Published sightings for the week ending 25 Dec 2011.
| Sun 25 Dec
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Peregrine Falcon, Brown Goshawk, Sparrowhawk
Bobbin Head Rd Turramurra
Singles of all 3 seen at various points in the day. Goshawk and Sparrowhawk mid-morning; Peregrine about 3pm. Peregrine was in moult - missing at least 2 central tail feathers (but no chance of mistaking it for a giant Fork Tailed Swift). Just needed a Grey Goshawk and I would have had all 4 common raptors for my place in a day - still haven't managed that.
Tom Wilson
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Pilotbird, Beautiful Firetail
Blue-gum Swamp, Winmalee
Pilotbird at first creek crossing, 5-6 Beautiful Firetails, 2 Red-browed Treecreepers also in the gully. Chestnut-rumped Heathwren on the escarpment.
Tim Faulkner
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koel (the first) HC
north richmond
The First Koel
The first koel
The bush birds did sing
Causing weary dawn sleepers
Their slippers to fling
Koel, Koel
Koel, Koel
Early-morning cuckoos
Can all go to h... (bed)
(Doubly topical, as never ever have our Chatswood Koels made as much racket as they did last night. CC Moderator)
david & tamara potter
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| Sat 24 Dec
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Square-tailed Kite
Woonona, northern suburb of Wollongong
On Christmas Eve our daughter and son-in-law came came around to show off their brand new car. As we stood and admired it, they were less than impressed when a bird flew over pooed on their new pride and joy. We had some difficulty convincing them how extraordinarily lucky they were to have a Square-tailed Kite poo on their vehicle!
Wishing all the very best for the festive season, in particular our moderators who do such a great job throughout the year - thanks!
(Ta Potters, much appreciated - The Moderators)
Martin & Penny Potter
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King Quail
Pitt Town Bottoms (approx. 55km NW of Sydney CBD)
All 3 quail species (King, Stubble and Brown) were heard calling from Pitt Town Bottoms Rd. At least one King Quail was calling several times from around the edge of the golf course.
Edwin Vella
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Painted Button-quail/ White-throated Needletail
Castlereagh Nature Reserve
1 female in car park off Northern Road entrance.
10 W T N T
Keith Brandwood
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Southern Emu-wren, Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, Beautiful Firetail
Blue Mountains National Park (North Lawson Swamp)
Southern Emu-wren
Chestnut-rumped Heathwren
Beautiful Firetail
Lovely views of 3 Beautiful Firetails feeding on seeds in low thicket & drinking from small stream on track to the swamp....then another heard at the swamp. 2 Emu Wrens as soon as we got to the swamp....fantastic views of adult male. Heard Chesnut-rumped Heathwren on track out. Great morning.
John French, Fiona Lumsden & Daz Smith
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| Fri 23 Dec
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White-throated Nightjar
North Sackville
one calling
keith Brandwood
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Buff-banded Rail
Jewells (Newcastle)
Pair with 3 young are being seen regularly around a retirement village near Jewells Swamp
Alan Stuart
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Ground Cuckoo-shrike
Long Point Rd, Mullion Creek, near Macquarie River
Pale cuckoo-shrike. Perched on log for a minute about twenty metres away and then flew to fence line. Yellow eye, barring on belly and long black tail and wings clearly seen.
Stephen Gross
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| Thu 22 Dec
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Pacific Baza immature
Elliott Road, Myrtle Creek (south of Casino)
Sitting right in the middle of the road, looking lost. I drove slowly past it twice without it moving. Fortunately it's a quiet road but I had to shoo it away into the trees when another car approached, setting off a chorus of warning calls from other birds.
Jeff Melvaine
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Square-tailed Kite
Padstow
Seen flying low over trees at Padstow Park Public School.
Martin Filipczyk
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Golden Plover.
Broadwater Canal. Mcinherney Close. Port Macquarie.
85 + roosting at high tide, on the edge of the canal, and the lawn's between the house's and the water.
Dave Whitfield
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Brown Gerygone
Mason Park, North Strathfield
Single Brown Gerygone gave excellent views in the woodland in the northwest corner adjacent parking area for playing field. First for my Homebush local patch list. Tawny yellow flanks and grey clouded chest eliminate Mangrove Gerygone that is resident in the nearby Newington Nature Reserve. Buff-banded Rails, 1 Sharp-tail Sand and 1 Latham's Snipe present also.
