Birdline New South Wales Weekly Update

Birdline New South Wales

Published sightings for the week ending 30 Mar 2014.

Sun 30 Mar	Spotted Harrier Castlereagh My wife and I had an adult Spotted Harrier quarter low towards us along a ditch beside a road near Castlereagh. It was in this spot we also observed (this or another) an adult on March 23 at 5pm doing the same. Today, the bird flew across some 30 meters in front of us not much above head height. A really lovely sighting of a beautiful raptor close to home. Ákos and Donata Lumnitzer
	Rose Robin, Rufous Fantail Centennial Parklands Single male Rose Robin observed near the Powerful Owl roost with a Rufous Fantail. Didn't expect to see either at this site. Given the time of year, they're presumably on passage. Interestingly the robin was hanging around with the fantail, as the satin flycatcher was hanging around a fantail at Sydney Olympic Park earlier this month. Simon Gorta
	Chestnut-rumped Heathwren Private property near Gowan, NW of Bathurst. One very vocal individual calling from Sifton Bush (Cassinia Sp.)infested paddock. Lots of outstanding mimicry from this bird including calls of Scarlet Robin, Dusky Woodswallow, Silvereye and Pied Currawong. The bird was glimpsed only once over a two hour period (9 - 11am), but was present for all this time. Very exciting to find this species in a region supposedly devoid of them (see Simpson & Day or Morcombe field guides). Tiffany & Melissa Mason, Garry Germon & Linda Villy
	Square-tailed Kite Bobbin Head Rd, North Turramurra Single adult Square-tailed Kite seen over house approx 12:45pm. Came from west side (Lovers Jump Creek), circled over house for about 5 mins and then headed back the same way. Appeared to head north once it reached the creek line. Tom Wilson
	Wandering Whistling-Duck King Creek Road Swamp, Wauchope The number of Plumed Whistling-Duck had dropped to 10 observable this morning. However, there was one Wandering Whistling-Duck amongst them. The recent rains have topped up water levels and there were two Comb-crested Jacanas out on the lilypads. I also flushed a Latham's Snipe at the western end. Clive Meadows
	Glossy Black-Cockatoo Chiltern Trail, Ingleside Male and female Glossy Black-Cockatoos at entrance to trail 10.15am. Carol Abbott
	Recent sightings NSW outback Dear Birdline NSW posters and readers. Over the last two days 22 Birdline NSW posts came from a very impressive trip to the NSW outback (spread over a couple of weeks). There are a number of issues that need to be addressed (regarding both correct identification of certain species and numbers counted). Unfortunately, to date I have not received a response to my queries from the observer. Hence, changes to these 22 reports may be applied in the (near) future. As I am not sure if the observer has just been incredibly lucky or if it is currently the time to visit these places, I decided to post these reports anyway. Happy birding! P.S. I have now commented on a few posts. Further expert comments welcome. Nikolas Haass (moderator)
	Square-tailed Kite Terry Hie Hie Road, 20km South-east of Moree A Square-tailed Kite was observed circling above farmland on the Terry Hie Hie Road, 20 km South-east of Moree or 30 km North of Terry Hie Hie after 11:30am. This is my first sighting of this species. Bad photo attached, bird was very shy. Curtis Hayne
	Magpie Goose Narrabri Lake Only two days after the big rain that brought the lake to the point of overflowing (200 mm within 7 days, 230 mm for the month of March) the first four Magpie Geese have returned to Narrabri Lake (together with other, more common aquatic species). Magpie Geese had been absent from the lake for months (since about early November 2013), while it was completely dry. Michael Dahlem
	Musk Lorikeet, Rainbow Lorikeet Narrabri Township In Narrabri at present various types of eucalypt are in flower, including local species (Mugga Ironbark?) and introduced Western Australian eucalypts, attracting large numbers of lorikeets. Photos of Musk Lorikeets (at least 50) were taken; Rainbow Lorikeets were heard, possibly a few Scaly-breasted Lorikeets with the Rainbow Lorikeets. Various types of (locally common) honeyeaters were also found in the flowering trees. Michael Dahlem
	Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Turquoise Parrot Terry Hie Hie A nice morning in the scrub at Terry Hie Hie. Apart from all the regular birds seen here, there were 2 Fan-tailed Cuckoos, which were found in the cypress pine scrub at the northern side of the Aboriginal Area, (my first sighting), 2 highly vocal Turquoise Parrots in the scrub near the creek, 4 Brown Quails foraging in grassland and an Australian Hobby was also observed after being disturbed by a Wedge-tailed Eagle. Rainbow Bee-eaters and Dollarbirds are still well around but Sacred Kingfishers have vanished in the past month. Azure Kingfishers seem to reside here, at least 2 were seen at different creek sites, with others heard. A Cattle Egret was seen in a field north of the village. Curtis Hayne
	Satin Flycatcher (1) Rose Robin (1) Sydney Olympic Park Mixed flock of passerines on the move at Little Kronos Hill, behind Water Purification Pond/Wentworth Common. Satin Flycatcher (1 female) Rose Robin (1 female). Also present Rufous Whistler (2) Golden Whistler (4), Eastern Spinebill (1), Spangled Drongo (heard only). At Waterbird Refuge Red-necked Avocet (8), Little Egret (1), Mangrove Gerygone (heard only), Sacred Kingfisher (3). My second record for Satin Fly and third record of Rose Robin for patch. Dion Hobcroft
Sat 29 Mar	Brown Honeyeater Barton Park, Rockdale, Sydney 2 Brown Honeyeaters with 3 Eastern Spinebills. Brown Honeyeaters were seasonly common in Arnold McGill's surveys of nearby Wolli Creek up to the 1960s but have been absent from Wolli surveys in the last 30 years. Andrew Taylor
	Black Kite Armidale Rd. South Grafton 11.30am. Entrance to lawn cemetery. One Black Kite over trees. Warren Thompson
	Long-toed Stint, Square-tailed kite, Curlew Sandp[iper, Caspian Tern Dairy Swamp, Central Coast Wetlands, Tuggerah Central Coast Group, Birding NSW members had a great day at the Central Coast Wetlands today, seeing and photographing a Long-toed Stint, 1st Central Coast record. The bird was first seen by Trevor Waller and photographed by Christina Port, leader of the outing. The Stint was about half the size of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and a Curlew Sandpiper feeding nearby. It had a black line from the back to the tail, and a broad black bar at the base of the tail with small white flank markings, white belly and underparts, a chestnut cap, an eye stripe and was coming into breeding plumage. Other birds present included 6 Australia Shovelers, Black-fronted Dotterels, Common Cicadabird, Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, Collared Sparrowhawk, 2 Whistling Kites, a Caspian Tern and Square-tailed Kite circled over the adjacent Tuggerah Creek. There is restricted access to Central Coast Wetlands and the cattle grazing paddock in which the wetland is located is definitely out of bounds to visitors. Alan Morris & 22 members CC Group, Birding NSW
	Noisy Friarbird (3) Spangled Drongo (2) White-throated Needletail (10) Yaralla Estate, Concord Eastern Spinebill and Brown Gerygone found last week still present. Beautiful adult male Golden Whistler also good for the site. Friarbirds in flowering Eucalypt at far eastern corner of Majors Bay beating up the Noisy Miners! My first record of Noisy Friarbird in local patch, second for Spangled Drongo and fourth for needletails. Dion Hobcroft
	Plumed Whistling-Duck King Creek Road Swamp, Wauchope 30 Plumed Whistling-Ducks in small groups mainly on the western side of the swamp. Clive Meadows
Fri 28 Mar	Pink (Major Mitchell's) Cockatoo Lake Wyangan, Griffith Up to 15 Pink Cockatoos either seen (majority) or heard calling as they flew north along the western side of Lake Wyangan. Birds seen/heard calling whilst on Lakes Road, north of Jones Road intersection. Birds seen at 11.30am Deryk Engel and Paul Burcher
	Freckled Duck Pitt Town Lagoon 9 Freckled Ducks Mark Hocking
	Australian Pied Oystercatcher Wagonga Inlet, Narooma At least 19 Australian Pied Oystercatchers and one Sooty Oystercatcher foraging on sand/mud flats around low tide, pairs and small groups well spread out. Bob Moffatt
