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Daer birding-aussers
Many of you will know by now that I frequently take
a walk in Copeland Flora Reserve, a small rainforest gulley surviving following
cedar getting and state forest logging over the last hundred or more years. This
is about 16 km west of Gloucester, NSW, a bit north of Newcastle and in the
northern foothills of Barrington Tops.
My great delight last Sunday 8th February at 9
am was to find first one Noisy Pitta (male) and then a short while later a
female, having been visiting this place for the last 9 years and never having
seen the pittas, only heard them. Then on walking further up the "Hidden
Treasure" track, I found what I presume is the same two birds, this time with
lots of bugs in their beaks, and very anxious not to show me where they were
taking these delicacies. The female quickly vanished but the male sat on a
branch 2 metres off the ground, making short low growls or higher pitched
churrs, and refusing to move until I left. Which I did after 15 minutes as I
didn't want to disturb them too much. Presumably they had nestlings close by.
They didn't make the usual "walk to work" calls.
Then walking back down the narrow side track I
found a Rufous Fantail sitting on a very new looking nest and (what I think is
called) an Angled Tree Dragon eating a beetle. There's always something new to
find in Copeland.
Other nice birds seen were two Green Pigeons,
juvenile and adult Black-faced and Spectacled Monarchs, Yellow Robins feeding
fledglings and a Yellow-throated Scrub-wren female with a beak full of feathers.
She flew in and out around the nearby trees and shrubs, chattering in disgust,
coming within a metre of her nest but refusing to enter while I remained
nearby.
A great spot for a quiet Sunday morning
constitutional!
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