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As I was passing through the area yesterday
mid-afternoon, I decided to have another look for the Turquoise Parrots at
Laughtondale Gully (NW of Sydney) and saw no less than 4 parrots including one
juv. bird. This may mean that they have bred in the area for 2 successive
seasons as I saw atleast 2 juv. birds there about a year ago. They have
been hanging about the exact spot for over a year now (the parrots were first
discovered here by Keith Brandwood), feeding mainly on small patches of
seeding grasses on the roadside and beside heathland on Sydney
sandstone. Hopefully in the near future we will be able to see more of
these beautiful parrots (one of my favourites) in the Sydney
area. Turq's in recent years have occurred irregularly in other parts of
the western Sydney region (Scheyville NP, Castlereagh NR etc) as
well as the nearby lower Blue Mountains (Winmalee and Yurramundi). Besides
the Parrots, also had a good views of a Chestnut-rumped Heathwren (its
harsh alarm notes were being imitated by 2 Brown Thornbills closeby. Other
heathwrens were also possibly heard), a Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo, a few
Peaceful Doves, a female Crested Shrike-tit, several Dusky Woodswallows, several
Double-barred and Red-browed Finches, Brown-headed Honeyeaters (amongst
others), a Bassian Thrush (on the edge of the heath) and Owlet Nightjar
heard briefly in the afternoon.
Edwin Vella
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