December Bird Walk and Morning Tea – Saturday 6 December – Loddon River, Cairn Curran Reservoir, Baringhup

Our December bird walk will be held on Saturday 6 December at Loddon River, Cairn Curran Reservoir, Baringhup. This will be followed by our end of year Morning Tea.

The Cairn Curran Reservoir is a water catchment managed by Goulburn-Murray Water on the Loddon River. The reservoir construction was completed in 1956, to supply water for irrigation, domestic and stock use to people living along the Loddon River. Apart from the reservoir itself, habitat is mainly riparian with a number of very large, impressive river gums. Reeds and other vegetation combine to offer a wide range of habitats. Recent sightings include Peaceful Dove, Nankeen Night Heron, Little Eagle, Black Kite, Rainbow Bee-eater, Sacred Kingfisher, Blue-faced Honeyeater, plus a number of other species. Also seen recently in the area are White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Great Crested Grebe, Purple-crowned Lorikeet, Australian Pipit and Caspian Tern.

Your walk leaders are Judy and Philip Hopley.

ALL WELCOME!

Remember to bring morning tea to share and your own drinks and chair. Also, as the flies there are particularly numerous and over-friendly at the moment, it would be a good idea to bring insect repellent.

Please note there are no toilets at the car park and picnic area where we are meeting, but there are toilets near the Cairn Curran Sailing Club which is around a 1KM walk or 2KM drive.

Where: Cairn Curran Weir car park. From the roundabout in Castlemaine, travel west along Forest St and turn left onto Johnstone St/Midland Hwy (A300). Then turn right onto the Pyrenees Hwy (B180). Drive approx. 3KM and turn right onto the Castlemaine-Maldon Rd (C282). Continue on through Maldon. After Maldon the road becomes the Bridgewater-Maldon Rd (still C282). Drive for 4.1KM and turn left onto Baringhup Rd. Drive for 4.2KM and turn left onto Cairn Curran Rd. Continue for about 1KM and turn right through the gates into the Cairn Curran Reservoir (don’t go down Cairn Curran Hall Rd). About 550 metres along this road you will see the car park on the left.

GPS: 36.98817, 143.97090. Google Maps Link is here. 

When: Meet at Cairn Curran Weir car park at 9:00am.

Bring / wear: Water, snacks, binoculars, sunscreen, hat, long trousers and sturdy closed-in shoes (for snake protection).

More info: Jane Rusden 0448 900 896, Bob Dawson 0417 621 691

You can discover more about Cairn Curran Reservoir via the following links:

https://www.g-mwater.com.au/water-operations/storages/loddon/cairncurranreservoir

https://www.goldfieldsguide.com.au/explore-location/166/cairn-curran-reservoir/

Acknowledgment of Country

BirdLife Castlemaine acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands we will walk, the Dja Dja Wurrung people, and we pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We recognise and are grateful for the immense contribution of Indigenous people to the knowledge and conservation of Australia’s birds.

Important Information Regarding Cancellation of Walks

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, a Total Fire Ban is declared, or some other safety issue is identified. Please check our Facebook page or email castlemaine@birdlife.org.au the day before the event in case there is a cancellation.

Rainbow Bee-eater at Cairn Curran. Photo by Bob Dawson.

Nature Journaling with BirdLife Castlemaine District

December nature journaling will be at Campbells Creek Trail. We will walk south along the Trail and sit in a shady spot by the creek to journal. Campbells Creek Landcare has done a magnificent job revegetating the waterway over several decades and if we are really lucky, we might see platypus. Led by artist and bird fan Jane Rusden. No art or science experience is necessary and beginners are very welcome.

Please keep an eye out for cyclists and walkers as the Trail is a shared track. Also please note, we don’t pick plants or disturb wildlife and we leave only light footprints.

What to bring / wear:

– Wear suitable clothing and sturdy shoes (for sun and snake protection). Note we will be on rough bush tracks, occasionally off track and will walk up to a few hundred meters, possibly carrying your art materials.

– A small selection of art materials such as paints, pencils, pens, coloured pencils, pastels, paper, water container if applicable, camera or phone and binoculars if you have them. A bag to put it all in.

– Something to sit on.

– A hat and sunscreen.

– Water and snacks.

– Your sense of curiosity.

When and where: Sunday 7 December from 9:30am – 11:30am. Meet at the car park on the Campbells Creek Trail, at the end of Lewis Drive, Castlemaine.

GPS: -37.0745654, 144.2026571

Beautiful sketchbook double page spread by Frances Howe, including a gorgeous Grey Fantail. Photo by Frances Howe.

November Activities Wrap-up

Monthly Bird Walk

Our November bird walk took us to Crusoe Reservoir, Kangaroo Flat. The weather was perfect and 46 species were seen or heard – for the full list click here.

Castlemaine Water Reclamation Plant Open Day

On Saturday 8 November we attended the Open Day at Castlemaine Water Reclamation Plant hosted by Coliban Water. Despite the wintry weather there was an excellent turnout, with much interest shown in the new, purpose-built bird hide. Thanks to the Coliban Water team for organising the event.

Joint Walk with Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club (CFNC)

Mid-month we teamed up with CFNC to hold a Bird and Wildflower Walk at Maldon Historic Reserve, Walmer, with perfect weather and plenty of wildflowers and birds to keep everyone happy. For the full list of 51 bird species seen or heard click here.

Know Your Birds Quiz

Test your bird knowledge in this month’s quiz with the questions below, then check the answers at the end of this eNews. Big thanks as always to quizmaster Ash Vigus.

Question 1 (Easy): Multiple Choice

What is Australia’s smallest species of Cuckoo? Choose from the list of eight species below.

1. Pallid Cuckoo
2. Fan-tailed Cuckoo
3. Shining Bronze-Cuckoo
4. Eastern Koel
5. Black-eared Cuckoo
6. Little Bronze-Cuckoo
7. Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo
8. Oriental Cuckoo

Question 2 (Intermediate): Spot the Feathers

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

Question 3 (Advanced): Who Am I?

• I’m a smaller bird, approximately 15 to 16 centimetres in length.
• I’m found in the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales, west of the Great Dividing Range. I can also be found in northern Victoria, where I migrate to in the warmer months.
• My diet consists mostly of Mistletoe Berries, but I will also feed on nectar and invertebrates. I’m usually seen feeding singly or in pairs, or sometimes in small parties of up to six birds.
• The male will give a display flight during breeding season, flying steeply upwards from a perch, then descending to another tree, singing the whole time.
• I’m found across a variety of habitats, mostly dry Eucalypt forests and woodlands, also along watercourses, and agricultural areas that contain significant trees and remnant vegetation.
• I construct a thin cup-shaped nest from grass and fine roots, bound together with spiders’ webs. The eggs and young are tended by both sexes.
• My colours differ slightly between genders. Males are black above with bright yellow wing panels and upper tail and have white underparts with some black streaks on the flanks. Females and young birds are duller and lack streaks.
• I have a small pink bill and a relatively short tail.

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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: Little Bronze-Cuckoo.

Question 2: Clockwise from top left – Silvereye, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Rufous Whistler (Juvenile), Striated Pardalote.

Question 3: Painted Honeyeater.