A VISIT TO THE INVERELL & ASHFORD DISTRICTS 5-8 JUNE 2006
Following on from a report from Peter Johnson that he had seen a Squatter
Pigeon on the Ashford-Texas Rd in northern NSW on 15 May 2006, Alan McBride
and myself travelled there to see if we could relocate the bird(s). The last
confirmed sighting of a Squatter Pigeon in NSW was in 1978 near Bingara, but
there was another report in 2001 near Bebo SF which is north of the
Yetman-Texas Rd, and about 60 km NW of where Peter had reported the bird. In
the 1970s the Squatter Pigeons were reported from the Inverell, Gilgai,
Ashford,Barraba and Bingara areas, all on the NSW north-west slopes.
Unfortunately on our trip we were unable to locate any Squatter Pigeons
although conditions looked right for the bird, and as a result of good
seasonal conditions over summer there was plenty of grass cover throughout
the area.
We had fine weather throughout out our trip. We travelled via the New
England Highway to Tamworth and then the along the Fossikers Way through
Barrabra and Bingara, and then across to Delungra, Ashord and back to
Inverell on the first day. We saw 7 Wedge-tailed Eagles between Branxton and
Muswellbrook, a Black Kite at Aberdeen, a Hobby at the Manilla River bridge,
Manilla, and a lone Plum-headed Finch at Andersons Ck Barraba, a well known
site for them.
An early start saw us birding around Inverell Lake on 6/6, seeing 39 species
in half an hour including a pair of White-bellied Cuckoo- Shrikes, a
Sea-eagle and Little Friarbirds, some White Box was in flower as it was
elsewhere in the area and for the next three days we saw and heard Musk &
Rainbow Lorikeets wherever we stopped, but no Swift Parrots!. Then off along
the inverell-Ashford Rd, and finding Black-chinned Honeyeaters near Bukulla.
A morning tea break at the Severn River Bridge, 5km N of Ashford on the
Texas Rd found a flock of 150+ Plum-headed Finches, Red-browed Finches and
more Black-chinned Honeyeaters. At the spot that to us seemed most suitable
for the Squatter Pigeon, about 24 km N of Ashford (Peter thought that the
site was about 20 km N of Ashford but that location was in pretty open
country whereas a few kms along you were back into a Grassy Box Woodland,
which continued through to Bonshaw, another 20 km along the road), we search
regularly over the next two days. While we saw no Squatter Pigeons we did
find Peaceful Dove, Diamong Firetail, Common Bronzewing, Bar-shouldered
Doves and Crested Pigeon. Hooded & Yellow Robin, more Plum-heads, 2 groups
of Turquoise Parrots, Jacky Winters and more White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikes in
this area. Around Bonshaw we had calling Western and White-throated
Gerygones on the same branch, and on the Bonshaw-Yetman Rd, good views of
Speckled Warblers and Inland Thornbills. At the Bonshaw Weir crossing of the
Dumeresq River, there were Double-bars, Plum-headed Finches, Spiny-cheeked
Honeyeater, Restless Flycatcher & Sea-Eagle.
We stayed over at Texas QLD and next morning found 2A+2J Black-winged Stilts
on Texas Lagoon. We looped around the roads leading to Atholwood and Camp
Creek, and found more Diamond Firetails, Hooded Robin, Turquoise Parrot, and
also Southern White-face, Pale-headed Rosellas and Red-capped Robins. We
drifted into Yetman for a snack and saw a Brown Goshawk circling over the
Village, Double-bars, Zerba Finches, Rufous Whistler, Brown Greygone and
House Sparrows in the gardnes and street trees. We then retraced our steps
back to Bonshaw, Ashford, Graman and Bukulla, seeing nothingh new although a
Spotted Harrier at Bukulla and another Hobby at the Squatter Pigeon site,
were good views. At the end of the day instead of staying at Inverell we
went south-east to Uralla instead.
By 7.30 am on 8/6 we were out birding at Dangars Lagoon, Uralla where the
Temp was 1 degrees and fog covered the Lagoon. But gradually the fog lifted,
the sun came out and we had a chilly time around the Lagoon. Here we saw
plenty of Shoveler and Pinkears, plenty of Black Ducks & Wood Ducks, 16
Black-fronted & 1 Red-kneed Dotterel, a lone Musk Duck and a pair of
Whistling Kites as well as the usual other waterbirds. We returned via
Tamnworth and the New England Highway andt at Wallabadah, we had great views
of a Wedge-tailed gliding low over the Highway being dived at by a
Peregrine. At the Lake Liddell Boat Ramp, we checked out the water birds and
found a lone Great Crested Grebe amongst the many Coots.
Alan Morris
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