Just before new years stopped overnight at Dorrigo on the way back from my
parents place at Murwillumbah (northern NSW). Was hoping to track down Noisy
Pitta (which along with Spectacled Monarch were the only regular species I
didn't pick up on my annual pilgramage north) with no luck but did see the
usual rainforest species. A couple of species caused me to think and I would
like some input from local birds.
Thrush.
Managed to find a thrush nest right near the Dorrigo Mountain road at about
760 metres. Watched both birds fly to the nest and could see no white in the
tail, though the bird that was brooding in the morning (the female?) had a
very worn tail. I suspected these birds were making a high-pitched 'peeeet'
call but wasn't 100% certain.
About 100m easrt of these birds I came across another bird on the track that
I managed to get great views of, including a brief flush exposing the tail
sides. This seemed to have paler (but not white) edges to the tail. This
bird definitely gave the call described above.
The question is what species is this. My assumption is Bassian, as the bird
is at a reasonable elevation (I had just read the extensive notes by Lloyd
Nielsen on Thrush in Lamington NP as I saw a Russet-tailed at Binna Burra
but did not flush it), the tail sides were definitely not white like the
birds I saw at Brisbane Forest Park in January this year and Pizzey and
Knight lists the call above only for the Bassian. Any thoughts on this
decision.
Corvids.
There semmed to be at least two corvids at Dorrigo. Chris Chafer's report
from earlier this year said both Forest Raven and Torresian Crow were
present at Dorrigo NP which helps. I thought the latter species may have
only been in the lower elevations around Coffs, but I thought I heard this
species. There was also a Raven which I initially thought were Forest but I
heard one "aaaargh" call though this was not typical of Australian Ravens
around Sydney. I went to Ebor Falls where Forest Ravens were calling (along
with breeding Flame Robins and a female Satin Flycatcher) but unfortunately
on returning to Dorrigo no more Ravens called. My question is Australian
Raven likely at Dorrigo? I don't think I recorded them there, but I would
like to see the possibility of having three corvid species in one area.
Apart from that spent a few days over NY with the outlaws at Hawks Nest.
Nothing spectacular but a few flocks of Musk Lorikeets feeding in flowering
Eucalyptus and a couple of groups of White-cheeked HE.
Cheers,
Peter
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