Geday from Toolamba VIC

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schulzzz
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Geday from Toolamba VIC

First post.  Saw a dollar bird last evening pirched high on some dead timber along the Goulburn R.  Lived here 25 years and never seen one before.

Woko
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Nice of you to drop in, schulzzz. It's a great feeling when you see a species you haven't seen before! If I had a dollar for every dollar bird I'd seen I'd end up with nothing, sadly.

Araminta
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Same here, hi Schulzzz, like Woko, if I had to live on the dollars on every dollar bird I've seen......, I'd be a lot skinnier than what I am now. But I can't wait for 25 years. So, you are a lucky man Schulz. (German?)

Welcome to the forum.

M-L

darinnightowl
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Enjoy the time with your dollar birds . Welcome This site is free.

See it!  Hear it!

Mid-North Coast NSW

Araminta
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Hi again, I just googled Toolamba, have a question, the big Waranga Basin ( Reservoir), would there be lots of birds? We are always looking for new places to explore.

From time to time we drive up to Tahbilk, to go the wetlands there.

M-L

schulzzz
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re Waranga basin:  can't recall seeing much birdlife on/around the basin at all.  There are almost no reed beds as the water level varies with irrigation demand.  When full the southern end butts against ironbark forest which, a little to the SW, is quite extensive (some fnatastic Xantheria stands and birdlife typical of very dry woodland).  The Winton Wetlands (ex L Makoan) at Benalla is worth a look. A flock of ~80 pelicans wheeled around the dead trees to land close to shore when i paused there on Dec 23.  As far as i know the only access is from the old boat ramp sites on what must be the northish side.  It's only recently been lowered from lake to wetland status so walkway access is still in the planning stage.  Dispite this reclassification it currently has plenty of water in it.

Yes, Schulz does indicate a German ancestry but four or five generations ago.

cheers

Woko
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It's interesting, Schulzzz, that the status of the lake has been "lowered" to wetland. I would have thought all habitats were valuable in their own right. Perhaps the change in status has something to do with the ability of the area to cater for jet skis or something similar. I'd be interested in your thoughts on this.

Araminta
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Thanks for the detailed information. We will come up to visit the Tahbilk Wetlands , have you been there before? (and buy some of our vavourite wine) as soon as we get the car back. I smashed it 3 weeks ago, serves us right , buying an American Jeep, we have to wait for 8 weeks to get some parts .(Should have bought a Toyota,wink)

M-L

schulzzz
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Certainly getting my dollars worth out of this series of postings Woko.  Perhaps i should have worded my Winton comments as "the water level has been lowered from lake to wetland status".  There is still a slight chance that this might be interpreted to imply that wetlands are of lesser value on someones scale but that was not & is not my intent.  Many people lament the loss of boating amenity resulting from lowering of the water, especially members of the sailng club.  Although i empathise with them, i applaud returing the area to a wetland.  Given my past usage of inland water bodies (Jet skiing, never; Water skiing twice; Sailing, four times;  Fishing, maybe a dozen; Camping/Twitching, 100s of times), this is probably not surprising.

I like your woodswallow. Seen quite a few here in the last couple months.  Birdlife has been prolific post the last two wet years.

schulzzz
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Araminta.  Been to Tahbilk several times for the wine and noted the wetlands but i've never had the binoculars with.  Check out Reedy Lake while you're there.  Its about 15km north of Tahbilk over the Goulburn river (probably should still have plenty water in it).  If you have a good map, the road on the west of the Goulburn from the MItchellstown Rd bridge is the most direct and worth a look.  Failing that, through Negambie & over Kirwans bridge is easier to follow.

I think i've just decided what to do this afternoon.  thanks.

Woko
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How interesting and exciting to have a lake returned to its, I assume, original status as a wetland, schulzzz. I'm interested to learn how close to its original state it will become but I suppose this won't be known for many years. 

Yes, I was really excited to see this white-browed woodswallow in spring 2011. I'd seen one once before here (s.e. slopes of Mt Lofty Ranges SA) in about 1990. No sign of the species this year but we have about 18 dusky woodswallows including at least four young.

pacman
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Hello Schulzz and welcome to the forum

here's a Dollarbird that I saw on New Year's Day

actually I saw a number during the day

Peter

schulzzz
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thanks pacman, that's definately my bird.  Saw it (possibly two) again the following day.  Hunting in the evening sunlight its greenish-blue patina and underwing dollars were evident.

I get the impression from some of the postings that the dollarbird is uncommen in southern Aust.  Where was your sighting.

schulzzz, Toolamba, VIC

pacman
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That pic was at Taucoma near Gosford, NSW

I have other sightings from Mango Hill, Woodgate and Crows Nest, Qld and Coraki, Wooyung NR, South Ballina, Ettalong and Tuggerah, NSW

Peter

schulzzz
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thanks pacman

your database as well as your sightings appears extensive.

schulzzz, toolamba, vic

pacman
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schulzzz

thanks, I get a chance to move around with work

Peter

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