Tuesday, 31 January 2023
Dear Supporter,
Welcome to our first eNews for 2023.
We’re happy to be back after our little break during January, and looking forward to a great year of birding.
In this issue we’ve got details of our upcoming February “Breakfast with the Birds” event and walk at Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park, Chewton, February’s nature journaling session, a book review, and advance notice of our 2023 birding camp. And don’t forget to check out Bird of the Month and test your bird knowledge with the quiz!
We’re currently working on our walks program for 2023 and will publish the details soon.
February Bird Walk and Breakfast with the Birds – Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park, Chewton
We are delighted to announce that our first BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch bird walk this year will be held on Saturday 4 February 2023 at the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park. We are going to be at the north-east section of the park near Chewton. The walk will be preceded by “Breakfast with the Birds”. Please bring your own food, drinks, cutlery, table, chairs etc. Breakfast can begin from 8:00am with the walk following from around 9:00am.
Birds that may be seen include Common Bronzewing, Brown and White-throated Treecreepers, Rufous and Golden Whistlers, Dusky Woodswallow, Eastern Spinebill, Scarlet and Eastern Yellow Robin, Speckled Warbler, Silvereye, various Thornbills and Honeyeaters. Our walk leaders will be Tavish and Joel Bloom.
Please note there are no toilets at the site.
Where: Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park, Chewton. We will meet at the old council tip site on Railway Street, Chewton. From the Castlemaine centre, travel 4.5KM east along the Pyrenees Highway (B180) toward Melbourne. At Chewton, turn right into Railway Street, drive 650 metres and you will see the entrance on the right. If coming from the Calder Freeway, Railway Street is about 8KM from when you join the Pyrenees Highway.
GPS: -37.08589, 144.26289.
When: Meet at the old council tip site from 8:00am.
Bring: Water, snacks, binoculars, sunscreen, hat, sturdy shoes. We also strongly recommend that you wear long trousers and closed-in shoes.
More info: Jane Rusden, 0448 900 896, Judy Hopley 0425 768 559 or Bob Dawson 0417 621 691.
To discover more about the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park, click here.
Birdlife Castlemaine acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land where we are holding our 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.
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.
This month we are heading for the beautiful cool and shade of Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens, in Daylesford.
Be prepared to sit quietly in the bush, to observe the comings and goings of nature, and draw, paint, photograph, write about your experiences. No experience necessary, but you will need to be self-sufficient.
What to bring:
– Sunhat, long sleeves and long trousers, sturdy footwear suitable for uneven ground.
– Sunscreen, water and snacks.
– 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, such as a camp chair or rug.
– Your sense of curiosity.
Contact Jane Rusden on 0448 900 896 with any questions.
When and where: Sunday 5 February from 9:30am – 11:30am, at Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens, Central Springs Rd, Daylesford. Meet in the car park at the lookout tower. Toilets and cafe available.
GPS:-37.3433162, 144.1514635
Detail – Box trees in the bush, Campbells Creek. Watercolour and pencil on paper, by Jane Rusden
Last year we had our first BirdLife Castlemaine Campout and it was a great success. We intend on holding another this year on the weekend of October 27, 28 & 29. Probable general location is the Lower Glenelg National Park as there is good birding at the park and also at Nelson on the coast. We need to do some investigation to determine the best camping / accommodation location and any advice from people that know this area well would be appreciated.
Please contact Bob Dawson if you are interested in joining us, preferably by email or by text to 0417 621691. For more information regarding the park click here.
The Black Swan is a common sight in shallow waters where it can feed on water plants, therefore not the most common sight in Central Victoria. Maybe in our usually dry region it’s the combination of waterbodies and elegant birds that makes them so exciting to see.
Find out more here.
Photo of Black Swan by Jane Rusden, taken during the December Birdwalk at Bendigo Water Treatment Plant.
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 (Beginner): Multiple Choice
From the four species of Grebe listed below, which species is not endemic to Australia?
1. Australasian Grebe 2. Hoary-headed Grebe 3. Tricoloured Grebe 4. Great-crested Grebe
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 (Obscure)
What is Australia’s smallest Parrot species? Choose from the six species listed below.
1. Turquoise Parrot 2. Little Lorikeet 3. Double-eyed Fig Parrot 4. Purple-crowned Lorikeet 5. Budgerigar 6. Bourke’s Parrot
Illustrations by Kathleen Jennings, published by Newsouth, 2022
Reviewed by Rosemary Turner from BirdLife Castlemaine District
Darryl Jones grew up on a farm outside Wagga, where he chased pirates and gangsters, not birds. But he noticed a new arrival to his district, a Blackbird, and then realised that he could see different Sparrows. The school library showed both House Sparrows and Tree Sparrows were around the house….and he kept observing!
He has made the study of urban birds his life’s professional work and the book traces the paths he has taken to become a leading Urban Ecologist. Darryl Jones is now Professor of Ecology at Griffith University in Brisbane. His stories in this easy to read volume are about his and his students’ work to understand why Bush Stone Curlews need protection in Brisbane, why Brush Turkeys are digging up smart gardens all over the city, how Magpies regard cyclists yet readily adapt to some humans, and ways of dealing with the terrible cacophony of thousands of Rainbow Lorikeets calling together at dusk.
I laughed my way through the book – and came to respect the painstaking research used to reach reliable conclusions and workable solutions for city dwellers and the local authorities serving them.
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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: Tricoloured Grebe. A bird native to southeast Asia.
Question 2: Clockwise from top left – Black-fronted Dotterel, Brown Falcon, Little Pied Cormorant, Nankeen Kestrel.
Question 3: The Double-eyed Fig Parrot, found in some areas of coastal Queensland, is Australia’s smallest Parrot.
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