Lyrebird Tales

Volume 27 Number 3 September 2018

A TRIP TO SOUTH GEORGIA

By Doug Pocock

A trip to South Georgia is usually 2-3 days tacked on to a

voyage to the Antarctic Peninsular, so when Aurora

Expeditions offered a week-long trip there we grabbed the

chance to fulfill a long held ambition.

We initially flew to Santiago and had a day there. Travelling

on the Metro train Jan had her shoulder bag slashed but had

nothing of value in it. This was the first time we had anything

like this happen so was a salutary lesson. Next day was a

ridiculously early start, 3.15 am, and we flew down to Punta

Arenas, a spectacular flight following the Andes. From P.A.

we flew on to The Falkland Islands.

Kelp Goose photo © John Barkla

Falkland Steamer Duck photo © John Barkla

Our first impression was why have a war over the place?

After landing at the military airbase we went by bus to

Stanley, the capital. We had some time before embarking so

had a wander and had a good start to our bird list. We

recorded Upland and Kelp Goose, Falkland Steamer Duck,

Dolphin and Kelp Gull, Variable Hawk, South American Tern,

Turkey Vulture and Black-crowned Night Heron. We had to

remember that the House Sparrow belonged there!

We boarded our ship “Polar Pioneer” and settled in. After

safety drill and dinner we were off to bed. Next morning we

awoke to find ourselves at Saunders Island. Breakfast and a

briefing then into zodiacs for a landing. The naturalist on the

cruise was pleased to see we had binoculars so she had at

least two keen (if not very skilled) birdos on board. It was a

calm landing and the first bird we saw was a Dark-faced

Ground Tyrant. Gentoo Penguins wandered around fairly

unconcerned by us. Heading off for a walk we saw some

Magellenic Penguins standing near their burrows. We passed

Southern and Striated Caracaras and then arrived at our

destination, a Black-browed Albatross colony. There were a

few young birds there, most had already left their nests, but

I was surprised by the Rock Shags and Rockhopper Penguins

sharing the area. Leaving the Albatrosses we wandered back

past some King Penguins to a gully with a few shrubs in it.

Continued on page 2

Contents 1 – 3. A Trip to South Georgia by Doug Pocock

3. Not so Cocky. What bird is that?

4. The Island of Mull White tailed Eagles by Alan Spellman

5 – 6. Light pollution and how it affects birds and wildlife

by Valerie Fowler

7. Committee. Welcome to Warren. Interesting Sightings

8 – 11. Reports of Meetings and Outings

12. Calendar of Events

Lyrebird Tales

2 Lyrebird Tales

Gentoo Penguin photo © John Barkla

We heard birdcalls and soon saw a Falkland Thrush and a

Long-tailed Meadowlark. Back at the beach we picked up

Crested Ducks and Tussacbirds as well as a Falkland Skua.

Exploring further we got Magellenic and Blackish

Oystercatchers. Back to the zodiacs for a quick trip back to

the ship we set off for South Georgia.

Luckily it was fairly calm for the next 2 ½ days at sea, only a

few people missed the odd meal. Jan and I, with Heidi the

naturalist, spent a lot of time on the deck or the bridge with

our binoculars. There were many Giant Petrels along with

Sooty and Great Shearwaters. Gradually we learned the

difference between White-chinned and Soft-plumaged

Petrels, we even learnt to distinguish Black-bellied from

Wilsons Storm Petrels. There were many of the smaller

petrels like the Blue Petrel and the Fairy Prion but I would not

be game to call them at bird call (not that we had bird call).

Of course, it is a bit “speciesist” but it was especially exciting

to watch the Albatrosses. There were plenty of Black-browed

Albatrosses to start with but then we saw more Wandering

and Royal Albatrosses. As we neared South Georgia Grey-

headed and Light Mantled Sooties began to appear.

On the third day at sea, Heidi and I were up on deck early

and we were surprised to see five Cattle Egrets flying over.

Seeing more birds and penguins in the water meant land was

closer but it was still a half day’s sailing before we sighted

land. One bird we saw plenty of was the Diving Petrel but

whether it was Common or South Georgian was undecided.

The weather forecast was for strong NE winds so the captain

sailed around to the lee side of the island and dropped

anchor in Elsehul Bay. The zodiacs were launched and we had

a cruise around before landing. There was a colony of King

Penguins there to greet us as there was at most landings.

Also great numbers of Fur Seals and some Elephant Seals.

The fur seals mainly were pups but they were practising

being aggressive. The presence of three try pots was a

reminder of the whaling and sealing days. After a pleasant

walk in the tussocks with seal wallows between (memories of

my youth on Macquarie Island returning) we returned to the

ship as the wind began picking up.

Falkland Thrush photo © John Barkla

Crested Duck (Patagonion species) photo © John Barkla

Next morning we awoke in King Haakon Bay where

Shackleton landed after his epic open boat trip from Elephant

Island. Our leader did an inspection of Cave Cove

(Shackleton’s first landing) but the seas were too squally to

attempt a landing. Sailing further down the bay we landed at

Peggoty point where Shackleton established camp under the

upturned boat. Readers of “David Copperfield” will

understand the name. We had a pleasant wander along the

coast where we saw South Georgia Pintail ducks and

Antarctic Terns, Flying Steamer Ducks (there is such a bird)

also South Georgian Shag. Inland we saw many South

Georgian Pipits. These had seriously declined in numbers due

to rat predation but a careful rat eradication program has

seen the pipit population bounce back. Back to the ship for

lunch then back into the zodiacs for a cruise along the snout

of a couple of glaciers, not too close of course as there were

frequent masses of ice falling into the ocean! We landed

again and took a walk up to Shackleton’s Glacier but the ice

was far too smooth to be able to walk on it without

crampons. I felt a bit of a wuss when I thought of the three

men climbing over the glacier with just some brass screws

driven through their boots for grip.

