This morning, I managed to get a
few hours off to check around my local area for any Swift Parrots for this
weekend?s survey. I drove around the suburb of Greystanes (approx. 40 km west of
Sydney CBD) for half an hour (a site where I have seen them a few years ago) and
heard/saw Rainbow and Musk Lorikeets, New Holland Honeyeaters etc but no
Swifties. The Spotted Gums (Eucalyptus maculate) appear now in flower in this
area and other parts around my local area.
I spent also 2 hours looking
around Prospect Reservoir for the Swift Parrots (again another site where I have
seen Swifties spend the winter). No sign of Swift Parrots or Regent Honeyeaters
here as well, despite seeing one good tree in full blossom, dominated mainly by
White-plumed and New Holland Honeyeaters. Both Little and Red Wattlebirds,
several White-naped Honeyeaters, Eastern
Spinebills and of course, Noisy Miners, were also about the picnic
areas. The Scarlet Honeyeaters and Noisy Friarbirds are often present here
towards the end of winter.
I searched the top picnic area
(on the hill) for Swifties but saw the Mugga Ironbarks not in flower. Here
Red-browed Firetails were abundant feeding on the ground on the seeding Kangaroo
grass with 3 Peaceful Doves, several Eastern Yellow Robins (many tame birds out
in the open), Red-whiskered Bulbuls (at least 6 on the ground. Have seen these
Bulbuls feed here on the ground before and I wonder what they might eat!) and
Superb Blue Wrens. One of a few Fan-tailed Cuckoos (trilling away nicely) and a
family of 3 Crested Shrike-tits (this place is usually very reliable to see the
later species) were showing very well. This upper picnic area offers one of
Sydney?s best lookouts overlooking
the Reservoir and with the Blue Mountains in the
background. Going down the hill I also saw 2 Bar-shouldered Doves and small
groups of Nutmeg Mannikins, Double-barred Finches and loads more Red-browed
Firetails.
From here with scope (and with 2
very tame Eastern Yellow Robins by my side), I was able to see the Reservoir
with loads of water birds including 3 species of Grebes ? 100 plus Hoary-headed,
5 Australasian and 120 plus Great Crested Grebes (saw a single tight raft of
about 60-80 Hoary-headed Grebes and a fairly loose raft 100 of Great Crested
Grebes), 1000 plus Coots (probably heaps more amongst the far away dots (water
birds) about the western side of the reservoir), several Little Black and Great
Cormorants, Australian Pelicans, Black Swans, Silver Gulls and a new bird for my
local shire list, a Caspian Tern. There were also good numbers
of raptors with a nice adult White-bellied Sea-eagle, 14 Whistling Kites seen at
the same time (9 about the southern reservoir wall and 5 on the northern side.
There could have been more Whistlers, but this is what I could positively count
as being present at the same time. Has anyone seen large numbers of Whistling
Kites like this before?), 3 Black-shouldered Kites and a Swamp Harrier flying
near the reservoir (coming from the new Nelson Ridge estate next door which
looks much like a big ugly hole with a few buildings). From this hill I could
also see both Straw-necked and Sacred Ibis soaring high towards the Blue
Mountains but probably just over the Eastern Creek Tip (a place I should check
out for Black Kites and Black Falcons!). Fairy Martins have also arrived and as
I tried to whistle in a Golden Bronze-cuckoo one of the Crested Shrike-tits came
in instead after hearing me from all the way from the top picnic area.
A good relaxing 2 hours in my
local area.
Edwin
Vella
