Birdline NSW Weekly Update

Birdline NSW

Published sightings for the week ending 18 Nov 2012.

Sun 18 Nov	Glossy Black-Cockatoo (5), Little Lorikeets, Cicadabird West Head, Ku-ring-gai Chase NP This morning we observed 2 seperate groups of Glossy Black-Cockatoos near the West Head Lookout. One pair was seen within a couple hundred metres from the lookout and down the gully and another group of 3 consisting of an adult pair and young bird (the later quite vocal) was seen at more eye level and closer to the road and closer to the lookout then the other pair. I initialy saw the 3 birds yesterday on a Follow That Bird trip yesterday but returned this morning for some good photographs. Other birds present over the 2 mornings here included a number of Little Lorikeets, Rock Warblers, nesting Olive-backed Orioles, several Scarlet Honeyeaters, Cicadabird, Mistletoebird, White-bellied Sea-eagle, Whistling Kites etc. Edwin Vella and Tony Dawe
	Australian Koel Orange Single Australian Koel call and flying towards Botanical Gardens. Neville Schrader
	Grey Plover Stockton sand spit Also seen here yesterday by others. Is still here! Just the single bird. Michael Kearns & Steve Edwards
	Topknot Pigeon Jubilee Park, Glebe 5 feeding in Moreton Bay Figs - my first observation for my local park & the inner west. There is a 1999 Birdline report from the Domain but there can not be many other records from Sydney City LGA (apart from Simon Gorta's report last month also at Jubilee). Andrew Taylor
	Black-faced Monarch Nandi Ave Bushland, Frenchs Forest One bird in riparian vegetation. Nathan Ruser
Sat 17 Nov	Cattle Egret Bundanoon 8 birds in paddock just as you come into town (a little before Yulle Ave) - the most I've seen in Bundanoon. Lorne Johnson
	Cattle Egret Dandaloo (south of Wollongong) 32 birds in a paddock by the M1/Princes Highway. Lorne Johnson
	Topknot Pigeon Pennant Hills Pair of Topknot Pigeons stopping by in a Lemon Scented Gum at Pennant Hills near the Park. I have noticed 2 -3 a few times coming and going from Thornleigh to towards Beecroft and visa versa. Have never seen them in this area in the previous 20 years. Ian Francis
	Fairy Tern Boat Harbour, Kurnell Peninsula A pair of breeding plumage Fairy Terns were found amongst 90 Little Terns and 2 Common Terns on high tide at Boat Harbour today. Waders counted: Red-Necked Stint (170), Pacific Golden Plover (11), Ruddy Turnstone (4). Bruce Roubin and Ken Gilmour
	Australian Koel, Banded Lapwing, Marsh Sandpiper, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Red-necked Avocet Farm Properties, 10-15km North West of Moree Today with a total of 95 species on the farms, we saw several types of Woodswallow, Brown Quail, Silver Gulls, Whiskered Terns & large numbers of Gull-billed Terns, 1 Red-necked Avocet sitting on a tiny wetland that is almost dry, 7 Red-necked Avocets on one ephemeral wetland and 10 Red-necked Avocets on a dam, Black Kites, Golden-headed Cisticolas everywhere, Diamond Doves present at numerous locations, White-browed Scrubwrens, Dollarbirds, Restless Flycatchers, Australasian Pipits, 60+ of both Black-winged Stilt and Pink-eared Duck, 3 Channel-billed Cuckoos, 2 Australian Koels!!! (Male and Female, My first sighting of this species although we've seen them in this region several times), a Wedge-tailed Eagle (very little around), a Brown Songlark, 2 Marsh and 2 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Large numbers of Black-tailed Native-Hens, 8 Banded Lapwings!!!(possibly the same 8 seen last month on a paddock on the same property, now on a shallow dam), Grey-crowned Babblers and Glossy Ibis still present. Curtis Hayne
	Plumed Whistling Duck Oaklands, near Berrigan Flock of fifty birds seen flying low over the town, as I took the boys to their cricket match this morning. David M Watson
	Cockatiel Roadside vegetation near Daysdale, near Corowa Several cockatiels seen in Cllitris and Buloke dominated woodland near Daysdale, an hour's drive northwest of Albury. David M Watson
