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News

BirdLife Castlemaine District eNews May 2021

Tuesday, 27 April 2021

  • Estimated reading time 10 minutes

Welcome to Castlemaine District eNews!

Dear Supporter,

Welcome to our May 2021 eNews.

In this issue we’ve got a summary of our April walk, details of our upcoming May walk in Elphinstone, information on our new nature journaling initiative, Swift Parrot surveying, the quiz, and more.

April Bird Walk Summary – Rise and Shine Reserve, Sandon

On a glorious autumn Easter Saturday, 37 birders enjoyed a walk at the Rise and Shine Bushland Reserve in Sandon.  Many bird species were seen and heard, including Hooded and Scarlet Robins, Varied Sitellas, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Brown Treecreepers, White-eared Honeyeaters, Golden Whistler and on the dams, Australasian Grebes, Dotterels and White-faced Herons.  Many thanks to walk leaders Cheryl Taylor and Ron Wescott!

Photo of Brown Treecreeper: Ash Vigus

May Bird Walk – Saturday 1 May – Coliban Main Channel, Elphinstone

The next BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch bird walk will be held on Saturday 1 May along the Coliban Main Channel, Elphinstone. This is a joint walk, in conjunction with the Elphinstone Land Management Association (ELMA). The ELMA group of volunteers work on public and private land to enhance biodiversity, carry out land restoration, offer advice on best practice land use, and to manage pest plants and animals. ELMA is a member of the Farm Tree and Landcare Association (FTLA).

The walk is along the maintenance track running beside the Coliban Main Channel that transfers water from the Malmsbury Reservoir to Bendigo. It is very easy walking. The treed area which has mainly peppermint, box and stringy-bark with a moderate to high cover of shrubs and ground-layer vegetation starts out relatively narrow but increases in width as we continue along the walk.

Possible sightings are the usual several Honeyeaters, Scrubwrens, Fairy-wrens, Pardalotes and Treecreepers etc. with there being historical sightings of Eastern Spinebill, Dusky Woodswallow, Red-browed Finch, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Little Eagle and Tawny-crowned Honeyeater. Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos have also been seen recently. Our walk leader is Damian Kelly. ALL WELCOME!

Note there are no toilets at the site.

Where: The walk will begin at the Coliban Main Channel gate No.14 where the channel crosses under Wright Street, Elphinstone. From Castlemaine, take the Pyrenees Hwy (B180) toward Melbourne. About 10KM from Castlemaine, turn right onto Diggers Way toward Elphinstone. Drive approx. 1.4KM and turn right onto Wright Street, drive about another 1.4KM to where the channel crosses under Wright Street. There is a small parking area but most will need to park along the road itself. The road is not overly busy but is a main road so please park and walk with care. GPS: -37.11611, 144.33747.

When: Meet at the Coliban Main Channel at 9:00am.

Bring: Water, snacks, binoculars, sunscreen, hat, sturdy shoes. During snake season we strongly recommend wearing long trousers and covered-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

Nature journaling involves using any creative medium to record what your senses pick up in the bush. That may include using a sketchbook or paper for drawing, painting, notations, poetry and / or writing. You may need a camera, your phone or sound recording equipment, or whatever you’ve chosen to do.

Regardless of what your chosen medium is, it is important we leave no trace of our activities and do not disturb the plants and animals in the bush. Picking plant material, disturbing bird nests or wildlife in any way will not be acceptable.

The basic premise is to enjoy the company of others who like to take a closer look at our local bush. No experience is necessary, and all levels of proficiency are welcomed. Each month we will ask one willing participant to very briefly tell us what is working or not working for them, or for their favourite tips.

There is no cost for participating, other than the materials you require for your chosen medium.

When and where: The first Saturday of each month, from 11:30am to 1:30pm following the monthly bird walk. The location will be the same as the bird walk and will therefore change every month.

What to bring: Something to sit on, your lunch, drinks etc. Bring warm clothing, rain gear, shoes suitable for uneven ground and a hat as it can get cold while sitting still for 2 hours. Importantly, bring the materials you require for your nature journal.

