The Chat - Birdlife Australia

The
Chat
Newsletter of
BirdLife East Gippsland
Number 65 December 2015
Pambula Camp (NSW) 26-30 October 2015 – Merryl Wright
Camp Leader Len Axen at one entrance to Panboola Wetlands. Photo Leah Beekman
Venturing outside Victoria for the first time, BirdLife East
Gippsland based its 2015 Spring Camp at Pambula
Beach on the NSW South Coast in late October. Many
members had first-hand experience of this area, and
camp leaders Len and Jacquie Axen made several trips
in advance to locate the best birding spots. Although the
group’s camps usually begin on a Monday after lunch,
most of the participants had arrived by Sunday, so an
extra half day of birding was added to the schedule.
Using Pambula Beach Discovery Park as our base, we
visited 14 sites over four days, recording 144 species
and 2,994 individual birds with some unusual sightings
such as Eastern Curlew, Whimbrel, Pacific Golden Plover,
Pink Robin, Striated Heron, Eastern Reef Egret Whiteheaded Pigeon and Australasian Figbird.
There were 19 members from BirdLife East Gippsland at
the camp – leaders Len and Jacquie Axen, John and Pam
Hutchison, Ian and Merryl Wright, Gary and Judy Smith,
Leah and John Beekman, Bev Beard, Denise McLarty,
Diana Veitch, Kath Gallagher, Réjane Langlois, June
Soutter, Joan Graves, Ron Mackenzie, and Chris Healey.
We were delighted that past members Jill and Max
Markey were there, having moved to NSW and joined
BirdLife Shoalhaven. We also welcomed back Lyn Abreu
from BirdLife Melbourne-Yarra Valley who had now been
to 4 of our camps, and Ray Jones from Casino, NSW who
was a guest at our last Omeo camp.
Judy Smith’s sister, Faye Gerdsen and husband Peter,
who were members of BirdLife Mornington Peninsula,
joined the group as well. And we must mention Diana’s
partner Kerry Chilcott, who had come to Pambula for the
golf and fishing, but got right into the birding and
photography after day one!
Despite a bleak forecast of showers for the whole week,
the weather was fine and clear and warm for most of the
camp, although we experienced some strong, cold winds
on one or two days. The Discovery Park had wonderful
facilities and backed onto Ben Boyd National Park, so
there was good birding close at hand. Len had cleverly
booked our group into the upstairs guest room at the
Park with ocean views for our ‘happy hours’ each
evening – great viewing spot for passing White-bellied
Sea Eagles!
For travel to our sites, we ‘car pooled’ into 4WD vehicles
wherever possible to keep the size of our convoy down.
Seeing six or seven cars pull up and the passengers
emerge with binoculars and scopes made many passersby ask if we were whale spotting! And at two or three
sites whales were indeed just cruising past, some with
calves – probably 15 or more were seen during the
camp.
Other wildlife we encountered were the (in)famous
kangaroos at Pambula and Merimbula, various wallabies,
two or three Antechinus (what is the plural?), lace
monitors and one large black snake!
On the web at: www.birdlife.org.au/locations/birdlife-east-gippsland
The
Chat
President’s Report - Chris Healey
On our recent club outing to Lake Tyers Beach, members were delighted to note a pair of Hooded Plovers accompanied
by a tiny puff-ball chick. Being on the far side of the channel connecting the lake to the sea, through which the tide was
running strongly, we thought the plovers would be relatively safe from interference. We were therefore dismayed to see
a young couple wade across the channel with their large dog, which was soon to be seen capering about on the beach in
the vicinity of where we had seen the plovers. The incident highlights the precariousness of measures to protect the
dapper little Hoodie and other beach-nesting birds. Efforts of BirdLife Australia to raise community awareness of threats
to beach-nesting birds are well-known to members. Luckily, local member Henk van Leeuwen, was able to report on
14 November that the plover family survived this invasion of their territory on this occasion.
Dogs are not permitted on beaches between 1 November and 30 April by council by-law, but the regulation is routinely
ignored. Shire councils mostly lack resources (and sometimes the will) to enforce such regulations. However, BirdLife
East Gippsland is keen to collaborate with the East Gippsland Shire Council to encourage more responsible recreational
use of the beach by locals and visitors and to raise community awareness about peak threat periods to Hoodies and
other beach-frequenting birds.
On a more positive note, we recently learned that the East Gippsland Shire has plans afoot to rehabilitate the old council
tip site on the high ground overlooking Macleod Morass. This will see the old dump site covered with soil and converted
to parkland for public use. Subject to funds, a viewing deck has been proposed to afford views across the Morass. As
one of the last remaining publically accessible deep freshwater swamps of the Gippsland Lakes, the Morass provides
invaluable habitat for several endangered birds, frogs and plants. The immediate precincts of the Morass have, however,
been sadly neglected in the past. The proposed tip rehabilitation will bring this area up to a standard to rival the
wonderful wetlands of the Sale Common.
Last October saw yet another highly successful camp for the club, breaking with tradition by being held outside our
region in Pambula on the NSW south coast. Thanks are due to Len and Jacquie Axen for leading us to some great birding
venues. A full report on the camp is included in this issue.Next year’s birding schedule has now been finalised, and
includes an interesting mix of some of our favourite sites with new places to go. Thanks are due to Pam Hutchison for
coordinating the exacting task of arranging a schedule.
This year saw the completion of our Forge Creek Stage 2 surveys of two woodland sites for the Gippsland Plains
Conservation Management Network. This brings to a close a combined two-stage project over the last 5 years,
coordinated by John Hutchison. John’s excellent final report has been submitted to the GPCMN. On the conservation
front, our club continues to contribute expertise on a number of fronts. Our Conservation Officer, Brian Martin, has a
full report of our involvement in varied conservation matters in this issue.A highly successful workshop on shorebirds,
bitterns and the Gippsland Lakes organised by BirdLife Australia was held in mid November in Lakes Entrance, with
another scheduled for Sale in December. The workshop was well attended by members of our club as well as
participants from several other volunteer environmental groups.
Contents
2.
President’s Report
3.
Pambula Camp Oct 2015
7.
How to Photograph a Cisticola
8.
Obliging Parrots
8.
Briagalong Surprise
9.
A Bird Has Got To Eat
9.
Odd Birds
10. Conservation News
11. The Reptile as Bird Nest Raider
12. Drouin’s Trees and Birds
13. Springtime Birding in Bhutan
17. Flagged Pied Oystercatchers
19. Spring Birding
20. Raymond Island Notes
22. Visit to Crescent Island (1)
23. Visit to Crescent Island (2)
23. Save a Hoodie
24. Facebook Page
24. Identifying Egrets
26. Schedule of Outings
2
Congratulations are due to Dan Weller, coordinator of the national Shorebird 2020
project, Andrew Silcocks of the ongoing Atlas Project and Deb Sullivan, Project
Officer for the Australasian Bittern project for their informative presentations.
Our Gippsland Lakes Important Bird Area monitoring project is entering its fifth
year. This is an opportune time to take stock of the project, and a working party is
currently undertaking a comprehensive review of the project. I anticipate that this
will be completed early in the new year, with a full report to members printed in a
future issue of the newsletter. New participants in the surveys are always welcome,
so please get in contact with me if you would like to become involved. We are
hoping to keep this project going for many years yet – new recruits to take over
from those of us who inevitably will have to hang up our binoculars in due course
will be essential for the long term success of the project!
The next Annual General Meeting of the club for the election of office-bearers for
2016 will be held on 15 February next year. I encourage you to attend to help
shape the management and direction of the club. As the formal birding year draws
to a close, I take the opportunity to thanks the members of our Executive group for
their support and contributions to the smooth running of the club and to our
members for many and varied contributions to the objectives of our organisation,
and for making our regular Monday outings such universally enjoyable and
rewarding occasions!
Don’t forget our official final occasion for the year as a club is the annual End of
Year Party at noon, to be held as usual at Nyerimilang Homestead on 14 December.
Please bring something to share, as well as drinks, plates and cutlery; the club will
provide a selection of cold meats.
Finally, I look forward to the new year of birding, commencing at Nyerimilang on 25
January, and to meeting old friends and new. In the meantime, happy birding!
December 2015
The
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Pambula Camp – Daily Reports – Merryl Wright
Note: the number of bird species recorded at each location is
shown in brackets after the site name.
DAY 1: Monday 26 October
Goodenia Rainforest (30), Ben Boyd NP North (39), Pambula
River Mouth (12)
At our first site in the Goodenia Rainforest we began with
sightings of 8 Black-faced Monarchs, 4 Pink Robins, 12 Brown
Gerygones and 2 Bassian Thrushes setting the scene for what
was to be a great week of birding. After returning to the Park
for lunch and meeting up with the few Monday arrivals, we split
into two groups. The first team explored the adjacent patch of
Ben Boyd National Park with a marsh area which had a good
population of ducks, cormorants and grebes including 4 Freckled
Duck and 15 Hardhead with some with very cute ducklings.
The first sightings of Scarlet Honeyeaters were made here, soon
to be recorded at almost every other site – 56 records
altogether. The Grey Goshawk and Square-tailed Kite were also
seen here.
The remainder of the birders had driven to the mouth of the
Pambula River, but were disappointed to find not much of note
apart from 3 White-bellied Sea Eagles (and some whales). The
first ‘happy hour’ of the camp saw everyone getting together
early and catching up with the birding news of the day.
Jacquie Axen, Goodenia Rainforest. Photo Merryl Wright
DAY 2: Tuesday 27 October
Nelson Lagoon (28), Mogareeka Inlet (13), Tathra WTP (38),
Kianinny Bay (8) Jillat Jillat Swamp (37)
Leaving Pambula Beach after breakfast, we headed north to
Nelson Lagoon within the Mimosa Rocks NP where we were
rewarded with a good number of bush birds including the
Variegated Wren and around 20 Noisy Friarbirds. Morning tea
was at Mogareeka Inlet where Len was keen to show us the
signage and work done by local volunteers to protect beach
nesting birds. Using the club’s scopes, we were privileged to
see both Australian Pied Oystercatchers and Red-Capped Plovers
nesting on the beach, and a pair of White-fronted Chats
on the wing.
