Took some time off to show a
friend of mine from Tassie, David Walker, a few birding spots in the Hunter and
Hawkesbury areas. The weather was fairly hot most of the time, but we saw a good
variety of birds at the following places:
WOODBERRY
SWAMP (approx. 10km west of Newcastle
CBD or c170km north of Sydney CBD) (13/12/02)
I would strongly urge anyone
birding in the area to check this spot out. I have stopped here a few times in
the past few years but last Friday was excellent. Most of the surrounding
wetlands (Minmi, Pourmalong, Hexham, Tarro etc appeared to have very few birds
but this place was a magnet for 27 Glossy Ibis, 3 Pacific Herons, hundreds of
Cattle Egret, 400 plus Whiskered and 15 White-winged Black Terns, 300 plus
Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, c20 Marsh Sandpipers, 100 plus Pied Stilt, c40
Pink-eared Duck, hundreds of Grey Teal, 3 Whistling Kites and a Swamp Harrier.
Looks excellent habitat for Bitterns, Painted Snipe etc.
IRRAWANG
SWAMP (approx. 20 km north of
Newcastle CBD) (13/12/02)
This had 6 Red-kneed Dotterel and
a couple of Latham?s Snipe
DUNGOG AREA (13-15/12/02)
Met up with Dick Jenkin who
kindly showed us a number of spots around his area (all new areas for both
myself and David). We visited the Telegherry and Jurasalem State Forest Parks
(on the outskirts of Barrington Tops National Park) and had good views of a male
Rose Robin, 4 Spectacled and several Black-faced Monarchs, several Rufous
Fantails, Leaden Flycatchers, 2 male Logrunner, several Superb Lyrebirds, Brown
Cuckoo-doves, lots of Scarlet Honeyeaters, but unfortunately none of the
specialties such as Paradise Riflebird and Noisy Pitta which are regularly seen.
It was rather quieter in these state forests than usual.
On the night of the
13th, we also found a good variety of frogs - Bleating Tree Frogs (L.
dentata), Dwarf Tree Frogs (Litoria fallax), Lesuers Frogs (L. lesuerii),
Peron?s Tree Frogs (L. peronii), Laughing Tree Frogs (L tylerii), Broad-palmed
Rocket Frogs (L. latopalmata), Leaf Green Tree Frogs (L. phyllochroa), Striped
Marsh Frogs (Limnodynastes peronii), Common Eastern Froglets (Crinea signifera)
and Dusky/Smooth Toadlets (Uperoleia laevigata/fusca). Other animals seen were
lots of Red-necked Pademelons and a Boobook Owl heard.
.
BARRINGTON
TOPS NP (14/12/02)
We visited the Barrington Tops
Guest House for some late afternoon birding but again it was quieter than usual
here. Apart form many tame Brush Turkeys and a Wonga Pigeon walking around the
tennis court and guest house we did see 2 Regent Bowerbirds amongst a group of
Satin Bowerbirds, a few Superb Lyrebirds and heard Green Catbirds. We also had
nice looks of a good sized Land Mullet (Egernia major), which is a huge dark
skink. Spotlighting that evening well made up the shortage of diurnal birds with
an excellent and deafining chorus of frogs (most were seen) including Red-eyed
Tree Frogs (Litoria chloris), Bleating Tree Frogs (L. dentata), Dwarf Tree Frogs
(Litoria fallax), Lesuers Frogs (L. lesuerii), Peron?s Tree Frogs (L. peronii),
Leaf Green Tree Frogs (L. phyllochroa), Great Barred Frogs (Mixophyes
fasciolatus), Striped Marsh Frogs (Limnodynastes peronii), Red-backed Toadlets
(Pseudophryne coriacea) and a new one for me, a Fletcher?s Frog (Lechriodus
fletcheri). After a very long dry spell, it is great to hear so many of our
amphibian friends. We also saw a good variety of mammals including good views of
both a Northern Brown and Long-nosed Bandicoots, both Mountain and Common
Brushtail Possum, 2 Greater Gliders (both dark phase), Brown Antechinus, Eastern
Grey Kangaroo, Red-necked Wallabies and heaps of Red-necked Pademelons. The only
nocturnal birds however, were a couple of Tawny Frogmouths and 2 Boobooks heard.
We also spotted an Echidna on the
road back to Dungog that night.
BUSHELL?S LAGOON (approx. 55km
north-west of Sydney CBD) (15/12/02)
While at Dungog, David Mitford on
mobile gave the news of a Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Bushells Lagoon. So myself
and David headed back home early on Sunday morning via Bushell?s Lagoon followed
by Dick from Dungog where we would have hoped to see this new bird for all 3 of
us. And as it often goes we dipped (along with many other birdos) but can not
complain after seeing a Dunlin there a month or so ago. I have missed the
Buff-breasted Sandpiper twice in NSW in the last ten years.
At Bushells we did see 3
Yellow-billed Spoonbills, 2 Glossy Ibis, 3 Australian Shelducks (a male and 2
females, a rare bird for this area), 31 Pacific Golden Plovers, 4 Red-kneed
Dotterels,100 plus Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, a black? flagged) Pectoral
Sandpiper, a Greenshank, 2 Marsh Sandpipers, a Wood Sandpiper, c50 Whiskered
Terns, a Latham?s Snipe, a Whsitling Kite and a White-bellied Sea-eagle. The
Buff-breasted Sandpiper could have been anywhere but we did check the area where
it was seen and the other side of the cause way without intruding in the ?No Go?
areas.
FERNLEIGH?S LAGOON,
RICHMOND (approx. 55km north-west of
Sydney CBD) (15/12/02)
Again the Ruff and 5 Little
Curlew were easy to find in the heat of the day as well as 4 Glossy Ibis, a
Freckled Duck, 6 plus Red-kneed Dotterel, c30 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, a Marsh
Sandpiper, a Greenshank, 2 male Brown Songlarks and a male White-winged Triller.
BAKERS LAGOON,
RICHMOND (approx. 55km north-west of
Sydney CBD) (15/12/02)
Fewer waders than last weekend
(there were 400 plus Sharp-tailed, a Bar-tailed Godwit etc here on the 8/12/02) but with more water, there
were still c50 Sharp-tailed and 2 Marsh Sandpipers, a Greenshank and a Swamp
Harrier.
All in all, a good 3 days.
Edwin Vella
