Working along the lines that we are accepting reports the week either side
of the official Regent Honeyeater/Swift Parrot search days I went out on the
weekend with Debbie Andrew, Dave Shiels, Judie Peet and Janice Hosking to
explore the White Box country on the northern fall of the Liverpool Range.
This area is west of Quirindi, south of Gunnedah and north-east of Coolah
and comprises the valleys to the north of Coolah Tops.
The weather promised to be somewhat dubious but there appeared to be a
window of opportunity so we went for it. On the weather front it starting
raining Friday night the moment I zipped myself into the sleeping bag and we
then only had two short light showers Saturday afternoon. Most of the time,
however, it was threatening and the weekends catchcry was "Look on the
bright side, its falling as snow on the higher ground". On Sunday, in
particular, the wind certainly appeared to be blowing off the snow
somewhere!! The camp, however, on the northern side of the tops was
protected from the brunt of the wind.
We had based ourselves on private property with some very nice old-growth
and regenerating White Box. Some trees were coming into flower and good
numbers of honeyeaters and lorikeets had our hopes up for Regent Honeyeater
and Swifties. Our hopes were, however, not rewarded at this site although
we were rewarded with other woodland birds including good numbers of
Speckled Warblers, the occasional Rose Robin and a pair of Scarlet Robins to
Judie's delight.
Saturday afternoon we broadened our horizons and searched other areas with
flowering White Box. More Lorikeets, Noisy Friarbirds and Noisy Miners in
the roadside veg failed to inspire us. Looking for somewhere to lunch we
thought we would explore one of the many small valleys and after gaining
permission from the owner we explored a small valley almost literally in the
middle of no-where. After discussion as to the best place to lunch and
driving further and further up the valley along a rough track we eventually
chose a spot with a few basalt rocks to act as seats (an important
consideration when deciding where to lunch!). The number of thornbills
along the creek demanded a bit of squeaking to get them into view in order
to determine exactly what was present. A musical note and both Debbie and I
looked at each other. At that point a Regent Honeyeater flew into a dead
Casuarina in front of us and called several times, stayed long enough for us
to have a good look and then flew off down the valley not to be seen again.
BINGO, we had achieved what we had set off to do! We had, at the very
least, found at least one Regent Honeyeater.
We now have records from two areas on the northern fall of the Liverpool
Ranges and given the quality of the habitat where we camped further searches
will undoubtedly turn up more Regents and, probably, Swift parrots, in due
course.
It really does pay to get out and explore beyond the area usually frequent
by birders. Quite a few Atlas sheets will be submitted from this seldom
birded area.
David Geering
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
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