Birdline NSW
Published sightings for the week ending 22 Aug 2010.
Sun 22 Aug Spotted Harrier, Little Raven Conrwallis Rd, Windsor
(approx. 55km NW of Sydney CBD)
After visiting some relatives in the Hawkesbury, I decided to pay a
short visit to the Windsor turf farms on my way home. I was delighted to
see a 2nd year Spotted Harrier flying low across Cornwallis Rd. The
grass is quite long here and there was also a few Black-shouldered Kites
and a Brown Goshawk hunting in the area. I also heard here at least one
Little Raven.
Edwin Vella
Buff-banded Rail, Tawny Frogmouth, Royal Spoonbill Centennial
Park, inner Sydney
Single Buff-banded Rail feeding in drainage ditch leading into
Kensington Ponds near childrens bike track. Tawny Frogmouths have begun
nesting on edge of Lachlan Swamp. Also single Royal Spoonbill, many
Fairy and a few Tree Martins, 2 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo.
Eric Finley
Sat 21 Aug Regent Honeyeater Windsor Downs NR
About 8 Regent Honeyeaters seen in or near flowering ironbarks on Mr.
Corbins Track about 200-300 m. north of Sanctuary Road. They were chased
off by Red Wattlebirds and Noisy Friarbirds and could not be re-located.
Nathan Bligh per Colin Scouler.
Fri 20 Aug White-bellied Sea-Eagle Ulladulla Head. Ulladulla
The WB Sea-Eagle has again caught a Little Penguin this afternoon, the
second I've seen caught this week. The nearest known penguin rookery is
Brush Island, about 20 klm south at Bawley Point so unless there's
another unknown one locally they must travel a fair distance to feeding
grounds. I've been calling this spot by its local name of Warden Head
when it actually should be Ulladulla Head. A friend took some photos so
I'll pass them on should I receive them. (Moderators Note: Little
Penguins are present all away along the coast north to about South West
Rocks. HANZAB says foraging range of breeding birds is up to 20 km but
some Penguins stay away for up to 2-3 days and so may travel more, and
then there is all the non-breeding birds! AKM).
Bob Rusk
Square-tailed Kite, Australian Owlet-nightjar Shanes Park (off
Captain Cook Drive) (near Blacktown)
At Shanes Park this morning we watched an adult Square-tailed Kite being
mobbed by Ravens. The Owlet-nightjar also showed well in its hollow so
did a White-throated Gerygone and there were a numbers of cuckoos with
at least 3 Shining Bronze-cuckoo displaying.
Edwin Vella et al
Powerful Owl Botanic Gardens, Sydney CBD
A Powerful Owl was roosting in the canopy of a syzygium tree in the
Rainforest Walk of the Botanic Gardens this afternoon.
Bruce Roubin
Australian Brush Turkey Frenches Forest
The Brush Turkey's are moving more and more south with the grown up
version of the young Brush-Turkey that was living with some chickens
last year, becoming a new bird for my Backyard list!
Nathan Ruser
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Homebush Bay
The Sharpies have landed! I was told that Judy Harrington had spotted
one at the Waterbird Refuge on Wednesday afternoon - it was still there
this morning (just one) at the northern end of the refuge.
Robert Griffin
White-winged Chough Londonderry
This is a nest on Nimmitta, a private property. The chicks could be
about one to two weeks old at most judging by size and lack of feathers.
The group was very busy feeding them this morning with a steady traffic
of adults flying to and fro with prey items such as worms, caterpillars
and even garden skinks. This nest is about 500m south from Edwin's
yesterday.
Ákos Lumnitzer
Thu 19 Aug Swift Parrot richmond
One was hit by a car. had a broken wing and lost alot of blood. died
soon after (Moderators Note: Unfortunately Swift Parrots are often hit
by motor vehicles. When feeding low in a tree they have a habit of
taking off by flying in a downwards swoop and the gaining height, so
colliding with cars, tennis court fences and similar structures! AKM).
Mitchell Bentley
Australasian Figbird Manly Selective Campus, North Curl Curl
Accompanying the arrival of what felt like the first day of spring, the
Figbirds that were in feeding in and around the school last year have
returned. (A large group have spent the winter around Graythwaite in
North Sydney - Moderator)
Henry Coleman
Red-capped Robin Lomdonderry
Early this morning I was able to find at least one male Red-capped Robin
near the junction of Smeeton and Taylor Roads at Londonderry (many
thanks Akos for the directions). It's good that a few RCR's are still
keeping hold in Sydney at a few places. Also present were a few Little
Lorikeets, Brown-headed Honeyeaters, a few Peaceful Doves, Double-barred
Finches as well as a group of White-winged Choughs and their nest.