Lyrebird Tales

September 2018 3

Blackish Oystercatcher photo © John Barkla

The weather was reasonable next day so we sailed into the

very spectacular Drygalski Fjord. High cliffs rising straight

from the water with glaciers here and there. The captain took

our ship in quite close to the glacier at the head of the bay.

Here was a large raft of Cape Petrels, Heidi estimated

probably 1000 birds. Storm petrels dived into the water and

Gentoo Penguins competed with Fur Seals for food. At one

point an iceberg calved off from the underside of the glacier,

rather dangerous to suddenly have tons of ice pop up. The

seals made the most of it by playing “King of the Castle”.

After lunch we rounded the SE corner of the Island past

Cooper Island where there is a Chinstrap Penguin colony. We

could not land there but we saw plenty in the water. The plan

had called for a landing in the afternoon but the weather

glugged up with strong winds so we hove to off the island.

An early breakfast next day as we sailed into Myviken where

we landed to do a 3.5km walk to the whaling station at

Grytviken. The station was a very interesting relic of

industrial scale slaughter of whales. We visited the museum,

the church (where Norwegian pastors attempted to bring a

civilizing influence to the hard living workers), the post office

with South Georgian stamps for sale and then to the

cemetery where we drank a toast to Shackleton at his

graveside. From here we went to Godthul where we cruised

around the rocks seeing a small Macaroni Penguin colony and

some Sheathbills. Making our way to the NW we followed the

coast calling into bays to visit mainly King Penguin rookeries.

We landed at Fortuna Bay where some of us followed in

Shackleton’s footsteps for the last 6km of his epic trek over

the unmapped mountains to seek help for his marooned men.

As we approached Stromness whaling station the captain of

the ship sounded the siren to give us an idea of the relief the

three men must have felt to know they had made it to safety

by hearing the station “start work” siren.

Our last day on the island started with a visit to Salisbury

Plain with a vast King Penguin rookery. We watched from a

rocky knoll a creche of King chicks looking like brown roly-

polies. Sheathbills wandered around finding scraps of food

and Giant Petrels patrolled looking for chicks cut off from the

main group. We saw one petrel grab a chick in its bill and

drag it away and the penguins couldn’t do much to protect

the chick.

Eventually the petrel let go and the chick scrambled back to

the safety of the creche. The weather began to close in as we

took the zodiacs to Prion Island where we walked on a board

walk to see Wandering Albatrosses on nests as Light-mantled

Sooty Albatross wheeled overhead. We declined cruising

further in the driving rain and headed back to the ship. We

had been very lucky with the weather up to there so the next

three days of rough weather sailing back to the Falklands

showed us what it could have been like. A few people missed

some meals and a couple of people were thrown around in

their cabins with resultant cuts and bruises.

Eventually we anchored in the calm of Stanley harbour and

finally had a calm night. Next day we disembarked and soon

were on the plane back to Santiago. Had the night there and

next day caught the plane home. At one stage I woke to look

out of the porthole to find we were flying over the pack ice of

Antarctica.

Post script.

A few weeks later we were going through the customs at

Heathrow airport when the officer saw our Falklands entry

stamp in our passports. He got quite excited and showed his

companion as they had never seen one before!

Thank you to John Barkla who generously allowed me

to use his photos to illustrate this article.

Not so Cocky!

These two Sulphur-crested Cockatoos were seen crossing the

road on what appears to be a pedestrian crossing when they

were almost run down by a tourist bus full of passengers who

had come to feed and photograph themselves with the birds.

What bird is that?

Answer on page 7

Lyrebird Tales

4 Lyrebird Tales

The Island of Mull White tailed Eagles

By Alan Spellman

One hundred and fifty years ago the majestic White tailed

Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) was a regular sight over the

mountains and hills of Scotland. The West coast habitat of

the Inner Hebrides suited them perfectly and they thrived.

Sadly by 1916, due to illegal killing, the last remaining

breeding pair became extinct.

The white-tailed eagle is the largest UK bird of prey; in flight

it has massive long, broad wings with 'fingered' ends. Its

head protrudes and it has a short, wedge-shaped tail. Being

opportunistic hunters and carrion feeders they will sometimes

pirate food from other birds and even otters. They eat largely

fish, but will also take various birds, rabbits and hares. Many

lambs are taken live and as carrion. And when fishing, they

fly low over water and snatch fish from the surface.

This taking of lambs and then an ‘old wives tale’ of eagles

snatching small children and carrying them off to their eyries

played its part in their decline and then extinction from the

Scottish hills.

A re-introduction programme began in about 1979 with

young birds being brought over from Norway to the Isle of

Rhum where they were reared with the minimum of human

disturbance. Young birds reach maturity at four to five years

old and eventually in 1984 two pairs made their way to the

Isle of Mull, (where I live) and attempted to breed. This first

attempt was unsuccessful as is often the case with young

adult birds, however the following year (1984) the attempt

was indeed successful and the first White tailed Eagle chicks

were hatched and fledged in the UK since 1916.

