Mistletoe Bird by David Ong

To many people, birding may seem an unfathomable pastime, something like train spotting perhaps.

Birding may conjure up images of someone feeding magpies or looking through binoculars at birds in an urban park. Such images of a bird observer may not be accurate.

Perhaps there are as many reasons why people are interested in birding as there are birders.

Some birders wish to see bird species they have not observed before, even if this means travelling to various parts of the country at short notice or trudging through swamps.

Some birders enjoy roughing it, camping in a tent in the remote outback, so that they can see the birds of that region.

Others travel about birding from early morn to dusk but, at night, prefer the comforts of a motel.

Some go on a small fishing boat in rough seas to observe seabirds (a pelagic) whilst others rarely travel far from home.

Apart from conducting surveys, birders are often involved in habitat restoration or protection work.

This sometimes puts birders offside with those who wish to damage bird habitats, e.g. some housing estate developers.

If action is not taken to protect the habitats of birds, bird watching will be more difficult and less enjoyable. That is why more and more stress is being placed on 'conservation' and 'education' and why the name of the parent organisation has been changed from Bird Observers Club to Bird Observation & Conservation Australia.

Birding helps one to better appreciate the natural environment and the inter-relationship between plants and animals.

Sean Dooley's book Anoraks to Zitting Cisticola helps explain birding terms and the strange habits of birders.

This book is one of many reviewed on our book review page.

Our BOCA branch offers members a wide range of birding experiences, from bush camps to 4WD safaris, from local outings to surveys which involve wading in swamps or counting parrots in local forests. You are welcome to join us.

Superb Parrot by David Ong

If you are interested in joining BOCA,you can join online using the BOCA headquarters web site.

If you are a BOCA member and live in the vicinity of Echuca-Moama, there is no additional fee to belong to this Branch. Along the Murray River, there are also branches based on Shepparton/Benalla, Mildura and Albury-Wodonga.

Latest postings

Most pages on this site were updated during January 2010. It may be a good idea to click the reload page button when opening pages on this site in case it has been cached. The page is updated frequently.

The Outings Report page has been brought up-to-date. January 2010.

New photos have been added as part of the masthead on most pages. January 2010.

The recent sightings section has been updated. January 2010.

Coming outings for the 2010 have been posted. December 2009.

News items have been updated with photos and several earlier news items have been deleted. December 2009.

The Parks Section of now contains details of proposed new NSW national parks and reserves. New pages have been added for Warby-Ovens River, Lower Goulburn River and, Heathcote Graytown national parks. The upgrades include pages on the following:

Barmah-Millewa Forest,
Greater Bendigo National Park,
Kanyapella Basin,
Terrick Terrick National Park and Gunbower-Perricoota Forest
Parks and Reserves A to O
Parks and Reserves O to Z .

On the above pages and on this page, some new links were added and dead links eliminated late in December 2009.

 

 

 

Birding Links

1. Photo galleries

2. Birding sites of individual birders (other than photo galleries)

Birds and Birding in Queensland
(Peter Woodall's site)

Birds and Things
(Colin Reid's blog)

Birds of Darwin
(Niven McCrie's Site

Birding in South Australia
(Peter Waanders site)

Bob's Backyard
(Bob Inglis's Site)

Frank O'Connor's site
(WA birds)

3. Birding paraphernalia

5 Sites on specific birds or bird types

6. State or Australia-wide birding sites of groups/clubs

7. Commercial birding sites ~ guides, tours etc

8. Sightings & records

9. Other

This sign pointing to Moama was not photographed any where near Echuca-Moama but along the Quilpie-Eulo Road in south-western Queensland where Moama is the name of an outback property. Photo: K Stockwell.

Echuca and District BOCA

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service invites birders to survey White Ibis in NSW on Sunday 7th February 2010 and record details on this DECCW (NPWS) web site

Bush bird numbers appear to have collapsed in our region. Scroll down or click here to read more.

Scroll down or click here for details of latest interesting / unusual sightings.

Newsletter 59 (February-March 2010) is now on line. Click here to download a copy (pdf file).

