Birdline NSW Weekly Update

Birdline NSW

Published sightings for the week ending 11 Dec 2011.

Sun 11 Dec	Buff-banded Rail Richmond lowlands Feeding in open paddock along Old Kurrajong Rd near the bend. Lots of Rufous Songlark, Grey Teal, a jun White-necked Heron and Brown Quail on nearby Cornwells Rd. Eric Finley
	Baillon's Crakes (3), Spotted Harrier, Glossy Ibis Pitt Town Lagoon (approx. 55km NW of Sydney CBD) Pitt Town Lagoon is as full as I've ever seen it. You definitely need your gummies unless you dare to swim! Even with your gummies on you can only really get around the flooded areas surrounding the lagoon and difficult to get to the lagoon proper. Highlights at the lagoon were 3 juvenile Nankeen Night Herons, 3 Baillon's Crakes, a juvenile Spotted and an adult Swamp Harrier, a Glossy Ibis etc. Edwin Vella
Sat 10 Dec	Brush Bronzewing, Eastern Bristlebird, Ground Parrot Barren Grounds Nature Reserve 1 Brush Bronzewing near the carpark (the second listing on Eremaea for the reserve). Many Bristlebirds heard calling throughout the reserve, especially along the track to Cook's Nose. A single Ground Parrot was heard at 10:00 about 300 south of the carpark. Joshua Bergmark, Max Breckenridge, Ashwin Rudder
	Ground Parrot Budderoo National Park At least six separate parrots heard calling and several seen at dusk just east of the road before the locked gate on the Budderoo fire trail. Numerous Eastern Bristlebird were heard on the 10th and 11th, with a couple observed during the morning of the latter date. Max Breckenridge, Joshua Bergmark and Ashwin Rudder.
	Turquoise Parrot (over110) Wattle Dam, Binya SF (Griffith) 5 members of the MFN Club took part in the BOCA Bird Count on Saturday. We sat at Wattle Dam from 6am until 10am and lost count of the number of Turquoise Parrots that kept coming in to drink - well over 110 birds. The number of juveniles indicated a very successful breeding event this season. Lots of juveniles were also seen in the Mulga and Ringneck Parrots that came in in numbers as well. In all we counted over 450 birds in the 4 hours with just 52 species recorded. The Painted Honeyeaters are also feeding young fledged birds - these were seen by me on the way out of Binya. Max O'Sullivan
	Cicadabird, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Brown Cuckoo-Dove Murrumbung HSD Mardi, Central Coast The highlights of a morning visit to John & Carole Carpeter's place at Mardi, were the 35 Brown Cuckoo-Doves coming to the feeder, a Wedge-tailed Eagle circling fairly low overhead, nesting Leaden Flycatchers chasing off a Kookaburra, 3 Cicadabirds, Black-faced Monarchs, Rufous Fantails and Sacred Kingfishers. Alan Morris, 50 members of CCGBNSW
	Brown Quail Denistone East, on the Cumberland County Road Reserve. The grass has been uncut for some time and has hayed off...knee high. I saw one a fortnight ago in same location...hope there's a pair..Using water put out for birds. Denise Irwin
	Painted Snipe & Wandering Whistling Duck Pioneer Dairy Wetlands, Tuggerah, Central Coast A two hour visit to Pioneer Dairy Wetlands (prior consent required) 10-30 am to 12-30 pm by 40 members of the Central Coast Group, Birding NSW, managed to re-find 2 Painted Snipe along Pioneer Creek. Also seen was a single Wandering Whistling Duck, Brown Goshawk, White-breasted Woodswallows, Tawny Grassbird, nesting Kookaburras, Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike, Swan and Magpie-larks, 2A Buff-banded Rail with chick, and then another seperate bird, Sacred Kingfsher, Nankeen Kestrel, Black-shouldered Kite and Channel-billed Cuckoos etc, Alan Morris & 39 others
	Glossy Ibis Bicentennial Park, Homebush Bay The highlight for the day was this Glossy Ibis at Bennelong Ponds. Greg McLachlan
