Birdline New South Wales Weekly Update

Birdline New South Wales Published sightings for the week ending 21 Dec 2014. Sun 21 Dec Black Honeyeater (12), Painted Honeyeater (2), White-fronted Honeyeater (2), White-backed Swallow Deniliquin–southern woodlands Some of the standout highlights of the morning of day two on the Deniliquin two day Plains-wanderer trip included a nice flock of honeyeaters, consisting of 7 species including 12 Black and 2 White-fronted Honeyeaters, an adult White-backed Swallow, and 2 Painted Honeyeaters in an undisclosed location. Logan Lalonde Red-backed Kingfisher, White-backed Swallow Eulah Creek Today is the day! The pair of Red-backed Kingfishers near the Bullawa Creek bridge, 15 km east of Narrabri, have successfully raised a brood of chicks and are releasing into this world a batch of “mini-kookaburras” (see photo). The first fledgling was out when I checked at 8:30 this morning and there were still calls coming from the nest tunnel, but I did not stick around to count how many there are in total. Just an aside on such an occasion: There are still some White-backed Swallows around, but no sign of breeding activity. Michael Dahlem Sat 20 Dec Stubble Quail Bundanoon A walk along Old Argyle Rd didn’t produce a lot this afternoon, but I did hear a single Stubble Quail calling in grassy paddocks to the east of the road. Species 174 for town and my first record of Stubble Quail for the Southern Highlands. Lorne Johnson Common Tern, Grey Plover, Grey-tailed Tattler, Little Tern Boat Harbour, Kurnell High tide counts this morning at Boat Harbour, Kurnell included 90 Common Tern, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Grey-tailed Tattler, 77 Little tern (of which only 4 br.), 33 Pacific Golden Plover, 199 Red-necked stint and 19 Ruddy Turnstone. Bruce Roubin and Ken Gilmour Red-necked Avocet Namoi River, 20 km south of Narrabri In a permanent shallow wetland on the eastern side of the Namoi River (private property, no access; photo taken from roadside) 10 Red-necked Avocets have appeared recently (not seen there in late November). Michael Dahlem Australian Hobby, White Throated Needletail Warriewood This afternoon alerted by the Noisy Miner alarm calls I decided to look out my front door to see what was going on and as I did a Hobby flew over my house and above it were about 20 White Throated Needletails Jayden Walsh South Island Pied Oystercatcher Lord Howe Island Solo SIPO still hanging around the airport on Lord Howe Island and adjacent swampy area this afternoon. Martin Stokes Striated Heron Hen and Chicken Bay Nice to see a Striated Heron make an appearance amongst the Bar-tailed Godwits. Bird observed near boat ramp along Wymston Parade. No sign of the Red Knot that have been present recently. Greg McLachlan Pink-eared Duck Mill Stream, Botany 2 Pink-eared Ducks feeding with a small flock of Hardheads and a hybrid Mallard on the Mill Stream near Foreshore Drive early this morning. This is my first sighting of Pink-eared Ducks here. Nigel Coghlan Eastern Curlew Deeban Spit Port Hacking Flock sized has increased by 3 to 21 Julie Keating Fri 19 Dec Buller’s Shearwater Sydney Harbour National Park–North Head 1 Buller’s Shearwater feeding with Wedge-tailed Shearwaters off north head this afternoon. michael ronan Thu 18 Dec White-browed Woodswallow Hunter Economic Zone (near Kurri Kurri) The White-browed Woodswallows are still in HEZ, so have been there for nearly 2 months now. Although I had found them nesting in early November (see report #220690), I could not see any direct evidence of successful breeding today, though I did see an adult flying off with an insect in its bill (and I was only there for a short time). Perhaps ~15 birds seen. Sharing the airspace above where some of the White-broweds were perching was a flock of ~20 White-throated Needletails, about a dozen Dusky Woodswallows and Tree Martins. Several (~7 or 8) Black-chinned HE’s present in the area too. A smattering of ironbark blossom has attracted flocks of Little Lorikeets. A pale Little Eagle seen displaying very high above the forest. Mick Roderick Pacific Swift Sandon Estuary, Yuraygir National Park 5+ Swifts low overhead during stormy weather. Suddenly appeared and just as quickly disappeared. Probably a greater number but they were too quick to get a good count. Observers’ first record of this species this season. Greg Clancy & Russell Jago Plumed Whistling-Duck (1) Sydney Olympic Park–Waterbird Refuge First record for SOP that I can find from my records. Managed some record shots through bins with phone. Sitting in with Grey/Chestnut Teal loafing on eastern corner. About 100 Red-necked