Hi Birders,
During a brief visit to Toronto Wetland (or as I call it, the swamp!) on
14 May 2005, at around 11.00am spotted a Red-whiskered Bulbul in some
Lantana near the wetland. This is the first Bulbul I have ever seen in
the Lake Macquarie area, nor have I heard many reports of their presence
in the region so I'm particularly keen to hear if anyone else has
observed them. They alone might be the beneficiaries of the destruction
of the last bit of the orignally much more extensive wetland that
existed in the area with the building of a glorious NEW ROAD through
what I believe is a "SEPP14 Wetland". Ha. Railroaded yet again. I used
to spot Regent Honeyeaters in the area in the late 1970s, early 1980s.
But have not been in the right spot at the right time since I gather.
Bitterns and Nankeen Night Herons nested in the area as well, though
I've only spotted an occasional Night Heron over the last few years. No
bitterns.
The swamp is known for being the only egret rookery in the local
government area. I suspect this little claim to fame will be fixed in
the very near future when plans for the road going through the swamp are
carried out. YEP, WE LOVE OUR BIRDS IN LAKE MACQUARIE!!!!!!! A little
"egret" voice in my head is saying, I think, something like "I reckon
it's nearly time I moved as I'm heartily sick to death of the
lip-service given to conservation by government AT ALL LEVELS in the
Newcastle and Lake Macquarie region." Polite bird, don't you think.
Then again, the voice could be my imagination.
Also observed a Swamp Harrier giving the waterbirds a going over, among
other species including:
Olive-backed Oriole
Pied Butcherbird
Grey Butcherbird
White Ibis
Black Cormorant
Little Black Cormorant
Pied Cormorant
Grey Fantail
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
Scarlet Honeyeater
Dusky Moorhen
Mallard
Wood Duck
Willie Wagtail
White-faced heron
Australian Raven
Variegated Fairy Wren
Superb Fairy Wren
Rose Robin
Silvereye
Red-browed Finch
Rainbow Lorikeet
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
Purple Swamphen
Pied Currawong
Noisy Miner
Noisy Friarbird
Magpie Lark
Kookaburra
Galah
Eastern Whipbird
Eastern Yellow Robin
Eastern Rosella
Crested Pigeon
Chestnut Teal
Grey Teal
Thornbill (Buff-rumped?)
Black Swan
Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
Black Duck
Magpie
Coot
Tawny Frogmouth (roosting in paperbark, as usual)
cheers
Craig Williams
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