Birdline NSW Weekly Update

Birdline NSW

Published sightings for the week ending 20 Feb 2011.

Sun 20 Feb	Square-tailed Kite Bidwill (approx 10 km W of Blacktown CBD) One adult was seen circling low over suburbia in Bidwill and then making its way towards Shanes Park. Judging by various and increasing sighting's over recent years, the Blacktown area appears to be important for this species in the non-breeding season. Edwin Vella
Sat 19 Feb	Common Sandpiper Shell Point, Botany Bay One Common Sandpiper roosting on a disused jetty during our monthly survey of high-tide wader roosts in Botany Bay - making an appearance exactly as last year! Other interesting sightings: one Terek Sandpiper, a pair of Ospreys and three jaegers (not quite sure of species, and all looked to be immature birds) out in the middle of the bay. NSW Wader Study Group
	White-throated Needletails (100+), Australian Owlet-nightjar (1), Pacific Bazas (2), Grey Goshawk Shanes Park Air Services Land (off Captain Cook Drive) On the Air Services land at Shanes Park this morning, we watched a large loose flock of Needletails for over an hour, with many birds flying quite low close to camopy level. A Grey Goshawk was seen flying closely with 2 Bazas after seeing a Whistling Kite and a Collared Sparowhawk (the later just on the edge of the area at the start of the outing) and a few even saw a Peregrine. Other birds we saw on this very hot and humid morning included an Owlet-nightjar (same hollow as last year), Common Bronzewing, 5 Speckled Warblers, White-throated Gerygone, Brown Quail etc Edwin Vella and CBOC members
Fri 18 Feb	Australian Pied Oystercatcher (count totalling 166!) Port Stephens 166 Pied Oystercatchers in Port Stephens today, during a waterbirds survey by members of Hunter Bird Observers Club and the local NPWS. This is the highest ever count we have had for the species in Port Stephens (but almost all summer and winter counts in the past 8 years have been of much greater than 100 birds). Alan Stuart
Thu 17 Feb	Noisy Pitta Harrington RF 1 young bird in Harrington rainforest around midday on Thursday - otherwise it was fairly quiet there. Alan Stuart
	Jacana, Forest Kingfisher Cattai Wetlands I saw a Comb-crested Jacana at Cattai Wetlands (near Taree) on Thursday, also had great views up close of a Forest Kingfisher there. Also found a small party of Red-backed Fairy-wrens (as well as the 2 other F-w species were present). Alan Stuart
Wed 16 Feb	Eastern Bristlebird, Beautiful Firetail Griffiths Track, Barren Grounds One Eastern Bristlebird sighted while I was doing the Griffith track loop. I also saw a pair of Brown Falcons and 1 female Beautiful Firetail. Michael Crosland
Tue 15 Feb	Glossy Black Cockatoo Gaudrons Road Sapphire Beach Coffs Harbour NSW 5 glossy black cockatoos seen feeding in a allocasuarina about 6pm. the group included one juvenile. Phil O'Shea
	Peregrine Falcon Balmain A Peregrine Falcon seems to have made Balmain part of its regular evening patrol along the harbour foreshores - today the third sighting in two weeks, at Birchgrove Oval and Mort Bay. The Peregrine is always heading east at about 5.30 - 6.30pm, its approach announced by every Noisy Miner in the district. Robert Griffin
	Red-chested Buttonquail North of Wanganella area, Deniliquin district Although we have been seeing Red-chested Button-quail in good numbers out on the plains since 18 October last year, today saw the first breeding record, i.e., a nest with four eggs. Previous nesting attempts have probably been disrupted by heavy rain over the summer. Philip Maher
	Wandering Tattler Soldiers Point, Norah Head A single Wandering Tattler was seen with 6 Grey-tailed Tattlers, 14 Curlew Sandpipers, 12 Ruddy Turnstones, 3 Sooty Oystercatchers and 46 Red-necked Stints yesterday afternoon (14/2) and again this afternoon at low tide when access was possible onto the reef. A Wandering Tattler was previously seen at the same place on 15/1/2011, and despite subsequent visits has not been seen again until now. It is significant that this bird was seen a day after the last sighting of a Wandering Tattler at Long Reef! Alan Morris
Mon 14 Feb	Square-tailed Kite Oakhurst, western Sydney An occasional visitor to this area - one adult seen flying low over suburban rooftops at 4.30 this afternoon. Also seen today, a New Holland Honeyeater, a new addition to my backyard list. Mark Fuller
Sun 13 Feb	Australian Hobby Birds Australia Discovery Centre, Sydney Olympic Park Great view of an Australian Hobby, perched obligingly in a tree close to the Birds Australia Discovery Centre. Hazel Watson
	Spangled Drongo Lady Carrington Drive, Royal National Park Whilst riding along Lady Carrington Drive on Sunday with the kids (starting at the northern end and heading south) we got good views of a Spangled Drongo. The last time I personally saw this species in the park was around 13 years ago. Deryk Engel
	Buller's Shearwater Mistral Point, Maroubra Seen today : 107 Short-tailed Shearwaters, 34 wedge-tailed Shearwaters, 1 Sooty Shearwater, 1 Hutton's Shearwater, 1 Fluttering Shearwater, 1 Buller's Shearwater, 1 Arctic Jaeger, 7 Pomarine Jaegers and 2 Gannets. Generally though, numbers of seabirds are all down this year - especially Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, Flesh-footed Shearwaters and all three species of Jaeger. David Mitford
	Wandering Tattler, Osprey Long Reef, Colloroy The Wandering Tattler showed very well early this afternoon (my third sighting in Sydney over the past 10 years but the first time I have photographed it) and an Osprey was also seen hovering overing the reef for quite some time. Edwin Vella et al
Thu 27 Jan	Painted Button-quail Mulgoa Single bird observed in forest leaf litter on my property (1). Peter Harvey

Birdline NSW is sponsored by Birding NSW, Birds Australia - Southern NSW & ACT and Cumberland Bird Observers Club and co-ordinated and hosted by Eremaea Birds.

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