Birdline New South Wales Weekly Update

Birdline New South Wales Published sightings for the week ending 23 Nov 2014. Sun 23 Nov Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper Lake Cargelligo STW Lowest water levels I have ever seen at the Cargy Poo Ponds. Lots of mud flats. At least 50 Sandpipers there early this morning. Mostly Sharpies, about a dozen Marsh and one Curlew Sandpiper. Other birds of interest were one Latham’s Snipe, One Fork-tailed Swift, 500 Whiskered Terns, and about 10 Red-necked Stints. All the usual suspects Baillon’s and Spotted Crake, Black-tailed Native Hen and Red-necked Avocets were all there along with our newest migrants the Plum-headed Finches Warren Chad Pallid Cuckoo Old Settlement Beach, Lord Howe Island Have a poor quality photo. Will try for a better one tomorrow. Ann Millard and Trish Evans White-eared Monarch border ranges national park. White-eared monarch present just outside national park this morning. Also numbers of Pacific Bazas and Red-backed Fairywrens. michael ronan. Glossy Black Cockatoo Jamieson Park, Narrabeen Lakes 2 Glossy Black Cockatoos feeding in allocasuarina about halfway along the track at around 11:30am. I also heard a Scarlet Honeyeater and had a Rufous Fantail displaying about 1 metre away. Jayden Walsh Powerful Owl Sun Valley A juvenile (or immature) Powerful Owl roosting among foliage. Good to see that have been able to breed recently with so many Sulphur-crested Cockatoos taking over in the area. Mark Ley Sat 22 Nov Black Petrel, Long-tailed, Arctic and Pomarine Jaegers Offshore–Wollongong pelagic The highlight of todays SOSSA pelagic was a single Black Petrel. While it didn’t stay around, it was well sighted by all on board. There were also at least 2 Long-tailed Jaegers (well worn plumage), as well as 3+ Arctic and 5+ Pomarine Jaegers. Other birds included Black-browed, Campbell and Shy-type (White-capped) Albatrosses, Grey-faced Petrels and Wedge-tailed, Short-tailed and a single Hutton’s Shearwater. Numbers of Crested Terns were extremely high, 100+ which would be the most ever sighted on a SOSSA trip. Cetacean highlight was a small pod of Risso’s Dolphins, which gave close, extended views before moving off. Brook Whylie and all on board the Sandra K Little Bronze Cuckoo King Creek, Wauchope Initially heard and then seen in my garden before it was chased off by a Noisy Miner. This is the second year that I have recorded this species at this location. Clive Meadows Long-toed Stint Kooragang Dykes On the Kooragang Dykes wader survey this morning a single Long-toed Stint was found among roosting Curlew Sandpipers. Also seen were a Pectoral Sandpiper a Common Sandpiper and three Great Knots. Dan Williams, Liz Crawford, Chris Herbert and Greg Little Painted Honeyeater, Superb Parrot Condobolin About a dozen Painted HEs calling continually and chasing each other around in pairs in Myall trees 15 km South of Condo near Wallaroi Ck.Its been a very dry spring here but the grey mistletoe has loads of fruit and the birds look like they may be going to breed. Also present were a small group of Superbs. They dont usually turn up here until January so they were a bit of a surprise. Warren Chad Australian King-Parrot Mehi River, 30km West of Moree Whittaker’s Lagoon has been bone dry for over a month now. ALL birds observed in the vicinity of the Mehi River and in open scrub. 4 Australian King Parrots were observed and heard calling, a very unusual find out this far west and especially during drought. They have been absent from their usual locations to the east this year including Terry Hie Hie, close to the Nandewar Range. Curtis Hayne Fri 21 Nov Budgerigar Leard State Forest Budgerigars are usually seen in the North-west slopes around the end of the breeding season, but today we found four perched in a Cypress pine tree on the edge of the Leard SCA, south of Maules Creek. Michael Dahlem Red-necked Avocet Eastlakes golf course One Red-necked Avocet back this morning 8am. David Mitford reports that it was still around at 10 am. Bas Hensen Thu 20 Nov Fork-tailed Swift Lane Cove National Park – De Burghs Bridge (Lane Cove Rd) 2 birds seen approx 7:30 am (from bus) at treetop height just on north side of bridge. All dark with just a white rump. Only 2 seen but bus was moving Tom Wilson Plumed Whistling Duck Corowa Piggery, off Redlands Road Over 200 Plumed Whistling Ducks around the settling ponds behind the piggery off Redlands Road. 2 Magpie Geese left at the