Birdline NSW Weekly Update

Birdline NSW

Published sightings for the week ending 19 Feb 2012.

Sun 19 Feb	Grey Goshawk Yarramundi Reserve One seen initially perched on a dead tree then circling low above me. Edwin Vella
	Double-banded Plover Shoalhaven Heads Six birds sighted at Shoalhaven Heads today, the first return we have sighted this season. Martin & Penny Potter
	Black Bittern Warriwood Wetlands Second sighting for me here in 5 months, witnessed by two other birders, flew over trees at main entrance.Also today,Rufous Fantail, Spotted Pardalote, Varied Sittella, Brown Gerygone, Brown Thornbill,Eastern Yellow Robin,Eastern Whipbird Chris Pollard
	Brown Quail, Lathams Snipe Mason Park, Strathfield Small covey of 5 quail seen in long grass near the power pylons at southern end. Snipe on the dyke that runs across the wetland. Also 2 Royal Spoonbill, 8 Black fronted Dotterel and 1 Golden Plover, plus assortment of ducks, ibis etc. No stilts or other smaller waders seen. Tom Wilson
Sat 18 Feb	Lewin's Rail Barren Grounds Nature Reserve Lewin's Rail (2) Trig station track on 19 Feb only. One appeared to be immature as no red on crown/neck seen. This bird flew up from the track and scooted around the bushes and dropped into the dense low cover. It then called and was answered by another bird some 30 metres away. We withdrew and waited - whereupon an adult bird emerged onto the track. The red on head and neck and the grey throat are distinctive as are the somewhat bizarre calls. We heard the whole range, including the 'galloping horse in the distance' call. Kim and Geoff Larmour
	Caspian Tern and Red-necked Avocet Goran Lake, Spring Ridge, 30 km south of Gunnedah One solitary Caspian Tern seen at Goran Lake, an ephemeral lake ca. 30 km south of Gunnedah. This one was in non-breeding plumage. Previously (2-3 months ago) seen a bird in breeding plumage. After difficulties finding Red-necked Avocets during previous visits, now spotted about 500 birds again in shallow waters. Michael Dahlem
	Superb Parrot Nowra NSW Southcoast Whilst working at Nowra show ground I spotted a single male superb parrot, looked very healthy and was feeding on grass seeds Michael Fuhrmann
	Wedge-tailed Eagle (x4) Six-foot track, Megalong Valley Late yesterday afternoon Graham Turner and I were walking along part of the famous Six-foot track when we heard noises similar to a combination of trills and yelps. We figured it to be a raptor of some kind and were rather surprised when unexpectedly a pair of adult eagles launched from the rocky forest floor and flew out of the forest, soon followed by an immature bird (launched off the ground too) and a second immature that was sitting in a nearby tree. There was no evidence of any carrion or food items, but we concluded the young were most likely begging for food. The two immature birds stayed nearby in a heavily wooded area, yelping away, but we could not locate them as it was very close to dark already. Ákos Lumnitzer
	Australian Owlet-nightjar Shanes Park A brief early morning visit to Shanes Park turned out to be quite productive. I didn't cover as much of the area as I would have liked - being my first visit to this spot - but the highlight was an Australian Owlet-nightjar. The bird was perched on a low branch allowing great views. Nice to see one in daylight. Brown-headed Honeyeaters were actively feeding. White-throated Gerygones and Buff-rumped Thornbills were easily seen. White-throated Needletails were hawking just above the canopy. Greg McLachlan
	Beautiful Firetail Waterfall, Royal National Park A small party of six of these delightful birds with a larger group of red browed finch....also Swamp Wallaby.Park in rail station and follow Uloola track,Wallaby was in the clearing, finches in trees directly opposite gate after the clearing on r/h side Chris Pollard
	Possible Black Falcon Richmond Turf Farms, Onus Lane I noticed a large flock of starlings while having a drive around the turf farms this morning. With them was a falcon, and while the light was bad, I had the impression it was not a Brown Falcon. The raptor, while not trying particularly hard, had a few goes at the starlings (I believe Brown Falcons rarely attack other birds?), and leisurely cruised away. I am definitely not 100% sure of this ID (it could be a dark morph Brown Falcon) but I thought I had better report it in case anyone is in the area! I have more photos if anyone would like them Joshua Bergmark
Fri 17 Feb	Caspian Tern Botany Bay National Park (sth Solander Dr) 1' Cell Caspian Tern (1) One bird heading north on the coast, just south of the end of Solander Drive, then turned in towards Botany Bay. Bright orange bill clearly observed. Rob Child
	Little Eagle Moss Vale A pale morph Little Eagle soaring/gliding over Throsby Park historic site, on the eastern outskirts of Moss Vale, late this morning. Robert Griffin
	Square-tailed Kite (again) Nurragingy Reserve, Doonside When I hear ravens making a fuss it's usually the STK. They were escorting 'Edwin's' bird off the premises today, I suspect these two individuals are Akos's pair, sweeping the western suburbs from their base at Mt Riverview. Mark Fuller and Paul Johnstone
	Osprey Lane Cove National Park Osprey was on top of a death tree, eating a big fish. Small green patch Between Lane Cove river and River Avenue. Fatih Sam
Thu 16 Feb	Australasian Bittern Mundays Lane, Maria River Road, Port Macquarie One Australasian Bittern calling from reeds adjacent to lane which was then answered by a second bird. Tim Morris
