Birdline New South Wales Weekly Update

Birdline New South Wales Published sightings for the week ending 7 Sep 2014. Sun 7 Sep Cockatiel Agnes Banks, Hawkesbury Single bird near town likely escapee but wild/grey plumage Eric Finley Channel-billed Cuckoo Douglas Farm Rd, Kurrajong Hills My first Channel-bill for the season for the season. Superb Lyrebird very vocal. Pair of Musk Lorikeet.. (Moderator’s Note, this is the 8th report of a returning Channel-bill, after the 10th report we will no longer publish sightings of returning birds unless there is something special about the observation! Bring on the Koels! AKM.) Eric Finley White-throated Gerygone Lower Pappinbarra At 7:30am the first White-throated Gerygone of the season was heard calling here. Could have been earlier as I have been away a week. Ian Kerr White throated Gerygone King Creek, Wauchope My first White-throated Gerygone of the season heard this morning. Clive Meadows Sat 6 Sep Pallid Cuckoo Moree Common A Pallid Cuckoo was observed perched on a fence just after 9am, before it moved onto a haystack. The first cuckoo back. Curtis Hayne Swift Parrots North Richmond Terrace Road 1.9 kilometres from Bells Line of Road. Still around 15 feeding on lerps either side of the road David Potter Eastern Osprey Soaring over Cobar, NSW Several bird watchers saw this Osprey soaring over water dams near Cobar, central NSW. Val Curtis Eastern Osprey Long Reef Aquatic Reserve Eastern Osprey fishing in shallow water over the reef. Success on its third attempt but then did not know where to go to eat its catch! Flew past twice, providing outstanding views. Also two Black-browed Albatrosses, two Pacific Golden Plovers, two Ruddy Turnstones, two Double-banded Plovers, 5 Sooty Oystercatchers and 15 Red-necked Stints Nicholas Beswick Blue Petrel, Northern Royal Albatross, Cape Petrel Wollongong Pelagic Impromptu pelagic this weekend to fill up extra spots after a TAFE course booked half the boat. 1 Blue Petrel sat behind the boat for over an hour (exceptional views) and a Northern Royal Albatross put in an appearance for 10 minutes. On arrival at the shelf, numerous albatross were banded, and a single Cape Petrel flew past, notable as this has become a rare bird in NSW recently. Buller’s Albatross and White-faced Storm Petrel also notable. [Moderator’s note (NH): Sightings of Blue Petrel and Northern Royal Albatross should be submitted to NSW ORAC.] Joshua Bergmark, Lindsay Smith, Ashwin Rudder, David Rudder, et. al Collared Sparrowhawk Bundanoon Above Shangri la Road’s paddocks this morning I watched a Collared Sparrowhawk twice dart into a large flock of European Starlings which were flying high. The raptor was unsuccessful in its attempts to kill. Amazing stuff. Other noteworthy birds in area: Wedge-tailed Eagle, Grey Goshawk, Black-fronted Dotterel, Brown Gerygone, 2 Richard’s Pipits and Hardhead. Lorne Johnson Fri 5 Sep Channel-billed Cuckoo Woodfield Avenue Bundeena We both just heard the distinctive call of a Channel-billed Cuckoo. Deryk Engel and Stephen Bloomfield Channel-billed Cuckoo Balmain Heard the first Channel-billed Cuckoo of the season at Balmain this morning (7.30am) Robert Griffin Thu 4 Sep Magpie Goose, Royal Spoonbill Pacific Highway, Clarenza 8 Geese on small wetland roosting with one Spoonbill. Greg Clancy & Warren Thompson Leaden Flycatcher Near Crowsnest Swamp, Smalls Forest, near Pillar valley Female plumaged bird in eucalypt. Observer’s first record of this species for season. Greg Clancy Citrine Wagtail Putta Bucca Wetlands, Mudgee I arrived at 6.30am Thursday the 4/9/2014. The Citrine Wagtail was sighted at approximately 7am on the mud flat in front of the wooden hide. It stayed there for 10 minutes before being chased off by a red kneed dotteral. As i was leaving the bird was seen again near the viewing area above the old 44 gallon drum. It stayed there for 5 minutes before flying off to the opposite of the wetlands. I left shortly after it flew off. Michael Crosland Red-necked Avocet Ash Island (Hexham) Approximately 450 Red-necked Avocet on the Swan Pond at Ash Island. Other highlights were numerous Grey Fantails at the picnic area at the river end of The Lane, and a Swamp Harrier along Ramsar Rd. Roger and Bev Giller Wandering Albatross Long Reef Aquatic Reserve Wandering Albatross and at least two Black-browed Albatrosses heading south. On the rocks: one Pacific Golden Plover, one Double-banded Plover, 2 Grey-tailed Tattlers, 6 Ruddy Turnstones, 2 Sooty Oystercatchers and 20 Red-necked Stints. Also, White-bellied Sea Eagle and Kestrel Nicholas Beswick Wed 3 Sep White-headed Petrel, Great-winged Petrel and Wandering (type) Albatross Mistral Pt, Maroubra 40 Great-winged Petrel (including a group of 18 together), 1 White-headed Petrel, 1 Wandering Albatross, 1 Giant Petrel (sp) 6 Black-browed Albatross and a few Shy Albatross all seen today. Only very small numbers of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, less than 40. David Mitford Citrine Wagtail Putta Bucca Wetlands, Mudgee Pleased to say that the wagtail is still present. Thanks to the sharp eyes of Adrian Boyle, the bird was located in the scope on the right hand side of the wetlands looking from the Bird hide near the old quarry truck about 7.30am. It was