On Saturday 23rd
October 2004, I checked out a number of wetland
areas in the Lower Hunter near Newcastle (approx.
160 km north of Sydney CBD). I was very keen to check out both the migratory
waders of the Hunter estuary and a number of freshwater swamps following a week
of heavy rain along the east coast. The several freshwater wetlands in the
Hunter are now teaming with thousands of birds, a spectacular sight indeed. It
is something that I have not seen for a while due to the prolonged recent
drought. I visited the following locations on the day:
STOCKTON HIGH TIDE
ROOST – I checked this area out twice, firstly as the tide was on its way
out in the early morning and the reverse situation in the afternoon. A good
deal of waders were using the high tide roost below Stockton bridge including
Red-necked Stints (at least 2), Sharp-tailed Sandpipers (65), Curlew Sandpipers
(200 plus), Red (300 plus) and Great (1-2) Knots, Bar-tailed (1,000 plus) and
Black-tailed (90) Godwits, Whimbrel (at least 1), Eastern Curlew (c 200),
Greenshank (1), Pied Stilts (several), Red-necked Avocets (2,000) and
Red-capped Plovers (5). It is
interesting to note that I often find the Black-tailed Godwits keep a close
association with the Red-necked Avocets when roosting rather than with the
Bar-tailed Godwits (the later species prefers to mingle in with the Knots). Can
anyone further explain this association between the Black-tailed Godwits and
Avocets? There was also 18 Terek Sandpipers roosting on the oyster leases in Fern Bay. Other
birds present in this area included 3 Gull-billed and 2 Caspian Tern and a
Little Egret, and in the mangroves, Mangrove Gerygones, Sacred Kingfishers,
Rufous Whistler, Figbirds and Brown Honeyeaters. There were also White-breasted
Woodswallows flying over head.
WOODBERRY SWAMP –
there was not a huge number of birds at this location as I have seen on a
couple of occasions in the past. The heavy rains have now provided both the
water birds and shore birds with plenty of feeding choices in the vast flooded area
covering the Lower Hunter with the birds now dispersing over a much wider area.
At Woodberry I did see 22 Pacific Heron with lesser numbers
of White-faced Herons, 90 Pied Stilts and 3 Red-necked Avocets, 20 plus
Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, 13 Whiskered Tern and several other water birds. A
Black Falcon put on a show for five minutes as it circled over the wetlands and
there were other raptors present such as a pair of Wedge-tailed Eagle, 3
Whistling Kites, Swamp Harrier and Australian Kestrel. Other birds present here
included Striped Honeyeaters, White-winged Triller and the usual Pied
Butcherbirds.
TARRO SWAMP – at least 55 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers were
with 3 Marsh Sandpiper and 45 Pied Stilts.
SEAHAM – the Cattle Egrets have now started breeding
with at least a hundred or so incubating or building up their nests around the
swamp in Seaham NR. I reckon Cattle Egrets are very smart looking birds,
especially in the early part of their breeding cycle with their red bills and
orange plumage. There were also a good swag of Honeyeaters about including the
local Blue-faced, Striped, Scarlet, Lewin’s and
Yellow-faced Honeyeaters as well as Noisy Friarbirds and Red Wattlebirds. There
were also Scaly-breasted Lorikeets, Dollarbirds, Sacred Kingfishers, White-throated
Gerygones and several of the local Grey-crowned Babblers moving about (some in
the Cattle Egret nesting trees).
MORPETH – one of the large swamps (off Mcfarlane
Rd) had a few more Sharp-tailed
Sandpipers as well as Pied Stilts. A Channel-billed Cuckoo marked mid-day like
a cuckoo clock.
HEXHAM SWAMP and LENAGHAN – this is were most of the water
birds appeared to be, including 22 Pacific and many White-faced Herons;
hundreds of both Straw-necked and White Ibis; hundreds of Black Swan; 14
Wandering Whistling-duck; 2,000 Hardhead and 1,000 Grey Teal amongst other
unidentified ducks further in the distance; 1,500 Sharp-tailed and at least one
Marsh Sandpiper, hundreds of Pied Stilts, 200 plus Whiskered Tern amongst many
other common water birds. A pair of the local White-bellied Sea-eagles looked
over this activity as they perched together high on a telegraph pole and there
were also several Swamp Harrier and a few Whistling Kites.
With all this water and a topping from the rains to come, it
will be interesting to see or hear what other things may turn up in the Hunter
wetlands over the next few months.
Edwin Vella
