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Hi all
Haven't been out birding for ages on the account of too
much work. Finally got out for a few hours today on a very overcast and cool
day. Monkerai Nature Reserve is just north of Dungog on the road to Gloucester
and an area I have only visited very briefly once before. It is basically Dry
Sclerophyll forest , Eucalypts and Casuarinas with an understorey of Wattles ,
Lantana and Bladey grass. Everywhere is very wet due to good falls of rain
over the last three months but fortunately not one leech all day. I started
around 8 A.M. and not much activity until around 9.30 A.M. and then only for a
couple of hours. It took me about an hour and a half to actually get a
visual on my first bird of the day with very few calling as well. Looks
like it could be good Powerful Owl country as well so will have to pay
it an evening visit some time.
Highlight of the day was a Paradise Riflebird probing its long
curved bill into a sappy hole in a Eucalypt tree. It spent about 5 minutes doing
this before moving on and probing under bark like a giant Treecreeper. I was
surprised to see it in this country but Slater mentions "may move to sclerophyll
forests in winter".
A pair of Crested Shriketits were a delight to watch , with
the male feeding down to ground level. Mixed feeding flocks of Striated
Thornbills & Spotted Pardalotes were common. White naped Honeyeaters were
the most common Honeyeater followed by Lewin's and a couple of
Yellow-faced.
Four King Parrots inspecting a tree hollow added a splash of
colour. Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos were heard calling in the distance. No
Glossies seen despite several fruiting Casuarina Torrilosas (sp?)
Yellow Robins , Grey Fantails and Golden Whistlers were
plentiful. A party of Varied Sittellas moved through the trees .
A lone Red-browed Finch and a family of Variegated Fairywrens
shared a patch of Lantana whilst Brown Gerygones flitted through the trees above
them. A single Topknot Pigeon flew in , stayed briefly, then moved off. Eastern
Whipbirds were calling and one was briefly sighted. A Fan-tailed Cuckoo called
and Grey Shrikethrush were both seen and heard.
Interestingly not one Lyrebird was seen or heard all day,
maybe a bit early yet. White-throated Treecreepers worked the bark of several
trees.
A quick visit to Jerusalem Creek on the way home added White
browed and Yellow throated Scrubwrens, a Green Catbird and two more Riflebirds
just out of the rain forest in the adjoining sclerophyll forest. I was able to
whistle them in as they are usually quite inquisitive birds. One nearly flew
right into me, I don't know who got the biggest fright !
Around 60 species seen for the day., about 35 seen in the
forest, the rest on the way to and from.
Cheers
Dick Jenkin
DUNGOG NSW
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