The Tathra Water Treatment Plant was our longest stop of the
day – it is just so hard to drag birders away from the ‘poo
ponds’. There were 6 species of grebes and ducks, and in the
adjacent coastal scrub there were many more bush birds,
including 18 Scarlet Honeyeaters and a Superb Lyrebird. A
Swamp Harrier and Grey Goshawk were seen overhead.
The wind had seriously picked up and was freezing cold by the
time we stopped at Kianinny Bay for lunch, so we ate quickly
and had a quick look at the ocean and beach from Chamberlain
Lookout, with our reward being one Sooty Oystercatcher and one
Australasian Gannet. The wind was still roaring through at our
final stop at Jillat Jillat Swamp making it difficult to hold our
binoculars still or to keep the scopes focussed.
Our hardy birders recorded 9 Australian Shelducks, 45 Pinkeared Ducks, 35 Pacific Golden Plovers, 14 Sharp-tailed
Sandpipers, large numbers of Chestnut and Grey Teal and 120
Black-winged Stilts, some breeding. The swamp is surrounded
by pasture with some roadside scrub and birds from these
habitats added up to a good species total.
December 2015
Len Axen, Nelson Lagoon. Photo Merryl Wright
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The
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Pambula Camp – Daily Reports – Merryl Wright
DAY 3: Wednesday 28 October
Panboola Wetlands (56), Merimbula Boardwalk (38)
After the previous cold windy weather, the group was really pleased to have a fine mild and sunny day to explore the
walking trails and rehabilitated areas at Panboola Wetlands. The site combines donated land and the now disused
Pambula Racecourse and sits between the Pambula River and the township. It is managed by a Trust with one
part-time Project Coordinator and a band of community volunteers undertaking the restoration and maintenance
of the wetlands.
Over 130 bird species have already been recorded at the site, and during our 3 hours there, we counted 56 species,
including a White-necked Heron, several raptors, one Azure Kingfisher, a Black-fronted-Dotterel, 6 Australasian Reed
Warblers and 8 Golden-headed Cisticolas. For many of us, and especially the photographers amongst us, the highlight
was the Eurasian Coot chick in its bright orange-red colours being fed by its parents within close proximity to the
viewing platform.
Eurasian Coot chick in its bright orange-red colours being fed by its parents. Photo Ian Wright
Before returning to the Discovery Park for lunch, our group met with Michelle Richmond, the Project Coordinator and
her crew, who told us about the history of the site, its management and the birdlife of the wetlands.
The afternoon was more relaxed with some of us travelling to the boardwalk at Merimbula. This is ideal birding – a
gentle stroll on a clear path and lots of birds to see without overstretching ourselves! New birds which were added to
our growing species tally included 2 Australasian Darters, a Little Egret, Buff-banded Rail, more than 110 Bar-tailed
Godwits, a Whimbrel, an Eastern Curlew, 3 Striated Herons and one Eastern Reef Egret. Two exceptional birding
locations in one day!
In the evening we went to the Merimbula
Lakeview Hotel for the Camp ‘dinner’. Len
pointed out that just outside the window of the
dining room was a man-made Osprey nesting
platform but sadly no Ospreys visited while we
were there.
DAY 4: Thursday 29 October
Lake Curalo (51), Haycock Point and Barmouth
Beach (32), Severs Beach (25)
Australasian Figbird at Eden Lookout. Photo John Hutchison
4
Our convoy headed south to our goal for the day,
Lake Curalo at Eden. This is another easy walking
site with a good boardwalk. An excellent total of
51 species included many seen already on this
camp, but additional sightings of the Grey
Goshawk and Azure Kingfisher were enjoyed by
all. New species recorded at this site were one
Cattle Egret, and one Australasian Figbird,
although at a visit to the Eden Lookout later in the
morning a further 8 Figbirds kept the
photographers busy again.
December 2015
The
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Pambula Camp – Merryl Wright
Heading back towards Pambula, we
stopped for lunch at Haycock Point in Ben
Boyd NP. Those who walked right out to
the point saw 8-9 whales and calves, 3
more Sooty Oystercatchers and 6 Blackfaced Cormorants.
There was a short stop then at Barmouth
Beach a short distance away, where the
notable species were an Olive-Backed
Oriole and a Sacred Kingfisher, before the
group moved on to its last scheduled stop
at Severs Beach, still within the National
Park.
Camp participants at Haycock Point. Photo Gary Smith
Another 3 White-bellied Sea Eagles were
recorded here and more Scarlet
Honeyeaters.
In addition to the 15 sites visited, birds
seen at Pambula, Merimbula and en route
to the birding locations were added to our
count including a White-headed Pigeon, an
Eastern Koel, a group of Varied Sittellas, a
White-bellied Cuckoo Shrike and a
Wedge-tailed Shearwater.
The most numerous species seen over the
four days were Black Swans and Bell
Miners.
Special thanks go to the Camp leaders Len
and Jacquie Axen for a thoroughly
enjoyable Camp.
Thanks also go to our recorders Merryl and
Ian Wright and their ‘assistant’ field
recorders for keeping track of sightings,
with all bird records from this camp
forwarded for inclusion in the Atlas of
Australian Birds database.
The camp favourite, Scarlet Honeyeater. Photo Chris Healey
A summary of recent birding camps - Merryl Wright
Various factors other than choice of location, weather and season may have a bearing on records taken at our most
recent camps including more participants able to cover more ground, improved equipment with the club now owning
several high quality spotting scopes, and the rise and rise of digital photography to assist in identification!
When
Location
Species count
Bird Count
No of participants
October 2015
Pambula Beach NSW
144
2,994
24
March 2015
Yarram
134
11,321
22
November 2014
Omeo
109
1,579
29
March 2014
Mallacoota
124
2,077
24
October 2013
Marlo
138
2,304
28
March 2013
Yarram
123
5,264
18
October 2012
Mallacoota
133
3,605
21
March 2012
Omeo
83
1,986
10
October 2011
Port Albert
114
2,000+
8
December 2015
5
The
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Pambula Camp – Bird List
Red-capped Plover
Crescent Honeyeater
Freckled Duck
Black-fronted Dotterel
New Holland Honeyeater
Black Swan
Masked Lapwing
Brown-headed Honeyeater
Australian Shelduck
Bar-tailed Godwit
White-naped Honeyeater
Australian Wood Duck
Whimbrel
Noisy Friarbird
Pink-eared Duck
Eastern Curlew
Eastern Whipbird
Grey Teal
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Varied Sittella
Chestnut Teal
Crested Tern
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Pacific Black Duck
Silver Gull
White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
Hardhead
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo
Golden Whistler
Australasian Grebe
Gang-gang Cockatoo
Rufous Whistler
Hoary-headed Grebe
Galah
Grey Shrike-thrush
White-headed Pigeon
Little Corella
Australasian Figbird
Spotted Dove
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Olive-backed Oriole
Crested Pigeon
Rainbow Lorikeet
Dusky Woodswallow
Peaceful Dove
Musk Lorikeet
Grey Butcherbird
Wonga Pigeon
Australian King Parrot
Australian Magpie
Australasian Gannet
Crimson Rosella
Pied Currawong
Australasian Darter
Eastern Rosella
Grey Fantail
Little Pied Cormorant
Eastern Koel
Willie Wagtail
Great Cormorant
Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo
Australian Raven
Little Black Cormorant
Shining Bronze-Cuckoo
Little Raven
Pied Cormorant
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Restless Flycatcher
Black-faced Cormorant
Azure Kingfisher
Black-faced Monarch
Australian Pelican
Laughing Kookaburra
Magpie Lark
White-necked Heron
Sacred Kingfisher
Jacky Winter
Eastern Great Egret
Superb Lyrebird
Pink Robin
Cattle Egret
White-throated Treecreeper
Eastern Yellow Robin
White-faced Heron
Satin Bowerbird
Golden-headed Cisticola
Little Egret
Superb Fairy-wren
Australian Reed-Warbler
Australian White Ibis
Variegated Fairy-Wren
Silvereye
Straw-necked Ibis
Pilotbird
Welcome Swallow
Royal Spoonbill
White-browed Scrubwren
Fairy Martin
Black Shouldered Kite
Brown Gerygone
Tree Martin
Square-tailed Kite
Striated Thornbill
Bassian Thrush
White-bellied Sea-Eagle
Yellow Thornbill
Common Blackbird
Whistling Kite
Buff-rumped Thornbill
Common Starling
Brown Goshawk
Brown Thornbill
Common Myna
Grey Goshawk
Spotted Pardalote
Mistletoebird
Swamp Harrier
Eastern Spinebill
Red-browed Finch
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Lewin's Honeyeater
House Sparrow
Nankeen Kestrel
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
Australasian Pipit
Purple Swamphen
White-eared Honeyeater
European Goldfinch
Buff-banded Rail
Bell Miner
Pacific Golden Plover
Dusky Moorhen
Noisy Miner
Striated Heron
Eurasian Coot
Little Wattlebird
Wedge-tailed Shearwater
Australian Pied Oystercatcher
Red Wattlebird
Eastern Reef Egret
Sooty Oystercatcher
White-fronted Chat
Black-winged Stilt
Scarlet Honeyeater
Total species 144
Total Birds
2,994
6
December 2015
The
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How to photograph a Cisticola - Ian Wright
As our editor has asked me to tell how this picture came
about I will begin. Actually there are two versions.
Here is the long one, I will get to the short version later.
A camera is the first needed component. Those of us
who have been trying to photograph birds for more than
about twenty minutes have realised that the camera you
now have is not as good as the next one is going to be.
The Canon I am now learning to drive is the third
camera that I have pointed at the small, constantly
moving and probably well camouflaged target that is a
little bird. Each iteration cost about two times what the
previous one did, and in all truth does do the job a bit
better. As this discussion is about a Cisticola, the
observation that large birds are also in constant motion
most of the time, need not be made. Mostly they are
much further away as well.
