27th February 2011
* Mia Mia Track – flock of 8 Diamond Firetails [Cameron Hubbard].
24th February 2011
* Gully Track, Welshmans Reef – Diamond Firetails (flock of ~ 20), Pallid Cuckoo (immature), Rainbow Bee-eaters, White-throated Gerygone [Cameron Hubbard].
22nd February 2011
* Lignum Swamp – alive with birds … Masked Lapwing, Pacific Black Duck, Chestnut Teal, Grey Teal, Australian Shelduck, Musk Duck, Blue-winged Shoveler, Purple Swamphen, Eurasian Coot, Dusky Moorhen, Black Swan, Hoary-headed Grebe, Little Pied Cormorant, Swamp Harrier, Brown Falcon, Little Grassbird, Stubble Quail (calling) and Clamorous Reed Warbler.
* Rodborough Rd – single Australian Hobby.
Australian Hobby, Rodborough Road, 22nd February 2011
21st February 2011
* Rise and Shine Bushland Reserve – 2 White-throated Needletails seen flying purposefully south. No real sign of storm clouds. This is only my second sighting of the summer.
20th February 2011
* Clark’s Road, Moolort Plains – Red-kneed Dotterels [see post], Black -fronted Plovers and Stubble Quail ( a number seen and many heard calling).
* White’s Swamp – Purple Swamphens (numerous birds appear to be sitting on nests), Little Pied Cormorant, Pacific Black Duck, Grey Teal and Chestnut Teal, Black-shouldered Kite, Swamp Harrier.
* Lignum Swamp – Purple Swamphen, Eurasian Coot, Little Pied Cormorant, Masked Lapwing, Little Grassbird.
17th February 2011
* Blue-billed Ducks at Lignum Swamp, a couple of Intermediate Egrets at Long Swamp and Pink-eared Ducks at Frogmore Swamp were some of the highlights of a trip around the Moolort Plains today.
16th February 2011
* This evening at the Rise and Shine – a single White-throated Needletail (my only record so far for the summer), Black-chinned Honeyeaters feeding young, Restless Flycatcher, Dusky Woodswallow, Brown Goshawk, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike family of 4.
15th February 2011
* Female White-winged Triller near junction of Spring Hill and Sullivan’s Tracks this evening. Not many other birds about but heard Crested Bellbird and Rainbow Bee-eaters.
* Two Painted Button-quail crossing the highway east of the Castlemaine Golf Club … this one didn’t make it!
Painted Button-quail (road-killed), Castlemaine, 15th February 2011
13th February 2011
* This afternoon on the Moolort Plains – an Australian Hobby at Walker’s Swamp, Swamp Harrier at Blackmore’s Swamp and a Whistling Kite at Joyces Creek. Australasian Grebes still nesting at Lakeside Swamp.
11th February 2011
* Little Eagle and two Wedge-tailed Eagles over Cemetery Road, Newstead. No sign of the Rainbow Bee-eaters since the last observation – wonder if they have departed?
8th February 2011
*Rainbow Bee-eaters back near the nesting tunnel north of the bridge near the Newstead Cemetery.
6th February 2011
* Square-tailed Kites – juvenile and adult at Strangways [see post]
5th February 2011
*Pair of Whistling Kites at intersection of Midland and Pyrenees Highways, Newstead
Whistling Kites, Newstead, 5th February 2011
4th February 2011
*Square-tailed Kite – well grown nestling with one of the adults also seen gliding overhead, adjacent to the water race near Atkins Lane.
30th January 2011
* Speckled Warblers in a mixed feeding flock with thornbills in shrubland on the crest at Gough’s Range.
* Crested Bellbirds heard calling near Spring Gully Track.
27th January 2011
* Pair of Painted Button-quail flushed from native grassland under Yellow Box on the slopes of Mount Tarrengower.
25th January 2011
* Family of Crested Shrike-tits at the Rise and Shine.
22nd January 2011
* Australian Hobby passed overhead near the Recreation Reserve at 8pm this evening.
18th January 2011
* A tour around the Moolort Plains swamps produced the following: Pacific Heron, White-faced Heron, Swamp Harrier (White’s Lane), Nankeen Kestrel, Brown Falcon plus a host of the usual waterfowl – Black Swan, Wood Duck (with tiny ducklings), Pacific Black Duck, Grey Teal. Also a Purple Swamphen building a nest at Baker’s Swamp … and an Eastern Brown Snake!
15th January 2011
* Whistling Kite, Little Eagle and Rainbow Bee-eaters all seen from the centre of town. Purple-crowned and Musk Lorikeets are around at the moment but the number of ‘Muskies’ seems to have dropped off.
10th January 2011
* Whistling Kite and Black-shouldered Kite on west side of Loddon near the Newstead Racecourse.
* Australian Hobby seen cruising west over the Loddon River, downstream of the highway bridge this evening. Also a native Water-rat Hydromys leucogaster seen near the pilefields.
