Photo – Tim Sandiford

Tarra Bulga Camp ReportSeptember 9-11-2016 Leaders Ian Ashton and Paul SchillerCamp Organiser & First Aid-Graham Dent

Edited by Jenny Garley

BirdLife Ballarat Tarra Bulga Camp Overview.

Firstly I would like to thank Graham for organising the camp and Paul for leading Sundays outing.

The forecast for the weekend was not good and we certainly had some rain, however the valley sheltered us from the wind and we managed to get out into the rainforest for some excellent birding on Friday and Saturday. We started each day with a 7am pre breakfast walk before each of the main outings. Those who were there on Friday morning enjoyed the most productive walk with Lyrebird seen just over the road from the camp. We then had several walks through the rainforest in preparation for the official start to the camp on Friday afternoon/evening. The much sort after Pilotbird was well seen by two separate groups and great photographs were had. Sadly this was the only sighting for the weekend of these shy birds.

Pilot bird Jenny Sedgwick

A walk along the river/road in the late afternoon produced not only some great views of Gang Gangs but also a Wombat. We managed just one spotlighting walk but failed to see or hear any night birds, although a Boobook did call a little later even though it was raining. Thanks to Pete, two Jenny’s and one Annie for hosting the Friday night get together.

The main outing on Saturday consisted of three rainforest walks starting with the walk to Corrigan’s suspension bridge. Some excellent birds were seen. These included - Lyrebird, Olive Whistler, Flame, Rose and Pink Robins. Some members had good views of a Large-billed Scrubwren. After a late

morning tea/early lunch, we headed off along the Lyrebird Ridge Track but it was very quiet so we moved on to the Tarra Valley Fern Gully walk, although this held few birds everyone agreed it was a magical place. After some free time those who wanted to once again walked up the road where we had good views of Lewin’s Honeyeater and Rose Robin.

Tarra Bulga Camp Report

Rose Robin – KW Superb Lyrebird- KW

At 6pm we met in the camp shelter where Paul, Janene and Graham had a roaring fire going for our Saturday night get together and BBQ. A most enjoyable evening was had by all with entertainment to boot! Janine gave a demonstration of her ability at whistling several tunes to rapturous applause, while Ian decided to resort to poetry, but failed to remember much beyond the opening verse of the Dugite in the dunny down at Eyre! Total embarrassment, mainly to Amanda, maybe next year.

Fan

tailed Cuckoo -KW Lewin’s Honeyeater – JG

Sunday was a much better day weather wise, the sun was out as we drove down the Valley and across to Won Wron State Park. Although a little quiet to start with we soon accumulated some new species for our list Golden Whistler, Crescent Honeyeater, White-eared Honeyeater, Dusky Woodswallow and at last a Fan-tailed Cuckoo we could see not just hear! The best bird was at least two Brown Gerygone high in the tree tops, sadly only a few saw them.

After morning tea we set off for Mcloughlin’s Beach and a walk along the boardwalk. This was a great place where we added Striated Fieldwren, White- fronted Chats and heard little Grass bird. We also saw Great and Little Egrets, Eastern Curlew, Greenshank, and Red-necked Stints, Red-capped Plover and Caspian Tern.

We took shelter at the boat ramp at lunch time to escape the wind. Some members took the opportunity to walk to Ninety Mile Beach and recorded Gannets but were savaged by marauding Mozzies! Apparently the size of small planes! We searched the channel for Hooded plover without luck but added Royal Spoonbill, Swamp Harrier and Little Wattlebird.

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Outings Meetings and Reports

Australian Pelican & Royal Spoonbill – JS

Eastern Curlew - JS

Our last stop was Port Albert, on the road down to the port we were greeted by an immature Sea Eagle that circled above the cars. We were amazed at how fast the tide had come in when we arrived at the car park, but still managed a few more birds Great and Little Cormorants, more Sea Eagles and several larger wader flocks murmuring along the coasts but just too distant to ID. The fish and chip shop proved too much of a draw to some members, and a great gathering of Silver Gulls was created. At this point we said goodbye to those who were heading home, before we returned to camp for a final get together and to share our best birds/moments of the camp.

Thank you for taking part in the 2016 camp, I think the Tarra Vally caravan Park (Fernholm) was a great place to camp with a good range of accommodation from the basic to very nice spacious cabins with wood fires. A mostly enclosed shelter with an open fire to meet in. There were plenty of birds around camp (and a few possums) and of course your very good company.

See you in Chitern next year.