Newsletter 57(December 2009 - January 2010 (Newsletter 57) Please note that the meeting place for the 20th June 2010 and Wednesday 11th August outings have been altered since this newsletter was prepared: see coming events or Newsletter 58 for details.

Newsletter 56 (October-November 2009)

)Newsletter 55 (August-September 2009)

 

Our next outings

Once announced, we try to run all outings, but, in case of last minute changes, please check here (or phone the leader) for meeting places and dates a few days beforehand and before travelling a long distance. Please try to arrive about 10 minutes prior to the advertised time, e.g. 8.50am for a 9am departure.

The meeting place for 20th June outing has been changed because the outing is now to Wyuna River Reserve. Click the coming outings button above for a more comprehensive list of outings.

Outings are cancelled if a Total Fire Ban has been declared for the region to be visited. Leaders are wanted for the Bendigo and Kerang outings.

Quarterly surveys
Following a request made by DPI Kerang, the Branch has agreed to assist water authorities and DPI Kerang to carry out quarterly bird surveys on public land at specific locations alongside Gunbower Creek, including Mahers Creek, Splatts Lagoon (the course of Gunbower Creek prior to the construction of The National Channel) and Cockatoo Lagoon. The surveys are associated with assessing the success of environmental works. Fences are being repaired and built to prevent cattle from damaging public land and polluting the creek (which provides drinking water). A volunteer/s is/are wanted to help organise quarterly surveys at Sandhill Farm and Cockatoo Lagoon. Contact Secretary or Dallas if you are prepared to help ease our work load. Next surveys of Splatts Lagoon/Mahers Creek are planned for 1st May, 11th August, 26th October, meeting 9am at the Torrumbarry Hall, Murray Valley Highway Torrumbarry. Volunteers are needed but contact Dallas before coming (see the front page of a newsletter for his contact details).

Saturday 20th February
Campaspe River and Green Lake
Leader: Peter Allan. Visit some bushland reserves along the Campaspe River and Green Lake. Meet 8.20 (for 8.30 departure) in Rochester Lions Park (VicRoads 7th edition, Map 595 N10). Outing cancelled if a Total Fire Ban is declared.

Note: Murray Goulburn Branch has an outing to Reedy Swamp, Shepparton on Sunday 14th March from 9am.

Sunday 21st March
Bendigo: Lake Weeroona and One Tree Hill
Leader: ?. Visit wetland and bushland areas in and around Bendigo. Meet 8.50 for 9am in Lake Weeroona Car Park, Midland Highway, White Hills (VicRoads 7th edition Map 607 U 3). Outing cancelled if a Total Fire Ban is declared for the area.

Note: Murray Goulburn Branch has an outing to Boho South on Saturday 10th April from 10am.

Sunday 18th April
Big day out: Kerang Lakes
Leader: ? Visit some of the Kerang area wetlands containing water. Bring ‘scope and lunch. Meet Atkinson Park, Murray Valley Highway, Kerang (VicRoads 7th edition Map 592 B 5).

Saturday 1 May
Quarterly surveys along Gunbower Creek
Meet outside the Torrumbarry hall at 9am. Please contact Dallas Wyatt if you are coming (download latest newsletter for contact details).

Sunday 2nd-4th May 2010
Three day outings (and a dinner) in the Torrumbarry area
Three consecutive one-day outings in the Cohuna area. Includes a dinner and/or luncheon. Arrange your own accommodation in Cohuna, e.g. in a motel OR camp out on a private property near Torrumbarry Weir.

The outings coincide with a BOCA camp. Camp bookings must be made through BOCA headquarters (seethe February edition of The Bird Observer for details). The outings leave the BOCA camp site at 9am. Contact Keith before coming (download a newsletter for contact details).

Note: a BOCA camp is to be held on a private property near Torrumbarry Weir immediately prior to, during and immediately after these three outings. Those wishing to camp out should book through BOCA headquarters. Those not wishing to camp out should arrange their own accommodation in Torrumbarry or Cohuna. See The Bird Observer magazine for more information.

Wanted: leaders for some of the outings.

PhotoBOCA is planning a digital photography workshop for the Gunbower-Cohuna area over the Melbourne Cup Weekend. Contact PhotoBOCA for details.

