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Hi Birders,
John McLennan and I travelled to
Griffith for a meeting on Wednesday 3/4/02 by way of the Hunter Valley, Gulgong,
Wellington, Parkes, Gum Swamp Forbes, Griffith. The next day, joined by Mick
Todd, we travelled to Tullakool Salt Works via Barren Box Swamp, Hay, Moulamein,
returning via Denniliquin, Hay STW and Griffith STW. Early next morning and
prior to our meeting we spent 2 hours in Binya State Forest with Keith Hutton
and after the meeting abour 1.5 hours in the Mt Brogden area of Cocoparra
National Park. On 6/4/02 we returned to the Central Coast via Charcoal Tank
Nature Reserve, the Mid-Western Highway to Bathurst and the Blue Mountains.
Birding highlights included:
There was a Wonga
Pigeon & Weebills in a small gully near Kerrabee,
our first Emu at Murumbo, a Spotted Harrier
and an Australian Hobby at Gulgong, and while having morning
tea at Goolma we watched a party of 4 White-breasted
Cuckoo-shrikes moved slowly through the Yellow Box trees feeding on
insects as they went. At Gum Swamp, Forbes there were still at least 6
Freckled Duck to be found (first reported there on 28/2/02),
along with plenty of Pinkears, Yellow-billed
Spoonbills and Grey Teal and the usual other
waterbirds. We departed Griffith at 700 hrs next morning and as we were passing
the southern end of Barren Box Swamp we were treated to great views of a
Black Falcon as it crossed the road in pursuit of (a
Starling?). Black-shouldered Kites, Black Kites
and Whistling Kites were also at this location. We
passed another Spotted Harrier at Moulamein and eventually got to Tullakool Salt
Ponds. At the Cheetham Salt Company Ponds, most were dry but the ponds at
the northern end on the Burrabogie Road held some shallow water. Here a
Swamp Harrier kept putting up the birds and we estimated there
were 2000 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, 40 Red-necked
Stints, 300 Banded Stilts, 50+ Black-winged
Stilts, 600 Avocets, 300 Australian
Shelduck, many Grey Teal and some swans and there were some
Zebra Finches at the Ponds.
We returned via the Stephens Creek
Reservoir where we found a large flock of Red-browed Finches in
the picnic area ( western limit of range) and at the Hay STW, the
Freckled Ducks recently reported by Philip Brook were not
present, but there were 300+ Black-tailed Native-hens, 6
Shoveller, 6 Red-kneed Dotterel, plenty of
Hoary-headed & Australasian Grebes and the
other usual waterbirds. Our last stop was at the Griffith STW to see the
Freckled Ducks and Blue-billed Ducks that others have reported
seeing there too. The following morning we spent 2 hours with Keith Hutton in
Binya SF near Yenda. We dipped on the White-browed Treecreepers but saw at least
4 Painted Honeyeaters, Southern Whiteface,
Singing Honeyeaters, Chestnut-rumped
Thornbill, White-browed
Babbler, Red-capped Robin while Crested
Bellbirds and Bar-shouldered Doves could be heard
calling in the distance. We returned in the evening with Mike Todd, walking the
Mount Brogden Trail in the adjacent Cocoparra Nature Reserve. We were looking
out for Shy Heathwrens but had no luck there but did see Inland
Thornbills & Southern Yellow Robins among othert
more common birds.
We returned home on 6/4/02, spending
an hour in Charcoal Tank Nature Reserve on the way. It was generally cool and
dry in the reserve and no special birds were seen other than Inland &
Chestnut-rumped Thornbills, Brown Treecreepers, Common
Bronzewings and the other usual suspects. When visiting family at
Faulconbridge, Satin Bowerbird, Brown Cuckoo-Dove
and White-headed Pigeons were added to our
list. A good break away to see the inland birds.
Alan
Morris
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