Anyway, having a camera that is capable of resolving
extremely fine detail at huge distance away is part of the
equation. It needs to be pointed in the right direction at
the same time as the bird is pointed in the right
direction, and triggered at the right moment as well assuming the shutter, sensitivity, and other settings are
all good. Before pointing a camera, you need to be able
to see vaguely where the target is to initiate the process.
Golden-headed Cisticola. Photo Ian Wright
On a Monday outing at Jones Bay, Varo, a fellow member of BLEG, had managed to point out where there might be a
photo opportunity. I could vaguely see a tiny thing about a metre off the ground and at least two football fields away,
then it called and became a bird worthy of an attempt.
It is an interesting and little known fact that when you are looking through the viewfinder of a camera, you are invisible.
It helps to be invisible when you are moving towards a small and possibly nervous subject. (Probably tripping over as
you are not looking at the ground any more). As the journey of the two footy fields began, the shutter button was
pressed when it looked like the bird was looking at the camera, or was calling, or had a good rim of light around its
head, or anything really. Photographing birds does make use of the law of averages. If you take a lot of pictures, by the
law of averages, some should be all right. In this case, the Cisticola was pretty interested in getting heard, so it stayed
on the stick long enough for me to get about a whole footy ground closer, and about a dozen pictures to pore over later.
The process of evaluating photographs is generally a bit frustrating. Digital pictures cost virtually nothing (after the
equipment is acquired that is) so there is a tendency to abandon judgment and shoot away. Generally there are a lot of
pictures that need not have been taken, and are consigned to the trash tray. This picture of the Golden-headed Cisticola
was almost one of the discards. It was a long way away, which meant heavy cropping, but as it was doing something
pretty interesting, it just made the cut.
The short version of all this is that sometimes dumb good luck lets you grab a decent shot.
Omeo Camp 7 – 10 March 2016
The camp dates for the BirdLife East Gippsland Autumn Camp at Omeo have had to be juggled around the Labour Day
long weekend and an early Easter in 2016. Please note the change to our usual pattern:
Arrive Sunday afternoon 6 March and depart Thursday 10 March.
The birding program will commence on Monday with a full day of birding, which is why arrival on Sunday is proposed.
As these dates are getting close to the beginning of the March holiday period, we recommend early booking.
The location for the camp home base will be the beautiful Omeo Caravan Park as usual.
Omeo Caravan Park, 111 Old Omeo Highway, Omeo VIC 3898 Phone/Fax 03 5159 1351
Email [email protected]
check out accommodation options at their website www.omeocaravanpark.com.au.
Camp organisers will be Merryl and Ian Wright, with the birding program planned and led by John and Pam Hutchison.
A full program will be available closer to the camp dates.
Places will be limited. Contact Merryl on 03 5156 8108 or [email protected] to register your interest.
December 2015
7
The
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Obliging Parrots – Ken Sherring
My daughter Linda and I booked in at Wagga Wagga
for 2 nights on 9-10 October for birding, with Superb
Parrot the target bird. Friday morning, after catching
a brief sighting of a bird flying off as I came out of
the bakery at Boorowa, the only other sightings were
3 birds that flew across the road in the Temora area
as we drove.
We pulled into our pre-booked cabin late on Friday
tired and hot without a decent sighting. We did a
sunset walk at Flowerdale Lagoon near the
Murrumbidgee River looking for Superb Parrot nesting
sites in the river gums, without luck.
Saturday morning we took an early morning stroll
around the caravan park that was made up of mostly
exotic trees. One tree was covered in blossom and
surprise, surprise we found Superb Parrots feeding on
the blossom. This is birding made easy.
We were able to count 12 parrots that came and went
into that tree throughout the day. The blossoming in
this exotic tree was nearly over. We noted the
blossom petal had a small seed within it, also noting
that this was an all-male flock.
Before leaving Wagga we took a walk along the edge
of Lake Albert at Rawlings Park where we found both
Red-rumped Parrot and Yellow Rosellas nesting in
tree hollows but no sign of Superbs. Other interesting
bird sightings for me were Zebra Finches and Crimson
Chats on the edge of Canola crops, Choughs and
Apostlebirds along the road in many places and I was
surprised to find a single Black-fronted Dotterel
running on a patch of bare earth next to a road
junction.
Superb Parrot. Photos Ken Sherring
Briagolong surprise - Merryl Wright
One of our most interesting Monday outings this Spring
was to a new site at Briagolong near Stratford. Jack
Winterbottom had organised a visit for us to the
beautiful Peach Flat Wetland, a private property
currently owned by Rod McMillan and Michele Adler.
Restoration of degraded areas on this grazing property
began in 2001 to restructure and rehabilitate swampy
areas and begin native plantings. Since then, natural
plant regeneration and good rains have created a haven
for native flora and fauna. Our group of 21 birders had
a wonderful 4 hours wandering through the property for
a great count of 62 species.
The owners’ long term aim is to provide public access to
walking trails and bird hides in the future. Another
innovation from Jack was to meet at the Briagolong
bakery where some of us took advantage of great coffee
and even breakfast to start the day!
We look forward to a return visit to see how the Peach
Flat project has progressed – and of course for the
birding and coffee!
8
Peach Flat, showing the boardwalk to the island. Photo Merryl Wright
December 2015
The
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A bird has got to eat – Ian Wright
It must have been a relatively
hungry Pied Oystercatcher we saw
and photographed from the
Merimbula boardwalk recently.
The bird was more interested in
feeding than taking notice of
people and cameras about 10 or
15 metres away.
In the absence of any better
information I will make the
assumption it was a male.
He was first seen a couple of
minutes earlier moving more or
less with us as we ambled along
the walkway. But something in the
water grabbed his attention. It
wasn’t too hard to move in on him
while he beaked his way into a
browny mass just out of the
water.
1
2
He carried a piece of selected
browny stuff to a clear sandy
bottom area, where he
manipulated this lump with his
bill, just under the water, with a
bit of poking and jabbing.
If I wasn’t already taking pictures
I would have missed the morsel
being liberated and swallowed as
this took about 2 seconds from
when the food first appeared.
3
I think this bird might have looked
a bit pleased with himself as he
seemed to know he had
entertained us for a minute
or two.
4
Odd Birds – Ian Wright
October 14: Odd or unusual sightings for the last little while start with the Eastern Koel seen at Lucknow on October
14. Reported by Carl Hodgkins on Birdline. Since then there have been more reports of Koels on Birdlne than any other
species. I have to conclude that for there to be sightings west of Gippsland, there must be quite some Koel movement
through our region.
October 8:
Fairy Terns were spotted, possibly nesting, by Faye Bedford (DELWP) on the new Crescent Island.
October 24: The No. of Channel-billed Cuckoos reported could not be far behind the No. of Koels and Varo
Dharmarajah even photographed one on Raymond Island
October 28:
Painted Honeyeaters were seen at Barkhill Rd, Forge Creek, by Jack Winterbottom
October 30:
The Healeys found a Cicadabird on their Clifton Creek property
October 30: Gary Cousens, canoeing in Jones Bay found numbers of small terns. After the photographs were analysed
they were identified as Little Terns, Fairy Terns, and the Common Tern. This last one was the uncommon visitor from
the northern hemisphere, the race Hirundo of the Common Tern.
Pied Oystercatchers are not particularly unusual, but one photographed by Gary Smith with an “OO” legband was found
to be over 24 years old when the records were chased up. The bird was seen in the Lake Tyers estuary, where other
Oystercatchers were seen tending young.
(Sadly I report there is a Koel somewhere within earshot of Nicholson as this is being written)
December 2015
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Conservation News – Brian Martin
National News
Australia's Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) Program
The Australian IBA program is a response to BirdLife International's call to identify places that are most important for
Australia's birds. A list of 314 areas has been identified in Australia including the Gippsland Lakes. The IBA program
aims to protect these sites to engage community groups and land owners and to encourage governments to adopt
conservation programs. On-the-ground conservation action is achieved through habitat and bird monitoring and onground conservation action to conserve not only key species but biodiversity and ecosystems in general.
In August 2015 BirdLife Australia announced that, as it is ten years since the start of the program in Australia, an audit
would be conducted to establish what has been achieved and determine future directions for this significant
conservation program. The audit aims to characterise and quantify the significant volunteer contribution going into the
program and clarify how it can become more effective in protecting globally important bird habitats.
BirdLife East Gippsland has had a long association with this program through regular, systematic bird surveys of the
Gippsland Lakes IBA. Consequently, members of a BirdLife East Gippsland working group, led by Chris Healey, have
spent considerable time and effort reviewing past survey techniques, the species included in the surveys, the degree of
engagement in the program, reporting requirements, and the choice of survey sites. This information has been fed into
the national audit. Lucas Bluff (Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning - Bairnsdale) has been very
helpful in analysing the results of many years of bird surveys.
This is one of the most significant conservation programs being undertaken by BirdLife East Gippsland. We will keep
you informed of the outcome of the national review which is due to be completed in the new year.
BLEG members and a special group of waders conducting IBA Surveys at The Cut, Jones Bay. Photos Pam Hutchison
Local news
Uncontrolled dogs on beaches
The harm to wildlife, particularly beach breeding birds, caused
by uncontrolled dogs on beaches is a well-known problem.
Although there are normally Local Government laws regulating
times and places for walking dogs on beaches it is unfortunately
the case that the regulations are often not observed. It is well
documented that this illegal activity has had a significant
conservation impact on already vulnerable or endangered birds.
The issue was once again highlighted on a BirdLife East
Gippsland Monday outing at Lake Tyers Beach when a pair of
Hooded Plovers with a chick were sighted on the beach near the
entrance. There were also people with a dog off-the-lead in the
immediate vicinity. Hooded Plovers are beach breeding birds and
are listed as Endangered in Victoria and Vulnerable under
Commonwealth legislation. They are particularly vulnerable to
disturbance by people and dogs when they are breeding.
