Birdline NSW Weekly Update

Birdline NSW

Published sightings for the week ending 30 Dec 2012.

Sun 30 Dec	Black-tailed Godwit Chittaway Bay, Lions Pk, Chittaway Creek Tim Faulkner went looking for the Great Knot and a flock of Glossy Ibis seen at this location last Friday but had no luck for either of those species but managed to photograph 6+ Black-tailed Godwits feeding with 26 Bar-tails and many Black-winged Stilts. Later in the afternoon, a further check by AM & AB found 12 Black-tailed Godwits. This is the first Central Coast report since 29/11/2003 when 10 were seen at Picnic Pt, The Entrance. 21 Glossy Ibis were reported by Rex Schmidt at the Tuggerah STW earlier in the day. Tim Faulkner, Allan Benson & Alan Morris
	Brahminy Kite Stockton Bridge, Newcastle flying high over the sandspit and bridge about noon (Moderator's Note: There has been a Brahminy Kite seen in the lower Hunter Estuary for some time now.AKM) Gabrielle Rees
	Nankeen Night-Heron Mill Pond, Sydney Airport Single Nankeen Night-Heron flushed from the General Holmes Drive side of the Mill Pond during a morning survey. It's the first I have seen here during my Sunday work surveys. Also on the Mill Pond were 150+ Eurasian Coots and 60+ Hardheads, often in mixed rafts feeding. I haven't seen this number of either species here for a very long time. The Red-kneed Dotterel mentioned by Rob Child (26 Dec) on the Engine Pond was still there on the northern exposed mud flat. I couldn't locate a second bird during my survey today. (Note: I have made semi-regular sightings of a Striated Heron along the Mill Stream from the airport side for a number of years now. Possibly the same bird that Rob sighted? It's always been very flighty when I've seen it) Nigel Coghlan
	Rufous Fantail Bundanoon 2 birds in my front yard late morning. They're not often seen in Bundanoon. I was stoked. Lorne Johnson
	Pink-eared Duck Moss Vale (livestock sale yards dam area off Berrima Rd.) 2 birds still present on dam (since report by local birders late November). 3 Red-kneed Dotterel also there. No Painted Snipe unfortunately. Lorne Johnson
	Buff-banded Rail Clark Park, Lavender Bay One Buff-banded Rail with one chick in the lower section of Clark Park James Galea
Sat 29 Dec	Banded Lapwing Richmond/Windsor Lowlands 2 adults with 4 several day-old chicks in this regular location for the species. Also seen were an Australian Hobby, a Brown and many Rufous Songlarks, and a pair of Eastern Whipbirds in rank weed growth on a turf farm far from the nearest native vegetation, my first record of them here. Eric Finley
	Black-tailed Godwit, Plumed Whistling-duck, Pink-eared Duck, others Bushell's Lagoon w of Sydney Conditions at both Wilberforce and Freemans Reach sides of Bushells are excellent with lots of exposed mud at the latter. A single Black-tailed Godwit was on a bank about midway along the lagoon, seen in flight, with 3 similarly sized resting waders which I couldn’t identify without a scope, and 2 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers in flight. Amongst many hundreds of Coot, Grey Teal, Black Duck and Wood Duck were many Chestnut Teal, 9 Pink-eared Duck, a single Plumed Tree Duck, and 4 Australian Shoveller put up by a White-bellied Sea Eagle which caught a large carp. At the Blacktown Road causeway were several Black-fronted Dotterel and 3 Red-kneed Plover. There were more Intermediate Egret than any other egret species, about 15 in total, and several White-necked Herons. Interestingly no grebes seen. Clamorous Reed Warbler numbers have dropped with the removal of the willows along the causeway. Eric Finley
