Another bird blitz (blurred bits?) report

["Overs, Anthony \(REPS\)" <>]

On Saturday morning I ventured to the Mt Majura and Mitchell areas. Nancy Smale joined me for part of the morning.

On the western slopes of Mt Majura we had lots of great woodland birds including Speckled Warbler, several pairs of Leaden Flycatchers, Noisy Friarbird, Western Gerygone, Olive-backed Oriole, Collared Sparrowhawk, lots of Dollarbirds, Brown-headed Honeyeater, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Buff-rumped Thornbill and several Mistletoebirds feasting on mistletoe fruit. This area is always good birding.

After having recorded six species of cuckoo at this woodland survey site in several years of surveys there, I did not see or hear any on Saturday. No Sacred Kingfishers either. I did end up getting a Pallid Cuckoo at the horse property (Bendora?) on the northern side of the highway.

The eastern side of the mountain produced the ususal suspects such as Magpie, Willie Wagtail, both rosellas, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Magpie Lark. The most interesting birds on this side were Kestrel, White-browed Scrubwren, White-plumed Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, White-throated Gerygone and plenty of Grey Fantails including in the pine plantation. Found some Clamorous Reed-warblers in the reedy wet bit beside Majura Rd, south of the pines.

Wandering through EPIC and around Mitchell produced yet more of the usual suspects. Picked up lots of Red-rumped Parrots, Masked Lapwing, White-faced Heron, European Goldfinch, Striated Pardalote, and lots of Weebills. A count in the cemetery produced Australasian Grebe on the dam and a lone Dusky Woodswallow. Norwood Park crematorium had more Blackbirds than you could poke a stick at. Lots of Noisy Miners and both rosellas too.

On Sunday I blitzed the grid cells around Uriarra and the Huntly property on Uriarra Rd. Matthew Frawley joined me for the morning.

Starting at the Mt Creek Rd turnoff we made our way back to Uriarra Crossing. Despite the rain we still managed to see and hear 13 species in a 500m count.

I think the crossing itself was just outside the grid cell, but we did a count there anyway. Lots of Brown Thornbills, Weebill, White-browed Scrubwren, Red-browed Finch, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Grey Fantail, and a Great Cormorant on the river.

A 4km stretch of Uriarra Rd between the crossing and the Uriarra TSR (Huntly is in the middle of this) produced more Rufous Songlarks than I've ever seen or heard anywhere. It seemed every second paddock tree had a songlark calling from it. There were literally dozens. When we stopped at the TSR just around the bend, there were none. Along Uriarra Rd there were plenty of Richards Pipits, both rosellas, Red-rumped Parrots and Crested Pigeons. There was a lone Common Myna at the Huntly shearing sheds.

The TSR produced Weebill, Buff-rumped Thornbill, Common Bronzewing, Laughing Kookaburra, Grey Fantail, Red Wattlebird, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, and both rosellas.

Blitzing was good fun, and I'm looking forward to next year's already.

Cheers
Anthony