Edwin Vella
Wed 18 Aug Grey Goshawk Lyndale Avenue, Port Macquarie
A white phase Grey Goshawk has moved into the neighbourhood while I"ve
been away
Tim Morris
Tue 17 Aug Crested Shrike-tit Penrith Baseball Fields
This morning while walking my dogs along the NW field beside the vacated
industrial lot, I observed a male and female Crested Shrike-tit in the
casuarinas alongside. They gave very good views. Other noteable species
were Chestnut-breasted Mannikins (~15), , Dusky Woodswallow (1),
Striated Pardalotes (calling most mornings in area), Brown Goshawk and
an Australian Hobby.
Ákos Lumnitzer
White-Bellied Seaeagle Warden head Ulladulla
A WB Seaeagle landed on the reef off Warden Head and began dining on a
Little Penguin. Another L Penguin was seen behind the reef swimming
around in the same area. This is the second time I've witnessed WBS
eagles with L.Penguins as prey,and exactly the same as in the first
instance, a fishing boat arrived from nowhere and dropped anchor and
scared the bird with its prey away. Things are going well with the
Ospreys nest with one in attendance at all times.
Bob Rusk
White-plumed Honeyeater Curl Curl Lagoon
1 White-plumed Honeyeater in a Casurina tree next to Greendale Creek,
20m along the walking track off Harboard Road
Joshua Bergmark
Mon 16 Aug Varied Triller Beach access, Harrington
A pair of Varied Trillers were present on the pedestrian beach access
track along with a female Regent Bowerbird and a pair of Crested Shrike
Tits
Tim Morris
Grey Currawong International Regatta Centre. Penrith
One bird seen briefly near the toilet block on the southern bank
opposite the finishing line of the rowing course. GCs are rare vagrants
to the lower Blue Mountains from higher altitudes in winter, but very
few reach the plains.
Colin Scouler
Sun 15 Aug Brown Skua 2 km off Coffs Harbour
Single Brown Skua seen, with another, possibly same bird, seen ~30 min
later during commercial whale-watching trip off Coffs. Also ~10
Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, 5 or so Fluttering-type, and only ~20
Australasian Gannets (compared with hundreds off some beaches in recent
weeks).
Peter Higgins
Little Raven, Yellow-throated Scrubwren, Wedge-tailed Eagle
Kurrajong Hills nw of Sydney
A high-flying flock of at least 32 Little Ravens passed over several
times on Sunday morning. This is less than 10 kms from recently reported
sighting at Richmond Lowlands but is my first local record.
Yellow-throated Scrubwrens nesting in an unusually exposed location in a
black wattle on cleared land adjacent to lantana-infested rainforest
remnants. Also a juvenile plumaged Wedge-tailed Eagle, and 5 Brown
Cuckoo-doves which recently have taken to scavenging leftover dog food
on our verandah.
Eric Finley
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater Wauchope
The single Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater I reported here a few months ago is
still here. It seems to be hanging around a Little Wattlebird! Today it
was doing some mimicry, and lo and behold it was mostly the Little
Wattlebird it was imitating. I wonder if this has ever been reported
before?
Matt Hinze
Grey Goshwaks, Australian Owlet-nighjar Shanes Park (off Captain
Cook Drive near Blacktown)
The Owlet-nightjar had its head already outside the hollow when we found
the tree we had seen it yesterday. Also while we were looking at the
Owlet-nightjar, 2 Grey Goshawks were displaying again overhead so it
looks like that they may be nesting in the area soon! Also there were
quite a number of Olive-backed Orioles (at least 6 birds) and
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes (15 plus), a Brown Goshawk, a Common
Bronzewing and at least 2 Speckled Warblers. Lots of small birds about
as like the previous visits but again no Western Gerygone. I attached a
poor quality photo of the displaying Grey Goshawks.
Edwin Vella, David Mitford & Mark Fuller
Noisy Pitta Ourimbah State Forest
One Noisy Pitta calling at dusk in Ourimbah SF.
Alan McBride
Sat 14 Aug Black-faced Monarch, White-browed Babbler Inverell
White-browed Babbler, a first sighting for me at Copeton Dam Inverell. A
small group of approximately 15 birds. Also, a mate showed me an image
of a Black-faced Monarch that spent a few days living in his garage at
Elsmore back in late February.
Ian Colley
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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