Distant shot of a dog off-leash across the inlet on
Lake Tyers Beach. Photo John Hutchison
The matter was referred to East Gippsland Shire who are responsible for conservation management of the beach. We
requested better signage and more active surveillance by the Shire local laws officers. Whatever the outcome is at
Lake Tyers Beach the issue remains one of considerable concern.
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December 2015
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Conservation News – Brian Martin
Mitchell River Silt Jetties
The Mitchell River silt jetties are a unique geographic feature within the Gippsland Lakes. They were formed over
thousands of years and hold a high level of cultural significance for traditional owners, the Gunaikurnai. The locality also
forms part of the Gippsland Lakes Ramsar site and the Gippsland Lakes Important Bird and Biodiversity Area and has
very high nature conservation values. The naturally formed jetties are vulnerable to erosion from waves and wind and in
recent years shoreline erosion has been significant.
At the beginning of November the Minister for Environment, Climate Change & Water, the Hon. Lisa Neville, announced
the commencement of restoration work to protect the silt jetties at Eagle Point. The restoration work follows
consultation with individuals and local community groups, including BirdLife East Gippsland.
The work will be carried out by Parks Victoria in three stages over three to four years. The first stage involves the use of
rock beaching to stabilise the narrow sections of the silt jetties and to prevent further erosion. Future works will involve
upgrading visitor facilities along the southern jetty, including formal car parking, picnic facilities, river access and
improving recreational fishing opportunities in areas that can be accessed by vehicles.
The final stage will remove vehicle access from the eastern two kilometres of the southern silt jetty. A shared pedestrian
and cycle path will be built to provide public access to Point Dawson. Revegetation on either side of the path will provide
additional protection for the jetties.
The Reptile as bird nest raider – Jenny Carter
During our outing to Canni Creek Racecourse,
two of us were witness to the grim reality of
predation in the bird world. Robert was a
little ahead of me along the Bridle Track
when he called out and directed my attention
to the top of a tall tree some distance off,
where two distressed wattlebirds were
squawking and swooping repeatedly in
among the branches.
A large Lace Monitor, commonly knowna as
a goanna, which we figured to be at least a
metre and a half long, was climbing onto the
thinner branches of mistletoe, clearly intent
on raiding a nest. And in no time it had its
prey: Robert saw a flash of feathers and we
both watched as it gulped down its feed.
It moved off and we lost sight of it, so
I moved closer to the tree and eventually
spotted it again on a main branch. The
parent birds were still attacking, swooping
very close to its head.
Lace Monitor, 1.5m long climbibg to the nest. Photo Jenny Carter
Unfortunately there was no one around with
a good zoom lens, and these photos were
taken on my compact camera at the limit of
its zoom.
And yes, in the first one, that is its tail
stretching to the bottom left of the picture.
In the afternoon we had a second goanna
encounter, this time on Holloway’s Road,
where an impressive beast climbed the trunk
of a stringybark and paused a couple of
metres from the ground, allowing for much
easier photographs.
2nd Lace Monitor scaling a Stringybark. Photo Jenny Carter
December 2015
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Drouin’s Trees and Birds – Peter Ware
My little corner of the planet since February 2014, Drouin
in West Gippsland, is blessed with some great tree cover.
Apart from retaining plenty of remnant indigenous
vegetation, early town planners were far-seeing enough to
plant wisely and plentifully and as a consequence the town
has some wonderful parks, reserves and streetscapes.
Two particular eucalypt species are dominant, Mountain
Grey Gum and Strezelecki Gum, the latter being very
specific to this area. Along with a good smattering of
Stringybarks, assorted Acacias and others and in some
places, remnant understorey, native birds and mammals
are pretty well accommodated for an urban area.
A few residents seem well aware of the value of retaining
the indigenous trees for habitat, even to leaving dead limbs
and trunks standing where it is safe to do so. A small
project is underway to try and convince the shire council
of the economic, social, health and habitat benefits of urban
forest areas and some progress is being made.
Town birds and mammals are well catered for at the
moment. A small sample of some of my observations within
the town boundaries of Drouin include:
 Spotted and Striated Pardalotes calling from tree
canopy all over town.
 Hollow nesting activity by Crimson and Eastern
Rosellas, Little Corellas, Galahs, Tree Martins, Wood
Duck and Pacific Black Duck, Sulphur-crested
Cockatoo, Kookaburra, and Rainbow Lorikeets.
 Canopy nests of White-faced Herons, Black-shouldered
Kites, Raven sp, etc.
 Understorey often occupied with Superb Fairy-wrens,
Brown Thornbills, Eastern Yellow Robins, Red-browed
Finches, Grey Fantail.
 Several streets are well known for colonies of Sugar
Gliders.
Other miscellaneous ticks include Crested Shrike-tits, Gang
Gangs, Grebes, Little Grassbird and Reed Warblers, Golden
Whistlers, Leaden Flycatcher, Black-faced Cuckoo Shrikes,
Nankeen Kestrels, and even a Richard’s Pipit.
Population growth will of course begin adding huge pressure
on these species and other wildlife (Baw Baw Shire is
Victoria’s fastest growing non-metropolitan area). I am
hopeful that incoming residents like me, might realize what
this corner of Gippsland has to offer and why it is such a
delight to live here and that we should strive to preserve
our urban trees.
Images by Peter Ware - top to bottom:
1. A not unusual Drouin streetscape.
2. Black-shouldered Kite on nest at McNeilly Wetlands.
3. Brown Thornbill in buffer vegetation beside the freeway.
Tip from Denise McLarty
I was in Melbourne at the Bogong Outdoors shop in Little Bourke St buying some new pants last week and as I am
want to do, I asked about Seniors, RACV, discount etc. The young girl said 'we do give a discount if you belong to
any environmental organisation'
After mentioning Bird Life Australia, as well as getting a 10% Discount, I got to hear her story as a new
Birdwatcher visiting Gluepot Reserve! So it pays to ask!
12
December 2015
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Springtime birding in Bhutan – Text & Photos Chris Healey
In April this year Felicity and I headed for a
birding holiday in the Himalayan kingdom of
Bhutan. The country has gained notoriety as
promoting the virtues of Gross National
Happiness rather than the more conventional
international measurement of Gross National
Product.
A couple of days stopover in Singapore gave
us the opportunity to visit the Botanical
Gardens, which are a superb place to
encounter a good variety of Southeast Asian
birds right in the heart of the city. They are
well worth a visit for the fantastic tropical
plant collection, some remnant rainforest, and
the birdlife which is mostly quite unfazed by
the presence of people. If you are planning a
trip to the gardens, get there early to avoid
the worst of the heat and humidity, and avoid
weekends, when the gardens become
crowded with locals (and their dogs!).
Punakha Dzong Bhutan
Unfortunately, Saturday was the only time we had for the gardens,
and despite the crowds, there were some great birds on offer,
including Pink-necked Pigeons, White-throated Kingfisher, Common
Goldenback (a kind of woodpecker), and Yellow-vented Bulbul. The
exotic Black-naped Oriole and fantastic Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
made great subjects for photography. We even heard in dense
shrubbery, but were unable to locate, the Red Junglefowl, ancestor of
the humble domestic chicken.
There are almost daily flights from Singapore via Kolkata (formerly
Calcutta) India, to Bhutan. Peering through the aircraft window while
we sweltered on the tarmac in Kolkata for a brief refueling stop and
to pick up more passengers, we were able to add Black Kite and
House Crow to the growing bird list.
White-throated Kingfisher
The last leg of the flight from Kolkata takes you from the torrid
lowlands of northeast India to the benign climes of the lower
Himalayas. Bhutan’s only international airport of Paro is nestled in a
deep valley at about 2500 metres in the far west of the country. The
flight path weaves along a steep-sided valley, affording magnificent
views of the snow-clad peaks of the central Himalayan massif -subject to weather conditions, which were gloriously clear on our
inward flight!
We were met at the airport by our guide, Ugyen Tshering, and driver
Bob (a traditional Bhutanese name). Tourism to Bhutan is strictly
controlled by the government, and all visitors (other than Indian
nationals) are required to book with a local registered tour operator.
Most tour prices are fixed by the government, with all
accommodation, meals, internal travel, guides and drivers covered
by a standard fee. A proportion of all tour fees go towards national
education programs and community development.
Our guide, Ugyen Tshering
While these regulations impose some limits on the flexibility many
tourists prefer, there is much to be said in support of a system that
is intended to benefit the whole community, not just the favoured
few in the tourism industry.
Bhutan is a small country in the eastern Himalayas bordered on three sides by India and the Chinese province of
Tibet on the north. Apart from a narrow strip of sub-tropical lowlands in the south, the country is mountainous,
with numerous fast-flowing, deeply incised rivers running south towards the Ganges Plain. Between the lowlands
and snow-covered peaks and glaciers of the highest mountains (7000m plus) lie a range of forest types, from warm
broadleaf forests up to about 2000m, cool broadleaf forests to about 2900m, with spruce, hemlock and fir forests on
higher slopes. Above the treeline at around 3700-4000m are juniper and rhododendron shrubberies and grassy
meadows. In drier mid montane areas various conifer forests are found. Most of the population (totalling less than
1 million) lives in small villages and towns between about 1800-2500m surrounded by extensive irrigated rice
terraces.
December 2015
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Springtime birding in Bhutan – Chris Healey
Bhutan has an enviable reputation for its conservation
credentials. Some 60% of the forest is still intact and
around 40% of the country is protected by an integrated
network of national parks and reserves. Small family
farms are the main source of livelihood, with wet-rice
being the main subsistence crop. Principal sources of
national income are hydro-electric power (India being
the main consumer) and tourism.
A few of the birds we saw were already familiar from
Australia (though the subspecies were different in some
cases). Bhutan is within the natural range of Peregrine
Falcon, Common Greenshank, Rock Pigeon, Spotted
Dove, Oriental Cuckoo, White-throated Needletail, Forktailed Swift, Common Myna, House Sparrow and
Eurasian Tree Sparrow – some of which of course are
introduced feral species in Australia.