Fri 16 Nov	Budgerigar 5 km south-east of Bellata, NW of Narrabri It's been 8 years since I have seen Budgerigars in our area. Now there were 8 (6 of which are shown in the poor photo) in an Acacia salicina near a small creek in broadacre farming country just outside Bellata. Cockatiels, which are more common in our area, were also present at the time, feeding in tall grass under scattered trees on the edges of the creekbed. Michael Dahlem
Thu 15 Nov	Spotted Harrier, Wedge-tailed Eagle Toogong Road, Cranbury Three Spotted Harriers around the area, together with 3 Wedge-tailed Eagles. David Simpson
	Red-capped Robin, Rose Robin, Little Eagle, Grey Goshawk Castlereagh Nature Reserve, Western Sydney A short walk through the reserve. Honeyeaters (Fuscous, Brown-headed, Noisy Friarbird), thornbills and cuckoos were very common. Other interesting species included: Red-capped Robin (1 male at the entrance), Rose Robin (3 male mixed with honeyeaters and fantails), Little Eagle (flying over tree canopies) and Grey Goshawk. Ted Wnorowski
	Black Bittern, Buff-banded Rail, Australian Spotted Crake, Baillon's Crake, Pink-eared Duck Agnes Banks, Wilshire Rd (swamp), Western Sydney Ephemeral swamp near Wilshire Rd - plenty of water and water birds. One Black Bittern roosting in the gum tree at the edge of the swamp. Crakes and rails were feeding nearly in open, moving between clamps of bullrushes. Interested birds recorded from this swamp: Baillon's Crake (3), Australian Spotted Crake (1), Buff-banded Rail (1 with 2 black chicks), White-necked Heron (1) and Pink-eared Duck (6) Ted Wnorowski
	Spotted Harrier, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Yellow-billed Spoonbill, White-winged Triller Castlereagh, Smith Rd (near Nepean River), Western Sydney Large flock of water birds (mostly Australian Wood Ducks, Pacific Black Ducks and Hardheads) on the lake and in the swampy area on both sides of Smith Rd. Amongthem were: Great Crested Grebe (2), White-necked Heron (3), Yellow-billed Spoonbill (1). Waterfowl was constantly annoyed by raptors circling around and chasing flocks: Swamp Harrier (2), Spotted Harrier (1), Wedge-tailed Eagle (1 - high in the sky), Peregrine Falcon (1 - feeding on Cattle Egret on the pasture), Brown Falcon (on the power line). Many interesing birds were also found in the gardens of nearby estate: Bar-shouldered Dove (16), Restless Flycatcher (2), White-winged Triller, Double-barred Finches (20). Six Channel-billed Cuckoos were flying over Nepean River making a lot of noise. Ted Wnorowski
	Spotted Harrier, White-bellied Sea-eagle, Australian Hobby Penrith Lakes, Western Sydney Three Spotted Harriers (1 juv) were flying over the western lake and nearby church grounds. Juv White-bellied Sea-eagle was annoying a flock of Hardheads and Eurasian Coots. Australian Hobby seen perching on the power lines near a regatta lake Ted Wnorowski
	Mallee Ringneck Back Yamma SF Pair of Mallee Ringneck's seen in this Reserve, where they would be on the eastern edge of their range in NSW. Neville Schrader (1702)
	Glossy Ibis, Red-necked Avocet Parkes Sewage Ponds There were 8 Red-necked Avocets and one Glossy Ibis amongst the usual waterbirds on the ponds. Neville Schrader (1702)
	Barred Cuckoo-shrike, Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Emerald Dove wilsons creek mullumbimby. Seen three Barred Cuckoo-shrikes feeding in fig tree also seen, Rose-crowned Fruit-dove.and two Emerald Doves and several Wompoo Fruit-Doves. michael ronan
Wed 14 Nov	Latham's Snipe McPherson Road Wetlands, Tuggerah Latham's Snipe Anthony & Vicki Katon
Wed 14 Nov	Topknot Pigeon Mt Ousley 8 Topknot Pigeon flew over my car as I was driving along Mt Ousley Rd (about 2kms up from the the New Mt Pleasant Rd turn off). They're always a pleasure to see. Lorne Johnson
	Spotted Harrier (juv), Southern Emu-wren, Beautiful Firetail, Rockwarbler, Peregrine Falcon Royal National Park - Coastal Track - Wattamolla area Gloomy slow going day on the coastal heath. Still great birds around. Lorand Szucs
	White-eared Monarch, Varied Triller, Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove minyon falls near mullumbimby. Seen two White-eared Monarchs feeding on large grub. Also good numbers of Varied Trillers and three Rose-crowned Fruit-Doves. michael ronan.
