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NOVEMBER 2015
PAGE �1
Christine Shelley
It was a day out of the box, wedged as it was between days when rain fell. Optimism was in the air, when we assembled beneath the trees at Watton Street. Even our required Willie Wagtail appeared promptly, clicking away incessantly above us, until two Little Ravens had had enough. More surprising was the forbearance of the Magpie-lark couple it started on next – they uncharacteristically ignored it. It was, then, with great expectations, that our convoy headed to the WTP under the leadership of Dave Torr, to whom the Plant is as familiar as his back-yard. With 29 people in nine cars we were ready for the day.
Before long we were stepping out at the Beach Road ponds, also known as Crake Lagoon, where you really needed to pause to appreciate the 360⁰ sweep of horizon. The bay, close to the road here, was smooth and silvery, likewise the ponds fringed by the restful green of grasses and reeds. In the distance across the bay loomed the hazy Bellarine Peninsula, while inland the familiar You Yang shapes would remain a scenic back-drop for our day. The sun warmed us and provided a clear bird-watching light, while no more than a gentle breeze played over the waters. Here, the pretty ponds are productive for wader and crake viewing when the water level is right.
Today, however, it was a little too high to encourage crakes out. Only one person caught a fleeting glimpse, and a call was heard. Still, we did observe other interesting birds, including strikingly colourful Red-kneed Dotterels, a lone Crested Tern, swarms of Whiskered Terns, dipping and rising for insects, an elusive Little Grassbird, and on rocks in the bay a pair of smart Pied Oystercatchers. Towards the You Yangs a Whistling Kite and a Swamp Harrier cruised by.
Our leader soon reminded us, we needed to drive to a far-off pond to look for the potential ‘bird of the day’, a rare (for here) Ruff, sporting eye-catching breeding plumage. It normally roosted there at high-tide. Nevertheless we took our time birding from the car along the scenic coastal road. Here we encountered a plethora of flustered, kamikaze Purple Swamphens, and observed multitudes of ducks on the lagoons (we would see all possible duck species, except Maned and Freckled). Pleasingly we spotted lots of Great Crested Grebes. In the coastal saltbushes Singing Honeyeaters did their best, though some disparaged their musicality. A suggestion was made that ‘chirruping’ might be a more apt name. We also saw a man walking his dog!
Along here we chose a new spot for morning tea. We knew our usual Borrow Pits stop, was closed off at the moment. Instead we settled into an open, grassy place next to the sea, beside a small, but not so picturesque canal. It had a very convenient selection of bushes and small trees, most with sea-views. A pair of White-browed Scrubwrens were less than amused by our invasion. We sat back to enjoy our coffee in the pleasant sunshine, now tempered by shreds of cloud. At this point Mark produced his wife Kathy’s cake de jour, a sizeable, creamy, pink strawberry creation – lovely! While Ceri expertly sliced it, we waited patiently - then enjoyed.
Wagtails of Werribee at the WTP
Count for the Day: 83 Species
Winners:
Lance Rowley and Chris Clarke
Sandpipers and Stints at Rest
Red-necked Avocet
W e r r i b e eWa g -Ta l e s
Photos:Mike Pratt
WERRIBEE WAG-TALES NOVEMBER 2015
PAGE � 2
Back in the cars, no real stop until we reached the 85 West Pond, also known as The Pond of the Ruff. Luckily we were able to pause to observe some Blue-billed Ducks not far from the bird-hide, and to appreciate the song of the Reed-Warblers, in the reeds.
