Birdline NSW Weekly Update

Birdline NSW

Published sightings for the week ending 6 May 2012.

Sun 6 May	Powerful Owl Elanora Heights, Sydney The owl is in the grounds of the Elanora Heights Primary School and has apparently been seen there for the last 10 days. Many thanks to Alan Foster for advising the location. Ivan Chapman
	Great Crested Grebe Lake Cargelligo Over 400 birds counted on the main lake - the largest group I have ever seen. Apart from the grebes, there were just a few Darter, Whiskered Tern and Silver Gull but no ducks as there is plenty of water everywhere. Max O'Sullivan
Sat 5 May	Malleefowl (2) Round Hill Nature Reserve 2 birds were seen on the edge of the sealed Euabalong-Mt Hope Rd. just down from the Round Hill Lookout. We stopped and watched them for 5 minutes before they disappeared and 2 minutes later walked out onto the bitumen and crossed in their usual regal way. The area had had 120mms of rain on the Tuesday so the unsealed roads were very boggy. Max O'Sullivan
	Red-necked Avocet Kooragang Wetlands Quick update from yesterday, no signs of Yellow Wagtail, but Avocets in good numbers along with a dozen or so Black-fronted Dotterel, no signs of Australian Shelduck or Shovelers.Lots of Australian Pipit and Swamp Harriers. The highlight for me was a flyover by a male Hobby Chris Pollard
	Wedge-tailed Eagle Penrith Station At 11:15 this morning my wife and I observed two adult Wedge-tailed Eagles flying north (quite low) over the station and Petbarn areas while engaging in aerial combat. There was no actual talon grappling, but the male (flying lower) was often turning upside down and threw his talons out at the female above him. They were dutifully escorted by a small party of Australian Ravens. Ákos Lumnitzer
Thu 3 May	Tawny Frogmouth Annandale St, Annandale Heard calling and then seen on top of the light pole near our house at about 8.30pm. A first for us in almost 20 years in Annandale. Allan and Rosie Pidgeon
	Black-winged Stilt fresh water pond to the east of Lake Road 3km nw of Bungendore 3 birds feeding amongst a variety of species including Wood Duck, Australian Shelduck, Pacific Black Duck and up to 20 White-faced Herons Wayne Gregson
	Topknot Pigeon Hunters hill Topknot pigeon chased from fig tree at Hunters Hill Tony Dawe
	Barn Owl Broadmeadow Opened my blinds this morning to this fellow about a meter away from me behind the glass. Perched in a small tree about a meter off the ground. When I went to leave the house 5 hours later it was still there. Thomas Boyle
	Wandering Whistling Duck, King Creek Swamp, Wauchope We counted 103 birds with probably more hidden behind other birds and vegetation. There was also a Jacana feeding at the water's edge, close to the road. Clive Meadows & Louise Earnshaw
Wed 2 May	Glossy Black-Cockatoo Goulburn River National Park (Lees Pinch) Two birds observed, one juvenile and one adult. Birds observed south of the car park at Lees Pinch feeding in Casuarina trees. Deryk Engel and Paul Burcher
	Albert's Lyrebird Urlaba Nature Reserve, south east of Alstonville NSW 2 males regularly heard calling over the past month. Mostly confined to the rainforest patches although birds occasionally heard in adjacent wet sclerophyll forests. David Charley
	Yellow Wagtail, Australian Shelducks etc. Ash Island, Newcastle A single Yellow Wagtail and a pair of Australian Shelducks are still present as reported last week. Other birds of interest included at least 75 Red-necked Avocets and 9 Australian Shovellers. Peter Madvig & Paul Johnstone
	Ostrich 5.5k's west of Cnr Barham/Deniliquin Rd. & Barham/Moama Rd. Two adult birds & six well developed young just inside fence on north side of road. Very flighty. Another adult about 1/2 k further east and a further pair another K or so again while driving towards Deniliquin. Seem to be unconstrained birds. Dick & Margaret Wellington
	Topknot Pigeon Lisarow Over 100 birds in a number flocks. Allan Richardson
Tue 1 May	Regent Parrot Euston 4 Regent Parrots flying over vineyards , then over the Sturt Highway into the Red Gum forests, and continued to fly towards the Murray River at Robinvale (Vic). Rita Johnston-Lord & 6 Follow That Bird birders.
	Black Falcon Balranald Showground and race track Single Black Falcon harassed Galahs, Starlings, Red-rumped Parrots and Yellow Rosellas during an early morning visit to the Showground. Alan Morris & 4 Follow That Bird birders