	Australian Painted Snipe Widden Valley, approx. 50km's west of Denman Most unusual, 1 male seen 34km into the Widden Valley, in very shallow casuarina lined creekline on private cattle stud. Steve Roderick
	Australasian Darter Bellawongarah - Private Property Very surprised to see a female Australasian Darter standing at the side of my dam today. A first since moving here several years ago. She was startled at close range and dived under water and was seen again about 30 min later on my return on opposite side of dam partially obscured perched in a tree. The dam is in a forest 400 metres ASL, surrounded by wet sclerophyll and rainforest and is about 550 sqm (surface area) and we think the dam is about 7-8 metres deep (old quarry). Carla Carla Jackett
	Glossy Ibis Tuggerah Wastewater Treatment Plant 3 Glossy Ibis on the section of the pond covered in water hyacinth, accessed from the road past the fire station. (Moderators comment: the Glossy Ibis have been present since 28/10/12. AKM) Anthony & Vicki Katon
	Australian Spotted Crake, Baillon's Crake, Latham's Snipe, Musk Duck Sydney Olympic Park A single Australian Spotted Crake and 3-4 Baillon's Crakes very confiding on a stretch of wet mud at the Northern Water Feature ponds (outer corner closest to Haslam's Pier) in SOP. Also a Latham's Snipe and a Fan-tailed Cuckoo at the same spot. The Musk Duck (reported on 24 Oct) is still present on Haslam's Ck (tidal reach downstream of Hill Road). David James
Tue 13 Nov	Regent Honeyeater, Plum-headed Finch, Diamond Firetail Capertee Valley One adult Regent Honeyeater with three juveniles at Genowlan road bridge. We saw the birds on 12th in the evening and in the morning on the13th. Marta Ferenczi, Tibor Hadarics, Gyula Kraft
	Lewin's Rail x 2 Lavender Bay in North Sydney Upon first sighting I thought they were Buff-banded Rails but they were too small. The "chk chk" call confirmed it. Click on the information link to see my very poor footage (but with ok audio). Rafael Wynn
	Square-tailed Kite Dunbogan Beach, nr Laurieton single bird observed gliding over costal scrub at tree-top level Stephen Gallivan
Mon 12 Nov	Black-tailed Native-Hen, Baillon's Crake, Spotless Crake, Buff-banded Rail, Comb-crested Jacana West Byron Bay STW A single Native-Hen was seen foraging then running for cover in the first pond near the gate. This has been drained and replanted so there is plenty of shallow water. Crakes and rails very visible in southern ponds and second pond. David Charley
	Powerful Owl, Black Bittern, Spotless Crake, Nankeen Night-Heron Warriewood Wetlands Black Bittern, Spotless Crake, Nankeen Night-Heron seen around 0700 off the main boardwalk near the Katoa Close entrance. Powerful Owl seen around 0800, accidentally flushed from under the main waterfall on the Irrawong walk. It flew up over the waterfall ledge, paused on a branch, then flew off low into the bush. Jon Spicer-Bell
	Australian Koel Albury Heard calling this morning in Central Albury. Koels used to be a rare visitor to Albury but have been around 2 years in a row - perhaps signs of a change in their range? Janet Chapman
Sun 11 Nov	Spotted Harrier Warerfall Way, Bellinger Valley, E of Fernmount A single Spotted Harrier seen flying low over a low crop along the Waterfall Way just E of Fernmount (itself between Pacific Highway and Bellingen). Very rarely seen in Coffs Coast area. Peter Higgins
Sat 10 Nov	Superb Parrot Jugiong Superb Parrot flock of around 25 birds seen from Hume Highway, then had great views of a lone male flying over just minutes later. Owen Lishmund
Fri 9 Nov	Sooty Oystercatcher Dolls point On the beach accompanied by 12 Pied oystercatchers Oliver Williams
	White-throated Needletail Boambee Creek, Sawtell 20+ Needletails circling and drifting around foraging over the creek and surrounding habitat for ~15 min. First I have seen here this season. Peter Higgins
Sat 3 Nov	Superb Parrot Euroley, 26 km west of Narrandera near Sturt Hwy Several flocks of hundreds of Superb Parrots feeding in paddock where hay was being being cut, in all about 1000 birds. Neill & Alison Hayes

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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