| Sun 29 |  | Little Curlew
Gingham Watercourse Mudflats adj Morialta Road, BULLARAH |
|
| 90 Little Curlews viewed and counted thru mounted scope from shoulder of road. Same location as previous recent trips.
30km south of Mungindi,
30km west of Gwydir Wetlands.
Other significant numbers in hundreds included: Red-capped Plovers, Banded Lapwings, Grey Teal, Dotterels etc (Moderator: Easily the biggest count of Little Curlews in NSW now! MR)
Observers: Jenny Holcombe, May Kuypers Whittall and myself eBird checklist |
| Patrick Johnston 29/1 #268881 |
| | Comb-crested Jacana
Rowes Lagoon, Collector |
|
| Originally posted to NSW Rare Bird Alert Facebook page. Single adult bird, seems content feeding approximately 50m out from shoreline, Edmondson VC Rest Area (Moderator's Note: This is an extraordinary record, and there would appear to be no previous records for the Southern or Central Tablelands of NSW. The only other western record that I could find was for Gilgandra in 1932. AKM) |
| Daniel Kurzawa 29/1 #268880 |
| | Lesser Frigatebird
Broughton Island |
| Seen on Providence Beach been chaced off by a Crested Tern. Too quick to snap a phone picture. Clearly seen in binoculars for ID. Headed quickly east along the island out of view. Good number (12) of Red-capped Plovers on beach also. eBird checklist |
| Jason Brown 29/1 #268877 |
| Thu 26 | | Painted Snipe
Ephemeral Swamp near Chat Alley |
| Single bird took flight from fence line landed some 30 meters further into swamp. unable to locate again. distinctive colour and pattern separated it from any other snipe in the area. eBird checklist |
| Paul Heath 29/1 #268873 |
| | White Tern, Sooty Tern, White-faced Storm-Petrel
Offshore--Sydney Pelagic |
|
| We had a reasonable day considering the slow start. Highlights included our first White Tern since 2015, good numbers of White-faced Storm-Petrels and a lone Sooty Tern. Frustratingly, the only Pterodroma for the day was to be Grey-faced Petrel. We did however have excellent views and interactions with four species of cetaceans including Spinner dolphins. The 200-odd shearwaters kept us entertained on the return leg. Photograph: Dave Irving. eBird checklist |
| Sydney pelagics and all onboard 28/1 #268870 |
| | Little Curlew
Gingham Floodplain adj Morialta Road BULLARAH |
|
| 39 Little Curlew sighted/counted with a Mounted Scope. Count verified by Jane Humphries.
Location: Viewed from shoulder of Morialta Road (approx 30km south of Mungindi, 100km west of Moree).
7.8km north of Watercourse Rd intersection where the Gingham Watercourse Floodplain meets Morialta Road and is cultivated mudflats from water flowing from the Gwydir Wetlands 30km east). Area has been pretty much innundated since March 2020 with 3 good years of rainfall combined with flooding.