On the river bank there was a single dead tree, bare except for a pristine Royal Spoonbill, an off-white Yellow-billed Spoonbill, and one nice clean White Ibis, and an unattractive dirty one. We also met quite a few car-loads of dejected birders. Ominously they had not found our target. The long, straight road leading to the Ruff pond ran through some of the flattest landscape of the plant, a patchwork of vast, unruffled ponds reflecting the sky. Now we arrived at the perfect, sand-spitted, dead-treed, X-marks-the-spot Ruff pond, which was blatantly ‘Ruffless’. It had still been there two days earlier, but search as we might through the resting masses of Avocets, White-headed Stilts and Whiskered Terns, no show. It was some compensation to see among the dainty Whiskered Terns, a giant! A Caspian Tern, an uncommon visitor here, was trying to look inconspicuous in a crowd. There were also Banded Stilts and two Bar-tailed Godwits for the looking.
On the way back we noted the large numbers of Shelducks. Obviously settling in early to claim territory for the post breeding moult. Their flightless state-of-affairs makes you feel guilty every time you drive near them on the roads here. We stopped at the Little River ford to witness a couple of amusing Black-tailed Native-hens scurrying from bush to bush. There were good views here of just one of the many Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoos we saw this day. Some also caught a glimpse of the only Dusky Moorhen we saw at the Plant. We returned to the grassy place for lunch via Lake Borrie, where we added nothing new to our list. We were amazed at the numbers of ever-flighty Pink-eared Ducks, and some were a bit perturbed to witness the tail of a Tiger Snake as it slithered off the side of the road. The weather gods continued to beam down on us
during our relatively leisurely lunch, and the weather would remain agreeable till the day’s end. The only blemish would be the heat-haze when we reached the Western Lagoons. It would make it difficult to see bird-life on the Spit.
Replenished, we set off for the lagoons of the Austin’s Road section. We drove the boundary, stopping at the first lagoon, where we were able to see Cape Barren Geese, among other birds, and there was an unconfirmed sighting of a Marsh Sandpiper. On the way around to other productive lagoons, we kept an eye out for bush birds, but they seemed to be napping today. However, the promised Baillon’s Crakes were unmistakably calling, and at intervals they appeared in their favourite reedy lagoon. Some of us were convinced we saw a Buff-banded Rail, however, later, photographers demonstrated this was a mass hallucination. Such is modern bird-watching. This pond was alive with the sounds of a goodly selection of birds, and other creatures.
It was mainly the Growling Grass Frog that dominated the symphony. It is not unusual to hear them at the WTP, though they are difficult to spot, yet one sharp-sighted birder did so. For others, it took a while to find a mainly green frog, on just the right blob of green slime, next to the green reed that bent just-so. And what a lovely creature it was, with its vibrant green skin with brown-black mottled side panels and large, googly black eyes – it was certainly bigger than some expected. We left the lagoons here, with the turn-keys for the day pleased at passing all the Intelligence Test locks on the gates in this section.
Our last stop was the Western Lagoons. We did not see a lot in the wader ponds near the gate, but there was a good view of a Little Egret. A highlight here was a baby Masked Lapwing, which was sternly guarded by its parents. Even though it was still fluffy and gangly, it was already sporting a little black ‘Mohawk’ – so cute! The Spit, as mentioned, proved difficult to observe through the shimmer. However, the promise of finding Brolgas here was kept. One beautiful, but solitary, individual, was duly admired. All that was left to do was to stop at the convenient Murtcain Channel for the bird-tally, and we found that we had amassed the pleasing number of 83. The prize was shared between Lance Rowley and Chris Clarke, and like good Wagtails we all helped devour the chocolates.
It was a perfect day at the wonderful WTP. We had all enjoyed the array of birds, the sense of freedom and renewal of being in a special landscape, and some charming chats and laughs with friends. Thank you to Dave for organising us, and leading us so knowledgeably on this day. Thank you Kathy for the delectable cake, and to Mark, her purveyor of fine food. Undoubtedly we had shared another rewarding Wagtails’ outing.
WAGTAILS OF WERRIBEE AT THE WTP: CONT.
Some of us were convinced we saw a Buff-banded Rail,
however, later, photographers demonstrated this was a mass
hallucination
WERRIBEE WAG-TALES NOVEMBER 2015
PAGE �3
I can’t resist sending this photo of a Turkey Vulture which landed very close to us.