	Latham's Snipe, Red-kneed Dotterel, Musk Duck Edgell's Wetland, Bathurst One Latham's Snipe seen on far (i.e. east) side of the water, female Musk Duck near Edgell's Lane side and 2 Red-kneed Dotterels amongst the ducks. Other species included Pacific Black Duck, Grey Teal, Pink-eared Duck, Australasian Shoveler, Hardhead, Australasian Grebe, Hoary-headed Grebe, Pied Cormorant, Great Cormorant, Little Black Cormorant, Eastern Great Egret, Straw-necked Ibis, Yellow Spoonbill, Dusky Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Whistling Kite, White-winged Triller (to name a few...). Tiffany Mason & Matt Skillet
	Painted Honeyeater Barry Gordon Drive, Bathurst One male calling and then seen among Blakely's Red Gum at base of Mount Panorama. Lots of Box Mistletoe around, some in flower. Also here one Diamond Firetail, plus a Peaceful Dove calling, Dusky Woodswallows (including 2 juveniles), Noisy Friarbird, Noisy Miners and Mistletoebird. Seen at S. 33 26 23, E 149 32 46 Tiffany Mason & Matt Skillet
	Beach Stone Curlew Belongil Creek West Byron Pair in close company both unbanded. Chris Charles
	Quail & Crakes Pitt Town Lagoon 4 Aust Spotted, 1 Baillons & 1 Spotless Crake seen at the NW corner of the lagoon - (NB - these birds could not be seen from the "mound"). En route to view this corner of the lagoon, several covey of quail were flushed including 8 very small birds - probably King Quail. Also 50+ Sharp Tailed Sandpipers and 1 Greenshank and large numbers of Red Kneed Dotterel. I did not see the Freckled Ducks or Glossy Ibis reported on 28/12 by Michael Ronan. 1 Baillons Crake also seen at the new(ish) Lotus Lily ponds on Pitt Town Bottoms Rd Tom Wilson
	Black Honeyeater Galore Hill Nature Reserve Black Honeyeater (1). One male seen flying out of a patch of planted flowering eremophilas a few hundred meters from the entrance gate. Speckled Warbler, Double-barred Finch, Black Falcon, Hooded Robin, Rainbow Bee-eater and Masked Woodswallow weresome other nice birds at this great site. Michael Ramsay
	Budgerigar Lockhart Budgerigar (30). A nice sized group feeding from seeding grasses by the roadside a few kilometres north of Lockhart along the Narrandera Rd. Michael Ramsey
	Red-backed Kingfisher Lake Cullival 10' Cell Red-backed Kingfisher (1). Calling from a patch of cypress-pine woodland by the Urana-Lockhart Rd. Michael Ramsey
	Whistling Kite Norton Street 100m from City West Link, Leichhardt 1 bird, alerted to me by the noisy miners in the area. Underwing pattern and circling flight left nothing else as an option for its ID. Would not have considered a possibility so close to the city. It flew West South-West towards Lewisham, Summer Hill area. Simon Gorta
Fri 28 Dec	Latham's Snipe, Square-tailed Kite, Red-kneed Dotterel. McPherson Rd Swamp, Gavenlock Rd Tuggerah A 40 minute visit to this site mid morning found 38 species including 12 Latham's Snipe, 2 Brown Quail, 4 Red-kneed and 2 Black-fronted Dotterel, a pair of Square-tailed Kite, a Black-shouldered Kite, 16 Royal Spoonbills, Intermediate and Great Egrets, 4 Chestnut-breasted Mannikins, 6 Tawny Grassbirds, a Black-tailed Native-Hen, Cisticola and Little Grassbirds, plus the usual waterbirds, a Pheasant Coucal was calling and a group of Southern Emu-wrens was seen at the western end of the Reserve. Alan Morris, Deryk Engel and Allan Benson
	Glossy Ibis, Great Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit, Buff-banded Rail Lions Park, Chittaway Bay, Central Coast A short visit late this morning found the Great Knot, previously reported from Chittaway Point, near the Lions Park at Chittaway Bay, where it was roosting and feeding with 26 Bar-tailed Godwits. In addition there were at least 600 Grey Teal, 40 Chestnut Teal, 74 Black-winged Stilts and many Black Swans feeding in the Bay. A flock of 28 Glossy Ibis landed in the Bay, standing in the saltwater but they soon left, last seen heading west. A Buff-banded Rail and Striped Honeyeaters were also present. Alan Morris, Allan Benson & Deryk Engel
