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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