Tuesday, 26 November 2024
Dear Supporter,
Welcome to our November 2024 eNews!
This month’s issue includes details of our upcoming November walk in Hepburn Springs, nature journaling and a midweek walk in Chewton. We’ve also got a wrap-up of the October walk and our amazing weekend in Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, a summary of our joint annual meeting with Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club and details of how you can get involved in the Annual Challenge Bird Count.
Meet Bird of the Month, and as always, don’t forget to test your bird knowledge with the Quiz!
November Bird Walk – Saturday 2 November – Argyle Spring Walk, Hepburn Springs
Our next BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch bird walk will be held on Saturday 2 November at Argyle Spring Walk, Hepburn Regional Park, Hepburn Springs.
The walk will be a there and back of about 1.2KM each way and is mainly easy walking, although the track does rise about 50 meters. The walk is through dry forest of mainly box, peppermint and stringybarks. Species seen recently include Eastern Yellow and Scarlet Robin, Golden and Rufous Whistler, Eastern Spinebill, Tawny Frogmouth, Gang-gang Cockatoo, Olive-backed Oriole and several species of Cuckoos, Honeyeaters and Thornbills. Our walk leaders are Nina Tsilikas and Giles Daubeney.
ALL WELCOME!
Please note there are toilets at the site.
Where: We will meet at the Mineral Springs Reserve Rd car park, Hepburn Springs. From Castlemaine take the Pyrenees Hwy (B180) the Midland Hwy (A300) toward Daylesford. Travel approx. 31KM and turn right into Back Hepburn Rd (C138). Drive 2.3KM along Back Hepburn Rd, which becomes Forest Ave, then just past the Hepburn Springs Brewing Co, turn left into the car park (the sign on the street says “Mineral Springs Bathhouse Café”); the car park is about 200mtrs down this road. Note if you come in via Mineral Springs Reserve Rd then it is the car park at the end of the road.
GPS: -37.3116, 144.143.
When: Meet at the Mineral Springs Reserve Rd car park at 9:00am.
Bring / wear: Water, snacks, binoculars, sunscreen, hat, long trousers, sturdy closed-in shoes.
More info: Jane Rusden 0448 900 896
https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/Hepburn-Regional-Park
https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/hepburn-springs-argyle-spring-circuit-variation-47598524
Midweek Bird Walk – Wednesday 20 November – Garfied Water Wheel, Chewton
Our next BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch midweek bird walk will be held on Wednesday 20 November at Garfield Mine Water Wheel site, Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park (Northern section), Chewton. Recent species seen in the area include Painted Buttonquail, Olive-backed Oriole, Scarlet and Yellow Robin, Black-faced Cuckooshrike, Fan-tailed and Shining-Bronze Cuckoo, Rufous Whistler and in previous years at this time, Pacific Koel and Square-tailed Kite. Other species likely to be seen include a variety of Honeyeaters, Thornbills and Pardalotes. Your walk leader is Bob Dawson.
Where: We will meet at the Garfield Water Wheel car park, Chewton. From the Hargraves St roundabout in Castlemaine, take the Pyrenees Hwy (B180) towards Chewton. Drive 3.8KM and turn left at North St. Drive 800mtrs along North St and you will see the turn off to the Water Wheel. There is no street sign but there is a large sign saying “Garfield Wheel Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park”. Turn right and the car park is about 300mtrs along this road.
GPS: -37.07279, 144.25929.
When: Meet at the Garfield Water Wheel car park at 9:00am.
More info: Bob Dawson 0419 621 691
Acknowledgment of Country
BirdLife Castlemaine acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands 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 Regarding Weather
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, a Total Fire Ban is declared, or some other safety issue is identified. Please check our Facebook page or email castlemaine@birdlife.org.au the day before the event in case there is a cancellation.
Rise and Shine Bushland Reserve is a birding hotspot, with some of the locally rarer species popping up from time to time, such as Diamond Firetail and a pair of Little Eagles. There’s always a possibility we will see the cute but ferocious insectivor, Yellow-footed Antechinus.
What to bring / wear:
– Wear long sleeve shirt and long trousers, sunhat, sturdy shoes, and snake protection. Please note, we will be on rough tracks and uneven ground.
– 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, such as a camp chair or rug.
– Water, hot drink and snacks.
– Your sense of curiosity.
When and where: Sunday 3 November from 9:30am – 11:30am. Rise and Shine Bushland Reserve, junction Zumpes Rd and Drury Lane, Clydesdale.
From Hepburn Newstead Rd turn west onto Zumpes Rd.
(-37.1671747, 144.0801315)
Sacred Kingfisher at Cyanide Dam, Chiltern, by Jane Rusden.
On 18-20 October we held our annual campout; this year we were based in beautiful historic Chiltern. Eleven participants had a wonderful weekend full of bird walks at many of the incredible locations in the National Park, all within 15 minutes drive of the town centre. Sacred Kingfishers and Olive-backed Orioles were heard calling all through the forest wherever we went.
On Friday afternoon we visited the Frogs Hollow area, despite persistent rain which was very heavy at times. On Saturday morning we awoke to clear blue sky and glorious sunshine. First up was Bartleys Block where Turquoise Parrots were seen – such a highlight. In the afternoon we visited No. 2 dam which had a huge variety of birds. It seemed the water level of the dam was a bit low due to a long dry spell, despite the 40mm of rain the day before. Also, Mary had spotted a snake earlier in the day, which made us all pretty wary, so we didn’t feel like tramping through too much long grass, so we avoided the waters edge to look at the water birds more closely. On Saturday night eight of us enjoyed dinner at the Telegraph Hotel.
