Grey Fantail on its nest at Devilbend. Image courtesy of Jack Krohn.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the Western Port Biosphere Bird Search “Big Day” on Sunday 21 October. You helped to find 105 species.
Highlights included:
- Many families of Cape Barren Geese on Phillip Island.
- A solitary Little Penguin along with Kelp Gulls, Sooty Oystercatchers and a Black-faced Shag at The Nobbies.
- Parties of Bar-tailed Godwits and Red-necked Stints and a resting Caspian Tern on the falling tide at Observation Point.
- A pair of Brown Goshawks plus assorted waterbirds including Black-winged Stilts and Australian Shelducks at Fisher’s Wetland.
- A flock of Cattle Egrets near Bayles.
- Eastern Spinebills, Brush Cuckoo and singing Rufous Whistlers (plus various orchids) at Mt Cannibal.
- Pink-eared Ducks at the Pakenham wastewater treatment plant.
- Four cuckoo species, Swamp Harrier (plus an Echidna and a Southern Brown Bandicoot) at RBG Cranbourne.
- Another Swamp Harrier, a nesting Grey Fantail and calling Little Grassbird and Clamorous Reed Warbler at Devilbend.
The Big Day route commenced at The Nobbies, Phillip Island (Bass Coast Shire) and included stops at Observation Point (Rhyll), Mt Cannibal Reserve (Garfield North, Cardinia Shire), Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne (City of Casey), Langwarrin Flora and Fauna Reserve (City of Frankston) and Devilbend Park (Mornington Peninsula Shire) – thanks to Parks Victoria for permission to enter. Additional stops were made at Fisher’s Wetland on Phillip Island, Pakenham Wastewater Treatment Plant (quick look through the gate) and Rossiter Road wetland (part of Eastern Treatment Plant, City of Frankston). Records were also kept of birds observed while driving through the Biosphere from point to point.
Full-day participants were Rob Gell, Jack Krohn, Jenny and Phil Krohn, George Pergaminelis, and (from Birdlife Bass Coast) Elizabeth Shaw and Darren Callesen. They were joined by Tim Sturges (Koo Wee Rup Secondary College) on Phillip Island; Charlie Clarke (Woodleigh College) at Mt Cannibal; Clare and Thea from Biosis at RBG Cranbourne, Langwarrin and Devilbend; Marian (also from Biosis) at Langwarrin and Devilbend; and local resident Kate Roper at Devilbend.
Best of luck to all teams in the Bird Search for the rest of this week. Please confirm if you will be attending the BBQ at Harewood next Sunday at midday (email birdsearch@biosphere.org.au). You are welcome to arrive earlier and see if any more species can be added to the Bird Search list.
