I made another trip to Newcastle again last Sunday to check again what
shorebirds were around and to visit other interesting areas, which I intended
but ran out of time to visit the previous weekend. No rarities observed but a
good variety of birds amongst 110 species seen/heard on the day. Some of the
noteworthy places visited included:
Stockton Bridge – it may be as yet too early in the season (?) to see the
peak number of migratory birds (about 10-11 thousand plus), or birds are simply
not going back to feed in their former favourite areas. Noteworthy here, was a
flock of 200 plus Red Knots (many moulting out of breeding plumage)
amongst hundreds of Bar-tailed and lesser number of Black-tailed
Godwits, Whimbrel and 200 plus Eastern Curlew. Also observed
23 Grey-tailed Tattlers roosting on the oyster racks before the tides
went down. Even more impressive was a large flock of 3000-4000 Red-necked
Avocets (it has been some years since I have seen them in those numbers
feeding near Stockton Bridge). Gull-billed Terns (15 plus) where flying
overhead and perched on the sand spits amongst the waders. Heard the usual
Mangrove Gerygones singing away and nearby some Channel-billed
Cuckoos.
Kooragang/Ash Island – a few Red-necked Stints, several Marsh
Sandpipers and a few Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and Greenshanks,
Red-kneed Dotterel, a few Mangrove Herons, 2 White-bellied
Sea-eagles and many Tawny Grassbirds in full song. No signs of the
American Golden Plover at Kooragang Island seen the previous weekend.
Grahamston Dam (near Raymond Terrace) – 3 Great Crested Grebes,
several Musk ducks and 2 Whiskered Terns (one in full breeding
plumage).
Newcastle Wetlands Reserve, Sandgate – 20 plus Hardheads and
Magpie Geese nesting. Lots of White-breasted Woodswallows ready to
nest build. Both Reed Warblers and Brown Honeyeaters were in full
song.
Minmi Wetlands (Hexham Swamp) – Loads of Pacific (White-necked) and
White-faced Herons, feeding in the large expanses of swamp. Also seen here
were about 400 Pied Stilts and 2 more Whiskered Terns. A few
Cattle Egrets were seen assuming their breeding plumage (supposably ready
to go back to their rookeries around Newcastle). In a small privately owned
swamp close to Hexham Swamp (located east of the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway) there
were hundreds of waterfowl including 600 plus Grey and Chestnut Teals,
20-30 Hardheads, a male Australasian Shoveler, 6 Pink-eared
Ducks amongst other waterbirds. Both a Dollarbird and Pheasant
Coucal were heard calling behind this swamp and there was a beautiful duet
heard by a pair of Pied Butcherbirds just before dusk. It was also good
to hear again the calls of many Dwarf Green Tree Frogs (Litoria fallax), Peron’s
Tree Frog (L. peronii) and Bleating Tree Frogs (L. dentata) on the edges of
these swamps.
A beautiful warm day and I arrived home just in time for the game – Newcastle
won on two fronts!
Edwin Vella
