Tuesday, 31 May 2022
Dear Supporter,
Welcome to our June 2022 eNews.
In this issue we’ve got details of our upcoming June walk in Fryerstown to be followed by the AGM, June’s nature journaling session, and advance notice for our July walk. As always you can also test your bird knowledge with the quiz, and meet Bird of the Month!
June Bird Walk – Saturday 4 June – Fryerstown Public Park, School and Cemetery
We are delighted to announce that the next BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch bird walk will be held on Saturday 4 June on and around the Fryerstown Public Park, the Old Fryerstown School and Fryerstown Cemetery.
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 in the area. Our walk leader will be Bob Dawson. ALL ARE WELCOME.
The walk will be followed by the AGM.
Note there are no toilets available at the site.
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 2nd 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. 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.
Advance Notice of July Bird Walk – Saturday 2 July – Bendigo Water Reclamation Plant
Our July Bird Walk has now been confirmed as the Bendigo Water Reclamation Plant at Epsom. Regular birders will know how good water treatment plants can be for birding. There is a restriction of group sizes at the plant of 20, and we can have two groups, so we need to limit numbers to 40 attendees. Please email your desire to attend to bobadawson@hotmail.com or text to 0417 621 691. Keep an eye on Facebook and our next eNews for updates.
The 2022 Annual General Meeting of BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch will be held on Saturday 4 June at 11:00am at Fryerstown Community Reserve, 5 Camp Street, Fryerstown, following the monthly bird walk.
BYO morning tea and chair.
A nomination form for committee positions will be available on the day or can be requested in advance by emailing castlemaine@birdlife.org.au. The positions vacant are Convenor, Secretary, Treasurer, and committee members.
AGM papers, including the Agenda with Convenor’s report, 2021 AGM Minutes, together with Nomination and Proxy forms are available at this link.
Nomination forms and proxy voting forms should be emailed to castlemaine@birdlife.org.au OR mailed to: Secretary, BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch, 25A Church Street, Maldon, 3463.
Nominations will also be accepted on the day of the AGM.
June’s nature journaling session will be held on Sunday 5 June at Rise and Shine Reserve, Strangways.
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 5 June from 9:30am – 11:00am, Rise and Shine Reserve Picnic Shelter on Ramseys Lane, Strangways. (GPS-37.1592157, 144.0770848).
Beautifully expressive drawings of Ibis, by the incredible Bridget Farmer.
The 2022 BirdLife Australia Photo Awards are now open. This year there are nine categories, including the Special Theme Category of Australasian Robins.
Entries close on 1 August, and more details are available here. Enter before 27 June for early bird pricing – 20% off entry fees.
When photographing wildlife, please always ensure that you follow the BirdLife Photography ethics standards.
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 three species of Currawong listed below, which species is not found on the Australian mainland?
1. Grey Currawong 2. Black Currawong 3. Pied Currawong
Question 2 (Intermediate): Who am I?
• I’m a small bird approximately 10 to 12 centimetres in length.
• I can be found in any treed habitat, but I’ve especially adapted well to suburban parks and gardens.
• I’m primarily an insectivore, but I will eat large amounts of fruit and nectar, making me an occasional pest in commercial orchards.
• I’m a social bird and can be seen in large flocks, especially in the winter months.
• My nest is a small, neatly woven cup of grasses, hair, and other fine vegetation, bound with spider webs, usually found in a tree fork.
• My colours are olive and grey upperparts and head, with a buff breast and rump, and slight hint of yellow on the chin.
• I have a conspicuous ring of white feathers around my eyes.
Question 3 (Advanced): Image Puzzle
The bird photograph below has been scrambled. Using your bird identification skills attempt to unpuzzle the image and identify the species. The unpuzzled image will be available with the solutions at the bottom of this eNews.
Bonus Question 4 (Obscure)
From the four fictitious secret agents listed below, which character is named after a published Ornithologist and expert on birds of the Caribbean?
1. Jason Bourne 2. Ethan Hunt 3. James Bond 4. Austin Powers
The male Flame Robin is a very welcome flash of brilliant colour during the duller winter months. The female is a lot more cryptic however, and easily confused with other species of Robins. Enjoy reading more here.
Photo of Flame Robin 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 Black Currawong is a species endemic to Tasmania and some of the Bass Strait islands.
Question 2: Silvereye.
Question 3: Australasian Darter (see photo below).
Question 4: James Bond (1900 – 1989), American Ornithologist and expert on the birds of the Caribbean, having written the book Birds of the West Indies, first published in 1936.
Author of the James Bond 007 novels Ian Fleming was familiar with Bond’s work and decided to “borrow” the name James Bond while writing the novel Casino Royale. Fleming wanted a name that was brief and unromantic.
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