Wattle Flat, Royal NP

["Brian Everingham" <>]

This morning I managed to successfully prise my wife out of bed in time to be at Currawong Flat, Audley at 6.00am. The usual birds were present on the water (Dusky Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Eurasian Coot, Black Duck) and a Little Pied Cormorant was perched on a low branch in an overhanging casuarina. Along the edge of the river bank the Yellow Tufted Honeyeaters were easy to find and in the canopy a Yellow Faced Honeyeater was getting an early meal. On the lawn picnic area two Wonga Pigeons were not at all concerned by our presence. And the resident Azure Kingfisher came to its perch on cue. But at least today I did not find the Nankeen Night heron. It was last seen by me there on 28th December.

 

Down in the Wattle Flat area I was thrilled to see a Brown Cuckoo Dove. I have not seen this bird for some time at this location and this one was so confiding and obvious. Green Catbirds were even more obliging and in the early part of the day were even seen in the eucalypt canopy chasing each other.The flock of Satin Bowerbirds seems content with life there at the moment.

 

We were also thrilled to see a female Leaden Flycatcher, several Black Faced Monarch, a small flock of Scarlet Myzomela (male and female) very high in flowering eucalyptus canopy and several Olive Backed Orioles. The Sacred Kingfisher was delightful diving and catching what appeared to be a dragonfly nymph and taking to its perch near the nest in a termite mound high in a dead tree and overhead we enjoyed a Grey Goshawk. All three local species of Scrub Wrens were present as well. The total list for the morning was 54 species and the only disappointment was our failure today to see the Pilotbird and once more we did not see an Rufous Fantail here.

 

A most enjoyable day but if anyone else is seeing the Rufous Fantail let me know. It used to be regular in summer.

 

Brian Everingham