Ian Ashton

SOME CAMP HIGHLIGHT COMMENTS

Fern Gullies, Pilot Birds,Amanda’s marshmallow cooking,convivial group,Fun Saturday night entertainment & BBQ, Rose & Pink Robins,unfinished poetry …….,unexpectedness of lyrebird appearances,Graham’s portfinally seeing the whip bird, olive whistler,being charged by a lyrebird,Cyathea falls and fern walk,White Woman’s waterhole story,3

Tarra Bulga Camp Report

The Beach and the orchids,Great fun around the fire Gang-gang Cockatoo – KW

IOC English Name Your Total

Thu Fri Sat Sun CampTotal

Species 27 43 42 83 94Australian Shelduck 1 1Maned Duck 1 1 1 1 1Pacific Black Duck 1 1 1Grey Teal 1 1Great Egret 1 1Little Egret 1 1Australian Pelican 1 1Little Pied Cormorant 1 1Little Black Cormorant 1 1Great Cormorant 1 1Wedge-tailed Eagle 1 1 1Brown Goshawk 1 1Collared Sparrowhawk 1 1 1Swamp Harrier 1 1White-bellied Sea Eagle 1 1Pied Oystercatcher 1 1Sooty Oystercatcher 1 1Masked Lapwing 1 1 1Red-capped Plover 1 1Eastern Curlew 1 1Red-necked Stint 1 1Greenshank 1 1Silver Gull 1 1Pacific Gull 1 1Caspian Tern 1 1Greater Crested Tern 1 1Australian Ganet 1 1Common Bronzewing 1 1Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo 1 1 1 1Shining Bronze Cuckoo 1 1 1 1Fan-tailed Cuckoo 1 1 1 1 1Southern Boobook 1 1Laughing Kookaburra 1 1 1 1 1Brown Falcon 1 1Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo 1 1 1 1 1Gang-gang Cockatoo 1 1 1 1 1Galah 1 1Long-billed Corrella 1 1Large-billed Scrubwren 1 1Sulphur-crested Cockatoo 1 1 1 1 1Crimson Rosella 1 1 1 1 1Eastern Rosella 1 1Australian King Parrot 1 1 1 1 1Superb Lyrebird 1 1 1 1 1Satin Bowerbird 1 1 1White-throated Treecreeper 1 1 1 1

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Outings Meetings and Reports

Superb Fairywren 1 1 1 1Eastern Spinebill 1 1 1 1 1Crescent Honeyeater 1 1 1 1New Holland Honeyeater 1 1 1 1Brown-headed Honeyeater 1 1 1 1White-eared Honeyeater 1 1White-fronted Chat 1 1Little Wattlebird 1 1Red Wattlebird 1 1 1 1 1

Species Your Total

Thu Fri Sat Sun Camp Total

Yellow-faced Honeyeater 1 1 1 1 1Noisy Miner 1 1Lewin's Honeyeater 1 1 1 1Spotted Pardalote 1 1 1Striated Pardalote 1 1Pilotbird 1 1Striated Fieldwren 1 1White-browed Scrubwren 1 1 1 1 1Large-billed Scrubwren 1 1Brown Gerygone 1 1Brown Thornbill 1 1 1 1 1Yellow-rumped Thornbill 1 1Eastern Whipbird 1 1 1 1 1Dusky Woodswallow 1 1Grey Butcherbird 1 1 1 1 1Australian Magpie 1 1 1 1 1Pied Currawong 1 1 1 1 1Grey Currawong 1 1Varied Sittella 1 1Olive Whistler 1 1 1Australian Golden Whistler 1 1 1Grey Shrikethrush 1 1 1 1Willie Wagtail 1 1Grey Fantail 1 1 1 1 1Magpie-lark 1 1 1 1 1Forest Raven 1 1Australian Raven 1 1 1Eastern Yellow Robin 1 1 1 1Rose Robin 1 1 1 1 1Pink Robin 1 1Flame Robin 1 1 1Welcome Swallow 1 1 1 1 1Little Grassbird 1 1Common Myna 1 1Common Starling 1 1Common Blackbird 1 1 1 1 1House Sparrow 1 1Red-browed Finch 1 1 1 1European Goldfinch 1 1

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Tarra Bulga Camp Report

Although members arrived from Wednesday onwards, the Official camp list (highlighted in blue) started at 7am on Saturday, but as everyone had arrived by Fri PM I have included the Friday night Boobook, that some members heard. I have highlighted the targeted rainforest birds in Yellow. Other possible species that we missed were – Wonga Pigeon, Red-browed Treecreeper, Scarlet Honeyeater, Sooty Owl, Black-faced Monarch, and Cicadabird. Some of these birds had yet to arrive for the season, others may have been at sites not visited. Apologies if I have missed anything. As you can see I have inserted a column for you to enter your own records – Ian

Note from the editor:Photos contributed by JS Jenny Sedgwick, KW Kev Wight, JG Jenny Garley & Tim SandifordThanks to everyone for a great camp, thanks to Ian for his reports & leadership, Amanda for being the list keeper, Paul for leading on Sunday and Graham for organising us.Thank you to the owners of the Tarra Vally Caravan Park for making our stay a most pleasant one.

One last photo of the Lyrebird who charged us and ensured we all got a great look at it. Thanks Jenny G.

Photo JS

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Outings Meetings and Reports

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