Today, myself and Bill Slight had a rewarding day’s birding around Bulga
(about 200km north-west of Sydney in the Hunter Valley).
On leased property (just a few km north of the town and off Wambo Rd) in dry
Eucalypt/Sheoak Woodland there was so much bird activity about - 'hundreds'
of Little Lorikeets and Honeyeaters in their thousands - namely
Noisy Friarbirds, White-naped and Yellow-faced Honeyeaters
and fewer numbers of Red Wattlebird,
White-plumed, White-eared, Brown-headed,
Striped and Scarlet Honeyeaters. A group of half a dozen
Striped Honeyeaters were feeding on the flowering mistletoe. Among the
hundreds of Little Lorikeets were atleast 2 SWIFT PARROTS seen but
others were heard calling down the hillside. (Simon a record sheet is heading
your way).
What was also impressive was the number of Robins about - we saw 5 species in
the same area - Rose (3), Red-capped (6 males and 3 females),
Scarlet (3 males), Hooded (8 males and 3 females - have never seen
this many together before) and a single Eastern Yellow Robin.
Besides the thousands of Yellow-faced and White-naped Honeyeaters on the move
were hundreds of Dusky Woodswallows, Tree Martins,
Silvereyes and both Spotted and Striated Pardalotes.
Other birds seen included Wedge-tailed Eagle, Brown Quail, Wonga
Pigeons, Little Cuckoo-shrike (pale morph), 'very numerous'
Jacky Winters and Speckled Warblers, several Rufous
Whistlers, Restless Flycatchers, flocks of Grey-crowned
Babblers, numerous Weebills, Yellow, Buff-rumped and
Yellow-rumped Thornbills, Brown Treecreepers and Diamond
Firetails.
Recent rains have no doubt brought a bit more bird life in Bulga which has
been very dry over several years. A total of 81 species were seen/heard at Bulga
today.
Edwin
