Hi All.
Blackthorn, Bursaria spinosa, (also called "sweet Bursaria") is a
thorny native shrub which has become rampant in parts of Mulgoa Valley. It
is reputed to be wonderful for birds, and finches (Double-barred and
Redbrowed) do favour it for nesting. On the weekend it was in copious
flower and lived up to its reputation. Silvereyes were feeding on the
flowers, and Dusky Woodswallows and Bee-eaters were swooping on insects
feeding around the flowers, also Variegated and Superb Fairywrens, Grey
Fantails, a female Rufous Whistler, the male stayed up the tree, and Bell
Miners flying down from the eucalypts overhead, it was open forest.
A Grey Goshawk, grey morph, has been quartering the Valley over the
last week, an immaculate bird. Also a juvenile Swamp Harrier with glaringly
white rump.
Long-billed Corellas fighting Sulpher-crsted Cockatoos for
nesting-holes in the Big Tree eucalypt on the Mayfair Rd dam, winner to be
announced, but European Starlings definite losers in the fight for larger
holes.
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos , 4, a single calling Cicada-bird,
a Yellow Spoonbill, and the first Brown Thornbill seen on Mayfair Rd for a
couple of years .
Most of the dams are down to puddles but the occassional shower
has kept the valley green with a few birds around, nothing like the fifty
plus species routinely seen in in an hours walk before the big fire five
years ago, and the big dry since.
Cheers
Michael
.
Michael Hunter
Mulgoa Valley
50km west of Sydney Harbour Bridge
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