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BirdLife Castlemaine District eNews August 2021

Tuesday, 27 July 2021

  • Estimated reading time 10 minutes

Welcome to Castlemaine District eNews!

Dear Supporter,

Welcome to our August 2021 eNews.

In this issue we’ve got a wrap up of last month’s walk, the quiz, and meet Bird of the Month – the amazing Powerful Owl.

Update on August Bird Walk and Nature Journaling

Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions in place which limit numbers at outdoor gatherings, unfortunately we’ll be unable to hold the August bird walk and Nature Journaling session which were scheduled for this coming Saturday, 7 August. We are keeping our fingers crossed for September….

July Bird Walk Wrap-up

Thirty bird watchers gathered in the fog at Crusoe Reservoir, Bendigo, for our July bird walk.

Setting off along the reservoir loop track we were all impressed with the lovely atmosphere created by the fog and mist over the water and shoreline. Although only a small number of species were seen or heard, it was good to see a Black-fronted Dotterel amongst the Eurasian Coots and Grebes. Quite a few species of Honeyeater were sighted including Yellow-tufted and Yellow-faced. A Flame Robin also gave watchers a nice viewing. The highlight for many was an Owlet-nightjar (thanks to Euan Moore for the photo below).

Thanks to David Hewett for leading the walk and also arranging for the local Parks Victoria Ranger to talk to the group about the origins of the reservoir and the flora and fauna to be found.

Owlet-nightjar by Euan Moore.

Weekend Mallee Camp Reminder

If you have expressed interest in attending the camp at Hattah-Kulkyne National Park from Friday 10 to Sunday 12 September, please could you respond to Bob Dawson’s email dated 23 July if you haven’t already done so. This is required for various administrative issues, particularly the catering. Bob’s email is bobadawson@hotmail.com.

Please also note that the camp can only go ahead subject to any COVID-19 restrictions which may be in place at that time.

Know Your Birds Quiz

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 many species of owls, some of whom are resident in the Castlemaine district. From the four species listed below, which species is considered to be Australia’s largest?

1. Barking Owl
2. Powerful Owl
3. Eastern Barn Owl
4. Southern Boobook

Question 2 (Intermediate): Who am I?

• I’m a mostly grey/buff coloured bird, with white streaked patterning and a conspicuous silver triangle facial disc. I also have a yellow tinged belly.

• I’m approx. 33 to 36 centimetres in length with a wingspan of approx. 45 centimetres.

• I’m one of Castlemaine’s more prominent garden birds. But I’m also commonly found in eucalypt forests, scrubland, parks, and golf courses.

• My diet consists of nectar taken from probing flowers with my long-curved bill, but I will also eat small invertebrates.

• I’m a pugnacious, aggressive bird, often seen chasing smaller birds away from the same food source.

• I’m noisy, with many harsh coughing “yakayak” calls and a prominent “choc” alarm call.

• I have prominent red lobes of skin on each side of my neck, below each eye.

Question 3 (Advanced): Spot the Feathers

All four species pictured below are found in the Castlemaine district. What do you think these four birds are?

Bonus Question 4 (Obscure)

Australia is blessed with six species of Cormorant and one species of Darter, five of which can be found in the Castlemaine district. From the full list below, which species occurs in Australian territorial waters but is not resident on mainland Australia?

1. Great Cormorant
2. Australasian Darter
3. Pied Cormorant
4. Imperial Shag
5. Little Black Cormorant
6. Little Pied Cormorant
7. Black-faced Cormorant

Bird of the Month – Powerful Owl

We have some extremely talented local bird photographers, but few can rival these Powerful Owl photos by Damian Kelly. A difficult species to photograph despite being so large, because they love to roost during the day in seclusion of usually very tall trees. To read more, click here.

Powerful Owls by Damian Kelly

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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 Powerful Owl, at approx. 60-66cm in length and with a wingspan up to 140cm, is Australia’s largest owl.

Question 2: Red Wattlebird.

Question 3: Clockwise from top left – Weebill, Long-billed Corella, Superb Fairy-wren, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo.

Question 4: The Imperial Shag, a large Marine Shag found in the Australian sub-Antarctic islands of Macquarie and Heard. Also found in other sub-Antarctic islands and parts of Argentina and Chile.

BirdLife Australia, BirdLife Victoria Group, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton, VIC 3053  | castlemaine@birdlife.org.au