We were being shown a seal colony by our guide when the resident cormorants and gulls took to the air. Sure enough we noticed a pair of raptors with a majestic but unsteady soar.
Turkey Vultures are quite accustomed to living near humans and are found in farm areas and around rubbish tips. They have a bright red, unfeathered head and
sharply hooked white beak.
OUR INTERNATIONAL ROVING REPORT: SOUTH AMERICA: Susan Myers
Cape Barren Goose
Black Swan
Australian Shelduck
Pink-eared Duck
Pacific Black Duck
Australasian Shoveler
Grey Teal
Chestnut Teal
Hardhead
Blue-billed Duck
Musk Duck
Australasian Grebe
Hoary-headed Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Australian White Ibis
Straw-necked Ibis
Royal Spoonbill
Yellow-billed Spoonbill
Great Egret
White-faced Heron
Little Egret
Australian Pelican
Little Pied Cormorant
Little Black Cormorant
Australian Pied Cormorant
Great Cormorant
Black-shouldered Kite
Little Eagle
Swamp Harrier
Black Kite
Whistling Kite
Buff-banded Rail
Baillon's Crake
Purple Swamphen
Dusky Moorhen
Black-tailed Nativehen
Eurasian Coot
Brolga
Pied Oystercatcher
White-headed Stilt
Banded Stilt
Red-necked Avocet
Masked Lapwing
Red-kneed Dotterel
Red-capped Plover
Bar-tailed Godwit
Common Greenshank
Red-necked Stint
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Curlew Sandpiper
Silver Gull
Caspian Tern
Greater Crested Tern
Whiskered Tern
Spotted Dove
Crested Pigeon
Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo
Brown Falcon
Galah
Red-rumped Parrot
Superb Fairywren
White-fronted Chat
Red Wattlebird
Singing Honeyeater
White-browed Scrubwren
Willie Wagtail
Magpie-lark
Little Raven
Eurasian Skylark
Welcome Swallow
Fairy Martin
Tree Martin
Australian Reed Warbler
Little Grassbird
Golden-headed Cisticola
Silvereye
Common Starling
House Sparrow
Red-browed Finch
Zebra Finch
Australian Pipit
European Greenfinch
European Goldfinch
BIRD LIST: WERRIBEE TREATMENT PLANT TRIP NOVEMBER 2015
WERRIBEE WAG-TALES NOVEMBER 2015
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Olive-backed Sunbird
Shining Honeyeater
MacLeay's Honeyeater
When Anna's nephew in Cairns, Queensland invited us to his wedding we thought we would take the opportunity to have a holiday in that area as well and search for my bogey bird the Little Kingfisher. Of course birding was top of my agenda. We stayed with my brother-in-law in Cairns whose home is on the fringe of the city with natural forest literally metres away. Thus the first few days in Cairns were very enjoyable just lazing around his home as the birds, such as Australasian Figbird, Olive-backed Sunbird, and Black Butcherbird were frequent visitors to his garden. Anna and I then went to stay at Kingfisher Park - Birdwatchers Lodge, Julatten for three nights. Not to do anything special, but just enjoy the atmosphere in a relaxed manner. We were a few days early for the migrating Paradise-kingfisher, but we did enjoy many other species such as Pale-yellow Robin, Spectacled Monarch and Noisy Pitta within the grounds. A highlight was to get up at dawn each morning to watch the Platypus in Bushy Creek which borders the park. The main purpose of the trip was a wedding held at Fitzroy Island Resort, which once you get away from the resort is very pleasant natural bush. We didn't sight any unusual birds on the island, but sailing back after the wedding we were rewarded with Brown Booby, and Bridled Tern. The last three days in Queensland were spent at Townsville, just because we had never spent any significant time there. It was disappointing that the area has had below average rainfall and was very, very dry. A spot I had hoped to try for Little Kingfisher on multiple days if necessary was bone dry. In fact most places I had hoped to explore were in very bad shape. This allowed us to explore Townsville as tourists and we were pleasantly surprised at the rich heritage it has to offer. The last day in Cairns turned out to be a gem. On our walk through Queens Gardens three Red-necked Crake appeared and allowed photos. Whilst not uncommon, this bird is notoriously shy and hard to see. In conclusion my quest for the Little Kingfisher was a failure due to lack of knowledge and planning, although I couldn't have changed the wedding date. The bird is most active and seen during the first 6-8 calendar months of the year. So a return to Cairns is on the drawing board for 2017.
