A glorious 3 days staying at Goollooinboin by 10 FOC members for an
unofficial Christmas party and non-survey weekend. We dipped on Edwin
Vella's Regent and Painted HEs and in fact the selection of honeyeaters was
not great. There is so much blossom, including some large Mugga Ironbarks
at the Goollooinboin farm buildings which were being very aggressively
defended by Noisy Friarbirds with even Noisy Miners having to be careful,
and White-plumed darting in and out to parts left temporarily undefended.
The NFBs didn't seem to worry about the Little Lorikeets which were about
everywhere in good numbers.
Most unusual birds seen were a Black-eared Cuckoo and pair of Shelduck (the
former on a fence near the large dam and the latter on the large dam at
Goolloinboin). A pair of Brown Goshawks have two large young in a tall
White box near Grove Cottage (one fledged the day after we arrived, and
down on the Huntingdale Regent site a pair of Brown Falcon had 2 small
nestlings top of one of the old Riveroaks. No Painted or Regent HEs in
evidence here after a 1.5 hr walk along the river bank but a Peregrine high
in the sky nearby.
No Plum-heads but lots of Diarmond, Double-bar and Zebra finches, Southern
Whiteface, Hooded Robins and Jacky Winters, Speckled Warblers, Crested
Shrike-Tits and one large group of Brown-headed HEs - a change to the
common White-plumed. A Striped HE was hanging around near a nest
overhanging the road at Coco Creek - deep cup built at the end of a
drooping leafy branch - the bird was sitting nearby, sang, flew to the
nest, looked in and then flew off, remaining nearby. Was nearby two days
later but didn't approach - both visits mid afternoon and hot.
White-plumed HEs were all around, moved through about a foot above but
didn't even look at the nest.
The Glen Alice Barking Owls were sleeping with only the two youngsters
interested in their visitors who quietly admired, photographed and left -
the adults had a quick look at us and went back to sleep but the youngsters
kept their great yellow eyes on us the whole time.
A newly dead Owlet Nightjar was on the road down towards the Huntingdale
River Site - in my freezer waiting a trip to the Museum.
Except for the last item, all ltogether a super weekend.
Penny Drake-Brockman, Examination Recitals Co-ordinator, Sydney
Conservatorium of Music.
Tel: 02 9351 1254.
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