birding-aus

Birdline NSW Weekly Update

To:
Subject: Birdline NSW Weekly Update
From:
Date: 31 Oct 2011 01:30:50 +1000

Birdline NSW

Published sightings for the week ending 30 Oct 2011.

Sun 30 Oct Lewin's Rail, Spotless & Baillon's Crake, Black-tailed Native-hen McPhersons Rd Swamp, Tuggerah
With the Birds Aust. Twitchathon in progress yesterday, McPherson rd Swamp was visited by a number of people and teams. Birds seen and heard there today and over the last 3 days included 3 Baillon's Crakes, 3 Spotless Crakes, a Lewin's Rail, a Brown Goshawk, 4 Chestnut-breasted Mannikins, and the Black-tailed Native-hen is still showing well
Alan Morris, Mike Kuhl, Steven Edwards and Kaye Pointer et al

Wandering Tattler Flat Rock, Ballina
Single Wandering Tattler on Flat Rock this afternoon. Also Sanderling, Red-necked Stint, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Ruddy Turnstone, Lesser Sand-Plover, Little Tern, Common Tern, Crested Tern, Gull-billed Tern & Silver Gull. Plus an Aust Gannet & a Humpback Whale seen off-shore. Warning - local newspaper has reported a spate of vehicle break-ins at Flat Rock car park.
Steve McBride

Darter Bobbin Head Rd Turramurra (Pacific Highway end)
Single bird circling over my house this afternoon approx 2:30pm. Came up from the east and then found a thermal and rapidly gained height when I lost sight of it
Tom Wilson

Grey Currawong Bells Line of Road
A few minutes after remarking that Grey Currawongs are almost never seen on Bells Line of Road, I spot one feeding with a Pied Currawong next to the road! This was a few kms east of Pierces Pass Picnic Area. After having a good look at the GC, 500 metres later, we see another one. There's got to be some connection to the laws of birding here...
Joshua Bergmark, Nathan Ruser, Henry Coleman (Knight Parrots)

Red Knot (3) Long Reef Marine Reserve
3 Red Knots feeding with Grey-tailed Tattlers near the roosting area.
Joshua Bergmark, Nathan Ruser, Henry Coleman (Knight Parrots)

Little Egret, Red-necked Avocet Sydney Olympic Park Waterbird Refuge
12+ Avocets viewed from the bird hide, and a single Little Egret up the very back.
Joshua Bergmark, Nathan Ruser, Henry Coleman (Knight Parrots)

*Possible* Ruff Pitt Town Lagoon
About 10:00am (during the twitchathon), we waded through the very full Pitt Town Lagoon along the fence line. At the end where the water goes past the fence into a paddock, there was a single wader with yellow-ish legs. First thought was Wood Sandpiper, but as it flew we noted there was a clear black band on the tail, which ruled out WSP. This left only Sharp-tailed Sandpiper as an option, but no matter how much we looked, there was NO hint of chestnut on the head. Unfortunately, we were unable to get views under 25 metres to confirm anything, but we have come to the tentative conclusion based on various ID features that it was a non-breeding female Ruff. Note we are not claiming anything, but inviting other birders to check it out (it may end up being a weird-looking Sharpie!). To access where it was you will have to wade through water up to your ankles (not too deep). Also 6 Pink-eared Ducks present at the same location.
Joshua Bergmark, Nathan Ruser, Henry Coleman (Knight Parrots)

Regent Honeyeater Barraba Bird Route 10 (Bundarra Road, Mugga Ironbark, 35km East of Barraba
Single bird, chased by Noisy Miners and Friarbirds, 10am.
Jon & Alison Elliott, Lyn Fragar, Richard Clarke

Sat 29 Oct Ground Cuckoo-shrike Lashbrook Road, Thule
Just after seeing the Ostriches found 2 Ground Cuckoo-shrikes along Lashbrooks Road. Flew across the road and then cuddled upto each other. At least 7 adult Ostriches seen as reported earlier
Tim Bawden

Pink-eared Duck Purry Burry Point Primbee
The Pink-eared Duck have been to Lake Illawarra many years ago, 6 Pink-eared Ducks arrived today in NE corner of Lake Illawarra, from the older reports some 20 odd years ago a 100 + were seen in Southern Part of Lake Illawarra
Charles Dove

White-winged Trillers, Pallid Cuckoos, Rufous Songlarks Marsden Park and Schofields (Blacktown LGA)
There are currently loads of Rufous Songlarks about in Marsden Park, Riverstone and Schofields (the best season I have experienced for them in the Blacktown area), 5 male White-winged Trillers in 3 areas in both Marsden Park and Schofields, several Pallid Cuckoos (Marsden Park and Schofields) plus a very good range of other birds including lots of Scarlet Honeyeaters, Restless Flycatcher, Dusky Woodswallows, White-throated Gerygone, Shining Bronze-cuckoo etc.
Edwin Vella