	Wandering Tattler, Sanderling Boat Harbour, Kurnell Peninsula Waders roosting on 9am hightide at Boat Harbour today were 1 Wandering Tattler, 2 Sanderling, 2 Red Knot, 11 Pacific Golden Plover, 12 Ruddy Turnstone, 135 Red-necked Stint, 11 Sooty Oystercatcher. Bruce Roubin and Ken Glimour
	Figbirds and Darters Rockdale Bicentennial Park and wetlands southwards Highlights were a dozen Figbirds in two small parties in the parkland 1km south of President Ave. Also nesting Darters were seen with one advanced nestling in the pond just north of President Ave, along with nests of cormorants (Little Black ?) and many Sacred Ibis nests, on a small island in the lake. 12+ Darters were seen in the wetlands or roosting on the island, along with many commoner spp. Harry Roberts
	Bush Stone-Curlew Dunbar Park, Avalon A Bush Stone-Curlew has been hanging around looking lost in the car-park adjacent to the park, apparently having been there for about a week. Hopefully the bird will be okay, as it is currently in quite a busy area. Henry Coleman
	Glossy Ibis, Black Falcon Native Dog Swamp, Berrigan Good numbers of Glossy Ibis (over 70) observed at the swamp. A pair of Black Falcon were also seen fighting and chasing some Whistling Kites, perhaps a conflict over some recently caught prey. Michael Ramsey
	Cockatiel Boomanoomana A mixed flock of male, female and juvenile Cockatiels were observed feeding on spilt grain by the roadside. Michael Ramsey
Fri 9 Dec	Freckled Duck Gum Swamp, Forbes 25+ Freckled Ducks. At western end a group of 21, including immatures, were on several logs. Scattered singles and pairs elsewhere in the swamp. Other birders there commented they saw some with young. Also 5 Plumed Whistling Ducks and an Australian Crake. Swamp quite full. Rosemary Stapleton
	Nankeen Night-heron Wolli Creek at Cornorant Corner just west of Nanny Goat Hill One adult and 2 juveniles seen clearly in an oak tree over hanging the creek. In the past couple of weeks I have seen a group of up to 6 birds comprising 2 adults and multiple juveniles. Melissa Mason
	Painted Honeyeater 14kn West of Nevertire Seemed like 1 bird was passing through the area. I just heard it in the morning and not again!! Steve Edwards
Thu 8 Dec	White-winged Triller Sandra Firetrail, Jilliby One White-winged Triller male bird initally heard calling then observed. (Moderators Note: First Central Coast record this season-AKM) Deryk Engel and Stephen Bloomfield
	Powerful Owl Bellawongarah - private property Awoke to a Powerful Owl calling about midnight and again at 5am this morning. Calls were coming from the Rainforest/Wet Sclerophyll on the northern side of our place. Carla Jackett
Wed 7 Dec	White-bellied Sea-Eagle pitt town Travelling along Pitt Town Rd noticed pair of sea eagles perched in tree being hassled by pair of Nankeen kestrels. Tony Dawe
	Terek Sandpiper & Sanderlings Shoalhaven Heads Several of us saw one Terek Sandpiper feeding with Bar-tailed Godwits and other Shorebirds about 11am. Also present were 11 Sanderling and 4 adult Pied Oystercatchers with chicks. Please give them plenty of room if visiting as the young are very vulnerable right now. Carla Jackett
	Freckled Duck Gum Swamp, Forbes. A quick visit to the Gum Swamp west of Forbes yielded good views of a pair of Freckled Ducks. Also present were Pink-eared Ducks, Grey Teal, White-necked Herons and a range of other water birds. Aaron Payne
Tue 6 Dec	Square-tailed Kite Bargo Stoked to see a Square-tailed Kite flying over the southbound lanes of the Hume Highway, about 500 metres north of the Avon Dam Rd turnoff, circa 4:30pm. I've not seen one in the Southern Highlands before. Lorne Johnson
	Noisy Pitta Jilliby State Conservation Area Whilst searching for owls a Noisy Pitta was heard calling on dusk. Deryk Engel and Stephen Bloomfield
	Emerald Dove Plateau Park, Bilgola Plateau Juv. Emerald Dove flushed into a tree in the bushland area around the park. I don't think they're at all common anywhere around, so exciting to see. Henry Coleman