	Grey Goshawk Lane Cove National Park (Brown's Waterhole) Beautiful Grey Goshawk spotted this morning in a Eucalypt overhanging the waterhole. Very rarely seen around this area and well worth the very wet boots I got crossing all the creeks! Jenny Stiles
Thu 27 Mar	Brown Honeyeater, Rufous Whistler and Golden Whistler Eastlakes Golf Course Another good day for passage birds : 2 Rufous Whistlers, 1 Golden Whistler, 10 Eastern Spinebills, 1 Brown Honeyeater, 2 Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, 1 Spangled Drongo, 1 Sacred Kingfisher and 4 Musk lorikeets all at the extreme Southern section near railway line. Also some unusually large flocks of more regular birds: 34 Cattle Egrets, 15 European Goldfinches, 50 Tree Martins yet only 1 Fairy Martin. Still 5 Latham's Snipe in the usual spot. David Mitford
	Pink-eared Duck Yallah - large pond north of Yallah Bay Road 6, possibly more Pink-eared Ducks on northern side of large pond about 4pm. Carla Jackett
	Eastern Osprey Merimbula Feeding on a flounder on light post in middle of town Bob Moffatt
Wed 26 Mar	Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Barking Owl, Spotted Quail-thrush Goobang National Park (Greenbah Campground) The park was teaming with honeyeaters mostly Noisy Friarbirds, Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, Red Wattlebirds, White-naped Honeyeaters - good stopping point for their migration north. We observed a flock of Glossy Black-Cockatoo (15) slowly flying over our heads to roost in the old gums growing along dry creek (2km east of camping ground). Barking Owl and Southern Boobooks were calling at night. Other birds: Spotted Harrier (flying over pasture at the park entrance), Chestnut-rumped Heathwren (Burrabadine walking track), Spotted Quail-thrush (crossed the road on the hill - 4 km from the campsite) Ted Wnorowski
	Pacific Baza Mitchell Park Five Pacific Baza flying above, settling in the top of a tall tree for a while before continuing. Ida Rohne
	Noisy Pitta Border Ranges National Park (Border Lookout) Two birds calling strongly from deep within the rainforest close to the escarpment edge. Difficult to locate, I think I almost saw one of the two. David Stewart
Tue 25 Mar	Square-tailed Kite Private dwelling Tumbi Umbi, NSW Seen and photographed a Square-tailed Kite raiding a Crested Pigeons nest. The kite butchered the young pigeon in the nest, removing organs through an incision in the back and then discarded the body before flying off. Stephen Clark
	Grey Goshawk Caniaba, Lismore NSW Grey Goshawk seen over open country heading in general westerly direction as part of autumn dispersal. Buff breast indicated young bird. Landed on edge of eucalypt forest, hunting from tree to tree. paul griffin
	Blue-faced Honeyeater Myall Lakes National Park (Mungo Brush) Was eating a ham and cheese sandwich at Mungo Brush when this cheeky little Blue-faced Honeyeater dropped in for a bite. Was a pleasant surprise and I didn't mind sharing! Brad Gabriel
	Black Falcon, Wedge-tailed Eagle, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Whistling Kite Scheyville National Park Wedge-tailed Eagle, White-bellied Sea-Eagle and Whistling Kite spotted circling each other above the main carpark at Scheyville. The Black Falcon flying past at the same time, all right in the middle of the day. Grant McLeod & Lisa Abra
	Australian Shoveler and Australian Shelduck Pitt Town Lagoon 2 Australian Shelducks spotted on the far right side of the lagoon from the new hide. Also quite a few Australian Shovelers spotted all over the lake throughout the day. Grant McLeod & Lisa Abra
	Plum-headed Finch Dangars Lagoon, Uralla A single Plum-headed Finch was collecting feathers from beside the lagoon this morning. Ian Kerr
	Powerful Owl Woodfield Ave, Bundeena One individual heard calling in front of my house this morning around 5.20 am. Deryk Engel
	White Tern Gladesville Storm-blown White Tern found in suburban Gladesville in Sydney. On way to Taronga Zoo Wildlife Hospital for care before release. Mark Hocking