Corowa Sewage farm, also a single Freckled Duck and good numbers of blue-billed ducks. Matt Weeks Wed 19 Nov Wandering Tattler, Sanderling, Red Knot Flat Rock, Skennars Head, Ballina 2 Wandering Tattlers, 4 Sanderling, 2 Red Knot and 5 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers were amongst the usual Grey-tailed Tattlers, Ruddy Turnstones, Pacific Golden Plovers and Red-necked Stints, Common and Little Terns at Flat Rock, mid morning. Alan Morris, Painted Honeyeater, Diamond Firetail, Masked Woodswallow Leard State Forest Walking along the perimeter of the Leard SCA yesterday morning, I found one Painted Honeyeater, a pair of Diamond Firetails and 3 species of woodswallows breeding in the area. Next to a nesting pair of Dusky Woodswallows, there were a few families of White-browed Woodswallows with juveniles and a family of Masked Woodswallows (which I don’t get to see often), also with two juveniles (photo). Michael Dahlem Brahminy Kite Hawkesbury River near confluence with Colo River Single Brahminy Kite seen well perched in a tree then gliding, along the Hawkesbury River, downstream of the confluence with the Colo River at around midday today. Jon Spicer-Bell Bar-tailed Godwit Deeban Spit, Port Hacking 1 Bar-tailed Godwit feeding with 19 Eastern Curlews on dusk at high tide. Godwits used to be regular summer visitor but have been missing for last two summers. Julie Keating Tue 18 Nov Barred Cuckoo-shrike Rocky Creek Dam (Nightcap National Park) 2-4 Barred Cuckoo-shrikes feeding on small yellow figs in Nightcap National Park this morning. michael ronan Mon 17 Nov Eastern Yellow Wagtail Lord Howe Island Arriving at Lord Howe Island in the morning, I thought the mudfIat/drying swamp opposite the end of the airport runway would be worth a visit. Couldn’t get there until later in the day but when I did, astounded to find a Yellow Wagtail amongst the Eastern Golden Plovers and Ruddy Turnstones. Returned the next morning and the following day but no further sightings. Robert Griffin Lewin’s Rail Landing Lights Wetland, Barton Park, near Sydney Airport 2 birds calling at sunset. Multiple records Botany/Eastlakes side of airport but the only report for Cook’s River area I can find is 1893. Not recorded by Neil Rankin in his Barton Park surveys 1967-1980, or mentioned in Keast’s 50 year retrospective which included area. Also present an immature Brown Honeyeater perhaps indicating breeding in the area Andrew Taylor Superb Fruit-dove. Rocky Creek Dam (Nightcap National Park) Found a nesting pair of superb fruit doves this morning this is my 8th nesting record of this species in the nightcap national park . michael ronan. Sat 15 Nov Painted Honeyeater, White-throated Gerygone, Turquise Parrot, Emus, Rufous Songlark Nattai Nat Park – High Range NSW Fleeting visit by one Painted HE, continued to call but not sighted again, 2 Turquoise Parrots, one White Throated Gerygone, 8 Emus, 2 Rufous Songlarks Kaye Varlow Magpie Goose Wetland at edge of Pacififc Highway, Clarenza 65+ Geese at edge of water with some partially hidden in reeds. Probably an underestimate as heads were popping up in reeds throughout the area. Some sitting on flattened reeds but probably not nesting as they weren’t sitting low enough to be incubating. Similar numbers present also on 13 Nov when Russell Jago and Matt Templeton assisted with the count. Largest number at this site for a while and none present at dam NE of Coutts Crossing where 5-70 birds had been observed recently. Greg Clancy Freckled Duck, Pink-eared Duck, Whiskered Tern Lawrence Egret Colony Swamp Only 1 Freckled Duck located, 30+ Pink-eared Ducks, 30+ Whiskered Terns, terns mostly in partial breeding plumage. Greg Clancy & Clarence Valley Birdos members Pallid Cuckoo, Black-chinned Honeyeater, Restless Flycatcher, Spangled Drongo Mantons Road, Lawrence Cuckoo heard calling, Honeyeater observed and photographed by Pam Kenway (they were silent), Flycatcher heard calling and Drongo was at a small dam where other birds were drinking. Greg Clancy, Pam Kenway & Clarence Valley Birdo members Fri 14 Nov White-throated Needletail Kangaroo Creek Road, S of Coutts Crossing 5+ Needletails flying over. Greg Clancy Thu 13 Nov Australian Owlet-nightjar, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Common Cicadabird Bridge on Champions Creek, Somervale Road, Tucabia Owlet-nightjar calling @ 14:37 hrs, Cuckoo and Cicadabird heard calling. Greg Clancy, Russell Jago, Matt Templeton, Bronte Larkin