|
|
|
It is several years since we have walked around Lake Benalla as a group, so that is what we will do on Thursday 10th October. The lake is an excellent place for finding birds, with huge old red gums, a mid-storey of various wattles, grasses for small birds like finches, and of course the all-important water required by all our local birds. With the warmer weather, we will meet half an hour earlier, at 9am at the carpark behind the Seniors and Community Centre.
Kathy Costello
0 Comments
Our September outing was to Reef Hills State Park, on the southern edge of Benalla. Although the morning was sunny, there was a cold wind blowing, so we had to work hard to identify birds in the waving branches. We moved to a more sheltered area and started seeing a few more birds. They’re not silly. Our birding highlight was a pair of Varied Sittellas; thanks Brian for spotting them. Unlike the treecreepers which move up a tree probing the bark for insects, the smaller sittellas land high in the branches and work their way down the bark. Other birds seen included a pair of Rufous Whistlers, Brown Thornbills, Grey Shrike-thrush, White-winged Choughs, Grey Fantails and several honeyeaters. We looked hard for a Mistletoebird which was calling above us, but failed to locate it. All up 14 species recorded. We then drove to the nearby Broken River Natural Features Reserve, and found some different birds near the river. It was nice to see and hear a pair of Western Gerygones here. These small birds are nearly all summer breeding migrants to our area. Another summer migrant, the Australian Reed-Warbler, had also arrived and was calling from the reedbeds where it nests. We had good views of a pair of Striated Pardalotes in a dead tree near the river – they nest in small hollows – while a Black-Faced Cuckoo-shrike flew down river. Eight species recorded here. Our eBird checklist for
Kathy Costello |
BirdwatchingIf you would like to know more about birds in the Benalla district and would appreciate help in identifying birds, this group could be for you. The program involves mainly morning walks in local habitats rich in a range of bird life such as Reef Hills, Winton Wetland and Benalla Lake. There may also be an all day outing to a more distant location. Bring along a pair of binoculars to gain more value and enjoyment from this activity. Convenor and contact details
Photographer - Andi Stevenson, with others contributing from time to time.
Meeting TimesSix meetings:
Semester 1 - March, April and May. Semester 2 - August, September, October, November. 2nd Thursday of the month 9 am to 12 noon Meet at the car park behind the Benalla Senior Citizens Community Centre. Check newsletter for times and details. Please note that outing arrangements are automatically cancelled on days of total fire ban. New membersIf you are new to the birdwatching group, check out Birdwatching - Notes for Participants - you will also find a video link in the notes which may assist you to adjust your binoculars
Outings etc....
All
Archives
November 2025
|
|
U3A Benalla Flier 2025
Membership Application/Renewal Semester 2 Program Guide 2025 Semester 2 Timetable with Dates 2025 Developed and maintained by members, this website showcases U3A Benalla
|
Photographs - U3A members; Benalla Art Gallery website; Weebly 'Free' images;Travel Victoria and State Library of Victoria
|
RSS Feed