Birdline NSW
Published sightings for the week ending 21 Feb 2010.
Sun 21 Feb Black Shouldered Kite Bobbin Head Road, Turramurra
Pair of birds flew over quite high up approx 4:30pm. Came from NE and
circled off to SW. Seemed to be mixed in with a large flock of swifts,
but there was no interaction noted between the birds. Held wings in
strong dihedral like a tiny Sea Eagle.
Tom Wilson
Square-tailed Kite, Rainbow Bee-eaters (30), Collared
Sparrowhawk Riverstone (approx. 10km NW of Blacktown CBD)
In bushland off O'Connell St in Riverstone, I was delighted to be able
to watch an adult Sqaure-tailed Kite perched in a eucalypt for the whole
time I was there (about an hour). It did not care of my close presence
and it even preened for a few moments. Even more surprising was a flock
of about 30 Rainbow Bee-eaters with several landing in and feeding on
insects (presumably dragon flies) around the canopy of the flowering
Grey boxes for most of the time I was there. I have never seen
Bee-eaters before within the Blacktown area. Most were Immature birds.
With numerous Grey box in flower, there were many honeyeaters about
(Brown-headed, Yellow-faced and Scarlet Honeyeaters in particular) and
both Musk and Rainbow Lorikeets were very numerous. Also there was a
Collared Sparrowhawk or two chasing Rainbow Lorikeets at Knudsen Reserve
in Riverstone and Little Lorikeets heard at Schofields (along Kensington
Park Rd)
Edwin Vella
Sat 20 Feb Powerful Owl Bundanoon (Morton National Park)
I lead a spotlighting expedition (in ideal conditions - still, warm and
dry, with minimal moonlight) to Morton National Park for Southern
Highboca tonight. After two hours of imitations and fruitless searching,
I (with the help of another local birder with great hearing) finally
unearthed a pair of Powerful Owls near the Erith Coal Mine Track. This
was a tick for most of the sixteen people present - people had
tremendous views. Another Powerful Owl was heard faintly in the valley
beyond Sunrise Point, where a single Australian Owlet-nightjar was also
heard. Unfortunately, no Sooty Owls were seen or heard. Oddly, there
were no Boobooks Owls calling either.
Lorne Johnson
Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, Painted Button-quail, Southern
Emu-wren 7km E of Lithgow, 19km E of Lithgow, Walls Lookout at Pierces
Pass, Bells Line of Road, Blue Mtns
2 Chestnut-rumped Heathwrens were recorded 7km E of Lithgow at 6:30am
this morning - one seen singing & the other heard nearby (both were
singing abbreviated songs, which contributed to a pretty dismal
morning-chorus of other birds!). Heading E along Bells Line of Road, 1
Painted Buttoin-quail crossed the bitumen right in front of me 19km E of
Lithgow at 8am, leaving its mate behind in safety on the other side of
the road. I parked & approached the bird yet to cross & it hid in the
grass alongside the road (see very rough pic attached). When
hard-pressed, it then flew up over the sandstone cutting & away. They
would have been having a morning drink at the water I noticed between
the road-cutting & the roadside - luckily no vehicles collected them!!
(This spot is usually very reliable for me for Spotted Quail-thrush, but
not today). Further E at The Walls Lookout near Pierces Pass, the only
birds observed of note today were a small party of 5 Southern Emu-wrens,
with a few Rockwarblers spotted on the rock outcrop just back from the
Pierces Pass carpark.
Martin Cachard
Grey Goshawk, Black Bittern Newman Rd and Midden Valley Rd,
Glenorie
A single Black Bittern was seen briefly stalking along the edge of the
creek next to Newman Rd and a Grey Goshawk was observed on a bare branch
and was then chased by three Aust Magpies. Not much else around - Rufous
Fantail, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, White-throated Needletail.
Max Breckenridge & CBOC members
Grey Goshawk St Marys, Sydney
Two immature birds, one Grey Goshawk together with a Brown Goshawk, both
showing great interest in Gary's aviary! They flew off in different
directions.
