Very exciting news on the Regent Honeyeater front.
At least 50 Regent Honeyeaters were located on the Regent Honeyeater/Swift
Parrot survey weekend in the Goulburn River National Park (Upper Hunter
Valley, between Wollar and Merriwa). This is in addition to 25 near Mudgee
and single birds in the Capertee Valley and Barraba.
Conditions were difficult at the time of sighting with the area fogged in
all day but the birds were very vocal and actively feeding on White Box
blossom and insects. The birds were apparently moving around quite a bit
with maximum numbers late in the afternoon at a time when they were
probably gathering into a pre-roosting flock. This was on the Goulburn
River National Park - Wollar Road ~ 500 m south of the White Box Camp
entrance track. Regent Honeyeaters have been seen in this location in the
past.
If anyone is planning to go up to that area and have a look could you
PLEASE take the time to look carefully for, and note, colour-bands. Given
the size of this flock and the number of birds we have colour-banded in the
Capertee Valley (less than 100 km to the south) there is a strong
likelihood of colour-banded birds being present.
Also I recently received a report of ~ 15 Regents in the hills behind
Ulladulla. It would appear that these birds were moving along a ridge near
areas of flowering Spotted Gum. There has also been a report, at this
stage unconfirmed, of Regents at Jervis Bay.
For those wanting to get out on the long weekend (12-14 June) and haven't
organised anything, how about Killawarra north of Wangarrata in NE
Victoria. A campout has been organised to search the forest for Regent
Honeyeaters. I have seen them there in April and May as well as large
numbers of Swift Parrots. Please contact me for further details.
David Geering
Regent Honeyeater Recovery Coordinator
Phone: Freecall 1800 621 056
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