Birdline NSW Weekly Update

Birdline NSW

Published sightings for the week ending 17 Oct 2010.

Sun 17 Oct	Wedge Tailed Eagle, Leaden Flycatcher Challenger Track, Ku-ring-gai NP Single Wedgie cruising above the track at the Hawkesbury end approx 11am. Leaden Flycatcher in the taller wooded area at the end of track as well. Lots of Rufous Whistlers; several Fantailed Cuckoos calling and 1 Bronze Cuckoo seen, (but flew away before I got a good look so don't know which type). Tom Wilson
Fri 15 Oct	Musk Duck Bundanoon Mid-afternoon, three Musk Ducks were on water to the north of the end of Blue Gum Rd. A male was displaying. Lorne Johnson
	Osprey Long Reef Osprey sighted flying low over the rock platform at Long Reef, into a strong breeze, one dive for fish (unsuccessful) near the beach then off towards Narrabeen lagoon as it was harrassed by some ravens. Also 4 YT Balck Cockatoos upper Lane Cove national park/ Devlins Creek Valley/ Ian Francis
	Eastern Osprey Nepean River Emu Plains A great mornings birding along the river and among the grasslands at Emu Plains today with 49 species seen, however the absolute highlight being the Osprey with it's catch (a Bass I think). The bird was being harassed by Sulphur-crested Cockatoos as it flew to the branches of a dead tree. At first I thought it was an immature Sea-Eagle which I have seen here before but when it landed it's shape was all wrong. I was astonished when I had my binos to my eyes and identified it. Also observed a Hobby, Australian Pipit and Dusky Woodswallow. (See lists) Mark Ley
Thu 14 Oct	Boobook Owl Bundanoon (Morton National Park) Three weeks ago, I moved to Bundanoon. Last night, I drove to Grand Canyon lookout in Morton NP to listen for Sooty Owls in the massive, rugged valley below (where I've heard them before). No luck on Sooties, but I did hear five Boobooks calling from various sections of the scarps and valley. I've never heard so many en masse before. Other decent birds I've recorded over the last three weeks in Bundanoon inc. Australian Owlet-nightjar, Channel-billed, Fan-tailed and Shining Bronze-cuckoo, Common Koel, Black-faced Monarch, Superb Lyrebird (calling on and off), Gang-gang Cockatoo, Wonga Pigeon, Tree Martin and Satin Bowerbird (male often displaying at a bower close to home). Lorne Johnson
	Pacific Baza Garigal NP, East Killara 1 calling loudly while flying over Davidson Park, Garigal NP. Kurtis Lindsay
Tue 12 Oct	Bullers Shearwater, Flesh-footed Shearwater Magic Point, Maroubra 1 Bullers Shearwater, 1 Flesh-footed Shearwater, 3000 Fluttering Shearwater, 1800 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters observed in a huge churning, feeding event. The Bullers was so close it could be picked out with the naked eye. Smaller numbers of Huttons and Short-tailed Sheawaters also seen, along with 2 Black-browed Albatross and a brace of Arctic Jaegers. David Mitford
Mon 11 Oct	Shy Heathwren Cocopara National Park, Griffith 2 seen on a fire trail near Woolshed Camping Grounds, in Cocopara National Park Brendan Sheean
	White-headed Pigeon Heffron Road, Pagewood, Eastern Suburbs. A White-headed Pigeon this morning, whilst driving to work, was quite a shock as it got shunted from one tree to another by the ever alert Noisy Miners. They had probably never seen one in their neighbourhood before, ditto. David Mitford
	Albino Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike "Ingaladdie"Piney Range Grenfell NSW This is a pure white hooded shrike whith a yellow beak. I observed it with several other Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes. Madeleine Griffiths
Sun 10 Oct	Black Petrel, Black-bellied Storm-petrel, Long-tailed Jaeger Approx 24 miles off Port Stephens Amongst 23 species seen outside of the heads on the Port Stephens pelagic on Sunday, the highlights were White-headed Petrel about half way out (see seperate report) and at the shelf 2 Black Petrels (ID based on several features including size and structure), 6 Black-bellied Storm-petrels and 3 Long-tailed Jaegers at the shelf (photo by Allan Richardson). Also present were good numbers of Great-winged (Grey-faced) & Providence Petrels, max 14 Wandering Albatross at any one time, a few White-faced Stormies and Cape Petrels and plenty of Wilson's. Short-tailed Shearwaters & Wilson's Storm-Petrels in full migration. A Little Tern on the way out was a new bird for these trips also and a Cookalaria type Petrel was seen, but could not be posiitvely idenditfied. Mick Roderick + 13 others
