Sent from my iPad Begin forwarded message: From: “notifications@eremaea.comnotifications@eremaea.com>” <notifications@eremaea.comnotifications@eremaea.com>> Date: 6 January 2014 4:01:52 am AEDT To: “birding-aus@vicnet.net.aubirding-aus@vicnet.net.au>” <birding-aus@vicnet.net.aubirding-aus@vicnet.net.au>> Subject: Birdline New South Wales Weekly Update Birdline New South Wales Published sightings for the week ending 5 Jan 2014. Sun 5 Jan Superb Lyrebird Irrawong Reserve Two very bold Superb Lyrebirds causing a ruckus chasing Australian Brush-turkeys on the trail around 5pm. Peter Diegutis Freckled Duck (20) Fivebough Settling Ponds, Leeton The ducks have returned after a couple of months absence. Also seen were Pink-eared, Australian Shoveler and Hardhead. Water level in the wetlands is low but there are still hundreds of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers along with 6 Marsh Sandpipers. Max O’Sullivan White-necked Petrel and Shy Albatross Mistral Point, Maroubra 15 Black-browed Albatross, 6 Shy Albatross, 1 White-necked Petrel, 25 Flesh-footed Sheawater, 550 Wedge-tailed Shearwater and 8 Pomarine Jaegers were the highlights today. David Mitford and Robert Griffin Powerful Owl, Noisy Pitta, Brush Cuckoo Lower Pappinbarra Female Powerful Owl and Noisy Pitta were heard calling at 2:30am. Also heard was a Brush Cuckoo. Ian Kerr Freckled Duck Bundanoon 2 female Freckled Ducks were at the sewage works early this morning. The first Freckled Ducks I’ve seen in the Southern Highlands. Lorne Johnson Sat 4 Jan Latham’s Snipe Mount Annan Botanical Gardens Feeding out of the reeds on the far side of the “dam” right of the new AGL picnic shelter about 1.00pm Marie Lister and Jim Dixon Masked Owl Megalong Valley A Masked Owl responded to playback survey along Megalong Road, after the road comes out into the open past the main camp ground. Unfortunately the owl stayed some distance away. Further back up the hill there were quite a few Southern Boobooks and two Powerful Owl fledglings. Ákos Lumnitzer Spotted Harrier Bundanoon A pair of Spotted Harriers hunting over paddocks and closed forest (!) by Shangri la Road this morning. This is the 13th raptor species I’ve recorded for town. Lorne Johnson White-necked Petrel, Shy Albatross, Black-browed Albatross North Head, Manly Highlight from a sea watch today were 2 White-necked Petrels, about 40 Black-browed Albatross & 10 Shy Albatross. Good numbers of Flesh-footed Shearwaters too. michael ronan Pacific Baza, Square-tailed Kite, Eastern Shrike-tit, Wedge-tailed Eagle Bellawongarah (Berry Mountain) – private property Some nice birding at home today with 46 species counted up til lunch time. 3 Pacific Baza’s seen and heard, possibly 2 males and 1 female? 1 S-T Kite seen circling over property not that high. 5 E. Shrike-tit heard and seen in 2 locations on property. 3 consisted of 2 adults and 1 Juv and the other sighting was of 2 adults. As I write I had to pause as the Baza’s started calling again, some hours later and then 2 Wedge-tailed Eagles flew over the house yard! Nice start to the year. Carla and Nigel Jackett Fork-tailed Swift Kattang NR, Laurieton 30+ Fork-tailed Swifts over our house and Kattang Nature Reserve Laurieton. We searched for needletails in the flock but found none. Peter West & Sue Proust Wedge-tailed Eagle Castlereagh Rd I was elated to find a recently fledged eaglet with two adults close by its side at the quarry this morning. This only appears to indicate that my local eagle pair bred successfully despite the major bushfires in October last year. Also found a female Swamp Harrier. Ákos Lumnitzer Fork-tailed Swift Grassy Head mid-north coast NSW Over 4,000 F-t Swifts observed heading in a southerly direction between 6:00am and 7:00am this morning over inshore and estuarine waters at Grassy Head/Stuart’s Point. A little swirling taking place intermittently, but most curious of all a small percentage (100+) observed skimming salty estuarine waters for a drink. Small numbers continue to come through at 7:20am. No White-throated Needletails observed with the flock – record forwarded to M. Tarburton. Allan Richardson Fri 3 Jan Gilbert’s Whistler Barryrennie Road, Cowra Stopped at Creek crossing just before Conimbla National Park Entrance. No