Hi Mick, Rob & Joris
Dharug NP is a great site for Glossy Blacks - try Mill Ck camp area (lots of
good casuarina here) or anywhere along Wisemans Ferry Rd anywhere on the north
side of the ferry crossing where it follows the Hawkesbury River - the last
hour before sunset is best when the birds are travelling in small flocks to
their roosting sites. As Mick says, the Watagan Mtns are also good & a pretty
reliable area. If you become familiar with their calls, this will help. They
are like a Red-tailed Blacks' call, but softer & quieter.
But I think with this species, that the hour either side of sunrise & sunset
gives you the best chances of finding them, as the birds are on the move
from/to roost sites/feeding areas.
If you need help in Cairns area, I can help with some good spots up here - just
let me know what target species you're after & I can try to help you...
Why not consider a professional guide up here in FNQ - I can recommend Del
Richards who owns Fine Feather Tours. If you need help finding him, let me
know...
Rob, you are right in saying that the Buff-breasted Button-quails haven't been
seen up here for a few years. You are also very right in saying that BBBQ are
very often mistaken up here for Painted BQ's...
But, I have a good winter record of this species in the winter months - 2 birds
on 9 August 2004 at Mt Mulligan, a new site for this largely unknown &
enigmatic species. This record was corroberated by another competent birder at
the same site a fortnight later.
However Joris, this is a species that will be (& has been so far) an extremely
difficult bird to find this year, with the still too lush conditions (from
especially this past wet season & the last couple) not providing the right
habitat at their traditional sites for a while now...
Joris, you are certainly on the right track in talking to both Rob & Mick about
current spots for the Rufous Scrub-bird, as these 2 guys have a lot of good
local knowledge about this species in each of their respective regions.
Bell Miners you will find are very easy to find when, like Rob says, you know
their distinctive call.
Good luck & I'm happy to help if you need it...
Cheers
Martin Cachard
Cairns
0428 782 808
> Date: Thu, 12 May 2011 15:20:30 -0700
> From:
> To: ; ;
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] RFI Rufous Scrubbird
>
> The Gloucester Tops road is open (it was closed earlier in the year and
> re-opened just before Easter but to 4wd only - however it is fine now). It
> might
> pay to call the local parks office (6538 5300) for an update before setting
> off
> though. You would be doing very well to find one in winter though as they
> generally don't call then. We'd be very interested to know if you do though.
>
> There hasn't been a Regent Honeyeater reported in the Hunter Valley since a
> 'lost' immature bird turned up in a garden near Maitland a few months ago.
> Having said that, the Swamp Mahoganies are firing up and we've had a few
> reports
> of Swift Parrots, so keep an eye here or Birdline for reported sightings (I
> too
> will be away in Indonesia at the time so won't be able to give specific
> help).
> The survey weekend is coming up so maybe some sightings in the Capertee might
> occur?
>
> Around here you could try The Basin Campground (Watagan Mountains) for Glossy
> Blacks, or anywhere else in the Watagans. Crowdy Bay NP also good form them
> (Kylie's Beach campground). You'll be tripping over Bell Miners as you
> progress
> up the coast.
>
> Hope this helps
> Mick
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: robert morris <>
> To: ; birding aus <>
> Sent: Fri, 13 May, 2011 7:55:58 AM
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] RFI Rufous Scrubbird
>
>
> Hi Joris
> I would love to help you when you are here but I am in PNG 2 weeks then
> Canada 2
> weeks then PNG 2 weeks in that period!
> 1) OK - I have heard Barrington Tops is closed. Now the wet season is
> finishing
> the roads may be repaired. I have only been there once (its 800km south of
> Brisbane). Send a note to birding aus: to ask for
> up
> to date details.
> 2) Lamington is a completely different place to Barrington Tops. It is in SEQ
> 700km north of Barrington tops and only 100km south of me. There are several
> well documented sites to see Rufous scrub-bird here - e.g. get a copy of the
> new
> Thomas, Thomas and McBride.You do not have to camp in the forest to see them.
> I
> have seen them in the open at noon! But walk up as early as possible.3)
> Glossy
> Black Cockatoos - wide spread but scarce. Duck creek road (O'Reillys - in
> Lamington) is somewhere I have seen them a few times. You have to fine the
> right
> kind of Casurina trees in valley floors.Also - Noosa Heads National Park is a
> good area.4)I Don't know much about Glen Davis - what species are you looking
> for? You won't see Regent Honeyeater there in June unless you are
> expectationally lucky. Again try posting for info on Biridng Aus. I have seen
> all the species in the Glen Davis area in SEQ except Regent Honeyeater. The
> inland areas of Newcastle are the current best area for these. You need to
> monitor recent reports for these.5) Bell Miners are locally very common.
> Mount
> Glorious, Mount Nebo, Mount Coot-tha, Duck Creek Rd. Just learn the call.6) I
> have never seen Buff-breasted Button-quail. I am in regular contact with the
> survey team. No records this wet season as it was too wet. The last confirmed
> record was over 3 years ago. There are no confirmed winter rceords in FNQ.
> Most
> people tick Painted Buttonquails.7. Check eremaea for rarities:
> http://www.eremaea.com/ I run the Queensland rarity line so I can let you
> know
> if there is anything about.
> I will be here until 24th June when I get back from PNG on this trip - I
> leave
> on Sunday
>
> cheers
> Rob Morris
>
>
>
> Brisbane, Australia
>
>
>
>
> From:
> To:
> Subject: RFI Rufous Scrubbird
> Date: Thu, 12 May 2011 17:44:00 +0200
>
>
>
> Dear Rob, My name is Joris Elst and i’m a belgian birder, i’ve got your
> e-mailadress from Mark Van Beirs, a good friend of mine. I’m planning a trip
> to
> Australia in june – july this year. I still have some questions about
> specific
> species. Mark said, that you might help me out. I will travel up the east
> coast
> from Sydney to Cairns and then further on to Iron Range and Darwin via Mount
> Isa.Recently I heard that Barrington Tops is unreachable for the Rufous
> Scrubbird… IS this still the case and if yes do you know another good spot
> for
> this species, away from Lamington? Or are there good spots in Lamington that
> are reachable without camping out in the forest…? Do you know good spots for
> Glossy Black-Cockatoo? I was planning to try for it at Dharug … Do you know
> a
> good spot for Bell Miner? I don’t have any spots for that species. I’m also
> planning to spend 1 or 2 days in the Blue Mountains in the Glenn Davis area.
> In
> the bird finding guides there is no specific spots mentioned, do you know
> this
> area and can you suggest specific spots? Mark also suggested to ask you about
> rarities that might be around at the moment? Also if you had news about
> Buff-breasted Buttonquail this year…? J I might get more questions in the
> weeks
> to come, I’ll leave for Australia on the 18th of june, can I ask more
> questions
> as they arise? Many thanks allready!! JorisBelgium
>
> ===============================
>
> To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
> send the message:
> unsubscribe
> (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
> to:
>
> http://birding-aus.org
> ===============================
> ===============================
>
> To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
> send the message:
> unsubscribe
> (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
> to:
>
> http://birding-aus.org
> ===============================
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
send the message:
unsubscribe
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to:
http://birding-aus.org
===============================
|
