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The Musk Duck
Volume 5 Number 19 September 2021
Pink-eared Ducks – Warren Palmer
CONVENOR’S
Figure 1Blue-billed REPORT
Ducks - Warren Palmer
We now find ourselves heading into the wonders of springtime, having had limited opportunities in
2021 to enjoy our meetings and group outings.
At home there appears to be a competition on how long can the White-throated Treecreeper and the
Common Bronzewing call. Nesting has also started, with two boxes now home for pairs of Australian
Wood Ducks and my family of Magpies already sitting.
The local ABC radio are keen to have a broadcast from the shores of Lake Wendouree in early
October, if it can go ahead, this will be a great opportunity to promote our local Birdlife and branch
leading into the birds in backyard survey count.
Stay safe. I hope to catch up with all in person soon.
Have your bins focused on birds and your efforts support habitat conservation.
Louise Humble
Meetings & Reports
Creswick ‘Winter Wonderland’ Outing,
June 25th Leader: Roy Chester
The multitude assembled outside the old post office in
Creswick at 9:00 am, and cast pensive glances at the
louring sky. The omens were not good. Nevertheless,
we set off to the Landcare Centre and the Oak Gully, in
search of Bassian Thrushes and, well, anything really.
We didn’t see much until we had walked around the
old nursery and along the Centre garden, when we
came across Red-browed Finches, a Golden Whistler, a
Grey Shrike-thrush and some Brown Thornbills.
Little Raven – Doug Wilson
There WERE birds in Creswick! However, continuing
along the Landcare Trail and the lower Le Gerche
Trail back to the cars only gave us White-browed
Scrubwren and Crimson Rosellas.
So we went to Newlyn Reservoir for morning tea,
and started seeing more birds – Whistling Kite,
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, ducks, cormorants,
Pelicans, a Great Egret and some far off small specks
that some confidently predicted were Black-fronted
Dotterels. Those with less acute eyesight remained
to be convinced, so we drove and trekked along the edge of the
Little Pied Cormorant – Doug Wilson
reservoir in dwindling numbers, but not before Goldfinches and a
Golden-headed Cisticola were spotted. No Dotterels though.
We returned to Creswick and Calambeen Park for lunch, and circled the lakes. A lone Australasian
Swamphen revealed itself in, of all places, the swamp (usually falling over them much earlier than that)
and then we headed up onto the woodland track (above the lake track) and found a small group of trees
containing one Common Bronzewing and at least three species of Thornbill – Yellow, Striated and Brown.
The views of the Yellow Thornbill were the best some of us have ever had.
From there we followed the Ashtons to a place few of us have seen before – the Creswick Natural
Features Reserve. The track in there was deeply rutted, but we pulled over, parked, and started to
wander. By this time the sky had cleared, the sun was out, and it was very pleasant being out. Especially
when we found at least three Fan-tailed Cuckoos (in JUNE?) a White-Eared Honeyeater and a Scarlet
Robin.
So it turned into a good day after all, with 14 attendees and 59 species seen or heard. The best birds
were the Yellow Thornbills at Calambeen Lakes, and the Fan-tailed Cuckoos at the Creswick Natural
Features Reserve.
Scarlet Robin – Doug Wilson Fan-tailed Cuckoo – Doug Wilson
Page 2.
Meetings & Reports
The Photography of Warren Palmer July 13, 2021 Warwick Remington
After a lifetime of bird-related activities,
Warren devoted himself to bird-watching and,
particularly, bird-photography in his
retirement. He travelled widely throughout the
country, on general expeditions to key areas
and, also, hunting out some specific rarity.
With 60 years of friendship and shared avian
interests, he and Warwick must have been a
great team – a mutual “brains trust”, with one
or other thinking of the next destination and
then both enjoying the outcome. Close
alliances were also formed with many other
enthusiasts, nationwide, sharing good-natured
rivalry and enjoyable times along the way.
Of the 460 species seen, Warren managed to
snap 400. His meticulous attention to the
technicalities of the task, and wide knowledge
of habitat and behaviour, resulted in extremely
fine images of great clarity and detail. He Peregrine Falcon – Warren Palmer
managed to capture the key features of a
species in a natural pose.