Note: No ebird record made due to brewing storm. Location was identical within metres to where I saw 5 x Little Curlew 9th of Jan 2023 (Moderator's Note: A remarkable count of Little Curlew and the biggest I can find for NSW. It looks ripe for a Long-toed Stint or two to arrive there! MR). eBird checklist |
| Patrick Johnston 26/1 #268867 |
| Tue 24 | | Common Noddy and Shy Albatross
Mistral Point, Maroubra |
|
| A trawler was working the inshore waters with about 250 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters following it, as was a Shy Albatross which was present for at least an hour. A few Pomarine Jaegers were also seen and possibly the same Common Noddy from last week was still feeding close inshore. |
| David Mitford 25/1 #268863 |
| Sun 22 | | Black-winged, Gould’s and Black Petrels
Offshore--Port Stephens pelagic |
|
| Great day off Port Stephens on our first pelagic since May last year with a real treat of Cookilarias to watch for much of the time. We ended up with seven Black-winged and seventeen Gould’s (best count on a Port Stephens pelagic for Gould’s and our first Black-wings). We had five Gould’s feeding together in a tight bunch a few miles shy of the shelf break and when we repositioned from our first drift to our second drift all of our attendant shearwaters abandoned us and we were followed by only a Gould’s and a Black-winged! We also had a single Black Petrel, two Grey-faced Petrel, good numbers of Sooty Terns, a Long-tailed Jaeger and 25x Wilson’s Storm-Petrels, which is a good count for January. Surprisingly we only had three Flesh-footed Shearwaters at the shelf and a total of five for the entire day. A NSW ORAC submission will be made for the Black-winged Petrels. Back of screen photo uploaded because I don’t have access to download my photos at the moment. |
| Mick Roderick and all aboard M.V. Contagious 22/1 #268859 |
| Sat 21 | | Gang-Gang Cockatoo
Tomboye, NSW |
| Large group of 20 birds. 4 adult pairs with the remaining birds being immature/juveniles lacking adult plumage. |
| Nick Charley 26/1 #268865 |
| | Comb-crested Jacana
McPherson Road Swamp |
|
| Long staying bird still present on the swamp eBird checklist |
| Felix Watson, Martin Snowball 22/1 #268857 |
| Fri 20 | | Southern Emu-wren, King Quail, Painted Button-quail
Surveyor's Creek, Gibraltar Range National Park |
|
| Adult male Emu-wren photographed, and pair of King Quail flushed in hanging swamp. Painted Button-quail heard calling same location on 17.01.23 (Keith Fisher, Russell Jago, Darryl Eggins). |
| Greg & Val Clancy, Megan Rush, Warren Martin, Jag Robertson, Keith Fisher 26/1 #268866 |
| Thu 19 | | Common Noddy and Long-tailed Jaeger
Mistral Point, Maroubra |
| A Common Noddy hung around for about 30 minutes, also 19 Long-tailed Jaeger came through in dribs and drabs. Other species included: 300 Wedge-tailed Shearwater, 8 Short-tailed Shearwater, 5 Flesh-footed Shearwater, 4 Fluttering Shearwater, 1 Sooty Shearwater and 6 Pomarine Jaeger. |
| David Mitford 20/1 #268851 |
| | White-throated Needletail
Cooranbong |
| Probably over 300 seen over a 5 km. stretch between Morisset and Cooranbong. This is twice the size of the flocks that have been here at this time of year. They usually roost in the Blackbutts along Stockton Creek and you can see them slowly rise from there early morning - generally resident for a few weeks |
| Paul Schofield 19/1 #268848 |
| Wed 18 | | Little Shrike-thrush
Sea Acres Nature Reserve |
| 2 birds calling continuously then seen. Rufous below, smaller than a Grey Shrike-thrush but larger than a Whistler with Shrike-thrush/Whistler head & bill. In the rainforest mid level.(Moderator's Note: Interesting report because the normal range usually only extends to Scotts Head/Grassy Head, in Northern NSW. AKM) eBird checklist |
| Ian Kerr 18/1 #268845 |
| Mon 16 | | Black-backed Bittern
Narawang Wetlands, Sydney Olympic Park |
| Good views of a male perched in aquatic vegetation at pond on north side of Avenue of Oceania. Best view of entire pond is from the roadside. Reported on ebird by other observers. |
| Dion Hobcroft 16/1 #268836 |
| Sun 15 | | Black-necked Stork, Wood Sandpiper
Central Coast Wetlands - Pioneer Dairy |
| Update on Black-necked Stork and Wood Sandpiper at Central Coast Wetlands - Pioneer Dairy.
One individual Wood Sandpiper flushed low from -33.296116,151.424922 while slowly driving past - square white rump patch and barred tail clearly seen. Waited for 20 minutes and emerged foraging, -33.2967385, 151.4255660, then sat down. While observing, a second individual Wood Sandpiper appeared foraging on the opposite bank at -33.2958429, 151.4247667.
One individual Black-necked Stork flew in at 5:23pm. Landed, foraged, then began roosting at -33.2964011, 151.4260170. Still present when leaving site at 6:50pm.
