Victoria’s first confirmed Tawny Grassbird has been found at Edithvale wetlands in Melbourne’s south-east late this month. This bird has been extremely skulking, however it has frequented the same patch of rank grass, reeds and tree Lucerne for some days now, and has rewarded the patient birder with bits and pieces views. A great find!
Victorian Duck Shooting season begins
March 15th saw the start of another full Victorian duck shooting season, one which should never have gone ahead as Victoria’s wetlands are concentrating birds escaping the drought conditions in much of NSW and Queensland.
Already on opening day, 33 illegally shot Freckled Ducks were collected at Lake Lonsdale near Stawell in western Victoria.
In some good news, 8 important wetlands were closed to shooting after pressure from Birdlife Australia and its volunteers. Here is a link to a Birdlife media release just prior to duck opening
http://birdlife.org.au/locations/all-victoria-statewide/conservation-initiatives-vic
“Probable” American Golden Plover still being seen at Point Cook
More and more birders are heading to Point Cook to scan through the Golden Plover flock in the hope of sighting an AGP. With the birds starting to acquire summer plumage it is an ever-changing scene, which is leading to some confusion in deciding which bird is which. Here is a photo of a contender for AGP
Birder sinks in quick-sand
The hazards of chasing birds caught up with a very keen Victorian birder recently, when trying to get better views of the rare SEAsian race affinis of Gull-billed Tern at Stockyard point in Westernport. It was a close shave indeed, and only once shedding multiple layers of optical equipment could said birder escape the gluey sand which was up to his thighs.