feeding on the shoreline. To our great enjoyment, it flew across the water straight towards us where it landed on a rock nearby and preened for about 3-4 minutes, allowing us excellent views. It was also pleasing to note that the birders who arrived afterwards did not harass the bird by getting too close. [Moderator’s note (NH): The Citrine Wagtail was also reported by Graham Blackwell, Alec Gillespie and Mark Leary, who also noted a male Collared Sparrowhawk (when it flew over the Citrine Wagtail flattened itself on the mud), an Australian Crake, and a Spotted Harrier at the southern end of Lake Windermere.] Bernie OKeefe Channel-billed Cuckoo Eulah Creek Despite the current cold spell inland, heard the first Channel-billed Cuckoo this morning at 7:30 (no photo), after hearing some kind of Bronze-Cuckoo last week. Today also heard the first faint chirps coming out of our local Welcome Swallow nest. Found a piece of discarded egg shell too. Michael Dahlem Tue 2 Sep Citrine Wagtail Putta Bucca Wetlands, Mudgee Citrine Wagtail seen well this morning (6:45-8:30am), on the mudflat in front of the bird hide. It was chased by a Red-kneed Dotterel and flew out of view, but returned a few minutes later. Still present at dusk today. Heavy showers did not stop the bird feeding and chasing off other passerines which came too close. Also a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Crested Shrike-tit in the reeds in front of the hide. (The Citrine Wagtail also made a late and brief appearance the previous evening at 5.30pm). Max de Beer, Andrew Stafford, David Mitford Mon 1 Sep Buff-banded Rail Lane Cove National Park During spotlighting last night, one Buff-banded Rail was continuosly calling near the camping ground at the end of Plassey Road, edge of the cemetry. Fatih Sam Wedge-tailed Eagle Castlereagh This afternoon I located the female of my local eagle pair with last year’s young perching in a large tree along Castlereagh Road. Akos Lumnitzer Swift Parrot Deep Water Park Milperra A single Swift Parrot flew over Blue Gum Farm at about 8 am and at about 8:30 3 flew in and landed in emergent red gums before disappearing in flowering Blue Box. Could be more, but difficult to find amongst hundreds of raucus Musk Lorikeets and Red Wattlebirds, scores of Rainbow Lorikeets (nesting) and tens of Scaly-breasted Lorikeets (also nesting). A male Australian Hobby was inspecting an old corvid nest, perhaps thinking about nesting? Single adult Nankeen Night Heron on the island in the first pond. Loads of honeyeater too. David James Oriental Cuckoo Cremorne Point Saw a Oriental Cuckoo (female/hepatic) this morning whilst on the way to catch the ferry to work. Flew from a tree beside the path being harassed by Australian Magpies and flew into adjacent trees near the toilet block on the point. Not bad for the first day of spring. Simon Blanchflower Citrine Wagtail Putta Bucca Wetland, Mudgee Seen over the course of several hours from dawn onwards. Easily viewed and obliging. Also sighted Plum-headed Finches at the site from where we were looking at the wagtail. Rowan Mott Sun 31 Aug Variegated Fairy-wren Chiltern Rd Ingleside Male near to full breeding plumage, attracted to wing mirror of car parked just beyond (north of) the gate to the main Chiltern Trail, constantly hopping up and down in response to reflection. Found doing it again the following day, may represent an ethical birding issue if close to nest site, other cars parked nearby did not seem to provoke this behaviour. Other species noted along trail: Yellow-tufted Honeyeater, Eastern Spinebill, Little Wattlebird, but no Regent. Jeff Melvaine Rainbow Bee-eater Main Beach, Byron Bay 4 Rainbow Bee-eaters seen over the eastern end of Main Beach this morning. Ian Kerr Swift Parrot Dunheved Golf Course (near St Marys) This morning, I spent an hour or so walking around the edge of Dunheved Golf course near St Marys and hoping to see the Emu that Mark had seen on Friday. I did not see the Emu but was quite impressed with the numbers of birds about where were the abundance of privot in fruit could have partly explained this. Silvereyes (both the resident and tassie migrants) were in abundance and there were also quite a number of Olive-backed Orioles as well as at least a couple of Figbirds. Other birds present included Bar-shouldered Doves, Azure Kingfisher, Brown Goshawk, Satin Bowerbird, Brown Gerygones, Varied Sitellas but best of all were at least 12 Swift Parrots (and there could have been more) foraging for lerps in the eucalypts. Edwin Vella Sat 30 Aug Citrine Wagtail Putta Bucca Wetlands, Mudgee Managed to see and photograph the Citrine Wagtail after only about an hour or so of waiting at the bird hide (thanks to all the other birders present for the helpful advice!). Carl Corden Tue 26 Aug White-throated Gerygone Caniaba, Lismore NSW WTG arrived 26/8,i while last flowering of Ironbark (E. crebra) continues attracting Yellow-faced HE along with Scarlet HE, although gradually being replaced by Silvereye (cornwalli) flocks >10 and Lewin’s HE. On 28/8 following heavy rain, flowering Hard Quandong (Eleocarpus obovatus) tree caused feeding frenzy of Scarlet HE, with squabbling pairs regularly falling to the ground. On 26/8, Rufous Fantail also returned. paul griffin