To all Birders
Yesterday (14/9/97), I and a few subscribers of Birding Aus, myself Edwin
Vella, Lorne Johnson, John Leonard and Robert Quinan went out in the
Hawkesbury Area to view the large number of Quail present. There were
atleast 150 Brown Quail present with a few Stubble and King Quail but no
Button-quail. But there were less raptor present than a couple of weeks
ago. Atleast 2 Banded Lapwing's were seen and 3 Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoo
around the Turf farm's.
We went to Mcgraths Hill STW later in the morning and had excellent views
of Baillon's Crakes feeding in the open daylight on the floating
vegetation at the end of the big pond closest to Windsor Rd. ( I managed
to video tape this bird and a Brown Quails at a very close range).
I and Robert than went to Mitchell Park at Cattai to search for the local
Powerful Owls and the Baza's. The Baza's were not seen but we saw 2 juv.
Powerful Owl (with complete white breasts) like 2 Kookaburra's waiting
for a feed at the edge of the picnic area near the Rainforest walk.they
perched no more than half a metre from the ground and were very visible
to the picknickers being so white and in an exposed area. I've never seen
Powerful Owls in such very exposed locations but I almost overlooked them
myself thinking they were 2 white posts at first glance. The adult birds
were not seen (do the parent's care about there young !!. There were
plenty of Noisy Miners near by).
We also had good views of the usuall mob of Rufous Night Heron's, this
place being a most reliable spot to see them.
Towards the end of the afternoon we moved to Pitt Town, flushing a couple
of Latham's Sipe and seeing our first Sharp-tailed Sandpipers for the
season (6 of them).
Until Next time...
Edwin Vella
P.S. the Striated Pardalote is still around the bus stop this morning.
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