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Birdline New South Wales Weekly Update

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Subject: Birdline New South Wales Weekly Update
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Date: 25 Aug 2014 10:01:38 +1000
   Birdline New South Wales

   Published sightings for the week ending 24 Aug 2014.

   Sun 24 Aug Wandering Albatross Offshore--Wollongong pelagic
   Highlights of the Sunday SOSSA pelagic were approx. 20 Wandering-type
   Albatross (13 of which were exulans). Again not a single Cape Petrel
   and also no Giant-petrels on either trip. A detailed trip report and
   pictures will be posted on the SOSSA website soon
   Nikolas Haass and all on the Sandra K
   Southern Boobook Nielsen Park, Vaucluse
   8.30pm Southern Boobook calling from a thick Norfolk Island Pine near
   the entrance to Nielsen Park.
   Marie Lister
   Spotted Quail-thrush, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Jacky Winter
   McMahons Creek Rd, Yarramundi
   Along McMahons Creek Rd I had 2 Spotted Quail-thrush calling on the
   ridge at the end of the road, a Common Bronzewing, Brown Cuckoo-dove,
   Peaceful Doves, numerous Fuscous and Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters, Jacky
   Winters, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Weebills, 2 Restless Flycatchers,
   Crested Shrike-tit, Varied Sitellas and also heard an Azure Kingfisher
   at the creek.
   Edwin Vella
   Black Bittern, Grey Goshawk Yarramundi Reserve
   On my walk along the river at Yarramundi Reserve, I saw a Black Bittern
   (flushed beside the river at the end of the eastern trail. This is only
   the second time I have seen one here), an Intermediate Egret, a Grey
   Goshawk, an adult White-bellied sea-eagle, quite a number of
   Bar-shouldered and a few Peaceful Dove, at least 3 Azure Kingfishers,
   Olive-backed Orioles, Fan-tailed and Shining Bronze-cuckoos, quite a
   number of both Mistletoebirds and Varied Sitellas as well as a male
   Rose Robin
   Edwin Vella
   Swift Parrot, Little Lorikeet, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Musk Lorikeet
   Deep Water Park Milperra
   Huge numbers of parrots and honeyeaters feeding on flowering Blue Box
   (Euc. bauriana) at Deepwater Park, Blue Gum Farm entrance, this
   morning. Amongst 1,000+ deafening Musk Lorikeets we found 2 Swift
   Parrots in the picnic area past the paintball complex. They were
   sitting still in the top of stringybark for a few minutes before
   vanishing. Trying to relocate them was like looking for a needle in a
   hay stack with so many noisy lorikeets. 2 pairs of Little Lorikeets
   flew over. Several pairs of Scaly-breasted Lorikeets, some with newly
   fledged dependant young. Heaps of Rainbow Lorikeets, plus Red-rumped
   Parrot, Eastern Rosella, Galah, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo and Little
   Corella rounded out a spectacle of parrots.
   David James & Brigitte Dawson
   Sat 23 Aug Grey Goshawk, Brown Falcons Riverstone
   Saw both Grey and Brown Goshawk at the northen end of Marsden Lane. I
   think this is the first Grey Goshawk in Riverstone despite having
   seeing them a number of times in neighbouring suburbs. I have now seen
   all of Sydney's raptors (including Spotted Harrier, Black Falcon,
   Square-tailed Kite and Little Eagle) at Riverstone apart from Osprey! I
   also had the resident pair of Brown Falcons (off Park Rd).
   Edwin Vella
   Swift Parrot Acacia Gardens
   Saw and heard a Swift Parrot flying over (and quite fast) at 8.30 am
   and heading south. Lots of Musk Lorikeets at the moment in the area.
   Edwin Vella
   Wandering-type Albatross, Pacific Gull Wattamolla, Royal National Park.
   Highlights from a sea watch off Wattamolla today was an adult Pacific
   Gull and 2 Wandering-type Albatross also about 70+ Shy-type Albatross,
   150 Black-browed Albatross, 20 Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross, 3 Fairy
   Prions and 2 Kelp Gulls.
   michael ronan.
   Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross (BARC submission in prep), White-headed
   Petrel Offshore--Wollongong pelagic
   Highlights of the Saturday pelagic were: 1 Atlantic Yellow-nosed
   Albatross (BARC submission in prep), 2 White-headed Petrels and 15-20
   Pygmy Killer Whales. Attached photos by Duade Paton. A detailed trip
   report will be posted on the SOSSA website soon.
   Nikolas Haass and all on the Sandra K
   Peregrine Falcon Middle Head, Mosman
   David Potter
   Fri 22 Aug Powerful Owl Greenwich
   Roosting in a large Turpentine near the track head to Lilli Pilli Falls
   between River Rd and the Bob Campbell Oval [7.45 a.m.]
