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Yesterday, lead a group of a few members of the
Cumberland Bird Observers Club and a visitor from Hungary to see some birds
around Norahead, Noraville, Canton Beach and Magenta (in Wyrrabalong National
Park). This is in the NSW Central Coast and is within 100km from Sydney
CBD).
Our first point of call was Norah Head itself,
where we sea-watched for about 2 hours. Few seabirds were about, which included
about 10 Black-browed Alabatrosses, a couple
Yellow-nosed Albatrosses and a few Fluttering
Shearwaters, which were all observed at quite a distance. What made up
for the small number of sea birds where good sightings of atleast 6
Humpback Whales. One was doing some sort of display (not
breaching), tossing to its side and showing its white belly, flippers and tail.
We met Robert Quinan here, who outlined a few good sites for us to visit
next and close to Norah head. (Thanks
Robert).
We did a short walk in the Heath and woodland at
the end of Dyson St at Noraville, where we observed a female Swamp
Harrier, a few Bar-shouldered Doves, a few
Spangled Drongos, Brown and Tawny Crowned
Honeyeaters (we really only had views of the later
being chased and harrased by the many New Holland
Honeyeaters about) and very brief glimpses of a few
Southern Emuwrens.
We had lunch at the reserve near the caravan park
at Canton Beach, where Robert mentioned that a Grey Goshawk wa
seen here recently. We did see the Goshawk, as well as 3 species of Lorikeets -
Rainbows, Musk and Little Lorikeets but could only see one
Swamp Mahogany in flower in this area.
The final call of the day was a short walk along
one of the roads leading to Tuggerah Beach in Wyrrabalong NP, where we saw a
Brush Bronzewing twice flying over the scrub.
Before, I headed for home, I made a brief stop at
the ridge over looking Katandra Reserve and heard one of the resident
Sooty Owl's give a few "falling bomb" calls and a few trills,
just after dusk.
Edwin Vella
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