As I was traveling up to the Capertee Valley (140km north-west of Sydney
in NSW Central Tablelands) last Friday for the semi-annual tree planting
I stopped off near Port Macquarie Road in the northern part of the
valley and was rewarded with brief views of two small flocks of 9 and 5
Swift Parrots flying north-east late in the afternoon and later at dusk
a single bird flushed out of a White Box. I was hoping there was another
flock in that tree and I stayed there until dark but unfortunately saw
no more of the parrots.
Earlier in the afternoon there were large numbers of Musk Lorikeets
feeding in the flowering ironbarks and I counted a total of seven Regent
Honeyeaters in the same area but strangely there were all in
non-flowering ironbarks apparently feeding on psylids. These birds were
probably the same ones that Lynda and Timothy Hyde saw on 11th April.
They are one of the most obliging birds to photograph as they like to
loaf and preen in these trees and I was able to set up the camera on a
tripod and get good clear shots without worrying that they would move.
The valley is alive with birds after good rains last spring and summer.
It was wonderful to hear and see so many different birds; particularly
memorable was the beautiful singing of a Pied Butcherbird. The
pink-flowering Mugga Ironbarks and the Sheoak Mistletoes are all
carrying masses of flower buds so I hope this year will be a good
breeding event for the Regent Honeyeaters.
Neil Kirby Winmalee (63km west of Sydney)
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