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Capertee Valley NSW - 30th Sept to 1st October 2000

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Subject: Capertee Valley NSW - 30th Sept to 1st October 2000
From: "Vella" <>
Date: Mon, 2 Oct 2000 13:45:13 -0000

Myself and Lorne Johnson had a fantastic time birding in one of Australia’s superb bird watching destinations - the Capertee Valley (approx 180 km north west of Sydney) last Saturday and on Sunday morning. I stayed overnight at "Rockview" owned my Mick and Josie Landry who both offer great accommodation for as low as $55 per night. Our team work effort produced a string of interesting sightings over this time as follows:

- Little Eagle - 6 seen (3 light phase and 3 dark phase). We also saw Brown Goshawks (1-2), Wedge- tailed Eagles (4-5), Black-shouldered Kites (2), Brown Falcons (8 in various colour phases), Australian Kestrels (3) and an Australian Hobby (making a spectacular dive into the bush)

- Painted Button-quails - 3 plus seen in 2 locations in the valley. One was giving its typical "bronzewing" like booming call.

- Musk Lorikeets - 2 seen over Rockview property

- Black-eared Cuckoo -one seen both days at Rockview property. Other cuckoos species seen included - Fan-tailed, Pallid, Golden and Horsfield’s Bronze-cukoos

- Azure Kingfisher at Glen Alice along the Capertee River

- several Sacred Kingfishers

- Rainbow Bee-eaters - numerous all over the valley

- Singing Bushlarks in a crop area along the Capertee River

- Little Cuckoo-shrikes - 2 light-phase birds seen in 2 different locations

- White-winged Trillers - 3 males seen including one chasing a female

- Hooded Robins -atleast 3 males and 2 females seen in a few locations

- Crested Shriketits at a few locations

- Satin and Leaden Flycatchers

- Speckled Warbler

- Western Gerygones -many calling and a few seen, far outnumbering White-throated Gerygones

- Black-chinned Honeyeater at Rockview property

- Painted Honeyeaters - 3 seen in 2 different locations in the valley, singing "Georgie..georgie.."

- Regent Honeyeaters - 3 seen in 2 different locations in the valley (including a pair seen feeding on mistletoes growing on Casurainas (River oaks) along the Capertee River) Another seen at Glen Alice cemetery with red band on left leg and blue band on right leg from looking at the bird behind.

- Striped Honeyeaters -several present in the valley

- White-browed (20 plus) with 3 Masked Woodswallows seen feeding on the ground and perched in low bushes at Rockview

For those who have never been to the Capertee Valley, one could easily pull over the side of the road in several parts of the valley and work out a list of upto 40 species in a matter of a few minutes at any of the time of year here. Some of the most numerous birds in the valley include Peaceful Doves, Little lorikeets, Rufous Songlarks, Jack Winters, Brown Treecreepers, White-browed Babblers, White-plumed Honeyeaters, Diamond Firetails, Mistletoebirds etc and should be seen without trying too hard during the Spring season.

A list of 115 species of birds were seen in the valley (90 per cent bush birds)

I also saw a Thick-tailed Gecko outside the cabin I stayed and we also saw a Bearded Dragon, Lace Monitor and Snaked Necked Tortoise. We heard some interesting Frogs including Pobblebonks. Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Wallaroos, Red-necked Wallaby, Wombats (Lorne had a close encounter while driving back home on Saturday night), Microbat species, European Fox, dead Feral Cats (great!) were the mammals seen aswell.

A great one and a half days in the valley, and made it back in time to watch the fantastic fireworks display from Homebush to Sydney for the Olympic closing ceremony. It was as good as our birding at Capertee.

Edwin

PS - on my way to the valley saw a Collared Sparrowhawk fly over the road at Windsor Downs and a White-headed Pigeon perched on powerlines at Kurrajong Hills

 

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