October Bird Walk – Rise and Shine Reserve, Sandon

The October BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch bird walk will be held on Saturday 1 October at the Rise and Shine Nature Conservation Reserve, Sandon, which is rich in natural and human history. Well over 100 bird species have been recorded in the area, which has three distinct plant communities. The traditional owners of the land are the Jaara Jaara people.

Following European settlement, gold was extracted in the 1850s and 60s. A water race was built during the 1930s depression and brought water from Daylesford to the Newstead reservoir until the 1980s. Gravel was quarried from parts of the reserve for road building until the 1980s. The loop track is about 3KM and largely flat or with relatively gentle rises and falls.

Interesting sightings in the last few months are Musk and Purple-crowned Lorikeet, Rose, Flame and Hooded Robin, Speckled Warbler, Olive-backed Oriole, Diamond Firetail and White-browed Babbler. This time last year, Cockatiel and Black-eared Cuckoo were seen. Our walk leader is David Dickson. ALL WELCOME!

Please note there are no toilets at the site.

Where: Rise and Shine is located off the Daylesford-Newstead Road, near Strangways. From Castlemaine, take the Pyrenees Hwy (B180) to Newstead, continue through Newstead, crossing the Loddon River and then turn left onto the Hepburn-Newstead Road (C285). Travel approx. 3.5KM then turn right onto the Daylesford-Newstead Road (C285). Travel approx. 3.1KM then turn right onto Ramseys Lane; in 700 metres the unsealed road turns sharply left. You will see a picnic shelter on the right, which is at the entrance to the reserve. Park anywhere off the road.
GPS: -37.15923, 144.07697.

When: Meet at Rise and Shine Nature Conservation Reserve 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: Jane Rusden, 0448 900 896, Judy Hopley 0425 768 559 or Bob Dawson 0417 621 691. To discover more about Rise and Shine click here.

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.

September Bird Walk Summary – Crusoe Reservoir, Bendigo

Thirty keen bird watchers were rewarded with many wonderful sightings of birds during our September walk to Crusoe Reservoir, Bendigo, the highlight being three Painted Button-quail who obligingly went about their foraging right in front of our noses! For many of us this was our first close observation of this elusive species, originally designated as one of the “feathered five” woodland bird species by Connecting Country. Over 50 species of bird were seen or heard including a Golden Whistler, several Fan-tailed Cuckoos, an Owlet-nightjar, Eastern Yellow Robins and several species of water birds including Dusky Moorhens.

Our thanks to David Hewett for leading the walk, to Tavish for his keen-eyed observations and to Damian Kelly for the photos.

Photo of Painted Button-quail by Damian Kelly

Hattah-Kulkyne Weekend Wrap-up

On 9 – 11 September a small group of bird enthusiasts participated in the first BirdLife Castlemaine District bird camp. The group undertook three walks in the area, plus a night walk on the Saturday evening.  Although the Mallee Emu-wren was heard, in spite of the best efforts of our expert birders, it remained elusive. Malleefowl also proved difficult to see with only one sighting on the Saturday, and another spotted crossing the road leading out of the Park in the late afternoon. Many species of birds were seen or heard including Splendid Fairy-wrens, Chestnut Quail-thrush, Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Red-capped Robins, Australian Ringnecks (one pair inspecting a hollow), Regent Parrots, the yellow subspecies of Crimson Rosella and a variety of Honeyeaters. Although the lakes were full, very few water birds were observed.

Huge thanks to Bob Dawson for organising the trip. Everyone agreed that it was a terrific event and it is hoped to make a weekend away a permanent feature on our annual event calendar.

Photo of Splendid Fairy-wren by Damian Kelly

Nature Journaling with BirdLife Castlemaine District

October’s nature journaling session will be held on Sunday 2 October at Fryers Ridge, which is a well-known wildflower hotspot in spring. Perfect for exploring colour, texture and tone, and so pretty. Enjoy the bush and create while we watch wildlife, appreciate wildflowers, draw and chat. Nature journaling is an opportunity to sit quietly and watch the natural world do its thing.

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 2 October from 9:30am – 11:00am, at a picturesque dam on Fryers Ridge Road. From the Pyrenees Hwy between Chewton and Elphinstone, turn south onto Railway Dam Road, then turn left onto Fryers Ridge Track. The dam is in about 900M.

GPS:-37.124415, 144.303062

Watercolour of Pink Bells on Fryers Ridge by Jane Rusden

The 4th Annual Macedon Ranges Shire Bird Blitz

Sunday, 16 October 2022, 9:30am to approx. 2:00pm

We are calling on local citizen scientists with all levels of bird knowledge to help participate in the Macedon Ranges Bird Blitz. This much loved annual event is a great opportunity to get out in nature, improve your bird identification skills, and meet new people.

In 2022, BirdLife Castlemaine District is proud to be partnering with Macedon Ranges Shire Council and we think it’s a wonderful opportunity to spread our wings.

We have 96 bird monitoring sites to survey across the Macedon Ranges Shire Council region. Bird monitoring includes species and numbers of birds present – and helps us assess the health of our reserves and roadsides. And we can’t do this without your help!

On the Bird Blitz day, small groups of volunteers will each survey 3 to 4 sites. Each group will have at least one ‘leader’ who is confident with bird identification. If you are confident with bird identification from both sight and sound, i.e. bird calls, you may like to lead in a small group survey. We know some birders are the solo type and might wish to survey with just one buddy – please let us know of your preference when booking.

Meeting points and details of the monitoring sites will be provided prior to the Bird Blitz day. Jane Rusden and Tanya Loos will also host an online webinar with all participants in the week before the surveys to discuss sites and survey methodology.

An invitation to this meeting will be sent directly to participants. Contact Biodiversity Projects Officer Tanya Loos at tloos@mrsc.vic.gov.au.

Photo of Crested-shrike Tit by Jane Rusden

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 bird listed below which is not a mascot for an AFL football club?

1. Magpie
2. Swan
3. Kookaburra
4. Hawk

Question 2 (Intermediate): Who am I?

• I’m a small bird approx. 14 to 17cm in length.

• I’m incredibly restless, with a flight full of agile twists and turns.

• My diet consists mainly of flying insects, which I catch by chasing from the edge of foliage at all levels in the canopy.

• I’m a very conspicuous vocal bird; I’ll readily approach observers.

• I’m found in any treed environment, from forests to heathlands to suburban parks and gardens.

• My nest is built in a tree fork, made of fine grass bound together with large amounts of spider web. The bottom of the nest is drawn out into a long stem like a wine glass.

• My colours are mostly grey upperparts, with a white throat, breast, and eyebrow. I also have a black band across my breast and white wing and tail tips.

• I have very long expressive fan-like tail.

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 Whistler listed below, which is not found in the state of Victoria?

1. Olive Whistler
2. Gilbert’s Whistler
3. Mangrove Golden Whistler
4. Red-lored Whistler

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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 Kookaburra is not a mascot for any AFL club, while the Magpie is the Mascot for the Collingwood Football Club, the Swan the mascot for Sydney Football Club, and the Hawk for Hawthorn Football Club.

Question 2: Grey Fantail.

Question 3: Clockwise from top left – Black-shouldered Kite, Golden Whistler, Australian Pelican, Black Kite.

Question 4: The Mangrove Golden Whistler is not found in the state of Victoria. It’s a species that’s found in the coastal regions of Queensland, Northern Territory and northern Western Australia.