White-throated Needletail Lindfield oval, Sydney
50+ in a flock
Rowan Lord

Fri 28 Oct Buff banded Rail Albion Street Pennant Hills
Rail spotted on suburban footpath. 6:30 pm. @ No. 52. Assume proximity to Lane Cove Nat Park.
Sharon Muffett

Black Bittern Lane Cove National Park
One black bittern was kind of fighting with a kookaburra on the track around Fairyland park, late afternoon. Both flew away when they noticed me.
Fatih Sam

Magpie Geese Condobolin Sewer Treatment Works
3 adult birds present, along with Plumed Whistling Ducks, Buff Banded Rail,Pink Ears and Hardheads. Things are starting to dry out very quickly.
Warren Chad

Pink-eared Duck Pitt Town Lagoon
1 pair present. Maybe another sign that inland is starting to dry.
Carol Abbott

Thu 27 Oct Brush Cuckoo Brown's Field, Campbell Drive, Wahroonga
A Brush Cuckoo has been calling continuously from before dawn 'til after dusk for several days and was briefly sighted today at 6.00PM in a Turpentine near the tennis court.
Nick Billington

Wood Sandpiper Pitt Town Bottoms Road
One Wood Sandpiper on wetland on left side of road opposite golf course.
Keith Brandwood

Little Bittern and Whiskered Tern Pitt Town Lagoon
Little Bittern calling N/E side of Lagoon. one Whiskered Tern feeding over Lagoon.
Keith Brandwood

Baillon's Crake, Spotless Crake & Black-tailed Native-hen McPherson Rd Swamp, Tuggerah
A visit to the swamp late this afternoon on a dull overcast day found the Black-tailed Native-hen feeding out in the open, fleeting views of both a Baillon's Crake and a Spotless Crake, a Latham's Snipe flew over the swamp, an Australian Hobby went hunting over the reedbeds and a Brown Goshawk circled the site. Little & Tawny Grassbirds, Cisticolas, Red-browed Finches and Hardheads were also seen, and a Swamphen was shepharding 3 small chicks. Earlier in the day i was there for a short time and saw an Australasian Bittern, I am 95% sure of my observation, as the bird flushed close to me but I was not carrying binoculars!! Damn!! It flushed twice!
Alan & Tim Morris

Peregrine Falcon Cheltenham Road, Burwood, Sydney, NSW
Observed at 3:50pm perched on a telegraph wire next to Wangal Park. I saw the bird while turning into Cheltenham Road and my reaction was that it was not a bird I usually see,It had a black helmet with white neck. I observed banding on the tail and my thought it was a member of the cuckoo family, but then I saw the beak. The beak was hooked as for a raptor and dark in colour. I could see part of a black ring on the rear of the neck and the upper body was dark olive green/grey.
Alan Doughty

Buff-banded Rail Lane Cove River Tourist Park
Pair of Buff-banded Rail seen within the grounds of the Lane Cove River Tourist Park. Tourist Park located within Lane Cove National Park. Seen on other occasions by different observers.
Tom Rambaut

Wed 26 Oct Painted Snipe, Pheasant Coucal Macquarie Marshes, North-central NSW
A 'wisp' of four Painted Snipe seen in a Water Couch area on a private area of the Macquarie Marshes Ramsar site, plus a lone Pheasant Coucal in the Monkeygar Creek Reedbed.
Tim Hosking, David Geering

Flesh-footed Shearwater, Arctic and Pomarine Jaegers. Mistral Point, Maroubra
Thousands of Wedge-tailed and Short-tailed Shearwaters streaming south today, amonst them were : 2 Sooty Shearwaters, 3 Hutton's Shearwaters, 1 Flesh-footed Shearwater, 150 Fluttering Shearwaters, 7 Black-browed Albatross, 1 Arctic and 1 Pomarine Jaeger.
David Mitford and Ray Gobbe

Scarlet-chested Parrot 23km Nth of Broken Hill on Silver City Hwy
Two Scarlet-chested Parrots seen 23km. NNE of Broken Hill on the Silver City Hwy. Flew over the car and landed on the west side of the road. (Moderator's Comment: This species on the NSWORAC Review List and is subject to review)
John & Sue O'Malley

Tue 25 Oct Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Tharawal P.S. Menai
Mug Lair Cocky. Spotted feeding in group of 10 on grass. One with comb not in centre of head BUT protruding from behind left eye.
Keith Corbett

