August Bird Walk – Saturday 6 August – Andrew Skeoch Private Property, Strangways

We are delighted to announce that the next BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch bird walk will be held on Saturday 6 August at the private property of Andrew Skeoch. There are many great parks and reserves in the Castlemaine area and surrounds, but private properties can often offer special experiences due to them being shielded from the general public. Andrew, owner and our walk leader, describes the experience himself.

“The land that looks after us is around 115 acres of ridgetop box woodlands. Whilst there has been some evidence of past clearing, it hasn’t been extensive, and much of the land remains in a minimally altered state. There are many elder trees; red box, grey box and yellow gum, all with a healthy understory of native grasses, wattles, mosses and herbs. It should be a good year for orchids.

Birdlife comprises a diversity of the usual woodland suspects, including Brown Treecreepers, White-eared Honeyeaters, Sitellas, White-naped Honeyeaters (in abundance this year), Golden Whistlers and recently Speckled Warblers have taken up residence. I encounter our Black Wallabies and Kangaroos most days, and we also have Koalas, Echidnas, Possums and Antechinus.

The bush is open and undemanding to walk through, mostly flat to moderately undulating with a few short uphill gradients. I envisage walking off track to interesting habitat points. There is a defined walking track that leads around 1KM to the south end of the block, and individuals can access this to return to our house.

Having a special interest in listening, I’m happy to discuss vocalisations, identifying species and behaviours by ear. Dependant on numbers and interest, we could also dedicate a short period of time to a silent listening walk, which is always enjoyable.”

ALL WELCOME!

Where: Andrew’s property is at 121 Walkers Lane, Strangways/Sandon. From Castlemaine take the Pyrenees Hwy (B180) toward Newstead. Pass through Newstead and turn left onto Daylesford-Newstead Road (C285). Drive 3.4KM then turn right, continuing on Daylesford-Newstead Road. Drive 1.6KM and turn right onto Walkers Lane. You will then see the driveway on the left after about 1.2KM. Cars can be parked along the entrance drive, with Walkers Lane as overflow. GPS: -37.14630, 144.06321.

When: Meet at Andrew’s property at 9:00am.

Bring: Water, snacks, binoculars, sunscreen, hat, sturdy shoes. We also strongly recommend that you wear long trousers and closed-in shoes.

More info: 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 our Facebook page the day before the event in case there is a cancellation.

Nature Journaling with BirdLife Castlemaine District

August’s nature journaling session will be held on Sunday 7 August at Gower. Enjoy the bush and create while we watch wildlife, appreciate wildflowers, draw and chat. Nature journaling is an opportunity to sit quietly and watch the natural world do its thing.

What to bring:

– Something to sit on, your art materials and paper, writing materials, camera and binoculars if you have them.

– Water, snacks, sun hat and sunscreen.

– Please wear long sleeves, long trousers and sturdy shoes suitable for rough terrain. Rug up well in winter, you will be sitting still and will need very warm clothes.

– Your creativity.

All welcome – experience, or lack of, is immaterial.

Contact Jane Rusden on 0448 900 896 with any questions.

When and where: Sunday 7 August from 9:30am – 11:30am, Gower
Dam at Smiths Reef Track and O’Connor Track junction, Gower
(-37.0145511, 144.1067812)

A pair of Striated Pardalotes having a chat at Muckleford Station. Photo by Jane Rusden.

Reminder – Weekend Mallee Camp

A reminder to all that we are going to have a campout at Hattah-Kulkyne National Park from Friday 9 – Sunday 11 September. Remember you will have to book your camp site before you go.

The main group and marshalling area will be at the Lake Hattah Campground and if that fills up then others will need to stay at the Lake Mournpall Camping area; we will take the travel time into account for the walks if that happens.

Hattah-Kulkyne NP is approx. a four-hour drive from Castlemaine. The camping facilities are excellent and the park has a diverse range of birds and other flora and fauna. Possible birding highlights are Apostlebirds, Regent Parrot, Mallee Emu-wren, Striated Grass-wren, Chestnut Quail-thrush and if we are very lucky, Malleefowl.

We suggest driving up on the Friday to get settled in if you can. There will be no organised walks on the Friday, so people can wander around as they wish; there is normally good birding around the Lakes at Hattah-Kulkyne although there is not always water in Lake Mournpall. On the Saturday we intend running a morning walk, an afternoon walk and for those still willing, a night spotlighting walk. This means that people who cannot drive up until Saturday morning can still join in some of the organised activities. On Sunday morning we will also have an organised walk and possibly an afternoon walk, but as many may have to leave after lunch that may not go ahead.

For those not wishing to camp, there are three motels, a hotel and a caravan park with cabins at Ouyen (about 30 minutes’ drive from the Hattah-Kulkyne NP entrance/Visitor Centre).

Firm numbers are needed by the end of August so that the necessary arrangements can be made. If you are interested, please advise Bob Dawson, preferably by email to bobadawson@hotmail.com or text if you are unable to email, 0417 621 691.

For more information on Hattah-Kulkyne NP and to book camp sites click here:
https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/hattah—kulkyne-national-park

Photo of Hattah-Kulkyne National Park by Jane Rusden

New Website – Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club

Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club has launched its new website, which includes lots of useful information on our local flora, fungi and fauna and links to other resources. You can also find out about upcoming events.

Check it out here.

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

From the four species of Duck listed below, which species is not found in Australia?

1. Blue-billed Duck
2. Pacific Black Duck
3. Common Eider
4. Freckled Duck

Question 2 (Intermediate): Who am I?

• I’m a small bird approximately 20 to 23 centimetres in length.

• I’m usually confined to freshwater wetlands, and can often be seen swimming on farm dams.

• My diet consists of small fish and water insects, caught during deep dives under the water.

• My nest is a floating mound of vegetation, anchored to a submerged branch or reed.

• My chicks can swim from hatching, but will sometimes nestle on to my back when tired.

• My colours are grey-brown above and mostly silver-grey below, with a white oval patch of bare skin at the base of the bill. But during the breeding season I have a glossy-black head and a rich, chestnut facial stripe which extends from just behind the eye through to the base of the neck.

• I’m Australia’s smallest waterbird.

Question 3 (Advanced): Spot the Feathers

All four bird species pictured below are found in the Castlemaine district; what do you think these four birds are?

Bonus Question 4 (Obscure)

From the list of four Australian Duck species listed below, which species has been observed displaying brood parasitic behaviour by laying their eggs in the nest of another species of Duck?

1. Wood Duck
2. Pink-eared Duck
3. Australian Shelduck
4. Blue-billed Duck

Follow us on Facebook

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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 Common Eider, a species of sea Duck found throughout Northern Europe and the Sub Arctic.

Question 2: Australasian Grebe.

Question 3: Clockwise from top left – Little Black Cormorant, Australian Pelican, Australasian Darter, Musk Duck.

Question 4: Blue-billed Duck.