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Barren Grounds/Budderoo NP - 26/10/04

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Subject: Barren Grounds/Budderoo NP - 26/10/04
From: Nigel Jackett <>
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 11:29:24 +1000
Yesterday (26/10) Nathan Waugh and I showed a British couple 
(Dan and Kate) around the Barren Grounds area in search of 
their wanted to see Ground Parrot.

We started off in Barren Grounds Nature Reserve where we 
walked the northern side of Griffiths trail up to Saddleback 
Trig. Birds of interest recorded along this 2km section 
included: 

Brush Cuckoo (2 calling)
Eastern Bristlebird (more than 10 heard, at least 4-5 seen), 
Southern Emu-wren (1 male, others heard)
Chestnut-rumped Heathwren (1 seen)
Large-billed Scrubwren (foraging in heath close to 
escarpment)
Pilotbird (quite a few calling)
Gang-Gang Cockatoo (15 feeding)
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (30, drinking from the many 
puddles on the track)
Peregrine Falcon (1, flew around us when we imitated its 
call)
Wedge-tailed Eagle (1)
Whistling Kite (1)

Reptiles:
Southern Water Skink (Eulamprus heatwolei, 15)
Eastern Water Skink (Eulamprus quoyii, 1)
Three-lined Skink (Pseudomoia duperreyi, 1-2)

Mammals:
1 Echidna

We then headed off to the Budderoo Firetrail (Budderoo NP) 
to search for Ground Parrots at a site where we have never 
missed them. In this patch of heath we found:

Ground Parrot (1, viewed very well by all as it flew for 80m 
before disappearing into the heath)
Eastern Bristlebird (1)
Southern Emu-wren (10+)
Channel-billed Cuckoo (1 flying overhead, calling)
Topknot Pigeon (a flock flying high comprising of 45 
individuals)

After finally finding Ground Parrot (and getting very wet 
shoes) we decided to head back to coast. Not far from the 
lookout between Budderroo firetrail and Barren Ground NR we 
observed a grey morph Grey Goshawk perched in a small 
eucalypt in the heath, giving the British birders their 8th 
lifer of the day.

A quick stop at Wingdang estuary (Wollongong) in the late 
afternoon produced 8 Common Greenshanks with some of the 
more common waders.

A very interesting days birding in the Illawarra.

Nigel Jackett

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