Gary Last (per Barrie Ayres)
Fri 19 Feb Glossy Black-Cockatoo Scotchman's Creek crossing,
Wiseman's Ferry Rd, Spencer
At 6:15pm this evening 5 GBC flew across the road at this creek crossing
north of the hamlet of Spencer, just before it's confluence with the
Hawkesbury River - all birds appeared to be adults (2 male & 3 female).
Martin Cachard
Black Bittern Douglas Park
A single bird was flying west over the M5 tollway at Douglas Park (about
1km south of the Nepean River bridge) this morning at 7am.
lorne Johnson
Possible Eurasian Curlew Stockton Sandspit, Newcastle
There is a report of a Eurasian Curlew on Stockton Sandspit.
Phil Hansbro
Tue 16 Feb Streaked Shearwater, Long-tailed Jaeger Mistral Point,
Maroubra
A distant Streaked Shearwater was seen this evening and also 5
Long-tailed Jaeger (rare this year) were settled on the water and
occasionally flying for short periods before landing again (which is
typical behaviour).
David Mitford and Bas Hensen
Bush Stone-Curlew Horseshoe Beach, Newcastle
A single BSC was discovered by Richard Nicholas this morning at
Horseshoe Beach (inside the harbour at Nobby's Beach), Newcastle. This
is an extremely popular leash-free beach and the bird showed no fear to
dogs on leashes so it was decided to capture the bird and it will be
released tomorrow morning at Port Stephens safe from dogs and in the
vicinity of friends. It is possible that this is a young bird that has
dispersed from a breeding pair on the Central Coast. Photo by Lucas
Grenadier.
Richard Nicholas per Mick Roderick
Buller's Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Pomarine & Arctic Jaegers
Mistral Point, Maroubra
Seen during a 1.5 hour sea-watch this morning, 1 Bullers and at least 2
Sooty Shearwaters in amongst the usual suspects (Wedgies, Fleshies,
Flutterers).
Troy Mutton
Mon 15 Feb Spangled Drongo Wahroonga
At 5.50pm a Spangled Drongo was being harassed by Noisy Miners and a
Dollarbird high up in Black-butts over my house at Campbell Drive
Wahroonga, near Browns Field. First time I've observed Drongo's here.
Nick Billington
Spangled Drongo Lane Cove, Sydney
Single bird seen in the main street.
Stephen Mannix
Sun 14 Feb Black Bittern, Black-necked Stork, Jacana Port
Macaquarie & Wauchope
At 7.30 am a Black Bittern was flushed from a drain along side Fernbank
Creek Rd, near the Fernbank Creek bridge, c 12 km W of Port Macquarie on
the northern side of Hastings River Drive (no sign of the Bolgas repoted
from that general area last week!). At 2.30 pm at Kings Rd Swamp,
Wauchope, there was both a male Black-necked Stork and a pair of
Comb-crested Jacana
Alan Morris
Sat 13 Feb Laughing Gull Lord Howe Island
After looking all week, the imm. Laughing Gull was at last sighted &
photographed on North Beach at low tide. It was in company with Godwits,
Ruddy Turnstones & P. Golden Plovers.
Brian & Meg Johnson
Common Noddy, Sooty Tern, White-necked Petrel, Buller's
Shearwater Sydney Pelagic Trip
The highlights of Saturday's Sydney pelagic trip were a Common Noddy, an
amazing 20 Sooty Terns, a White-necked Petrel, a Buller's Shearwater and
a White-winged Black Tern.
Roger McGovern
Fri 12 Feb Tawny Frogmouth Backyard Phillip St, Balmain, Sydney
Seen resting on a Fiddlewood Tree on a very hot day. There is a family
that has been breeding in the area over the last few years.
Kerry Allen
Birdline NSW is sponsored by Birding NSW <http://www.birdingnsw.org.au/>
, Birds Australia - Southern NSW & ACT
<http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/basna> and Cumberland Bird Observers
Club <http://www.cboc.org.au/> and co-ordinated and hosted by Eremaea
Birds <http://www.eremaea.com> .
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