Tweed Heads trip report

[Nicholas Talbot <>]

Hi,
I spent just over a week (19/12/08 – 28/12/08) in the Tweed Heads area of 
Northern New South Wales. I ended up seeing about 100 species. Most of the 
sites I visited are from ‘Birds of the Tweed Valley” pamphlet produced by the 
Tweed Bird Observers. The pamphlet is available at 
http://www.bigvolcano.com.au/custom/birdos/media/brochure/BirdBrchrF.pdf
I also went to the Griffiths Nature Reserve just over the QLD border. I think 
the reserve is managed by Bush Heritage.

There was a lot of breeding activity including Wandering Whistling Ducks with 
12 ducklings near Banora Green. Pizzey says the clutch size for this species is 
6-8 so I’d be interested in any ideas on how such a large clutch could occur. 
There were 8 adults at the pond but only two seemed to be looking after the 
ducklings.

Other species seen either nest building, nesting or displaying include Osprey, 
Black Swan, Dusky Moorhen, Striped Honeyeater, Crested Pigeon, Little Pied 
Cormorant, Darter, White Ibis, Scared Kingfisher and Olive-backed Oriole.

The other birding highlights were regularly seeing Ospreys as well as Dusky 
Honeyeater (Griffiths Nature Reserve QLD), Beach Stone-Curlew (Letitia 
Sandspit. Azure Kingfisher, Magpie Goose, White-Throated Gerygone and Restless 
Flycatcher (Vintage Lakes) Large-billed Scrubwren (Minjungbal Nature Reserve) 
Red-backed Fairywren (Terranora Broadwater) and White-throated Needletails on 
three consecutive days at Banora and Kingscliff.

I've included videos taken of some of the birds (see links beside the names in 
the full list).
All the best,
Nick

Full species list -
Rainbow Bee-eater
Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo 
http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj212/eve_jean_talbot/Nick_birds/?action=view&current=Yellow-tailedBlack-cockatoo.flv
Grey Butcherbird
Pied Butcherbird
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Coot
Little Corella
Pied Cormorant
Little Pied Cormorant
Little Black Cormorant
Pheasant Coucal (heard)
Torresian Crow
Channel-billed Cuckoo - 
http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj212/eve_jean_talbot/Nick_birds/?action=view&current=Channel-billedCuckoo.flv
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Eastern Curlew
Pied Currawong
Darter
Dollarbird
Bar-shouldered Dove
Spotted Dove
Spangled Drongo
Pacific Black Duck
Aust Wood Duck
Cattle Egret
Great Egret
Little Egret
Red-backed Fairywren - 
http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj212/eve_jean_talbot/Nick_birds/?action=view&current=Red-backedFairywren.flv
Superb Fairywren
Variegated Fairywren
Grey Fantail
Figbird
Red-browed Finch
Leaden Flycatcher
Restless Flycatcher - 
http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj212/eve_jean_talbot/Nick_birds/?action=view&current=RestlessFlycatcher.flv
Noisy Friarbird
Tawny Frogmouth
Galah
Mangrove Gerygone (heard)
White-throated Gerygone
Bar-tailed Godwit
Magpie Goose
Aust Grebe
Silver Gull
White-faced Heron
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Brown Honeyeater
Dusky Honeyeater
Lewin’s Honeyeater
Striped Honeyeater - 
http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj212/eve_jean_talbot/Nick_birds/?action=view&current=StripedHoneyeater.flv
White Ibis
Azure Kingfisher
Collared Kingfisher
Sacred Kingfisher
Brahminy Kite
Whistling Kite
Koel
Kookaburra
Masked Lapwing
Magpie Lark
Rainbow Lorikeet
Magpie
Noisy Miner
Mistletoebird
Dusky Moorhen
Common Myna
White-throated Needletail
Olive-backed Oriole - 
http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj212/eve_jean_talbot/Nick_birds/?action=view&current=Olive-backedOriole.flv
Osprey
Pied Oystercatcher
Sooty Oystercatcher
Pelican
Crested Pigeon
Feral Pigeon
Wonga Pigeon
Pacific Golden Plover
Eastern Rosella
Pale-headed Rosella
Large-billed Scrubwren
White-browed Scrubwren
Silvereye
Royal Spoonbill
Starling
Black-winged Stilt
Black Swan
House Sparrow
Collared Sparrowhawk
Red-necked Stint
Beach Stone-curlew - 
http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj212/eve_jean_talbot/Nick_birds/?action=view&current=Beach-stoneCurlew.flv
Welcome Swallow
Crested Tern
Brown Thornbill
Scrub Turkey
Brush Wattlebird
Whimbrel
Willy Wagtail
Eastern Whipbird
Rufous Whistler
Wandering Whistling-Duck White-breasted Woodswallow
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