The Western Treatment Plant was their favourite destination (with around 140 visits over 8-10 years),
and many of the images were taken there. These raised memories for those of us who have also enjoyed
seeing the abundance of waterbirds there.
Thanks to Cheryl Palmer for allowing us the privilege of seeing her late husband’s photos. -Shirley Faull
Swamp Harrier – Warren Palmer
Page 3
Female Gang-Gang Cockatoo – Warren Palmer
Meetings & Reports Birding with Warren Palmer I first met Warren way back in the 1960s when we were introduced by our mutual uncle Reg Palmer. Our boyhood hobby of bird’s egg collecting was the initial talking point. Since that first meeting, we kept in touch but didn’t begin birding together until our retirement days. Warren had poor hearing and my eyesight was not great so together we made a good bird watching pair. Over the last seven years Warren and I have had some wonderful trips together from far North Queensland to Tasmania in the south. There have been numerous trips to the Western Treatment Plant. Warren actually chalked up about 140 visits there, whereas my visits would be more like 40. On our trips down to Werribee, Warren would often ask at the halfway mark if I needed a coffee. That would be his code for “I need a smoke”. Capstan Roll your Own were his favourite. We normally took our own lunch and morning tea on our various outings. The competitive side of Warren and myself always came to the fore when we discussed the virtues of our thermos. Warren always said his kept the water hotter than mine. There are so many memories from the WTP but I will mention a few of the highlight birds. For Warren a couple stand out: Australian Painted-snipe, Stilt Sandpiper, Broad-billed Sandpiper and of course the Tufted Duck in January 2019. Warren’s photo of the Tufted Duck was subsequently published in the Birdlife Australia magazine. The rare and endangered Orange-bellied Parrot is also occasionally seen in the winter months at the WTP. Warren has photographed both wild birds as well as captive released birds at WTP. On two occasions we had the good fortune of guiding two international visitors through the WTP - one from the UK and another group from Texas. Simon from the UK enjoyed his day but the only new bird for his Australian list was the little Zebra Finch. He had seen all of the waders in the Northern Hemisphere and his Australian list was also was quite extensive as well. Warren who was a meat and three veg eater was shocked when I suggested we take Simon from the UK for dinner at an Indian Restaurant in Geelong. Surprisingly, at the end of the meal, Warren suggested that the meal was very nice. In April 2014, Warren and I visited North Queensland, travelling from the Daintree in the North down to Ingham. During this trip Warren sighted 99 new species and was also able to take some nice photos. Seeing the Golden Bowerbird on Mt Lewis was probably the highlight bird. Later that year we had the good fortune of travelling to Lake Tutchewap to see the wonderful (never been seen in Australia) Long-billed Dowitcher. Warren’s photo was a real stunner. After we had good looks at this beautiful bird, we stood back 100 mts from the shore and had a cuppa and a chat with fellow Long-billed Dowitcher – Warren Palmer birders. As we stood there a lady ran over to us, asking where to find the Dowitcher. She was literally shaking with excitement as we directed her to the shore line. It was following this event that I discussed the reason that bird watchers are often called Twitchers. Trust me she was twitching with excitement. Warren, Trevor Lumb and I paid a visit to Barham in 2014 to see Ostriches in the wild. Some say they are domestically released birds but to us they seemed to roam freely. A trip to Deniliquin in 2015 to see the Plains-wanderer with Phil Mahar was a successful evening outing. We also had the good fortune of spotting Inland Dotterels and the lovely Orange Chats. Page 4.
Meetings & Reports
A visit to Ouyen in late 2015 in search of the Major Mitchell Cockatoo was initially rather disappointing, as
we travelled many miles in and around Ouyen without success. We returned to the Ouyen Caravan Park in
the late afternoon for an overnight stay. After checking in to our rooms I heard the distinctive call of the
Major Mitchell. That caused a mad dash outside where we saw a lovely pair drinking from a pool of water
under the Caravan Park tap. We later learned that they were nesting in a nearby tree. Warren took 800
photos in the evening light and eventually was satisfied with a couple of his photos. It was on this trip
that Warren was able to get a quick glimpse and a photo of a Mallee Fowl.
