Monga NP (30 Sep 2007)

["Marnix Zwankhuizen" <>]

4 intrepid souls travelled to Monga National Park today for some bushwalking & birding. Despite the strong winds across the region we were lucky enough to be quite sheltered on the edge of the escarpment.
Highlights of the trip included an abundance of ROSE ROBINS, with males seen on 4 separate occasions plus a female carrying nesting material and then being courted by another male. Only metres away a female CRESTED SHRIKE-TIT also was busy building a nest. PILOTBIRDS were heard all day but not seen this time. Benj was lucky enough to see a BASSIAN THRUSH on the Waratah Walk. 
Honeyeaters recorded were CRESCENT HONEYEATER, LEWIN'S HONEYEATER, BROWN-HEADED HONEYEATER, WHITE-NAPED HONEYEATER, YELLOW-FACED HONEYEATER and EASTERN SPINEBILL.
We all had close up views of a male OLIVE WHISTLER. A further 3 were seen later. We watched some unusual behaviour when, on more than one occasion, an adult EASTERN WHIPBIRD moved high up into the branches of a Eucalypt to forage on Ants(?).
Other birds included several BROWN GERYGONES and SUPERB LYREBIRDS. A possible Shining Bronze-Cuckoo was heard. There was also a flattened glider on the road - in my opinion it looked like a young Greater Glider, but it was difficult to id.

Cheers
Marnix