Another family trip, this time to Sydney and my in-laws property in the
Hunter Valley. Nothing totally unexpected but 158 species seen with 36 species
added to my annual list. Some of the spring migrants had returned but a few I
was counting on (Brush Cuckoo, Cicadabird) appeared to not have returned yet –
these will probably not make my annual list this year as I suspect I won’t be
heading east for an extended period again this year. Below is a daily account
and a list of species.
26/9 – Drove (with two boys) from Mildura to Yass, with stops in Balranald
(briefly), Hay and Wagga Wagga. Four Regent Parrots west of Euston and two
Superb Parrots at Tubbo Station were probably the highlights, with a single
Spotted Harrier on the Hay Plain another good sighting. At the motel in Yass, a
resident was providing feed with a few Rainbow and one Musk Lorikeet present at
the feeder.
27/9 – Drove from Yass to Pennant Hills (northern Sydney) with the only
Peregrine Falcon, Chestnut Teal and Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo of the trip
seen
at different points along the freeway. Walked in Lane Cove National Park and
saw the usual woodland species with Red-whiskered Bulbul the main target. A
single Dollarbird perched on wires had probably arrived that day.
28/9 – A trip into Redfern to see a dinosaur show didn’t leave much
time for birding but Pacific Koels were heard at both Pennant Hills and
Redfern. In the afternoon we drove to my in-laws property at Paynes Crossing,
half way between Wollombi and Broke on Wollombi Brook in the southern Hunter
Valley where we were based for the next five days.
29/9 – A strong north westerly blew most of the day so wasn’t great (or
safe) for birding. Bee-eaters had already returned and the other highlights
were a pair of Brown Quail and calling White-throated Nightjar in the evening
(the
only night I heard them).
30/9 – Better weather and more species added, best bird was probably Striped
Honeyeater which have only been present at the property (as far as I can tell)
for the last couple of years. A drive in Broke to watch the NRL Grand Final
added a few waterbirds including the only Black-winged Stilt of the trip.
1/10 – Spent the day on the property and the first Leaden Flycatcher
arrived and then seemed to keep going. Other good birds seen were
Chestnut-rumped Heathwren (my first record for the area), Varied Sittella and
Bassian Thrush.
2/10 – White-naped Honeyeater was the only species added on Paynes
Crossing, but a tip to Pokolbin for wineries and lunch added Sacred Kingfisher
(in Broke) and the only Australian Hobby of the trip. In the end didn’t get to
Ash Island, but thanks to those who responded to my RFI so quickly while I was
away.
3/10 – The last full day at Paynes Crossing and no new species added
for the trip. I was hoping that some of the spring migrants would have arrived
by now, but was not to be. The only other regular species I failed to find was
Buff-rumped Thornbill, and I hoped to jag a late robin, but these had all
departed.
4/10 – Left early to head first to the Central Coast to visit my
grandmother and then back to Sydney. Bell Miners were calling near Wollombi
(the resident flock on Paynes Crossing appears to have moved on), Australasian
Figbirds at Ettalong while the kids had a swim were a bonus (Mallards less so)
and the resident Brush-turkeys (including active mound) were at my Nana’s at
Pearl Beach (though the Glossy Black-cockatoos weren’t about this time). In the
evening headed back to Pennant Hills.
5/10 – Spent the day travelling to the city, catching up with some
friends and visiting the Australian Museum, so not much chance for birding and
no new species added.
6/10 – A quick walk in Lane Cove NP added White-cheeked Honeyeater, but
the rest of the day was spent visiting ‘The Shire’ for a friend’s 40th.
Was hoping to get down to Cronulla beforehand, but the weather wasn’t suitable
so didn’t add any coastal seabirds.
7/10 – A BBQ lunch at Bobbin Head added Rock Warbler, more
White-cheeked Honeyeaters (in mangroves) and surprisingly a small flock of
White-browed Woodswallows overhead.
8/10 – The first day of the return journey, driving from Sydney to Hay,
with stops at Goulburn and Wagga Wagga. A few species added including both
Songlarks and European Goldfinch.
9/10 – A short drive from Hay to Mildura with a short break in the park
at Balranald. Added seven species on the last morning, with Royal Spoonbill a
bonus, Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo always nice and thankfully a couple of
Australian Pipits on the Hay Plain.
Cheers,Peter
The following list uses my dodgy list with the codes as follows *
Addition to annual list, 1 Only seen on one day this trip, PX seen
at Paynes Crossing, and the date referring to the first date seen. Note are
added for spring migrants (though very few likely to be arrival dates) and for
all species listed as threatened in NSW.