There is but one main road winding its way like a
drunken snake from west to east aslant precipitous
slopes. It is narrow with few straight stretches longer
than a few hundred metres. Most is under repair or in
desperate need of it. Trucks are limited to a top speed
of 30kph, and our small tour van seldom exceeded
40kph, so travel is slow. The upside is plenty of
opportunity to see birds and contemplate the thousand
metre drop at the road’s edge!
With an early flight from Singapore we were settled in
to our small hotel on the outskirts of Paro town before
lunch, leaving plenty of time for birding. The first
identifiable Bhutan bird was the Spotted Dove, in some
rough weedy ground near the airport. These proved
common in cultivated areas and open country, and are
a darker race than the feral forms familiar in Australia.
Bhutanese hold closely to their cultural traditions,
dominated by Buddhism and a strong reverence for their
environment. Traditional architecture dominates villages
and towns alike, with beautifully-decorated multi-storied
dwellings of mud-brick, stone and painted timber.
Imposing dzong, or combined forts and monasteries dot
the landscape. In the past these served as military
posts protecting major valleys and trading routes; they
still serve as administrative offices, Buddhist temples
and monasteries.
By the time we arrived in mid April the winter snows had
melted on all but the higher ranges, the rice had been
harvested and the terraces left fallow or planted with
‘winter barley’ and buckwheat. The forested slopes were
alive with fresh green growth, with here and there the
deep red of flowering wild rhododendrons, while pink
apple blossoms garlanded the villages and hamlets.
Above about 3000 metres we encountered roving parties
of domesticated yaks grazing by the roadsides.
The eastern Himalayas is a region of high bird diversity
and endemism (i.e. species found only in the region).
An astonishing number of species have been recorded in
Bhutan – around 800 – although none is confined to the
country. Many are migratory, being summer breeding
visitors that winter further south, or winter visitors from
high latitudes; others are altitudinal migrants moving
higher into the mountains in summer. In April we found
many small birds highly active throughout the daylight
hours nest-building or feeding chicks.
During a short walk after lunch along the Paro River
below our hotel we picked up Eurasian Sparrowhawk,
the first of many dapper Grey-backed Shrikes on the
lookout for prey from its prominent perch on overhead
wires, a Plumbeous Redstart along the water’s edge, and
several Red-billed Choughs. While superficially similar to
our White-winged Choughs, the Red-billed is only very
distantly related, being in the Crow family. They are
widespread from England through southern Europe to
central Asia. In Bhutan they are common about houses
and farmland, often cavorting about the rooftops with
raucous cries.
A road trip out of town to the ruined 17th century fort of
Drugyel in a pine forest at about 2500m netted us
several species of warbler, Oriental Turtle Dove (a larger
version of Spotted Dove), Green-backed Tit and a female
Long-tailed Minnivet, a striking bird of bright yellow and
black. The male is even more resplendent, being scarlet
and black; they proved to be common in broadleaf forest
habitats. The Eurasian warblers are quite different to
our Aussie warblers and are the functional equivalent of
our thornbills, being busy small insectivorous birds of
outer foliage and undergrowth. Predominantly dull
greenish, and with many species potentially present,
identification is a major challenge!
Next day we journeyed eastward to Punakha which is a
major rice-producing area and the old ‘winter capital’ of
the kingdom, being at a lower altitude with a milder
winter climate. We were surprised to see some Aussie
grevilleas in the hotel grounds, which attracted Oriental
White-eyes, very much like our Silvereyes.
Left to right. Rufous-breasted Accentor, Long-tailed Minnevet male, White-capped Redstart
14
December 2015
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Springtime birding in Bhutan – Chris Healey
Among the birds commonly encountered in open country, such as
scrubland, cultivations and hamlets were Spotted Doves, Oriental Turtledove, Black Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, Black Drongo, Russet Sparrow, Grey
Bushchat and small flocks of Large-billed Crows. There was a greater
variety of birds in forested habitats, but common species were the Ashy
Drongo, the lovely blue Verditer Flycatcher, Blue Whistling-thrush and
White-capped Redstart along the numerous small torrents. Much of our
birding in forested country was done along the roadside. Traffic was light
and the slopes were so steep and the undergrowth so thick that it was
virtually impossible to walk further into the forest.
We stayed several nights in Punakha, which gave us the opportunity to visit
a number of habitats as well as tour the massive Puna Dechen Phodrang
Dzong, the largest fort and monastery in Bhutan. A highlight of the visit to
the dzong was watching a Eurasian Kestrel flying about the rooftops and
perching on an ornate finial representing a garuda – a mythical bird of
prey.
Grey-backed Shrike
Our hotel was located among farming hamlets well out of town, with a view
from our room of rice terraces with the Punakha River far below. We were
able to watch Eurasian Cuckoos with their distinctive ‘cuck-oo’ call, bulbuls,
turtle doves and the native Common Myna perched on overhead wires and
fruit trees dotted about the terraces. A pair of the handsome Chestnuttailed Starling was seen going in and out of their nest hole in the eaves of
the hotel.
At a community-managed forest nearby we were able to walk down a rough
track amidst oaks and other broadleaf trees, where we found White-tailed
Nuthatch climbing down tree trunks much like our sitellas, and Yuhinas,
small brownish insectivorous birds with perky crests as if their feathers
have been brushed the wrong way. A small flock of White-throated
Needletails zoomed overhead.
The Punakha River is a stronghold of the endangered White-bellied Heron,
and we were lucky enough to come across one on a shingle bank in the
river, along with the dapper River Plover, reminiscent of our Masked
Lapwing. White-throated Kingfishers were also seen perched on electric
wires in farmland near the river.
From Punakha we continued eastward to the small town of Trongsa. The
town and its picturesque dzong are perched at 2000 metres on the edge
of a great ravine. On the way, we watched a magnificent trio of Himalayan
Griffon Vultures soaring over a deep valley. Trongsa is located in the
centre of Bhutan and most of the district is under formal protection.
With its extensive forests it proved the best birding area we visited. The
weather was mild, with occasional showers, and misty clouds shrouding the
looming ridges and the fort visible from our accommodation. One day we
took a long drive roughly south descending to the subtropical zone at about
1000 metres through forest and occasional stretches of farmland. The
lower valley is due to be flooded with the construction of a dam for hydroelectric power generation in a joint Bhutan-India project. Massive steel
pipes and heavy equipment make the long journey by road from India on
semi-trailers that are limited in size by the narrow roads and innumerable
hairpin bends.
Rice terraces
The day began well with close sightings of several troupes of the
endangered Golden Langur. This is handsome, long-tailed honey-coloured
monkey with a very small range in this part of Bhutan and the neighbouring
Indian state of Assam. Ugyen declared it was very encouraging to see so
many of the females carrying small infants.
I had hoped we would find hornbills in the lower elevations, but
unfortunately they eluded us. Nonetheless, we continued to add more new
birds to the list, including Mountain Hawk-Eagle, Common Greenshank and
Crested Kingfisher on a river mudbank, Bhutan Laughingthrush, Goldenthroated Barbet and Black-throated Sunbird.
December 2015
Yellow-billed Blue Magpie
15
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Springtime birding in Bhutan – Chris Healey
Other notable birds observed from our base in Trongsa were
Yellow-billed Blue Magpie, a sprightly blue-grey bird with a
flamboyantly long tail (and no relation to our Aussie Magpie),
white-throated Laughingthrush and Fire-tailed Sunbird. In
the grounds of the Trongsa dzong we were treated to close
views of a Hoopoe, energetically probing the soil for
invertebrates with its long thin bill like surgical forceps. This
was probably our favourite bird for the whole trip – the same
species that caused such a stir among Aussie twitchers a few
years ago when one turned up near Broome!
Hoopoe, Trongsa
From Trongsa we headed back towards Paro with one night
in Wangdue, a rather dry area, mostly deforested, where the
most notable bird was a Hill Prinnia in the long grass by a
major river, and two nights in the capital of Thimphu. Along
the way we came across a perky little White-throated Fantail
in a village cow barn. A stopover at the Royal Botanic Park
about an hour out of the capital yielded several more new
birds, among them Eurasian Jay, Maroon Oriole and Striated
Laughingthrush.
It was a real treat to add a new bird to the list in the public
square outside our downtown hotel – two male White
Wagtails in breeding plumage. A visit to the Takin Reserve
on the outskirts of town is de riguer for the visitor to the
capital. The takin is the national animal, an endearingly
ugly, lumpish beast somewhere between a giant goat and a
stocky cow. The previous king is said to have decreed that it
is not appropriate for animals to be kept in confinement in a
Buddhist country and that they must be released. But the
takin refused to go, making a nuisance of themselves in
people’s gardens and along the roads, so they were taken
into protective custody again!
Verditer Flycatcher
The takin are housed in large enclosures amidst a pine forest
which yielded Rufous-breasted Accentor and a pheasant.
The Himalayas are home to some particularly spectacular
pheasants, and these were the top of my ‘must see’ list.
Ugyen flushed a Khalij Pheasant in the undergrowth, but
alas, all I saw was a dark shape dash across the track – it
might as well have been a football for all the detail I was able
to observe!
On our last full day in Bhutan we drove back to Paro, with good sightings of the enigmatic Ibisbill, a kind of wader found
along the shingle banks of larger rivers. Another visit to Drugyel Dzong resulted in yet more new birds for the list
including Eurasian Hobby. As we were leaving the fort, heavy rain set in and continued well into the next morning,
putting an early end to our spring birding in Bhutan!
Low rain and mist obscured any last views of a fascinating country as we flew out, but once the plane had climbed
through the clouds, there to the west was a single towering snow-clad peak, bright in the morning sunlight.
It had to be Everest!
Himalayas - Paro
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December 2015
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Flagged Pied Oystercatcher Reports – Jack Winterbottom and Pam Hutchison
Over the last few months, BLEG members have spotted and photographed 5 Australian Pied Oystercatchers with flags.
