Hi Birders,
I visited Coonabarabran, the Warrumbungle National Park and parts of the
Baradine-Pilliga rea over the June long weekend 11-14 June 2004 and was able
to do a spot of birding. Unlike some other parts of NSW, the Coonabarabran
area in north-central west NSW, has received both good auturmn and now
winter rains so that seasonal conditions are good. From Binnaway to
Coonabarabran and in the basalt soil areas of Coonabarabran at least 10-15%
of all White Box was in flower along with some Ironbraks, in some areas,
Yellow Box was flowering too. In the Warrumbungles NP White Box, Yellow Box,
Mugga and Narrow-leafed Ironbarks were flowering and attracting some birds,
like Noisy Friarbirds, Blue-faced, Yellow-tufted & Yellow-faced
Honeyeaters. However I saw no Regent Honeyeaters or Swift Parrots. One of
the staff of the Park told me that some "bright green" small parrots were
obsevred feeding on the Mugga Ironbark when it first started to flower in
Camp Blackman about a month ago but he could not expand on that!
However there were plenty of Red-winged Parrots feeding in some of the
flowering White Box at Rosedale HSD, 6 km east of Coonabarabran, and in
flowering Lemon-scented Gums in Baradine! Also at Rosedale were Zebra
Finches, Cockatiel, Striated Pardalotes & Little Ravens.
There was some water in the creeks within Warrumbungles NP and it was good
to see plenty of Brown Treecreepers, Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters, Restless
Flycatchers, Striped & Spiny-cheeked Honeyaters at Camp Pincham. At the
Woolshed the usual Speckled Warblers, Inland Thornbills, White-browed
Babblers and Turquoise Parrots were soon found, while at the Mugga Ironbarks
in Camp Blackman, the Noisy Friarbirds, wirth lesser numbers of Blue-faced
Honeyeaters were very noisy. I saw a Koala at all three sites.
A visit to Pilliga Pottery, 24 km N of Coonabarabran, well and truly in the
Pilliga Scrub, found Diamond Firetails, Hooded Robins, White-bellied
Cuckoo-shrikes, Mallee Ringnecks, Jacky Winters and Peaceful Doves. The
following morning was spent out in the Baradine area at Carmel Lagoon (
Yellow-billed Spoonbill, Shoveler, Swan, Yellow-throated Miners and the
usual ducks), and along Carmel Lane (Apostlebirds, Cockatiels, Blue Bonnets
& Spotted Bowerbird) and Terridgerie Lagoon. Here there was not much in the
way of waterbirds although there was one White-necked Heron, but newly
arrived Fairy Martins were checking out the culverts, the local pair of
Whistling Kites kept a watchful eye on us, a Little Friarbird and a Rufous
Songlark called persisently and 2 Sacred Kingfishers were seen amongst the
River Red Gums.
Wedge-tailed Eagles were seen at Gumin west of the Park, good views were had
of a Hobby in Binnaway and Brown Falcons were seen a number of places to and
from Coonabarabran. All up a good weekends birding in the bush.
Alan Morris
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