Dion Hobcroft
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Topknot Pigeon
Eveleigh Technology Park
Topknot Pigeon (11) flew past in direction of Redfern train line. Possibly attracted by the prollific fruiting Ficus trees in the area.
Kurtis Lindsay
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| Wed 21 Dec
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Regent Honeyeater
Glen Davis Campground
1 Regent Honeyeater and 1 Little Lorikeet in the morning along with very good numbers of Black-chinned Honeyeater, White-plumed and Brown-headed Honeyeaters at the campground. Other birds in the area included Southern Boobook and Tawny Frogmouth (spotlighted) and White-throated Nightjar (heard calling off beyond the old mine). Owlet-Nightjar seen the next morning at it's regular roost at Crown Station Road.
Troy Mutton
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Plumed Whistling-Duck
Edgells Lane Wetland, Bathurst
Plumed Whistling-Duck (29) First time I have seen them in 50 visit's (Moderator's Note: 24 were reported there on 12/11/11, see Brdline report 101199) - AKM)
Geoff Brown
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| Tue 20 Dec
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Gull-billed Tern
Sturt Hwy at 34°41'06'S 144°04'36'E
Gull-billed Tern (16) Flying parallel with Hwy beside my vehicle for aroung 1km giving great views for easy id before heading off in a southerly direction. Some standing water is beside the Hwy in this area but these birds didn't look like they were stopping. All birds were in breeding plumage. (Moderator's Note: In good seasons in the past, Gull-billed Terns have nested on the Hay Plains, the breeding site is well documented in the literature - AKM)
Chris Steeles
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Glossy Black Cockatoo
Evans Lookout
A pair of Glossy Blacks feeding quietly behind the shelter near the lookout.
Troy Mutton
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Long-tailed Jaeger and Black-browed Albatross
Mistral Point, Maroubra
All three species of Jaeger today, with about a dozen Pomarine, 2 Long-tailed and one Arctic, creating havoc amonst the loafing flocks of Silver Gulls. Single Black-browed Albatross and Flesh-footed Shearwaters were also noteworthy.
David Mitford
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| Mon 19 Dec
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Rufous Fantail, Black-faced Monarch, Leaden Flycatcher, Bassian Thrush
Mt Tomah Botanical Gardens (33.32 150.25)
Rufous Fantail - two birds feeding young at nest.
Black-faced Monarch - one bird low in bush.
Leaden Flycatcher- 3 birds calling and courtship.
Bassian Thrush - two birds one carrying food large grub unable to locate nest.
Neville Schrader
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Regent Honeyeater
Newnes Junction 10' Cell
Regent Honeyeater 1 flew across road near Zig Zag
Railway Station, grid reference 33.29 150.12
Neville Schrader
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White-necked Heron
Faulconbridge Highway Waterlilly Pond
Single adult bird. Unusual sighting right next to Great Western Hwy.
John French
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| Sun 18 Dec
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Diamond Firetail, speckled warblers
Reids Road, Boorowa Shire
4 diamond firetails and 2 speckled warblers in iron bark-red stringybark woodland, 2 other speckled warblers at a site close by in wattle. List to come.
Jennifer Smits
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| Sat 17 Dec
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Caspian Tern
Goran Lake, 30 km south of Gunnedah
One solitary Caspian Tern was seen on the southern shore of Goran Lake, an ephemeral lake about 30 km south of Gunnedah. It was resting on a sandbank together with various other aquatic birds. In the shallows nearby a flock of about 250 Pink-eared Ducks was resting. The 300 Australian Pelicans reported earlier were now found at a small island in the eastern part of the lake.
Michael Dahlem
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Lewin's Rail
Irrawong Reserve, Warriewood
Heard and then seen right of the low boardwalk at Irrawong Reserve.
Many of the regular inhabitants of the wetlands present also but Black-faced Monarch pair in the trees above the waterfall.
Rae Lister
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| Thu 15 Dec
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Scarlet Honeyeater
Wollomombi Falls at 30 32S 152 02E
Scarlet Honeyeater (5) At least 5 birds,feeding in the eucalypts around the Picnic grounds
Nat Doecke
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Australian Koel, Channel-billed Cuckoo
Warrumbungle National Park
Australian Koel (1) Heard from Spirey Creek
Channel-billed Cuckoo (2) Calling and flying around the campground area
Nat Doecke
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