Hi again,
I spent a week in NSW from 22-28 October, starting in the Capertee and ending in Sydney, via Forbes, Lake Cargelligo, Round Hill, Hay, Barren Grounds and Royal NP. Highlights were as follows:
Capertee Valley – Diamond Firetail, Fuscous Honeyeaters, Little Lorikeets, Painted Button-Quail, Black-chinned Honeyeaters, Zebra Finches, White-browed Babblers Superb Parrots were first encountered enroute to Forbes. Back Yamma SF – Blue Bonnets, Brown-headed Honeyeaters, Buff-rumped Thornbills, Mallee Ringneck, Crested Shrike-Tit, Tawny Frogmouth (on nest) Gum Swamp – Pink-eared Ducks (many with ducklings), Blue-billed and Musk Ducks, White-bellied Sea-Eagle (with nearly fledged young on nest) Lake Cargelligo STW – White-winged Fairy-Wrens, Baillon’s Crake, Red-kneed Dotterel Round Hill – Shy Heathwren, Southern Scrub-Robin, Chestnut Quail-Thrush, White-fronted Honeyeater, Crested Bellbird, Gilbert’s Whistler, Splendid Fairy-Wren, Spotted Nightjar, Emu Fivebough Swamp – Magpie Goose, Spotless Crake (heard only), Red-necked Avocet Binya SF – Painted Honeyeaters, Black-eared Cuckoo, Speckled Warbler, Pink Cockatoo, Mulga Parrots South of Hay – Ground Cuckoo-Shrike, Plains-Wanderer, Little Button-Quail, Stubble Quail (all thanks to Phil Maher), Orange Chat, White-backed Swallow Darlington Point – Long-billed Corella, Black-tailed Native-Hen, Yellow-billed Spoonbill (the only one of the trip). Barren Grounds – Lewin’s Rail, Eastern Bristlebird, Southern Emu-Wren, Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, Brush Bronzewing, Pilotbird, Superb Lyrebird Royal NP – Tawny-crowned Honeyeater
A big week, but some incredible birding. Some interesting notes – not a single White-browed or Masked Woodswallow (I think they are all in SW QLD where I saw thousands in late September); only a single Yellow-plumed Honeyeater at Round Hill where I have often found them to be the most common honeyeater (this time that honour went to White-eared Honeyeater); no Crimson Chats anywhere and; only two Zebra Finches in the Capertee and none seen further west (having seen them I wasn’t looking specifically for them, but I have usually seen plenty without trying).
If anyone wants any more info on sites visited or birds seen, please drop me an email.
Good Birding!
Nick Leseberg ============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
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