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News

BirdLife Castlemaine District eNews March 2022

Tuesday, 22 February 2022

  • Estimated reading time 10 minutes

Welcome to Castlemaine District eNews!

Dear Supporter,

Welcome to our March 2022 eNews.

In this issue we’ve got a summary of our February walk, details of our upcoming March walk at Sutton Grange, to be followed by nature journaling. And of course you can also test your bird knowledge with the quiz, and meet Bird of the Month!

February Bird Walk Summary – Holcombe Scenic Reserve, Glenlyon

Our annual “Breakfast with the Birds” was held at the Holcombe Scenic Reserve, Glenlyon on Saturday 5 February. Twenty two birders enjoyed sitting by the Loddon River and eating their breakfast to the accompaniment of birdsong from a range of warblers.  A leisurely ramble along Butlers Lane and up the slope through the bush to view the Loddon from above was enjoyed by all. Twenty two species were sighted or heard, neatly matching the number of human observers.

Photo by Damian Kelly

March Bird Walk – Saturday 5 March – Mt Barker Channel, Sutton Grange

We are delighted to announce that the next BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch bird walk will be held on Saturday 5 March at the Mt Barker Channel, Sutton Grange. This is an out and back walk along a relatively flat and easy pathway (Leanganook Track), which parallels the water channel. This channel is part of the main water supply that takes water from the Malmsbury Reservoir to Bendigo. Habitat is grassy woodland.

The walk is featured in Damian Kelly’s book, “Castlemaine Bird Walks”. Birds that may be seen include Mistletoebird, Australian Hobby, Whistling and Black Kite, Brown and White-throated Treecreepers and several Thornbill and Honeyeater species. Our walk leader will be Damian Kelly.

Note there are no toilets available at the site.

PLEASE NOTE – AS PER THE VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT COVID-19 DIRECTIVES, ONLY PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN FULLY VACCINATED (2 JABS) ARE PERMITTED TO ATTEND FUNCTIONS. TO COMPLY WITH THIS, WE WILL ONLY BE ALLOWING PEOPLE WHO ARE ABLE TO SHOW A VALID PAPER OR ELECTRONIC VACCINATION CERTIFICATE TO ACCOMPANY US, UNLESS YOU ARE AGED 16 OR UNDER OR HAVE A VALID MEDICAL EXEMPTION ISSUED BY A MEDICAL PRACTITIONER. WE WILL BE CHECKING CERTIFICATES AT SIGN IN.

Where: Mt Barker Channel is accessed off Harcourt – Sutton Grange Rd, Sutton Grange. From Castlemaine, take the Midland Hwy (A300) towards Harcourt; once you cross over the Calder Freeway, it becomes Victoria Road, then at the T intersection with Harmony Way, turn left. Drive about 400 metres and turn right into Market Street. After about 1.4K, turn left onto Reservoir Rd. Drive for just over 3K and turn right at the T intersection with McIvor Rd. After about 400 metres, turn right into Harcourt – Sutton Grange Rd and drive about 2.7K where you will cross the Coliban Channel. We will be on the left just after the channel. People travelling from the south on the Calder Freeway (M79) can exit at the Harcourt, Castlemaine exit (2nd Castlemaine exit) turning right onto Victoria Rd and those coming from the north on the Calder can take the Harcourt Nth exit onto Harmony Way, driving about 1.5K and turning left onto McIvor Rd.

When: Meet at Mt Barker Channel at 9:00am.

Bring: Water, snacks, binoculars, sunscreen, hat, sturdy shoes. As it is snake season, 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.

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.

Nature Journaling with BirdLife Castlemaine District

Join some nature loving creatives and aspiring creatives and explore the natural world through your chosen medium … which can be what ever you want. No experience necessary and all ages welcome.

We won’t disturb the bush or pick plants or flowers; we will observe, take phone photos and leave no trace.

When and where: Saturday 5 March, around 11:00am at Mt Barker Channel following the monthly bird walk. See item above for location details.

What to bring: Something to sit on, your lunch, drinks, sunscreen, etc. Bring clothing to protect from rain, sun and wind, 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.

Drawing of Red-browed Finch by Jane Rusden

Up the Creek – Natural Newstead

There is a great new blog post by Patrick Kavanagh on Natural Newstead, documenting bird sightings following recent rains and accompanied by some stunning photos.

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

Which of the four species of Firetails and Finches listed below is a member of the “Feathered Five” group of Birdlife Castlemaine District mascots?

1. Red-browed Finch
2. Beautiful Firetail
3. Zebra Finch
4. Diamond Firetail

Question 2 (Intermediate): Who am I?

• I’m a small bird approx. 11 to 13 centimetres in length.

• My range extends from northern Queensland, in a broad coastal band through NSW, Victoria and South Australia to the middle Western Australian coast.

• I like to inhabit a variety of habitats ranging from forests and woodlands to heathland, coastal scrubs and parks and gardens, where I’ll mostly be found lowdown in dense undergrowth.

• My diet consists mostly of insects and other small arthropods, but occasionally I will eat some seeds.

• I’m usually seen singly or in pairs. I can sometimes be seen displaying prominently on a log or branch warning off an intruder.

• My nest consists of a large ball of grasses and other plant material, with a side entrance tunnel leading to a cup lined with feathers.

• My colours are mostly dark olive-brown above, with buff grey flanks, and a dull rufous belly and rump. I have a prominent white line above the eye and another below the eye, with a slightly black tinge on my face.

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 four species of Honeyeater listed below, which species feeds primarily on the flower and berry of the parasitic Mistletoe plant?

1. Fuscous Honeyeater
2. Yellow-tufted Honeyeater
3. Painted Honeyeater
4. Black-chinned Honeyeater

Bird of the Month – Australian Magpie

The Australian Magpie is a highly intelligent, resourceful and adaptable species, that scares us a little or a lot during breeding season. To learn more about their fascinating lives, click here.

Photo of Australian Magpie by Damian Kelly

Follow us on Facebook

We have a BirdLife Castlemaine District Facebook page. Follow us for all the latest bird news and events.

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 Diamond Firetail is a member of the Feathered Five, along with the Painted Button-quail, Jacky Winter, Brown Treecreeper and the Hooded Robin.

Question 2: White-browed Scrubwren.

Question 3: Clockwise from top left – White-browed Scrubwren, Long-billed Corella, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, New Holland Honeyeater.

Question 4: Painted Honeyeater. The Painted Honeyeater feeds mainly on the fruit of Mistletoe, Amyema species, but will also feed on nectar and invertebrates. The Painted Honeyeater will time its seasonal movements to coincide with Mistletoe blooms.

BirdLife Australia, BirdLife Victoria Group, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton, VIC 3053  | castlemaine@birdlife.org.au