Painting of Eastern Rosella: Jane Rusden

Volunteer Monitoring for Swift Parrots and Other Woodland Birds

By Chris Timewell and Beau Meney, BirdLife Australia (woodlandbirds@birdlife.org.au)

Due to a range of threats, the migratory Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor) is now on the brink of extinction in the wild. Although the major challenges and opportunities for recovery are in its Tasmanian breeding habitat, there is still much to be done in its wintering grounds on mainland Australia. This includes addressing conservation knowledge gaps around patterns of movement, habitat use and food availability – which may also be shifting as a result of climate change.

Over the past 25 years, the biannual citizen-science Swift Parrot monitoring has greatly improved our understanding of the species, but a revision is required to urgently the knowledge gaps. This updated method–termed Swift Parrot Search will also shed light on many other declining woodland birds. It involves volunteers monitoring permanent fixed sites on public land using a 5 minute-50 metre radius survey method. Our aim is to have each site surveyed at least once per survey period, but it is also fine if some are visited more than once. The will be a specific portal within Birdata for lodging survey findings, and datasheets will also be provided. Chance Swift Parrot sightings outside of fixed point surveys are also keenly sought from all times of the year.

In 2021, the targeted biannual monitoring periods are:
– 24 April to 6 June (roughly centred on the traditional 3rd weekend in May)
– 17 July to 29 August (roughly centred on the traditional 1st weekend in August).

Within the area covered by BirdLife Castlemaine District, ~120 sites have been established. We would love to have you involved in monitoring these. It is encouraged that you contact Beth Mellick (beth@wettenhall.org.au) for Castlemaine-Muckleford-Sandon sites and Garry Cheers (cheersgarry@gmail.com) for the Maryborough area. There are also many more sites in the surrounding areas that you can visit, including Bendigo, Heathcote and Talbot.

Full details and a range of support materials are available – and regularly updated – on the webpage.

Photo of Swift Parrot: Mick Roderick

National Directory of Important Migratory Shorebird Habitat

To celebrate World Curlew Day on 21 April, BirdLife Australia has launched its National Directory of Important Migratory Shorebird Habitat.

A masterpiece of research based on tens of thousands of shorebird surveys and literally millions of bird sightings, the Directory identifies key sites for shorebirds right around the country — from Darwin to the Derwent, and from Shark Bay to Byron Bay — and detects trends in shorebird populations. Volunteers have played a crucial role in this nation-wide effort, counting birds at shorebird areas around Australia twice every year. The information in the Directory provides vital information for locals, land managers and scientists who are working to protect these remarkable long-distance travellers. For more information click 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

From the four Owl species listed below, which is not resident in the state of Victoria?

1. Powerful Owl
2. Barking Owl
3. Rufous Owl
4. Southern Boobook

Question 2 (Intermediate): Who am I?

• I’m a year-round resident in the Castlemaine district.

• I’m approx. 19 to 21 centimetres in length.

• I’m usually seen singly or in pairs.

• When disturbed I have a quick whirring undulating flight, revealing a deep chestnut underwing covert.

• I  like to forage on the ground, eating seeds from grasses and sedges, but I will also eat insects.

• I’m usually seen on the ground or on a low perch.

• I have a distinctive falsetto “doodle do” call.

• I’m found in open eucalypt forests but can also be seen in coastal scrub, agricultural land and roadside verges, but I’m never far from water.

• My colours are predominantly grey, but with a slight pink tinge on the breast. I also have fine black scalloping around the upper breast and neck, and a prominent pale blue eye ring.

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 (Obscure)

Australia is home to a wide variety of Robin species. From the four Robin species listed below, which is resident in the state of Tasmania?

1. Eastern Yellow Robin
2. Hooded Robin
3. Pink Robin
4. Red-capped Robin

Bird of the Month – Hooded Robin

Hooded Robin males are extremely striking; however due to their secretive nature they are hard to spot.

The females can be even harder to find with the added complexity of looking very similar to a Jacky Winter. To read more, click here.

Photo of Male Hooded Robin: 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: Rufous Owl, found only in north Queensland, Northern Territory and northern Western Australia.

Question 2: Peaceful Dove

Question 3: Clockwise from top left – White-browed Scrubwren, Varied Sittela, Grey Fantail, Rufous Whistler.

Question 4: Pink Robin. Resident only in Tasmania, some parts of Victoria and southern New South Wales.

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