We have a particular problem in the UK with egg collectors.

Our Victorian forefathers were great collectors (and

shooters); fortunately this is now becoming less and thank

goodness, we now shoot with cameras. In these early days of

re-introduction nests were kept secret and had to be

protected with around the clock watching by a team of

volunteers. Many an early morning one could be walking

through the glen to the delicious smell of a Scottish breakfast

of bacon and eggs being cooked after an all night of watching

the eyrie.

Now in June 2018, there are 120 breeding pairs along the

west coast islands and mainland of Scotland, including 21

pairs on the island of Mull. We have Scottish bred birds now

breeding themselves and a few new birds have been brought

in to strengthen the gene pool.

This is a great success story which now brings in many

visitors to our small island and also makes a valuable

contribution the economy of the island.

I see the white tailed eagle every day, a nest just half a mile

away and they regularly fly over my house by the loch. (I

knew them when they were just eggs!) I am usually alerted

by the squawking of smaller birds harassing the eagle.

Alan Spellman www.mullbirds.com

Photos above © Alan Spellman taken 17th June 2018,

Canon EOS 7D MK1, 1/800 sec. f/16 400 mm, ISO

1000

Lyrebird Tales

September 2018 5

Light pollution – how it affects birds and

wildlife by Valerie Fowler

It was bought to my notice that amongst the many

proposals (if successful) being put forward for

consideration by Yarra Ranges Council for funding under

the banner of pickmyproject.vic.gov.au was a petition to

light up the dog off lead area at Lillydale Lake situated just

below the dam wall. The proposal is to use Solar

Sports/Arena Lights to light up this area for 4 hours every

winter night from 5:30pm-9:30pm to allow workers to

exercise their dogs. This proposed project cites a budget of

$84,431.00 and names a partner, the Torus Group. I have

been unable to get any satisfactory contact with this

company. I noticed in the proposal the fact that it was part

of Lillydale Lake was not mentioned.

It is my experience that people are less motivated to

exercise outside for more than a short time during the

winter months (dependent on the weather) whilst the

detriment to the wildlife in this area from the proposed

lights would be harmful. I have been doing regular weekly

bird surveys at Lillydale Lake for years and where I have

observed the use of this off lead area which at most times

is minimal except at weekends. Even last weekend I

observed only 7 dogs at one time (which included couples

with 2 dogs) at 11.15am using this area. Over the years the

birds at Lillydale Lake have had to contend with more foot

traffic, the early morning runners on Saturday mornings,

and canoeists paddling close to the shore and island edges

whilst birds are nesting. To compound these problems

vegetation has been removed below the trees along the

Olinda Creek alongside the dog off lead area from which

birds used as perches before flying down to water to drink.

Also removed is a nearby stand of vegetation where

I regularly counted several bird species; I was told it was

removed as it was being used by ‘undesirable people’. I

decided to research the effects outdoor lighting has on

bird behaviour, looking at scientific studies and papers

from several different countries and this is what I found

out.

Light pollution is excessive (usually outdoor) light. It

interferes with astrological research by washing out

starlight, disrupts ecosystems and has adverse health

effects. With the increase of LED lights which are seen to

be better for the environment because of their efficiency

but there is a downside, they are also much brighter and

increase the levels of light pollution. In turn this pollution is

having a negative effect on not only birds but also

mammals, reptiles and insects. Recent evidence suggests

that LED lights may directly affect melatonin in the brain as

it emits more blue light. Melatonin plays a key role in the

sleep-wake cycle in wildlife and humans but it is

suppressed in the presence of light. Melatonin also affects

the immune system and ageing. Wildlife including birds has

only been exposed to light pollution in the last 200 years

and they are still adapting to the artificial light. There is

good evidence that blue light affects their biological and

functioning rhythms.

Birds have two forms of sleep; rapid eye movement sleep and non-rapid eye movement sleep and can move between these different types of sleep quite quickly. During rapid movement sleep the brain activity is similar to if they are awake. There have been studies on breeding birds where one bird sits on the nest at night and the other during the day. If the birds’ level of melatonin is altered due to the presence of light pollution it becomes tired, less vigilant and more vulnerable to predation. Bright lights may confuse birds with dramatic consequences. Bird biology is integrated with the seasons, short days and longer nights indicate to some species such as Owls and Raptors that it is time to breed but night light masks the change of the seasons. Night lights reflect up into the clouds making the day appear longer, in consequence night feeding birds such as the Tawny Frogmouth and Owls start hunting for food later shortening their feeding time and perhaps their wellbeing. If the nocturnal species move to an area away from the bright lights to hunt, it may put them in an area where they are in direct competition for food with other species. For birds such as the Willie Wagtail (present in this area), it has

