Moderators' Note

The Orange-bellied Parrot National Recovery Team has asked that we do not publish any reports of Orange-bellied Parrots. Please send any sightings at the Western Treatment Plant, Werribee and The Spit Wildlife Reserve to OBP.release@delwp.vic.gov.au and for all other areas to Chris Purnell at chris.purnell@birdlife.org.au. All Regent Honeyeater reports should be forwarded as soon as possible to Dean Ingwersen (dean.ingwersen@birdlife.com.au or freecall 1800 621 056), including any colour leg band details. It is requested that details of Swift Parrot sightings are forwarded to Chris Timewell (woodlandbirds@birdlife.org.au). Also, please note that Birdline Victoria won’t be publishing individual reports of Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo in the greater Melbourne area. We have had so many reports of Koel that we will not be publishing anymore except for Koel in new areas or confirmed breeding reports.

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• Criteria

January 2020

Sun 26		Reed Warbler Bailey Billabong, Wilson Reserve, Ivanhoe
		Two birds in edge of reedbed. I have not seen this species here since the early 1990s, when management of nearby oval wiped out weeds and incidentally killed off a large reedbed. Common Reed has re-grown since then, but no Reed Warblers till today.
		Anthea Margaret Fleming 26/1 #244336
Fri 24		South African Shelduck Western Treatment Plant (Werribee)
		Photographed the shelduck on Friday at the Western Treatment Plant, and forwarded several photographs overnight to Ian Sinclair, the leading field ornithologist in Southern African. His overnight reply was, "Almost certainly South African Shelduck, possible escapee."
		Chris Doughty 25/1 #244328
Wed 22		Pacific Swift Westona Station, Altona
		Six (6) Pacific ( Fork-tailed ) Swifts seen flying over from south to north at 08.45hrs DST.
		David Richardson 22/1 #244312
Tue 21		Superb Parrot Chiltern Valley Road (near McGee Rd)
		70 plus Superb Parrots in roadside trees and feeding along the edge of the road in the gravel - 7:45pm.
		Scott Jessup 21/1 #244309
Mon 20		Square-tailed Kite Crusoe Reservoir, Bendigo
		Bird cruising around for over an hour from 7.30 am
		Deb Oliver 20/1 #244298
Sun 19		Black-tailed Nativehen Coolart
		On the island in the main lagoon. eBird checklist
		Terry Gourley 19/1 #244288
		Australian Pratincole Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park--Chiltern Valley #1 Dam
		Donald Jordan 19/1 #244287
Sat 18		Long-toed Stint Western Treatment Plant (Werribee)
		Two birds seen in the T-section, pond 5, opposite the crake pond. The photo attached shows one Long-toed Stint compared to the larger Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
		Indra Bone 18/1 #244284
		Little Friarbird Napolean/Allora Rd, Ferntree Gully
		A bird foraging amongst some Eucies and mid-story. Call was very similar to Graeme Chapmans audio No 646 - tone and chatter. Observed briefly but mostly amongst the foliage. Resident wattlebird species were not around at the time. Perhaps some displacement from the fire affected areas?
		Greg Cobern 18/1 #244282
		Magpie Goose Swan Lake (Phillip Island)
		Two Magpie Geese still present east of the first birdhide.
		Sally & Derek Whitehead 18/1 #244280
Thu 16		Intermediate Egret Eastern Treatment Plant--Boundary Rd Wetlands
		Identified through a scope from the unsealed road. It tended to hang around the border of a private property and the wetland, only moving away when there were Swamp Harriers around. Great & Cattle Egrets present for comparison. eBird checklist
		Ryan Kilgower 16/1 #244270
		Magpie Goose Swan Lake (Phillip Island)
		Two Birds observed, unusual here.
		Jefferson J Maltman 16/1 #244268
Tue 14		Australian Pratincole Lake Eppalock--Old Bendigo Road
		Initially reported by Michael Ramsey. Bird on the dried part of the mud flats merging for Mt Ida Creek and Wild Duck Creek. Sandy above, pale below. Red on the face/bill. Black on wings. Many Red-capped Plovers, Red-necked Stints and a few Sharp-tailed Sanpipers also present. eBird checklist
		Scott Eaton 15/1 #244261
Mon 13		? Shelduck WTP Pond 24
		Mystery Shelduck still there. Through the scope definite grey wash on cheeks. Doesn't help does it? eBird checklist
		Alf Forbes 13/1 #244247
Sun 12		Common Sandpiper Hastings Foreshore Reserve
		Five birds seen on mud flats beside the Hastings jetty.
		S and S king 13/1 #244244
		White-throated Needletail River Road Tarrawingee
		At approximately 7.15pm we noticed a small flock of White-throated Needletails circling overhead as we crossed over Hodgsons Creek. A small flock of only five to ten birds. Definitely White-throated Needletails.
		Michael and Carole O’Sullivan 12/1 #244241
		Australian Spotted Crake Albert Park Lake--SE Conservation Ponds
		Foraging on mudflats in westernmost pond.
		Aidan Powell 12/1 #244240
Sat 11		Freckled Duck Lake Lonsdale, Stawell
		Flock of 40+ birds roosting on spit on southern side.
		Ian Morgan. 14/1 #244251
		Eastern Koel 1000 Steps Carpark
		Heard with others at 7.50am
		Michele Damschke 11/1 #244233
		Common Tern Ricketts Pt, Beaumaris
		Sighted at 1 pm in flock of Crested Terns. Stayed for an hour before flying off. Positive ID as 'common' and not White-fronted by Tern expert.
		Michael Genesin 11/1 #244232
Fri 10		Pacfic Swift, White- throated Needletails McCrae
		Abut 20 swifts, mostly fork tails, but also some needletails. 11:20am , heading east (towards Dromana). Warm windy conditions before southerly change.
		Russell Thomson 11/1 #244228
		Pacific Swift, Lewin's Rail, SA(?) Shelduck Western Treatment Plant (Werribee)
		12 Swifts over Paradise Rd, Lewin's Rail at Little River causeway. Shelduck (South African?) still in Pond 24
