Birdline NSW Weekly Update

Birdline NSW

Published sightings for the week ending 25 Mar 2012.

Sun 25 Mar	Kermadec Petrel, Buller's Shearwater, Buller's Albatross Pelagic off Port Stephens Highlights of today's Port Stephens pelagic was a single Kermadec Petrel, 2x Buller's Shearwaters and an unexpected 2, possibly 3 Buller's Albatross. Mick Roderick et al
	Osprey Boat Harbour, Kurnell Osprey (1) flying towards Cronulla along dune line. The bird was carrying a fish in typical head-first fashion. Pursued by three Australian Ravens. Midday. Greg McLachlan
	Musk Lorikeet Greenwich Musk Lorikeets have appeared in good numbers in flowering eucalypts in some suburban streets in Greenwich [e.g. cnr of Gore and King William Sts] The immature Black-faced Monarch is still around, and has joined a mixed feeding party of 'locals' [including Golden Whistlers, Brown Gerygones, Silvereyes and Brown Thornbills. I'm not sure if the last are locals. Ted Nixon
	Little Lorikeet Boronia Park Shops, Gladesville Whilst working this morning I heard the calls of Little Lorikeets and was quite pleased to observe a pair flying across Pittwater Rd in a NW direction. Lots of lorikeet sp. around at the moment due to good flowering in blue gums and ironbarks. My 4th species of lorikeet for Gladesville within 2 weeks. Max Breckenridge
Sat 24 Mar	Black-faced Monarch Greenwich [Lower North Shore, Sydney] An immature bird silently feeding under the canopy in a patch of rain forest, Gore Creek. Further along the track, an immature and either a female or another immature Satin Bowerbird. Ted Nixon
	Nankeen Night Heron Ash Island Newcastle Flushed the Night Heron just past Bittern corner Tony & Stephanie Dawe
	Double-banded Plover Long reef 4 Double-banded Plovers, the first I've seen there this season, the highlight of a late afternoon trip to Long Reef today. Otherwise the usuals, although a large flock of Turnstones and several P Golden Plovers colouring up nicely. Only thing notable offshore was a large number of Gannets Robert Griffin
	Magpie Geese 8 Mile Creek swamp, south of Wanganella, Deniliquin district. There was a pair of Magpie Geese out at the 8 Mile Creek swamp today; an uncommon occurrence in this district. Philip Maher
Fri 23 Mar	Powerful Owl Botanic gardens, Sydney. Superb view of one the birds with open eyes, and preening in the ficus tree near the entrance to Government House. Lower down towards dusk. Bryon Wright
	Common Noddy Flat Rock, Ballina Common Noddy(2) immature? resting on Flat Rock this afternoon, along with a few hundred Crested, Common & Little Terns. Also Wandering Tattler(2), Ruddy Turnstone, Whimbrel, Sooty Oystercatcher, & my first Australian Gannet for the season. Steve McBride
	Powerful Owl Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney Powerful Owl (2) One owl clutching the remains of a flying fox very high in a fig tree near Government house and the other in a nearby Erythrina tree. Jenny Stiles
	powerful owl Waterfall end of Irrawong Track Warriewood 10am this morning there were a pair of powerful owls perched close together in "cheesewood tree" near the horse paddocks at the waterfall end of the Irrawong track, Warriewood. Adrian Dick and Peter Kelly
Thu 22 Mar	Sooty Owl Sun Valley Calling around 9 pm. Cloudy, still night after light rain this afternoon. Matthew Stephens
	Spangled Drongo Vista Street Greenwich At 5.45pm this afternoon a spangled drongo was being harrassed by noisy miners in the shrubs at the end of the street. Judy Clark
	Spotted Harriers The Escort Way, Cudal (W of Parkes turnoff at the monument) 3 Spotted Harriers perched in exotic garden trees right beside the farmhouse at 8.30 am this morning (went outside to check out a different begging call). In last few months have occassionally seen single birds quartering paddocks adjacent to the Escort Way and 2 weeks ago followed a pair from this road S along Gavin's Lane. Rosemary Stapleton
Wed 21 Mar	Chestnut-rumped Heathwren Bundanoon (Morton National Park) 2 birds heard at Bonnie View - brief view of one. CRHs are always so hard to get extended views of... it's most frustrating. Other birds of note in area: Pilotbird, Superb Lyrebird, Wedge-tailed Eagle & 10 White-throated Needletails. Lorne Johnson
	Sooty Oystercatcher Freshwater Beach 1 individual observed hanging out with the seagulls at the beach Kat Chesnut
	Powerful Owl Sun Valley Has been calling regularly over the past week or so. Matthew Stephens
	Masked Owl Explosives Reserve, Castle Cove, Large pale morph Masked Owl calling then seen at 22:20 during Willoughby wildlife survey. Chris Charles, Liz Powell, Narawan Williams & surveyors
