What's the rationale for this count, how does it help knowledge of raptors?
John Leonard
2008/7/27 <>:
>
> The CBOC annual raptor count for 2008 started on a chilly July morning at
> the Scheyville NP headquarters. We all had high expectations and we
> knew Keith Brandwood would find us all the birds we needed. Before everyone
> had arrived we had our first raptor of the day; a NANKEEN KESTREL being
> hassled by some Noisy Miners. The count was on, 10 more to beat the club
> record of 11...
>
> When everyone had arrived we headed off through the sparsley wooded paddocks
> surrounding the HQ. Sadly there weren't many birds about, so not much for
> our raptors to chase at, but on the return some of us got a look at raptor
> number 2. AUSTRALIAN HOBBY.
>
> Onto Maraylya Park for morning tea. While having morning tea we watched Musk
> Lorikeets and Red-rumped Parrots and before we left we ventured over to a
> roadside lagoon. Birds in the lagoon included: Hardhead, Pacific Black Duck,
> Aust. Grebe, Aust. Wood Duck, White-faced Heron and Little Pied Cormorant.
>
> We all hoped that Pitt Town Lagoon would provide us wih some good raptors,
> but we were a little dissapointed. After 2 hours at Pitt Town, we got on to:
> Great Egret, White-necked Heron, Black Swan, Purple Swamphen, an
> overwintering Rufous Whistler, Hoary-headed Grebe, Golden Whistler, Grey
> Shrike-Thrush, Golden-headed Cisticola, Little Grassbird and Aust. Shoveler.
> After Pitt Town Lagoon our raptor count was at 5. We had added: SWAMP
> HARRIER, BROWN GOSHAWK and a distant BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE.
>
> We stopped at Wiberforce Park for a toilet-break and we were happily
> entertained by a group of small birds consisting of: Striated Thornbill,
> Yellow Thornbill, Striated and Spotted Pardalote, Weebill, Varied Sittela,
> and another pair of overwintering Rufous Whistlers.
>
> Next stop - Bushells Lagoon. The raptors really started coming now, with
> 3 WHISTLING KITES, (3rd year) WHITE-BELLIED SEA EAGLE with a fish and BROWN
> FALCON all easily found. Other birds around and on the lagoon included:
> Darter, Intermediate Egret, Pelican, Black-fronted Dotterel, Tree Martin,
> Zebra Finch, Goldfinch and Aust. Pipit. On the way back we found:
> Yellow-rumped Thornbills, Little Wattlebird and White-plumed HE.
>
> We stopped for lunch at Freemans Reach where we had great views over
> Richmond. Lunch was pretty uneventful until we spotted a LITTLE EAGLE in a
> nearby paddock and then an adult WHITE-BELLED SEA EAGLE, but the call of
> 'Grey Goshawk' really got everyone running! Eventually after scanning the
> casurinas on the riverbank for about 10min it showed itself, but infact it
> was actually confirmed to be a COLLARED SPARROWHAWK. Oh well, maybe not a
> Grey Goshawk, but it still bumped the raptor count up to 10. After everyone
> had a good luck at an obliging Fan-tailed Cuckoo, we were just about ready
> to head off, but we still needed one more raptor to equal the record and the
> highlight of the day awnsered the call! While everyone was still searching
> for the Collared Sparrowhawk a beautiful, adult SPOTTED HARRIER lazily
> cruised up along the bank and began to circle right below us! Everyone got
> great views and many of us added it to our life or year lists.
>
> We arrived at the corner of Triangle Lane and Powells Lane and as soon as we
> had stepped out of the car an (imm) WHITE-BELLIED SEA EAGLE flew over,
> putting all the Aust. Wood Ducks and Masked Lapwings into the air. Whilst
> there we saw 3 BLACK-SHOULDERED KITES and some Straw-necked Ibis.
>
> On the way to our last stop - Bakers Lagoon. We saw a Yellow-billed
> Spoonbill in a roadside dam and some more NANKEEN KESTRELS. At Bakers Lagoon
> we saw a couple of SWAMP HARRIER, BROWN FALCON and a flock of Double-bar
> Finches.
>
> At the end of the CBOC Annual Raptor Count 2008 we had amassed a list of
> over 90 birds and seen 11 species of raptor, a new club record! We also had
> a great day out in the Hawkesbury in the company of some great birders and
> Keith Brandwood, our leader for the day.
>
> Thank you Keith.
>
> Max.
> Sydney...
>
>
>
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--
John Leonard
Canberra
Australia
www.jleonard.net
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