Burrawang [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

["Whitworth, Benjamin - BRS" <>]

Burrawang- Field Nats weekend May 15^th to 17th

The coolish and windy weather meant not many birds were observed Friday or Saturday. The exceptions being a few Kookaburras waking us at dawn, many Rainbow lorikeets, multiple White-bellied sea eagles, many Gannets which were seen diving for fish, plus a larger bird which may have been an immature Giant petrel. On the Tomaga river at the end of the day a giant stingray, about 6 feet across, made the Field Nat’s group gasp. Kevin and Benj watched the sunset from the cliff and observed 4 Sooty oystercatchers- possibly two being sub-adults.

 

On Saturday night Benj went spotlighting and saw a Yellow-bellied glider and heard 2 others. Two Sugar gliders were also heard yapping. A Swamp wallaby crashed around the forest. On returning to the hut he could hear a Sugar glider directly outside the hut. After an extended search the tiny possum was found, it didn’t seem to worry about Benj and continued calling.

 

On Sunday it was sunny and birds abounded. Some interesting sightings around the huts on Sunday morning included 7 Little lorikeets, 2 Musk lorikeets, a couple of Gang gangs, a pair of  Whip birds, 3 White-eared honeyeaters, and 2 Brush wattlebirds.

 

After a trip to the beach, where there was another sighting of a White-bellied sea eagle was seen, 3 Variegated fairy wrens were found- A good sighting. Plus quite a few New Holland honeyeaters.

 

Back at the huts during lunch time a flock of 4 Brown-headed honeyeaters were found, which seemed like unusual habitat for them. A wonderful sighting, perhaps not for their beauty but their rarity, was of 4 Brown gerygones. While hanging around the area was a large MFF of LBB mainly Striated thornbills, Brown thornbills, Spotted pardalotes, Varied sittellas, GST, Silvereyes, darting Spinebills, Yellow-faced and White-naped honeyeaters. The last two species were heading South. Off in the distance a Grey butcherbird was heard and 2 Yellow-tailed black cockatoos were calling raucously.

 

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