Myself and Lorne Johnson had a fantastic time birding in one of Australia’s
superb bird watching destinations - the Capertee Valley (approx 180 km north
west of Sydney) last Saturday and on Sunday morning. I stayed overnight at
"Rockview" owned my Mick and Josie Landry who both offer great accommodation for
as low as $55 per night. Our team work effort produced a string of interesting
sightings over this time as follows:
- Little Eagle - 6 seen (3 light phase and 3 dark phase). We also saw
Brown Goshawks (1-2), Wedge- tailed Eagles (4-5),
Black-shouldered Kites (2), Brown Falcons (8 in various colour
phases), Australian Kestrels (3) and an Australian Hobby (making a
spectacular dive into the bush)
- Painted Button-quails - 3 plus seen in 2 locations in the
valley. One was giving its typical "bronzewing" like booming call.
- Musk Lorikeets - 2 seen over Rockview property
- Black-eared Cuckoo -one seen both days at Rockview property. Other
cuckoos species seen included - Fan-tailed, Pallid, Golden and
Horsfield’s Bronze-cukoos
- Azure Kingfisher at Glen Alice along the Capertee River
- several Sacred Kingfishers
- Rainbow Bee-eaters - numerous all over the valley
- Singing Bushlarks in a crop area along the Capertee River
- Little Cuckoo-shrikes - 2 light-phase birds seen in 2 different
locations
- White-winged Trillers - 3 males seen including one chasing a
female
- Hooded Robins -atleast 3 males and 2 females seen in a few
locations
- Crested Shriketits
at a few locations
- Satin and Leaden Flycatchers
- Speckled Warbler
- Western Gerygones -many calling and a few seen, far outnumbering
White-throated Gerygones
- Black-chinned Honeyeater at Rockview property
- Painted Honeyeaters - 3 seen in 2 different locations in the valley,
singing "Georgie..georgie.."
- Regent Honeyeaters - 3 seen in 2 different locations in the valley
(including a pair seen feeding on mistletoes growing on Casurainas (River oaks)
along the Capertee River) Another seen at Glen Alice cemetery with red band on
left leg and blue band on right leg from looking at the bird behind.
- Striped Honeyeaters -several present in the valley
- White-browed (20 plus) with 3 Masked Woodswallows seen feeding
on the ground and perched in low bushes at Rockview
For those who have never been to the Capertee Valley, one could easily pull
over the side of the road in several parts of the valley and work out a list of
upto 40 species in a matter of a few minutes at any of the time of year here.
Some of the most numerous birds in the valley include Peaceful Doves, Little
lorikeets, Rufous Songlarks, Jack Winters, Brown Treecreepers, White-browed
Babblers, White-plumed Honeyeaters, Diamond Firetails, Mistletoebirds etc and
should be seen without trying too hard during the Spring season.
A list of 115 species of birds were seen in the valley (90 per cent bush
birds)
I also saw a Thick-tailed Gecko outside the cabin I stayed and we also
saw a Bearded Dragon, Lace Monitor and Snaked Necked Tortoise. We heard some
interesting Frogs including Pobblebonks. Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Wallaroos,
Red-necked Wallaby, Wombats (Lorne had a close encounter while driving back home
on Saturday night), Microbat species, European Fox, dead Feral Cats (great!)
were the mammals seen aswell.
A great one and a half days in the valley, and made it back in time to watch
the fantastic fireworks display from Homebush to Sydney for the Olympic closing
ceremony. It was as good as our birding at Capertee.
Edwin
PS - on my way to the valley saw a Collared Sparrowhawk fly
over the road at Windsor Downs and a White-headed Pigeon
perched on powerlines at Kurrajong Hills