Sightings were reported to the ABBBS [Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme] and the Australian Waders Study
Group, (AWSG) and they have provided us with some great history about these birds, demonstrating the value of the
scheme and of reports of sightings of flagged birds.
Pied Oystercatchers Red 3D and Red 62
Pair of adult birds foraging in close proximity on mudflats.
Both birds with red flag on right leg, metal tag on left leg.
Bird 1: 3D (white lettering on red flag); Bird 2: 62 (black
lettering on red flag).
Observed at minimum distance of approximately 30m with
spotting scope
Bird 1. Red 3D
Banded at Stockyard Point, Lang Lang [231km away]
on 03 July 2012 as a 4 yo or older.
Bird 2. Red 62
Banded at Rhyll, Phillip Island [252 km away]
on 11 May 2013 as a 2 yo.
Both Resighted : 17/08/2015 at Glasshouse
Chris Healey and Jack Winterbottom
Pied Oystercatchers Red 62 and Red 3D. Photo Jack Winterbottom
Pied Oystercatcher SS
Banding/Recapture: 23/06/2014 off Manns Beach,
Corner Inlet- Aged 1 yo
Resighting: 30/09/2015 on Raymond Island,
Len Axen, Ron Mackenzie and Varo Dharmarajah
Pied Oystercatcher Yellow 00 [double zero]
This bird had a combination of coloured bands to start with
and these were replaced by the current engraved flag in
2007 – explaining why the yellow has faded so much.
It had not been seen or heard of since it had the 00 flag
applied.
Banded:
13/06/1992 at Mann’s Beach
Resighted: 03/11/2015 at Lake Tyers beach
by the entire contingent of BLEG
This bird is now 24 years old. It was first banded in 1992
aged 1yo. It still has a way to go to achieve the oldest
known oystercatcher globally (over 40 years old). The
“local” oldest known APO is some years older than 24.
Pied Oystercatcher S5
Banding/Recapture: 26/04/2013 Fairhaven, French Island
aged 2yo Eye orange, some black in iris, legs pale pink,
bill tip dark
Resighting: 05/10/2015 & 24/11/2015 Jones Bay,
Gippsland Lakes, Chris Healey, John Hutchison
I arrived home
from a great
morning of
birding …………
and who should
be drinking from
my birdbath?
Mr Elusive
Eastern Koel.
December 2015
Denise McLarty
Pied Oystercatcher Yellow 00 with Royal Spoonbill. Photo Gary Smith
Congratulations to Bob Semmens
The Victorian Coastal Awards for Excellence
Outstanding Individual Achievement 2015
went to Bob Semmens from Mallacoota for his
dedicated service to all aspects of bird
conservation and his determined efforts to
control Sea Spurge and other coastal weeds
on our beaches.
17
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Species List for birds recorded for Spring 2015
Emu
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Laughing Kookaburra
Olive-backed Oriole
Musk Duck
Nankeen Kestrel
Sacred Kingfisher
Dusky Woodswallow
Black Swan
Peregrine Falcon
Superb Lyrebird
Grey Butcherbird
Australian Shelduck
Purple Swamphen
White-throated Treecreeper
Australian Magpie
Australian Wood Duck
Buff-banded Rail
Satin Bowerbird
Pied Currawong
Australasian Shoveler
Dusky Moorhen
Superb Fairy-wren
Grey Currawong
Grey Teal
Eurasian Coot
Pilotbird
Grey Fantail
Chestnut Teal
Australian Pied Oystercatcher
White-browed Scrubwren
Willie Wagtail
Pacific Black Duck
Black-winged Stilt
Brown Gerygone
Australian Raven
Hardhead
Red-necked Avocet
Striated Thornbill
Forest Raven
Australasian Grebe
Red-capped Plover
Yellow Thornbill
Little Raven
Hoary-headed Grebe
Hooded Plover
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Leaden Flycatcher
Great Crested Grebe
Masked Lapwing
Buff-rumped Thornbill
Restless Flycatcher
White-headed Pigeon
Latham's Snipe
Brown Thornbill
Magpie Lark
Spotted Dove
Bar-tailed Godwit
Spotted Pardalote
Jacky Winter
Common Bronzewing
Red-necked Stint
Striated Pardalote
Scarlet Robin
Crested Pigeon
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Eastern Spinebill
Rose Robin
Wonga Pigeon
Little Tern
Lewin's Honeyeater
Eastern Yellow Robin
Australasian Gannet
Caspian Tern
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
Eurasian Skylark
Australasian Darter
Whiskered Tern
White-eared Honeyeater
Golden-headed Cisticola
Little Pied Cormorant
Common Tern
Yellow-tufted Honeyeater
Australian Reed-Warbler
Great Cormorant
Crested Tern
Bell Miner
Little Grassbird
Little Black Cormorant
Pacific Gull
Noisy Miner
Silvereye
Pied Cormorant
Silver Gull
Little Wattlebird
Welcome Swallow
Australian Pelican
Y-tailed Black-Cockatoo
Red Wattlebird
Fairy Martin
White-necked Heron
Gang-gang Cockatoo
White-fronted Chat
Tree Martin
Eastern Great Egret
Galah
Scarlet Honeyeater
Bassian Thrush
Cattle Egret
Little Corella
Crescent Honeyeater
Common Blackbird
White-faced Heron
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
New Holland Honeyeater
Common Starling
Little Egret
Rainbow Lorikeet
Brown-headed Honeyeater
Common Myna
Nankeen Night Heron
Musk Lorikeet
White-naped Honeyeater
Mistletoebird
Australian White Ibis
Australian King Parrot
Noisy Friarbird
Red-browed Finch
Straw-necked Ibis
Crimson Rosella
Eastern Whipbird
House Sparrow
Royal Spoonbill
Eastern Rosella
Varied Sittella
European Goldfinch
Black Shouldered Kite
Eastern Koel
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Brown Quail
White-bellied Sea-Eagle
Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo
White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
Rufous Songlark
Whistling Kite
Shining Bronze-Cuckoo
Crested Shrike-tit
Red Knot
Brown Goshawk
Pallid Cuckoo
Golden Whistler
Collared Sparrowhawk
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Rufous Whistler
Swamp Harrier
Brush Cuckoo
Grey Shrike-thrush
Total Species 157
Total Birds 18,915
Members of
BirdLife East
Gippsland
attending the
Shorebirds
Workshop at
Lakes Entrance.
Photo Varo
Dharmarajah
18
December 2015
The
Chat
Spectacular Spring Birding 2015 – Merryl Wright
Spring brought better birding weather than we had had
in winter, with only intermittent showers during our visit
to the Den of Nargun and serious rain on our arrival at
Log Crossing which sent us all back to our homes before
lunch. We visited 19 sites on Monday outings, recording
157 species and an amazing 18,915 individual birds.
This total was mostly due to serious numbers of
Eurasian Coots (9,000+), Red Necked Avocets (1730)
and Black Swans (700) being recorded at The Cut,
Jones Bay.
The two locations where most species were recorded
during Monday outings this spring were Peach Flat at
Briagolong and Old Eagle Point Road both with 62
species. Close behind came Jones Bay at Phillips Lane
reserve and Lake Tyers Beach (59). More than 50
species were recorded at several others sites – Canni
Creek (58), The Cut, Jones Bay (56), and Chinaman’s
Creek, Metung (54).
Bassian Thrush. Photo Varo Dharmarajah
Spring has certainly brought the birds out to be counted, and clear evidence of breeding was recorded on 29 occasions.
The Spring Camp at Pambula Beach has been reported elsewhere in this edition of The Chat, but an additional 20
species recorded at the camp but not during the Monday outings would take the Spring total to 177 species – happy
birders indeed!
Apart from the extremely large number of birds at Jones Bay,
including 150 Red-necked Stints at The Cut, the most
interesting sightings were 25 Red Knots at Lake Tyers Beach,
two Brush Cuckoos at Canni Creek, one extremely confident
and very loud pilot bird at Log Crossing (in the rain), Scarlet
Honeyeaters in full voice at 8 sites, both Leaden and Restless
Flycatchers also recorded at Canni Creek, and several
sightings of the Rufous Songlark.
Sites Visited on Monday Outings










Discovery Trail, Quarry, Log Crossing
Tambo River cliffs, Tambo Upper, Kilmorie Hill (swamp)
Point Fullarton
Peach Flat, Briagolong
Chinaman’s Creek Metung, Nungurner Jetty
Jones Bay (Phillips Lane), The Cut (Jones Bay)
Den of Nargun
Old Eagle Point Rd, The Bluff Lookout, Eagle Point Reserve
Lake Tyers Beach, Fishermans Landing
Canni Creek, Buchan South
White-headed Pigeons, Fishermans Landing. Photo John Hutchison
Are you up for the Count?
The annual Challenge Count is almost upon us. Traditionally run in the first weekend of December, the
Count sees groups of birders across the nation recording as many species as possible within their
nominated area and chosen 24-hour period. In 2014, Victoria had a total of 19 groups participating in
the Count – 14 in Country Victoria and 5 in the Melbourne Area. The Bairnsdale Group topped the
species count list for Country Victoria with 181 species, ahead of the Ballarat group with 160.
Nationally, the top groups were Cairns/Mossman QLD (201 species), Northern Rivers NSW (195),
Townsville QLD (190), Mackay QLD (188) and You-Yangs/Werribee - Melbourne Area (183). This puts
Bairnsdale in 6th place with their total of 181 species, which was the best ever count for this area.
The national 2014 Challenge Count total was 431 species.
BirdLife East Gippsland members interested in joining in with the Bairnsdale Group for the 2015
Challenge Count during the three day period of 5-7 December 2015 should contact Merryl Wright on
5156 8108 or [email protected] for further information.
December 2015
19
The
Chat
Raymond Island Notes – Ron Mackenzie
5.09.15
Bird activity on Raymond Island has hotted up over the
last month or so. Large "Rafts" of Cormorant & Pelican
have been chasing the schools of mullet, in the Lakes
and as they go through McMillan Strait.
You would need a wide angle lens to take the whole
"raft" and the birds would then be specks, so I could
onlu capture a small section.