On Sunday morning we made a slow and fascinating circuit of Cyanide Dam at Honeyeater Picnic Area. Despite the grim name of the dam, we watched a bold White-necked Heron happily preening on a branch, spotted a Sacred Kingfisher tree hollow that parents ferried food to and heard many Olive-backed Orioles calling. There were a number of Brown Treecreepers, and we spotted White-throated Gerygone and various other small birds when we did a longer loop walk out from the dam. Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters and Fuscous Honeyeaters were plentiful near water sources. By the time we got back to the picnic area and cars, we were more than ready for lunch, which many of us ate in a pretty spot by the dam.
It was a lovely weekend, with plenty of birds and fantastic company. Thanks to Bob Dawson for organising, and to Jane Rusden and Frances Howe for leading the walks.
Photo of Sacred Kingfisher by Jane Rusden.
Our October monthly walk took us to the Victorian Goldfields Railway at Walmer. Wildflowers and the steam train were an added bonus!
An impressive 55 species were seen or heard – the list can be found here.
Thanks to Gary and Judy Smith for leading the walk.
Castlemaine Field Naturalist Club invites members of BirdLife Castlemaine District to join in the Annual Challenge Bird Count for 2024.
On one of the days up to a week either side of 30 November-1 December, the challenge is to see how many birds we can collectively detect across the greater Castlemaine region.
To find out more about this long-running BirdLife Australia activity, check out the CFNC webpage or contact Chris Timewell via email about how to get involved.
Euan Moore gave a fascinating presentation on “Island Birds: The highs and the lows, with an emphasis on the New Zealand Bioregion” at the combined Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club – Birdlife Castlemaine District meeting on Friday 11 October.
A report on Euan’s talk can be found in the November issue of the CFNC newsletter (Castlemaine Naturalist) as soon as it is published by clicking on “November” from the Newsletter page of the CFNC website (Newsletters – Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club).
Photo of Pitt Island Shag, endemic to the Chatham Islands, by Euan Moore.
BirdLife Australia is working with Australian authorities to support monitoring of Avian Influenza (bird flu) in Australia.
The H5N1 strain is highly pathogenic and has spread to all continents apart from Australia. Experts predict it could arrive here with the spring migration of shorebirds and seabirds from the Northern Hemisphere.
An outbreak of H5N1 in Australian birds could be catastrophic, as one in six Australian birds are already facing the threat of extinction.
The situation is evolving rapidly and BirdLife Australia has published some very useful information on its website, which can be found here.
Yellow-faced Honeyeaters are a frequent visitor to the birdbath and often heard, if not seen, on local bushwalks.
Read more about this gorgeous bird here.
Photo of Yellow-faced Honeyeater, by Jane Rusden.
Test your bird knowledge in this month’s quiz with the questions below, then check the answers at the end of this eNews. Big thanks as always to quizmaster Ash Vigus.
Question 1 (Easy): Multiple Choice
Which species of Australian bird has the word Peewee as one of its common names? Choose from the list of six below.
1. Willie Wagtail 2. Australian Magpie 3. Grey Fantail 4. Magpie-lark 5. Red Wattlebird 6. Superb Fairy-wren
Question 2 (Intermediate): Spot the Feathers
All four bird species pictured below are found in the Castlemaine district; what do you think these four birds are?
Question 3 (Advanced): Who Am I?
• I’m a large bird, approximately 50 to 56 centimetres in length, with a wingspan of up to 1.3 metres. • My preferred habitat is forested woodlands and heathlands, as well as tropical and sub-tropical rainforest. • My diet consists mostly of small birds or chicks taken from the nest. I will also eat small mammals and lizards. • I’m a seasonal migrant to the Castlemaine district, being a spring and summer breeding visitor to Victoria. • My nest is a large platform of sticks lined with eucalypt leaves, usually high in a tree fork. • With buoyant and agile flight, I can be seen sailing just above treetop height in search of prey. When perched I sit low on short legs that are concealed by rufous “trousers”. • My colours consist of a rufous crown, neck, and underparts, with dark grey streaking on the breast and neck. Sooty brown upperparts with buff feather edges, and a buff undertail with some faint black striping. • I have a distinctive white face, and a sharp-cornered square cut tail.
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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
Forward to a friend
Saturday 7 September Leaders: Jane Rusden, Frances Howe, Bob Dawson Location: Rise & Shine Reserve, Clydesdale + Feathery Festival Brunch
Wednesday 18 September Leader: Bob Dawson Location: Western Treatment Plant (limited numbers)
Wednesday 20 November Leader: Bob Dawson Location: Garfield Water Wheel, Chewton
Saturday 7 December Leaders: Rosemary and Peter Turner Location: Harcourt Reservoir – followed by end-of-year morning tea
Quiz Answers
Question 1: The Magpie-lark, also known as a Mudlark, Peewee or Little Magpie in some parts of Australia.
Question 2: Clockwise from top left – New Holland Honeyeater, Australian Pelican, Australian Hobby, Black-fronted Dotterel.
Question 3: Square-tailed Kite.
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