Hi All,
Yesterday, I returned from 2 full days birding at Lake Cargelligo and Round
Hill - Nombinnie Nature Reserve. Birds were fairly plentiful, wheat crops
are doing well, and there is much surface water. Weather was sunny, but
cold. However, on one morning there was a widespread thick fog, which
lasted until 10 am. Blue Bonnet is particularly common in the farm areas,
and eastern ringneck is reasonably common everywhere. Not many raptors.
At Nombinnie, the old wheat paddock and surrounds yielded most of the mallee
birds, notably southern scrub-robin, chestnut-backed quail-thrush, splendid
fairy-wren (breeding), Gilbert's whistler (calling), pied honeyeater, and
grey-fronted honeyeater. A group from Canberra (ANU I believe) that kindly
asked me to join them for a period, additionally saw white-fronted
honeyeater and shy heathwren. Unfortunately, none of us found red-lored
whistler, despite checking out the area near the north-west corner of the
wheat paddock where it had been seen in 2008. I also checked out the area
around the 653 km marker along the railway line, where Neville Lazarus
reported red-lored whistler about a month ago, but found only Gilbert's
whistler. (12 months ago, I would have been ecstatic to find Gilbert's, but
this time it was almost a disappointment.) Western gerygone was common, as
were inland, buff-rumped and chestnut-rumped thornbills. The area around
Whoey Tank yielded great close-up views of mulga parrot, - also crested
bellbird and striped honeyeater.
Lake Cargelligo itself was quiet - the lake is pretty full, and great
crested grebe was the only notable. The STW was even more quiet, with
Australian shelduck and little else of note. The surrounds yielded
red-capped robin and white-winged fairy-wren.
I met up with a NP&WS Ranger, who told me that there are 4 active malleefowl
mounds in Nombinnie, and 8 in Yathong NR, to the west. Didn't see any
malleefowl, though. (Must admit that I assumed malleefowl was extinct in
this part of NSW.)
Best wishes,
Carl Weber
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