	Brush Bronzewing Deep Creek, Narrabeen About 12.30pm today pair of Brush Bronzewing pigeons flushed from the side of the track just over the bridge where the pipeline crosses. Good view of male and female. Adrian Dick
	Square-tailed Kite, Peregrine Falcon Oakhurst After a morning out at Abbotsbury I had 50 species but no raptors, I was rewarded when I got home as the Square-tailed Kite flew low and slow over the neighbourhood, with missing middle tail feathers unlike Edwin's outer ones. To top it off, a Peregrine then flew by while I was watching. Mark Fuller
	Grey Goshawk Pinecliffe, 10kms SW of Molong village A clear view and the first one I have seen in virtually 30 years at this site. Grey phase and just directly out of the field manuals. (Moderator's note - this is a rare bird in the NSW Central West AM) Bruce Tinsey
Wed 15 Feb	Square-tailed Kite, Glossy Ibis Pitt Town area Highlights of an afternoon in the Hawkesbury area were a Square-tailed Kite over the junction of Windsor and Pitt Town Roads and a pair of Glossy Ibis on the golf course at Pitt Town Bottoms Road. Other good birds included 3 Speckled Warblers and a party of Sittellas near the Field Studies centre at Longneck Lagoon. Paul Johnstone
	Buff-banded Rail Macquarie St, City Haven't seen a Buff-banded Rail in the Royal Botanic Gardens for some time so pleasantly surprized to see one near the fountains in front of the Garden Palace Gates, Macquarie Street, this morning. Robert Griffin
	Bar-shouldered Dove North Turramurra Single Bar-shouldered Dove seen today at the eastern end of Curagul Rd. Many WTNT's also seen today and over the last couple of weeks in the general area. M Filipczyk
	Square-tailed Kite Cambridge Gardens, near Penrith As I arrived home at 18:00 tonight, I noticed a pair of kites working the neighbourhood trees. They moved in from near Werrington (SE from my house) to over my house, then off towards the baseball fields' direction, only to return along the southern edge of the ADI site. I was following them in my car for about 20 minutes after I ran in and picked up my camera gear, but sadly could not get any photos. I also heard Mistletoebirds in two locations. Ákos Lumnitzer
Tue 14 Feb	Pied Butcherbird Llandilo, private property This morning while I was feeding our horse I heard the unmistakeable calls of a Pied Butcherbird from a row of trees some 150m from our horse's paddock. It was a very pleasant Valentine's Day morning for me. :-) I have not seen/heard a PB in NW Sydney since my last Birdline report from (I think) August 2010. Ákos Lumnitzer
Mon 13 Feb	Spotless Crake Lake Cargelligo Sewage Treatment Works One Spotless Crake seen at about 1:15 pm Anthony & Vicki Katon
	Powerful Owl Frenchs Forest A single female calling at night, between Wakehurst Parkway and Nandi Ave. Nathan Ruser
	White Tern & Gull-billed Tern Bellimboppini, Jerseyville A single White Tern was seen on the Macleay River today in company with a large group of Crested Terns and a lone Gull-billed Tern at Bellaboppini. There have been heavy seas and storms off the coast and presumably this bird was driven up river. Laurie McEnalley per Ken Shingleton & Alan Morris
Sun 12 Feb	Red-rumped Parrot Warrawong (near Wollongong) Saw a pair fly into a small stand of Casuarinas on Kemblawarra Road, near King Street junction, Warrawong. Walked back and got quite close to them. Unusual at this location Carla Jackett, Sue Dale
	Rose-crowned Fruit-Doves, Black-faced Monarch Woody Head, near Iluka At least 6 Rose-crowned Fruit-Doves heard or seen on road between campground and main Iluka Road. Also Black-faced Monarch feeding dependent fledged young. Peter Higgins
	Greater & Lesser Sand-Plovers, Red-necked Stint Rock platform at Woody Head, near Iluka Of 41 sand-plovers at least 19 Greater and 9 Lesser; also 45+ Red-necked Stint, 1 Whimbrel, 3 Grey-tailed Tattler, 17 Ruddy Turnstone, 8 Sooty Oystercatchers and 2 Pied Oystercatchers. Also many Crested and Common Terns and at least 20 Little Terns. Bird were concentrated at southern end of rock platform, adjoining northern end of Back Beach, at almost full high tide. All these species were also present the day before but spread out and foraging. Peter Higgins
	Square-tailed Kite Penrith Baseball Fields On my way home from Agnes Banks NR this morning I observed a pair of adults hunting low over the trees along Andrews Road, then disappearing over the suburb of Cranebrook in the direction of the old ADI site. Ákos Lumnitzer
Fri 10 Feb	Square-tailed Kite Sawtell Made its customary mid-Feb reappearance here (with moult of what appeared to be second outermost primary of both wings). Peter Higgins
Wed 1 Feb	Little Lorikeet North Orange 20 birds flying north. Neville Schrader
Fri 27 Jan	Gang-gang Cockatoo (flock of 40-50) Cabramurra In Alpine Ash forest near Cabramurra. This is the largest flock of Gang-gangs I have seen anywhere. Also throughout the Snowy Mountains: Yellow-faced Honeyeaters having an excellent season, they are literally everywhere and breeding; and good numbers of Satin Flycatchers. Carol Probets and 5 observers from Follow That Bird
Thu 26 Jan	Australian Spotted Crake, Baillons Crake Wildbrumby distillery near Jindabyne At least 7 Spotted and 3 Baillons Crakes in a shallow wetland at the schnapps distillery, off the Alpine Way between Jindayne and Thredbo. Carol Probets and 5 observers from Follow That Bird

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