Hi Birders,
It was the Central Coast FOC regular outing on Saturday, and despite the
overcast day, 11 locals and John Seale, the only Sydney-sider started
the day at Doyalson and soon we were on our way to Colongra Swamp. The
woodland around the swamp was alive with wildflowers and in particular
three grounds orchids, Caladenia alba, Greenhoods and Sun Orchids were
everywhere. Buff-rumped & Striated Thornbills, a Spangled Drongo,
Fantailed and Shinging Bronze-Cuckoo, Golden Whistlers, Grey Fantails
and Grey-shrike-thrush were noisy in the woodland. In the forest Scarlet
& Yellow-faced Honeyeaters were busy in the few still flowering Swamp
Mahoganys, Olive-backed Orioles & Yellow Robins were to be seen. On the
Swamp, the Pied Cormorant rookery was in full swing and 5 pairs of
Darters have now joined the rookery. A family of 3 Whistling Kites were
harrying the cormorants and a White-bellied Sea-Eagle was flying over.
Several pairs of White-breasted Woodswallows had arrived back at the
swamp and an Azure kingfisher was seen, together with numerous
Australasian Grebes and Hardheads.
Our next stop was Colongra Lake where there were about 170 Swans, 18
Hoary-headed Grebe and 4 Musk Duck along with Black-winged Stilts and
Black-fronted Plovers. Some Southern Emu-wrens were seen with Variegated
Fairy-wrens around the edge of the Lake. We lunched at Norah Head
overlooking the sea and were able to seen many Wedge-tailed and
Fluttering Shearwaters on the relatively calm sea. The highlight was to
see a Cape Petrel feeding with the Wedge-tails. This was great because
it is the first record for Cape Petrels on the Central Coast (this lack
of Cape Petrels is because there are no pelagics run off the Central
Coast!!). At nearby Soldiers Point we also managed to see one immature
Black-browed Albatross and on the rocks, three Grey-tailed Tattlers. Our
final stop was the Norahville heathlands where we located 2 Brown Quail,
2 Dusky Woodswallows, Tawny-crowned and New Holland Honeyeaters, 2
Drongos and Bar-shouldered Doves were calling but not seen. Our list
was 84 for the day!
Alan Morris
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