In October 2016 Warren and I camped at Glue Pot Station in South Australia for 2 nights, where we were
able to see a nesting pair of Scarlet-chested Parrots - one o f Australia’s real rarities. Warren captured a
lovely photo of the male bird visiting the nest.
The feature that we both remarked upon was
the brilliant blue head which shone like a
beacon when we first saw the male.
The following month we travelled to Tasmania
for a 5 day visit. As this was Warren’s first trip
to Tasmania it opened the doors to the 12
species that are endemic to the Apple Isle. We
saw the Scrubtit and Black Currawong on the
slopes of Mt. Wellington. We had an overnight
stay at Inala Lodge on Bruny Island, where we
saw Strong-billed Honeyeaters, Dusky Robins
and the wonderful Forty-spotted Pardalote.
Warren’s photo of this little Pardalote was
outstanding. All 12 endemics were seen within
2.5 days.
January 2017 will always be remembered for
Scarlet-chested Parrot – Warren Palmer one exciting sighting at Lake Murdeduke. The
fabulously rare Buff-breasted Sandpiper. To
find this small vagrant Wader amongst hundreds of Red-necked Stints took some birding, but with
patience, a sighting and great photo was achieved. Thousands of Aussie birders took the opportunity over
the few weeks of its stay to sight this little bird. It has not been seen in Australia since.
In June 2017 Warren, Trevor Lumb and I travelled to
Western Port Bay where a Little Stint had been
sighted. Trying to pick it out of a group of 100 Red-
necked Stints was a challenge, but eventually it was
located. The Little Stint is coloured brown rather than
the grey colour of the Red-necked Stint.
A second trip to Cape Liptrap to see the Morepork was
more successful than our trip the previous year.
These little Owls tend to congregate at this Cape in
October before returning to their breeding grounds in
Tasmania.
Warren and I had missed seeing a Letter-winged Kite
on the Patho Plains in 2016, so an opportunity to see
this rare Raptor at Rupanyup in June 2017 was an
opportunity not to be missed. We left Ballarat before
dark reaching Ian Morgan’s farm at Rupanyup at
about 8.00pm. Two young Melbourne birders who had
slept in the car overnight were on the road looking for
this rare species. We agreed to split up and phone one Morepork – Warren Palmer
another if we sighted our quarry. The Melbourne boys
soon phoned and we joined them for great looks at the Letter-wing as it came and went from the same
roadside tree over a period of hours. Warren got an exceptional photo of this bird in flight.
In August 2018 Warren and Brian Nestor travelled to the Sunset Country in South Australia where they
were successful in seeing and photographing the Red-lored Whistler. A very rare arid species bird.
Unfortunately, I was unable to join them on this occasion.
Page 5.
Meetings & Reports
Lake Cullen in Northern Victoria was the
location of another sighting of a rare visitor to
Southern Australia, the Little Curlew. Once
again it was an early start from Ballarat where
we again caught up with the young Melbourne
birders that we met at Rupanyup. We used the
same tactics splitting up to search different
areas of the lake. On this occasion Warren and
I found the bird, allowing us some good views
and photographs before the Melbourne Boys
joined us.
January 2019 saw one of the strangest rarities
turn up at the Western Treatment Plant. The
Tufted Duck never before seen in Australia was
found at the WTP. Warren and I together with
dozens of other birders were able to get good
views of this lovely little duck.
Warren took a good photo of this bird - in fact
his photo was used in the following edition of
the Australian Birdlife Magazine. A real coup
for Warren.
Little Curlew – Warren Palmer
It was a cold night in July when we visited friends Bill and Sandra who own a 121-hectare paddock of
relatively undisturbed native grassland, which has been given over to Plains-wanderers in conjunction
with the Trust for Nature. The Trust has installed listening devices on the property, which allows them to
hear the calls of Plains-wanderers and see that the birds are still occupying this area. Bill continues to
graze his cattle on the property, but always keeps the grass suitable for these little birds.
