Just arrived home after spending two
days in the magical Capertee Valley where Regent Honeyeaters are in abundance. Despite rain and
freezing winds I saw 6 at Coco Creek feeding on mistletoe in the River Oaks, 14
at Crown Station Road feeding on White Box flowers, 2 near Port Macquarie Road
gleaning insects in sapling Eucalypts and an incredible 48 around the Glenowlan
Road bridge on the Capertee River. At this site they just kept coming in threes
and fours in mixed flocks of Black-chinned, White-naped,
White-plumed, Yellow-faced and Fuscous Honeyeaters to feed on manna in the gums
above the river, on flowers of White Box, occasionally hawking for insects and
then moving into the River Oaks to feed on the mistletoe flowers of Amyema
cambagei. They are so beautiful in flight, just masses of yellow and black. As
a welcome change the Regents were calling over the two days I was in the valley
and this certainly made it easier to locate them. They seemed to mostly avoid
the more aggressive Noisy Friarbirds and Red Wattlebirds that were also common
in the area.
I also saw 22 Turquoise Parrots on Crown Station Road including one flock of 14 birds all feeding together on the
ground, and this morning at 6 o’clock I heard a pair of Barking Owls singing in duet for about 10
minutes. The calls seemed to be coming from near Timothy Hyde’s property.
Searched in vain for Swift Parrots,
but could only positively identify Little & Musk Lorikeets.
Neil Kirby
