Birdline NSW Weekly Update

Birdline NSW

Published sightings for the week ending 21 Aug 2011.

Sun 21 Aug	Spangled Drongo Galaringi Reserve, Carlingford Spangled Drongo (1) sitting in a gum tree Jenny Stiles
	Latham's Snipe, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Mason Park, Homebush 1x Latham's Snipe and 1x Sharpie in breeding plumage - first of both species I've seen this season. Plenty of Black-fronted Dotterel and the other usual suspects as well. Water levels are good, presence of an adult fox running across mudflats is not. Troy Mutton
Sat 20 Aug	Lewin's Rail, Spotless Crake East Lakes Golf Course, NSW Both heard on Saturday afternoon on the pond closest to Martin Avenue Edwin Vella and Mark Fuller
	Lathams Snipe Northern Rd, Marsden Park Single bird by roadside dam Eric Finley
	Pacific Gull, Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoo, Southern Emu-wrens Kurnell We did a sea watch for an hour or so at Cape Solander and saw a juv. Pacific Gull circling over the cliff then in the nearby water where there were thousands (10,00 plus) of Fluttering and quite a number of Hutton's and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters amongst them, a Brown Skua, a Giant Petre as well as 3 Shy, 1 Yellow-nosed and 20 plus Black-browed Albatross. At least 3 Fur Seals were also seen on the water at the same time. In the heath nearby, we also saw a Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoo (see attached pic) and a pair of Southern Emu-wrens. Edwin Vella and Mark Fuller
	Glossy Black-Cockatoo Lower Pappinbarra 3 pairs eating seed in Allocasuarina torulosa 1.30 pm Ian Kerr
	Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Spotted Quail-thrush, Varied Sittella Mullion Creek 10' Cell Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (14) Spotted Quail-thrush (2) Varied Sittella (4) Neville Schrader
Thu 18 Aug	Lewins Rail Pioneer Dairy - Tuggerah 2 Lewins Rails calling,and 1 seen at 12.00pm. Brad (Obi) Gabriel
Wed 17 Aug	Black-Necked Stork Junction Hill Grafton Single Black-necked stork seen landing near creek about 200 metres east of Summerland Way, Junction Hill. Phil O'Shea
Tue 16 Aug	Swift Parrot Campbelltown, NSW Good views of 5 Swift Parrots foraging in eucalypts at Parkside Crescent, Campbelltown (in Park Central estate) - not far from the Macarthur Square Shopping Centre. Michael Paul
	Noisy Pitta Orimbah State Forest Single bird heard then seen well very early this morning Tim Faulkner
	Eastern Koel Bilgola Plateau A male Koel has been seen twice this morning hopping around a Lilli Pilli and thick scrub area - but no calling... One call was heard briefly last Friday (12th) in the morning but only the one ko-el.... Alan McBride
Mon 15 Aug	Lewin's Rail, Buff-banded Rail, Glossy Ibis Barlings Road Swamp, Casino Warren Thompson, Gary Eggins, Val Clancy and I visited the Barling Street wetlands today in an unsuccesful attempt to see the Australian Painted Snipe that had been reported there on August 10 and 14. We observed a Buff-banded Rail scurrying across the road and into the swamp. It jumped on another rail and we heard two Lewin's Rails call briefly with the 'boarrr' type call. They were not observed. Over 40 Glossy Ibis were feeding in the wetland and adjacent wetlands. Greg Clancy & Gary Eggins
	California Quail Towradgi Beach Park We observed a male perched on a dead branch that was on the ground around 14.30 today. It was in the same location as previously described (thanks Martin et al). We saw the male up a sandy slope. Deryk Engel and John Speight
Sun 14 Aug	Double-banded Plovers (5) and White-fronted Terns (10) Long Reef - Collaroy (Sydney's Northern Beaches) At Long Reef yesterday afternoon we had about 5 Double-banded Plovers (all nicely coloured up in their splendid breeding plumage), a Ruddy Turnstione and 10 White-fronted Terns. Edwin Vella and Tony Dawe
	Brush Bronzewing (4) Red Hill - Oxford Falls At least 4 Brush Bronzewings were seen here late in the afternoon. I only just made it in taking the attached shot as they are hard to approach. Edwin Vella and Tony Dawe
	Yellow-nosed Albatross Merewether Beach, Newcastle NSW One wrecked Yellow-nosed Albatross washed up on Merewether Beach in Newcastle, NSW. Bird appeared to be fairly emaciated but was otherwise in good condition, there was no evidence of trauma. Mark Branson