Because they do not normally dive, the poor old "Pelis"
have to get a feed by robbing from the Cormorant as
they surface, although, I have seen them get some fish
by herding them into the shallows, between the island
jetties.
Yellow-tailed Black Cocky have been feeding on the
Banksia cobs.
I've attached photos of a New Holland Honeyeater,
with a "beard" that is more pronounced than usual; does
this line up with breeding plumage?
Masked Lapwing are sitting on eggs, on a vacant block
and more Pardalote are active in burrows and hollows.
11.09.15
Varo and I went to the eastern end of the island on
Friday; the Tree Martin are back and looking at nesting
hollows and we found a few more Spotted Pardalote
burrows.
New Holland Honeyeater. Photo Ron Mackenzie
One Spotted Pardalote was teasing strips of bark from a
small branch that was lying on the track. They seem to
prefer bark strips, rather than grass, if they can get it? A
long time ago, I got "movie" of a Pardalote pair pulling
at a strip of bark on an exposed root while flying
backwards to get extra "pull". The Pardalote on Friday
was using a similar technique.
On Sunday morning I noticed a Yellow Robin that kept
on flicking up its tail and took many shots before I got
a few tail-up photos.
16. 09.15
Varo and I went to another area of the island, on our
morning walk this morning and saw a Spotted Pardalote
fly up from an exposed tree root. It only came back
briefly, but did not work on the root bark. It seemed to
be more timid than normal.
Spotted Pardalote teasing strips of bark. Photo Ron Mackenzie
However, there was plenty of evidence that the
Pardalote had been sourcing strips of bark from the
exposed roots.
3.10.15
Only a few photo opportunities of local birds, some from
different angles. I took the Peli. shot because the angle
of the light showed off its feathers. The Oriole's nest was
the result of Varo's good eyes; we should be able to get
good feeding shots later.
We were puzzled by all the wood chips on the track and
found that the cocky was still chewing off and kicking
out biggish pieces, as it prepared its nest hollow. Its
mate was nearby.
20
Olive-backed Oriole's nest. Photo Ron Mackenzie
December 2015
The
Chat
Raymond Island Notes – Ron Mackenzie
14.10.15
Varo and I went back to the local Frogmouth's nest
yesterday afternoon, hoping that the lighting would be
better than it was in the morning, a week or so ago.
However there were bright and shady spots. We need a
bright overcast day??
On the first visit, after the two young had hatched, we
noted that one young one was much smaller than the
other and because I have only ever seen Tawnies
produce one fledgling,
I assumed that the smaller one would not make it;
however, on this last visit, the smaller one looked quite
healthy and both young had grown considerably.
I've noted that they can lay up to 5 eggs and 2
hatchlings have been reported, but I have only ever
seen one. Varo and I [and a lot of other locals] will
continue to monitor our local "family".
20.10.15
I managed to get one shot of the Oriole on its nest;
taken from a long way away and heavily cropped,
because it is very touchy and we do not like to disturb it.
If all goes well, I will be able to set up and trigger
remotely when the young are being fed.
I heard one call from the Whistler, I called back and it
came out of the bush and propped quite close to me; so
I capture d a close-up.
The Swans have two Cygnets on the foreshore and the
Cygnets were cleaning themselves.
Tawny Frogmoth with 2 chicks on the nest. Photo Ron Mackenzie
25.10.15 (Varo)
Saw a Channel-billed Cuckoo while I was trying to sneak
up on a Olive-backed Oriole. 3-4 kookaburras were
making a racket and I thought they were trying to warn
me off until I spotted the cuckoo.
The kookaburras did chase it off eventually and I could
not follow it as it disappeared into private land.
11.11.15
On Monday evening I had a message, from an island
lady, that three young White-Faced Heron were moving
out of a nest, in a high tree on the south side of the
island, at her place and would I like to visit for photos.
I finally caught up with her and Varo and I went down
yesterday morning. The nest was partly hidden and
there was no activity, then one "chick" appeared and
then the other two.
They moved around a lot and were normally partly
hidden, but we managed to get some shots.
One parent bird came back, only once while we were
there, but the visit was so brief that I did not get any
photographs.
Channel-billed Cuckoo, Raymond Island. Photo Varo Dharmarajah
December 2015
The three young birds all looked very healthy, but, there
was a noticeable difference in their sizes, so I wondered
whether or not the eggs were laid at intervals??
21
The
Chat
A Visit to Crescent Island to View Shorebirds – Jim Reside
I set out on a beautiful sunny and balmy day on the Gippsland Lakes on Saturday October 31 with good companions, Bill
Cotter and Ross Meggs, en-route to Ocean Grange and the shorebird colony that we discovered a couple of weeks ago.
The destination was Crescent Island where the Port Authority had recently completed a sand dredging and
renourishment project to deepen the nearby shipping channels and reclaim the shorelines of the Island which were
being washed away.
The project to restore the integrity of Crescent island was a multi-govt. agency effort but the stimulus came from Faye
Bedford (DELWP) and after years of discussions with Gippsland Ports, Parks Vic and finally with Martin Richardson and
Heather Adams from the Gippsland Lakes Ministerial Advisory Group, the work was completed.
A small group of concerned Nungurner residents, Heather and Geoff Oke and Clive and Pete Bury had also initiated the
Pelican Island Nungurner rehab works. They could see Pelican Island (off Nungurner) also disappearing into the waters
of the Lakes after a flood event and consequent vegetation die-back. So they took their concerns to the then sitting
member, Tim Bull, who took the case up with the Gippsland Lakes Ministerial Advisory Committee who provided the
funding.
The sand spit where we (Bill & Jim) had previously observed birds courting and four birds incubating, was so calm and
serene that we weren’t sure, until we got very close, that the birds were there at all. It was only as we neared the island
shoreline in the boat that we could see small tern roosting right down along the waters edge. We cut the motor and
allowed the boat to drift in to the shallow water until it quietly beached in the shallow water, only 5-6metres from the
shore.
At this distance we could see 11 incubating Fairy Tern spread out along the top of the shelly dune and down on the
northern slope. Nearer the beach there were 5 pairs of courting Fairy Tern, uttering the very distinctive repetitive calls
and the males waving their fish across the females backs as an inducement and pair bonding. There was also 1 pair of
transitional plumage Little Tern sitting quietly together close to the shoreline, not quite ready to start breeding.
It was a scene of constant activity and excitement
(for both birds and birdwatchers) with something
going on at all times. A family of Red-capped
Dotterel, two adults with two little golf-ball sized
fluffy chicks appeared, the adults doing the
broken wing act to lead away the Silver Gull
which started to get too close to their brood. A
pair of Hooded Plover were poking around in the
shell grit.
Up to 42 non-breeding Little Tern that look very
stubby in flight without their tail streamers were
roosting and preening and occasionally heading
out for a feed. One of the non-breeding Little tern
had an orange flag on its right leg. We were not
sure whether these birds were of the northern
(Japanese) or southern breeding race. It’s likely
that they are from Japan as our southern
breeders would all be going into transitional
plumage at this stage. Other birds included a Bartailed Godwit, a Red Knot, 40 Red-necked Stint,
Pied Oystercatchers and the Pelicans in the
background.
Fairy Tern with fish. John Huchison
As our visit was coming to an end we were surprised to see all the birds, terns and waders, suddenly take flight and
wheel around the island gaining height. After a few seconds we were able to spot a female Brown Goshawk flying high
across the back of the island towards the east. The consternation amongst the birds was astounding and it took a full
ten minutes before the nesting Fairy Tern slowly descended out of the sky and back to the nest.
Adult small tern are extremely nervous if “falcon-like” aerial predators show up as they know they are the possible
menu item and they go straight into the self-survival mode. Many years ago, a large and prosperous colony abandoned
here with many chick mortalities, due to the constant attention of a Little Falcon (Ed. Australian Hobby).
Anyway, the exciting prospect is that the Fairy Tern have started nesting quite early, they always start 2-3 weeks before
the Little Tern. Their presence will stimulate any arriving Little Tern to join them and if they are left undisturbed, there
will be fledglings.
Well done to those passionate community members, and I want to acknowledge in particular all the sustained effort and
lobbying undertaken by Faye Bedford to ensure that the Ocean Grange area is maintained as a high quality waterbird
habitat for the foreseeable future and we can enjoy the delights of seeing all our magnificent shorebirds nesting in
harmony, peace and security.
22
December 2015
The
Chat
A visit to the Crescent Island Tern Colony – John Hutchison
Cruising east on the north side of Crescent Island on 18 November we reached the Pelican rookery at the eastern end of
the island where the vegetation ends. A dozen Pelicans in breeding condition with red bill pouches were jostling about in
a tight group in the water by the shore of the rookery. The red billed birds were also observed “pouch rippling” a
courtship/breeding behaviour. The rookery was in full swing with many advanced young visible.
From the Pelican rookery east, the island has been extended by dredging a long sand spit which is topped with shells
and shell grit, perfect breeding habitat for terns. Apart from a number of small terns in non breeding plumage and some
larger common terns, also in non breeding plumage, which were roosting along the northern shore of the spit, no other
birds were evident by eye. Looking more closely with binoculars revealed a good number of adult small terns both
standing and sitting. The birds were well spread out and some looked to be sitting on nest scrapes.
We did not make a detailed assessment of the small tern colony as this would have caused too much disturbance
however there appeared to be at least 200 small terns present with many in breeding plumage including both Little and
Fairy Terns. Using binoculars and cameras with long telephoto lenses, we could see both Little and Fairy Terns siting on
nests. We also saw three Fairy Terns with chicks and one Little with eggs which is consistent with the later starting Little
Terns. There would have been more birds with chicks and on eggs that were not visible to us.
It was a moving experience to see these small endangered terns breeding on recently created habitat, a great example
of what can be done if we set our minds to it and are prepared to make available relatively modest resources. These
small birds face many threats both natural and human based – it is hoped that the birds are not disturbed over the
coming holiday period when large numbers of people will be out on the lakes in boats.
