Tuesday, 25 May 2021
Dear Supporter,
Welcome to our June 2021 eNews.
In this issue we’ve got a summary of our May walk, details of our upcoming June walk in Fryerstown (COVID permitting), the quiz, BirdLife’s photography competition, and more.
May Bird Walk Summary – Coliban Main Channel, Elphinstone
On another fine autumn morning, bird species were almost as numerous as those looking for them with 35 species heard or seen by 38 walkers! A Flame Robin was sighted in an adjoining paddock whilst Yellow Robins and Golden Whistlers provided colour amongst the trees. Pacific Black Ducks and Little Pied Cormorants were spotted on a nearby dam. Many thanks to walk leader Damian Kelly and to Bob Dawson for organising with ELMA (Elphinstone Land Management Association).
Photo of Galahs: Ash Vigus
June Bird Walk – Saturday 5 June – Fryerstown Community Reserve, Fryerstown
PLEASE NOTE – THIS WALK WILL ONLY GO AHEAD IF THE VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT’S ‘COVID CIRCUIT BREAKER’ RESTRICTIONS ARE RELAXED NEXT THURSDAY AS PLANNED. PLEASE KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR EMAIL AND OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR THE LATEST UPDATES.
The next BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch bird walk will be held on Saturday 5 June on and around the Fryerstown Community Reserve and the Old Fryerstown School. Possible sightings are the usual various Honeyeaters, Thornbills, Scrubwrens, Fairy-wrens, Pardalotes and Treecreepers etc. Crested Shrike-tit and Southern Whiteface have also been seen recently.
Our walk leader is Clodagh Norwood. Tea and coffee will be available at the end of the walk. ALL WELCOME!
Note there are toilets at the Reserve.
Where: The walk will begin at the Old Fryerstown School in the Fryerstown Community Reserve, 5 Camp Street, Fryerstown. From Castlemaine, take the Pyrenees Hwy (B180) toward Melbourne. About 4KM from Castlemaine, turn right onto Fryers Road (which becomes Vaughan – Chewton Rd) toward Fryerstown. Drive approx. 7KM until you reach Fryerstown. The road becomes High St then after a left-hand curve, Castlemaine St. Camp St is the second street after this curve. Turn left into Camp St and about 90 metres ahead you will see a gate to the reserve. Enter and park. GPS: -37.14142, 144.25132.
When: Meet at the Old Fryerstown School at 9:00am.
Bring: Water, snacks, binoculars, sunscreen, hat, sturdy shoes.
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.
Join some nature loving creatives and aspiring creatives and explore the natural world through your chosen medium … which can be what ever you want. All welcome.
When and where: Saturday 5 June, at Fryerstown Community Reserve from 11:30am to 1:30pm following the monthly bird walk. See item above for location details.
What to bring: Something to sit on, your lunch, drinks etc. Bring very warm clothing, rain gear, shoes suitable for uneven ground and binoculars if you need or have them, and most importantly, your creative materials – pen, paper, pencils, paint, camera, or what ever you need to get creative in nature. Guide books could be helpful to identify plants and animals.
Watercolour of Striated Pardalote being created by Jane Rusden
Entries for the third BirdLife Australia Photography Awards are now open.
There are nine categories, including one for Youth aimed at budding photographers under 18.
Entries close on 2 August. For more information, visit the Awards website.
Our very own Jane Rusden recently featured in some publicity from DELWP to celebrate and promote the work being done by environmental volunteers during National Volunteer Week which took place from 17-23 May. The coverage included an item on the surge in birdwatching during the 2020 lockdown. To read more, click here and scroll down to the heading “Lockdown birdwatching boom creates a new flock of environmental volunteers”.
Photo: Jane Rusden
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
All of the four species listed below are residents of the Castlemaine district. From the species listed, which is considered to be Australia’s smallest bird?
1. Superb Fairy-wren 2. Weebill 3. Spotted Pardalote 4. Red-browed Finch
Question 2 (Intermediate): Who am I?
• I’m a year-round resident in the Castlemaine district.
• I’m approx. 30 to 35 centimetres in length with a wingspan of approx. 80 centimetres.
• I’m commonly seen along roadsides in rural areas, but I’m also found in some urban areas and in open woodland.
• I can often be seen perched on fenceposts or hovering above open ground or paddocks.
• I have long slender pointed wings and a fanned tail when hovering.
• My diet consists of small mammals, small birds, lizards and insects.
• My colours are predominantly rufous upperparts, with black primary feathers and pale buff underparts, with a prominent black bar on the underside of my tail.
• If I’m female I have rufous crown; if I’m male I have a grey crown.
• I’m considered Australia’s smallest diurnal bird of prey.
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 (Super-obscure)
Australia is home to a wide variety of Parrot species. From the four Parrot species listed below, which species is not a member of the Neophema genus?
1. Blue-winged Parrot 2. Orange-bellied Parrot 3. Red-rumped Parrot 4. Turquoise Parrot
Proof of the joys of providing a bird bath. In this case, it’s a Buff-rumped Thornbill doing a dive bomb. To read more, click here.
Photo of Buff-rumped Thornbill: 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: Weebill – at 8 to 9 centimetres in length the Weebill is Australia’s smallest bird.
Question 2: Nankeen Kestrel.
Question 3: Clockwise from top left – Brown Treecreeper, Flame Robin (female), White-throated Treecreeper, Eastern-yellow Robin.
Question 4: The Red-rumped Parrot belongs to the Psephotellus genus, and is therefore related to Mulga Parrots, Hooded Parrots, and Golden-shouldered Parrots. The Neophema genus consists of six species: the Blue-winged Parrot, Orange-bellied Parrot, Elegant Parrot, Rock Parrot, Turquoise Parrot and the Scarlet-chested Parrot.
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