Click here for more 2010 outing details

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News Items

Merger Talks
Bird Observation & Conservation Australia and the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union (Birds Australia) are discussing a possible merger. Members are invited to express their views/suggestions by email or mail to the CEO. February 2010.

 

Roadside Vegetation Management Plan
The Campaspe Shire has released a draft roadside vegetation management plan. Our conservation officer, Dallas, is working on a submission. February 2010.

 

Birding brochure
Echuca Landcare Group has asked us to prepare a brochure on the native birds of our area. Several members have contributed photographs and a draft version has been prepared. Interested Branch members may request a draft email copy. The brochure is expected to be modified for use by the Cohuna Landcare Group (which is involved with the construction of a bird walk and bird hide) and the Gunbower Landcare Group. Echuca Landcare Group would like the brochure to be finalised and printed by late January 2010. The Branch has made a donation toward the cost of printing the brochure. December 2009

For a draft copy click here and then click here (two compressed pdf files).

 

Annual General Meeting
Our AGM was held in December 2009. It was well-attended. All 2009 office bearers were re-elected for 2010.

Click here to read a report of the meeting (pdf), including reports from our president, secretary, conservation officer and treasurer.

 

PhotoBOCA camp at Cohuna
PhotoBOCA has decided to run a digital photography camp out in Cohuna in late October and early November 2010 (Melbourne Cup weekend). For details, see the next PhotoBOCA newsletter. Our Branch has been asked to help host the weekend. Source: discussions between our president and a PhotoBOCA spokesperson+email exchanges. December 2009.

 

Environmental water for Barmah-Millewa Forest
Forestry NSW has announced that environmental water has been released into several wetlands in the Barmah-Millewa Forest, including that section of the Reed Beds around the bird hide, Walthours and Douglas Swamp, St Helena Swamp, Moira Lake, Gulf Creek, Top Island and Boals Deadwoods. Some water was also released into the stressed Werai Forest (north-west of Deniliquin). These areas have been dry for some time.Some birds have started nesting activity in or in the vicinity of the flooded wetlands, including a pair of Brolgas. Source: meeting attended by a spokesperson for Forestry NSW. December 2009.

View of the Reed Beds from the Picnic Point Bird Observation Structure, December 2009 (Photo: K Stockwell)

* Birds Australia invites members to complete atlas surveys at the above wetlands. In particular, look for Bitterns and report any sightings to Birds Australia asap.

 

Ecological burn at Moira Lake
In view of the success of an ecological burn on Steamer Plain to rid most of it of Giant Rush (Juncus ingens), late in November Forestry NSW burnt a section of the rush-infested floor of Moira Lake. A few days later the remainder of the rushes went up in flames. It is not known if the unplanned blaze was accidental or lit by arsonists. A few days later, environmental water was released into the lake. Despite the consequential poor quality of the water in the lake, several spoonbills and other birds are nesting. Prior to river regulation and irrigation, annual floods used to drown rushes and red gum saplings which had germinated on the floor of wetland areas like Steamer Plain and Moira Lake. Recently, floods have been shallow and less frequent, allowing saplings and Giant Rush to become established. Hopefully these burns will keep the Giant Rush at bay for some time. A previous attempt to burn the rush in Moira Lake was unsuccessful because the lake was not flooded immediately after the burn. Steamer Plain was not flooded but the soil was too dry to enable the rush to regrow. Source: meeting with a spokesperson for Forestry NSW. December 2009

Moira Lake: full following environmental water release. (Photo: K Stockwell, December 2009)

 

Gulpa Island, Moira Forest and Millewa Forest to be a national park
Following an assessment of the Riverina Red Gum and Woodland Forests, NSW Premier Nathan Rees, in one of his last acts as Premier, announced that the Millewa group of forests, including Gulpa Island State Forest and Moira State Forest (including Moira Flora Reserve), is to become a national park. The new park is directly opposite Victoria's recently proclaimed Barmah State Park, thereby creating a large area of conserved wetland forest. The new Premier has stood by the announcement.

