November Bird Walk – Saturday 7 November –

Greenhill Private Property, Metcalfe

Our November walk will be held at the private property of Louise Barton in Metcalfe. The property is also a Connecting Country revegetation site and is part of the Connecting Country bird survey program. The property has several revegetated areas and also a number of old redgums. We will walk around the area where the bird surveys are done.

Recent and historic sightings in the area include Dusky Woodswallows, Sacred Kingfisher, Horsfield’s, Shining Bronze and Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Eurasian Skylark, Rufous Songlark, Stubble and Brown Quail, Collared Sparrowhawk, Brown Goshawk, Wedge-tailed Eagles (these are breeding at the moment but we will not be going near their nest so as not to disturb them), along with a number of Honeyeaters, Thornbills and more.

Huge thanks to Louise Barton who owns the property and Huntly Barton who has helped arrange the use of the area we will walk.

ALL WELCOME!

Where: The property is in Mactiers Lane, Metcalfe. From the roundabout in Castlemaine head east along the Pyrenees Hwy (B180) and cross over the Calder Fwy. You will now be on the Bendigo-Sutton Grange Rd. Drive for approx. 3KM from the Calder Fwy and turn right into Metcalfe-Elphinstone Rd. From here drive 14KM, through Metcalfe where the road becomes the Kyneton-Metcalfe Rd and turn right into Mactiers Lane. We will enter the property about 150 metres along Mactiers Lane. People coming from Bendigo direction, exit the Calder Fwy at the Elphinstone, Taradale, Castlemaine exit and follow the directions from there. People coming from Melbourne direction, exit at the Malmsbury exit, turn right onto Malmsbury E Rd, then left at the end into the Kyneton-Metcalfe Rd. Mactiers Lane is about 5KM from there.

PLEASE NOTE, parking is going to be a bit tricky at the site. Those with four-wheel drives and higher clearance will be able to pull off the road but other vehicles will have to pull over to the side as best they can. We need to leave enough room for passing traffic. BirdLife Castlemaine people will be there to assist in this as needed.

GPS: -37.151127, 144.442450.

Google Maps Link is here.

Please note there are no toilets available at the site.

When: Meet at Mactiers Lane at 9:00am.

Bring / wear: Water, snacks, binoculars, sunscreen, hat, and we also strongly recommend that you wear long trousers and closed-in sturdy shoes for snake protection.

More info: Jane Rusden, 0448 900 896 or Bob Dawson 0417 621 691.

Midweek Bird Walk and Morning Tea – Wednesday 18 November – Campbells Creek Trail

Please note, this walk replaces the advertised trip to the Werribee Treatment Plant which has been closed due to the possible threat of Bird Flu.

Our next midweek walk will be held at the Campbells Creek Trail, Castlemaine, starting from near Aitken’s Corner on 18 November. Also, for those wishing to, we will avail ourselves of the Aitken’s Corner Café for coffee and cake after the walk. The Campbells Creek Trail runs from the Camp Reserve along Barkers and Campbells Creeks to the Campbells Creek township.

The track is mostly flat providing easy walking and is wheelchair accessible. The walk runs partly through some areas of houses and commercial buildings but has good riparian vegetation thanks largely to the Campbells Creek Landcare group. Possible sightings include Silvereye, Pied Currawong, Musk and Rainbow Lorikeet, Silvereye, Grey Fantail, Red-browed Finch, White-browed Scrubwren and various Thornbills and Honeyeaters.

Our walk leader is Bob Dawson. ALL WELCOME!

Where: The walk starts from Johnstone St / Midland Hwy (A300), about 100 metres past Gaulton St. Note, there is no carpark there, and the walk is on the north side of the road but it is probably better to park on the other side by the Ampol Service Station. From the corner of Forest and Barker Streets, follow the Midland Hwy (A300) for approx. 800 metres, and park on the left.

GPS: -37.07105, 144.21058.

Google Maps Link is here.

Please note there are no toilets available along the Trail but there will be at the café after the walk.

When: Meet at the entrance to the Trail near Aitken’s Corner at 9:00am.

Bring / wear: Water, snacks, binoculars, sunscreen, hat, and we also strongly recommend that you wear long trousers and closed-in sturdy shoes for snake protection.

More info: Bob Dawson 0417 621 691.

Acknowledgment of Country

BirdLife Castlemaine acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we will walk, the Dja Dja Wurrung people, and we pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We recognise and are grateful for the immense contribution of Indigenous people to the knowledge and conservation of Australia’s birds.

Important Information About Walks

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, 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

November nature journaling will be at Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park, Vaughan.

Nature journaling is a combination of science, art and mindfulness. Enjoy a quiet time with nature, observing the ebb and flow of our local birds, other wildlife and native plants, as we explore with our curiosity and record observations in a sketchbook. Guided by Jane Rusden, artist, birder and environmentalist.

No experience necessary, all welcome.

We leave no trace, be kind and thoughtful of wildlife and their habitat … sit beside plants to draw them or take a photo. We don’t pick plants or flowers. Keep a respectful distance from wildlife, so we don’t disturb them or make them nervous. Use binoculars or telescopes to get a closer look. Enjoy those special moments when we find a unique bloom or wildlife chooses to come closer to us, as we sit quietly.

What to bring / wear:

– Wear suitable clothing and sturdy shoes (for sun and snake protection). Note we will be on uneven ground and will walk up to a few hundred meters, possibly carrying your art materials.

– A small selection of art materials such as paints, pencils, pens, coloured pencils, pastels, paper, water container if applicable, camera or phone and binoculars if you have them. A bag to put it all in.

– Something to sit on.

– A hat and sunscreen.

– Water and snacks.

– Your sense of curiosity.

When and where: Sunday 1 November from 9:30am – 11:30am.
Meet about 400 metres south of Vaughan-Tarilta Rd and Porcupine Ridge Rd junction, on the northern end of Porcupine Ridge Rd, Vaughan.

GPS: -37.1667790, 144.2091471.

Female Superb Parrot sketch in fine liner, by Jane Rusden.

October Walk Wrap-up

The October monthly walk at Greater Bendigo NP ended up going very well despite the weather necessitating a change of location from Distillery Dam to Diamond Dove Dam, where 30 species were seen or heard.

This was followed by a visit to Noel Ruedin’s property which is wholly surrounded by the National Park and is maintained as a private Flora and Fauna reserve by Noel and his family. Twenty-one species were seen or heard here. A huge thank you to Noel for hosting our visit.

For the full Birdata list of species at Diamond Dove Dam click here.

For the full Birdata list of species at Noel Ruedin’s property click here.

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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