		Dave Torr, Rick Bateman 10/1 #244224
		Fork-tailed swift Lorne
		50+ swifts flying over Lorne ahead of southerly change.
		Janet chapman 10/1 #244222
Thu 9		Square-tailed Kite Chiltern-Beechworth Rd
		Scott Jessup 10/1 #244219
		African (Cape) Shelduck (?) Pond 24, Western Treatment Plant
		As noted by earlier observers, bird was found this morning from road bordering eastern edge of Pond 24. It was about half way from Gate 4 to southern end of Lake Borrie. Dark grey cap and rear neck and rest of face/ head/ neck white correspond to African (female) but not to Paradise or Ruddy. Zoos Victoria advised by phone that it holds no African Shelducks in its Werribee Open Range collection. However, the species does not seem from literature to be migratory or strongly mobile. So how it got all the way to WTP seems a mystery.
		Jack Krohn with Damian Slattery 9/1 #244211
		Australasian Bittern Braeside Park
		Seen on the ground from the viewing platform at the wetlands just before 10:55 am and in the air on three occasions at 10:30 am from the grassy path, 10:55 am just after I arrived at the viewing platform and at around 11:15 am when it returned back to the viewing platform area. It is unusual for this species to be sighted in South-East Melbourne during January, with this being the first ebird record for January in the region since 2011. eBird checklist
		Ryan Kilgower 9/1 #244208
		Superb Parrot Churchill National Park
		Single bird, juvenile. Possibly up to three others that took off.
		Stephan Megroz 9/1 #244207
Wed 8		White-throated needletail Greater Bendigo National Park--Kamarooka--Campbell Rd
		Approx 30 white-throated Needletails & 2 Pacific Swift soaring over Campbell Rd.
		Brian Johnston 9/1 #244204
		Cockatiel Greater Bendigo National Park--Kamarooka
		One Cockatiel seen along Elmore-Raywood Rd
		Brian Johnston 9/1 #244203
Tue 7		Black tailed native hen Wye River
		First time seen in more than than ten years at wye river. No doubt pushed out of range by the drought. Also spotted shining bronze cuckoo in the rainforest also first time in this location.
		Paul Brown 9/1 #244206
		Glossy Ibis 25+ Hospital Swamp
		Rodney Long 7/1 #244196
		Shelduck Western Treatment Plant (Werribee)
		Continuing bird still present and easily seen feeding quite close to the road.
		Indra Bone 7/1 #244194
Mon 6		Eastern Koel Western Treatment Plant (Werribee)-- Point Wilson Rd b/w Paradise Rd and Beach Rd
		One heard calling continuously. Apparently this is the first record for the area.
		Tom Fletcher & Angus Hartshorn 6/1 #244186
		Whimbrel Western Treatment Plant(Werribee) beach east of Beach Road
		One carrying long sand worm and being chased by a Silver Gull.
		Tom Fletcher & Angus Hartshorn 6/1 #244185
Sun 5		shellduck Western Treatment Plant, Werribee--Pond 24
		duck located and watched for a lengthy period-south african field guide seems to point to south african shellduck but by no means sure
		clive kaplan aidan sudbury 7/1 #244199
		? Shelduck WTP pond 24
		Seen by a number of observers around 10.30 in the same area as previously reported, but too distant for a decent photo. One birder with a South African background was quite sure it was a Cape Shelduck
		Betty and Graeme Horskins, Marie and Mick Brasher 6/1 #244183
Sat 4		? Shelduck Western Treatment Plant (Werribee)
		Seen in pond 24. Photo by Will Bridgeman
		Corrie and Ian Macartney, Will Bridgeman and Elke Link 7/1 #244195
		Fork-tailed Swift Black Rock, Red Bluff area.
		Approximately 20-30 birds overhead, many flying low over houses and trees along Beach Road and side streets. Good views, unmistakable long deeply forked tail and white rump. Also seen at Ricketts Point. The birds moved on shortly before a dry, windy, cool change.
		Val Stajsic & Anastasiya Kiryanava 4/1 #244171
		Fork-tailed Swift Beaumaris
		At least 55 seemingly feeding overhead for about an hour during the morning, approximately two hours before the wind change. Also Gang-gang Cockatoo in the neighbourhood which is highly unusual for summer.
		Sean Dooley 4/1 #244169
		Fork-tailed Swift Port Melbourne Rail Reserve--Ingles to Graham St
		Approximately 20 birds flying high over light rail reserve near Graham Street.
		Daniel Gilmore 4/1 #244165
Fri 3		Banded Lapwing Stanhope
		Approx 40 Banded Lapwings observed on private property 4km south of Stanhope (adjacent to Girgarre-Rushworth Rd)
		David Kleinert 6/1 #244184
Thu 2		Swift parrot Memorial park, Mornington
		At least two birds seen and heard in Sugar Gums in park
		Doug Robinson 4/1 #244173
		Diamond Firetail Euroa Arboretum
		Two birds in immature plumage near the picnic area, indicating a recent breeding event. eBird checklist
		Darryl Smedley 2/1 #243159
Wed 1		Blue-faced Honeyeater Yea
		2 Juveniles in a Eucalypt tree
		Ron Litjens 5/1 #244178
		Juv White-bellied Sea Eagle Clarkesdale Bird Sanctuary
		Just the second record of a Juv Sea Eagle for the reserve.
		Birdlife Ballarat Members 4/1 #244168
		Paradise Shelduck (probable) Western Treatment Plant (Werribee)
		Seen on pond 24 - the last big pond just before the main Lake Borrie as you come through gate 4. This bird is in heavy moult and currently has no primaries. The best fit seems to be a female Paradise Shelduck. eBird checklist
		Andrew Allen 2/1 #243155
		Black-tailed Native Hen Swan Lake (Phillip Island)
		A single bird seen from the more northerly of the two hides, present from 11-11.30 am.
		Chris Doughty 1/1 #243151
		Square-tailed Kite Glenelg Highway between Smythe Creek and Smythesdale
		Square-tailed Kite flying over Glenelg Highway. Clearly distinguished from Black Kites that frequent the area
		Brian Bending 1/1 #243148

