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REGENT HONEYEATER & SWIFT
PARROT SURVEYS IN THE BARRABA DISTRICT NSW 18-20 MAY 2001
Craig Arms, Mick Roderick and myself
went to the Barraba District for the period 18-20 May 2001 for the purpose of
surveying for Regent Honeyeaters and Swift Parrots as part of our contribution
to the National Survey. We also had two other aims for going, firstly to atlas
in unvisited 10 minute squares or squares that have had few visits, and to plan
for a return visit in August as a weekend camp for the Central Coast FOC
Group.
Alas we failed in our first aim because
we saw no target species even though the White Box Eucalyptus albens
was coming into flower and virtually wherever one stopped there was at least one
flowering White Box. Three Mugga Ironbark E. sideroxylon sites where
Regent Honeyeaters are known to have used, were also visited but the Ironbarks
were not in flower and there were not many honeyeaters or lorikeets present.Our
second aim was more successful with us being able to complete 33 Atlass sheets
in 12 ten minute blocks, and seeing 121 species in three days. Our final
aim of organising the CCFOC camp out was also achieved.
Barraba is the local government
area at the western edge of the Northern Tablelands that has embraced the
need to conserve the Regent Honeyeater and one is welcomed to the town by some
very attractive signs that depict the bird in full colour with a slogan
that says "Barraba, preserving the habitat of the Regent Honeyeater". The Shire
has embarked on an extensive tree planting programme, particularly for White Box
and Mugga Ironbark, two local trees and was ofcourse, the Shire that first
adopted the "Bird Routes" programme. There are 12 signposted Bird Routes in
Barraba Shire, the initiative for the Bird Routes project being that of local
residents and bird watchers Russ & Jenny Watts. The adjoining Shires of
Bingara & Manilla are developing their own Bird Routes programme too, and
these are in addition to the Dubbo and Baradine Bird Routes projects for which 4
page pamphlets are now available with maps, notes about each route and a
comprehensive birdlist.During our visit we stayed at the Barraba Caravan park
which has embarked upon its own tree planting programme with over $800 worth of
the appropriate trees and shrubs planted in the past 12 months.
From the Caravan Park and a track along
the adjacent Manilla River, we saw 51 species of birds in total for the 3
mornings we were briefly in residence! These included Plum-headed,
Zebra, Double-barred & Red-browed Finches; Musk
& Little Lorikeets, Red-winged &
King Parrots. The White-plumed,
Spiny-cheeked, Brown Blue-faced & Striped
Honeyeaters were the common honeyeaters of the Park, Kestrel,
Hobby & Black-shouldered Kite were easily seen,
and on the last morning a Peregrine Falcon plucked and
devoured a small bird, possible a Peaceful Dove, on a power
pole, close to our cabin. A disturbing feature though on the fauna scene was a
male Blackbird seen once and a flock of 30 Common
Mynas, we wondered when they reached town? (They were not listed on the
new Bird Routes pamphlet, and neither was the Little Corella, a
flock flew over one morning!).
Out in the White Box woodlands,
particularly around Cobbadah, Andersons Creek, Upper Horton, Rocky Creek,
Plumthorpe & Little Creek TSRs the commonest birds by far were Musk &
Little Lorikeets. They were present at all sites visited and both species were
seen to inspect hollows at each site.. Plum-headed Finches were seen at
Andersons Creek and Black Springs TSR; Hooded Robins were seen
at 7 sites and Diamond Firetails were seen at many sites.
Black-chinned Honeyeaters were seen at the Mille & Borah
TSRs, and in White Box near Upper Horton, while Turquoise
Parrots in small flocks were seen at Upper Horton, between Upper Horton
& Cobbadah, between Woodsreef & Linton, and the Adams Bird Route site
west of Manilla.
Wedge-tailed Eagles
& Brown Falcons were common, while Little
Eagles were only seen at Glen Riddle picnic area in the upper reaches
of Split Rock Dam, where they were harassing a pair of Whistling
Kites and a Sea-Eagle, the former also not being
mentioned on the bird checklist! While there were plenty of species to see on
the Coonoor TSR and the Woodsreef-Linton Bird Sites, the Regent Honeyeaters
which regularly visit and breed at these sites in spring were not to be found! A
visit to the newly established Ironbark Nature Reserve on the eastern edge of
the Shire, yielded our only Striated & Yellow
Thornbills for the trip, and nearby on the property "Yarrabah" were a
pair of Scarlet Robins (not on the list!) and Eastern
Spinebills (on the western edge of their range). Speckled
Warblers were seen at a number of White Box sites as were
Inland Thornbills. An unidentified Button-quail was flushed at
Borah TSR while 6 Stubble Quail were seen at Adams Bird Site.
Other common woodland birds seen were Golden Whistler,
Jacky Winter, Restless Flycatcher &
Brown Treecreeper.
The White Box flowering was the most
extensive at the Borah & Adams Bird Sites and the noise of the honeyeaters
and lorikeets at these sites was exceptional, however it is expected that soon
all the White Box will be full flower and the noise will be across the District.
Alltogether a great weekend.
Alan Morris
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