	Square-tailed Kite Yanga National Park, Balranald Two birds seen hunting near the Willows camping area, Yanga NP (near Balranald). Thought they were Harriers at first, because they hunt in a similar way, but excellent views confirmed them as Square-tailed Kites Michael Mack
	Salvin's albatross Mistral Point, Maroubra Excellent views of a Salvin's albatross in good late afternoon light sitting on the water with three yellow-nosed and a black-browed. Fiona Brook & Ray Gobbe
	Russet-tailed Thrush Tuckers Rock, Bongil Bongil NP, Sawtell A Russet-tTailed Thrush and a Wompoo Pigeon were highlights at Tuckers Rock Picnic Area Tim Morris
	California Quail Towradgi Beach Nr Wollongong Four California Quail (3 male, 1 female) were sighted by Terrill Nordstrom this morning following the report by John Chinnock (Thanks John!) . By the time we got there at 5.30 PM there was only 1 male visible. They are located at the eastern end of Murramar Road, Towradgi. South of the Blue Moon Café, and behind the lifesaver’s lookout, are 4 Banksias. The quail were sighted along the edge of the bushland reserve there. Martin & Penny Potter; Terrill Nordstrom
Sat 13 Aug	White-bellied Sea-Eagle Patonga Bird seen flying across Patonga Creek in the direcion of Lion Island. Other birds seen on the walk from Pearl Beach along the fire trail (in Brisbane Water National Park) included Variegated Fairy-wren, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, White-eared Honeyeater, White-naped Honeyeater, Lewin's Honeyeater, Golden Whistler, Grey Fantail and Satin Bowerbird. Charles Hunter
	Grey-backed Storm-petrel, Salvin's Albatross and more Sydney pelagic Highlights of this Saturday's Sydney pelagic were yet another Grey-backed Storm-petrel (see attached picture), a 1st or 2nd year Salvin's Albatross, an out-of -season Wedge-tailed Shearwater and a number of expected birds such as both exulans and gibsoni Wandering, Shy, Black-browed, Campbell, Buller's, Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross, Fairy Prion, Cape and Providence Petrel, Fluttering Shearwater, Brown Skua. Nikolas Haass for Hal Epstein's Sydney pelagic
	Swift Parrot, Scarlet Honeyeater, Spotted Harrier, Olive-backed Oriole, White-backed Swallow Wahgunyah State Forest, 20 km N Mulwala One Swift Parrot heard along Lamarra Rd, the entrance road to the forest, quite surprised to record here however a lot of Yellow Box was flowering which may have attracted this species, I had a similar record in 2009 at Lonesome Pine State Forest abut 30km east, another box-callitris woodland. Scarlet Honeyeater (1) very unexpected here, in and around flowering Yellow Box on the western side of the forest, female or young bird, calling, closest recent records are at Killawarra Forest and Chiltern Forest, 50 and 80km to the south and south-east in Victoria, this species irrupted into North-east Victoria last year and now at least one seems to have spread to southern NSW. An adult Spotted Harrier seen over the paddock by the enterance to the forest, then a young juvenile was heard and seen nearby so it has probably bred nearby recently. Also early return and singing Olive-backed Oriole, a number of White-backed Swallows still here. White-backed Swallow (7) a number still here here Michael Ramsey
	White-necked Heron, Fan-tailed Cuckoo Warmatta Road (North), Mulwala The biggest group of White-necked Heron I have ever seen together (16) was observed in a flock over a wet paddock. An early return Fan-tailed Cuckoo was also seen, it was not calling though. Michael Ramsey
	Black Falcon, Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo, Rufous Songlark Boat Rock Reserve, Savernake A Black Falcon and two early spring migrants, Rufous Songlark and Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoo (both calling strongly) were highlights at this site this morning. Rufous Whistlers can't wait for spring either with many in full song as well. Michael Ramsey
Fri 12 Aug	Powerful Owl Woodfield Avenue, Bundeena, Royal Natioanl Park One bird heard calling from the front of my house around 10 at night. Called for a few minutes. Deryk Engel

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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