	Little Terns, Beach Stone-curlew, Osprey Red Rock estuary Whilst out paddling a kayak today saw 6 little terns, a beach-stone curlew, 1 white-bellied sea eagle, 1 osprey, 3 pied oyster-catchers, 20 curlew, several white-throated needletails. On the way home had a brolga flying over the pacific highway just north of Woolgoolga. Fiona Brook
	Little Terns & Fairy Terns Burrill Lake. Ulladulla Two Little Terns are now nesting on the sand spit at the entrance to Burrill Lake at Dolphin Point. There is an approximate mix of around 30 birds of both Little and Fairy Terns hanging around and they seem to be inter-breeding by the pairing and courtship behaviour of the two different species. Among these birds are some non breeders and at least two recently fledged. I'm expecting a few more nests in the next few days so this will be an improvement of the single nest last season. (Moderators Note: The Victorian Fairy Tern Monitoring Group has asked that if anyone is aware on nesting Fairy Terns to contact Chris Chandler, email Bob Rusk
	Freckled Ducks, Australian Spotted Crakes, Baillon's Crakes, Spotless Crakes Pitt Town Lagoon. Good news from Pitt town this morning there is currently 5 freckled ducks . Other good birds were 4 Australian spotted crakes.5 bailons crakes 3 spotless crakes.& 1 glossy ibis. Not so good 3 foxes . michael ronan.
	Scarlet Honeyeate, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Top Knot Pigeon Lane Cove National Park/ Pennant Hills Park A number of Scarlet Honeyeaters noted at confluence of Devlins Creek and Lane Cove River, Brown Cuckoo-Dove along upper Devlins Creek both species unusual for this area, Top Knots(pair) still around Pennant Hills suburban area near the park and the most Musk Lorikeets I have seen around the Park area in 20 years - estimate between 30 -40 and they have been around for the last few weeks. Lots of activity from the musk and rainbow lorikeets during the day and especially during the evening in the Blackbutts and Blue Gums in the area. Ian Francis
Thu 27 Dec	Black Swan Bobbin Head Rd Turramuua 4 flew over approx 1pm, heading SE. This is my 1st sighting here (my house) in the 14 1/2 years I've been resident. (Also had a group of 4 Pelicans circling high up at the same time and the local Peregrine passed through earlier in the day.) Tom Wilson
	Black-tailed Native-Hen The Lagoon, 20km south of Bathurst Two Black-tailed Native-Hens and a good count of 32 Red-kneed Dotterels were the highlights of a visit to The Lagoon today. Roger and Louise McGovern
	Nankeen Night Heron Centennial Park Six Night Herons found roosting on the island in the eastern Kensington Pond at 8.00 am. One out in the open on the island bank, the others scattered through the trees. Graeme Robinson
Wed 26 Dec	Red-kneed Dotterel Engine Pond, Sydney Airport Red-kneed Dotterel (1) One bird on the exposed mud on the northern shore of Engine Pond. Later observed on the small mud island, but may have been a second bird. Have not seen any here before. The water level is quite low and seems to be attracting different species to the site. Also observed, but unconfirmed- a Striated Heron at the west end of the pond. Rob Child
Wed 26 Dec	Painted Button-quail, Pallid Cuckoo Narragingy NR, Doonside, Blacktown A single Painted Button-quail was feeding at the edge of the track. Very tame. I observeved it for nearly 10 minutes (very strange record for this little reserve). Juv Pallid Cuckoo perching on the fence(near the creek). There is influx of Brow Honeyeaters to the reserve. I counted 11 BH feeding among Scarlet Honeyaters in the flowering mistletoe clamps. Ted Wnorowski
	White-capped Albatross and Long-tailed Jaegers Mistral Point, Maroubra At least 25 Long-tailed Jaegers today, including a flock of 14 close- in. These numbers are not normally seen until late January or February. Also seen were 6 Pomarine Jeager, 1 Arctic Jaeger, 400 Short-tailed Shearwaters, 6 Fluttering Shearwaters,1 White-capped Albatross and 9 Black-browed Albatross. Oh and some boats on their way to Hobart. David Mitford
	Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Rockwarbler West Head Ku-ring-gai NP 5 Glossy Black-Cockatoos (as previously reported) in the casuarinas right by the lookout car park at 7am this morning. Two males, 2 yellow headed females and 1 noisy youngster. Possibly a 6th bird deeper in the trees down the slope. A Rockwarbler was briefly seen and heard calling lots on the rocks just below the lookout. A Superb Lyrebird also seen crossing the access road. Tom Wilson
Tue 25 Dec	Spangled Drongo Keith Street/Boundary Street, Clovelly One bird sitting on wire on Keith Street about 20m away from the Boundary Street junction just as I was walking to the car. Didn't have camera, but would have been very photogenic for anyone who did, as it stayed for about a minute with me almost directly below it, before flying to a gum tree, where it was promptly chased north presumably over the cemetery, by a pair of Currawongs. Got clear views of the bird, no doubt in its ID. Simon Gorta
	White-throated Nightjar Maraylya, private property At 20:30 the resident nightjar called several times before it circled over my wife and me as we were feeding our horse (no playback used). I was not expecting the bird as the weather's been atrocious all day with heavy showers, which stopped in the evening. Ákos Lumnitzer
Mon 24 Dec	Pale-vented Bush-hen and Noisy Pitta Tweed Heads, John Hogan Rainforest Reserve Two Bush-hens seen down-stream of the Reserve on Duroby Ck just near the entrance to a property. Very vocal but very hard to see in the long grass. Also Noisy Pitta heard in the rainforst and plenty of fruit doves - Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Wonga Pigeon and Emerald Dove. John Goldie and Kathy Walter
Sun 23 Dec	Buff-banded Rail 124 Terralong Street Kiama Buff-banded Rail in the carpark at the back of the apartments mentioned feeding in the leaf litter in the car park gutter P hunter
	Little Tern Shoalhaven Heads Observed about 20 Little Terns on the tidal flats about 250m South of the River Road Toilet Block. I also observed one in non-breeding plumage. This is the largest population I have seen this summer at this location. Duade Paton
	Long-billed Corella Windsor (golf course) A huge flock (over 550 birds) of Long-billed Corella was feeding on the Windsor golf course ground last evening (the biggest flock recorded counted by me from Sydney area). Ted Wnorowski
	Painted Honeyeater Boronia Park, Hunters Hill, 2110, Sydney 1 Painted honeyeater seen at the bottom of Princess Street near water's edge. [Moderator's note (NH): Several of us (Ashwin Rudder, Simon Gorta, Raja Stephenson and myself) were not able to relocate the bird, 24th December] Simon Correggia
	Pectoral Sandpiper West Byron STP Single Pectoral Sandpiper seen in the plastic lined pond inside the fenced off works area, NW corner of sewage works. Also of interest Australian Spotted Crake, Spotless Crake & Baillon's Crake seen in the pond in front of info building. Steve McBride
	possible Bulwer's Petrel North Head, Manly Good views of Bulwer's Petrel just after sunrise this morning. The bird was with common species of shearwaters including Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, Short-tailed Shearwaters and Flesh-footed Shearwaters, which was very good for comparison. [Moderator's note (NH): Bulwer's Petrel is an extreme rarity - at least on this side of the continent. So far, only two records (both in the 80's) were accepted from the East coast (HANZAB). There were a few unconfirmed sight records since. This extraordinary observation will be subject to a BARC review to gain scientific value. A detailed description needs to be provided, including why other species were ruled out. However, the absence of someone else to confirm the observation, the distance from the bird, and no photos means that the record is unlikely to be accepted.] michael ronan
