Tuross Head (South Coast, NSW)

We spent a long weekend (4-6 March)
in Tuross Head on the NSW South Coast. On the way down a brief stop at
Congo produced 7 Red-capped Plovers and 4 Double-banded Plovers.

At Tuross I walked the flat sands of
the Tuross River estuary several times to count waterbirds. On one occasion
I believed I saw an Osprey. It was standing on the sand flats picking at
something but took to the air before I could get close. It had long fingered
wings with a short tail. The wings were slightly bent sometimes. Unfortunately
I didnt have my binos with me as you need to swim the estuary mouth to
get to the sand flats. It wasnt an immature Sea-Eagle and didnt look anything
like a Whistling Kite.

• Pied Oystercatcher 5
• Australian Pelican 34
• Red-capped Plover 16
• Red-necked Stint 2
• Double-banded Plover 4
• Caspian Tern 7
• Crested Tern 62
• Little Egret 9
• Great Egret 1
• Eastern Curlew 11
• Bar-tailed Godwit 50
• Silver Gulls 150+

I found a beautiful small hidden rainforest
reserve smack bang in the middle of Tuross called Chatham Park Flora &
Fauna Reserve. I wandered the walking trails every morning to a dawn chorus
of Lewin's Honeyeaters, Large-billed Scrubwrens, Brown
Gerygones, Eastern Whipbirds and Yellow Robins. Also
here Red-browed Finch, Variegated Fairy-wren, King-Parrot,
Silvereye and Eastern Spinebill.

On Sunday I spent a half hour watching
the ocean from One Tree Point. In the distance I saw a Jaeger harassing
a Gull. Too far to see what kind. There seemed to be a lot of action out
to sea including a possible fur seal which briefly broke the surface. A
large albatross-like bird sat on the sea for ages, again too far to identify.
In Tuross itself the local flock of ~20 Little Corellas visited
daily.

A short detour to Bingie on Sunday produced
6 different raptors in 10 minutes! An immature Wedge-tailed Eagle
soared overhead harassed by another smaller raptor (possibly a Brown Goshawk).
Over the hill a Brown Falcon flew past suddenly followed by a Spotted
Harrier (great to see size difference, the harrier looked enormous
compared). Almost twice they semi-grappled in mid air. This is probably
the same Harrier I saw 2 weeks earlier in the very same spot. A few hundred
metres further on a Nankeen Kestrel sat calmly surveying the land,
while high above an adult White-bellied Sea-Eagle flew over. Down
at Bingi Point I have often seen Black-shouldered Kites as well. A nice
1.5-2m Lace Monitor crossed Bingi Rd on the drive back.

Cheers
Marnix

 

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