Hi birders,
This is a report on a trip by myself and Anthony Overs across the NSW
western slopes in search of Swift Parrots. I have collated a great deal of
data on the foraging behaviour and habitat selection of the nationally
endangered Swift Parrot here in Victoria, but New South Wales had not
received the same attention until now.
We found 150 Swift Parrots. There is Mugga Ironbark flowering extensively
throughout the region, which apparently had a very wet year in 1998.
Observers who travelled such a long way to visit some of these areas for
little success last year have a much better chance this year of finding the
Swift Parrot, and of course with the Mugga flowering a Regent or two may be
out there as well, as they have been in the past. All of these parrots
were in Mugga Ironbark-Grey Box associations, and a record of the species
using White Box has also been received from NSW. Noisy Friarbirds and an
array of honeyeaters are there too of course, and we found Little Lorikeets
at a number of places.
Here's the rundown.
70 Swift Parrots at Combaning State Forest (between Temora and Cootamundra)
30 at Ingalba Nature Reserve (west of Temora)
30 at Charcoal Tank Nature Reserve (south of West Wyalong)
20 at Weddin Mountains National Park (west of Grenfell)
3 or 4 at Jindalee State Forest (north of Cootamundra) (although 9 were
seen there in late April)
Also 50 Superb Parrots (two flocks) in the Combaning area was a highlight,
as I had never seen an adult male Superb. We saw another 30 east of the
Weddins along a stock route.
A Barking Owl called from the 4 am darkness at Ingalba NR.
A Squirrel Glider was seen leaping for a 50m glide from a stag at dusk in
Jindalee SF.
We saw only one Hooded Robin, and a handful of whiteface for the 13 day
trip.
A trip to the western slopes of NSW looks a better proposition than in
1998. Lets hope the weather holds up!
Please email if you want to fill in any gaps. We have surveyors from
Canberra doing the rounds in this area generally, but there may be
opportunities if these volunteers are unable to visit all of these places
on the weekend. I will reply promptly to any queries about whether a
location is "covered" or not.
Simon Kennedy.
To unsubscribe from this list, please send a message to
Include ONLY "unsubscribe birding-aus" in the message body (without the
quotes)
|
