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GOOD BIRDING IN THE WATAGAN
MOUNTAINS NSW 13-14 JANUARY 2004
Follow That Bird Tours organised a
two day birding trip of the Watagan Mountains, located to the west of Lake
Macquarie, on the Central/Hunter Coast of NSW for the period 12-13 January 2004.
All participants stayed over-night at the Four Horizons B&B located within
the ranges and adjacent to Watagan NP, near Heatons Lookout. Good weather was
experienced over the two days but the trip was held during a fairly dry period
so that there was probably less leaches and less birds than one would expect.
There were definitely more cicadas than usual, this being a very good cicada
year in our Region so smaller bush birds were hard to hear and to find whereas
cicada-eating birds were more dominant than usual viz Olive-backed Orioles,
Kookaburras, Pied Currawongs, Channel-billed Cuckoos, Noisy Friarbirds &
Cuckoo-shrikes. Despite these limitations all the participants had a great time
and had plenty of good birding experiences.
Within the State Forests and National
Park, visits were made to Muirs Lookout, the Pines Picnic Area, Heatons Lookout,
Macleans Lookout, Boarding House Dam and Gap Creek, and to complete the
experiences we returned to Sydney via Ellalong Lagoon & Quorrobolong to
check out the waterbirds. Good birding was had around the Four Horizons property
including a spotlight walk. The bird of the trip had to be the Gang Gang
Cockatoo which were seen virtually at all mountain locations in small numbers,
probably 30+ altogether and good views were had of males with their scarlet
coloured heads and crests. King Parrots and Crimson Rosellas were the other
common parrots in the Mountains. Wonga Pigeons and Brown-Cuckoo Doves were seen
and heard throughout the Mountains with everyone getting good views of
Red-browed Treecreepers and Bassian Thrushes which are a specialty of the site.
Many migrants were present like Scarlet Honeyeaters, Black-faced Monarchs,
Leaden Flycatchers and Rufous Fantails. Golden Whistlers, Rufous Whistlers,
Lyrebirds & Satin Bowerbirds were regularly heard and seen.
The spot-lighting walk around Four
Horizons initially only revealed a Brush-tailed Possum and a number of
Brush-tailed Rock Wallabies, with close up views of the latter but Boobook
Owls could be heard calling. One of the Boobooks was lured to the cabins after
playing a tape and then great views were had of the bird with the spotlight. At
Ellalong Lagoon there were plenty of waterbirds to see including Whistling
Kite, a pair of Shovelers, a lone Great Egret and Black-winged Stilts,
while Yellow-rumped Thornbills and Striped Honeyeaters were present in the
fringing Casuarinas. All up a great two days of fine food, interesting birds and
good company was had with 89 species being seen.
Alan
Morris
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