Birdline NSW Weekly Update

Birdline NSW

Published sightings for the week ending 13 May 2012.

Sun 13 May	Buff-banded Rail Warrowa Avenue/Avondale Golf Course, Pymble An adult Buff-banded Rail ran out from some thick grass near a retention dam on the edge of Avondale GC, then moved through my backyard and into a small creek where it fed for the next few minutes before going out of view. This is the first time i have recorded this species here. Max de Beer
	Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo Centennial Park, Randwick Just a note of interest, have noticed flocks of up to about 25 birds flying over Randwick this week while at work, but was amazed to see in excess of 200 birds today at the park, what a noise !!! Chris Pollard
	Wedge-tailed Eagle Penrith Lakes area Observed an adult male (I think based on size compared to attacking Raven) at 07:00 battling the strong morning westerlies as he flew across the lakes towards the escarpment. Ákos Lumnitzer
Sat 12 May	Black-bellied Storm-Petrel Sydney pelagic trip A Black-bellied Storm-Petrel was the avian highlight of an otherwise fairly quiet day on the ocean. The cetacean highlight was a pod of 30+ False Killer Whales, the first we have seen off Sydney for at least two years. Roger McGovern and all on the Halicat
Fri 11 May	Plumed Whistle Ducks 45.5km south of Quambone 150 + birds at a small lake. Steve Edwards
	Regent Honeyeaters and Swift Parrots Werakata NP, Kitchener (sth of Cessnock) 7 Regent Honeyeaters and 30 Swift Parrots along a short trail coming off the Kearsley South Fire Trail, Spotted Gum flowering well. Steve Roderick
	Wedge-Tailed Eagle Albion Park, NSW 2 wedge tailed eagles circling above the southern part of albion park that backs onto Jamberoo road. I have no doubt one of them is the same one that I have seen living on Tallawarra Point near Yallah. I saw it once and accidentally came only a few feet away from it. Then I saw what surely must be the same one fly over a car I was passenger in, coming from the direction of Tallawarra. Looks like the ol' fellah's found himself a mate. Patrick Davis
Thu 10 May	Figbirds (4) Lime Kiln Bay adjacent to Oatley Park Figbirds are coming to LKB much more regularly having been some years ago only an occasional visitor. Recently a flock of more than 20 were seen by me. It consisted of males, females and juveniles. Dave Koffel
	Restless Flycatcher, Australian Reed Warbler & Brown Quail Eastlakes Golf Course, Pagewood On a balmy May afternoon, I was surprised to see a Restless Flycatcher performing well and singing. Also in full song was an Australian Reed Warbler. Other species noted 4 species of Egret, a family party of Brown Quail, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Lewin's Rail (heard) and some noisy Figbirds. David Mitford
	Powerful Owl Powerful OwlGalaringi Reserve Evans rd Dundas single owl back roosting in previously reported tree. photographed with ringtail possum. I had last seen pair on saturday morning. photographed with brushtail possum Stephen Davey
	White-headed Pigeon Oatley Park and Lime Kiln Bay Flew very fast over the park and bay, in north west direction about an hour before dusk. It is an occasional visitor to the park but this time it didn't stop. Also saw male Golden Whistler in LKB area. Dave Koffel
	Beautiful Firetail Dharawal National Park, Darkes Forest Four Beautiful Firetails seen on Maddens Falls track off Darkes Forest Road, about 20 meters before the falls. Greg Smith
	Pale Headed Rosella Port Macquarie I too have spotted the Pale Headed Rosella (a couple of times) just like Tim Morris 9/5 #130397. It has also been spotted (by my neighbour) with an Eastern Rosella so perhaps they may be mating? Unfortunately no photo. Paul Barry
	Grey Goshawk, white and grey morphs Wyong River, Wyong I stopped at a small reserve on River Rd to check out a flock of rainbow lorikeets feeding in spotted gums (on the off chance of spotting a swiftie!). After a couple of minutes the lorikeets burst out of the trees and I noticed a grey morph Grey Goshawk soaring over the tree tops. It landed in a Casuarina on the southern bank, and then I spotted a white morph grey goshawk sitting in a tall gum behind it. The white morph then flew upstream being harassed by magpies. Nick Carson
