 East GippslandOver the 1998/1999 New Years break we spent a few days in East
Gippsland in Victoria's far east corner. Camping on a friend's property for 4 days with
the Fauna Survey Group our aim was to survey the area in order to catalogue the vertebrate
fauna of the his property near Wangerabel. The vegetation in the area is characterised by
The most common mammals trapped were Agile Antechinus Antechinus
agilis and Bush Rat Rattus fuscipes while others species recorded included
White-footed Dunnart Sminthopsis leucopus, Swamp Rat Rattus lutreolus
and Leseur's Frog Litoria lesueuri and Weasel Skink Saproscincus mustelinus.
We also recorded very healthy numbers of Yellow-bellied Glider Petaurus australis whose
distinctive, maniacal calls could often be heard throughout the evenings.
The bird list was a very healthy one, the main stand outs
being Wonga Pigeon, Turquoise Parrot, Glossy Black Cockatoo, Brush Cuckoo and
White-throated Nightjar. I have attached a list below. Additionally, near Mallacoota we
recorded Brown Gerygone, Rose Robin, Crested Shrike-tit and Red-browed Treecreeper.
Bird List
Australian
Wood Duck |
 |
Great
Cormorant |
White-faced
Heron |
Brown
Goshawk |
Wedge-tailed
Eagle |
Painted
Button-quail |
Masked
Lapwing |
Common
Bronzewing |
Peaceful
Dove |
Wonga
Pigeon |
Glossy
Black-Cockatoo |
Gang-gang
Cockatoo |
Rainbow
Lorikeet |
A roosting
White-throated Nightjar Eurostopodus mystacalis, first found at dusk with the aid
of a spotlight. We observed it a number of times over the next few days. They were also
commonly heard and observed flying at dusk. |
Musk
Lorikeet |
Little
Lorikeet |
Purple-crowned
Lorikeet |
Australian
King-Parrot |
Crimson
Rosella |
Turquoise
Parrot |
Brush
Cuckoo |
Fan-tailed
Cuckoo |
Shining
Bronze-Cuckoo |
Horsfield's
Bronze-Cuckoo |
 |
Sooty
Owl |
Tawny
Frogmouth |
White-throated
Nightjar |
Australian
Owlet-nightjar |
Azure
Kingfisher |
Laughing
Kookaburra |
Spotted
Pardalote |
Striated
Pardalote |
Pilotbird
|
Brown
Thornbill |
Striated
Thornbill |
Yellow-faced
Honeyeater |
Yellow-tufted
Honeyeater |
This beautiful little
orchid is about 10cm tall, the flowers being about the size of small peas. |
White-naped
Honeyeater |
Eastern
Spinebill |
|
Bell
Miner |
|
Little
Wattlebird |
Jacky
Winter |
Scarlet
Robin |
Eastern
Yellow Robin |
Eastern
Whipbird |
Varied
Sittella |
Golden
Whistler |
Rufous
Whistler |
Grey
Shrike-thrush |
Black-faced
Monarch |
Restless
Flycatcher |
Willie
Wagtail |
Eastern Water Dragon -
very common on the Genoa River |
Grey
Fantail |
Rufous
Fantail |
 |
Black-faced
Cuckoo-shrike |
White-bellied
Cuckoo-shrike |
Olive-backed
Oriole |
Dusky
Woodswallow |
Grey
Butcherbird |
Pied
Currawong |
Little
Raven |
White-winged
Chough |
Satin
Bowerbird |
Mistletoebird
|
Welcome
Swallow |
Silvereye
|
|
Platypus
|
|
Brown
Antechinus |
|
White-footed
Dunnart |
|
Yellow-bellied
Glider |
|
Eastern
Grey Kangaroo |
|
Swamp
Wallaby |
|
Lesser
Long-eared Bat |
|
Vespadelus
darlingtoni |
|
King
River Eptesicus |
|
Little
Forest Eptesicus |
|
Water
Rat |
|
Bush
Rat |
|
Swamp
Rat |
|
Striped
Marsh Frog |
|
Leseur's
Frog |
|
Peron's
Treefrog |
|
Egernia
saxatilis |
|
Eulamprus
tympanum |
|
Lampropholis
delicata |
|
Lampropholis
guichenoti |
|
Weasel Skink Saproscincus mustelinus |
| Eastern Water Dragon Amphibolurus muricatus |
|