8th January 2011
* Wedge-tailed Eagle – perched above the small bush dam near the junction of Spring Hill and Sullivan’s Tracks.
5th January 2011
* Frogmore Swamp – Peregrine Falcon [location], Swamp Harrier, Whistling Kite, Nankeen Kestrel, Little Pied Cormorants (young just fledged), Pacific Heron (2 nestlings about to fledge), Musk Duck, Pink-eared Duck, Wood Duck, Pacific Black Duck, Grey Teal, Chestnut Teal, Hardhead, Hoary-headed Grebe, Australasian Grebe, White-faced Heron, Australian Pelican (10), Great Cormorant, Dusky Woodswallow, Cockatiel, Straw-necked Ibis, Sacred Ibis, Dusky Woodswallow, Little Grassbird, Clamorous Reed-warbler, Red-rumped Parrot, Eurasian Coot, Black Swan.
Juvenile Pacific Herons at nest, Frogmore Swamp, 5th January 2011
* Boundary Gully Rd – party of 3 Black-shouldered Kites, Swamp Harrier, Brown Falcon (2).
Swamp Harrier, Boundary Gully Rd Moolort Plains, 5th January 2011
4th January 2011
* Pallid Cuckoo – Newstead Cemetery
2nd January 2011
* Black-eared Cuckoo (calling) near gravel pits at Rise and Shine.
* Red-browed Firetails nesting along the Loddon River north of the highway bridge in Gorse.
Red-browed Firetail nest, Loddon River Newstead, 2nd January 2010
30th December 2010
* White-winged Triller near junction of Spring Hill and Sullivans Track – first observation for the summer. Also a party of White-browed Babblers.
* Hooded Robin (male) on Mia Mia Track.
29th December 2010
* Frogmore Swamp – Swamp Harrier, Whistling Kite, Little Corella, Cockatiel (pair), Little Grassbird, Hoary-headed Grebe, Black Swan, Pacific Black Duck, Wood Duck, Australian Shelduck, Grey Teal, Hardhead.
* Little Eagle between Joyces Creek and Newstead.
27th December 2010
* Frogmore Swamp – Swamp Harrier, Hardheads and Black Swans with ducklings and advanced cygnets.
* Catholic section of the Newstead Cemetery – Pallid Cuckoo.
26th December 2010
* While watching Rainbow Bee-eaters at the Newstead Cemetery – family of four Laughing Kookaburras, Brown Falcons (2), Wedge-tailed Eagle, Brown Goshawk, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike and Red-browed Firetails.
25th December 2010
* Sacred Kingfisher in large River Red-gums near Highway bridge.
19th December 2010
* Olive-backed Orioles (a number heard), Rainbow Bee-eaters and Crested Bellbird in the area around Mia Mia and South German Tracks late this afternoon.
17th December 2010
* Little Eagle seen over the Loddon River Highway bridge at 3.30pm today. Musk Lorikeets continue to be the most common and conspicuous bird around the Newstead township.
15th December 2010
* Muckleford Gorge – Rufous Whistler, Brown Treecreeper, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Superb Fairy-wren, Brown Falcon (pair), Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Laughing Kookaburra.
14th December 2010
* Walker’s Swamp – Australian Shelduck, Pacific Black Duck, Chestnut Teal, Grey Teal.
* Blackmore’s Swamp – Black Swan (nesting).
10th December 2010
*Lakeside Swamp – Eurasian Coots and Australasian Grebes both with small swimming chicks, Purple Swamphen (nest with 5 eggs), Hardhead – two pairs with ducklings, Black Swan (with nest), Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Pacific Heron, Whistling Kites (2).
* Joyces Creek – Musk Duck, Dusky Moorhen (nest with 5 eggs), Little Pied and Little Black Cormorant, Great Cormorant.
Musk Duck, Joyces Creek, 10th December 2010
6th December 2010
* Great Egret at Baringhup township swamp
* Lakeside Swamp – Eurasian Coot, Purple Swamphen and Australasian Grebes all sitting on nests plus an Intermediate Egret.
* Long Swamp – Small colony of breeding Black-winged Stilts.
* Frogmore Swamp – Pink-eared Ducks ~10, Black Swans with four cygnets plus a small flock of Whiskered Marsh Terns.
5th December 2010
* Rise and Shine – Pair of Boobook Owls with two downy young [see post]. Also Rufous Songlark calling at northern edge of the reserve.
Adult Boobook Owl, Rise and Shine, 5th December 2010
3rd December 2010
* Black-chinned Honeyeaters, White-browed Babblers, Peaceful Dove, Rufous Whistler and Crested Bellbird (heard) near junction of Spring Hill Track and Sullivans Track at 7pm this evening.
1st December 2010
* Pair of Great Egrets on the wetland north of Lakeside Swamp. Australasian Grebes nest building at Lakeside Swamp.
* Small numbers of raptors seen across the plains: Black-shouldered Kite (4), Nankeen Kestrel (3) and Brown Falcons (3) between 5pm and 6pm.
Natural Newstead 