G'day all
I visited the Capertee Valley over the weekend
with a number of enthusiastic and exhilerated birders from Sydney.
Abundance and diversity was excellent. The group recorded 102 species. I
observed 96 of them.
Sightings of significance were a juve Black-eared
Cuckoo, a Singing Honeyeater, Little Grassbird and a number of Scarlet
Honeyeaters (several at two locations). One party member reported a Striped
Honeyeater and a Blue-faced Honeyeater, whilst Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters were
very common, having seen good numbers at 3 or 4 locations. A slightly odd
sighting was the Fuscous Honeyeater in very clear non-breeding plumage/bill
colouration attending a nest. Observed two Australian Owlett Nightjars
driving into the valley on Friday night.
Heard the calls of a Red-browed Treecreeper and a
gathering of Gang-gang Cockatoos. The captive Ostrich near Glen Davis
deserves a mention for the wonderful threat display which this, sadly, lonely
fellow put on for us.
Also had 3 species of macropods (plus assorted
feral mammals) and 7 butterfly species (more were present but I sadly
admit that I wasn't so focussed on these wonderful insects over the weekend, so
abundant were the birds).
This was my first visit to the Capertee and
certainly wont be my last. Excellent company, beautiful
weather, captivating scenery, great bushwalks and first class birding.
Thanks to Madeleine Murray for organising a fantastic weekend.
Here's my list . . .
Birds
Australasian Grebe Australian Wood
Duck Pacific Black Duck Chestnut Teal White-faced Heron White-necked
Heron Straw-necked Ibis Black-shouldered Kite Brown
Goshawk Wedge-tailed Eagle Brown Falcon Nankeen Kestrel Eurasian
Coot Dusky Moorhen Black-fronted Dotterel Masked Lapwing Common
Bronzewing Crested Pigeon Peaceful Dove Gang-gang
Cockatoo Galah Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Little Lorikeet Red-winged
Parrot Crimson Rosella Eastern Rosella Red-rumped Parrot Turquoise
Parrot Black-eared Cuckoo Owlett Nightjar Laughing Kookaburra Sacred
Kingfisher Rainbow Bee-eater White-throated Treecreeper Brown
Treecreeper Superb Fairy-wren Spotted Pardalote Striated
Pardalote Buff-rumped Thornbill Yellow-rumped Thornbill Striated
Thornbill Noisy Friarbird Bell Miner Noisy Miner Yellow-faced
Honeyeater Yellow-tufted Honeyeater Fuscous Honeyeater
Singing Honeyeater White-plumed
Honeyeater Black-chinned Honeyeater White-naped Honeyeater Eastern
Spinebill Scarlet Honeyeater Jacky Winter Hooded Robin Eastern
Yellow Robin White-browed Babbler Varied Sitella Crested
Shrike-tit Rufous Whistler Grey Shrike-thrush Satin
Flycatcher Restless Flycatcher Magpie Lark Frey Fantail Willie
Wagtail Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike White-winged Triller Olive-backed
Oriole Dusky Woodswallow Grey Butcherbird Pied
Butcherbird Australian Magpie Pied Currawong Australian Raven Little
Raven White-winged Chough Singing Bushlark Richard's Pipit (feral)
House Sparrow Zebra Finch Double-barred Finch Plum-headed
Finch Red-browed Finch Diamond Firetail Mistletoe Bird White-backed
Swallow Welcome Swallow Tree Martin Fairy Martin Clamorous
Reed-warbler Little Grassbird Rufous Songlark Brown
Songlark Silvereye (feral) Common Starling
Mammals
Euro (subspecies robustus)
Red-necked Wallaby
Eastern Grey Kangaroo
(feral) Red Fox
(feral) Brown Hare
(feral) European Rabbit
Butterflies
Yellow Admiral
Caper White
Double-spot Line Blue
Monarch
(feral) Cabbage White
Australian Painted Lady
Meadow Argus
Happy birding
Ricki Coughlan Lyrebird
Tours
ABN 50 515 608
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