failures so far. I am keeping my fingers

crossed for them that they will eventually succeed.

Happy Birding

Susan Mason Breaking news to President's Report

It's up and has survived for three days!! Looks a bit

wonky around the edges but there has been activity in

and out already! Fingers crossed everyone.

NEXT OUTING

DATE: 25-27th October 2019

VENUE: Wilkin Cottage & surrounds

TIME: day excursion 9.30am at Wilkin Cottage

CAMPERS: from Friday afternoon onwards

CONTACT: Annie Carmichael 0488 912 112

PLEASE CONTACT ASAP: if you are going to attend this

weekend even just for a day. There is a spare bunk room with 4 beds, and plenty of room for tents and caravans, please bring sheets and towels. We have the house for 3 nights at $300 with no cleaning fee, tents and vans welcome.

DIRECTIONS: head west out of Casterton, south onto

B160 Glenelg Hwy, after approx' 15km turn south down Grubbed Rd, (road to Mumbanner keep watch for large water tank before Grubbed Rd), turn east onto Durbridges Rd after approx 5.5km, cottage is at the end of this road after a left then right crn, some balloons will be at the turn into Wilken Cottage, if any problems give me a ring on 0488 912 112

Outings will be cancelled on days of Total Fire Ban, Extreme Heat and

other Hazardous Weather conditions

PANYYABYR LANDCARE GROUP

Morning of Saturday 19th OCTOBER

''Finding Nature Event" All are welcome, we would particularly appreciate a BirdLife Hamilton member as Samantha will be away.

We will visit an area, walk through and with the help of

our experienced and patient birdos, work out what we have living around us, and why. We are offering you the opportunity to visit your patch, to help you identify what's there. If you are interested, please contact me ASAP!

Lisa McIntyre Ph 55 749 235 or M 0428 749 235 advancel@bigpond.com

CONTENTS:

2. Outing Report & Bird List

3. Sightings & Quiz

4. & 5. Correspondence & Local Activities

BirdLife Hamilton monthly newsletter, Editor Samantha Greiner 0428 395 773

Outing Report & Bird List

2 September 2019

NORTHERN GRAMPIANS

After leaving Dunkeld we pulled into Mirranatwa

Hall, to meet a couple of Members. When they

arrived it started to rain pretty heavily and the wind

started blowing, so they decided to go home. After

spotting Black-winged Stilts and Black Swans on the

wetland below the hall Christine, Dot and I decided

to carry on to Moora Moora Reservoir.

When we got to the Dam Wall, no one was there

but the rain had eased so we looked around for half

an hour. On the reservoir we found Little Pied

Cormorant and a White-faced Heron flew in. After

Dot was challenged from identifying a Chestnut-

rumped Thornbill it was off to Moora Outlet Creek

where found Sam, Sue, Kay and her husband Kevin.

Spotted Pardalote nest hole © S Mason

We had a walk along the channel wall finding

Scarlet Robin and a large flock of mixed

Woodswallows overhead, in front of the next storm

front. It was then morning tea while the weather

held and some of Dot's excellent savoury scones to

keep us going in the inclement weather. A quick

visit to Boreang Campground for toilet a break and

then it was off to our lunch stop.

At Red Rock picnic site, while we were trying to eat,

Dot notice a Spotted Pardalote guarding his nest.

Then on a short walk Sue and Dot found a lovely

Grey Fantail nest while hunting for White-browed

Babblers.

Grey Fantail nest © S Mason

We were lucky with the weather, beside the drive to

and between locations, we only had light drizzle on

and off and no wind.

Neil Scott

OUTING BIRD LIST

Black Swan

Australian Shelduck

Grey Teal

Pacific Black Duck

Little Pied Cormorant

White-faced Heron

White-bellied Sea-Eagle

Swamp Harrier

Black-winged Stilt

Masked Lapwing

Gang-gang Cockatoo

Long-billed Corella

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Crimson Rosella

Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo

Laughing Kookaburra

White-throated Treecreeper

Superb Fairy-wren

White-browed Scrubwren

Weebill

Chestnut-rumped Thornbill

Brown Thornbill

Spotted Pardalote

Striated Pardalote

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Red Wattlebird

New Holland Honeyeater

White-naped Honeyeater

White-browed Babbler

Varied Sittella

White-winged Triller

Rufous Whistler

Grey Shrike-thrush

White-breasted Woodswallow

Masked Woodswallow

Dusky Woodswallow

Australian Magpie

Pied Currawong

Grey Currawong

Grey Fantail

Willie Wagtail

Little Raven

Scarlet Robin

Welcome Swallow

Tree Martin

45 Total Species

Sightings, Obituary & Quiz

Month 2012 3

Dawn Black

White-bellied Sea-eagle and Comb-crested Jacana,

Ord River Cruise, Kimberly, WA, August Heize de Chelard & Family

Highlights of three day camp at Wonga camp Wyperfeld National Park: Regent Parrot, Pallid Cuckoo, Tawny Frogmouth, Mulga Parrot, Australian (Mallee) Ringneck Parrot, 5 Southern Boobook calling at night

