Birdline NSW Weekly Update

Birdline NSW

Published sightings for the week ending 18 Mar 2012.

Sun 18 Mar	White Tern, Shy Albatross and Black-browed Albatross Mistral Point, Maroubra Very quiet this afternoon until about 5 pm when the winds had decreased, then after watching pod of 25 Common Dolphins heading south, the birds came, 3 Black-browed Albatross. 2 Shy (type) Albatross, 4 Arctic Jaeger and a brief view of a White Tern. Further out there were more Albatrosses feeding, but too far out to identify. Unfortunately very few Shearwaters were seen. David Mitford
	Square-tailed Kite, Little Eagle Western Sydney Parklands, Glendenning The first Parklands Wildlife Walk held today ended in spectacular fashion as a group of first-time birders were able to see a Square-tailed Kite and then a Little Eagle within 10 minutes of each other. Mark Fuller +9
	Double-banded Plover Goran Lake, 30 km south of Gunnedah NSW 2380 Next to many other aquatic birds (the number of Australian Pelicans has now risen to round about 1000), found 2 Double-banded Plovers in non-breeding plumage at Goran Lake, an ephemeral lake about 30 km south of Gunnedah. Michael Dahlem
Sat 17 Mar	Hooded Robin Paddys River swamp , near Penrose ( Southern Highlands) Male and possibly a female Hooded Robin seen in E. Peppermint woodland adjacent to the swamp. Conditions grey and wet at 10:30am. The site is in a Forests NSW flora reserve that covers various swamps and Stingray Swamp. It is close to operational forest plantations recently replanted. John Shepherd
	Superb Parrots 40km West of Moree I was creeping up on some small birds, when 3 Superb Parrots flew (my first sighting for this species) and their tails are very long. Other Special Highlights: Numerous Jacky Winters and Blue Bonnets, Restless Flycatcher, Grey-crowned Babblers, Brown Treecreepers nesting, White Ibis, Striated Pardalotes, Red-winged Parrots, Yellow rumped Thornbills and Wedge-tailed Eagles (which most of them havent been seen since October and im assuming that its because of the floods). Also there were Rufous Whistlers everywhere which not a solitary Rufous Whistler has been seen since September last year. Finally, we arrived at a bridge and there was thousands of Swallows, it was like the movies and when we got out there were definitly over 1500+ Tree Martins flying and nesting everywhere, you couldnt even hear their calls all you could here were their wings flapping. 70 Species that day. Curtis Hayne
	Eastern Yellow Wagtail, Marsh Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit Wagtail Way, Ash Island A good early afternoon (1400-1530) hrs on Wagtail Way in drizzly rain. An Eastern Yellow Wagtail was seen which resembled the one photographed recently by Mick Roderick, (ie yellow throat, white breast and belly and yellow underparts, white eye brow), a flock of 92 Black-tailed Godwits, 10 Bar-tailed Godwits, 4 Marsh Sandpipers, 5 Common Greenshanks, a minimum of 2000 Chestnut Teal, a Hobby chasing Welcome Swallows, 2 White-breasted Sea-eagles, 4 Australasian Shovelers, 22 Black-winged stilts, 13 Black-fronted Dotterels and many more species Steven Edwards and Alan Morris
	Glossy Black-Cockatoo North Brother Mtn, Laurieton 2 pairs feeding at noon, half way up the walking trail from town. Ian Kerr
	Cape Barren Geese "Lakeside", Lake Cullival, Urana NSW Three geese first sighted 09/03/12 and have been sighted every day since. There is no access to this site as it is private property recovering from major flooding. The geese are still present today 17/03/12 Charlie Webb
Fri 16 Mar	Oriental Plover Norfolk Is. Airfield Observed x1 bird (partial Breeding Plumage) sitting on a disused airstrip with a flock of Golden Plovers and Double-banded Dotterels (Plovers). Long way off so photo is a bit off, high winds blowing too. Margaret says this may be a new bird for the Island, no earlier records in the literature. Also seen by Margaret was a Little Ringed Plover a few days earlier, no photo to confirm, but hoping! John & Sue O'Malley. Margaret Christian
	Yellow Wagtail Ramsar Rd One yellow wagtail sighted on Ramsar Rd between cnr Bell Frog Track and Dead Mangrove Creek. Colour showed well in late afternoon sun (about 4pm). Also nearby were 3 white fronted chats bathing in another puddle.. Beth & John Hall and Col & Lyn Collins
	Spangled Drongo and Rufous Fantail Greenwich [Lower North Shore, Sydney] An immature Spangled Drongo at the S. end of Vista St. A Rufous Fantail at Gore Creek. Migrants going both ways! [Also at Gore Ck, an adult male Golden Whistler, the first in full adult plumage I happen to have seen locally - females and juveniles over-winter here - plus several Brown Thornbills, which are surprisingly scarce around here] Ted Nixon
	Spotted Quail Thrush Burragorang Lookout, Burragorang Rd, Nattai Around 9.30am, one adult male fossiking around the picnic table area at the lookout. Photographed but not good quality. Gordon Kelly
Thu 15 Mar	Musk Lorikeets Castlecrag, Sydney Musk Lorikeets have arrived in the Northbridge / Castlecrag / Willoughby area of Sydney in the last week, for the first time in a couple of years. Murray Lord