Wed 9 May	Square-tailed Kite Circling over Wyong Rd at Mingara Sports Complex, Tumbi Umbi Yet another STK, this time an adult plumage bird, seen circling over well treed suburbs in the Bateau Bay- Killarney Vale-Berkeley Vale & Tumbi Umbi area of Wyong Shire. Alan Morris
	Scarlet Honeyeaters (2 male), Bassian Thrush and Golden Whistler (male) Near Waterfall train station about 100 mts along Uloola Track an hour before dusk.. Very spectacular plumage on the males. Dave Koffel
	Grey Falcon, Bourke's Parrot Sturt National Park Grey Falcon seen in southern section of NP. Three Bourke's Parrot in a dry tree-lined creek. Tim Faulkner, John Weigel, Scott Ryan
	Regent Honeyeaters,Swift Parrots, Black-Chinned Honeyeaters Werakata NP, Kitchener (sth of Cessnock) 4 Regents possibly 5 and 5 Swift Parrots seen about 400m along a trail that comes off the Kearsly South Fire Trail. 2 Regents were feeding in Spotted Gum blossom, Swift Parrots also feeding on Spotty Blossom. Also a high count of 13 Black-Chinned Honeyeaters in one tree, plus a swag of other speices. Steve Roderick
	Pale Headed Rosella Port Macquarie A Pale Headed Rosella was in my garden this morning. Presumably an escapee it was however feeding in a Cheese Tree with an Eastern Rosella and acting like a wild bird. Tim Morris
Tue 8 May	Powerful Owl Rumbalara Reserve, Springfield A pair of Powerful Owls heard calling at 8:30pm. One (female?) on the western side of the ridge called twice, but the other (male?) called repetitively for 20 minutes. At a guess, they were approximately 500 metres apart. Nick Carson
	White-bellied Sea-Eagle Cornwells lane Richmond lowlands Two White-Bellied Sea-Eagle's Cornwallis lane Richmond lowlands Tony Dawe
	Wedge-tailed Eagle Cornwallis Lane Cornwallis Saw two Wedge-tailed Eagles, two White-bellied Sea-Eagles, one Brown Falcon, one Nankeen Kestre,l two Black-shouldered Kites, 6 Australasian Pipits, and two Restless Flycatchers, all within Cornwallis Lane Tony Dawe
	Varied Sittella Wells/Morella Close Reserve, Erina Creek 10+ ind. foraging in Casuarina glauca. Warren Brown
	Barn Owl North West Business Park, Bella Vista A Barn Owl was in a tree between 5 Celebration Drive and the lake this morning. Still there at 10am and being harassed by Noisy Miners and White-plumed Honeyeaters. There is a drain running from the car park to the lake and the owl is in the tree closest to the water. Adrian Dick
Mon 7 May	Swift Parrot Pelton sector of Werakata SCA 7 Swifties seen and heard flushing from flowering Spotted Gums, with some other calls possibly indicating other birds. Plenty of Spotted Gum in flower and more-than-plenty Little Lorikeets (100+) and Noisy Friarbirds in attendance, along with White-napes, Fuscous etc. Mick and Steve Roderick
	Glossy Ibis,Comb-crested Jacana Casino Wetlands, Queensland Rd 70+ Glossy Ibis and 25+ Comb-crested Jacanas in the swampland on the northern side of Queensland Rd. There was also a lot of breeding activity by Black Swans (3 prs with cygnets, several prs on nests and others displaying). Rob Morrow
	Sooty Oystercatcher x 2 Rocky headland opposite Brush Island, south of Bawley Point via Ulladulla presumably the same pair (or their descendants) that I have been seeing for several years at the same location. May be one of the pairs reported to have bred in the last year on Brush Island Wayne Gregson
	Brush Bronzewing Mason Park, North Strathfield Relocated today with David James. Poor photograph attached. Note chestnut brow and blue grey underparts. Very shy-on sports field side. Dion Hobcroft
Sun 6 May	Beautiful Firetail, Crescent Honeyeater Kings tableland, Blue Mountains During a visit of an hour or so to the above location late on Sunday afternoon hightlights were at least 2 Beautiful Firetails and a Crescent Honeyeater. Paul Johnstone
	Black Noddy Termeil Beach, south of Ulladulla NSW One seen on beach, a long way from home. Leslie Reddacliff (reported by Margaret Hamon)
	Koel Cuckoo Port Macquarie Two separate juvenile birds still present in Port Macquarie, one at Lyndale Ave and the other at Gray Street. Would have thought they would have all moved on by now but both birds still begging for food. The parents must have been lucky to find early/late Little Wattlebird hosts. Tim Morris