There is much local opposition to the proposals of the Natural Resources Commission. Many locals fear job losses, changes to their way of living, poor park management, and an adverse impact on towns such as Mathoura. Opponents, some of whom are climate-change deniers, are very angry with the recommendations of the Natural Resources Commission and VEAC.

The Natural Resources Commission calls for a jointly-managed cross-border Barmah-Millewa National Park and for an increase in the environmental water allocations for the park. Expressing concern about the impact of climate change on Red Gum wetlands, the commission also argued in favour of the creation of ecological corridors and called for changes in forest management practices.

A copy of the final assessment report and its recommendations has been received from the Natural Resources Commission and are available to any member who wishes to read them.

Neither Perricoota-Koondrook Forest nor Campbells Island is to become national park. Both VEAC and the Natural Resources Commission have recognised the importance of the timber industry to Barham-Koondrook and have made a number of recommendations to help the industry adjust to change. But a number of other forest areas are to become reserves, including Werai Forest, Benarca (Regional Park) and Bama (Regional Park). A number of reserves along the Murrumbidgee and Lachlan Rivers are to become reserves. December 2009.

Click here to open a page on Barmah-Millewa Forest (includes a link to a map of the new Barmah National Park)

Click here visit the Natural Resources Commission site from which pdf files of the rep;orts can be downloaded.

 

River Red Gum wetland parks legislation passes both Houses
Both Houses of the Victorian parliament have passed a bill creating new national parks and reserves along and near the Murray River in northern Victoria. The new national parks are Barmah National Park (which includes the former Barmah State Park plus most of Barmah State Forest), Gunbower National Park (which covers about half of the former Gunbower Island State Forest plus riverside reserves), Lower Goulburn River National Park and Warby-Ovens National Park (which includes the former Killawarra State Forest, Warby Range State Park and reserves alongside the Ovens River).

Local MP Paul Weller spoke and voted against the bill.

Some grasslands of indigenous grasses have been added to the Terrick Terrick National Park. Riverside public land has been added to Murray-Sunset National Park.

A number of nature conservation reserves have been announced. Much of the public land alongside the Murray River in Victoria is now a conservation park December 2009.

 

New staff at Headquarters
There have been a number of staff changes at BOCA HQ. Hopefully all members received a Branch newsletter (as usual) with their copy of The Bird Observer. Regional financial members who did not receive the Branch newsletter as usual might contact the Branch secretary or BOCA headquarters so that the situation may be rectified.

Furthermore, The Bird Observer magazine is now to be published quarterly. Members: to keep abreast with Branch news and outing details, please keep an eye on this web site. Also, please make sure we have your email address. December 2009..

 

Some concerns allayed
Following meetings between representatives of conservation-minded groups, including Echuca and District BOCA, DSE, Parks Victoria and local politicians, Parks and DSE have agreed not to burn more bushland around the Campbells Road distillery dams. It is hoped that a new, more scientifically-base, fire plan will be drawn up for Greater Bendigo National Pak, including Kamarooka Forest, this year. Source: discussion at meetings with DSE and Parks managers and with MP's.

Furthermore, we have been led to believe that more emphasis will be placed on controlled burns where forest comes close to homes (especially weedy areas) and there may be few or no fuel-reduction burns in forest well away from homes. This is welcome news. December 2009

 

Travelling Stock Routes and TSR Reserves to be retained
The NSW Conservation Minister, who is also the State's Deputy Premier, has emailed ensuring us that the NSW government has no plans to either sell or lease travelling Stock Routes. Furthermore, the Queensland Government has announced that it is unlikely to dispose of more TSRs. December 2009.

 

$30,000,000 project to improve environmental water delivery on Gunbower Island
The North Central CMA hopes to improve the delivery of environmental water Gunbower Island (the victorian side of the Gunbower-Koondrook-Perricoota Forest) by deepening a channel and carrying out other engineering works. This is in addition to the $60 million to be spent by the Murray CMA on the NSW side of the forest. Gunbower-Koondrook-Perricoota Forest is the second largest River Red Gum wetland in Australia. A DVD of the project has been prepared by Murray CMA.

There is also a project under way to improve the delivery of environmental water to forest and wetlands on Gunbower Island. A DVD of the project has been prepared by North Central CMA.