1.
Emu 26/9
2.
Australian Brush-turkey* 4/10
3.
Brown Quail*1 PX 29/9
4.
Black Swan 26/9
5.
Australian Wood Duck 26/9
6.
Mallard1 4/10
7.
Pacific Black Duck 26/9
8.
Grey Teal PX 26/9
9.
Chestnut Teal1 27/9
10.
Hardhead 30/9
11.
Australasian Grebe 26/9
12.
Australian White Ibis 26/9
13.
Straw-necked Ibis 30/9
14.
Royal Spoonbill*1 9/10 In
a roadside pond on the Hay Plain with the following species.
15.
Yellow-billed Spoonbill 26/9
16.
Cattle Egret* 26/9
17.
White-necked Heron PX 26/9
18.
Great Egret 26/9
19.
White-faced Heron PX 26/9
20.
Australian Pelican PX 26/9
21.
Little Pied Cormorant PX 26/9
22.
Little Black Cormorant PX 30/9
23.
Great Cormorant PX 26/9
24.
Australian Kestrel PX 26/9
25.
Australian Hobby1 2/10
26.
Brown Falcon 26/9
27.
Peregrine Falcon1 27/9
28.
Black-shouldered Kite PX 26/9
29.
Black Kite 26/9
30.
Whistling Kite 26/9
31.
Spotted Harrier1 26/9 At
the junction of Maude Road and Sturt Highway on the Hay Plain.
32.
Brown Goshawk 8/10 Tried my hardest to turn this bird
soaring over the M2 into a Pacific Baza!
33.
Wedge-tailed Eagle PX 8/10
34.
Purple Swamphen1 30/9
35.
Dusky Moorhen 28/9
36.
Eurasian Coot 30/9
37.
Black-winged Stilt1 30/9
38.
Masked Lapwing PX 26/9
39.
Silver Gull 28/9
40.
Rock Dove 26/9
41.
Spotted Turtle-dove 26/9
42.
Common Bronzewing PX 26/9
43.
Crested Pigeon PX 26/9
44.
Wonga Pigeon* PX 29/9
45.
Bar-shouldered Dove* PX 30/9
46.
Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo*1 27/9
47.
Gang-gang Cockatoo PX 27/9 A pair flew
across the Hume Highway near Berrima and another was heard at Paynes Crossing.
48.
Galah 26/9
49.
Little Corella 26/9
50.
Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo1 9/10 At least one bird in a
flock of cockatoos feeding in wheat
near the western edge of the Hay Plain.
51.
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo PX 26/9
52.
Cockatiel1 26/9
53.
Rainbow Lorikeet 26/9
54.
Musk Lorikeet 26/9
55.
Australian Ringneck1 26/9
56.
Crimson Rosella 26/9 Both Yellow and Crimson races seen.
57.
Eastern Rosella PX 26/9
58.
Blue Bonnet 26/9
59.
Red-rumped Parrot 26/9
60.
Mulga Parrot1 9/10
61.
Australian King Parrot PX 27/9
62.
Regent Parrot1 26/9 Four flew
across the Sturt Highway just west of Euston.
63.
Superb Parrot 26/9 Three sightings along the Sturt Highway –
2 at Tubbo Station on 26/9, 4 near Forest Hill (Wagga) on 8/10 and 1 at
Gillenbah on the same day.
64.
Fan-tailed Cuckoo* PX 27/9
65.
Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoo PX 30/9 At
least three birds seen at Paynes Crossing.
66.
Shining Bronze-cuckoo* PX 29/9 Heard
a number of times at Paynes Crossing.
67.
Pacific Koel* PX 28/9 First heard at Pennant Hills and later near
Redfern Station on the same day. Called at Paynes Crossing only on the 4/10 and
common in Ettalong the same day.
68.
Channel-billed Cuckoo* PX 30/9 Heard
late in the evening and again the next morning – 3 seen at Paynes Crossing on
4/10 and first heard at Pennant Hills on 8/10.
69.
Barn Owl1 26/9 Roadkills only.
70.
Southern Boobook PX 27/9
71.
White-throated Nightjar*1 PX 29/9 Surprisingly,
only heard the one night at Paynes Crossing.
72.
Dollarbird* PX 27/9 One
seen at Pennant Hills in the evening and one heard at Paynes Crossing only on
1/10 (passing through?).
73.
Laughing Kookaburra PX 26/9
74.
Sacred Kingfisher PX 2/10 One seen
on powerlines at Broke, then heard the next day at Paynes Crossing. Another
seen at Wagga Wagga on 8/10.
75.
