Dec 2017 bird survey

Some common land-based bird species were recorded in higher than usual numbers, especially White-plumed Honeyeaters. The eight Noisy Miners seen along Todd Road were of concern; we hope they will not extend their range into Westgate Park.

All lakes, smaller water bodies and the dam are now at their highest levels since the wet summer of 2010-11, thanks to 113mm of heavy rain in early December. Wetland conditions look excellent, but waterbird numbers remain low. Nevertheless there is breeding activity amongst the few Dusky Moorhens, Eurasian Coots and Black-winged Stilts in the park.

One interesting sighting: a single Darter flew over the park on 16 November. 

SpeciesNo. seenSpeciesNo. seen
Brown Quail Galah 
Black Swan    2+ 2DLittle Corella 
Australian Shelduck Sulphur-crested Cockatoo 
Australian Wood Duck Rainbow Lorikeet21
Pink-eared Duck Musk Lorikeet  
Australasian Shoveler Little Lorikeet  
Grey Teal 9Purple-crowned Lorikeet 
Chestnut Teal 50Eastern Rosella 
Pacific Black Duck7Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo 
Hardhead13Fan-tailed Cuckoo 
Australasian Grebe2+ 3DSouthern Boobook 
Hoary-headed Grebe 8Barn Owl 
   Rock DoveSacred Kingfisher 
   Spotted Turtle-Dove32 *1Superb Fairy-wren 40+16 blue *1
   Common Bronzewing White-browed Scrubwren5
   Crested Pigeon6Brown Thornbill 
Darter Spotted Pardalote 
Little Pied Cormorant *1White-plumed Honeyeater45+*3
Great Cormorant Noisy Miner8
Little Black Cormorant*14Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater 
Pied Cormorant*2Little Wattlebird7
Australian Pelican*1Red Wattlebird45+ *3
Eastern Great Egret New Holland Honeyeater20+
Cattle Egret White-naped Honeyeater 
White-faced Heron  Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike 
Nankeen Night-Heron White-winged Triller 
Australian White Ibis Golden Whistler  
Straw-necked Ibis Grey Shrike-thrush 
Royal Spoonbill Grey Butcherbird 
Black-shouldered Kite Australian Magpie*1
Whistling Kite Pied Currawong 
Brown Goshawk Grey fantail 
Little Eagle Willie Wagtail13
Nankeen Kestrel Little Raven28
Brown Falcon Satin Flycatcher 
Australian Hobby Magpie-lark16*1
Peregrine Falcon Flame Robin 
Purple Swamphen5Rose Robin 
Buff-banded Rail Eurasian Skylark 
Baillon’s Crake    Golden-headed Cisticola 
Australian Spotted Crake    Australian Reed-Warbler2
Black-tailed Native-hen    Little Grassbird 
Dusky Moorhen (3 on nests)6+ 4D+ 2D+ 1DSilvereye 
Eurasian Coot (3 on nests)16+ 2DWelcome Swallow60+ 
Black-winged Stilt (1 on nest)15+ 3D+ 1DFairy Martin 
Black-fronted Dotterel1Common Blackbird21
Red-kneed Dotterel Common Starling80+*6
Masked Lapwing  *2Common Myna10
Latham’s Snipe Red-browed Finch 
Crested Tern House Sparrow35+*15
Pacific Gull Australasian Pipit 
Silver Gull170 *140European Greenfinch 
  European Goldfinch2

Number of Bird Species Wetland dependent & Raptors 18   Land based 22 Total 40

Other animals: Common Froglet Crinia Signifera heard. Emperor Gum-moth Opodiphthera eucalypti – 4 cocoons with holes indicating adults have emerged.

* seen at/along Yarra River only.  D- Denotes dependent young plus number of separate broods.

Habitat: The water levels in all lakes, smaller water bodies and the dam are now at their highest level since the wet summer of 2010-11 thanks to 113mm of heavy rain in early December. Despite what look like excellent wetland conditions, the numbers of water birds remain low, but there was breeding activity with the few Dusky Moorhens, Eurasian Coots and Black-winged Stilts in the park. 

Some of the land based bird species commonly seen in the park were recorded in higher than usual numbers, especially White-plumed Honeyeaters. The eight Noisy Miners seen along Todd Road were of concern and it is hoped they will not extend their range into Westgate Park.

Interesting/notable sightings:  A single Darter seen in flight over the Park on 26 November

DateSpeciesNo. seenObserver
4 NovWhite-faced Heron1George Fotheringham
4 NovEastern Great Egret1George Fotheringham
5 NovHorsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo1George Fotheringham
5 NovGrey Butcherbird1George Fotheringham
9 NovNankeen Kestrel1George Fotheringham
16 NovDarter1George Fotheringham