Lyrebird Tales

6 Lyrebird Tales

been heard to sing all night on a full moon as has the Common Blackbird and Australian Magpie so that night lights will confuse them. Studies on several European song birds have shown that light pollution at night caused the birds to commence singing at the wrong time however they also examined the effects of weather conditions and found that rain and low temperatures negatively affected the occurrence of dawn and dusk singing. European studies showed that the Common Blackbird (also at this area of Lillydale Lake), when exposed to night light breed up to one month earlier and moulted three weeks earlier compared with rural counterparts and Bluetits laid eggs 1.5 days earlier in the season. This may put them ahead of the peak abundance of food needed to feed their fledglings. It is thought that their perception of the length of daylight has been altered. Birds have a network of brain nuclei which is responsible for song production and learning; the size of these increases from non-breeding to breeding and are responsible for song volume. It is stimulated by the production of testosterone triggered by perceived longer days. The timing of dawn and dusk singing is thought to function in the context causing male competition and female choice and it is expected that males in lit habitats will sing earlier in the season than the males in dark habitats but the earlier males may have fitness consequences. In areas of light pollution where shadows form at its edges, animals such as the many foxes at Lillydale Lake are given more opportunity to catch their prey which is still active due to the lights. Studies have shown that birds that breed in urban areas have higher levels of the stress hormone corticosterone which raises the likelihood of abandoning their nests and chicks early. And what of the small bats or Flying Foxes that pass overhead to their feeding grounds, how will they be affected. It is important to protect the spaces that are dark. Introducing lights at night also affects the physiology of

insects, studies on the Orb-weaving spider benefit from

more light by catching more food but they produce fewer

offspring so consequently less food for birds.

Birds navigate at night using the stars especially migratory

birds which use regular routes. American studies have

found that night flying birds have been attracted to bright

lights and light pollution lures birds into urban areas where

they become distracted and stressed (such as around the

art centre spire in Melbourne). They also found that when

visibility is poor at night, such as in fog, they have had big

flocks of birds arriving at sports stadiums when the lights

are on but disperse as soon as the lights are off. In

Australia we have often heard Wood Ducks flying overhead

in the dark and many bird species use waterways such as

the Olinda Creek (at Lillydale Lake) to navigate by. Studies

from Holland have shown that millions of wild birds have

died by crashing into lighted structures at night, and

migrating birds are increasingly getting lost on their

seasonal journeys.

Conclusion: So why am I so concerned about lighting for 4

hours in the winter at the dog off lead area when there are

so many sports stadiums in the Yarra Ranges. The

difference is that sport stadium lights are usually on for

only a short time and not every night where as the

proposed lighting at Lillydale Lake has the potential to

change the behaviour of birds and wildlife to their

detriment not only in the immediate vicinity but for all

those birds in a much wider area. Purple Swamphens nest

in the nearby reeds, Magpie Larks nested last year in this

vicinity and have already started a nest this year alongside

the dog off lead area. White-faced Herons started a nest

here and for the first time a pair of Whistling Kites built a

nest and are feeding young. Migratory birds such as White-

winged Trillers and Olive-backed Orioles and many non-

migratory species used the trees alongside the creek

backing the dog off lead area.

It cannot be expected for the ratepayers to fund

maintenance for these lights when they become

vandalised as the area is not secured.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4375366/

https://australiascience.tv/led-light-pollution-wreaks-

havoc-on-the-natural-world/

https://www.seeker.com/sports-stadium-lights-may-harm-

animals-1770048794.html

Magpie Lark building a nest photo © Valerie Fowler

Lyrebird Tales

September 2018 7

Answer to what bird is that?

Answer: Superb Lyrebird

Members will note that the position of Convener at the

AGM on 8 May was declared vacant as there were no

nominations.

At the Committee Meeting on 5 June It was

Moved Manfred Hennig Seconded Michael Feller "that

Warren Cousins be Seconded to the Committee" Carried.

It was Moved Lin Bullen Seconded Michael Feller "that

Warren Cousins be appointed Convener" Carried.

Welcome to Warren

Following Glenn Mawson's recent resignation as Convenor of

our Yarra Valley branch, I have now taken on this role. My

name is Warren Cousins and I am a 67 year old who retired 6

years ago after a working career as an accountant. My wife is

Brenda and we have two daughters and one grandson. We

recently moved to Lilydale from where I started doing the

regular outings that this branch organises. My other interests

include playing competitive bridge, regular walking plus

babysitting duties. I consider myself as an "Intermediate”

level birder only, with lots to learn about our club and birding

activities generally, but intend to give this job my best

efforts. I hope to meet many more of you over the coming 12

months.

Interesting Sightings for August 2018

Whistling Kite photo © Peter Fowler

Little Black Cormorants (53) – Lillydale Lake, V & P Fowler

Whistling Kites (nesting and feeding young) - Lillydale Lake,

Valerie Fowler

Black-shouldered Kite - Maroondah Highway between

Coldstream and Healesville, Michael Feller

Barn Owl - Maddens Lane, Coldstream, Maggie and Peter

Smith

100+ Cattle Egrets - Victoria Road, Chirnside Park, Manfred

Hennig

100+ Straw-necked Ibis - Victoria Road, Chirnside Park,

Manfred Hennig

20 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos – Toolangi, Manfred Hennig

1 Crescent Honeyeater & Little Wattlebird – Toolangi,

Manfred Hennig

15 Pied Currawongs eating Lilly Pilly – Toolangi, Manfred

Hennig

Spotted Harrier - St. Huberts Road, Coldstream, Graeme

George

Black-eared Cuckoo - Royal Park, Elva Muir

12 Red-browed Finches – Garden in Healesville, Alma Mitchell

Raft of Little Black Cormorants photo © Peter Fowler

Birdlife Australia Yarra Valley Branch

P.O. Box 1172, Healesville Vic. 3777

email: yarravalley@birdlife.org.au

Committee

Convener: Warren Cousins

Deputy-Convener: Manfred Hennig

Secretary: Alma Mitchell

Treasurer: Michael Feller

Librarian: Linda Bullen

Conservation Officer: Michael Feller

Other Members: Jan Llewellyn

Lyrebird Tales

8 Lyrebird Tales

Reports of Meetings and Outings

Immature Crimson Rosella photo © Valerie Fowler

Tuesday 24 April – Outing to Westerfolds & Candlebark

Parks

Because of Anzac Day, this outing replaced the usual

Wednesday outing. We met at the Car Park and followed the

Park trail directions (a map was available at the Parks

Victoria office behind the car park). It was a long walk, all on

made pathways, and we counted a total of twenty five

species.

