Dowdle Swamp (again)

An hour or so at the north west side of Dowdle Swamp this afternoon yielded 45 species. Best of which the Bush Stone-curlew which has been seen on and off ,was back again. A Western Gerygone was also a first sighting for here.

There are many ducks breeding, mostly Grey Teal and also Hardhead. It worries me what will happen to all these birds when duck shooting starts in a few weeks.

Quail at Home (Wilby)

It has been a fantastic year for quail. I have recorded 4 species at home in the paddocks behind the garden, and even Little Button-quail in the garden itself.


A walk this evening along Martin Street behind home was sensational for quail. Martin Street is the most northern street in Wilby and has a few houses but most of the land in wheat and canola paddocks. Many Stubble Quail were calling and flushed. Two Brown Quail also seen. One Little Button-quail was near the corner with the Yarrawonga Rd. Then the best bird of all, a female Red-chested Button-quail. I had been hearing this species on and off over the last few months at night, never seen one though. Then I flushed one from the weedy edge of a canola crop. Excellent!!!

Looking south over the paddocks were many quail have been seen.

Spotted Harrier and Nankeen Night Herons also good sightings for the day.

Ovens Valley

I have a tour in a week around the Bright-Mt Buffalo area so I thought it would be a good idea to check out the area before it started.

Unfortunately my camera card died so I don't have any pictures.

I checked out Mt Buffalo, highlights being a Pilotbird calling at Lake Catani and Red-browed Treecreeper at Rollasons Falls. Around Bright Satin Bowerbird, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo and Gang-gang Cockatoo were some nice birds.

I finished off the day at Myrtleford Sewage Ponds and nearby at Reform Hill State Forest, a Leaden Flycatcher at the latter. At the sewage ponds a nice selection of ducks and some drier forest birds in the box-stringybark forest behind the ponds such as Fuscous Honeyeater, White-throated Gerygone, Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo and Dusky Woodswallow.

92 species for the day.

Boweya Forest in February

A late afternoon visit to Boweya Forest was very rewarding with 45 species. Not as many birds as other visits, but numbers and species or birds are usually down in the late summer.

Highlights of this visit were a male Painted Button-quail flushed, White-backed Swallows, Hooded Robin and Rainbow Bee-eaters.

Swifts at home in Wilby

It hasn't been a cracking year from swifts though I have had a few sightings this season. A couple of note over the last few days were 31 White-throated Needletails over home at Wilby on the 06/02/2011 and one Fork-tailed Swift, the first for a long time over home as well today.

There has been plenty of humid unsettled weather with all the rain so far this year, so maybe more to come.