Hi all
I visited the above reserves this morning from about 6:30-9:30am, having not
been since late December. There's obviously been a fair bit of water
through and there is a lot of good looking mud about. Also, the Swamp
Mahoganies look like they have lots of buds - the first few are blossoming
already, attracting Scarlet Honeyeaters and Musk as well as Rainbow
Lorikeets. Other good sightings/hearings were:
- a single Buff Banded Rail seen in Irrawong at the first little bridge with
railings
- an immature Rufous Fantail seen up by the waterfall.
- a big gang of Golden Whistlers (possibly 2 separate family groups - at
least 10 birds including 4 coloured males) having a whistling contest at the
Cabbage Tree glade in Irrawong (I looked for a predator that might be
causing the consternation but there was nothing moving - I think it was
either territorial or just rowdiness!)
- an immature Black Faced Monarch seen by playground just outside Warriewood
wetlands track.
- an Intermediate Egret at the wetlands catching tiny fish and tadpoles;
- a Shining Bronze Cuckoo called from the row of trees on the south side.
A couple of close calls too - I could hear a , a crake (or rail) calling
from deep cover off the boardwalk but it wasn't coming out. A raptor
appeared two or three times which put the wind up the lorikeets, but I was
under the trees at the time and didn't get a good look - from size I would
guess at Collared Sparrowhawk but I only got one fleeting glimpse.
I could see no sign of previously reported Powerful Owls (assuming I'm
looking in the right trees at the waterfall end of the Irrawong Track before
one reaches the waterfall and not supposed to be looking on the far side of
the creek).
On my way home I saw a "small" Raven calling near the Baha'i Temple at
Terrey Hills - it was flicking its wings as it called. Are there Little
ravens in that part of Sydney - can't recall having seen them before when
birding Chiltern Track or other areas nearby? Unfortunately i couldn't stop
for a closer look as I was in the car and the lights went green so I had to
move on.
Finally, if somebody who reads this forum has visited this site recently and
lost a small camera case with two memory cards in side (1 was a Kodak card),
it was attached to a tree on the Irrawong Track just at the north end of
Irrawong Drive.
Cheers
Tom Wilson
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