The weather was a little overcast but otherwise warm. Over

twenty Rainbow Lorikeets were in the Park. We noticed a lot

of old trees with hollows, and observed a pair of Lorikeets

excavating a nest. Other parrots seen included Galahs and

Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Crimson and Eastern Rosellas.

Peter spotted a Brown Goshawk hunting overhead which

caused noisy panic amongst the passerines. He also

discovered a Spotted Turtle-Dove, a Red-browed Finch, and a

Willie Wagtail all in the same tree.

Red Wattle Birds were common, and there were Noisy Miners

galore (fifty plus). A Spinebill was present, and one Spotted

Pardalote was seen and the chiming “s-wit PIWIP” sound of

two others heard. We heard some Silvereyes with their rapid

“psee psee” voice, but it wasn’t a big flock.

Magpies were plentiful (twenty plus spread around the park)

there were three Butcherbirds, and only one Pied Currawong

was seen. A surprise was a family of three beautifully

camouflaged Common Bronzewings feeding in the dried

tussock grass next to the path. We walked just a little further

and found another eight feeding on the ground. Two Crested

Pigeons were in a nearby bush.

The Park was very dry, and even though we were right next

to the Yarra River we didn’t see any waterbirds, not even

one! We saw six Little Ravens; two were drinking and bathing

in the guttering of the old Westerfold’s mansion.

On the way back to the carpark we came across seven White-

winged Choughs strutting around like a mafia gang.

Three Welcome Swallows welcomed us back to the car park,

and two Magpie Larks joined us and five Magpies at the picnic

table. Manfred

Unfortunately 8 of us met up at another car park near by

and, under the informal guidance of Geoff Deason, crossed

under the road bridge to Candlebark Park where, despite the

very dry state of the vegetation, we saw 29 birds, of which

the highlights were Gang-gangs and Bronzewings. J.L.

Tuesday May 8 - Meeting AGM. Speaker Chris Doughty

Subject: A day in Kaziranga National Park, N.E India.

We settled down after the AGM looking forward to Chris

Doughty’s Power Point presentation of A Day in Kaziranga

National Park in N.E. India. We were very disappointed when

the system failed and the program would not open on the

computer. Chris was very resilient saying it had happened

before and offered to have a question and answer program

about his lifetime of birdwatching.

He commenced by saying that his wife of 35 years had just

taken up bird watching. He then told of his family life in

England. When he was about nine years old he was picking

blackberries and said to his mother there were only

Blackbirds and Sparrows in the garden. She told him about

the British birds which could be found in the garden. The

local barber was a bird watcher and photographer who told

him the best place to go was the sewerage farm. One day an

elderly man saw Chris bird watching and introduced him to a

bird club which held weekly meetings with show and tell

time. But Chris found that the binoculars of that era were

terrible and very heavy for a young enthusiastic bird watcher!

The family came to Australia in 1973 and then a new world of

bird watching opened up for Chris. In 1984 he started

conducting bird tours with Peregrine Tours. Later he started

his own business taking birdwatchers on world-wide tours.

Chris has the World Check List on his computer listing the

240 families of birds in the world and he has seen a

representative from every one of these families, which is a

remarkable achievement.

He has clients from world-wide on his Australian expeditions

and knows where some very rare birds are. His favourite bird

family is the Waders. He is particularly interested in

migratory birds and their routes. His favourite country for

bird watching is India which has amazing bird life. In Nepal

and the Himalayas the species change according to the

altitude. Another favourite place is the Andes. He mentioned

the Australian birds are concentrated around the Great

Dividing Range and up the east coast. His favourite place in

Australia is Cairns in September.

The audience joined in asking questions which Chris

answered enthusiastically. We thanked Chris for his hour long

talk which was a brilliant fill-in after the failure of the Power

Point. We are very privileged to have a world-famous tour

leader for bird watchers as a member of BirdLife Yarra Valley.

Thank you Chris.

Lyrebird Tales

September 2018 9

Saturday May 12 - Survey in Coranderrk

It was a cold damp morning with rain clouds threatening as

we gathered for the start of the walk. The birds were very

quiet and few were flying about as we set off towards the

lake so we thought we would see few bird species on our

survey. At the lake only one Australian Darter flew over and

the Cormorants, Purple Swamphens and Common Moorhens

were missing. There were abundant Eurasian Coots (54) also

Blue-billed Ducks (15), Australian Shovelers (2), Hardheads

(2), and a single Black Swan and Grey Teal. There were also

Australasian Grebe (2) and Hoary-headed Grebe (4). Raptors

were 3 Swamp Harriers, 2 Whistling Kites, 1 Square-tailed

Kite and 1 Peregrine Falcon.