Superb Fruit Dove Callan Park - Rozelle, Sydney NSW
Walking at Dusk, rainy evening, found bird on pathway unable to fly. Taken to Balmain Vet Hospital where identification was made. Bird was warmed and rehydrated and fed. No injuries found by vet exam. The stated they would get wildlife carer to take the bird and when fit to fly release it.
Michelle Bryant-King

Pallid Cuckoo, Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo Woodford, Blue Mountains
A Pallid Cuckoo and a Horsefiel's Bronze-Cuckoo seen about a minute apart at the same location along Riches Ave Firetrail at Woodford in the mid mountains. This is my first record at Woodford for both of these species in 20 years of birding.
Mark Ley

White-throated Needletail Ocean Drive, Port Macquarie
Approximately 200 WTNT's flying low over Ocean Drive between Port Macquarie and Lake Cathie early this morning, Subsequently more flying over my house at 1000 hrs at Lyndale St Port Macquarie
Tim Morris

Latham's Snipe McPherson Rd Swamp, off Gavenlock Rd Tuggerah
Two Lathams Snipe flushed whilst visiting this site. Also seen was a Rufous Songlark and Black-shouldered Kite.
Deryk Engel and Stephen Bloomfield

Painted Button-quail East Killara
One Painted Button-quail foraging out in the open in my backyard, Barrie Street, East Killara.
Kurtis Lindsay

Mon 24 Oct White-browed Woodswallows, Masked Woodswallows Kurri Kurri Woodland, Hunter Valley
Over 600+ White-browed Woodswallows and a few Masked Woodswallows were seen hawking over the area, with many birds also perched. These birds have been in the area now for over 3 weeks.
Steve Roderick

White-necked Heron Long Reef
A White-necked Heron flying over Long Reef late this morning, then circling high over the bay off Dee Why beach before heading inland. On the reef the usual culprits - large flock of Red-necked Stints, many Ruddy Turnstones, 7 Pacific Golden Plovers, 4 Grey-tailed Tattlers and 3 Sooty Oystercatchers. Wedgetailed Shearwaters, Fluttering Shearwaters and a few Short-tailed Shearwaters offshore.
Robert Griffin

Latham's Snipe Mcphersons swamp Tuggerah
While checking McPhersons Road Swamp I flushed a Snipe and a Buff-banded Rail. Both were sighted on the McPherson road end of the swamp opposite the truss plant sheds.
Steve Honeywood

Sun 23 Oct Orange Chat Little Topar Lake
Orange Chat (7), between Roadhouse and lake, 2 males, 4 on the receeding edge of the lake
Terry Gourley

Greater & Lesser Sand Plovers Shark Bay Rocks near Woody Head, Iluka
A flock of 42 Greater Sand Plovers together with 3 Pied Oystercatchers, 2 Grey-tailed Tattlers, 1 Lesser Sand Plover, 6 Ruddy Turnstones, 30 Red-necked Stints, Crested & Common Terns and a Brahminy Kite were on the rocks near the Shark Bay Picnic Area in Bunjalung NP.
Alan & Anne Morris, Barbara Melville & Liz Priestly

Plumed Whistling Ducks, Buff-banded Rail & Black-fronted Dotterel Schwonberg St Townsend near Maclean
A flock of 60+ Plumed Whistling Ducks were seen roosting under paperbarks in a grazing paddock behind houses, off Schwongbergs lane, Townsend. Also present were Great, Intermediate & Cattle Egrets, a Buff-banded Rail, Striped Honeyeaters, 6 Black-fronted Dotterel, and Black Ducks, Wood Ducks and Grey Teal
Alan & Anne Morris, Andrew & Barbara Melville

White-throated Nightjar Wild Dog Mtns, Blue Mtns N.P.
One flushed from high on ridge, Blue Dog Buttress @ c. 550m, near Knight's Deck. Also Cicadabird and White-winged Triller calling just before dusk, Galong Farm, bottom of Megalong Valley.
Ted Nixon

Painted Button-quail Mount Keira
One bird seen on walking track on the southern side of mountain.
Terrill Nordstrom

Glossy Black Cockatoo Georges Creek, Armidale Road, Upper Macleay Valley
7 Glossy Black Cockatoos present. Noisy Pitta also calling at dusk.
Tim Morris

Black-shouldered Kite Balmain
Surprized to see a Black-shouldered Kite high over Darling St mid-afternoon, heading north
Robert Griffin

Little Bittern/Black Bittern GEES LAGOON CENTRAL COLO
Whilst doing bittern survey we had one Little and one Black Bittern calling from reed beds.
Keith Brandwood

Pacific Baza Cappers Gully East Gosford
ind. observed foraging in mid canopy.
Warren Brown

