Regent Honeyeater in Sydney ??

[David and Noni Lord <>]

I bird in the Parramatta area ( I work at The Childrens Hospital, Westmead) and will keep an eye out. Its not a bad place to bird in the wilder areas before work but I wouldn't plan a trip.  One of the conservationists who works in the hospital grounds told me that he found a brown snake about 5-6cm in diameter in the knee deep grass I was standing in so i haven't been for a couple of weeks.
David Lord

Begin forwarded message:

A considerable part of my job is fielding enquiries from members of the public about Regent Honeyeaters and trying to sort through sightings of all sorts of things described by the observer as Regent Honeyeaters.  While a number of these end up being anything from New Holland Honeyeaters to Red Wattlebirds I occasionally end up with bona fide Regent Honeyeaters.

I've just spoken to a 93 year old lady from Parramatta in Sydney about a pair of "Regency" Honeyeaters she had in her garden two weeks ago.  After speaking to her I'm pretty well convinced that what she had probably were Regency Honeyeaters.  The problem is that they seem to have moved on.

Can I suggest that anyone birding in the Parramatta - Wentworthville area (does anyone bird in the Parramatta - Wentworthville area??) keep an open mind about Regent Honeyeaters.  The lady concerned will let me know immediately they show up again and I'll get a local birder to pop over and check them out.

Cheers

David Geering
Regent Honeyeater Recovery Coordinator
Department of Environment & Conservation
P.O. Box 2111
Dubbo  NSW  2830
Ph: 02 6883 5335 or Freecall 1800 621 056
Fax: 02 6884 9382