As the morning progressed we started to see more bush birds

but the smaller birds were hard to find. Honeyeaters were:

White-eared Honeyeaters, Bell Miners, Spinebills, New

Holland Honeyeaters and several flocks of 25-30 White-naped

Honeyeaters. Five Kangaroos wearing yellow identification

collars were seen and at the swamp we heard a chorus of the

Victorian Smooth Froglet. We saw several small flocks of

Crimson Rosellas; the first was of juveniles and another of

mature red and blue birds.

Returning to the hut on the grass nearby was a small party of

Superb Fairy-wrens and an Eastern Yellow Robin. In the

creek a single Wood Duck was disturbed and White-browed

Scrubwrens were seen in the surrounding vegetation. Total

bird species counted was 45.

Wednesday May 23 - Outing to RACV Healesville Country

Eleven members participated in the outing at RACV Country

Club Healesville. On a slightly cool and overcast day 29

species were counted, with the Eastern Rosella the most

common sighting, followed by Masked Lapwings, Grey

Butcherbirds and Superb Fairy Wrens. What was surprising

about the outing was the absence of the usual common birds

such as Gang-gang Cockatoos and Yellow-tailed Black-

Cockatoos. Leader: Manfred Hennig

Saturday June 9 – Outing to One Tree Hill and Sugarloaf

Reservoir

Dull weather saw only four members participate in this

outing, and very little was happening on One Tree Hill – it

was as if the birds knew to stay away. Slowly some White-

browed Scrub Wrens emerged, a few Fairy Wrens, Blackbirds

and then two Yellow Robins. Some Crimson Rosellas flew

overhead and led the way to Sugarloaf Reservoir. The day

started to improve, and I don’t know how - but we ended up

with forty-two species. Gang-gang Cockatoos, White-throated

Treecreepers and Scarlet Robins rounded up the numbers for

the day. Leader: Manfred Hennig

Wednesday June 27 – Outing to Birdsland Reserve

The weather was cold and sunny as twelve of us set out.

Australian Magpies and Grey Butcherbirds were calling

nearby and Spotted Pardalotes were calling in the trees, we

observed two Common Bronzewings on the ground. Just

before we reached the first lake we spotted a paddock with

some Cattle Egrets, Australian Wood Ducks, Straw-necked

Ibis and noisy Sulphur-crested Cockatoos. At the lake we

observed 4 Pacific Black Ducks and an Australasian Grebe

with Noisy Miners and Laughing Kookaburras calling in the

trees and Galahs flying overhead. As we moved to the second

lake there were some Eurasian Coots and Purple

Swamphens, at the edge of the lake were some Dusky

Moorhens and an adult male Australian Darter calling and

drying itself in a low tree, in the nearby trees there were

some Starlings and Brown Thornbills.

We turned right, away from the lake walking into open

country and saw some Rainbow Lorikeets. In a paddock

further on was a White Faced Heron whilst a Welcome

Swallow and a Common Myna flew overhead. We turned back

towards the lake and spotted more Grey Butcherbirds then

we observed a Wedge-tailed Eagle being harassed by two

Little Ravens. We saw a New Holland Honeyeater and a Red

Wattlebird. Just near the end of our walk there was a pair of

Tawny Frogmouths perched in a tree. Our last birds were a

Blackbird, a Grey Fantail and a Masked Lapwing. Whilst we

were eating our lunch Yasuko, one of our members, lost her

lunch to a Kookaburra, to the amusement of all. Birds of the

day were the Wedge-tailed Eagle and the pair of Tawny

Frogmouths. We were also impressed by the sighting of 14

Grey Butcherbirds. 31 Species recorded. It was great

birdwatching and good company. Leader: Jim McMinn.

Saturday July 14 – Outing to Heritage Wetlands

Nine of us started out on the walk it was cold and foggy, the

fog lifted to a sunny day, Australian Magpies and Laughing

Kookaburras were calling. We encountered a Blackbird and a

Common Myna and 2 Australian Wood Ducks, Spotted

Pardalotes were calling in the trees. A Sulphur-crested

Cockatoo let us know it was around. As we moved along we

observed Galahs, Brown Thornbills, Crimson Rosellas,

Superb Fairy-wrens, a Red Wattlebird, 2 Pacific Black Ducks,

White-browed Scrubwrens, Purple Swamphens and a Spotted

Turtle Dove,. We walked along the shores of the lake where

we added 3 Hardhead Ducks, some Chestnut Teal and Grey

Teal. Moving on we spotted a female Golden Whistler, a Grey

Shrike-thrush, Grey Fantails and Yellow Robins, one of which

had an exceptionally bright yellow breast. We also saw a

White-eared Honeyeater, a Little Raven and a Common

Starling. We walked into the golf course area where we saw a

Masked Lapwing and some Eurasian Coots on a lake. Near

some houses we observed New Holland Honeyeaters, Little

Wattlebirds, Welcome Swallows, a Brown Quail, Straw-

necked Ibis, Noisy Miners and Striated Pardalotes. Just along

from these houses we encountered 4 foxes in prime

condition. Just after this we added Eastern Spinebills, a

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike and some Dusky Moorhens. As we

arrived back at the start we saw a Little Pied Cormorant, a

Magpie Lark and Grey Butcherbird. We observed 42 species;

bird of the day was the Brown Quail. An excellent day’s

birding again in good company. Leader: Jim McMinn

Lyrebird Tales

10 Lyrebird Tales

Wednesday July 25 – Outing to Lillydale Lake

Immature Darter photo © Valerie Fowler

Despite an uncertain weather outlook, six intrepid birders

turned up to our Lillydale Lake outing. As it happened, the

day turned out nicely with no rain and indeed some

occasional pleasant sunshine.

