Birdline NSW Weekly Update

Birdline NSW

Published sightings for the week ending 10 Apr 2011.

Sun 10 Apr	Hooded Plovers Racecourse Beach Ulladulla 7 Hooded Plovers , 7 Sooty Oystercatchers and 6 Double-Banded Plovers were seen at Racecourse Beach. With the cooler weather the Hoodies are back again on the rock platform near the car park . This is a bit of a hot spot for them in the winter months. Bob Rusk
Sat 9 Apr	Red-capped Robin Agnes Banks (western Sydney) As we dove along Castleregah Rd heading towards Springwood Rd at Agnes Banks, we spotted a Common Ringtail on the power lines (what an unusual place to roost during the day!) and as I drove slightly past, Mark asked me to turn back to take a photo of the ringtail. I turned the car around soon after, and as I did Mark then sighted a male Red-capped Robin on the fence in front of a large property with a Zebra Finch. We got out and walked to the bird on the fence getting very good close views within a metre or two from the bird and for quite some time to get excellent pics (see attached). I suspect this bird was on the move. It is still good to see that these spectacular birds are still gracing the western outskirts of Sydney! Edwin Vella and Mark Fuller
	Scarlet Robins Londonderry (western Sydney) We saw a small group of Scarlet Robins (consisting of 2 adult pairs and another one or two birds) at the corner of Nutt Rd and Smeeton Rd (west of Nutt Rd). I am not sure if these birds were here during the summer (yes there has been a few summer reports) or have moved down from the mountains for the winter. Edwin Vella and Mark Fuller
	White-throated Needletail Bundanoon 4 birds were flying over home late morning. I was somewhat surprised to see the birds. Other notable species around home the same day were: Rainbow Lorikeet (an unusual visitor to the Southern Highlands esp. Bundanoon), Wonga Pigeon, many migrating Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, Grey Fantail, Satin Bowerbird, Tawny Frogmouth & Little Raven. Lorne Johnson
	Great Shearwater, South Polar Skua, White-tailed Tropicbird, (possible) Soft-plumaged Petrel Sydney pelagic Link to Raja's photos attached. No comment needed on the Great Shearwater. The White-tailed Tropicbird was an immature bird. The South Polar Skua looks actually quite good for an intermediate morph South Polar Skua - even at the pale end of the intermediate morph. The petrel, however, is not an easy one. I think that I was the second person who got on the bird after Tom called it, and my immediate impression was "mid-sized Pterodroma shape" and "Hutton's Shearwater plumage". I.e. Dark upperparts including head (or at least cap), white underparts, and mostly dark-looking underwings, which in certain angles showed some white flash. This white flash did not appear like the white primary bases in a Providence petrel and was definitely not as extensive as in a White-necked Petrel or most Cookilarias (neither White-necked Petrel nor Cookilarias fit the overall impression anyway). Therefore, I was thinking "pale or intermediate morph Soft-plumaged Petrel". per Nikolas Haass
	Beautiful Firetail Uloola Trail, Royal NP A single Beautiful Firetail a few km along the Uloola Trail from Waterfall station. Tony Keene
	Great Shearwater, South Polar Skua, White-tailed Tropicbird, (possible) Soft-plumaged Petrel Sydney Pelagic This is just a brief note to record that a Great Shearwater was seen from the Halicat during today's Sydney pelagic trip. The bird appeared at 12.45pm about 28NM ESE of Sydney Heads (S33deg 59.978' E151deg 44.904') and settled close the boat feeding on our berley at distances down to about 2 metres - it remained close to the boat for more than 30 minutes. Other notable sightings were a South Polar Skua, White-tailed Tropicbird and a possible Soft-plumaged Petrel (awaiting examination of photographs). Frustrating distant views of what were thought to be White-headed Petrel and Buller's Shearwater all added to a remarkable day on the water. Per Roger McGovern
Fri 8 Apr	Buff-banded Rail Trumper Park, Paddington, Sydney A family of three Buff-banded Rail, 2 adults one juvenile, in a very small pond 10m by 20m in Trumper Park. Unusual and good to see in a small inner city park pond recently reclaimed and cleared by locals. Also 10 Pacific Black Ducks, 4 tennis balls and a beer bottle! Chris and Jane Gregory
	Double-banded Plover Dee Why Oval I had a quick look today and was surprised to see 2 Double-banded Plovers feeding on the Oval. Unfortunately the resident Masked Lapwings chased them off. They didn't return while I was there Christina Port
	Spangled Drongo Comleroy Road at Blaxland Ridge A single Spangled Drongo hunting from the telphone wires on Comleroy Road near the junction with Blaxland Ridge Road. Early arrival to the Sydney Basin (Moderators Note; Actually there have been quite a few earlier arrivals!). Roger McGovern
	Powerful Owl Plumpton Park, Western Sydney I was happy to see the Restless Flycatcher was still in my local area this morning, but the best was saved for last when the Noisy Miners alerted me to a Powerful Owl, roosting at Plumpton Park. I managed to relocate the owl when I returned 45 minutes later after sprinting home to fetch my camera. Mark and Ben Fuller
	Eastern Osprey Botany Bay, Sydney Seen hunting over water just south of the main airport runway, this is my first sighting of an Osprey in more than a decade of observing in this area. Nigel Coghlan
Thu 7 Apr	White-throated Nightjar Tahlee (Port Stephens) At least 6 White-throated Nightjars flying over a paddock just north of the road between Carrington and Tahlee. There could have been others but had to time to check. Mick Roderick and Win Filewood