Also noting four Black-fronted Dotterels and one Latham's Snipe foraging (see eBird checklist S126181377 for further details; two hour stationary survey with two observers). eBird checklist |
| Jessica Rooke, Hugh Chan 16/1 #268835 |
| | Blue-billed Duck (breeding record)
Denbigh Farm Dam - Cobbitty |
| An adult female with a young bird was present on the dam this morning suggesting it has bred here. To my knowledge there are few breeding records for this species in Sydney and the only other one I am aware of is at Pitt Town Lagoon in the Hawkesbury a few years ago. |
| Edwin Vella 15/1 #268830 |
| | House sparrow
George St. North Strathfield |
| A few years ago I reported house sparrows in George St. North Srathfield. Is this species still uncommon in certain parts of Sydney? Whatever, several were seen and heard today in the same outside cafe/restaurant area where they appear to be living on scraps from under the tables (Moderator's Note: House Sparrows continue to decline, certainly in Sydney, Central Coast and parts of the Mid North Coast. As Starlings are also declining in those areas one wonders whether their decline is partly caused by increased numbers of Common Mynas in urban and industrial areas. AKM) |
| Nick Hodges 15/1 #268829 |
| Sat 14 | | Restless Flycatcher
Spring Ck reservoir Orange |
| First we have seen some years. Also one male Blue-billed Duck, Red-rumped Parrots and Double-Barred Finches. |
| Bernard Huxtable 14/1 #268827 |
| Mon 9 | | Little Curlew
Gingham Floodplain adjacent Morialta Road Bullarah |
|
| Flooded mudflats/cuiltivation paddock adjacent to Morialta Rd Bullarah.
5 * Little Curlew.
The site is approx 30-40km south of Mungindi and 90-100km west of Moree eBird checklist |
| Patrick Johnston 9/1 #268810 |
| | Eastern Yellow Wagtail
Pipeline Rd, Hexham Swamp |
|
| Eastern Yellow Wagtail showing well in marshes alongside the Pipeline Rd, Hexham. Disappeared for an hour and then reappeared in same location, drank from a puddle on the road and then back out onto the marshes. Lost sight amongst tussocks. Very poor phone photo attached. |
| Ashley Mullahey 9/1 #268809 |
| Sun 8 | | Black-necked Stork, Wood Sandpiper
Pioneer Dairy, Tuggerah |
|
| Update on Stork and Wood Sandpiper at Central Coast Wetlands. Adult. seen flying over., also 2 Wood Sandpipers seen, breeding Tawny Grassbirds (feeding young), and 5 Channel-billed Cuckoos in the one Moreton Bay Fig (with Figbirds and Satin Bowerbirds). |
| Ian McAllan, David Martin, Laurie Smith, Rob Montgomery 9/1 #268808 |
| | Topknot Pigeon
Kurrajong Hills |
|
| 3 local records in the past week culminating in a flock of 8 to 10 in a fruiting Moreton Bay Fig where I first recorded them locally in 2020. There are few records of this species west of the Hawkesbury-Nepean river system. |
| Eric Finley 8/1 #268806 |
| Sat 7 | | Oriental Pratincole
North of Wanganella |
| Robert Nevinson located an Oriental Pratincole on private property north of Wanganella on 5 January Last seen 7 January. This is the first record for the Deniliquin district, and possibly the Riverina, of which I am aware. Access restricted. |
| Robert Nevinson per Philip Maher 8/1 #268807 |
| | Buller's Shearwater
Long Reef Aquatic Reserve |
| Highlight of a 3 hour seawatch from Long Reef this afternoon were 15 Buller's Shearwater which is 1 more than my previous record from Tacking Point Lighthouse a few years ago. |
| Michael Ronan 7/1 #268804 |
| | Common Myna
Condobolin |
| Very disappointed to see 7 Common Mynas fly over my house this morning. First ever record to my knowledge for Condobolin
Anyone got any good tips to get rid of the %$#@%$s |
| warren Chad 7/1 #268802 |
| Fri 6 | | Buller’s Shearwater
Mistral Point, Maroubra |
| 11 Buller’s Shearwaters seen today flying south amongst the 2500 Short-tailed Shearwaters. A single Long-tailed Jaeger and 10 Pomarine Jaegers also noted. 6 Little Terns together was only my second record of this species here this century. A few Hutton’s, Fluttering and Sooty Shearwaters also seen this afternoon. No Flesh-footed Shearwaters at all. |
| David Mitford 7/1 #268801 |
| | Black Falcon, Magpie Geese (breeding) and large nuumbers of waterbirds
Hexham Swamp West--Lenaghan Drive |
| Saw a Black Falcon soaring high over Hexham Swamp Swamp about the middle of the day on the 6th January from the lookout off Lenaghan Drive. On the 4th January I had about 14 Magpie Geese (8 adults and 6 young goslings). On the 5th January were 3 Black-necked Storks (an adult pair with a very young bird). There are currently large numbers of Great Egrets and Royal Spoonbills in or near Lenaghan too. At nearby Pambalong Nature Reserve on the 4th January I counted about 160 Royal Spoonbill and on the 6th January at this same location I counted 70 Great Egret and about 120 Royal Spoonbills. |
| Edwin Vella 6/1 #268800 |
| Thu 5 | | Latham's Snipe (high count)
Wetland off Bulbul Crescent, Fletcher |
| On the above wetland on the 5th January I had an exact count of 131 Latham's Snipe. Many were feeding out in the open along the shoreline around the wetland after 7 pm and there was a good chance there may have been more on the sections of the wetland I could not see.