water in creek crossing, but plenty of birds in the vicinity. Gilbert’s Whistler (1) calling (and observed) in trees near creek crossing. Jon & Alison Elliott Fri 3 Jan Superb Parrot Barryrennie Road at 33 50 15S 148 35 55E Stopped at same site on Barryrennie Road where large flock of Superb Parrots were seen on 28/12/13. Same large flock observed in the same location, feeding in paddock on side of road and perched in large Eucalypts. Jon & Alison Elliott Fri 3 Jan Sanderling, Fork-tailed Swift Hawks Nest 10′ Cell One Sanderling observed with 10 Red-necked Stints and 20 Red-capped Plovers. Sanderling acting very aggressively towards the other birds. Photographed. 10+ Fork-tailed Swift with 300+ White-throated Needletails along the Myall River. Simon Gorta and Julian Teh Fork-tailed Swift, White-throated Needletail central Port Macquarie 2 Fork-tailed Swifts in a flock of about 100 White-throated Needletails over central Port Macquarie. Peter West & Sue Proust Latham’s Snipe Cranebrook Found five Latham’s Snipes on big lake at corner of Castlereagh/Cranebrook Roads. Two were feeding on edge nearest to me in plain view, three more on far side. Also present at least 30 Grey Teal, a Great Crested and 16 Hoary-headed Grebes. Ákos Lumnitzer Purple-crowned Lorikeet (Subject to submission to NSW ORAC), Australian Koel Lake Hume Weir At least 4 Purple-crowned Lorikeets around at stand if flowering Lemon-scented Gums. A rare bird in NSW but there have been a few reports in the border area of the last few years. Also an Australian Koel heard in the distance. Another rare bird in this area but there have been regular reports over the last few years as well. [Moderator’s note (NH): Purple-crowned Lorikeets in NSW should be submitted to NSW ORAC] Michael Ramsey Thu 2 Jan Australasian Bittern West Byron Sewage Treatment Plant, Byron Bay Lifted off close to access road, saw a few times in flight, maybe using strong Northerly breeze for a bit of lift. Seen around first and second ponds, near road, into long reeds and grasses. 13 plus Freckled Ducks still around too and Chestnut Teal not a regular here either. Duncan Fowler Brush Cuckoo Scheyville Nat Park At least 3 Brush Cuckoos, 2 females calling one of them a barred morph, male calling normal descending call. Watched male feed barred female morph on 3 occasions with large caterpillar, females uttering call as described in HANZAB as Churrrt. Never seen barred morph or heard the Churrrt call before. Keith Brandwood Pacific Golden-Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Pied Stilt Wareemba, Hen & Chicken bay One Pacific Golden-Plover amongst many Bar-tailed Godwits. 4 Pied Stilts foraging in the same area. Elio Bombonato Wed 1 Jan Grey-crowned Babbler 147 Levenstrath Rd. Levenstrath nr Grafton. 10+ Grey-crowned Babblers in yard near fishpond. 8 counted and at least two others heard before being disturbed and flew into surrounding trees. Resident flock had dwindled to 4 birds. Not known whether this a breeding increase or if the extreme hot weather had brought other birds from surrounding scrub to fishpond. Warren Thompson Spotted Harrier North Richmond Glided low over Bells Line of Road in an easterly direction between the intersections with Redbank Road and Inverary Drive. Kurtis Lindsay White-winged Black Tern Ash Island (Wagtail Way) 20-30 Terns (mostly Whiskered Terns) seen from Wagtail Way, feeding close to the road after a temporary roost on the far side of the marsh near the railway. There were at least 2 White-winged Black Terns in the flock. Later in the evening a flock of 60-70 Gull-billed Terns circled and descended on the marsh on the opposite side of Wagtail Way. Andrew Walker Australian Koel Cnr Crisp and Olive St, Albury NSW Single bird heard calling and subsequently sighted in dense Pinoak Tree, later in a Plane Tree in urban street. Brown feathers around the breast area with faint barring suggest subadult bird. Sighting is consistent with recent reports from Wodonga to the south. Gerard O’Neill Cicadabird, Red-browed Treecreeper, Crested Shrike-tit Turon Gates, Capertee In large eucalypts beside Turon River at campground. Seen yesterday. Carl Weber Tue 31 Dec White-throated Needle- tail Albury Memorial Monument Approx 10 birds flying quickly