Early this morning, David
Mitford, Stuart Pickering and myself easily
found the immature male ORANGE CHAT at Malabar between the 2 flag poles of the Rifle
range. The Chat was particularly fond of the short grassy area east of the
southern most flag pole and close to the vague track running between the rifle
range and the sea. We watched the Orange Chat for well over an hour trying to
take photographs as it foraged on the ground for most of the time and
occasional perched in the higher bushes. We could see well the black flecking
on its chin as shown on Murray Lords recent
photo of it.
Also seen in this area were at least 3 Brown Quail scurrying
about in the open between bushes and both a Peregrine Falcon and Australian
Kestrel.
David, Stuart and I paid a brief visit to the nearby East
Lakes Golf Course where we saw 6 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, 3 Latham Snipe (all staying
still out in the open. They are usually very easy to observe at East Lakes),
Black-fronted Dotterels with a chick, 3 Darter and a few Red-rumped Parrots. I also heard a Greenfinch calling (this
being one of few localities where they are resident in Sydney).
As I headed back home later this morning, I made a quick
dash in and out of Penrhyn Rd in Port
Botany and saw nothing much apart from 2 Kelp Gulls (a sub-adult and juv.) and 8 Bar-tailed Godwits. Public Holidays or weekends
are generally not ideal times to visit this area when there is the usual high
level of boat activity.
Edwin Vella