Despite the boardwalks across wetland cell 2 being closed for

installation of non-slip decking boards, the birding outcomes

were surprisingly good. Maybe if we had been playing cricket,

getting out 1 short of the half-ton might have been

disappointing, but as bird-watchers, we were pleased with a

total of 49 species seen on the day. Highlights were Whistling

Kites (group of 3 seen), an Azure Kingfisher and a Tawny

Frogmouth (both courtesy of Geoff Deason's still sharp eyes),

a lone female Freckled Duck, and a pair of Pink-eared Ducks.

Many of the other usual suspects were seen with an

abundance of Darters, Little Pied and Little Black Cormorants,

Eurasian Coot, Purple Swamphen, Black Duck, Chestnut Teal,

Noisy Miners, both Wattlebirds, Crimson and Eastern

Rosellas, etc.

Tawny Frogmouth photo © Valerie Fowler

Species often seen here but missing on the day included

Crested Pigeon, Egrets, Grey Teal, Long-billed Corella, Black

Cockatoos, and Straw-necked Ibis. Better luck next time.

All six of us enjoyed the day with the usual picnic lunch

followed by bird-call. Thanks to all who attended on the day.

Leader: Warren Cousins

Spotted Pardalote photo © Valerie Fowler

Saturday August 11 – Outing to The Hundred Acres, Park

Orchards

As the leader for this outing I felt obliged to turn up. No-one

else did, so this party of one waited in the car as rain fell,

until 9.45, then left. Birds seen: 2 Wood Ducks messing

around in the water cascading down the gutter. Michael Feller

A latecomer added 4 more species: Common Bronzewing,

Eastern Rosella, Spotted Pardalote and Grey Fantail.

Tuesday August 14 – Hummingbird Encounters, talk by

Peter Fowler

Peter’s talk was designed to show us the wonderful species of

Hummingbirds he had seen on two trips to South America.

Valerie introduced his talk with some history (some a bit

gruesome) about hummingbirds which included Aztec

warriors, who wore a talisman of hummingbird feathers on

the left wrist. About collections of hummingbirds by and for

John Gould (in 1881 upon his death 5,378 stuffed

hummingbirds were donated to the British Museum). The sale

of hummingbird skins and feathers for the hat and fan trades

in the 1800s (one order in 1892 for a London dealer was for

40,000 hummingbird feathers). Hummingbird heads and

feathers were also incorporated into jewellery in the 19th

century and 10 years ago it was discovered that

hummingbirds were still being sold on the black market in

Mexico as love charms.

We were then given some facts about the physiology of

hummingbirds: size, metabolism, flight patterns and

movement, breeding, plumage, beak shape and size and the

interesting function and mechanism of their tongue.

Peter then showed us a map of the countries he had visited:

Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia and the number of

hummingbird species that could be found there. He had

grouped the hummingbirds he had seen by altitude as many

species are found in the Andes Mountains in several

countries. The first group were coastal and lower altitudes,

then medium altitude, followed by high altitude species.

There was also a section for species which occur in the

Amazon basin and another which occurs along the Caribbean

coast and Santa Marta Mountains which are isolated from the

Andes.

Lyrebird Tales

September 2018 11

Long-tailed Sylph photo © Peter Fowler

Sword-billed Hummingbird photo © Peter Fowler

As Peter showed each species he described their habitat and

some interesting facts about the bird. We saw the large

hummingbirds and ones with long tails (Trainbearers and

Sylphs) or small hummingbirds with ornate (Booted Racket-

tail) and very flexible tails (Marvelous Spatuletail). There

were hummingbirds with florescent breast plumage or bibs

and the similar sized female, a rather drab version of the

male. It was interesting to see the different sized beaks and

we learnt that the ones with the shorter bill stole nectar from

flora with long corollas by piercing the flower at its base.

There were long straight bills, the most impressive being that

of the Sword-billed Hummingbird; Pete explained how it

snapped at insects in flight and used its extra dexterous feet

to preen its back feathers. The hermit species had wonderful

curved beaks and others with slightly curved or wedge

shaped bills. Perhaps the most unusual looking species was

the different Pufflegs which had anklets of fluffy white

feathers.

We were treated to a smorgasbord of hummingbirds from

genus with names such as Emerald, Woodstar, Inca,

Thorntail, Lancebill, Violetear, Sunangel, Starfrontlet, Brilliant

and many more with a total of 106 species.

Glowing Puffleg photo © Peter Fowler

Ruby Topaz Hummingbird photo © Peter Fowler

Peter pointed out that sometimes the Hummingbird Moth is

mistaken for a very small hummingbird when it occurs in the

same area and that not all hummingbirds are brightly

coloured showing a Leucistic Anna’s Hummingbird which was

seen at the Australian gardens of the University of California,

Santa Cruz.

