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Taking overseas birders out is a tense
business. Will everything they have read about the place from the
available bird finding books come true? Usually not. However, given
the right habitat, birds should be about and yesterday was no exception.
This was more a reconnaissance visit to see if I could find Regent
Honeyeaters. I didn't but it looks good.
The first fluke was having a Brush
Bronzewing walking along the Bell's Line of Road near the Mt. Wilson
turnoff. Bet that won't be there next week! Into the valley and we
first stopped where the white box (Euc. albens) begins on the second tarred
section of road. There were lots of birds here. Always a good place
to stop. A dozen Gang Gangs fed on native pine nuts. Sun
shining through red curly combs on 4 males in the one tree was very nice.
Will they be here for my American visitor next week?
The Fuscous Honeyeaters were
almost deafening. Lerps were on the leaves attracted many birds. We
saw Shrike-tits, Striped Honeyeaters, Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters,Diamond
Firetails and many other species in the 3/4 hour we spent here. A stop
at the broken windmill and tanks added White-browed Babbler, Brown
Goshawk, Little Eagle and Double-barred
Finch.
Lower down the road we saw a Hawthorn bush full
of Zebra Finches and Southern Whiteface. At
the Glenolan Road bridge, 10 minutes past Glen Alice, We saw 4
White-backed Swallows, Hooded Robin, Restless
Flycatcher, Brown Falcons, Wedge-tailed Eagle, a pair of
Plum-headed Finch, and 10 Tree
Martins.
We went to the Goollooinboin homestead and
booked a room at Grove Cottage, then went exploring on the property. We
glimpsed 4 Turquoise Parrots flying through more White
Box. Wonder if we will get good views of them for the visitor?
I could not find the Regent or Black Chinned
Honeyeaters but feel with a bit of work, they will be about.
The long grasses on the properties lower down
for the Plum-headed Finch seen to be gone but the last two visits the Glenolan
Road have produced them. There is no mistletoe on the River Oak to produce
Regents at Glenolan Road bridge. I saw and heard more Striped Honeyeaters
at four stops throughout the valley. They were in White Box and Yellow
Box.
In the Capertee valley we saw 76
species.
Trevor & Annie
Quested
Sydney, Australia
Phone
+61 2 9955 6266
Fax + 61 2 9959 4005
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