	Rainbow Bee-eater Orange Flocks of Rainbow Bee-eaters moving north from 19 March to 21 March, flock sizes estimated between 30 to 60+ birds. Neville Schrader
	Woodfield Avenue, Bundeena, Royal National Park Channel-billed Cuckoo One bird heard calling this morning around 9.00am. Parent calling to its young to pack its bags and head north perhaps? Deryk Engel
Tue 20 Mar	Spotted Harrier Kanoona, south of Bega, NSW Reported to Far South Coast Birdwatchers with photos. First seen and photographed by Roger Heffernan on 11 March taking off from lovegrass having landed briefly in paddock. Seen again on 20 March by Nalda Heffernan in same location. Previously record of one bird in Kanoona area in November 2002. Barbara Jones (FSCB)
	Powerful Owl Woodfield Avenue, Bundeena, Royal National Park One bird currently calling out the front of my house. Time is 22.25. Deryk Engel
	Musk Lorikeet Macquarie Park, Sydney Musk Lorikeets have now re-appeared for the third year in a row at Macquarie Park. I heard the distinctive calls and saw them feeding in the canopy of some trees in Fontenoy Road, one of their usual places to visit. Frank Valckenborgh
	White-throated Needletail North Parramatta Observed three birds from the bus, low (about 20-30m) sweeping towards the north ahead of a rain front. At the intersection of Macarthur Rd and Victoria Rd. (This obs. was published as it is getting towards the end of the time that Needletails are with us, most depart by the end of March -AKM Moderator). Ákos Lumnitzer
Mon 19 Mar	Freckled Duck Swamps to the north of Wanganella, Deniliquin district Ten Freckled Ducks were observed on an ephemeral swamp north of Wanganella. A lot of waterfowl spp. have returned to the Hay Plain swamps after the fantastic rainfall the area has recently received. Philip Maher
	Painted Honeyeater, Australasian Bittern Mayrung district, North-East of Deniliquin. An immature Painted Honeyeater was observed in grey mistletoe (Amyema quandong)) on boree (Acacia pendula) in the Mayrung area. The last Painted Honeyeater sightings in the Deniliquin area were in mid December 2011. Also out at Mayrung was an Australasian Bittern in a rice crop. Philip Maher
	Ground Cuckoo-Shrike Griffith Airport 4 Ground Cuckoo-shrike observed at Griffith Airport today. One bird flew by initially, calling, and was then followed by three more which were being harassed by Magpies. David Parker
Sun 18 Mar	Rainbow Bee-eater flock Kurrajong Heights On 18/3/12 at 13:30 I was alerted by the persistent calling of Rainbow Bee-eaters in a group of around twenty flying 50+ meters high - easy to identify from shape, flight pattern and trilling calls that were constantly made. It appears that they were on their way north. Ákos Lumnitzer
	Red-necked Avocet, Masked Lapwing Goran Lake, 30 km south of Gunnedah NSW 2380 About 500 Red-necked Avocets are still present at Goran Lake (as reported earlier). A peculiarity during this visit to Goran Lake was that there were also round about 500(!) Masked Lapwings foraging in a large mudflat (recently dried-up section of the Lake). They were scattered over the area, so hard to document in a photo. Attached PART of the Avocet population resting on a contour bank (in total there may be about 3 to 4 times as many). Michael Dahlem
	Rufous Fantail Petersham (Inner West, Sydney) In a Lilly-Pilly in a small garden attached to a block of units right on a main drag ( 43-45 Livingstone Rd). Ted Nixon
	Wandering Whistling ducks Belmore River ( Nr Smithtown) nsw. One Pair with 12 Ducklings. Bellengen Birders per Allen Hamilton
	Grey Goshawk Wolli Creek Regional Park (inner west, Sydney) Two Grey Goshawks seen soaring just over the treetops along the track that follows Wolli Creek in Earlwood. This is the second time I have seen them at this site. Also present were at least two Brown Goshawks, and at point I had four goshawks above my head - great to see these birds of prey in the inner city. Alistair Poore
Sat 17 Mar	Pacific Bazas (2) Oatley Park Almost a year since I saw 3 Pacific Bazas in the same area near the oval. Last year's sighting was the first in Oatley Park since I began observations in1973. In adjacent Lime Kiln Bay wetlands, I saw a pair of Yellow Robins and 3 Rufous Fantails and a Grey Fantail. Also, many Golden Whistlers. Dave Koffel
Fri 16 Mar	Rufous Fantail 'Kooragindi', Koorawatha...near Cowra Single Rufous Fantail in a ack Cypress forest. Lovely views. Didn't hang around for long......many kms to go for northern migration ? (agreed : Moderator ) John French & Fiona Lumsden
	Ringed Plover, Oriental Plover, Wandering Tattler Norfolk Is. 2899 Richard Holdaway, John & Sue O'Malley

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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