On Thursday morning I led a group from the Blue Mountains
Conservation Society on a birdwatch at Mount Banks, in the Blue
Mountains (NSW). Rather than climb to the top of this basalt capped
mountain we walked around the base on part of the fire trail looking
for honeyeaters and heathland birds. With three or four species of
banksia in flower, May through to about August is a great time in the
heathlands of the upper Blue Mountains.
We didn't have to leave the picnic area before the first Crescent
Honeyeater called and throughout the morning we heard, and glimpsed,
a number of these amongst the much more abundant New Hollands. There
were also a few migrating flocks of Yellow-faced and White-naped
Honeyeaters flying up the gully from the Grose Valley and over the
carpark. This autumn has been extremely quiet for migrating
honeyeaters with nothing like the huge numbers I usually get flying
over my house at Katoomba. Is there anywhere people are seeing more
than the usual numbers - along the coast perhaps?
Also at the picnic area we watched a Rockwarbler visiting first the
ladies, then the men's toilet, hopping under the door and cleaning
the floor and inside walls of spiders, insects, etc. (No-one was
inside at the time!)
We stopped along the track for morning tea and noticed 3 Gang-gang
Cockatoos feeding quietly on gumnuts. Most people (except for the
stragglers) got great views before they suddenly took flight - 3
birds, followed by more, and more.... we counted 8 Gang-gangs flying
out of the tree, proving how surprisingly difficult to see these
birds can be even when in a small tree right above your head!
During morning tea a single White-eared Honeyeater entertained us, a
very handsome new bird for most of the group.
We also saw flocks of Tree Martins and Welcome Swallows hawking above
the heathland, and a Grey Currawong flushed from a low banksia. Tiny
white-flowering Cryptandra amara and the sweet-smelling Acacia
suaveolens provided botanical interest. A very enjoyable morning with
some nice birds seen in perfect weather.
Carol
Carol Probets
Blue Mountains, NSW
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