Rainbow Bee-eater PX 29/9 Probably
arrived at Paynes Crossing before we did?
76.
Superb Lyrebird* PX 29/9
77.
White-throated Treecreeper PX 27/9
78.
Variegated Fairy-wren PX 27/9
79.
Superb Fairy-wren PX 26/9
80.
White-winged Fairy-wren1 9/10
81.
Spotted Pardalote PX 27/9
82.
Striated Pardalote PX 29/9
83.
Rock Warbler*1 7/10
84.
Chestnut-rumped Heathwren*1 PX 1/10 A new species for my
list at Paynes Crossing with three birds
(probably a pair and a young bird) seen on an afternoon walk.
85.
Speckled Warbler* PX 29/9 Common at
Paynes Crossing with at least 4 pairs recorded.
86.
White-browed Scrubwren PX 27/9
87.
Brown Gerygone* 27/9
88.
White-throated Gerygone* PX 29/9 Heard
every day at Paynes Crossing.
89.
Brown Thornbill* PX 27/9
90.
Yellow-rumped Thornbill PX 26/9
91.
Yellow Thornbill PX 29/9
92.
Striated Thornbill* PX 27/9
93.
Yellow-faced Honeyeater PX 27/9
94.
Singing Honeyeater1 9/10
95.
White-eared Honeyeater PX 1/10
96.
Yellow-tufted Honeyeater* PX 29/9
97.
Yellow-plumed Honeyeater1 9/10
98.
White-plumed Honeyeater 26/9
99.
Lewin’s Honeyeater* PX 30/9
100.
Bell Miner* 4/10
101.
Noisy Miner PX 26/9
102.
Yellow-throated Miner 26/9
103.
Blue-faced Honeyeater PX 26/9
104.
Brown-headed Honeyeater PX 30/9
105.
White-naped Honeyeater*1 PX 2/10
106.
Little Friarbird1 8/10
107.
Noisy Friarbird PX 26/9
108.
Striped Honeyeater PX 30/9
109.
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater 26/9
110.
Little Wattlebird* 27/9
111.
Red Wattlebird 26/9
112.
New Holland Honeyeater 27/9
113.
White-cheeked Honeyeater* 6/10
114.
Eastern Spinebill 27/9
115.
Eastern Yellow Robin PX 27/9
116.
Jacky Winter PX 29/9
117.
Grey-crowned Babbler PX 30/9 At least one group
(of three birds) present at Paynes Crossing.
118.
Eastern Whipbird* PX 27/9
119.
Varied Sittella1 PX 1/10 One
group only seen at Paynes Crossing.
120.
Golden Whistler PX 27/9
121.
Rufous Whistler PX 29/9
122.
Great Shrike-thrush PX 29/9
123.
Grey Fantail PX 27/9
124.
Willie Wagtail PX 26/9
125.
Magpie-lark PX 26/9
126.
Leaden Flycatcher* PX 1/10 Heard on two
occasions at Paynes Crossing (1 & 3/10) and in the mangroves at Bobbin Head
(7/10)
127.
Grey Butcherbird PX 27/9
128.
Pied Butcherbird PX 26/9
129.
Australian Magpie PX 26/9
130.
Pied Currawong PX 27/9
131.
White-breasted Woodswallow 26/9 Only
in Mildura.
132.
White-browed Woodswallow1 7/10 A
flock of about 20 at Bobbin Head!
133.
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike PX 26/9
134.
Australasian Figbird*1 4/10
135.
Olive-backed Oriole* PX 30/9
136.
Australian Raven 26/9
137.
Little Raven 26/9
138.
White-winged Chough PX 26/9
139.
Apostlebird 26/9
140.
Satin Bowerbird* PX 30/9
141.
Bassian Thrush* PX 1/10
142.
Eurasian Blackbird 26/9
143.
Common Starling 26/9
144.
Common Myna PX 27/9
145.
Welcome Swallow PX 26/9
146.
Fairy Martin 26/9 On the Hay Plain (have been back a while
though).
147.
Tree Martin PX 30/9
148.
Red-whiskered Bulbul*1 27/9
149.
Silvereye PX 27/9
150.
Australian Reed-warbler1 8/10
151.
Rufous Songlark1 8/10 Calling
in Wagga Wagga (but have been back a while).
152.
Brown Songlark 8/10
153.
Mistletoebird PX 30/9
154.
House Sparrow 26/9
155.
Australian Pipit1 9/10 2
on the Hay Plain only.
156.
Red-browed Finch PX 30/9
157.
Double-barred Finch*1 30/9
158.
European Goldfinch*1 8/10
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