	Regent Honeyeater Werakata NP, Kitchener (sth of Cessnock) Two, possibly three Regent Honeyeater's seen about 100m along the Kearsley South Fire Trail yesterday afternoon. One bird an immature. Some Spotted Gum in the area with many Noisy Friarbirds present. Not seen this afternoon however. Darren Lyons per Mick Roderick
	Little Eagle Shellharbour Stadium, Albion Park Light morph Little Eagle being duly harrassed by a single Peregrine Falcon in a high thermal above the Croom Rd sporting complex. The Little Eagle was sighted again on the 7/5/12 resting on a light pole above a roundabout at the Shellharbour Stadium Nigel Coghlan
	White-bellied Sea Eagle took Chestnut Teal. Ash Island - Swan pond - 14.00 - Sunset Good number of Raptor species - Black-shouldered Kite, Whistling Kite, Swamp Harrier, Nankeen Kestrel and White-bellied Sea Eagle. Highlight was watching a Sea Eagle flush the ducks and snatching what think was a Chestnut Teal before flying off with it. Looks like Yellow Wagtail has gone. Tom Rambaut
	Brush Bronzewing Mason Park, North Strathfield Flushed a juvenile bronzewing this morning on sportsfield side in dense Acacia. Amazing. Perched views for 10 mins at 10 metres. Two bands of bronzed feathers in med-greater coverts, buff forehead sharply demarcated from crown not showing spur over eyes of Common, short tail, chestnut in flight feathers, small size confirm ID. Returned with camera flushed bird twice but could not get a view or photo. Try tomorrow. Also two female -plumaged Golden Whistlers, Brown Goshawk and Brown Quail. Dion Hobcroft
Sat 5 May	Regent Honeyeater, Swift Parrot Glen Davis and Glen Alice Roads, Capertee Valley A couple of Regent Honeyeaters were first detected by a local resident on a private property along Glen Davis Rd on the 27-04. Surveys in that area on the 5-05 found a flock of 17 birds (and seen again 6-05), including at least two immature birds. Also present (twice) was a single Swift Parrot. These (plus many other nectar-sippers) were feeding in flowering White Box. On the afternoon of the 5-05 at the end of the tree-planting along Glen Davis Rd, two RH's were heard/seen in flowering White Box just south of the Port Macquarie Rd intersection. Mick Roderick, Dean Ingwersen, Iain Patterson et al
	Swift Parrot Challenger Track, Kuring-gai Chase National Park 1 Swift Parrot found at the beginning of the challenger trail. It was originally seen flying over head and calling giving brief views. On return to the trail (approx. 1.15pm) it flew out from some eucalypts near the start of the trail, calling again and gave better views this time. On the nearby basin trail, a Chestnut-rumped Heathwren was located after some searching and Tawny-crowned Honeyeaters were heard in the general area. Max de Beer
Wed 2 May	Noisy Pitta Martinsville near Cooranbong A Noisy Pitta was being attacked by an Australian Magpie near the "Save the Gouldian Finch" Research Station at Martinsville and was rescue by the staff. It was kept safe over night, fed up on meal worms and released next day in a shelted area. Noisy Pittas have not been seen previously at this site. Mike Fidler per Alan Morris
Tue 1 May	Double-banded Plover Lake Cullival nr Urana Two groups of about 12 birds in each group seen along with Red-necked Avocets at this nornally dry lake, which has filled as a result of recent heavy rain. (Moderator's Note: During wet years in inland NSW, Double-banded Plovers are known to move into the region expecially to places like Lake Bathurst and Fivebough Swamp.AKM) Charlie Webb
Mon 30 Apr	Gang Gang Cockatoo Kyola Road, Kulnura NSW A pair heard for an hour followed by a sighting as they flew over. Near Kyola Road, Kulnura, NSW Chris Geagea
Sat 28 Apr	Australian Spotted Crake, Black-tailed Native-hen Junee STW A single Australian Spotted Crake was seen with 11 Black-fronted Dotterels, 6 Black-tailed Native-hens and some Dusky Moorhens at the edge of a patch of cumbungi, at the Junee STW (outside the fence!). A flock of Goldfinches and 4 Black-shouldered Kites were also present. Alan Morris & members Follow That Bird Tour.

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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