Warren Palmer, myself and two other friends joined Bill for a spotlighting session to find a Plains-
wanderer. The birds are best seen at night where they can be observed in a spotlight rather than during
day when they just run off into the grass.
We began our search after night fall with two vehicles with spotlights working side by side. It had been
agreed that if either vehicle spotted a bird they would put their hazard lights on to alert the other vehicle.
Great idea provided the other vehicle keeps a close eye on the second vehicle. After about two hours of
searching and sighting the odd Stubble Quail and Pipit our vehicle located a lone male bird. We kept the
bird easily in the spotlight and turned on our hazard lights only to see the other vehicle drive off without
stopping. When this vehicle was probably half a kilometre away we sent our driver over to alert them to
our find. I stood in the cold keeping the bird in the spotlight and noticed that the two vehicles remained
together without coming over our way. Finally, I woke up to the fact that they were unable to see our
spotlight so we were lost. Apparently Bill was killing himself with laughter at our expense. I then decided
to take the light off the bird and flash the vehicles. Fortunately, I was able to re-spot the bird before the
vehicles returned. Our two photographers were able to get some nice photos. A cold night but one that
will long live in my memory.
One of Warren’s last trips occurred in November 2019 with Brian and myself travelling with him to the
Goschen Reserve near Lake Boga to see a nice flock of Crimson Chats that had apparently moved south to
escape the dry conditions further north.
There were numerous other trips that Trevor, Brian and myself enjoyed with Warren. I was however,
never able to talk Warren into a pelagic bird watching trip as he always said he could not swim. I would
say to him when you’re 50kms offshore and the boat goes down I would only last 5 minutes longer than
him.
Warren was a great fan of white vinegar when it came to salad rolls. After being knocked back for its
inclusion in a number of sandwich shops he was finally forced to carry it with him on birding trips.
That Orange Knife. Lunch at the WTP Borrow Pits turned into a supernatural experience for Warren. After
placing his lunch gear on the seat he returned a few minutes later to find an orange knife located on his
seat. Being certain that it wasn’t there earlier Warren was convinced that someone had placed the knife
there in the intervening minutes. He searched everywhere to find the culprit without success. Trevor and I
just let him know that he was losing it. Page 6.
Meetings & Reports Warren loved to share his images on Facebook and his popularity was seen with more than 50 Facebook sympathy mentions following his passing on the 23rd August. He was however, always reluctant to show his photos at meetings for reasons I was never able to understand. During his bird watching days, Warren sighted 460 species and photographed 400 species. He always claimed to be a photographer first and a Twitcher second. – Warwick Remington Lockdown No.5 Enviro project-Pete Sedgwick For some years, I’ve been gradually putting aside natural tree hollows found on our property for potential use as bird, bat and possum boxes. We also have some old or damaged made bird boxes which needed renovation or fixing, and a couple of hollow branches growing in existing old trees which have entrance holes that are too wide for the target species and needed modification. Covid lockdown number five has provided the opportunity to finally start this positive enviro project which I hope will value add to the scarce housing opportunities currently available to our local wildlife, and give us some viewing pleasure. We have planted many hundreds of predominantly local species in wildlife corridors on our property over the past thirty or so years, but they are still too young to have natural hollows formed in them, even though they are providing excellent sources of food and shelter.
Meetings & Reports
Visiting Mildura – 4th-10th July 2021 Roy Chester
Early in July my family and I visited Mildura for a week, and I spent some of the time birdwatching in
various places. I also joined up with Peter ‘Slim’ Dunstan, the secretary of the Mildura branch of
BirdLife, who kindly took me on a personal trip along the edge of the Murray Sunset National Park
on one day, and invited me to join a group outing into the Hattah Kulkyne National Park on another.
The spots I visited by myself included the Etiwanda Wetlands and Kings Billabong, and the city
(Victorian) side of the river. The wetlands consisted of several filtration ponds separated by trees
and tall grass. Lots of potential, but not that many birds on the day, and none you wouldn’t see
elsewhere. Similarly for the billabong, an area with a good reputation but quiet on the day. There
were two Caspian Terns there and sundry Cormorants and Pelicans, but nothing in any number. The
river walk was much better, leading from the town centre to the caravan park – about 5 km. I saw
Blue Faced Honeyeaters, all five inland Cormorants, nesting Whistling Kites, Pardalotes, Red Rumped
Parrots and a wintering Whiskered Tern, very shiny white, unlike the charcoal bodied ones we see in
the summer.