	possible Satin Flycatcher, Bassian Thrush, Black-faced Monarch, Rufous Fantail Berowra Valley Regional Park Highlights from an early mornings birding down to Berowra Valley was a possible female Satin Flycatcher. 1 Bassian Thrush. 3 juvenile Black-faced Monarchs and an juvenile Rufous Fantail. [Moderator's note (NH): No detailed description was given for the Satin Flycatcher; so given the extreme difficulty of identification of this species pair and the poor and misleading coverage in the current field guides, I added 'possible'.] michael ronan
Mon 24 Mar	Black-breasted Buzzard, White-browed Treecreeper, Gull-billed Tern Paroo Darling National Park (Peery Lake) A single Black-breasted Buzzard was perching on a dead tree 4 km from Peery Lake. Plenty water in the lake and thousand of ducks, cormorants, Australian Pelicans, Eurasian Coots. A small flock of Gull-billed Terns and two Caspian Terns were flying over water. We flushed a Spotted Nightjar from the ground when walking in the sparsely vegetated mulga forest. In one of belah tree near the lake a pair of White-browed Treecreeper was feeding. Other interesting birds: Black-faced Woodswallows (+1000 near lake), Spotted Bowerbird, Major Mitchell's Cockatoo (8), Black-fronted Dotterel (5). [Moderator's note (NH): 1000+ Black-faced Woodswallows seems very unlikely; most likely confusion with MASKED Woodswallow; Black-breasted Buzzard very uncommon but has been recorded previously in the area] Ted wnorowski
	Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo Wentworth Golf Club Orange Two Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos flying over the course today. Surprised to see this species in Orange. Stephen Gibbs
	Golden Whistler, Rainbow Bee-eaters River Road, Bathurst One female Golden Whistler in the Ironbark in my backyard - a new species for the backyard list! She was very quiet, but unperturbed about being stared at. Usually expect this species a little later in the year (April). Also, Rainbow Bee-eaters have been heading north-east over Bathurst for the past 2 weeks. A flock of 39, flying quite low (100m), seen today. Tiffany Mason
	Powerful Owl, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Whistling Kite Deep Water Park Milperra Mobbing Pied Currawongs led me to a female Powerful Owl roosting low down in the 'rainforest walk' area. My first Whistling Kite sighting since the spring and an adult White-bellied Sea-Eagle were other highlights. Apparently no Dollarbirds or Sacred Kingfishers are left. Plenty of migrant passerines in the woodlands. David James
Sun 23 Mar	Hall's Babbler, Grey Falcon, Little Woodswallow Mutawintji National Park A nice small park but completely overgrazed by hordes of goats. We were welcomed by a single Grey Falcon flying over the entrance to the park and a small flock of Major Mitchell's Cockatoo roosting in the trees near the bathroom block. Hall's Babbler suppose to reside in the unaccessible parts of the park but we found a family of nine birds just behind of the Mutawintji Historic Site (near ruin of the toilet block). There were also small flock of Little Woodswallows (11 birds) - smaller than duskies, no white wingstreaks. Australian Owlet Nightjars and Southern Boobooks were constantly calling at night. Other interesting birds: Splendid Fairywren (near gate), Striped Honeyeaters (very common), Australian Hobby, Stubble Quail (a flock near the gate), Mulga Parrot, Diamond Dove, Red-backed Kingfisher. We left the park at night after rain and our car had to "swim in the mud" on our way to White Cliffs. Spotted Nightjar were common (we counted 11 birds on the 40 km section) hunting insects in front of our car. Ted Wnorowski
	Little Eagle Katoomba We observed a dark morph Little Eagle over north Katoomba along Albion Street around 11am on the day. I was very confident of ID, but wanted to double check and have it Iconfirmed by Dr Stephen Debus (thanks Steve). I even managed a photo with the eagle and the waning moon in one frame, but sadly the eagle was not banking in those sequences. See further info and scroll down the page a little. Ákos Lumnitzer, Fiona Lumsden, John French