December 2019

Tue 31		Pied Currawong Holdsworth Road, White Hills
		Typically a rare winter visitor to the Bendigo area, a single bird was heard calling as it flew over the folks place near the White Hills Cemetery (approx 7:50pm today). The bird sounded as though it was heading southwards.
		David Parker 31/12 #243145
Mon 30		Glossy Ibis Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands--Edithvale
		Four still present on the adjacent public golf course, viewable from Edith Vale Road, Highway 40.
		Trevor Williams - North East Norfolk Bird Club, UK 31/12 #243141
		Superb Parrots Sampsons Road Numurkah Vic.
		Superb Parrots sighted south side of Sampsons Road 7am, about 25 in all, some flying north towards Katamatite Road.
		Richard & Catarina Gregson 30/12 #243132
Sun 29		Fork-tailed Swift, Great Knot, Pectoral Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit Western Treatment Plant (Werribee), Victoria
		Saw around 60 Fork-tailed Swifts feeding low and in the same spot from 4:35 pm to 5:50 pm. They kept going back to the top of this old eucalypt and presumably fed on something, because it was an obvious target for them. I've never seen them do this before. Usually see them on dull days, but this was bright afternoon sunlight and meant I could get good photos of them. They also fed with a few Fairy and Tree Martins. The area was next to the Western Conservation ponds drain, at the gate on the South Road, just west of 35E Pond. Also 1 colour banded Great Knot with 30 on it, at the Little River bird hide and later at the Beach Road Rocks. 2 Pectoral Sandpipers pond 5. 2 Black-tailed Godwit, Beach Rd Lagoon and Lagoon 29 of South Lake Borrie.
		Kevin Bartram (Tfrd from Birdline Australia) 3/1 #243161