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Black-necked Stalkers 20125 twitchathon report

To: Birding-aus <>
Subject: Black-necked Stalkers 20125 twitchathon report
From: Greg and Val Clancy <>
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2015 22:52:01 +0000
The Black-necked Stalkers twitchathon team, supported by the Clarence Valley 
Birdos, once again competed in the NSW Twitchathon on October 31 and November 
1.  The aim of the Twitchathon is for teams to see or hear as many bird species 
as they can in a twenty four hour period.  Teams also gather sponsorship money 
to assist with bird research and conservation.  The funds raised this year will 
be going towards the Powerful Owl project in the Sydney area.

The Black-necked Stalkers (Greg Clancy, Gary Eggins and Russell Jago) started 
their 2015 attempt at Warialda, as they have done in the past two years.   
Unlike the past two years the weather was cooler and cloudy.  Before leaving 
Warialda the team had notched up 60 species, including such gems as the 
Plum-headed Finch, Spotted Bowerbird and Pale-headed Rosella.  By the time the 
team reached the Gibraltar Range and had a four hour break the tally was 107 
including the nocturnal Barking Owl, Sooty Owl, Barn Owl, Southern Boobook and 
Tawny Frogmouth.

The next morning the rainforest and granite country species were searched for 
and most were found, including the Superb Lyrebird, Paradise Riflebird, Green 
Catbird and Southern Emu-wren making the tally 148 by the time the team reached 
the bottom of the Gibraltar Range, where a Grey Goshawk flew across the road 
and perched in a roadside tree.  The team moved on to Grafton where they saw 
the recently fledged Brahminy Kite and then headed out to Coutts Crossing.  The 
Marsh Sandpipers were still present and a number of other waterbirds were 
ticked off.  Driving through Southgate and down to Lawrence interesting species 
such as the Azure Kingfisher, Eastern Osprey and Brolga were added.  The 
expected Freckled Ducks at Lawrence were nowhere to be seen and the terns on 
the local sandbar were also absent.  After all is was a Twitchathon day when 
species regularly occurring in an area play hard to get.

The coastal areas at Brooms Head and Sandon provided sightings of migratory 
shorebirds and the rainforest at Iluka was expected to add a number of species. 
 The rainforest was disappointing only allowing the Regent Bowerbird and 
Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove to be ticked while other regular species were 
sheltering from the wind and heat.

The Twitchathon ended at 4 pm on Sunday at which time the team had recorded 218 
different species, 4 more than in 2014 and 3 less than in 2013.  The team 
members all agreed that it was a very enjoyable 24 hours and that they had 
observed a great array of beautiful and in some cases, rare birds.

Eighteen threatened species were recorded (Black-necked Stork, Eastern Osprey, 
Brolga, Comb-crested Jacana, Australian Pied Oystercatcher, Sooty 
Oystercatcher, Greater Sand Plover, Little Tern, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, 
Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, Little Lorikeet, Barking Owl, Sooty Owl, Rufous 
Scrub-bird, Brown Treecreeper, Hooded Robin, Grey-crowned Babbler, Paradise 
Riflebird).  



Regards



Greg
Dr Greg. P. Clancy

Head Stalker,


Ecologist and Birding-wildlife Guide
| PO Box 63 Coutts Crossing NSW 2460
| 02 6649 3153 | 0429 601 960
http://www.gregclancyecologistguide.com

http://gregswildliferamblings.blogspot.com.au/








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