Avocets. At Mason Park 20 Sharp-tailed and 2 Curlew Sandpipers plus 1 Red-kneed Dotterel. Dion Hobcroft Wed 17 Dec Plumed Whistling Duck, Swamp Harrier, Wood Duck Dairy Swamp, Central Coast Wetlands, Tuggerah This morning Vicki Barnes reported 40+ Plumed Whistling Ducks at the Dairy Swamp but by mid-afternoon, this had now risen to 78. This is the biggest group to visit this wetland, although there have been over 9 previous reports. Other birds present included 47 Masked Lapwings, 23 Wood Ducks, a Swamp Harrier and a Black-shouldered Kite. Alan Morris Tue 16 Dec Fork-tailed Swift, Brush Bronzewing, Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, Rockwarbler Royal National Park–Wattamolla As part of a good half-day spent in Royal yesterday (over 100 species recorded between dawn and 2pm), we spent early morning at Wattamolla. In between squally rain showers, some of us were lucky enough to see two Fork-tailed Swifts in a group of White-throated Needletails (report to be submitted separately to Mike T). Also at Wattamolla, we saw at least 6 Chestnut-rumped Heathwrens together in what we could only guess was a family group. A single Rockwarbler was its reliable self. On the road in to Wattamolla, a pair of Brush Bronzewings were a surprise sighting. Ashwin Rudder, Joshua Bergmark, Max Breckenridge & Nathan Ruser Freckled Duck, Australasian Shoveler and Pink-eared Duck Wentworth Swamp, Kurri Kurri, NSW. 1 Freckled Duck, 8 Pink-eared Ducks and 4 Australasian Shovelers observed along with Red-necked Avocets. Lathams Snipe observed the week previous at same location. Daniel McKenzie Logrunner, Red-browed Treecreeper, Greater Sooty Owl, Powerful Owl Royal National Park–Lady Carrington Drive As part of a good half-day spent in Royal yesterday (over 100 species recorded between dawn and 2pm), we spent dawn at the southern end of Lady Carrington Drive. The dawn chorus was fruitful, with a Logrunner heard while it was too dark to see, and a Powerful Owl joining in with the Black-faced Monarchs and Rose Robins. Before dawn, a Greater Sooty Owl was heard among many calling Southern Boobooks. A Red-browed Treecreeper was another nice bird, but alas, also not seen. Ashwin Rudder, Joshua Bergmark, Max Breckenridge & Nathan Ruser White-winged Black Tern, Whiskered Tern, Brolga, Marsh Sandpiper, Red-kneed Dotterel Teal Lagoon, Everlasting Swamp National Park 4+ non-breeding White-winged Black Terns in a flock of 200+ Whiskered Terns. Most Whiskered Terns were in breeding plumage but a few were in non-breeding plumage and according to Jeff Davies would be of the northern hemisphere race hybridus. 76+ Brolgas in groups of 10, 60 and 3 pairs. Three Marsh Sandpipers and 2 Red-kneed Dotterels on the edge of Teal Lagoon. 3+ Little Grassbirds were calling from the reed beds as well. Greg Clancy, Dean Egan (NPWS), Warren Thompson and Joel Crowther Mon 15 Dec Red-necked Avocet. Hoary-headed Grebe, Freckled Duck Tuggerah STW This afternoon there were 82 Hoary-headed Grebes on the STW main pond, this is a very high number for this site and 3 Freckled Ducks. Over the back of the ponds there were 37 Avocets & 4 Black-winged Stilts, again Avocets are rare at this site, although they have been present now at the STW since 23/10/14. There were 2 Dollarbirds with at least one juvenile as well. Alan Morris Pacific Koel Parkes, NSW I have heard a koel calling a few times in the day yesterday and then all through the night last night corner of Mitchell and Hill Street. Will try to sight and photograph tonight. It seems out of its range and certainly wasn’t getting any replies….but poor little bugger tried all night. (Moderator’s Note: Single Koels have been reported from Parkes during the last year or two! AKM). Robert Shore Sun 14 Dec Black-necked Stork, Brolga, Comb-crested Jacana, Striped Honeyeater Imesons Swamp, Lawrence (now Everlasting Swamp NP) We observed for nearly 20 minutes two adult Black-necked Storks near Lawrence Rd where they hunted Black Swan cygnets in the very shallow water. One of the storks caught one cygnet and landed on the dry land. They later played with it like the act with mouse. At the end one of them swallowed it. Other birds: Brolga (4 – 3 flew over Clarence River, 1 near junction of Lawrence Rd and Green Lane), Comb-crested jacana (1 – small wetland near Lawrence completely covered by water hyacinths), Royal Spoonbill (35), White-necked Heron (12), Osprey (1 flying over Clarence River), Striped Honeyeater (3 calling from the patch of swamp oaks) Ted Wnorowski Sat 13 Dec Rock Warbler Umina Point Fire Trail, Brisbane Water NP I found 4 Rock Warblers near Look Out, over looking Pearl Beach luke ullrich