|
A VISIT TO PAMBALONG
SWAMP, WALKA WATERWORKS & HUNTER BOTANIC GARDENS
22/11/03
A group of 17 Sydney birders with
Follow That Bird Tours, visited the Lower Hunter Region, NSW on Saturday
22/11/03 but expectations were not to high as it was raining steady when
departing Sydney, still raining as we passed through the Central Coast and still
raining when we arrived at our first birding site, Pambalong Swamp, Minmi.
Through the rain we did get some good views of of White-necked Herons,
Intermediate Egrets with their nuptial plumes and Cattle Egrets with their
lovely buff-coloured head and necks, feeding in the wet meadows. In the open
shallow water there was a group of 11 Yellow-billed and 2 Royal Spoonbills
feeding together and nearby 4 Red-necked Avocets, which are not normally seen at
this site. Black-fronted Plover, Sacred Kingfishers and White-breasted
Woodswallows were other birds for which good views were obatined. Our morning
tea stop was the Cricket Ground in Minmi which has some under cover facilites
and here we were entertained by a pair of Long-billed Corellas.
We drove on through the rain to
Maitland and the Walka Water Works, and once again started our walk in the rain.
The rain eventually stopped at 1.30 pm but the weather never actually cleared.
However there were plenty of waterbirds to see at the waterworks, the best being
6 Great Crested Grebes as well as the usual ducks including Hardheads, Wood
Ducks and Chestnut Teal. Not long after we first arrived a Peregrine flew over
and not much further on, a Hobby appeared and perched in tall tree , and thanks
to Janine and her telescope, everyone had good views of this bird. Reedwarblers
were active around the edge of the reservoir, while Little Grassbirds and a
Tawny Grassbird were both heard calling although not seen. An adult male Darter
showed to an advantage and a small flock of Little Black Cornmorants were
watched herding small fish in the shallows. Black-fonted Plovers were located in
some wet meadows where Fairy Martins were seen feeding flying young. A juvenile
Fantailed Cuckoo was seen in some Jacaranda Trees but no one was coming to feed
it, and White-thoated Gerygones, Mistletoebirds and Yellow-faced Honeyaters were
active in the woodland nearby. It was dry by the time we ate our lunch and
watched the plantings of Bottlebrushes and Grevillas, where Brown &
Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, Silvereyes and Little Wattlebirds were very busy and
Pied and Grey Butcherbirds tried to out sing each other.
Our last stop was the Hunter Botanic
Gardens at Heathbrae. There was a lot of activity here in the Blackbutt Forest,
presumably some of these trees were in flower. The Sacred Kingfishers were very
active digging into nest holes and chasing each other and there were at least 4
Leaden Flycatchers involved in a territorial dispute too. An Olive-backed Oriole
was busy feeding three young in a nest; Noisy Miners were very busy
hassling a Channel-billed Cuckoo out of their territories; White-throated
and Brown Gerygones were in full song; and Rufous Whistlers, Grey Fantails &
Grey Shrike-thrush were all seen. As we about to depart a Grey Goshawk was seen
on overhead wires and allowed all to obtain good views. Despite the weather 82
species were seen so that all participants had a good time.The wet weather
so wide spread across the State has bought a promise of good seasonal conditions
to come and all the wetlands, but particularly in the Hunter Valley, now having
a chance ro replenish thus improving the outlook of the breeding success of
the Egret colonies. We will be back in March!!
Alan
Morris
|
