G'day all
My birding highlights for 1996:
January - Tathra (south coast NSW)
90 species including Olive Whistler, Brush Cuckoo, Buff-banded Rail,
Baillon's Crake, Eastern Reef Egret, White-throated Needletail, Brown
Gerygone, Black-faced Monarch, Brush Bronzewing, White-bellied Sea-Eagle.
May - A quick visit to the Coorong (se SA). Nothing spectacular but my
first visit and won't be the last.
July - A week in Sydney with visits to Long Reef and Kuringai N.P. Best
birds were Variegated Fairy-wren, Osprey, Little Penguin, White-cheeked
Honeyeater, Figbird and my first Origma.
October - Blue Mountains (inc. Capertee Valley), NSW - 80 species
including Red-browed Treecreeper, Pied Butcherbird, White-bellied
Cuckoo-shrike, Rufous Fantail, Black-faced Monarch, Singing Bushlark,
Diamond Firetail, Zebra Finch and my first Koel.
- Barren Grounds (NSW) for the Ground Parrot, Eastern Bristlebird
and the Beautiful Firetail - all new to me. Other good birds were
Southern Emu-wren and Pilotbird.
- Woolongong Pelagic. My first trip from here and according to
those who go regularly this was one of the best ever. Lots of new species
for me and great views of dolphins in the bow wave.
December - Avalon salt works (Vic). Not as good as in other years but
Golden Plover, Marsh Sandpiper, Banded Stilt, Pacific Gull, Caspian Tern
and Sriated Heath-wren made it a good day.
Year total 220 (I don't count starlings etc). New species for the year -
14.
My 2 years in Canberra are nearly over and we move back to Hamilton, Vic
in a couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to becoming reaquainted with
the Grampians, the western district lakes and the south east coast.
Cheers
Steve
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Stephen Clark
CSIRO Division of Plant Industry
Canberra 2601 Australia
Phone 06 246 5417
Fax 06 246 5399
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