Tuesday, 30 March 2021
Dear Supporter,
Welcome to our April 2021 eNews.
In this issue we’ve got a summary of our March walk, details of our upcoming April walk in Sandon to be followed by the AGM, the quiz, and more.
March Bird Walk Summary – Glamorgan Reef, Yandoit
On a crisp, bright autumn morning, 29 birdwatchers, led by expert birder, Damian Kelly, enjoyed a walk in the picturesque area known as Glamorgan Reef. Not too many birds sighted or heard but nevertheless a respectable list was compiled and entered into Birdata as a record. Sightings included Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Grey Fantail and White-throated Treecreeper. Thanks to Damian for leading the walk.
Photo of Fan-tailed Cuckoo: Ash Vigus
April Bird Walk – Saturday 3 April – Rise and Shine Reserve, Sandon
The next BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch bird walk will be held on Saturday 3 April at Rise and Shine Nature Conservation Reserve, Sandon. The area is rich in natural and human history. Well over 100 bird species have been recorded in the area, which has three distinct plant communities. The traditional owners of the land are the Jaara Jaara people.
Following European settlement, gold was extracted in the 1850s and 60s. A water race was built during the 1930s depression and brought water from Daylesford to the Newstead reservoir until the 1980s. Gravel was quarried from parts of the reserve for road building until the 1980s. The loop track is about 3KM and is largely flat or relatively gentle rises and falls. For more information about the Reserve click here.
Interesting sightings in the last few months include Little and Purple-crowned Lorikeet, Scarlet Robin, Shining and Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo, Mistletoebird, Jacky Winter, Australian Hobby, Square-tailed Kite and White-browed Babbler. Our walk leaders will be Cheryl Taylor and Ron Wescott. All welcome!
Note there are no toilets at the site.
Where: Rise and Shine Reserve is located off the Daylesford-Newstead Road, near Strangways. From Castlemaine, take the Pyrenees Hwy (B180) to Newstead, continue through Newstead, crossing the Loddon River and then turn left onto the Hepburn-Newstead Road (C285). Travel approx. 3.5KM then turn right onto the Daylesford-Newstead Road (C285). Travel approx. 3.1KM then turn right onto Ramseys Lane; in 700 metres the unsealed road turns sharply left. You will see a picnic shelter on the right, which is at the entrance to the reserve. Park anywhere off the road. GPS: -37.15923, 144.07697.
When: Meet at the Rise and Shine Reserve at 9:00am.
Bring: Water, snacks, binoculars, sunscreen, hat, sturdy shoes. PLEASE NOTE: During snake season we strongly recommend wearing long trousers and covered-in shoes. Snakes are still out and about, and you may be bitten without realising it straightaway, leading to a delay in receiving essential medical attention.
More info: Jane Rusden, 0448 900 896, Judy Hopley 0425 768 559 or Bob Dawson 0417 621 691.
Please note that walks will be cancelled if severe weather warnings are in place, persistent rain is forecast, the temperature is forecast to be 35C or above during the walk period, and/or a Total Fire Ban is declared. Please check your email and our Facebook page the day before the event in case there is a cancellation.
The 2021 Annual General Meeting of BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch will be held on Saturday 3 April at 11:30am at Rise and Shine Reserve, Sandon, following the April monthly bird walk as detailed above.
BYO drinks and chair; food will be provided for morning tea.
A nomination form for committee positions and a proxy voting form can be requested by emailing castlemaine@birdlife.org.au.
The positions vacant are Convenor; Secretary; Treasurer and committee members. Please consider nominating for the committee.
Completed nomination forms and proxy voting forms should be emailed to castlemaine@birdlife.org.au OR mailed to Secretary, BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch, 25A Church Street, Maldon, 3463. Nominations will also be accepted on the day of the AGM.
Please also note that a BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch committee meeting will be held on Sunday 11 April, 10:00am, 35 Hawkins Road, Campbells Creek.
Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club (CFNC) now has an updated local bird list on its website. The list was compiled by Damian Kelly and is a great resource for learning about the species around the Mount Alexander region and their likely locations.
Click here to find out more.
Test your bird knowledge in this month’s quiz with the four questions below, then check the answers at the end of this eNews. Big thanks as always to quizmaster Ash Vigus.
Question 1 (Beginner): Multiple Choice
Australia has a diverse range of Fairy-wrens, Emu-wrens and Grasswrens. From the four Wren species listed below, which is not resident in the state of Victoria?
1. Superb Fairy-wren 2. Mallee Emu-wren 3. Purple-crowned Fairy-wren 4. Variegated Fairy-wren
Question 2 (Intermediate): Who am I?
• I’m a year-round resident in the Castlemaine district.
• I’m approx. 15 to 20 centimetres in length.
• I’m usually seen singly or in pairs, and sometimes in family groups.
• I’m a thickset bird with a large head and a small crest.
• I have a large strong almost parrot-like bill.
• I’m usually found in eucalypt forests but can also be seen parks and gardens and along watercourses.
• I can be heard noisily tearing away bark from branches, in search of insects.
• My colours are a bold black and white head, with a distinctive yellow breast and olive and grey upperparts
Question 3 (Advanced): Spot the Raptor Feathers
All four Raptor species pictured below are found in the Castlemaine district. What do you think these four birds are?
Bonus Question 4 (Obscure)
In a recent news report, an Albatross named Wisdom hatched a chick at an amazing age of 70 years, on the Midway Atoll. From the four species of Albatross listed below, what species is Wisdom?
1. Laysan Albatross 2. Short-tailed Albatross 3. Shy Albatross 4. Wandering Albatross
Superb Fairy-wrens are one of our most well known and loved birds. However they hide a dirty little secret….they have blushingly saucy love lives.
Click here to read more and discover romance that’s more intriguing than Days Of Our Lives.
Photo of Superb Fairy-wren: Jane Rusden
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Become a Member
Membership of BirdLife Australia is a great way to support a bright future for Australia’s birds – and it would also make a perfect gift for a bird-lover! Learn more about membership or other ways to get involved here.
Kind regards,
The BirdLife Castlemaine Committee
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Quiz Answers
Question 1: The Purple-crowned Fairy-wren, resident in some parts of Queensland, the Northern Territory, and northern Western Australia.
Question 2: Crested Shrike-tit.
Question 3: Clockwise from top left – Wedge-tailed Eagle, Nankeen Kestrel, Brown Falcon, Spotted Harrier.
Question 4: Wisdom is a Laysan Albatross, first recorded on the US Midway Atoll in 1956.
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