LIVERPOOL PLAINS WOODLAND BIRD SURVEY UPDATE 6
(4-6/1/2002
A Birds Australia project funded by the World Wide Fund for
Nature (WWF),Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) and the Threatened Species Network
(TSN)
6th Survey (4-6/1/2002)
The first Liverpool Plains bird surveys for 2002 concentrated
on the northern section of the Plains around the Kelvin region. Kelvin is
situated approx. 20km north of Gunnedah, 25km west of Boggabri and is just south
of the Nandewar range, which comprises Mount Kaputar National Park. Despite the
recent hot weather and threat of bushfires in the region, a large team of
enthusiastic volunteers gathered at a private property at Kelvin for the
Saturday’s survey. The property is situated adjacent to Kelvin State Forest in
the Kelvin Hills and, as such, is connected to the larger tracts of forest to
the north.
The survey team consisted of local Tamworth Bird Watchers:
Annabel Hoskins/Ashworth, Eddie Ashworth, Louise Baker, Maureen Marshall, Robert
Marshall, Tim Scrace; Gold Coast bird watchers Frank Johnson & Eleanor
Johnson, and Hunter Valley bird watcher Patrick Lodge. The group was divided up
into smaller teams to cover as much of the 330 acres of the property as
possible. The survey yielded a number of species that appear to be most common
in this northern section of the Liverpool Plains including Singing
Honeyeaters, Turquiose Parrots, Diamond Firetails, and
Yellow-throated Miners. Other birds included common species such as
Galahs, Eastern Rosellas, Red-rumped Parrots, Apostlebirds, White-winged
Choughs, Double-barred Finches, Chestnut-rumped Thornbills, Yellow Thornbills,
Buff-rumped Thornbills, Yellow-rumped Thornbills, Striated Pardolotes, Eastern
Yellow Robins, Leaden Flycatchers, Grey Shrike Thrush etc. A record of note
here was a Lewin’s Honeyeater.
Other surveys during the weekend including some Atlas surveys
in Kelvin State Forest. Not surprisingly, surveys in this relatively large State
Forest yielded a total of 43 species. Birds recorded included Diamond
Firetails, Zebra Finches, Double-barred Finches, Turquoise Parrots (12), Crimson
Rosellas, Striped Honeyeaters, Fuscous Honeyeaters, White-plumed Honeyeaters,
White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikes, Dusky woodswallows, White-browed Woodswallows,
Australian Owlet-nightjars, Southern Boobooks, Hooded Robins, and
Restless Flycatchers. The Forest is situated within close proximity to the
Nandewar Range, is relatively diverse in its topography and florsitics, and has
a small dam that provides a body of permanent water. All of these
characteristics combined make it one of the most suitable refuges for bird
species within the Liverpool Plains.
On the Sunday (6/1/02) Tim Scrace, Patrick Lodge and myself
surveyed the southern section of the Liverpool Plains, at Millers Creek and
Braeburn, adjacent to the Liverpool Ranges. At Millers Creek (private property),
surveys were firstly concentrated along a degraded section of the creek then
later in a Travelling Stock Route. Surveys along the creek yielded a number of
common woodland species such as Red-rumped Parrots, Eastern Rosellas,
Cockatiels, Striated Pardolotes, Black-faced Cuckoo Shrikes, Nankeen Kestrels,
a Little Eagle and waterbird species such as White-faced Herons,
Masked Lapwings, Chestnut Teal, Nankeen Night Herons and 4 Latham’s Snipe
a NEW species for the Atlas in the Liverpool Plains. At Braeburn, a 500m
Area Search by the creek yielded 32 species. Of note here was a Painted
Honeyeater, Sacred Kingfishers, large numbers of Crimson Rosellas,
Dollarbirds, Fairy Martins (50+), and Rufous Songlarks.
In all, a great weekend was had by all and many thanks to the landholders who
allowed us to conduct surveys on their land and thanks to those bird watchers
who participated!!