New national park to protect wetlands
The Australian government has purchased a 5,936 hectare property, Booligal Station, alongside the Lachlan River to gain environmental water. The station, which will become a national park, features about 2,500 hectares of wetlands which attract colonial water birds during flood times. As well as the Booligal Wetlands, the purchase will protect forests, Black Box woodland as well as shrub land and native grassland. June 2009

 

Richardson's (Baillieu's) Lagoon being rehabilitated
A pipeline has been laid from the Murray River to convey water into Richardsons Lagoon at Torrumbarry. Until now, the lagoon has been fed by a creek which, over recent years, has carried irrigation runoff water and allowed carp to enter the lagoon. The lagoon has been polluted with farm chemicals and cattle waste. The pipeline, which will carry cleaner water to the lagoon, has a mesh filter to prevent large carp from entering the lagoon. April 2009

 

Walking Trail opened
A 1.4km walking trail has been constructed on Restdown Station, near Bunnaloo, north-west of Moama. The trail has interpretive signs and passes through a variety of vegetation types.It skirts an ephemeral wetland which attracts thousands of waterbirds when it is full. Unfortunately, prolonged drought means the wetland has not been full for many years. Based on a trail at Banrock Station (Kingston-on-Murray), the trail starts and ends at an underground winery on the property. See the Restdown web site for more details. The trail was officially opened on 26th April, a week after Echuca and District BOCA members visited the property. Unfortunately the interpretive signage had not been installed when we visited but it is now in place.

 

 

 

Bush Stone Curlew (K Stockwell)

See our 'Featured Bird' page for notes about Curlews

Becoming a BOCA member gives you access to members only section of the BOCA HQ web site and enables you to come on BOCA Branch outings in various parts of Australia. By joining a birding organisation, you are assisting in the conservation of Australia's birds and bushland. Join now!

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Interesting sightings

Budgies and Woodswallows at Terricks
Over the Australia Day long weekend, the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria did a fauna survey in Terrick Terrick National Park. Hundreds of White-browed Woodswallows were sighted, along with some Masked Woodswallows. Several flocks of Budgies, numbering up to 20 birds, Diamond Firetails and Painted Button-Quail were observed in the forested area of the Park. Plains Wanderers (male and female) and Little Button-Quail were recorded in several of the grassland paddocks.

Cockatiels
Tere are at least two separate flocks of Cockatiels in Axedale area. One flock consists of approx 60-70 birds while the other is approx 40 birds.They are 10k’s apart, so don’t appear to be the same flock counted twice. Marlene Lyell, January 2010.

Cockatiel Flock near Axedale (Marlene Lyell)

 

A sad tale
At the end of December 2009, armed with information from this web site, a Gold Coast birder, Barney, visited our area.He decided to check out some spots outlined in our Perricoota Road Brochure. Along McKindlay Road, he observed a pair of Superb Parrots nesting in a tree hollow. They had four chicks. A few days later, early in January 2010?), he returned to the spot to observe only the male and one chick. He feared that perhaps the female and the three missing chicks had met a grisly fate. Whilst he was watching (a good distance away from the nest), a raptor (Peregrine Falcon?) dived down and flew off with the adult male, leaving just the one chick. The chick appeared unable to fend for itself and Barney fears it could not have survived.

Birds at Epsom Sewage Ponds
During December 2009, some Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos and three Freckled Duck were observed by members at Bendigo waste water treatment facility (sewage farm).

Leucistic Magpies
In December 2009, a YELLOWISH-BROWN and white Magpie, one of two leucistic birds, was photographed by Michelle Maudsley on her farm south-east of Echuca. Michelle emailed several photos. One appears below and one was published in Country News, a regional weekly newspaper supplement.

One of the two Brown and White Magpies with one of its parents. Photo: Michelle Maudsley.

Nesting Brolgas
In December 2009, two pair of Brolga were observed at Moira Lake by NSW Forestry officers.One pair of Brolgas had a nest

Mysterious Corvid
In December 2009, corvid was observed in the centre of Bendigo (Rosalind Park) which resembled a House Crow because it appeared to have white feathers on its neck: the bird lacked the dark eyes of a House Crow and the nape feathers appear to have been damaged.

