Sudden Spring Mulgoa

Hi All
Summer migrants appeared suddenly two days ago here in Mulgoa Valley ,50 km west of Sydney Harbour
Bridge, two days ago after just over 25 mm of rain.
Channel-billed Cuckoos flying back and forth shrieking, male Rufous Whistler whistling, and yesterday a Reed Warbler in a clump of thin-stemmed bamboo next to the almost empty dam with no surviving reeds, it will be interesting to see whether the Reed Warbler sticks around without them. A group of Noisy Friarbirds was around briefly.
A solitary Eastern Whipbird on the creek, usually only in a densely vegetated gully up Mayfair Rd which has dried out. Plenty of Silvereyes over the past week, not yet lateralis which usually appear here later. A pair of Olive-backed Orioles. A female ?Flame Robin flitting away.

One mystery is the sudden overnight complete disappearance of Pied Currawongs from the still heavily berry-laden White Cedar tree and wild-bird feeder. Maybe scared off by the Channelbills?
Still King Parrots. Galahs, SCWhite Cockatoos, Grey Thrush, a Satin Bowerbird family of five, (magnificent male), Aus Raven, Magpies. Many Bar-shouldered and Peaceful Doves and occasional Spotted Dove, Blackbird, scores of Double-barred and Red-browed Finches, family of S.Fairywrens, with both Sparrowhawk and Brown Goshawk harvesting a dove about once a week. Crimson Rosellas and an occasional pair of Eastern Rosellas feeding on seed from the Chinese Elms. YTBlack Cockatoos in the pine trees, the local 25+ flock of Corellas flying over, mostly Littles but an occasional Long- billed noted among them when feeding on the ground in Penrith. A single distinctively V-winged, presumably Swamp, Harrier gliding over the Valley.

Notably absent since the horse people next door departed are House Sparrows. On a recent drive to Alice Springs House Sparrows were common in most if the towns in SA en route, including places like Cooper Pedy.

The rain has freshened up the paddocks after the worst drought in living local history but “we need much more”

Cheers

Michael
Sent from my iPhone