	White-headed Petrel Approx 10 miles off Port Stephens A very hungry White-headed Petrel accompanied the Port Stephens pelagic trip well short of the shelf break (approx 10 miles off the heads) yesterday. The bird followed the boat for a good 15 minutes before disappearing, giving all on board prolonged views. Photo by Allan Richardson. Also a couple of Wilson's Storm-Petrels and Wandering Albatross in the vicinity + Short-tailed Shearwaters in their 1000's on migration. Mick Roderick + 13 others
	White throated Nightjar Royal National Park Heard two birds calling and attracted one using playback. The Photo was taken at same location in Jan 2010 Richard Jackson
	Brush Cuckoo Blue Gum Swamp Creek at Winmalee - Blue Mountains, NSW Heard my first Brush Cuckoo for the season at the above location. Edwin Vella and 2 Canadian visitors
	White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikes Riverstone, NSW (near Blacktown) I had a brief look at the WBCS's at Knudsen Reserve in Riverstone. The 2 chicks are growing well (see photo) and were making calls more like the adults. Both parents (light and dark morph birds) were seen taking turns feeding the chicks. I think in a weeks time the chicks may fledge. Edwin Vella and 2 Canadian visitors
	Short-tailed Shearwater Manly Beach Possibly tens of thousands Short-tailed Shearwaters flying south, ranging from ~200 m from the beach out to the horizon. Worked it out as roughly 1,000 birds passing every five or six minutes. (Moderator's Note: And the rest! On a trip out to the shelf yesterday from Port Stephens, over the 45 km we passed through many streams of Short-tails, including out at the Shelf itself! So if you include the ones passed the horizon, there are a lot of Shorties heading south!!) Little Penguins showing really well near the ferry terminal at ~7.40 pm - territorial behaviour as a previous chick was attempting to get into the nest of its parents. Tony Keene
	Leucistic Short-tailed Shearwater Mistral Point, Maroubra A very conservative 27,600 Short-tailed Shearwaters per hour was an incredible spectacle this afternoon, close in due to onshore winds. One bird, however stood out, being basically all white with a few symmetrical blotches making it look like a miniature pale morph Southern Giant Petrel ! Also seen were 7 Black-browed Albatross, 2 Shy Albatross and a Giant Petrel (sp) Only 200m out a Humpbacked Whale and her calf put on a real show, splashing and breaching making the day even more memorable. David Mitford
	Short-tailed Shearwater Coogee Massive Short-tailed Shearwater migration today - a continous band of southward flying Shearwaters (between 3000 and 5000 individuals within 5 min intervals) throughout the day; difficult to estimate total number but likely well over 500'000. Also, smaller numbers of Fluttering/Hutton's Shearwater (approx 500), Wedge-tailed Shearwater (>500), 1 White-headed Petrel, 2 Arctic Jaegers, 1 Black-browed Albatross, 1 Giant Petrel (spp) as well as many unidentified Shearwaters/Petrels. Michael Tobler
Sat 9 Oct	Beach stone-curlew Harrington Beach at low tide in the afternoon Seen again in the same area on the 10th Philip Arthur Rowlings
	Grey Goshawk (white morph) Cornwallis Road, Windsor Good views of a white-morph Grey Goshawk at the Windsor end of Cornwallis Road. Tony Keene and Ed Williams
	Grey Goshawk, Cicadabird, Nankeen Night-heron, Varied Sittella, Leaden Flycatcher Mitchell Park All seen in the park throughout the day - a grey morph Grey Goshawk was being mobbed by Noisy Miners; good views of a calling male Cicadabird, followed by one pair of Leaden Flycatchers and two or three Varied Sittellas near the lagoon. On the river, a juvenile Nankeen Night-heron gave good views. At night there was also a Southern Boobook calling, at least three White-throated Nightjars calling and at least three Bassian Thrushes singing. Tony Keene and Ed Williams

Birdline NSW is sponsored by Birding NSW, Birds Australia - Southern NSW & ACT and Cumberland Bird Observers Club and co-ordinated and hosted by Eremaea Birds.

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