OUR INTERSTATE ROVING REPORT: CAIRNS, QUEENSLAND Iian Denham
WERRIBEE WAG-TALES NOVEMBER 2015
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Date/Start Time Where/What Meet
Jan No Tuesday Event
Sun 17 Jan 0915 Mt Rothwell Mt Rothwell
Tue Feb 2 0830 Melton (Geraldine) Werribee
Sun Feb 14 0915 Pinkerton/Eynesbury Pinkerton
Tue Mar 1 0830 Brimbank Park (Mark) Werribee
TBC Beginners OuOng day at Altona TBA, at locaOon.
Tue Apr 5 0830 WTP Car Pool (Dave). Booking es-‐senOal
Werribee
Sun 17 Apr 0915 Mt Rothwell Mt Rothwell
Tue May 3 0830 Westgate Park/ Elwood (Susan) BUS Werribee
Sun May 15 0915 Pinkerton/Eynesbury Pinkerton
Tue Jun 7 0830 Werribee River (????) Werribee
Tue Jul 5 0830 Woodlands Historic Park (David) Werribee
Sun Jul 17 0915 Mt Rothwell Mt Rothwell
Tue Aug 2 0830 Altona (Andre) Werribee
Sun Aug 14 0915 Pinkerton/Eynesbury Pinkerton
Tue Sep 6 0830 Royal Botanic Gardens (ChrisOne) BUS Werribee
Oct TBD Camp –? To be advised
Sun Oct 16 0915 Mt Rothwell Mt Rothwell
Tue Nov 1 0830 WTP Car Pool (Dave). Booking es-‐senOal
Werribee
Sun Nov 13 0915 Pinkerton/Eynesbury Pinkerton
Tue Dec 6 0830 You Yangs (Kevin) Werribee
PRELIMINARY CALENDAR FOR BIRDLIFE WERRIBEE ACTIVITIES 2016
Final Calendar will be posted on BirdLife Werribee Website. www.birdlife.org.au/locations/birdlife-werribeeEmail updates will be sent before each event.
WERRIBEE WAG-TALES NOVEMBER 2015
PAGE �6
PHOTO GALLERY FROM EVENTS
Young Masked LapwingGrowling Frog
Photos: Helen Rowley
Photos: Len Towerzey
Photos: Mike Pratt
WERRIBEE WAG-TALES NOVEMBER 2015
PAGE �7
Mark and Anita have planned an exciting day of exploring the Gisborne and Macedon areas.Leave 8:30am from the usual Watton Street address.
NEXT OUTING: GISBORNE, MACEDON AREA 1 DECEMBER 2015.
Email [email protected]
Website: birdlife.org.au/locations/birdlife-werribeePresident“Simply too awesome a responsibility for any mere human to fill.”
Secretary/Membership Helen Rowley
Treasurer Iian DenhamE:✉ [email protected]☎ 9379 9483
Bird Surveys Geraldine KellyE:✉ [email protected]☎
Newsletter/Calendar David Jenkins
BIRDLIFE WERRIBEE CONTACTS
Masthead Photo. Enjoy the Masthead photo of our signature bird: the Willie Wagtail courtesy of the editor.
Brown Falcon
Rainbow Bee-eaters: Mt Rothwell
Photos: Dieter Boznjakovic
