Today myself, Rod Gardner and Stuart White enjoyed a good days birding in the
Hawkesbury Area (about 50 km north-west of Sydney).
We started the day at McGraths Hill STW were we saw a few Hardheads,
about a dozen Australasian Shovelers, an Australian Hobby and a
brief sighting of an Australian Crake with another heard calling nearby.
There were no signs of Lathams Snipe as yet which normally arrive in this area
in early August.
There were clear signs of spring during the day with a Pallid Cuckoo
calling and observed outside Scheyville National Park. Also seen here, were
about 9 Eastern Yellow Robins seen together and engaged in a territorial
dispute.
At Mitchell Park, we had a Grey Goshawk circling above and causing
havoc for the local avian population, a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater feeding 2 very
young chicks in a cup-shaped nest within a metre of the ground, a
White-headed Petrel (ahh Pigeon) in the rainforest, an Owlet
Nightjar calling, aswell as several Scarlet Honeyeaters
beside Cattai Creek. On the ridge top were several
platelets belonging to Painted Button-quail which I saw in that same area 2
weeks ago.
Showers were on and off all day but did not stop us seeing a good variety of
100 plus species.
Edwin
