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Hi Birders
Yesterday Alan Benson Tim Morris
& myself made the dash to South West Rocks (5 hrs drive from the Central
Coast) to see the adult male and possible female Northern Shoveler in the pond
next to the milking bails on a dairy farm Boyters Lane, South West Rocks. The
birds were first sighted by local Ken Shingleton on Tuesday 14 May and he
notified a number of people straight away. Apparently the birds were only 50m
from the milking shed, on a longish wetland where there were many other birds
present including 7 Australasian Shovelers which which they were
associating. The bird was photographed, and when Ken Shingleton returned later
in the afternoon after milking the birds were still there.
Alas, 2 hours enroute to South West
Rocks, Ken telephoned to say that the Northern Shovelers could not be found on
that wetland, and a quick check of other wetlands failed to find the birds.. We
decided to keep going and he decided to keep looking. We arrived at 1230 hrs to
meet Ken and found out that he had no luck. We spent the next 3.5 hours looking
for the bird on wetlands close and further out but with no luck. Mind you around
Boyters Lane we saw 17 Australasian Shovelers, all the Egrets, Buff-banded Rail,
12+ Red-kneed Dotterels, a constant Australian Hobby, Sea-eagles,
Whistling Kite, Swamp Harrier & Ospreys, the latter two put up the ducks
several times, Royal & Yellow-billed Spoonbills, many Hardehad, Black Duck,
Grey Teal & Chestnut Teal, nesting Swans, Black-winged Stilts, Striped &
Brown Honeyeaters, Drongos etc. I have dipped a number of times on the Northern
Shoveler, so alas, another "Brush with fame" - having at least stood in the
milking bails and looked across to where it was last seen!
This is the third sighting of a
Northern Shoveler this year in coastal NSW as there was an unconfirmed report
from Clarencetown near Maitland in March, and another male at Deep Creek Ulmarra
(near Grafton) on 8 April 2002 seen by Russell Jago. Anyone going up that way
should contact Ken Shingleton as the bird was on private land.
On route to South West Rocks we
stopped for half an hour at Lemon Tree Passage, where Swift Parrots were
recently reported. The Swamp Mahogany was in flower everywhere, the Swiftees
could have been anywhere. Certainly we did not see them but we did see Rainbow,
Scaly-breasted, Musk & Little Lorikeets, at least 6 Fuscous Honeyaters,
White-naped, White-cheeked, White-naped, Scarlet, Yellow-faced & Lewins
Honeyeaters, Little Wattlebirds, Eastern Rosellas, Drongos and Silvereyes all
feeding on the nectar flow! A Koalas was resting in a Swamp Mahogany amid all
the noise!
Alan
Morris
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