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Outing to Dairy Swamp, Tuggerah & Ourimbah SF by Birding NSW Central Coa

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Subject: Outing to Dairy Swamp, Tuggerah & Ourimbah SF by Birding NSW Central Coast Group Saturday 1 March 2003
From: "Alan Morris" <>
Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2003 15:24:39 +1100
Outing to Dairy Swamp Tuggerah & Ourimbah SF by Birding NSW Central Coast Group 1 March 2003
 
The day started with rain threatening as 22 birders met at the old dairy in the new Pioneer Dairy Reserve at Tuggerah, NSW Central Coast. The Dairy Swamp had a good number of waterbirds including Black Duck, Hardhead, Australasian Grebe, lots of Coot & Grey Teal, and smaller numbers of Black-fronted Dotterel, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper & Australasian Shoveler. It was especially good to see that there were 7 Freckled Ducks on the Swamp as these were a new bird for some members. Most people had good views of silent Clamorous Reedwarblers and Little Grassbirds, while overhead were seen Whistling Kites, a Little Eagle, White-bellied Sea-Eagle and Swamp Harrier. Eventually we had to dash for cover out of the rain to the old dairy building.Two Nankeen Night-herons were a welcome sight during morning tea
 
On the drive across the paddocks to Tuggerah Lagoon, the other wetland within the Reserve, most people saw Tawny Grassbirds & Cisticolas. Little Pied, Little Black & Great Black Cormorants plus Darters were on the Lagoon, along with a lone female Musk Duck & 2 more Freckled Duck. Striped Honeyeaters were heard and then really good views were enjoyed especially for those seeing them for the first time. Straw-necked & White Ibis and Cattle Egrets were in good numbers in the paddocks, and along with the other birds seen , we left with a total of 62 species for the morning.
 
We lunched at Woodbury's Inn Park, by the Wyong River to the constant call of Bell Miners.Other species added to our list there included Grey & Rufous Fantails, Brown Thornbill, Brown Gerygone & Golden Whistler. From here we went to Potters Gully in Ourimbah SF and although the birds were few and mostly quiet at this location being mid afternoon, we added Red-browed Finch, Eastern Spinebill, Noisy Friarbird, Spotted Pardalote, Yellow-faced Honeyeater and White-throated Treecreeper. Our thanks are extended to Robert, Trevor & David for sharing their telescopes. It was great to have Sydney visitors and our new members joined us for a most enjoyable day when we saw 79 species. A corvid was also heard by some at the Dairy Swamp which sounded like a Torresian Crow but could not be confirmed by a sighting. The recent flurry of Torresian Crow records in the lower Hunter Estuary no doubt was in the back of some peoples minds as a result. (Carole & John Carpenter).
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