	Little Shrike-thrush, Common Cicadabird Coutts Crossing Village One Little Shrike-thrush feeding in canopy and vines in backyard at 0820 hrs. First record for yard but does occur on Orara River, a few kilometres away. Adult female Common Cicadabird (see photo) with dependent juvenile in yard at 0940 hrs, stayed in general area for an hour or so. Greg Clancy
	Scarlet Robin, Buff-rumped Thornbill Boomanoomana section, Murray Valley Regional Park 3-possibly 4 Scarlet Robins, 3 males and one female, were seen feeding in a mixed flock of Buff-rumped Thornbills, Weebills, White-throated Treecreepers, Grey Fantail and Golden Whistler amongst the Red Gums in this reserve. The area was so dry and birds were very hard to find. Alan Morris and 16 members CCGBNSW
	White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Brown Treecreeper Kyffins Reserve, Mulwala 3 White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikes were seen loosely associated with a small flock of Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes in the Kyffins Reserve, where the only other birds of signficance seen were Brown Treecreepers. However there were 14 Australian Shelducks at this location (a bird not seen over 3 days no doubt because the whole district is so dry) and a pair of Black Swans with 4 tiny cygnets. According to the Birdlife Australia Bird Atlas, there are very few records of White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikes in this region (7 records for 1493 surveys). Alan Morris & 16 members of CCGBNSW
	Black Kite Racecourse Headland, Goolawah National Park, Crescent Head Single Black Kite drifting over Racecourse Headland. Not too far, as the Kite flies, from the Crescent Head Road Landfill. Tim Morris
	Barking Owl Jamieson Park, Narrabeen Lakes Saw a very vocal Barking Owl near the second timber bridge - seen by lots of locals who regularly see and hear them at this site. Lisa Abra
	Square-tailed Kite Maclean NSW Very close over our balcony about noon Nick & Lola Swallow
Sat 22 Mar	Inland Dotterel, Red-backed Kingfisher, Bourke's Parrot Sturt National Park (Mt Wood Homestead) It was for us the best birding spot in the park. Like magic - ~5000 Budgerigars landing to roost on the trees in the camping grounds. Sixteen Bourke's Parrots coming to drink from the little dam allowing us to observe them for nearly 15 minutes, three Inland Dotterels scarred up by fleeing flock of Emu. Other good birds around the homestead: Red-capped Robin (very common), White-backed Swallow, Diamond Dove, Red-backed Kingfisher (1 in campsite), Orange Chat (5), Crimson Chat (2), Cinnamon Quail-thrush (2 birds north of campsite on gibber). Ted Wnorowski
	Flock Bronzewing Sturt National Park (South Myers Tank) Mitchell's grass exploded making gibber nearly invisible. We observed large flocks of Budgerigars, Cockatiels and Zebra Finches visiting dam for drink before dusk and got lucky when five Flock Bronzewings suddenly landed near water. Ted Wnorowski
	Square-tailed Kite Finley Lake An immature Square-tailed Kite, in heavy moult flew low over Finley Lake while members of the CC Group Birding NSW were having lunch. Other birds seen close by were 3 Black Kites, a Swamp Harrier and a Wedge-tailed Eagle. According to the Birdlife Australia Bird Atlas, for the period 1998 to 2014, in the Tocumwal, Finley, Berrigan and Barooga Areas, there have been no Square-tailed Kites seen in 1493 surveys. Alan Morris & 15 members CCGBNSW
	Black-chinned Honeyeater St James Anglican Cemetery, Pitt Town One Black-chinned Honeyeater heard calling amongst very good numbers of Brown-headed and smaller numbers of Yellow-faced Honeyeaters attracted to a flowering eucalypt. Also seen was a pair of Jacky Winters, some Peaceful Doves, and Restless Flycatcher. Edwin Vella and Follow That Bird
	Musk Lorikeet, Little Lorikeet Kurrajong Hills There is a significant movement of lorikeets into the lower Blue Mountains around Kurajong at the moment with 3 species present. Musks are rare visitors here but at present are outnumbering other species. Littles are also present in good numbers at the moment. A pair of Rainbows had 2 dependent young. Moving around Sydney today I saw Musk Lorikeets in Redfern, Newtown, Surry Hills, Moore Park, Concord, Five Dock, Blacktown, Richmond and Kurrajong Hills - the scale of the current Sydney influx is really impressive. Eric Finley