	Koel Bundeena 4 Koels - 2 males fighting/having a minor dispute, 1 male watching, and a female flying around near the Night-heron roost. Also had good numbers of Beautiful Firetail on a very flooded Mt Bass trail. Troy Mutton
Tue 13 Mar	Scarlet Robin Private property, approxiamtely 4km north of Torrington, northern NSW At least 8 birds observed in open forest / woodland. Males calling constantly. David Charley
	Eastern Koel Redfern, inner city Sydney Fairly late juvenile, just out of nest last few days and begging loudly. Foster parents are Red Wattlebirds. I don't usually see Koels locally after early March and this one will have to stick around a bit. Eric Finley
	Australian Shelduck Hexham Swamp After Michael Kearns reported a single bird yesterday, two female Aussie Shelducks were seen today on Hexham Swamp. Access via Woodlands Close. Apologies for the terrible photo...into the sun at a distance. Mick Roderick
	Beach Thick-knee Hastings Point A single bird on the eastern side of the bridge at 8:30 am. Yellow flag on left leg, marked A2. Rob Morrow
	Chestnut-breasted Mannikin Narrabri Lake, Narrabri 2390 This morning spotted 12 Chestnut-breasted Mannikins at Narrabri Lake (reported at this location previously). Found in the high reeds at the south end of the lake, near Mooloobar Street, which are now providing plenty of food. Also still present is a small number of Magpie Geese. Michael Dahlem
Mon 12 Mar	Diamond Firetail, Turquoise Parrot, Brown Treecreeper, Red-winged Parrot, Crested Shrike-Tit Sunnyside Loop TSR, west of Tenterfield The Diamond Firetail were relatively common (8+) and were nesting. 2 Brown Treecreeper, 2 Red-winged Parrots, 2 Crested Shrike-Tit, 1 Painted Button-Quail and at least 4 Brown Treecreeper. A total of 33 bird species observed. Vegetation in good condition. David Charley
	Plum-headed Finch, Brown Treecreeper Approximately 1km south of Texas on banks of Dumaresq River Two adults and 2 Juveniles finches drinking at pool. 4 Brown Treecreepers in adjacent floodplain woodland. David Charley
	Square-tailed Kite Baldwin Avenue Asquith NSW One of the kites which were present in January (possibly the juvenile which was raised) is still appearing occasionally over the bush where its nest is. Lyn Eggins
	Possible Grey Goshawk Stokes Avenue Asquith NSW Sightings over a number of days of bird being harassed by Noisy Miners with Rainbow Lorikeets flying away in panic. Surest indictaion of its presence is the hubub by the local species. Lyn Eggins
	Comb-crested Jacana Black Swan Drive, Coutts Crossing, 2460 On a swamp. Three months ago a Jacana was seen here on pristine Lilly Pads. The area was then flooded by the Orara to a depth of over 3m. The water is back to normal levels, the vegetation is a soggy mess, but the Jacana has already returned. Peter Martin
Sun 11 Mar	Speckled Warbler, Painted Button-Quail, Grey-crowned Babbler, Little Lorikeet, Brush Turkey Private property near Silent Grove / Torrington State Recreation Area, west of Tenterfield Two Specked Warbler, 1 Painted Button-Quail, 3 Grey-crowned Babbler, 4 Little Lorikeet. Brush Turkey had been nesting as evidenced by an old nest. Near western limits. all observed in the typical Callitris Pine / Euc woodland of the local area. David Charley
	Diamond Firetail Careys Reserve, Burrinjuck Dam, Wee Jasper Up to ten at camp site, also observed along Wee Jasper Road in a number of locations between Yass and Wee Jasper. Warren Brown
	Black-fronted Dotterel Moss Vale (area off Berrima Rd, at rear of livestock processing yards) Twenty-five BFDs observed in open, muddy paddock. I've never seen this number of BFDs together. There were also 9 BFDs at Bundanoon Sewage Treatment Works on the 10th. Lorne Johnson
	Eastern Yellow Wagtail Wagtail Way, Ash Island, Hexham/Newcastle Just a quick update: This afternoon there was still one Eastern Yellow Wagtail at Wagtail Way, Ash Island, Newcastle/Hexham, NSW. Nearby there was an Australasian Pipit checking out its northern relative. Also of note were three White-fronted Chats (male, female and juvenile). Finally, there was one briefly and distantly singing Mangrove Gerygone near the parking lot at the entrance. Nikolas Haass & Raja Stephenson
Sat 10 Mar	Eastern Osprey Cullendulla Reserve, Clyde River, west of Batemens Bay NSW Other birds of note from the reserve were--- Southern Emu wrens ,Eastern Curlew &6 Sooty & 7 Pied Oystercatchers Roger Williams
	Australasian Shoveler, Singing Honeyeater, Tree Martin Ashley NSW We had an excellent trip with a total of 76 species, special highlights were: 2x Australasian Shovelers, Singing Honeyeaters, Little Grassbirds everywhere, Black tailed Native Hens, Hoary headed and Great crested Grebes, Heaps of Noisy Friarbirds, Nankeen Night Herons, Pink eared Ducks and Whiskered Terns, A single Hardhead and Black Swan together, Chestnut breasted Mannikins and White browed Scrubwrens, Stubble Quail and a 450x flock of Tree Martins. Curtis Hayne
	Bridled Tern, Red-tailed Tropicbird, White-chinned Petrel, Buller's Albatross Sydney Pelagic Here some of Raja's pictures Nikolas Haass, Raja Stephenson and all on the Halicat
Fri 9 Mar	Black-shouldered Kite Malabar, Sydney Boat Ramp 2 Hunting from light in carpark At 4:52pm. Sandra Taylor

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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