Australian (?) Raven with damaged feathers thought, at first, to be a House Crow. Photo: Dr. W Holsworth

Download the latest newsletter for details of other recent sightings and check out Birdline Victoria.

Please email details of unusual sightings in the greater Echuca-Moama district to stocky at echuca dot com dot au

Birdline Victoria: Recent interesting sightings in Victoria over recent days

Birding-Aus: archives of recent sightings and birding gossip

If you observe White-bellied Sea-eagles in Barmah Forest, please pass the information on to me via the above email address so the data can be passed on to Parks Victoria, or report your observations directly to Bruce Wehner of Parks Victoria. In particular, please report nesting activity and the colour of leg bands, if any.

 

 

 

Bush bird numbers collapse

For more than two decades, Echuca and District Branch President Peter Allan has been observing bush bird nests in the eastern Kamarooka section of Greater Bendigo National Park. Peter has observed a decline in active bush bird nests in his study area from over 50 to zilch over that time. Since Peter wrote the following article, things have deteriorated and no active bush bird nests have been seen in his study are for several years. As the notes under Peter's article reveal, he is not the only bird observer to become alarmed. The Victoria Naturally Alliance has now launched a campaign to draw attention to the plight of bush birds.

Silent Spring in East Kamarooka
by Peter Allan (written 6th August 2006)

 

My articles on Kamarooka Forest, now part of Greater Bendigo National Park, appeared in The Bird Observer in January 1997 and in June 2003.

The first covered my favourite tracks and the good birding available in that part of the forest east of the Bendigo-Tennyson Road, the area of the forest which I frequent the most. Some Echuca Branch members will remember the birds and flowers we saw on our earlier trips.

The second article noted the sharp decline in bird numbers although the same species could be found with some difficulty.

The situation has now deteriorated further. The primary cause appears to be the continuing drought conditions of recent years, including 2006, and the lack of regular autumn breaks. While the taller eucalypts and mallee seem reasonably healthy, apart from storm damage, the understorey of Acacia, Cassinia and Hopbush has suffered badly. Being generally small-leafed, thin-branched plants subject to insect and other damage, they rapidly crumble into the litter when they die. As their life span is usually short, regular new growth is essential. Even the remaining stands of shrubs often have many dead branches. Wildflowers and other herbage is decimated (sic) in most areas and any new plants are quickly damaged by rabbits, hares and wallabies.

Number of Bush Bird Nests Observed in East Kamarooka Forest

Year	Bush bird nests
1984-85	Average 33
1986	57
1987	57
1988	74
1989	87
1990	40
1991	50
1992	50
1993	12*
1994	13**
1995	18
1996	18
1997	18
1998	18
1999	18
2000	9
2001	9
2002	3
2003	3
2004	3
2005	7
2006	0
2007	0
2008	0

Note: Peter has averaged figures of some adjoining years (e.g.some nesting was over December and January).
*In 1993 Peter was away for much of the year so the figure is lower than actual.
** 1994 was a drought year and Peter was away early in the Spring.
The figures are for bush birds only and excludes hole nesters such as Rosellas and excludes magpies, ravens, etc.
Observations for 2006, 2007, 2008 have been added.

The overall effect on bird numbers has been dramatic. I have completed nest records for Birds Australia and my own data since returning to the district in 1983. My records of nests examined, including second clutches (see chart) shows an overall decline in the nesting.

Galahs and most other hole nesters were not checked out, nor were Magpies and Ravens so the figures are mainly “bush birds”: honeyeaters, whistlers, thrush types, robins, babblers, flycatchers, woodswallows and thornbills. The figures are affected to some extent by track closures and my absences at times ~ I was away in November of 1993 and in the early Spring of 1994, a drought year ~ and also by the fact that the more nests I found the more often I returned, finding more. Even so, this does not explain the sharp drop in nests recorded.