Fri 21 Mar	Peregrine Falcon, Grey-crowned Babbler Gum Swamp Forbes. 10.00am. Huge numbers of feral pigeons being harassed by male and female Peregrine Falcon. Above the blue green algae warning sign at the bird hide, Grey-crowned Babblers are building a nest. Apologies for delayed reports but did not have access to computer. Warren Thompson
	Grey Falcon, Red-chested Button-quail, Brolga Sturt National Park (Fort Grey) Good birding around Fort Grey Homestead and nearby lake. On the lake: Musk Duck (1), Freckled Duck (7). A pair of Grey Falcon was flying over the homestead. We found Spotted Nightjar roosting on the track just before reaching camping grounds. Other interesting birds: Red-browed Pardalote (calling constantly), Brolga (2 - flying over the park), Crimson Chat (adult male near the lake), Black Falcon, Bourke's Parrot (3 near the homestead) Ted Wnorowski
	Common Sandpiper, Grey Falcon, Bourke's Parrot, Freckled Duck Lake Cobham Lake Cobham (105 km from Tibooburra near Silver City Hwy) was covered by rafts od birds. Approx. 8,000 birds on the lake - mostly ducks (Grey Teals and Pink-eared Ducks ~5000 birds and cormorants - Little Black Cormorants and Great Cormorants ~3000 birds. There was also a huge flock (+600) of Australian Pelicans in the lake and heaps of Black-tailed Native-hens (400) around the lake. There were also plenty small birds feeding on insects in the mud at the water edge including: Common Sandpiper (1), Orange Chat (32 - chasing insects on the mud), Australasian Pipit, Red-kneed Dotterel (20), Black-fronted Dotterel (8), Red-capped Plover (4), Australian Pratincole (6). Parrots - Mulga Parrot, Bluebonnets and Bourke's Parrots were flying in small groups to drink from the lake. We watched when Grey Falcon appeared from nowhere and caught one Bourke's Parrot . Other birds include: White-winged Fairywren (plenty), Freckled Duck (11), Blue-billed Duck (1 male), Spotted Harrier. Ted Wnorowski
	Satin Flycatcher Coutts Crossing Village Adult female bird in backyard at 1515 hrs. Not seen since. Greg Clancy
Thu 20 Mar	Australasian Bittern, Great Crested Grebe, Common Greenshank, Common Sandpiper Lake Pamamaroo (Main Weir) A small group of waders feeding at the edge of small billabong near Main Weir. There were: Common Greenshank (1), Common Sandpiper (1), Red-capped Plover (6), In the lake: Great Crested Grebe (4), Hardhead, Australian Shelduck (2). Gull-billed Terns (11) and one Caspian Tern were flying over water. On the southern side of the Main Weir Rd we observed Australasian Bittern sunbathing in front of dried cubungi. Ted Wnorowski
	Glossy Ibis, Yellow-billed Spoonbill, White-bellied Sea-eagle Lake Menindee Sunset Strip We visited Sunset Strip (a small holiday village near the northern part of Lake Menindee). The very shallow water at thest of Sunset Strip was completely white with Yellow-billed Spoonbills (400+) and Australian Pelicans (1000+). There were also: Glossy Ibis (20), Royal Spoonbill (30), Australian Shoveler (100+) and White-bellied Sea-eagle (2 - perching on dead trees). In the village a flock of Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo was feeding on corns of a peppercorn tree. Ted Wnorowski
	Black-breasted Buzzard, Crested Shrike-tit Kinchega National Park (River Drive) A single Black-breasted Buzzard flying over the park information booth. We found 3 Crested Shrike-tits in River Gums along Darling River. Ted Wnorowski
Wed 19 Mar	Major Mitchell's Cockatoo Roto Road Hillston 10.30am. 16 km from Hillston Talinga Park. 25 plus Major Mitchell's Cockatoos counted before flock flew. Operations Manager said there is usually 40 to 50 in flock. Private property with ongoing pig and goat eradication program in progress ( read shooting) and machinery operating. Do not attempt to enter. Warren Thompson
	Glossy Ibis, Red-winged Parrot, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Australian Spotted Crake Newey Reservoir and Sewage Treatment Plant, Cobar A short stop for lunch near the Newey Reservoir and very good birding. There were: Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (144 in very good breeding plumage), Glossy Ibis (3), Musk Duck (2), Australian Spotted Crake (in the flooded weeds), Plum-headed Finch (80+ , feeding on weed seeds near water), Raibow Bee-eater (common), Red-winged Parrot (calling from the tree growing near our picnic table) Ted Wnorowski
