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Hi everyone,
the 24/05/08 was a beautiful day for the CBOC outing to the Megalong Valley and Shipley Plateau and some great birds were seen thanks to the guiding skills of Carol Probets. After meeting in the Blackheath railway station carpark we set off in our convoy of cars to Shipley Plateau. Everyone hoped for Crescent Honeyeater but it was not to be, instead we saw White-naped and New Holland Honeyeaters, Wattlebirds, Eastern Spinebill and Fan-tailed Cuckoo. The view from the plateau was spectacular, but the thought of Red-browed Treecreepers enticed everyone to our next stop.
We arrived to the calling White-throated Treecreeper and Striated Thornbill. Walking up the moist track a bit I soon spotted a Red-brow in the fork of a smooth gum. It flew off while I was trying to explain where it was to Carol, but it was soon picked up by the rest of the group and we had good views of a pair of them. Our attention was soon diverted to a stunning Crested Shrike-tit ripping up some bark in the upper branches. All the while a Lewins Honeyeater was calling and the resonating calls of Spotted Pardalotes added to the noise.
After stopping to have morning tea we reached the Megalong Valley Pony Club grounds where Carol had seen Spotted Quail-thrush earlier in the day. A quick look at a Collared Sparrowhawk zooming overhead and we set off. We walked along the perimeter of the grounds and only 50m up the track a breif veiw of a Spotted Quail-thrush diving into a thicket turned into excellent veiws of a male and female standing clompletely still in a clearing inside the thicket. With Spotted Quail-thrush added to our list we headed off around the perimeter. Nothing much was seen except for a party of White-winged Choughs. Carol had hoped to see some robins around this area, maybe conveniently perched on a wire fence but they weren't around... On the way back we found another Spotted Quail-thrush calling from a branch at the edge of some fallen trees. This was not to be our last sighting of this uncommon bird.
We stopped at a reserve alongside the Megalong Creek for lunch. Birds included Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Eastern Yellow Robin, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, White-eared and White-naped Honeyeaters.
After having a nice break we stopped at the start of the Six Foot Track. We walked down the track to the bank of the Megalong Creek where we were greeted by a large flock of Red-browed Finches, a pair of Yellow Robins and another Spotted Quail-thrush! It walked right acroos the track a metre in front of me and hopped into some long grass where it pecked at seeds until somebody got too close and she flew off. All day we hadn't seen any 'red robins' which Carol really wanted to find but after walking along the track some more and beggining to walk up a hill my mum called out "thats a nice red breast" and everyone looked up to see a lovely little female Scarlet Robin, but where was her partner? We searched the trees for a minute or so and soon found him and his spectacular markings. All the while a Grey Shrike-thrush was flying around trying to get some attention but no one seemed to mind him. We watched them for a while and some of the group got some great shots. From there we walked along the track some more to see two Australasian Grebes diving underwater in a dam. Me and my mum had to leave so we walked back and saw the same female Spotted Quail-thrush and we got some OK photos.
Thank's to everyone for their extra eyes, ears and knowledge and especially Carol Probets for taking us to some great spots.
Max.
Sydney...
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