Hi All,
Yesterday, I returned from 2 full days birding at Lake Cargelligo and Round Hill – Nombinnie Nature Reserve. Birds were fairly plentiful, wheat crops are doing well, and there is much surface water. Weather was sunny, but cold. However, on one morning there was a widespread thick fog, which lasted until 10 am. Blue Bonnet is particularly common in the farm areas, and eastern ringneck is reasonably common everywhere. Not many raptors.
At Nombinnie, the old wheat paddock and surrounds yielded most of the mallee birds, notably southern scrub-robin, chestnut-backed quail-thrush, splendid fairy-wren (breeding), Gilbert’s whistler (calling), pied honeyeater, and grey-fronted honeyeater. A group from Canberra (ANU I believe) that kindly asked me to join them for a period, additionally saw white-fronted honeyeater and shy heathwren. Unfortunately, none of us found red-lored whistler, despite checking out the area near the north-west corner of the wheat paddock where it had been seen in 2008. I also checked out the area around the 653 km marker along the railway line, where Neville Lazarus reported red-lored whistler about a month ago, but found only Gilbert’s whistler. (12 months ago, I would have been ecstatic to find Gilbert’s, but this time it was almost a disappointment.) Western gerygone was common, as were inland, buff-rumped and chestnut-rumped thornbills. The area around Whoey Tank yielded great close-up views of mulga parrot, – also crested bellbird and striped honeyeater.
Lake Cargelligo itself was quiet – the lake is pretty full, and great crested grebe was the only notable. The STW was even more quiet, with Australian shelduck and little else of note. The surrounds yielded red-capped robin and white-winged fairy-wren.
I met up with a NP&WS Ranger, who told me that there are 4 active malleefowl mounds in Nombinnie, and 8 in Yathong NR, to the west. Didn’t see any malleefowl, though. (Must admit that I assumed malleefowl was extinct in this part of NSW.)
Best wishes,
Carl Weber
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Comments
One response to “Round Hill – Nombinnie Trip”
Carl, Thanks for the report I always enjoy reading trip reports from Round Hill as I have a soft-spot and many fond memories from that locality. Having been there 5 times in all it was only in October that I finally connected with the Red-lored Whistler when back in 2000 there were at least 5 pairs within walking distance from the three ways intersection. Yet every trip since I too have dipped. Anyway the point is don’t give up they are there, but must be a lot easier when they are calling. I admit that I did try using call back, but without success! – a most interesting species given the fact that they appear to hold the same habitat as Gilbert’s and in many respects look so similar.
Cheers Tony
—–Original Message—– href=”mailto:birding-aus-bounces@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-bounces@vicnet.net.au [mailto:birding-aus-bounces@vicnet.net.au] On Behalf Of Carl Weber Sent: Monday, 26 July 2010 11:22 PM href=”mailto:birding-aus@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus@vicnet.net.au
Hi All,
Yesterday, I returned from 2 full days birding at Lake Cargelligo and Round Hill – Nombinnie Nature Reserve. Birds were fairly plentiful, wheat crops are doing well, and there is much surface water. Weather was sunny, but cold. However, on one morning there was a widespread thick fog, which lasted until 10 am. Blue Bonnet is particularly common in the farm areas, and eastern ringneck is reasonably common everywhere. Not many raptors.
At Nombinnie, the old wheat paddock and surrounds yielded most of the mallee birds, notably southern scrub-robin, chestnut-backed quail-thrush, splendid fairy-wren (breeding), Gilbert’s whistler (calling), pied honeyeater, and grey-fronted honeyeater. A group from Canberra (ANU I believe) that kindly asked me to join them for a period, additionally saw white-fronted honeyeater and shy heathwren. Unfortunately, none of us found red-lored whistler, despite checking out the area near the north-west corner of the wheat paddock where it had been seen in 2008. I also checked out the area around the 653 km marker along the railway line, where Neville Lazarus reported red-lored whistler about a month ago, but found only Gilbert’s whistler. (12 months ago, I would have been ecstatic to find Gilbert’s, but this time it was almost a disappointment.) Western gerygone was common, as were inland, buff-rumped and chestnut-rumped thornbills. The area around Whoey Tank yielded great close-up views of mulga parrot, – also crested bellbird and striped honeyeater.
Lake Cargelligo itself was quiet – the lake is pretty full, and great crested grebe was the only notable. The STW was even more quiet, with Australian shelduck and little else of note. The surrounds yielded red-capped robin and white-winged fairy-wren.
I met up with a NP&WS Ranger, who told me that there are 4 active malleefowl mounds in Nombinnie, and 8 in Yathong NR, to the west. Didn’t see any malleefowl, though. (Must admit that I assumed malleefowl was extinct in this part of NSW.)
Best wishes,
Carl Weber
===============================
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http://birding-aus.org ===============================
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