From the tern colony we checked the other sand spits and the rest of Crescent Island where we found 23 additional
species of wetland birds and an impressive number of birds. This area is certainly one of the birding hotspots on the
Gippsland Lakes and an important breeding area for endangered species such as Fairy Terns.
Save a ‘Hoodie’ – simple things we can all do!
The Hooded Plover is one of our favourite shorebirds – we love to see this
little bird racing back and forth across the sand, but because they are always
out and about, it can appear that they are plentiful. It might surprise you to
know that less than 500 birds have been recorded in Victoria, with only about
40 breeding pairs and less than a one in five chance that chicks will be
hatched and survive to flying age at 5 weeks old. The Gippsland Lakes
Coastal Park (90 Mile Beach included) was once home to 4.6% of the Victorian
population of Hooded Plovers, but this has dropped to 2.5%.
The greatest threat to Hooded Plovers and other beach-nesting birds is
disturbance from people visiting the beach. This disturbance is greatest in
spring and summer, when beach-nesting birds usually lay their eggs, which
coincides with the peak period of recreational use of beaches. Eggs are laid in
a scrape on the sand between the high water mark and the dunes. It is easy
to overlook them as they are small and well camouflaged, making it easy for
eggs to be crushed unknowingly.
Hooded Plover chick, source unknown
Unleashed dogs are particularly disturbing to the birds, as they move unpredictably and are more likely to move into the
upper beach or dunes where the birds could be nesting. We love our dogs but even if you think your dog ‘isn’t
interested in birds’, these shore birds have evolved to respond to all dogs in the same way – they need to act as though
each encounter is a potential threat to be on the safe side to protect their chicks - so they will send the chicks into
hiding from distances of 50-100m, where they will keep hidden until the coast is clear. With multiple encounters in a
day, or if just one dog spends a lengthy period in that section of beach – this can be lethal to the chicks, who need to
feed regularly and who rely on their parents to help them cope with the heat or cold.
So by taking a few simple steps, we can all help these threatened birds
increase their chances of raising their chicks through the critical spring and
summer breeding months from September to March. Firstly read and
follow instructions on beach side signs. When you are on the beach, walk
only on the wet sand by the water’s edge, keep your dog on a leash and
walk quickly past any fenced off areas you come across.
Help to keep the ‘Hoodies’ safe on our beaches this summer!
Merryl Wright
Reminders:
Half an Eastern Curlew - Got to keep your eyes
open when feeding! Photo Gary Smith
December 2015
 AGM – 15 February 2016 – 9 am DELWP Offices Bairnsdale
 End of Year Party – Nyerimilang Rotunda 12 noon 14 Dec. 2015
23
The
Chat
Birdlife East Gippsland Facebook page
Our Birdlife East Gippsland page on Facebook has
been active for a few months now.
See screenshot right.
It is a public group able to be seen by anyone
with a Facebook account. Currently it has two
purposes.
1.
It is being used to publicise upcoming events
[i.e. Monday outings] with details of time,
place, a map of the meeting point and
occasionally a bird image.
2.
Most Monday outings have a short two/three
sentence report and a couple of images for
the record and to give non-BLEG members a
taste of what we do and see. Our keen
photographic members are kindly allowing
some of their excellent images to be posted.
Some members have posted their own bird
images for all to see. The group is moderated
i.e. posts can only be seen when authorised by
the moderator [currently Jack Winterbottom].
That way, anyone can submit a post but it has to
be allowed to be seen by all. This is a good way
of preventing inappropriate posts.
See screenshot right.
If you want to be a BLEG Facebook member …..
1.
Join Facebook at www.facebook.com
by creating an account.
2.
Once you have an account, search for
“Birdlife East Gippsland” and ask to join. The
moderator will assess your request and
agree to your membership of the group.
3.
Sit back and enjoy the posts.
Identifying Egrets in East Gippsland - Ken Sherring
On a recent Monday outing one of our members told us of a recent Egret sighting and then went on to say it was
probably an Intermediate Egret but could not be certain that it was not a Great Egret. I completely understood this
as I continually have the same problem. These 2 species of Egrets have an overall similar appearance and live in a
similar environment.
At 76 cm, the Great is larger than the Intermediate at 56-70 cm, but this fact is hard to identify in the field. One field
guides tell us the neck of the Great measures 1 1/2 times the body length whereas the Intermediate neck and body
length is about the same. I have found this can be misleading because of the angle seen and if the neck is actually
stretched.
Another guide to the Great Egret is that the gape line points back under the eye, whereas the Intermediate gape line
just reaches the eye. These markings need to be seen at close quarters or with the help of a scope. Yet another pointer
is that the Intermediate has a rounder head.
Even with these pointers you may still be uncertain.
In January 2014, I came across 5 Intermediates together with a single Great at the Sale Common and was able to take
some photographs. In one photo I had both species almost side by side and it shows how similar they are, apart from
size.
24
December 2015
The
Chat
Identifying Egrets in East Gippsland - Ken Sherring
There are five species of Egret listed
as seen in East Gippsland and
Australia and the Western Reef
Egret is an additional rare vagrant.
The Great Egret is the tallest at
76 cm. and is a common species in
East Gippsland.
The Intermediate Egret at 56-70
cm. is not often seen and is not
easily distinguished from the Great
Egret.
The Little Egret is smaller at 56-65
cms. and is often found in shallow
waters of our ocean estuaries such
as Lake Tyers beach, but is usually
solitary.
It is easily identified with its black
legs and bill and in breeding season
has nuptial plumage easily seen
extending from the nape.
Intermediate Egret (Left) and Great Egret (Right) at Sale Common. Photo Ken Sherring
The Cattle Egret is smaller than the Little Egret at 48-53 cm. and with its expanding range is now a common sighting.
Often found in large flocks as our club recently saw on the Tambo river flats and as its name suggests usually
associating with cattle.
The Eastern Reef Egret is 60-70 cms. is the least seen of our East Gippsland Egrets Usually if found it will most likely
be on the rocky ocean beaches of the far east such as Cape Conran and is the grey, dark morph race.
The Chat is published quarterly by
BirdLife East Gippsland
PO Box 825 Bairnsdale, Victoria 3875
Contact The Editor at the above address or email:
Executive 2015
President
Chris Healey
[email protected]
Vice President
The views expressed in this newsletter are not
necessarily the views of the Editor or of
BirdLife East Gippsland
Ian Wright
Members are encouraged to submit articles of interest to birders for The Chat.
Please email text to [email protected] or mail to the above postal address.
15 February 2016
Text can be sent either as an attached Word file or simply typed into an email with a minimum
Pam Hutchison
5156 9306
Conservation Officer
Brian Martin
5156 2437
Recorder
Ian Wright
There is really no size limit but there is a possibility of articles being reduced or changed at the
Publicity Officer
editors’ discretion subject to space restrictions and relevance or interest to birders. Writing
Merryl Wright
style should be anecdotal or semi-formal. Articles are enhanced by relevant photos. Digital
Members
photos as high quality JPEG files attached to an email or via DVD or memory stick and always
5156 8226
Treasurer
of formatting. Use single line spacing and only one space after full stops, and no page breaks.
photos are preferred but please do not paste photos into word files with articles. Please send
5156 8108
Secretary, Editor
Gary Cousens
Deadline for the next edition: All articles and photos required by
5157 9036
5156 8108
5156 8108
Sue Welte, John Hutchison
Len Axen, Jack Winterbottom
advise who took each photo.
December 2015
25
The
Chat
Schedule of Outings Jan – mid April 2016
No cancellations will be made except in the case of Total Fire Bans.
This Schedule may be modified without notice – please check the website
Outings are generally for half a day with morning tea and lunch.
Note: Start times vary with the seasons
– 8.45 am in the warmer months – 9.30 in the colder months
Outings marked as Full Day include a normal morning outing with lunch,
plus an option for an afternoon of birding in surrounding areas.
Outing dates marked # will be promoted to the broader community.
Meet:
Meet at location and time listed or make alternative arrangement with the leader of the day.
Do not assume the meeting place will be the same as in previous years.
Bring:
Morning tea, lunch, folding chair, sunscreen, insect repellent, water and binoculars.
Enquiries: Leader of the day or Chris Healey, 5157 9036; or John Hutchison, 5156 8226.
Email:
[email protected]
Website:
www.birdlife.org.au/locations/birdlife-east-gippsland
Monday
Location
Leader
Meeting Place
Time
Chris Healey
Nyerimilang Park Rotunda
8.45
1 Feb Mt Elizabeth - Full Day
J & P Hutchison
Collins Rd off G Alpine Rd Nth of Bruthen
8.45
8 Feb Gippsland Lakes Boat Trip
Kath Gallagher
Lake Cruises jetty, opp PO Lakes Entrance
9.15
15 Feb AGM and Ordinary Meeting
P Hutchison
DELWP Offices Bairnsdale
9.00
22 Feb Fairy Dell
G & J Smith
Fairy Dell Scenic Reserve Picnic area
8.45
29 Feb Macleod Morass
Robert Wright
Main Entrance via Bosworth Rd B’dale
8.45
J & P Hutchison
Omeo Caravan Park
8.45
Joan Graves
Picnic Point Reserve off Bredt St B'dle
8.45
21 Mar Canni Creek
Len Axen
Canni Creek Racecourse, Sth of Buchan
8.45
28 Mar Forge Creek Water Reserve
J & P Hutchison
F C W R Carpark off Romawi Rd B'dle
8.45
Len Axen
Lake Tyers Beach Car Park
8.45
11 Apr Nicholson Rail Trail
I & M Wright
Cnr Princes Hwy & Sandfords Lane B'dle
8.45
18 Apr Eagle Point Area
Pat McPherson
Carpark end of Old Paynesville Rd
8.45
# 25 Jan Nyerimilang Park, Avril Yates Day
7 Mar Camp 7 - 10 March - (Omeo)
# 14 Mar Picnic Point
4 Apr LakeTyers/Fisherman's Landing
26
December 2015