	Square-tailed Kite South West Rocks Square-tailed Kite (1) In South West Rocks village, being harassed by a Magpie-lark Roger Giller
	Square-tailed Kite Pheasants Nest One bird soaring by the Hume Highway's southbound lanes, a little south of the Mobil service station. Lorne Johnson
	Gang gang Cockatoo Barren Grounds Late afternoon produced a couple of Gang Gang Cockatoos near the service track entrance 100m from the car park. Also 2 Eastern Bristlebirds active on the main trail in this area. Ground Parrot heard calling a few times in the distance SW of the service track from 1734-1740. Nigel Coghlan
	Little Eagle Tamarind Close, Richmond Hill. 8 k's E of Lismore One beautiful light phase Little Eagle soaring over valley being harrassed by the local Torresian Crows. Unusual on the North Coast. June Harris
Mon 30 Apr	Banded Lapwing, Red-need Dotterel, Balranald-Ivanhoe Rd, c 24 km N of Balranald At a small temporary wetland on the saltbush plains along this road was a pair of Red-kneed Dotterels with 4 chicks that must have only been a few days old, a Hoary-headed Grebe, 5 Banded Lapwings, White-fronted Chats, White-winged Fairy-wrens, Grey Teal & Black Ducks and other waterbirds. Alan Morris & 6 Follow That Bird birders
	Orange Chat, White-fronted Chat, White-backed Swallow Mungo Lake, Mungio National Park, via Balranald Glorious seasonal conditions prevail at Mungo National Park, this usually bleak dry place is looking so green and well vegetated at present. At a site towards the east side of Mungo Lake, there were 20+ Orange Chats including 6+ coloured males, 10+ White-fronted Chats, Emus with large young, 2 Black-shoulderded Kites, Pipits and closer to the lunette , 4 White-backed Swallows., Alan Morris and 6 Follow That bird birders
	Eurasian Skylark Edgells Lane Wetland, Bathurst Eurasian Skylark (20) large number calling and in song flight, in cut lucerne across road from wetland. Neville Schrader
	Magpie Goose Narrandera Wetlands Two magpie geese seen Sandra Henderson/Michael Robbins
	Blue-faced Honeyeater Cambridge Gardens, near Penrith. One adult perched in neighbour's silky oak, calling at 06:20. It then flew off to another group of trees nearby. Incidentally, I have been following the resident White-bellied Sea Eagles near Castlereagh for about 18 months now. They were out (third time in six days) flying around together (male/female). Yesterday morning they were flying low, calling to each other, female higher than male. This morning they were perched side-by-side on a dead tree about 150m from their newly built nest, calling and allopreening for 16 minutes before both flew off downstream, then female turned back and flew upstream about 30m above river calling for nearly one kilometer. Also observed a Little Egret flying through between lakes. Ákos Lumnitzer
Sun 29 Apr	Black Falcon, Yellow Rosella, Little Friarbird, Sacred Kingfisher the Bridge at Hay, Murrumbidge River Single Black Falcon observed high over the Murrumbidgee River at Hay. Other birds present included possible overstaying Sacred Kingfisher and Littke Friarbird, Also present were Yellow Rosellas, Brown Treecreeprs and Yellow-billed Spoonbill. Alan Morris & 6 Follow That Bird birders.
	Topknot Pigeon near Uralba Nature Reserve, south east of Alstonville NSW A large flock of 600 - 700 birds flying south along escarpment edge. Smaller part of main flock (100+ birds) left main flock and flew down into the forests of the nature reserve. The largest flock I have seen in this area since the early 1990's. David Charley
Sat 28 Apr	Scarlet Robin, Rose Robin & Speckled Warbler Decker VC Rest Area, Towrang near Goulburn During a 20 minute stop at the Decker VC Rest Area caught up with a mixed flock of birds passing through the woodland including male Rose Robin, pair of Scarlet Robins, 6 Buff-rumped Thornbills, 2 Speckled Warblers, Yellow, Brown & Yellow-rumped Thornbills, 14 White-winged Choughs etc. 20 species all told. Alan Morris & 6 Follow That Bird participants
Fri 27 Apr	Chestnut-breasted Mannikin, Rose Robin Scheyville A small flock of adults and juveniles in the paddock behind and below the old barracks building. Also male Rose Robins at Newman Rd. Maraylya, and Scheyville [tract opposite Whitmore Rd] Ted Nixon and Ian McAllan

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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