“Evident now is the lack of territorial song...and the simple absence of birds generally”

Evident now is the lack of territorial song, the collapse of regular nesting areas and the simple absence of birds generally. Even the honeyeaters, more mobile and adaptive, are fewer, particularly Yellow-tufted and Fuscous. The worst affected seem to be those more dependent on low ground cover for nesting and/or feeding, e.g. White-browed Babblers, Gilberts Whistler and Restless Flycatcher.

However much rain we get in the near future, recovery is going to be much slower than after the 1982 drought.

Since Peter wrote the above article, the drought has continued and bush bird numbers have continued to fall. Until recently, Honeyeaters were always observed in numbers at the old distillery dam just off Campbells Road in Kamarooka Forest. When Peter visited during a Challenge Bird Count in early December 2009, not a single Honeyeater was observe there!

The Victoria Naturally Alliance has become concerned and the following is a short extract from their web site:

Victoria could be facing a wave of extinctions following a dramatic crash in bird numbers in the State's Box-Ironbark forests over the past five years. This is the dire warming from new research by leading ecologists Professor Ralph MacNally, Professor Andrew Bennett and Dr Jim Radford....they argue that the collapse in number of so many different bird species strongly suggests that the availability of all food has crashed. Flowering of eucalypt trees, which provide food for nectar-eating birds, appears to have declined greatly with the drought.
You can read more by clicking here.

The Alliance urges concerned persons to contact their local members of Parliament, expressing concern about the demise of our bush bird in the hope that measures may be taken to help them survive the prolonged drought which has hit the region.

Victoria Naturally Alliance: bush birds in trouble

Fact sheet produced by the Victoria Naturally Alliance on the decline of bush birds

Transcript (and video) of the 7.30 Report segment on the demise of bush birds in central Victoria

 

 

 

About BOCA

The Bird Observers Club of Australia has changed its name to Bird Observation & Conservation Australia. The acronym BOCA remains the same.

The name change may help generate public awareness that birds serve as indicators of environmental health and may help attract new members.

Committed to encouraging bird watching as an interest, BOCA's original name did not however, reflect its ongoing dedication to sustain Australian bird life and their natural habitat, as CEO Richard Hunter explains: ''BOCA's nationwide conservation programs are of critical importance to the ongoing preservation of birds and their environment. On a local level we provide advice for concerned branch members and we facilitate and support programs that are vital to preserving birds and their habitat. This advice and education extends to the wider community and the Government', Mt Hunter said.

Some of BOCA's previous conservation activity includes purchasing and donating land to save the Helmeted Honeyeater in Victoria and establishment of the Land for Wildlife scheme. BOCA also manages Clarkesdale Bird Sanctuary west of Ballarat, providing habitat for a wide range of species, and contributes regular input into projects such as the first-class Eagleby Wetlands in South-east Queensland, which regards the needs of native birds to that area as paramount.

If you are interested in joining, there are membership details on BOCA's web site. Branch contact details are listed at the foot of this page.

 

Golden Whistler (photo: Chris Kiely)

