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BirdLife Castlemaine District eNews May 2022

Tuesday, 26 April 2022

  • Estimated reading time 10 minutes

Welcome to Castlemaine District eNews!

Dear Supporter,

Welcome to our May 2022 eNews.

In this issue we’ve got details of our upcoming May walk in the Cobaw Forest and May’s nature journaling session, information on our AGM in June, and the upcoming BirdLife Australia Photography Awards. And of course you can also test your bird knowledge with the quiz, and meet Bird of the Month!

May Bird Walk – Saturday 7 May – Cobaw Forest, Lancefield

We are delighted to announce that the next BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch bird walk will be held on Saturday 7 May in the Cobaw Forest. Walk Leader Tanya Loos was going to lead in the Wombat Forest but her favourite bird walk is inaccessible due to storm damage. Happily, the similar messmate forest in the Cobaws is largely untouched.

The walk is a loop near the top of Ridge Track along a steep and possibly slippery track – so wear your good hiking shoes! Possible birds include Shining-bronze Cuckoo, Golden Whistler, Yellow-rumped and Buff-rumped Thornbills, various Honeyeaters and maybe even Blue-winged Parrot!

Note there are no toilets available at the site.

Where: Meet at the Cobaw Trail Bike Visitor Area which is in the Cobaws on the corner of Ridge Rd and Smiths Track. From Castlemaine take the Pyrenees Hwy (B180) and then the Calder Freeway (M79) toward Melbourne. Drive past Kyneton and then leave the Freeway at the Carlsruhe/Lancefield exit. Turn left, then left again onto Cobb and Co Rd. After approx. 1km turn right onto Three Chain Rd. After approx. 9km turn left onto Egans Lane. At the T intersection turn right onto Forest Rd which becomes Ridge Rd after a bit over 2km. Follow Ridge Rd for 1.7km, turn left at Smiths Track and you will see the Cobaw Trail Bike Visitor Area on your right.

If coming from the Melbourne direction, leave the Calder Fwy at the Carlsruhe exit, turn right then follow the above directions.
GPS: -37.24998, 144.61756

When: Meet at the Cobaw Trail Bike Visitor Area 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: Tanya Loos 0400 458 910, 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 our Facebook page the day before the event in case there is a cancellation.

Nature Journaling with BirdLife Castlemaine District

Please note that the dates for nature journaling have changed and it will now take place on a Sunday from 9:30-11:00am. May’s session will be on Sunday 8 May.

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 8 May from 9:30am, Muckleford. Junction of Springhill Track and Sullivan Track, north of Newstead. GPS -37.0818565, 144.0680531

3-minute warm up drawings from April Nature Journaling by Jane Rusden

BirdLife Australia Photography Awards Opening Soon!

Cameras at the ready because the 2022 BirdLife Australia Photo Awards open on Friday 27 May. 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.

When photographing wildlife, please always ensure that you follow the BirdLife Photography ethics standards.

Notification of Annual General Meeting

The 2022 Annual General Meeting of BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch will be held on Saturday 4 June at 11.30am in Fryerstown, following the monthly bird walk. Location details will be confirmed nearer the date of the walk and meeting. BYO drinks and chair; food will be provided for morning tea.

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.  Please consider nominating for the committee.

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.

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 species of Cockatoo listed below, which species is the faunal emblem of the Australian Capital Territory?

1. Galah
2. Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
3. Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
4. Gang-gang Cockatoo

Question 2 (Intermediate): Who am I?

• I’m a small bird approximately 17 to 18 centimetres in length.

• I’m a year-round resident of the Castlemaine district. I can be found in a variety of habitats, from woodlands and heathlands to parks and gardens.

• I like to feed on nectar gathered from flowers, but I will also feed on fruit, spiders, and insects.

• I’m a social bird and on occasions I like to form ‘Corrobborees’, where up to a dozen birds congregate and noisily display together, fluttering their wings.

• I’m a highly energetic, pugnacious bird, often seen darting from flower to flower, or perusing other birds away from a food source.

• I have a large down-curving black bill and a prominent white eye with a black iris.

• My colours are predominately black and white, with a large yellow wing patch and yellow sides on my tail. I have a small white ear patch, and a thin white whisker at the base of my bill.

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 native Hen species listed below, which species has lobed feet?.

1. Black-tailed Native-hen
2. Eurasian Coot
3. Australian Swamphen
4. Dusky Moorhen

Bird of the Month – Crested Shrike-tit

A pair of Crested Shrike-tits, with their crazy crest and striking plumage, are getting all beautified in the bird bath outside my window, as I type. Enjoy reading more about this gorgeous species by clicking here.

Photo of Crested Shrike-tit 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: Gang-gang Cockatoo

Question 2: New Holland Honeyeater

Question 3: Clockwise from top left – Fuscous Honeyeater, New Holland Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Yellow-tufted Honeyeater

Question 4: Eurasian Coot. The Eurasian Coot has small lobes allowing it to make quick duck dives.

Walks Calendar

  • 3 April 2022
    Location: Coliban Main Channel, Taradale
    Leaders: Jennifer Rolland and Euan Moore
  • 7 May 2022
    Location: Cobaw Forest
    Leader: Tanya Loos
  • 4 June 2022 (to be followed by Castlemaine District AGM)
    Location: Fryerstown
    Leaders: Jane Rusden and Bob Dawson
  • 2 July 2022
    Location: TBC
    Leader: TBC
  • 6 August 2022
    Location: Private property in Strangways
    Leader: Andrew Skeoch
  • 3 September 2022
    Location: Crusoe Reservoir, Bendigo
    Leader: David Hewett
  • 9-11 September 2022
    Weekend Bird Camp – Hattah-Kulkyne National Park
  • 1 October 2022
    Location: Rise and Shine Nature Reserve, Sandon
    Leaders: Cheryl Taylor and Ron Westcott
  • 6 November 2022
    Location: TBC
    Leaders: Peter and Rosemary Turner
  • 3 December 2022 (to be followed by end-of-year morning tea)
    Location: TBC
    Leaders: TBC
BirdLife Australia, BirdLife Victoria Group, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton, VIC 3053  | castlemaine@birdlife.org.au