canberrabirds

Crimson Chats, Blue Bonnets, Budgies, Cockatiels (Weddin Mts-Young)

To:
Subject: Crimson Chats, Blue Bonnets, Budgies, Cockatiels (Weddin Mts-Young)
From:
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 10:31:32 +1000

On Saturday Lisa and I went on a day trip (from Canberra) out west to Central NSW. It took us under 2 hours to reach Thuddungra (just past Young) where the first interesting birds were spotted - our first of many Apostlebirds and Pied Butcherbirds. I have never seen NSW so green! In a flooded wetland below Bribbaree Hills we found a lone Black-winged Stilt and a White-necked Heron. The road to Bimbi produced Superb Parrots. We had lunch at Fuzzy Box Campground in the western Weddins where we were welcomed by a Striped Honeyeater. A wander around Seaton's Farm and neighbouring Bimbi State Forest produced many BrownTreecreepers. At my favourite spot in Bimbi SF near a full dam I stopped the car and had no sooner stepped out that from the tree above came the calls of Budgerigars. With some more careful searching I eventually also flushed 23 birds from roadside grass in addition to small groups totalling another 17 birds at least in the trees - all giving beautiful close views. A Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo was on the fence, a pair of Diamond Firetails were courting atop a dead tree, Southern Whitefaces and Speckled Warblers foraged along the track and Rainbow Bee-eaters hawked above us. Later on we saw Double-barred Finches and Grey-crowned Babblers.
A drive through less visited parts of Bimbi SF produced 3 Cockatiels flying over a field, and in more open white cypress pine woodland a pair of Blue Bonnets - a nice surprise. Another bird was seen later on. Along Grimm's Lane as we headed to Weddin's Gap we saw a pair of Crimson Chats. We then drove home along a circuitous route via Quandialla, Morangarell, following Bland Creek to Grogan and Stockingbingal and then back home via Harden. With all the recent rain I wanted to look in this region hopefully for Brolga but dipped out. We did notice many of the low lying areas were flooded and saw quite a few Ibis, Spoonbills, Herons etc.
At Quandialla a Yellow-eared Miner obliged us by sitting by our car door in town, near Eurabba SF we saw another Superb Parrot and a single Little Corella hanging out with Cockatoos. This was my second tick of the day (after the Budgies).

What was interesting was the total lack of honeyeaters at most sites, apart from the single Striped at Fuzzy Box. They must all be further west going by other reports.

Cheers
Marnix

IMPORTANT: This transmission is intended only for the use of the addressee and may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use or dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify us immediately by telephone on (02) 6271 4777 and delete all copies of this transmission together with any attachments.
<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
  • Crimson Chats, Blue Bonnets, Budgies, Cockatiels (Weddin Mts-Young), marnix . zwankhuizen <=
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 Canberra Ornithologists Group 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 list contact David McDonald, list manager, phone (02) 6231 8904 or email . If you can not contact David McDonald e-mail Andrew Taylor at this address: andrewt@cse.unsw.EDU.AU