	Orange Chat, Australian Pratincole Ivanhoe East Short stopover near temporarly wetland, 8 km east from Ivanhoe on the Ivanhoe - Cobar Rd. On the mud near freshly flooded Lignum swamp there were: Orange Chat (18), Australian Pratincole (22), Crimson Chat (4) and numerous White-winged Fairywrens in Lignum. Major Mitchell's Cockatoos (7) landed near water to drink. Ted Wnorowski
Tue 18 Mar	Black Falcon, Inland Dotterel, Australian Little Bittern, Spotless Creke Willandra National Park We get there after heavy rain and roads to the park were nearly impassable but it was worth it. Plenty birds of prey, we found 10 species including Black Falcon (at least 11 different birds), Spotted Harrier (7), Little Eagle (1). On our arrival to the park we encountered wonderful spectacle. Large group of birds (mostly Little Crows and many different species of raptors) were standing on the Merton Motor Trail and gorging on locust emerging from the ground. There were at least 6 Black Falcons, 15 Nankeen Kestrels, 20 Black Kites, 10 Whistling Kites and one Wedge-tailed Eagle running among Little Crows and picking up crawling and jumping locust. It was our magic moment. We went night spotting and found two groups of Inland Dotterels (2 near Shearers Complex and 4 on Merton Motor Trail). There were also numerous Eastern Barn Owls all over the park and two Spotted Nightjars. Other birds: Ground Cuckoo-shrike and Spotted Bowerbird (near the Homestead), Spotless Crake and Australian Little Bittern (wetland east of weir), Nankeen Night-Heron (6 roosting in Coolibah trees near creek), Yellow-billed Spoonbill (34 roosting with night-herons), Banded Lapwing (on the Merton Motor Trail) [Moderator's note (NH): Not sure if this large number of raptors RUNNING around should be taken literally?] Ted Wnorowski
Mon 17 Mar	Wood Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Glossy Ibis, Freckled Duck Lake Cargelligo Sewage Treatment Works Good birding site (nearly 90 species recorded within 2 hrs including all crakes). Waders were still present including: Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (27), Wood Sandpiper (2), Common Greenshank (1), Curlew Sandpiper (3 , two in breeding plumage), Red-capped Plover (5), Black-fronted Dotterel (11), Red-kneed Dotterel (3). Other birds: Glossy Ibis (8), Australian Shelduck (4), Blue-billed Duck (1), Freckled Duck (7), Plum-headed Finch (11), Crimson Chat (1 male). Ted Wnorowski
Sun 16 Mar	Blue-billed Duck, Peregrine Falcon Yenda, sewage ponds A single Blue-billed Duck (male) was among masses of Grey Teals and Pink-eared Ducks (1000+) at Yenda sewage ponds (near road to the Cocoparra NP Hill Springs picnic area). Two Peregrine Falcons were flying over the ponds. Ted Wnorowski
	White-browed Treecreeper Binya State Forest (Whitton Stock Route) We observed at least 4 White-browed Treecreepers feeding at she-oaks trees very close to entrance to Whitton Stock Route (just south from Burley-Griffin Irrigation Hwy). Other birds nearby: Speckled Warbler (30+), Hooded Robin, Double-barred Finch. Ted Wnorowski
	White-browed Treecreeper Cocoparra National Park Great birding site, not often visited by birders. We stayed at Woolshed Falls camping grounds and were awaken by Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo chick begging parents for food. It was sitting on the branch hanging over our tent. Parrots were everywhere including: Mulga Parrot, Turquoise Parrot. We had our lunch at the Hill Springs picnic area and a pair of White-browed Treecreeper was foraging on the trunk of she-oak tree nearby. Other birds: Black Falcon (flying over Woolshed Falls campsite), Diamond Firetail, Hooded Robin, Little Eagle, Speckled Warbler. [Moderator's note: Most likely a mis-indentified family of GLOSSY Black-Cockatoos] Ted Wnorowski