Sat 22 Dec	Pectoral Sandpiper West Byron Sewage Treatment Plant Pectoral Sandpiper (1) in C Pond. difficult to keep in vision through fence, sometimes hidden by vegetation. various people took photos. bib seemed well defined but not overly dark, flanks seemed unflecked, vent also light and unflecked, seemed different colour to sharpies. size similar. leg colour light, difficult as very muddy, bird was sinking down past knees, flapping to move sometimes. dark bill, again - hopefully not just due to mud. Pectoral was reported here about 6 weeks ago, but was not able to be verified by others at that time, my previous few lists couldn't find any, but was keenly on the lookout for it. Kathy Wilk
Sat 22 Dec	Swamp Harrier, Baillon's Crake, Australian Spotted Crake, Spotless Crake Murray Valley NP, 12 km WNW of Mulwala at 35 56 14S 145 52 30E All birds wandered into the open (30m from the bitumen!) affording great views. Probably dozens or 100s of crakes in the reeds Clive Curson
Sat 22 Dec	Rainbow Bee-eater Cranebrook near Penrith Single bird near Castleraegh Rd. Also in area 2 Peregrine Falcons, a Wedge-tailed Eagle, Swamp Harrier and several flocks of Straw-necked Ibis. Eric Finley
Thu 20 Dec	Regent Honeyeater, Common Greenshank, Dollarbird Glen Alice to Glenowlan Bridge, Capertee Valley Fantastic two days spent in the Valley. Best birds include: Regent Honeyeater (one near Glenowlan Bridge), Dollarbird (1), Diamond Dove (4), Hooded Robin (family of 4 in the paddock near the Capertee River), Common Greenshank (1 -dam near Glen Alice), Red-kneed Dotterel (3 with Greenshank & 10 Black-fronted Dotterels), White-necked Heron (4 usually single birds near small dams) This replaces posting 157001. Ted.Wnorowksi
	Turquoise Parrot, Painted Honeyeater, Black-chinned Honeyeater, Square-tailed Kite Capertee Hills - Capertee Valleys It was great to see that number of many birds increased this year eg Yellow-tufted Honeyeater were very common (flocks of 20-50 birds in the hills). Black-chinned Honeyeaters had a good season (spotted family feeding two fat chicks perching on a branch). Other the birds include: Turquoise Parrot (2 adults with one begging chick), Square-tailed Kite (one flying over the pasture near Coco Creek), Gang-gang Cockatoo (at least 3 groups with 5-12 birds), Painted Honeyeater (2), Hooded Robin (at least 3 groups) Ted Wnorowski
	Turquoise Parrot, White-backed Swallow, Barking Owl, Cattle Egret, Speckled Warbler Glen Davis - Capertee Valley I spent one night in the Glen Davis camping grounds. Barking Owls and Southern Boobooks were calling. I went for drive and spotted one Barking Owl on the fence near Glen Davis. Other interesting birds: Turquoise Parrot (family of 3 near Oskas Cottage), Speckled Warbler (plenty the same place), White-rumped Swallow (Capertee River bridge near Glen Davis), Cattle Egret (10), Straw-necked Ibis (flock of 200 birds on the paddock), White-necked Heron (4), Hooded Robin (4 near Oskas Cottage) Ted Wnorowski
Tue 18 Dec	Spotted Bowerbird 25km SE of Moree NSW Sitting in my lounge room, I spotted an unusual bird in in my peach tree outside the front of the house. Most noticeable feature was the spot of colour on nape of its neck. Checked Field Guide of Australian Birds by Graham Pizzey and it was definitely a Spotted Bowerbird, which is apparently very rare. (Moderator's Note: Generally speaking this is an uncommon species in NSW but it is relatively common and well within its range in the Moree-Terry Hie Hie area. AKM) Rachel Latimer

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