Mon 5 Dec	Red-browed Treecreeper Royal Nat. Park : Near Burning Palms Beach Red-browed Treecreeper (3) Two adults (rufous-red brows observed) and what appeared to be an immature/juvenile clearly observed in the sandstone gully forest, on the track from the Garrawarra carpark down to Burning Palms beach. One of the adults was then seen at what looked like the mouth of a nest-hole high in the tree. Rob Child
	Long-tailed Jaeger and Shy (type) Albatross Mistral Point, Maroubra 3 Shy (type) Albatross including one showing all the characteristics of Salvin's, 6 Black-browed Albatross, 35+ Pomarine Jaegers, 2 Long-tailed Jaegers, 2 Hutton's Sheawaters were seen today amongst the tens of thousands of Short-tailed Shearwaters still streaming south. David Mitford
Sun 4 Dec	European Greenfinch, Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoo Eastlakes Golf Course Lots of activity here before cool southerly winds picked up. 10 sightings of European Greenfinch (believe at least 6 birds) were high numbers for this species. Also 2 Horsfields Bronze-cuckoo, one behaving like a pipit on the golf green fringes. Other sightings of interest inc Fan-tailed Cuckoo, 2 Common Blackbird, Intermediate and Large Egret, 4 Pied Stilt, 6 pairs of Dusky Moorhens with juveniles, many Fairy Martins with dependent young, good numbers of Grey Teal with a few Chestnuts, Little Grassbird and a few Clamorous Reed Warbler. A large Blue-tongued Skink and a likely Murray River Turtle with the usual abundant Eastern Water Dragons. No sightings of any type of snipe. Eric Finley
	Blue-billed Duck Moss Vale (Charlston Dam, off Berrima Rd, near sale yards) Members of Southern Highlands Birdwatchers found the BBD again yesterday during the 24 hr birding challenge. Great to know the bird is still present. SHB, via Lorne Johnson
	Brush Turkey Epping Rd Marsfield A brush turkey flew/was blown in the storm across Epping Rd near Epping Boys High this afternoon just missing the bonnet of my car. It was sort of tumbling through the air and seemed to startle several drivers. Judy Clark
	Gould's Petrel and Black-browed Albatross Mistral Point, Maroubra Thousands of Short-tailed Shearwaters streaming South all day, late on we were amazed to see a Gould's Petrel flying with them at close range ! Also seen were 4 Black-browed Albatross and a dozen or so Pomarine Jaeger. Not bad for December, a month which normally passes uneventfully. David Mitford, Ray Gobbe and Fiona BROOK
Sat 3 Dec	Rose Robin Fitzroy Falls (Morton National Park) Some interesting records during the start of the Southern Highlands Birdwatchers' 24hr birding challenge - a female Rose Robin in the fern gully on East Rim Track (I don't usually see them in summer in the Highlands), a New Holland Honeyeater (feeding below king ferns close to wet sclerophyll forest's floor - the literature doesn't say they frequent this habitat), Black-faced Monarch, Rufous Fantail, Shining Bronze-cucoo, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Brown Warbler, Superb Lyrebird, Eastern Whipbird... 2 Little Black Cormorants were swimming in pool directly above the falls... 4 Gang-gang Cockatoos were feeding quietly in wattle at rear of parking area by NPWS shop. Lorne Johnson
	Sooty Owl Bundanoon (Morton National Park) Awesome to hear a Sooty let loose its falling bomb shriek five times between 8:30-8:45pm on Saturday night, in the expansive gully beneath Bonnie View. I haven't heard it since early in the year. I was with 3 members of Southern Highlands Birdwatchers at the time. They'd never heard the bird before. Also recorded: Crescent Honeyeater (heard in steep country between Echo Point and Bonnie View), Gang-gang Cockatoo, Common Koel, Southern Boobook, Shining Bronze-cuckoo & Superb Lyrebird. Lorne Johnson

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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