& 2 Chestnut Quail-thrush, end of September Liz Fenton

Brolga & Plumed Whistling-duck, south Lake Bolac,

26.09.19 Marlene Greiner

50-60 Masked & White-browed Woodswallow flock flying in front of storm front, Church Hill, Hamilton, 02.10.19 Samantha Greiner

2 Black-chinned Honeyeater and 2 Speckled

Warbler, Woohlpooer State Forest, Mooralla, 21.09.19

4 Red-tailed Black-cockatoo, Edwards Road, Bahgallah State Forest, 28.09.19

Arborline Nursery 3 Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, 25.09.19

Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo, 26.09.19

Hayley Glover

Banded Lapwing, Victoria Point Road, Vic Point, 20.09.19 Wendy Radley

Brown Thornbill constantly chasing his reflection in glass sliding back door, and on our cars, singing loudly all

the time, Kennedy St, Hamilton, Spring

Kevin Williams

25+ male & female White-winged Trillers, Old Reservoir, Parklands Reserve, HIRL, Hamilton, 30.09.19

VALE

Lionel the leucistic Australian Magpie of Strathkellar, it has been reported that he died sometime in August.

© L Fenton 2018

Brown Thornbill ready to feed young in nest © K Williams

BRAIN TEASER OF THE MONTH

THIS MONTH’S QUESTION: How many different

species of cuckoo can we, in the western district of

Victoria, expect to see during spring?

THIS MONTH’S ANSWER: Kay Williams has very

generously supplied the answers to the cryptic

clues from the Gould League's The Bird Lover from

1967: 1. Martin, 2. Swan, 3. Thrush, 4. Pelican, 5.

Robin, 6. Dove, 7. Blackbird, 8. Moorhen, 9. Wren,

10. Petrel, 11. Grassbird, 12. Plover, 13.

Honeyeater, 14. Heron, 15. Pipit, 16. Sandpiper,

17. Finch, 18. Egret, 19. Sparrow, 20. Spoonbill,

21. Myna, 22. Teal, 23. Raven, 24. Starling

Letter of Appreciation & Activities

4 Newsletter Headine

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for all your work and dedication

that you have shown to the Panyyabyr Landcare

Group, over the last few years, especially with

respect to the Woodland Bird Monitoring.

The data that is being collected will be an invaluable

resource as years go by.

After speaking to Dave a few days ago, we think

that it may be time to alter our program, but just

only a little bit!

We would still be extremely grateful if the Woodland

Bird Monitoring - 20 minute surveys - were still

conducted in Autumn & Spring each year, at the

Oliver's, the Weatherly's and at a farm revegetation

site (to be decided on), as that collection of

information is too important to let slide.

So, rather than invite everyone to ''help'' record

bird species during the 20 min surveys, we thought

Bill & Dave could work out between them when to

do that, and just go off & do it themselves. It

would be more scientific, with less giggling and

story-telling - often off topic!!!

And then we would organise a very relaxed,

informal ''Finding Nature'' event, where we would

invite interested people to visit one site, and spend

a few hours there, looking at birds and talking

about them. We even thought that we could invite

people to offer a site to visit, eg if they were about

to embark on a tree planting project, and the group

could record bird species sighted before the work

began, to give an informal base count to look back

on in coming years and generations.

I would love to hear what you think about this idea,

and hope that you will be interested and able to

help us.

And of course, any comments, ideas & even

criticisms will be well listened too!

Thanks again, we really appreciate the knowledge

and time you have given us already.

Cheers

Lisa McIntyre Panyyabyr Landcare Group

BIRDLIFE HAMILTON

NOVEMBER

Saturday 23th Lake Condah & Tyrendarra

Sue & Neville Mason with Wendy & Peter McDonald

DECEMBER

21st Christmas Lunch

2020's calendar

TBA

BIRDLIFE WARRNAMBOOL

NOVEMBER

Saturday 2nd

ST HELENS

Orford Hall, Orford at 10.00am

Jock & Ros Bromell 03 5568 1327

Thursday 7th

GREEN LINE SURVEY

Picnic area Penshurst-Warrnambool Road,

Hawkesdale 9.00 am

Peter Barrand 0400 692 053

Tuesday 26th to Tuesday 10th December

CHRISTMAS & COCOS KEELING ISLANDS

Contact organisers & leaders for further details

Peter & Rhonda Barrand 0400 692 053

DECEMBER

Saturday 7th

CHALLENGE BIRD COUNT & XMAS BARBECUE

Lake Pertobe 12.30pm

Bird count over 24 hours from 1st December

Peter & Rhonda Barrand 0400 692 053

BIRDLIFE HORSHAM

NOVEMBER

Sunday 3rd

Mt Korong and Wedderburn district

Sunday 17th

November Christmas break-up and AGM

DECEMBER

Sunday 1st

Challenge Bird Count

Contact Deidre Andrews M 0402 317 142

Please meet at the Horsham Library, 28 McLachlan

St, at 8:30am unless otherwise informed; bring

morning tea and lunch, binoculars and wear

appropriate outdoor gear. Please note subject to

change due to seasonal variability

Activities Continued

August 2018 5