Hi all
Conditions were very different to the summer norm over the Xmas weekend in
Kurrajong Hills nw of Sydney, with max temps just nudging the 20s - Xmas Eve
was the last of several days this month to top 40 degrees. 20 mms of rain fell
on Xmas Eve and Day.
There 24+ White-throated Needletails flying fairly low and towards the
southeast around 3pm, my only local record for 2009.
A great sighting for the weekend was my first local record of a White (Grey)
Goshawk. The bird was perched below road level in a grove of remnant western
Sydney dry rainforest trees in grazing land on Mill Road below Hermitage Road.
The slope meant the bird was clearly visible just below road level allowing
great views and a few pics. There are at least 2 pairs of (grey) Grey Goshawks
resident in the area but they are difficult birds to see despite their calls
being one of the typical sounds of the hills here. The pair living in our gully
may be nesting at present – for the past few weeks they have been extremely
vocal and very localised, with at least one bird calling very frequently from
one spot for 2-3 hours after sunrise and again for the last 2 hours pre sunset,
with prolonged calling sometimes occurring at other times. The main call source
is close to our house above remnant rainforest but I have not found the exact
location as yet - it would
require neighbour’s permission and is not quite visible from roads or our
property.
The wet conditions also brought the Yellow-throated Scrubwrens, with 3
different pairs seen along Douglas Farm Rd including a pair with at least 2
dependent young.
Common Bronzewings were much more conspicuous than usual along the roadsides
all over the area including Bells Line of Road from the heights to Kurmond. I
picked up a beautiful male who had probably been hit by a car on Mill Road and
dropped him with a local WIRES rep. Last weekend I took them a Tawny Frogmouth
found in a similar condition along Kurmond Road a few kms away.
Rufous Fantails were also seen along Douglas Farm Road – I rarely see them here.
At McGraths Hill the water levels of the ponds next to the Windsor road had
fallen to create the best potential wader conditions here in a long while. On
Xmas morning there were at least 12 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and a Marsh
Sandpiper here as well as over 25 Pied Stilts and 4 Royal Spoonbills.
Cheers, Eric Finley
==============================www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
send the message:
unsubscribe
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to:
=============================
|