   Ted Nixon
   Thu 21 Aug Powerful Owl Garigal NP, Forestville, Sydney
   Powerful Owl heard calling repeatedly near Natural Bridge in Garigal NP
   at 4am (21 hours into Oxfam Trailwalker)
   Andrew Taylor
   Swift Parrot 20km SE of Tottenham
   I had great views of five Swift Parrots preening themselves in the
   early morning sun in a stock reserve (about 7 kms east of Albert along
   the Melrose-Trangie Road). Maps indicate this must be about the western
   extent of their range at this latitude. Unfortunately by the time I
   went back to my car for my camera they had moved into shade and I only
   managed poor id photos. They eventually flew off in a south-easterly
   direction.
   Mark Ley
   Rainbow Bee-eaters, Double-barred Finch, Peaceful Dove Sawtell-Coffs
   Harbour
   4 Rainbow Bee-eaters seen as report of 19 Aug; also 5+ Double-barred
   Finches, and 2 Peaceful Doves.
   Peter Higgins
   Glossy Black-Cockatoo Fern Gully Reserve Nelson Bay
   Saw 5 Glossy Black-Cockatoos land in a Eucalypt near my back fence in
   Navala Avenue. Saw the red in the tail feathers on landing then
   observed with binoculars. They flew to nearby pine tree. We have many
   She-oaks in surrounding bushland. Have been hearing & seeing them fly
   over for 2 weeks. Checked the call on Morcombe iPhone app.
   Marea Diemar, Tomaree Birdwatcher member
   Channel-billed Cuckoo Middle Cove
   Channel-billed Cuckoo calling again this morning so he's sticking
   around the area
   Lorna Bloom
   Wed 20 Aug Wandering Albatross and Southern Giant Petrel Mistral Pt,
   Maroubra
   Another Wandering (type) Albatross, 1 juvenile Southern Giant Petrel, 1
   Brown Skua, 3 Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross, 30 Shy Albatross, 25
   Black-browed Albatross and several hundred Fluttering Shearwaters
   feeding just beyond the surf break today. Still hundreds of Huttons
   Shearwaters going north and south in flocks of 15 or so. We also saw a
   bird which was a strong juvenile Salvin's Albatross candidate
   [Moderator's note: Juvenile White-capped Albatross (steadi) can look
   very similar to Salvin's at this time of the year].
   David Mitford, Ray Gobbe and Robert Griffin
   Tue 19 Aug Rainbow Bee-eaters, Double-barred Finch, Peaceful Dove
   Sawtell-Coffs Harbour
   10 Rainbow Bee-eaters seen at northern end of access track that runs
   west of the north coast rail-line between Boambee Creek and the
   northern end of Coffs Airport; they do not winter here (not seen here
   since end of last summer, and not seen here in previous winters) but
   occur regularly in spring-summer. Also saw a couple of small parties of
   Double-barred Finches (2 and 5) with many Red-browed Finches; 3 Brown
   Quail; and single Peaceful Dove, which recorded along this track
   previously but rarely elsewehere in wider Sawtell-Coffs area.
   Peter Higgins
   Great-winged Petrel and Wandering Albatross Mistral Pt, Maroubra
   8 Great-winged Petrels, 1 Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross and 1 Wandering
   (type) Albatross were the highlights today.
   David Mitford and Ray Gobbe
   Glossy Ibis Llewellyn Rd wetlands, Casino
   Significantly dried-out wetlands, but 14 Glossy Ibis feeding on margins
   Russ Lamb
   Superb Parrot Barrier HWY, between Nyngan and Cobar
   Saw three flocks of Superb Parrots with an estimated 80 birds in each
   flock. The parrots were feeding on spilt grain on the roadside. When I
   stopped to watch one flock, I observed numerous birds being struck and
   killed by every passing vehicle. Based on the mortalities I observed in
   just a short period, vehicle collisions must exact a huge toll on this
   species. [Moderator's note (NH): This is heartbreaking. Would be good
   if temporary speed limits could be introduced in situations like this.]
   James Rees
   Great-winged Petrel, Buller's Albatross, Fairy Prion Sydney Harbour
   National Park--North Head
   Highlights from a sea watch this afternoon were 30+ Great-winged
   Petrels 1 Buller's Albatross and 1 lone Fairy Prion.
   michael ronan
   Pacific Baza McCarthy Rd Coutts Crossing, nr Grafton
   10.30 am I was at a property when a Pacific Baza flew into the under
   storey of a bottlebrush about 3 m away and about 1.5 m from the ground.
   It kept leaning forward and moving its head to see around the trunk of
   the tree as it watched us for over a minute. It then dropped down onto
   garden pots and foraged and then returned to the original perch where
   it again moved to a perch where it had a clear view of us. It appeared
   unperturbed as it moved around to watch us. It then flew about 10 m
   onto the fence around the vegetable garden and appeared to look
   intently into vegetable patch as it moved from post to post.
   Warren Thompson
   Red-rumped Parrot Narellan
   28 Red-rumped Parrots feeding on back oval of Magdalene Catholic High
   School. The most Red-rumped Parrots I've seen in the Narellan area.