Peter Dunstan was very apologetic about the dearth of birds in the National Parks. The mornings
were extremely cold and he said it might have been keeping the birds further North. It was the
quietest he had seen it in many years. Nevertheless we saw a good number of species, including
Crested Bellbird, Yellow-throated Miner, White-browed Treecreeper, Inland Thornbill and Chestnut-rumped
Thornbill. I was particularly taken by the iridescent jade green wings of the otherwise
uncoloured Splendid Fairy-wrens.
The Mildura branch conduct their outings in a different way to us – they stop at a number of points, and
at each one they spread out in ones and twos and spot/photograph by themselves for 5 minutes or so.
I didn’t ask, but perhaps this is a system for spotting birds in a vast area of similar habitat. I was,
however, very grateful to them for taking me along on the trip. It was a great day.
Mildura city is very American and not particularly
nice to spend time in, but the countryside is
great
and – in the right season and warmer weather –
full of birds. Or so I am told!
Blue-faced Honeyeater – Jenny Garley
Page 8.
Meetings & Reports
Red-browed Finch & Eastern Shrike-tit – Mario Gross
LOCAL BIRDING REPORTS
MULLAWULLAH
DITCHFIELD LANE
Golden Whistler, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo & Galah – Mario Gross
Page 9.
Meetings & Reports
LAKE WENDOUREE
Reported by Ed Dunens from his kayak and from land.
Australian White Ibis have settled in their nests with
eggs and some newly hatched, already!
In the Windmill Drive to Loreto Point area, you can
view a Buff-banded Rail, Nankeen Night Herons in the
still bare Willows and a small group of Freckled Ducks.
All of which are drawing quite a crowd.
Out in the dredging islands Black-fronted Dotterel, a
Wood Sandpiper, Pied Stilt, our sometime resident
Cape Barren Goose, 4 pairs of nesting Black Swans, a
first Reed Warbler, Swamp Harrier, Musk Ducks,
Welcome Swallows, Tree Martin and many White Ibis. Buff-banded Rail – Ron Sawyer
The Tawny Frogmouth are present in the North Garden Wetlands again.
Wood Sandpiper – Ed Dunens
Black-fronted Dotterel – Ed Dunens
Australian White Ibis recent hatchling – Ed Dunens
Magpie Goose
& Nankeen
Night Herons
– Ed Dunens
Page 10.Meetings & Reports Trying times & The Syllabus It is unclear just what the future syllabus will look like with the constant threat of lockdowns and restrictions. The remainder of 2021 is especially affected. It is a challenge to plan very far ahead, so please keep checking your inbox for notifications about meetings and outings. The committee is trying to be as flexible as possible. The only definite change at the moment is that Ron Sawyer will now speak at the November meeting. Ian Clarkesdale Bird Sanctuary News, June - August 2021 Winter 2021 has not been dull at Clarkesdale. With wild weather, above-average rainfall, below- average temperatures, Covid lockdowns, postponements and rescheduling, visits from various groups, the return of birds like Grey Goshawks, Jacky Winters, Scarlet Robins, Orioles, Dusky Woodswallows and bronze-cuckoos, new orchid discoveries, grant reports and scoping, invitations to speak to local groups and first-time visitors keen to learn about the Sanctuary, there has always been something happening! Just this week, a pair of Australasian Shovelers have arrived to sleep and “shovel” on Gordon’s Lagoon with the Grey Teals, Australasian Grebes, White-necked Heron, Little Pied Cormorant, Dusky Moorhen, Purple Swamphens, Lapwings and Pacific Black Ducks. The Grassy Understorey Restoration Project at Clarkesdale across 40ha of natural vulnerable Valley Grassy Forest and endangered Grassy Woodland communities is underway. It aims to improve the condition and increase the extent of the grassy understorey to provide sufficient food and nesting materials/ sites to sustain populations of Diamond Firetails, Red-browed Finches, Spotted Quail- thrush, Painted Button-quail, Blue-winged Parrots and Red-browed Finches, and keen-eyed visitors are already noticing some differences. A pair of Powerful Owls that have recently been spotted