13 COG members travelled to Deniliquin for a (long) day and a half
with Phil Maher and Robert Nevinson on 10-11 December. The weather,
predicted to be miserable, was kind to us, and the birds were
spectacular.
The weekend started with a 6.30am pickup on Saturday for a morning in
the forests. The trip down to the forest yielded one of the great
birds of the weekend, with excellent views of an adult Spotted
harrier. Gilberts whistlers were heard, but sighted only fleetingly,
and it was interesting to see a Rainbow bee-eater burrow in a flat,
sandy area. The afternoon at the Wanganella swamps gave us great
views of Little grassbirds, as well as many of the expected
waterbirds. Late Saturday afternoon two Major Mitchell cockatoos
circled above the group for several minutes, giving everyone a chance
to admire them, before we moved on to the Plains wanderer site. Barn
owls were plentiful along the road, and the evening yielded the
sought-after Plains wanderers - both male and female birds were seen
and admired at close range. We finally got to bed at about 1am.
On Sunday morning we started out at 7.30am, and were treated to a male
Little bittern flying past the group in reedbeds close to the Deni
North Public School - Robert, who assisted Phil Maher by flushing the
bird, reported a Little bittern nest with three eggs in the reeds. On
then to the rice fields, to search out an Australasian bittern, which
was also delivered - a bird leaping onto a bank between rice bays to
give us excellent if brief views. For most on the trip this was a
"lifer". The list was at 149 species when Robert spotted four Ground
cuckoo-shrikes on a roadside bank of bare earth to bring up the 150.
These handsome birds very obligingly posed for numerous photographs,
as did many of the species seen over the weekend.
The trip list was 151 species, and as well as those mentioned above,
included Azure kingfishers, Nankeen night herons, two Black falcons,
Red-kneed dotterels, White-winged fairy wrens, many dozens of
white-necked herons and great egrets, Marsh harrier, five different
woodswallow species, many Superb parrots, Cockatiels, Royal and
Yellow-billed spoonbills, Diamond doves, Striped and Singing
honeyeaters, Glossy Ibis, hundreds of Black-tailed native hens,
several Inland dotterels and Banded lapwings.
Sandra Henderson
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