Hi all,
On Monday and Tuesday of this week Bob Way, Colin Scouler and I took
ourselves off to the Capertee Valley which is about 230K. by road north west
of Sydney. We stayed in the valley at "Rockview" cottage which kept us warm
and snug against windy and cold conditions. Monday was windy and overcast,
Tuesday was windy but sunny and we rugged up both days.
The weather kept bird numbers down but we still managed to see some great
birds. Rockview paddocks were particularly good with Striped Honeyeater,
Brown Quail, 20 or so Common Bronzewings, heaps of Diamond Firetails,
Gang-gang and Glossy Black Cockatoos and an estimated 15 Turquoise Parrots
which gave us great views. To me in some ways the most unusual sighting was
a Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo feeding in the grass alongside a couple
of Red-rumped Parrots.
There was a flock of an estimated 35 Plumb-headed Finches near the entrance
gate to Goollooinboin Station. Like many of the ground feeders (Thornbills,
other finches, robins and parrots etc.) they kept to the hollows to avoid
the
wind. (we tended to do the same!) We had close telescope viewing of the
Plumb-headed, they looked superb!
There were 6 Regent Honeyeaters as well as Yellow-tufted and New Hollands.at
the second bridge from Capertee. The honeyeater dynamics of the valley seems
to be changing with more and more White-plumed Honeyeaters displacing the
Fuscous in some places, particularly on the road in. We saw them at every
place we visited. Yellow-faced and White-naped were also common at several
locations.
In some ways however, the day belonged to the robins, Hooded, Eastern
Yellow, Flame, Red-capped and a pair of Scarlet as a parting treat as we
were leaving. These birds truly glowed in Tuesday's sunlight, sitting on
fenceposts and showing off their finer points. Also, in case I forget, 2
Speckled Warblers were seen feeding with thornbills towards the Capertee end
of the road in.
All in all 3 very happy guys left the valley well content with their
birding.
The valley list was 93 species.
Bruce.
Bruce Cox.
48 Rangers Retreat Rd. Frenchs Forest.
Sydney. 2086. Australia.
Phone:--02 9451 5394.
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