Also on the 6th January there I had a pair of Southern Emu-wrens and there were large numbers of Royal Spoonbill there too (70 plus) |
| Edwin Vella 6/1 #268799 |
| | Buller's Shearwater, Long-tailedJaeger
Long Reef Aquatic Reserve |
| Good to see more Seabirds turning up off Sydney today including a Buller's Shearwater, about 10 Long-tailed Jaeger's and good numbers of Sooty Shearwaters. |
| Michael Ronan 5/1 #268797 |
| Wed 4 | | Pied Cormorant
Lake Canobolas, Orange |
|
| One Pied Cormorant on the lake today. Last record for this location was April 2017. Not a species I've seen in Cabonne Shire before. eBird checklist |
| Bec Read 4/1 #268794 |
| Tue 3 | | Wood Sandpiper (3)
Central Coast Wetlands (Tuggerah) |
| 3 birds now present at what has become a regular site for the species in recent years, including an individual that is thought to have over-wintered last year. 3 is believed to be the maximum seen at any one time. |
| Andrew Robinson 3/1 #268792 |
| | Black Falcon
Killalea State Park |
| Pleasantly surprised to find a Black Falcon soaring over the headland at the NE end of Killalea Beach this morning. Spectacular views on a bright and sunny morning as the Falcon soared above me for several minutes. 2 Musk Ducks were also on the lagoon and a Brush Cuckoo called consistently for almost 2 hours eBird checklist |
| Steven Cooper 3/1 #268791 |
| | Kentish Plover and South Island Pied Oystercatcher
Farquhar Inlet, Old Bar |
|
| Re-sighting of the same bird Tim Henderson spotted the other day. It also appears it might be the same bird photographed in 2021 by Stephanie Owen. It has a misaligned bill as did the previously photographed individual. ID has not been confirmed for either individual as far as I know. |
| Silas Darnell 3/1 #268790 |
| Mon 2 | | Grey-faced Petrel
Centennial Park, Paddington NSW |
|
| Petrel sitting in grass field in the park near sprinklers on dusk. Being heavily harassed by noisy miners. Clearly biown off course and exhausted but uninjured. Rescued by WIRES. Hopefully it will make a full recovery and is released. eBird checklist |
| Luke Jackson 3/1 #268788 |
| Sun 1 | | Painted Snipe, Latham's Snipe, Buff-banded Rail, Cattle Egret
Eribendary Plain near Lake Cargelligo |
|
| Our friend Craig Cromelin photographed a bird on the evening of 30th December 2022 of which we identified as a female Painted Snipe. We returned to the same spot on the evening of the 1st January 2023 and sighted 2 more Painted Snipe which we identified as males. Also worth noting we counted 4 Cattle Egret, 5 Latham's Snipe and 3 Buff-banded Rail not far from the Painted Snipe site. The flood water has reduced significantly and the birds are taking advantage of shallow waters across the Plains. |
| Rebecca & Sandy Van Dyk 2/1 #268786 |