Sat 15 Mar	Gilbert's Whistler, Painted Button-quail, Painted Honeyeater Backcreek State Forest State forest just 17 km east of West Wyalong along Newell Hwy. We found a small flock of Gilbert's Whistler in the native pine thickets 3 km from the forest entrance. Painted Button-quail were common (flushed many times from the piles of dead trees left on forest floor). Other birds: Painted Honeyeater (1 in mistletoe infested casuarina tree by the small dam near entrance gate), Restless Flycatcher, Brown Treecreeper, Little Lorikeet. Ted Wnorowski
	Painted Honeyeater, Blue-billed Duck, Australian Spotted Crake, Spotles Crake West Wyalong (Cooinda Bushland Reserve with Sewage ponds) Excellent birding spot. This small reserve is located 5 km east of West Wyalong and connected with sewage ponds by a new boardwalk and good tracks. Gum tree in the northern part of reserve are heavily infested with mistletoe. There were 3 Painted Honeyeaters with numerous Blue-faced Honeyeaters and Striped Honeyeaters. On the ponds huge number of water birds including: Musk Duck (2), Blue-billed Duck (1), Pink-eared Duck (10). In the newly constructed wetlands : Buff-banded Rail, Spotless Crake, Australian Crake. Other Birds: White-winged Triller, Mallee Ringneck, Brown Treecreeper Ted Wnorowski
	Barking Owl, Spotted Nightjar, Painted Button-quail Ingalba Nature Reserve We went spot lighting in this little reserve. Southern Boobook was calling constantly but also managed to find a single Barking Owl (near the western boundary track) and Spotted Nightjar (near entrance to the reserve). Other birds: Black-chinned Honeyeater, Striped Honeyeater (common), Grey-crowned Babbler, Red-capped Robin (very common), White-browed Woodswallow (300+), Western Gerygone, Painted Button-quail (1). Ted Wnorowski
	Brolga Capertee Valley (Coco Bridge) Single Brolga flying over, just like the Common Cranes I watched in Finland last year majestic. [Moderator's note (NH): On query the observers told us that they were confident about the ID, although unfortunately no diagnostic description of the bird and no note regarding the viewing conditions were given.] Graham Blackwell, N & P Yates
	Grey Falcon, Black-chinned Honeyeaters, White-bellied Cuckooshrike Mudgee to Ulan Rd (10 km from Mudgee) 1 Grey Falcon seen about 10 km north of Mudgee. Also seen were 3 Black-chinned Honeyeaters and 5 White-bellied Cuckooshrike. [Moderator's note (NH): On query the observer told us that he was confident about the ID of the Grey Falcon, although unfortunately no diagnostic description of the bird and no note regarding the viewing conditions were given.] michael ronan
Fri 14 Mar	Painted Button-quail, Yellow-plumed Honeyeater, Musk Lorikeet Goodwin Lane (24 km north of Dubbo) 10 km long unsealed road east of Newell Hwy 24 km north of Dubbo (mallee and Irobark gums). Very good spot for Yellow-plumed Honeyeater. We found a small flock in flowering Ironbark tree. There were also Musk Lorikeets (35) and Little Lorikeet (6). Other birds along the road: Painted Button-quail (2), Grey Currawong (1), Stubble Quail (4), Grey-crowned Babbler (20). [Moderator's note (NH): The Currawong was most likely a mis-identified PIED Currawong] Ted Wnorowski
	Malleefowl, Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Gilbert's Whistler Goonoo State Conservation Area A single Malleefowl crossed track in front of our car at the beginning of Frazer's Trail. We travelled the Samuel's Trail north up to Paddy's Dam and observed a flock of 28 Glossy Black-Cockatoos coming for their evening drink. Other birds: Gilbert's Whistler (Frost Trail north), Speckled Warbler (plenty), Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, Spotted Quail-thrush (Frazer's Trail). Ted Wnorowski
	Diamond Firetail Near Morven Fire Trail, near (Western) Washpool National Park One Diamond Firetail flew from roadside to tree. Greg Clancy and Laura Slade
Tue 11 Mar	White-tailed Tropicbird Kattang NR / Googley's Lagoon Laurieton A single White-tailed Tropicbird was seen flying from the direction of Googley's lagoon towards the ocean over Kattang NR. The bird was at perhaps 30 metres on a clear sunny day. Sorry for the late posting of this sighting. Peter West / Sue Proust

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