in the mid to upper-storey of this project area highlight the excellent habitat values that the other layers of vegetation are already providing, including some very large hollows in old growth trees. With nesting season now underway for a wide range of woodland and water birds at Clarkesdale, including a number of vulnerable and endangered birds, it is an opportune time to remind everyone about the importance of putting the welfare of the birds first when coming to visit in the Powerful Owl – Mario Gross hope of seeing them. BirdLife Australia’s Ethical Birding Factsheet (available on the website’s home page under “Info Sheets”) sets out the key things we can do to avoid placing the birds under stress. Clarkesdale Bird Sanctuary is part of BirdLife Australia’s unique collaboration with Trust for Nature, Greening Australia, Zoos Victoria, Odonata and Bush Heritage Australia, who recently formed the Victorian Landscape Conservation Partnership. The primary aim of the VLCP is to galvanise investment towards enhancing biodiversity values and woodland bird habitat and mitigating the effects of a changing climate in south-west/ central Victoria. I was delighted to have a keen, energetic intern from environmental consultancy Cassinia Environmental join me to undertake work experience between Covid lockdowns in July, sharing the theories, practice, challenges and goals of best-practice habitat management as we worked. Based on the knowledge, skills and aspirations he possesses as a 19-year-old, I think Josh will have a huge positive impact on our natural world through his career. Page 11.
Meetings & Reports
Likewise, I was encouraged by the insights, interest and knowledge of foundational principles
displayed by Federation University’s Conservation and Land Management diploma students as they
“interviewed me” for an assignment as we walked around the Bird Paddock Loop Track considering
various aspects of habitat management such as pest plant and animal control.
In August, I tallied up volunteer contributions in hours and submitted them to DELWP for inclusion
in this year’s Volunteering Naturally report. An incredible 750 hours were volunteered at
Clarkesdale between July 2020 and June 2021 by 44 volunteers. Many thanks to everyone for their
generous contributions. They make such a difference to the Sanctuary and its inhabitants!
On a chilly August morn, BirdLife Ballarat members undertook their quarterly bird surveys at five
2ha sites. Notable records were a Black Kite over the ex-Pine Plantation survey site (with a
Whistling Kite circling over us just after the 20 min
survey time) and Shelducks at Gordon’s Lagoon.
The cuckoos are returning too, with Horsfield’s
Bronze-cuckoo, Fan-tailed Cuckoo and Shining
Bronze-cuckoo both seen and/or heard as we made
our way to survey sites. The next BirdLife
Ballarat surveys at Clarkesdale are scheduled for:
Tuesday November 2nd, 2021 from 8.45am at the
Clare Miller Environment Centre (for 9am start) until
12.30pm at the latest.
A date for your diaries: the next Friends of
Clarkesdale Working Bee will be held with a Covid-
safe
plan in place on Saturday October 2, 10am-12.30pm,
all being well. RSVPs will be essential.
Emily Noble
Coordinator, Clarkesdale Bird Sanctuary
Jacky Winter – Emily Noble
https://www.birdlife.org.au/images/uploads/education_sheets/INFO-Ethical-Birding.pdf
COMMITTEE 2021 EDITOR’S NOTE
CONVENOR: Louise Humble 5341 7718 Many thanks to our contributors to this
SECRETARY: Roy Chester Musk Duck, fabulous photos and reports
TREASURER: Graham Dent during this lockdown period.
CONSERVATION OFFICER: Paul Hammond Let’s hope we can all get together soon.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Anita Hoare, Ian Ashton, On a personal note, I will have been
Peter Sedgwick & Ron Sawyer editing Musk Duck for 5 years next
Bird Report Moderators: Roger Thomas & edition and am due to retire and pass it
Murray Grant on to the next person. Please let me
WEB & NEWSLETTER EDITOR: Jenny Garley know if you are interested in this
jennygarley@hotmail.com wonderful and very rewarding job.
Cheers JennyYou can also read
