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THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CENTRAL COAST
BIRDERS' OUTBACK ATTACK TO NORTH-WEST NEW SOUTH WALES 20 MAY-3 JUNE
2000
Craig Arms, Robin Benson & Alan
Morris spent two weeks in north west NSW for the purpose of visiting the new
Peery Lake National Park located on the Paroo River near White Cliffs, for Craig
to see Mootwingie & Sturt NPs, Chat Corner and the Cargellico STW for the
first time, for Robin to see Gunderbooka NP & Yathong NR for the first
time, for all to catch up with some new birds, and to Atlas in areas
under-recorded to date. 200 species were seen for the trip.
The route was Chittaway
Bay-Cooyal-Coonabarabran-Warrumbungle NP-Coonamble-Macquarie
Marshes-Coolabah-Cobar-Gunderbooka NP-Louth-Wanaaring-Peery Lake NP-White
Cliffs-Mutawingie-Cobham & Dry Lakes, Cobham-Tibooburra -Camerons Corner
-SA-Tibooburra-Olive Downs-Wompah Gate-QLD-Tibooburra-Mutawingie-Broken
Hill-Wilcannia-Cobar-Yathong NR-Round Hill NR-Lake Cargellico-Forbes-Chittaway
Bay.
The monumental task of completing 144
Australian Bird Atlas Sheets and 60 NPWS Wildlife Atlas Sheets has commenced! A
full report of the trip will be published shortly on Birding Aus..
Highlights
included:
Emu
3A+31 half grown chicks together at Yathong 1/6, 17 adults together Sturt NP
29/5
Stubble
Quail Flushed at Gunderbooka NP 23/5, Mt King, Sturt
NP 30/5
Blue-billed
Duck 10, including 2A+5 ducklings Gum Swamp, Forbes
3/6
Pied
Cormorant 300+ nesting apirs in Oleopoloko Lake,
Peery NP 26/5
Great
Cormorant 40+ nests Banar Swamp, Condobolin
3/6
Australian
Pelican Nesting colony (?) Salt Lake, Cobham 26/5,
reported to be nesting Peery Lake, southern section on Mandalay HSD 25/5 (to be
confirmed)
Black-breasted
Buzzard 1 over a small wetland near Wanaaring
25/5
Spotted
Harrier Seen daily from Louth onwards 24/5-3/6 often
several a day.
Wedge-tailed
Eagle Recorded every day.
Black
Falcon 10 seen in total from Peery Lakes to
Wilcannia
Grey
Falcon 1 Wannara Ck, east of White Cliffs
26/5
Painted
Button-quail 2 Pincham Camp, Warrumbungles NP
21/5
Little
Button-quail 3 Peery Lake 24/5, 1 White Cliffs 28/5,
Sturt NP 30/5 & Piamba HSD, QLD 30/5.
Red-chested
Button-quail 1+ Piambra HSD, Qld near Wompah Gate
30/5
Inland
Dotterel 1 22 km N of Tibooburra 30/5
Banded
Lapwing Notably absent (too much grass?) seen only
Sturt NP & near Mutawingie NP 28-30/5
Red-necked
Avocet Pair with half grown young 12km W of Camerons
Corner in SA 29/5
Gull-billed
Tern 1000's seen at Dry lake, Cobham where nesting
was suspected as many juveniles were presernt and the adults attacked us
26/5.
Diamond
Dove Seen Daily from Peery Lake to Mutawingie
NP.
Red-tailed Black
Cockatoo 38+ Louth 24/5
Pink
Cockatoo 18 together Yathong NR 1/6, seen daily
elsewhere
Bourke's
Parrot 2 Fort Grey area, Sturt NP 29/5
Budgerygars Abundant and seen daily
from Wanaaring down to Peery, across to Mutawingie and back to the Tibooburra
area. Nesting along creeks.
Horsfield's
Bronze-cuckoos Recorded most days & breeding
established.
Black-eared
Cuckoo 1 Mulgowan,Gunderbooka NP 23/5, 2 Mutawingie
NP 31/5
Red-backed
Kingfisher Still around at Peery Lake & Sturt NPs
25-31/5
White-browed
Treecreeper 1 tall mulga, Bennetts Tk,
Gunderbooka NP 23/5
Red-browed Pardalote only
bird Alcoomie Ck, Mt Wood, Sturt NP 30/5
Splendid Fairy-wren Only seen
Peery Lake NP 25/5 & Yathong NR 1/6
Redthroat 8+ junction of
Tibooburra & White Cliffs Rds, 55 km NE Broken Hill on 28/5 &
31/5.
Shy Heathwren 2 in mallee
Yathong NR 1/6 & 1 Round Hill NR 2/6
Yellow-plumed
Honeyeater 1 in mallee between Girilambone &
Hermidale 22/5, northwestern limit of range.
Grey-fronted
Honeyeater 4+ Glenlea section Yathong NR 1/6, 6+ old
wheat paddock, Round Hill NR 2/6
White-fronted
Honeyeater A few Gunderbooka NP 23-25/5, many
Mutawingie NP 31/5, a few Yathong NR 2/6
Pied
Honeyeater 4+ in dunes 34 km W of Camerons Corner
SA
Black
Honeyater AF Alcoomie Ck, Mt Wood, Sturt NP
30/5
Crimson
Chat 20+ Peery Lake NP 26/5, daily Sturt NP
29-30/5
Orange
Chat Salt Lake Cobham 28/5 & Sturt NP
28-30/5
Gibber
Chat 2 Piambra HSD Qld, 2 km N of NSW border at
Wompah Gate
Southern
Scrub-Robin 2 Round Hill NR 2/6
Cinnamon
Quail-thrush 2+nest+1Y+1E 12 km west of Camerons
Corner in SA & another 34 km west 29/5.
Chestnut
Quail-thrush 1 Yathong NR 2/6 & 1 Round Hill NR
3/6
Gilbert's
Whistler 1 calling loudly but regrettfully not seen
Yathong NR 2/6
Ground
Cuckoo-Shrike 5 near Coonamble 21/5, 2 Quambone 21/5,
3 Willie Retreat, Macquarie Marshes 22/5, 1 Yathong NR 1/6
White-backed
Swallow 6+ Stoney Ck, Cooyal 20/5, also White Cliffs
27/5, Sturt NP 29-30/5, Mutawingie NP 1/6 & Yathong NR 2/6.
Alan Morris
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