The talk concluded with video footage showing franticly

feeding of hummingbirds at the 30+ nectar dishes at the

Enchanted Garden near Bogota, Colombia. Pete showed the

beautiful and special infrequent visitor – the Ruby Topaz

Hummingbird, this was a bird we had seen incorporated into

a pair of ear-rings at the beginning of the talk. Pete’s show

finished with a smile; an image of an American man with a

red hardhat with several hummingbird feeders attached

complete with live birds enjoying the nectar.

Thank you Peter (and Valerie) for a wonderful talk

accompanied by photos of hummingbirds of all colours of the

spectrum. It must have involved hours of photography and

work to put together such an eclectic display, such is your

fascination with hummingbirds.

Lyrebird Tales

12 Lyrebird Tales

Birdlife Yarra Valley

email: yarravalley@birdlife.org.au

Postal address: Birdlife Australia, Yarra Valley Branch, P.O.

Box 1172, Healesville, Vic. 3777.

Meetings are held in the Badger Creek Hall Meeting Room at

7.45 p.m. Badger Creek Rd. Badger Creek

(next to CFA). Melway Edn 39 278 F8.

Meetings and Outings automatically cancelled on days

of Total Fire Ban in the Central and North-central Fire

Districts. (Central unless notified otherwise)

Calendar September to December 2018

September

Saturday 8 - Outing to Kurth Kiln Regional Park Gembrook

at 9.30 a.m. Directions: Melway Edn 39 page 14 R10. If

coming from Lilydale on the Warburton Highway turn right

just before Woori Yallock on to the Healesville-Koo-Wee Rup

Rd. After approx. 10 kms turn left into Beenak Rd and follow

to Kurth Kiln Picnic and camping area.

Tuesday 11 – Meeting – Speaker Valerie Fowler Subject:

Birds in street art

Wednesday 26 – Outing to Botanic Gardens Cranbourne at

9.30 a.m. Directions: Entry from Ballarto Rd and follow to

Visitor Centre car park. Melway Edn 39 134 A10.

October

Tuesday 9 - Meeting - Speaker Marian Weaving, Subject:

Tawny Frogmouths in the urban environment.

Saturday 13 – Outing Yea Wetland. Meet at 9.30am at Yea

Wetlands picnic area Melway Edn. 39 X910 Q8 North-central

Fire District ( this outing may continue to Ghin Ghin Bridge

Cathkin Reserve, Cathkin)

Wednesday 24- Outing Mount St Leonard at 9.30 am.

Directions: Take the Mt Leonard/Myers Creek Rd from

Healesville. Look for the Mt St Leonard Lookout Tower sign &

turn right into Monda Track. Meet at the large gate Melway

Edn 39 X912 RI. Central and North Central Fire Districts.

There will also be an opportunity to continue on to the

Seismic Station in Toolangi.

November

Saturday 10 - Survey in Coranderrk Bushland 9.30 a.m.

Directions: meet at Gate 1 Badger Ave, Badger Creek

opposite Fleay Rd. Melway Edn 39 278 F10 Gate will close at

9.30 sharp

Tuesday 13 – Meeting – Speaker Manfred Hennig Subject:

Queensland/ Atherton Tablelands

Wednesday 28 Outing to RACV Healesville Country Club at

9.30 a.m. Directions: Healesville-Kinglake Road, Healesville

Melway Edn 39 269 J12. Meet at 1st car park just inside the

entrance on the right.

December 2018

Saturday 8 – Christmas Break-up at Badger Weir Park 9.30

a.m. Directions: Melway Edn 39 278 K9 or Page 10 Q5 Follow

Badger Weir road to park. Meet at picnic spot near toilets.

(Note: if Badger Weir Park is still not open meet at

9.30 at Healesville Sporting Complex on Don Road,

look for Birdlife sign)

Calendar January to March 2019

Basic Dates only. Check September newsletter for

further details

January

Tuesday 9 – Meeting, Video night

Saturday 12 – Breakfast with the birds at Maroondah

Reservoir Park, Healesville at 8.30am. Bring your own

breakfast. Walk will commence at 9.30am. Park in main car

park. Directions: Melway Edn. 39 270 K10.

Wednesday 23 - Outing to Warburton Trail, Seville to Killara

return, carry lunch. Meet at site of Seville Railway station just

past intersection of Station Rd and Victoria Rd. 9.30am.

Directions Melway Edn 39 119 K7

February

Saturday 9 - Outing to Wittons Reserve, Warrandyte State

Park at 9.30 a.m. Park in car park at end of Reserve Rd,

Wonga Park. Melway Edn 39 24 K6.

Tuesday 12 – Meeting. Speaker and subject TBA

Wednesday 27 - Proposed outing to Western Treatment

Plant by bus. Places limited. Book your place and get further

details email: yarravalley@birdlife.org.au

March

Saturday 9 - Outing to Wild Dog Creek Rd, St. Andrews at

9.30 a.m. followed by Boomers Reserve. Directions: Drive

down Wild Dog Creek Rd (off Heidelberg – Kinglake Rd) for

1.5km to parking spot. Melway Edn.39 395 B5. Nearest

toilets at St Andrews.

Tuesday 12 – Meeting. Speaker and subject TBA

Wednesday 27 – Outing to Latrobe University & Wildlife

Reserve, Bundoora. Meet at entrance to reserve at 9.45 am.

Directions: La Trobe Ave, Bundoora. Melway Edn.39 19 G5