Birdline NSW Weekly Update

Birdline NSW

Published sightings for the week ending 24 Oct 2010.

Fri 22 Oct	Lewin's Rail, Spotless Crake, Chestnut-breasted Mannikin Penrith Swamp I have been visiting one particular site here for a few weeks and it never fails to produce both crake species (by call only). The reeds are very high and there is no chance to view. Also a lot of finches present, building nests etc. I have now been able to find two Chestnut-breasted Mannikin nests, a Red-browed Finch nest and the nests of many other bush birds, including Dusky Woodswallows and two Sacred Kingfisher nests. The Brown Goshawks nesting straight over the public walkway seem to have annihilated one nest of a Dusky Woodswallow and a White-plumed Honeyeater. The White-bellied Cuckoo Shrikes are still present but I have as yet not been able to find their nest site. Ákos Lumnitzer
Thu 21 Oct	Musk Duck, Pacific Golden Plover Penrith Lakes While undertaking an official survey for Australian Painted Snipe at the quarry site (off limits to the public) yesterday, we came across a number of interesting observations. On the western side of the quarry in a large swamp we observed a male Musk Duck doing his foot flaps as well as calling from behind the vegetation once he shied away. A bit further along behind the swamp there were a number of small ponds where there were two Black-winged Stilts, but more interestingly a Golden Plover in mid-moult. It is rather difficult to ascertain whether it is an American or Pacific Golden Plover and I am still hopeful that some of the shorebird experts will verify the species. Besides these swamp wonders, we had a great selection of raptors including two Swamp Harriers, one Brown Goshawk, two Whistling Kites, two Australian Kestrels, two Black-shouldered Kites, a Collared Sparrowhawk, a White-bellied Sea Eagle with a waterbird in its talons (most likely a Coot or Moorhen) and an Australian Hobby with a rather large bird in its grips. All in all it was a fabulous survey. Ákos Lumnitzer
Tue 19 Oct	Black-faced Monarch Washington Ave, Cromer An adult Black-faced Monarch seen in a tiny patch of bush linking the two halves of Washington Ave in Cromer Natalie Wood
Mon 18 Oct	Brown Falcon Penrith Lakes Development Corporation quarry site I was out visiting the site on Monday prior to undertaking an Australian Painted Snipe survey and while driving around noted three Brown Falcons. It is not far from the very spot here where I have observed my first ever Brown Falcon mid last year. Ákos Lumnitzer
	Rufous Fantail, Black-faced Monarch Greenwich A rather wan Rufous Fantail was feeding near Gore Creek yesterday morning; also a Black-faced Monarch. Ted Nixon
	Little Tern Boat Harbour, Kurnell Two Little Terns (in breeding plumage) seen at Boat Harbour roosting among the many Crested Terns, Stints, Golden Plover and Turnstone. Iain Blake
Sun 17 Oct	Beautiful Firetail Wollangambe Crater, Blue Mtns NP On Sunday (17th) I saw a Beautiful Firetail on a scrubby ridge not far from the Wollangambe Crater (Blue Mtns NP). Ted Nixon
	Cicadabird Glendenning Female Cicadabird seen at Western Sydney Parklands, Glendenning, seen in the same area as a Rufous Fantail the day before. Ironically, it is the edge of an area recently levelled for power lines. Mark Fuller
	Brush Cuckoo, Little Lorikeets Yarramundi area Yarramundi appears excellent for birds at the moment. There was quite a number of cuckoos - Brush and Fan-tailed, Shining and Horsfield's Bronze, Channel-billed and Koel. Other interesting birds found included one of the resident adult White-bellied Sea-eagles, several Bar-shouldered and Peaceful Doves, Common Bronzewing, Brown Quail, Azure and Sacred Kingfishers (3 pairs along the 1 km stretch of the eastern trail), lots of Varied Sitellas, Rainbow Bee-eaters, lots of Scarlet Honeyeaters, Mistletoebirds etc. Along River Road at Yarramundi (above the river and a little further down from Shaws Creek), I also saw several Satin Bowerbirds and found one male with its bower partly concealed in the lantana, a Tawny Frogmouth roosting in a eucalypt, lots of Little Lorikeets in the forest red gums and heard another Brush Cuckoo. Edwin Vella
	Black-chinned Honeyeater Railway Tunnel, 4 km E of Wollar on Sandy Hollow Road A trio of Black-chinned Honeyeaters were feeding in some flowering White Box at this known Regent Honeyeater site, although none of the latter birds were seen today. Alan Morris
	Apostlebird, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Crested Shrike-tit Nurragingy Reserve Doonside Big suprise for me. Three Apostlebirds were feeding under the casuarina tree near the Ibis picnic area at Nurragingy Reserve (where did they come from?). Six very noisy Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo were also there. On the way out (creek near Knox Rd) I found a Crested Shrike-tit. Ted Wnorowski
	Buller's Shearwater Coogee 1 Buller's Shearwater feeding together with Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (>100) (schools of larger fish chasing smaller fish and the Shearwaters taking the leftovers). About 50 Short-tailed, ca 20 Fluttering Shearwaters and 4 Kelp Gulls resting on Wedding Cake Island were also seen. Michael Tobler
	Rufous Whistler and Spangled Drongo Eastlakes Golf Course My first ever record of a singing Rufous Whistler (plus a female) at this location today, also noted were Spotless Crakes calling from at least 3 different places, a Sacred Kingfisher, a Buff-banded Rail, 3 Lathams Snipe and a Spangled Drongo, but still no Sharpies yet. David Mitford
Sat 16 Oct	Wandering Whistling Duck Just south of Holbrook NSW eastern side of the Hume Hwy. 12 Wandering Whistling Ducks were sitting on a grassy shallow bank next to a flooded grassy paddock. This was at the time of very heavy flooding in the Riverina area. Carla Jackett
Wed 13 Oct	Bourke's Parrot, Brown Quail, Ground Cuckoo-shrike Packsaddle Plains near roadhouse (Silver City Hwy) Peter Waanders

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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