   Lorne Johnson
   Mon 18 Aug Regent Honeyeater, Little Friarbird, Rufous Songlark Giants
   Creek (north west of Sandy Hollow, Hunter Valley)
   4, possibly 5 Regent Honeyeaters found late yesterday afternoon feeding
   on Caley's Ironbark (E. caleyi) blossom in the Giants Creek valley,
   about 1.8km north of the Stairs Road intersection. There are many large
   honeyeaters dominating these and Mugga Ironbarks that are flowering
   well (including a Little Friarbird calling, reasonably rare in the
   Hunter, but mostly Noisy Friarbird, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater and Red
   Wattlebird). I found a patch that also had smaller honeyeaters and it
   was here that I located at least 4 Regent Honeyeaters (all 4 were in
   the one tree). The 2 birds that I saw / photographed well enough did
   not have bands. Of significance there were 4 Regent Honeyeaters seen in
   flowering E. caleyi south of Merriwa on the 27th July. A Rufous
   Songlark singing nearby is an early arrival.
   Mick Roderick
   Great-winged Petrel Mistral Pt, Maroubra
   15 Great-winged Petels today, a few came in close and looked like
   typical gouldii. Hundreds of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, Hutton's
   Shearwaters and Fluttering Shearwaters seen in horrible conditions. A
   few Shy Albatross, Black-browed Albatross, 2 Brown Skuas and a Giant
   Petrel (sp). Significantly no other species of Albatross or Petrel
   seen, no Prions, no White-fronted Terns and no Kelp Gulls.
   David Mitford
   Pied Butcherbird North Cremorne, Willoughby Bay
   During the past week, on 3 different mornings I heard an unusual
   birdcall, repeated many times on each occasion between 5-5.30am. I
   recorded the call on a video (iPhone) later identifying it as that of a
   Pied Butcherbird. I compared the call to recording of Pied Butcherbird
   calls in the Pizzey & Knight iPhone Application. It resembles closely
   to the first of 4 calls provided: Dawn calls race nigrogularis.
   Camilla, QLD, by Fred van Gissel. Also in part to that of the following
   call: Male song race nigrogularis. Widden Valley, Baerami, NSW, Fred
   van Gissel. This call was also identified by my partner, who listened
   to the actual call, and later to the recorded authentic call. The call
   was coming from the direction of Northbridge Golf course. Lots of Grey
   Butcherbirds around, but Pied is unusual.
   Jack Shapiro
   Channel-billed Cuckoo Terrigal
   Heard calling in flight Above Port Jackson Rd, Terrigal
   Jeff Drudge
   Sun 17 Aug Square-tailed Kite Sawtell
   Single Square-tailed Kite seen drifting southwards. Unusually, very few
   records here this year.
   Peter Higgins
   Buller's Albatross, adult Giant-Petrel sp. Mona Vale Headland
   2 hour sea watch 2:20-4:20pm. Single Buller's Albatross seen very close
   in approx 2:30; adult Giant-Petrel sp. seen close in approx 4:15. (very
   pale - almost white - head). In between the highlights lots of
   Fluttering-type Shearwaters (mostly heading north); 6 Wedge-tailed
   Shearwaters, several Shy-type Albatross and a Fairy Penguin - the
   latter being slowly destroyed and eaten by a Fur Seal off Bungan Head.
   Also 2 Humpback Whales, both heading south. [Moderator's note (NH): The
   adult GP is interesting as by far the majority of GPs seen in the area
   are juveniles and young immature birds. Nowadays the majority of GPs
   off NSW are NGPs. Unfortunately, the description does not allow
   identification to species level. A very pale - almost white - head does
   not rule out NGP. Old adult NGPs get very white-headed too. No details
   regarding the bill tip were seen (in the distance the red tip in NGP
   appears dark, while the greenish tip of SGP appears concolourous with
   the bill body). Comment by Jeff Davies: NGP with a white head also is
   extensively mottled pale dorsally all over with lots of pale fringes,
   SGP usually show a more discrete white head against a more evenly
   darker rest of body with white eventually starting along the leading
   edge of the wing with age.]
   Tom Wilson
   Brahminy Kite Lake Macquarie (lower)
   A male Osprey was eating in a tree when a Brahminy Kite swooped on him,
   then chased him around aggressively for ten minutes. The Osprey then
   returned to the tree with his fish, followed by the Kite, who then
   retreated to the lake.
   Rebecca Citroni
   Sat 16 Aug White-winged Triller, Pallid Cuckoo, Rufous Songlark,
   White-cheeked Honeyeater Cumbo (near Munghorn Gap, Upper Hunter Valley)
   Several singing Rufous Songlarks and singles of Pallid Cuckoo and
   White-winged Triller are early returns for the Upper Hunter. Also a few
   Fairy Martins in the area. Dean Ingwersen saw a White-cheeked
   Honeyeater in a flowering Mugga Ironbark along Cumbo Road - an unusual
   sighting this far west in the Hunter.
   Mick Roderick and Dean Ingwersen
   Square-tailed Kite Fagan Park, Galston
   A Square-tailed Kite seen flying low above children's play area at
   Fagan Park.
   Carl Corden
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