Site Map

Home Page of Echuca and District Branch BOCA (this page)
Articles by Members
Articles by members of Echuca and District Branch BOCA
Crosswords: Australasian Birds, birding sites & birding terminology (pdf files)
Avian Crossword 1 (mildly cryptic)
Avian Crossword 2 (semi-cryptic, solution not on line)
Avian Crossword 3 (semi-cryptic)
Solution to Crossword 3
Avian Crossword 4 (theme: Echuca area birds)
Solution to Crossword 4
Avian Crossword 5 (mildly cryptic)
Solution to Crossword 5
Avian Crossword 6 (alternate bird names and birding terminology)
Solution to Crossword 6
Avian Crossword 7(alternate bird names and birding terminology)
Solution to Crossword 7
Avian Crossword 8 (theme: Australian water birds)
Solution to Crossword 8
Avian Crossword 9 (theme: Australian birding spots & rare birds found at them)
Solution to Crossword 9
Avian Crossword 10 (theme: birds of far north Queensland)
Solution to Crossword 10
Avian Crossword 11 (theme: New Zealand birds)
Solution to Crossword 11
Avian Crossword 12 (theme: birding paraphernalia)
Solution to Crossword 12
Avian Crossword 13 (theme: collective nouns for bird species)
Solution to Crossword 13
Avian Crossword 14 (theme: Tasmanian birds)
Solution to Crossword 14
Avian Crossword 15 (revised: inland Australian birds
Solution to Crossword 15
Bird Lists
Outing Bird List(pdf back to back A4 sheet)
Regional Bird List( (pdf brochure)
Terrick Terrick National Park Bird List(pdf brochure)
Birding Guides (first two lines are pdf files)
Barmah l Deniliquin l Echuca-Moama l Gunbower Island l Gulpa Creek l Kamarooka l Kanyapella-Wyuna l
Perricoota Rd. Moama l Terrick Terrick NP
District birding spots (html variant of the nine birding guides plus Barham area
Birding in Kamarooka Forest with Peter Allan (HTML)
Birding Photographs
Birds of Echuca District: David Ong's photo gallery (page 1)
Birds of Echuca District: David Ong's photo gallery (page 2)
Birding outings and reports of outings
Forthcoming regional bird outings
Reports of outings
'Featured Bird': species featured in some recent newsletters with additional material
Featured Birds
Newsletters
Latest Newsletter (pdf file)
December 2009-January 2010 Newsletter (Number 57)
October-November 2009 Newsletter (Number 56)
August-September 2009 Newsletter (Number 55)
Reviews of Birding and Conservation Books
Reviews of birding and conservation books

Most of the above pages were checked and/or upgraded in December 2009 or January 2010.

Documents which are in PDF format can be read using Adobe Acrobat Reader which can be downloaded cost free from the Adobe web site at: http://www.adobe.com.au/products/acrobat/readstep2.html. It is suggested that you update to the latest version as recommended by Adobe for your system. Full versions which enable you to create pdf files can be purchased through Adobe or through most computer stores.

 

Web sites of other BOCA branches and affiliates

Bayside Branch (BayBOCA)
Birding NS
Blue Mountains Bird Observers
Bundaberg
East Gippsland BOC (EGBOC)
Hunter BOC (Newcastle area)
Melbourne Branch (MelBOCA)
Mornington Peninsula (PenBOC)
Murray Goulburn Branch
SunBOC (Mildura and Sunraysia Branch)
Toowoomba Bird Observers
Townsville Region Branch (TRBOC)
National BOCA Headquarters (This is a new BOCA site and replaces www.birdobservers.org.au)

 

Northern Victoria and southern Riverina Conservation and Environment Site

Detailed site map (main index)
Conservation News (updated regularly)
Bushwalking (new version December 2009)
Birding (Echuca and District BOCA site; this page)
Indigenous Plants
Landscapes (a collection of landscape photos from various pages of this site; new version December 2009)
Top 10 Indigenous Plants suitable for horticulture
Plant tour of Moama district
Whipstick Plants
Weeds (Echuca Landcare Group site)
Regional Bushland Reserves (notes on over 100 local reserves, including National Parks, upgraded Dec 2009)
Barmah-Millewa Forest (upgraded and extra photographs added, December 2009)
Greater Bendigo National Park (upgraded December 2009)
Gunbower-Koondrook-Perricoota Forest (upgraded December 2009)
Heathcote-Graytown National Park
Kanyapella Basin (upgraded December 2009)
Lower Goulburn River National Park
Murray River Park
Parks with names starting A through to O (upgraded December 2009)
Parks P to Z (upgraded January 2010)
Terrick Terrick National Park (upgraded December 2009)
Warby Range- Ovens River National Park
Indigenous animals of Echuca and District (Echuca Landcare Group site)
Conservation Links (some new links added, and all links checked, 28 December 2009)

 

 

Coming Events	News Items	Sightings	Birding Spots	Birding Books
Outing Reports	Articles	Featured Bird	Birding With Pete	Bird Crosswords
Local Reserves	Photo Gallery	Gallery 2	Landscapes	Bird List (pdf)
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Fourteenth year on the web.

Click here for the Echuca Landcare Group's site

To contact webmeister email stocky at mcmedia dot com .au
Mail address: Secretary, Echuca & District Branch BOCA, 11 Hillview Ave MOAMA 2731
Site established 1996. Latest upgrade 7th February 2010.