Crescent Honeyeater Bundanoon (Morton National Park)
One bird heard calling over an hour, before dusk, from Bonnie View's escarpment edge. Bird in forest near Lovers' Walk. This is my first record of a Crescent Honeyeater for the Southern Highlands. Additional highlights over 3 hrs at Bonnie View in checkered conditions (blue sky then sun-showers): Rockwarbler, Peregrine Falcon (I looked down on a flying, calling bird - a first - which was being shadowed, briefly, by a Pied Currawong), at least 5 Southern Boobooks, Pilotbirds, Superb Lyrebirds, a Gang-gang Cockatoo, a Black-faced Monarch and a Shining Bronze-cuckoo.
Lorne Johnson

Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Wompoo Fruit-Dove Lower Pappinbarra
3 Glossy Blacks and several Wompoo Fruit-Doves
Ian Kerr

Sat 22 Oct Royal Spoonbill & Great Egret nesting colony Lawrence, Clarence Valley
A visit to the waterbird beeding colony, 1 km east of Lawrence on the Maclean Ferry Road found over 200 nesting pairs of Royal Spoonbills, 200 prs White Ibis nesting, c.30 pairs of Great Egret nests, as well as small numbers of Darters, Little Pied, Pied & Little Black Cormorants nesting, At least 4 Pink-eared Ducks were also seen, 3 Black-necked Storks nearby, Chestnut Teal with ducklings, Red-backed Fairy-wrens, Double-barred Finches and a Hobby
Alan Morris & 32 members of a CCGBNSW Camp-out

Wandering Whistling Duck Tullymorgan, near Lawrence, Clarence Valley
A group of 72 Wandering Whistling Ducks seen on a private property dam from the edge of the road, just to the east of the village of Tullymorgan. Other birds present included Restless Flycatcher & White-throated Gerygone
Alan Morris & 32 members of a CCGBNSW Camp-out

Pacific baza long neck lagoon
The Pacific baza was highup in the trees being harried by Bell Miners
Roger Williams

Thu 20 Oct White-faced Storm-Petrel Bondi
A white-faced Storm-Petrel ended up on the balcony of Bondi RSL. Although not apparently injured and feeding enthusiastically, it unfortunately died 3 days later. It has ended its days at the Australian Museum, where it will contribute to the collection of bird skeletons.
Joan Dawes

Wed 19 Oct Australian Little Bittern, Baillon's & Spotted Crakes, Wood Sandpiper Lake Cargelligo Sewage Treatment Works
Australian Little Bittern (1) A female seen well on floating vegetation Baillon's Crake 25+ Australian Spotted Crake 10+ Wood Sandpiper 1
Grant Brosie & Nick Livanos

Cotton Pygmy-Goose Quarry lake, Ballina
Two male birds observed feeding in the reeds around the fringe of the Quarry Lake located to the north of the regional airport. (Moderator's Note: This is a great record, and is subject to confirmation by the NSWORAC)
Brendan Cook

Sun 16 Oct Little Curlew Lord Howe Island
1 Little Curlew was seen at the airport swamp from the 15th all the way through to the 21-10-2011, along with 3 Red Neck Stints, 8 Bar Tailed Godwits, 2 whimbrals, 16 Pacific Golden Plovers and lots of Ruddy Turnstones. and 1 Shinning Bronze cuckoo seen at the boat sheds on the 15th.
Brad gabriel

Sat 15 Oct Northern Giant-petrel Coogee Beach
A juvenile Northern Giant-petrel was found on the rocks at Coogee Beach. It has a leg injury and was taken to Taronga Zoo (who confirmed ID) for expert care.
Joan Dawes

Fri 7 Oct Wood Sandpiper Saratoga wetlands, Brisbane Water
A single Wood Sandpiper was seen and photographed (by Luke Skinner) feeding on the edge of the Saratoga Wetlands Reserve, that is part of Brisbane Water, a tidal estuary for the period 5-7 October 2011. This is a significant sighting because the bird was feeding in an estuarine area (normally they favour freshwater marshes), and it is the first record for the Central Coast (Gosford and Wyong LGAs).
Alan & Luke Skinner per Alan Morris

Tue 13 Sep Eastern Yellow Robin Mt Kaputar
Quite uncommon to be able to capture the bird with the brood patch so “open”. Tom Oliver is Birds Australia Southern Queensland's Photo Group Moderator.
Tom Oliver via Dez Wells

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.

Unsubscribe

===============================

To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
send the message:
unsubscribe
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to: 

http://birding-aus.org
===============================
<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Admin

The University of NSW School of Computer and Engineering takes no responsibility for the contents of this archive. It is purely a compilation of material sent by many people to the birding-aus mailing list. It has not been checked for accuracy nor its content verified in any way. If you wish to get material removed from the archive or have other queries about the archive e-mail Andrew Taylor at this address: andrewt@cse.unsw.EDU.AU