Birdline South Australia Weekly Update

Birdline South Australia

Published sightings for the week ending 23 Oct 2011.

Fri 21 Oct	Nankeen Night-Heron, Lewin's Rail, Blue-winged Parrot Thompson Beach Nankeen Night-Heron (1) single juvenile bird flushed with much hoarse clucking and croaking from mangroves on northern tidal inlet Lewin's Rail (2) small 'Spotted Crake' sized birds with distinct speckled/streaked plumage and flanks on otherwise black/dk. brown body. Burst from samphire cover on shallow northern tidal channel that runs parallel with car trail - legs trailing behind. Flew for approx. 5-10 metres before landing in heavy cover Blue-winged Parrot (23) in same area as previosly reported, but keeping to highest point of low dune system on eastern edge - many birds seen throughout visit in what I could best describe as high aerial displays. Didn't seem to be going anywhere in particular just flying high and calling constantly in pairs/small groups and then eventually returning to general area they flew from David Hartland
Thu 20 Oct	White-necked Heron Private Residence, Gawler East White-necked Heron (2) Pair seen flying from South Para area close to town end of Dead Man's Pass. Flying swiftly in an easterly direction - almost missed them as I passed them off initially as Little Pied Cormorants, until I got a better view through bin's. David Hartland
Wed 19 Oct	Scarlet-chested Parrot North-west of Ceduna A conservative estimate of about forty Scarlet-chested Parrots seen in the mallee country north-west of Ceduna. Birds seen at two locations, the largest group at 7.45 am. Very quiet and inquisitive, almost landing on our heads on several occasions. One male was seen feeding on an Olearia sp. seed-head. Philip Maher and 10 other birders
	Whiskered Tern Freeling new development wastewater pond, Thiele Hwy Three Whiskered Terns, two in part brreding plumage and one in non breeding plumage, feeding on this 2 year old pond. The birds are just starting to use this water with Hardheads, Pacific Black Ducks and Aust. Grebes frequenting this water more often. This is the first unusual sighting for me at this water which I drive past every day! Chris Steeles
	Blue-winged parrots (4), Elegant Parrot (18+), Cockatiel (4) Pengilly Scrub, Roseworthy (Bush Heritage Block) Great birding at the moment in this isolated patch of remnant woodland! There seemed to be Neophemas all over the place, mostly Elegants but a few Blue-wings thrown in for good measure! Also two pairs of Cockatiels are hanging about as well. The three Woodswallows common at this time of year (White-browed, Masked and Dusky) are all frequenting this scrub as well! Chris Steeles
Tue 18 Oct	Dusky Woodswallow Private Residence, Gawler East Dusky Woodswallow (8) call tipped me off to their prescence as they flew over slowly - coming from Dead Man's Pass/South Para direction and flying N/E. Possibly more birds, as numerous birds were heard callling before I got around to get a better view. (Not seen before in relatively built-up area,) David Hartland
Sun 16 Oct	Glossy Ibis Greenfields Wetland, Dry Creek Fourteen birds (many in breeding plumage) seen flying from north-east and alighting in eastern section of location. Michael Wood
	Osprey Thompson Beach Late afternoon walk. First saw bird hovering over sea a short distance off shoreline, and then took a spectacular dive, that created a HUGE splash, so fully immersed itself .. a few moments later it came over the land (this all far northern end of north walk) to our surprise and landed very close to us, so had great looks and pics, we thought it was a wedgie at first, as similar size to WTE we had seen close up, but white underneath made us think of a WBSE, .. couldnt get clear photo of diagnostic eye stripe, but may be a imm. osprey, or female, as top of head wasnt very white, so hid eyebar a bit ? .. then it continued to hawk low over area, mangroves, and pans, and periodically flew back near us,, Kevin Jones
Sat 15 Oct	Scarlet-chested Parrot (6), Black Honeyeater (3), Painted Button-Quail (2), Budgerigar (300+) Gluepot Reserve Scarlets seen over two mornings, four on Saturday and two on Sunday all early in the morning. Two Black Honeyeaters seen at Scarlet sight and one about 2km north in bare branches on side of road. Budgies have arrived in big numbers where the Scarlets are at the Gypsum L walk and are also looking to breed with pairs mating and hollow searching. Also flushed two Painted Button-Quails out of leaf litter under a stand of Mallee just south of Diesel Dam. Chris Steeles & Kay Parkin
Sun 25 Sep	Whiskered Tern Kalamurina Station White Bull Bore area Whiskered Tern (1) Observed for 35 minutes over a 100m stretch of reedbed on the margin of the bore lake. It hovered low over the reeds and then dropped in amongst them, then reappeared 5-10m further on repeating the hover/drop, and so on until the end of the reedbed, then flew swiftly back on the beginning to repeat the process over and over. Joss Haiblen

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