After living in the mid Blue Mountains for 12 years, you would think the
chance of seeing too many new house birds would be diminishing with
every Xmas that passes.
Imagine our delight in adding two new species in the last 2 days. Glossy
Black-Cockatoo & Musk Loikeet.
The Glossys are often around the Mountains, but you'd be hard pressed if
you had to go out and find one on any particular day. We had been
looking for some time and finally saw our first bunch out in the
Capertee Valley last year and then again in Hazelbrook some months ago.
Boxing Day produced the goods right here, with several fly overs of the
back yard and then finding the family group of 4 preening themselves on
the fire trail behind us. Luckily we still had champagne left in the
fridge to toast this magnificent addition to the house list. These are
probably the same birds that have been feeding quietly at the top of
Jill Darks driveway for the last few days (2-3 ks away as the Glossy flies).
This mornings slumber was broken by not only a sighting of the 4 of them
again, but a pair of Musk Lorikeets perched in the neighbours tree. Wow.
Smith & Smith call them rare nomads but they have been seen around in
the last few years.
The Mountains are covered in a light misty rain today, a condition that
often results in "different" birds being around. So I've got my fingers
crossed for a trifecta of new nomads. (Regent HE perhaps.)
Hope your xmas was fun and santa delivered the new Leicas as promised.
What? You neither?
Timothy Hyde / Lynda Holmes
Blue Mountains / Capertee Valley
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