atop Albury Hill in calm weather. Greg Hunt Peregrine Falcon Cambridge Gardens, Penrith At around 17:30 we stepped outside with a visitor at our house and heard all the local birds going crook. We looked up and just caught glimpse of a female Peregrine (judged by heavy and large appearance) as it attempted to take an Indian Myna or Spotted Dove, both which were on my roof. The falcon pulled up right over the top of us at a height of no more than five or six meters. Later when walking the dogs out near Castlereagh we observed another Peregrine Falcon hunting over Princes Farm (horse place) and it made a number of attempts at parrots from great height stooping at breakneck speeds. It was escorted out of the area by a pair of Black-shouldered Kites Ákos Lumnitzer Mon 30 Dec Pacific Baza Tuggerah State conservation Area, South Tacoma 2 immature Pacific Bazas were seen perched along the Lake Trail after one was heard calling. Plenty of Striated Herons roosting along the Wyong River. Andrew Walker Sooty Owls Washpool National Park, Cangai Two birds vocalizing at dusk. One later flushed off a dead Glider beside the road. Murray Lord Australasian Bittern Pitt Town Lagoon Whilst checking the progress of the bird hide saw an Aus Bittern lift out of the reed beds on the n/e side then drop back in a few metres away.Lots of birds using the modified islands. Keith Brandwood Painted Honeyeater Condobolin- to south on SR95 33 17 31 S 147 10 46 E Several Painted Honeyeaters feeding on mistletoe berries in mixed acacia/callitris roadside scrub. Spiney-cheeked and Striped Honeyeaters also enjoying berries and Mistloebirds spreading them. Rosemary Stapleton Australian, Baillon’s & Spotless Crake, Lewin’s and Buff-banded Rail Eastlakes Golf Course Good views of the crakes early this morning, but only the Buff-banded rail showed up. Lewin’s Rail heard clearly but we did not manage to see it . Pond and area closest to toolsheds. Also yesterday/Sun morning in strong wind: 7 Common and 7 Little Terns at the main lake. Amanda Lilleyman & Bas Hensen Sun 29 Dec Brolga Ulmarra A pair of Brolgas flying high over Pacific Hwy at Ulmarra. James Fong Black-browed Albatross, Shy Albatross. North Head, Manly. About 50 albatross of North Head today with 35 Black-browed Albatross & 15 Shy Albatross. michael ronan. Sat 28 Dec Plumed Whistling-Duck, Rufous Songlark, Eastern Rosella, Pheasant Coucal, Koel Terry Hie Hie 100+ Plumed Whistling Ducks were observed on a roadside small stock dam about 5km east of Terry Hie Hie. They have been present at this location throughout the year, while none were seen elsewhere in the area this year. A Rufous Songlark was seen & heard, they have been very uncommon; rarer this spring/summer. Apart from the common Channel-billed Cuckoo, a Pheasant Coucal was HC on Tycannah Creek and a Koel (first for site) was heard calling. 2 Eastern Rosellas, which aren’t found in summer here and are uncommon generallywere also seen.Other birds worth noting included: 2 Common Bronzewings feeding on a dirt road. 2 Singing Honeyeaters, a Jacky Winter, 4 Rainbow Bee-eaters and lots of Dollarbirds (6+), c.10 Dusky Woodswallows were still present, including immatures. Several Pied Currawongs HC, they are unusual at this time of year, especially during the heat of summer. Curtis Hayne Wed 25 Dec Great Knot, Pacific Golden-Plover Hawks Nest 10′ Cell Great Knot (1) One bird positively identified on the mudflats to the left of the singing bridge facing tea gardens, through bins. As an unleashed dog ran towards it, another three bird joined it in flight flying away. Couldn’t confirm their ID but they looked good for knot. Pacific Golden-Plover (4) Observed on the mudflats near the knots. Flew past me when disturbed by a dog. Calling in flight. This is the first time I have observed either of these species here. Simon Gorta Tue 24 Dec Collared Sparrowhawk Red Rock, Coffs Harbour Collared Sparrowhawk (1) Photographed with prey – probable Blue-faced Honeyeater. (Moderator’s Note: Other photos show the square-tail AKM) Jean & Paul Newman Birdline New South Wales is sponsored by Birding NSW, Birds Australia – Southern NSW & ACT and Cumberland Bird Observers Club and hosted by Eremaea Birds. _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