	White-browed Wood swallow, Crested Shrike-tit, Pacific Baza Nurragingy Reserve, Doonside, Blacktown A big flock of woodswallows (~200 birds) appeared in the reserve. It consisted mostly of Dusky Woodswallows with some (~20 birds) White-browed Woodswallows. Crested Shrike-tits were also common (at least 12 birds counted). One Pacific Baza and resident Brown Goshawk were annoying other birds in the reserve. Ted Wnorowski
	Caspian Tern Dee Why Beach One bird flying towards Long Reef around 9am this morning. Maybe the same birds at Long Reef a few days ago. Henry Coleman
Wed 6 Apr	Bush stone-curlew Brisbane Water foreshore, Gosford The Gosford Friends of the Bush Stone-curlew, organised the twice annual census night on 6/4/2011, which includes playback calling from both on land and in boats at strategic points around Brisbane water. Bush Stone-curlews responded from 4 sites, viz Saratoga wetlands, Empire Bay, Lintern St Wharf area of Davistown & Bensville. The resident pairs at St Huberts island, Umina HS and La Salle Camp, Kincumber were not heard to call, although the Umina HS pair have been seen very recently. The Friends Group welcomes new Volunteers to assit with their surveys. Alan Morris
	White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Painted Button-quail & Topknot Pigeon Jilliby, north-west of Wyong In the Dickson Road Reserve, a Spotted Gum/Ironbark reserve managed by Wyong Council, I found a pair of White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikes feeding with a flock of 7 Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes. One was a dark morph while the other had a partly dark head and throat and was heavily barred on the upper breast. Also present was a Painted Button-quail. A flock of 14 Topknot Pigeons was seen nearby and later that afternoon, another flock of 5 Topknot Pigeons at Pickettes Valley near Avoca Beach. White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikes are raely eported in the Central Coast Region Alan Morris
	Restless Flycatcher Oakhurst, Western Sydney Already on my backyard list, it's always a pleasure to see and hear this bird when it turns up in the area (about once or twice a year). This one was successfully hawking for insects, eventually chased off by the local Willie Wagtails. Mark Fuller
	Australian Painted Snipe North of Wanganella area, Deniliquin district A pair of Australian Painted Snipe seen at a swamp to the north of Wanganella. Philip Maher
	Superb Fruit-Dove Belrose An immature bird found at a bus stop near Wyatt Avenue. One of several birds seen recently, does this mean a new colonization for Sydney? (Moderator: Probably not. Juvenile birds in April May are not particularly unusual & are thought to be passing through to South Coast NSW. ) Lachlan Ruser (reported by Nathan Ruser)
Tue 5 Apr	Juvenile Rufous Fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons rufifrons) Mitchell Street, Glebe, NSW Spotted in my city backyard garden (which is quite dense with plant material), during the afternoon. The solitary bird was present for a few hours feeding on flying insects mainly under tree canopy and occasionally over the open vegetable garden area. It was not particularly bothered by my presence and at one point followed an insect into my back door and entered the kitchen. It chased the insect into the kitchen and then tried to exit through a window which I had to open for it. Not perturbed, it carried on feeding out in the garden. Ged Quinn
	Topknot Pigeon Cameron St, Wauchope, NSW A flock of 60 plus birds overhead. Clive Meadows & Louise Earnshaw
	Osprey Newcastle Beach Juvenille perching on lampost. Same individual then observed 1 hr later soaring over cliffs at southern end of beach. Eugene
	Wandering Albatross, White-capped Albatross and Great-winged Petrel Mistral Point, Maroubra A fresh plumaged juv. Wandering Albatross was the highlight this morning, also seen 2 Shy, 1 Yellow-nosed and 20 Black-browed Albatross. Also noted : over 100 Short-tailed Shearwater, a few Wedgies and Fluttering Shearwaters, 80+ Australasian Gannets, 2 Great-winged Petrels and an Arctic Jaeger. No sign of any large Atlantic Puffinus species. David Mitford and Ray Gobbe
	Glossy Black-Cockatoo Woronora Dam 10' Cell One sitting in a tree along Heathcote Road a few kilometres north of New Illawarra road. Anthony Katon
Mon 4 Apr	Wandering Tattler Long Reef, Sydney 1 Wandering Tattler still at Long Reef. A very windy day and most birds at the NE platform. 3 Ruddy Turnsones colouring up as were a few Pacific Golden Plovers and Grey-tailed Tattlers, Thought it worth reporting as March is usual "use by date" for WT's before migration. Interested to see how long it hangs around. Chris and Jane Gregory
	Painted Honeyeater East of Deniliquin, Southern Riverina Two very late arriving Painted Honeyeaters were observed today (one, if not both, was an immature). These are the first Painted Honeyeaters seen this season in the district. Philip Maher
	Square-tailed Kite Wyong Town Centre Three Square-tailed Kite's flying / circling above the town centre. Two appeared to be flying a courtship display third one just hanging around. Maybe Adults and juvenile - not sure. Paul Shelley
Sat 2 Apr	Wilson's Storm Petrel 19k off Nambucca Heads 1 bird seen close to the boat ahead of a very dark southerly storm. Peter Mackey
Thu 31 Mar	Black-necked Stork Lake Arragan, Broom's Head NSW A pair of Stork's waddling on the Eastern side of lake at noon. (Moderators Note: Recent studies have shown that there are approx 75 pairs of Black-necked Syorks in NSW, with a total population of c.200 birds, that breed from the Queensland border south to Bulahdelah. As the Clarence Region has the greatest concentration of Black-necked Storks in NSW, a pair of Storks at Brooms Head is not really that unsual, whereas observations south of Bulahdelah and west of the Great Dividing Range are worth reporting-AKM). Geoffery Douglas Killip

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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