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HAWKESBURY AREA (NSW) - 24TH NOVEMBER 2000

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Subject: HAWKESBURY AREA (NSW) - 24TH NOVEMBER 2000
From: "Vella" <>
Date: Sun, 26 Nov 2000 20:10:10 -0000

Today’s weather was much more pleasant than the previous weekend to be out birding. Plenty of birds about in the Hawkesbury (about 50 km north-west of Sydney CBD), with way over 100 species seen/heard for much of the day. I was joined by John Rogers for half the time who was lucky to score a lifer for today. Some of the birds that were around are as follows:

CATTAI AREA (including Mitchell Park) - a Brown Goshawk; Wonga and Brown Pigeons; Powerful Owl; Sacred and Azure Kingfishers; several Dollarbirds; a pair of Cicadabirds; Leaden and Restless Flycatchers; Yellow-tufted and Scarlet Honeyeaters; Mistletoebirds; Rufous Fantails; several Striated Pardalotes; Satin Bowerbirds; and lots of cuckoos including Brush, Pallid, Fan-tailed , Golden Bronze, and a great view of a Channel-billed Cuckoo in a large Fig Tree. Looks like all figs have finished their fruits at Cattai NP. John may have also got a glimpse of a Black Bittern at Mitchell Park.

PITT TOWN LAGOON - this lagoon is quite full with water after heavy rain a week ago. I had to get my gum boots on and wade in fairly high water. Saw lots of huge European Carp splashing about and saw a pair of White-bellied Sea-eagles, flushed 2 Brown Quail (in very high grass), about 6 Hardheads amongst hundreds of Grey and Chestnut Teal, Black-fronted and Red-kneed Dotterels, one or two Latham’s Snipe, Wood Sandpiper aswell as Pallid and Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoos.

MARAYLYA - GLENORIE AREA - here I met up with John Rogers who got his first Pacific Baza here. One adult Baza was seen on his new nest in the same Eucalypt as the previous 2 years nests. It was feeding atleast one chick (possibly 2) on a tree frog. Also around the area were Sacred Kingfishers, a White-winged Triller (male), a pair of Jacky Winters and Scarlet Honeyeaters.

LONGNECK LAGOON - pretty quite hear due to the heat of the day but watched an Olive-backed Oriole feed 2 few day old chicks in a cup nest. Is anything been done to get rid of that South American Weed that has completely chocked the lagoon?

RICHMOND - WINDSOR TURF FARMS - we saw 2 adult Banded Lapwings with 4 fairly well grown chicks beside Cornwallis Rd (they appeared not to be much larger when I saw them about a month ago), Rainbow Bee-eaters and a Black-shouldered Kite. Heard a few Stubble Quail and Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoos calling in the area aswell.

On my way home saw a Pacific Heron fly over the Richmond Rd at Riverstone.

I hope others went out birding over this weekend, and love to hear what they saw.

Edwin Vella

 

 

 

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