Eremaea Birdlines
Interesting and unusual bird observations
Birdline New South Wales

Birdline NSW is a site for the reporting of rare or unusual birds outside their normal range, unusually high or low numbers, early or late arrivals or departures for migrant species and interesting behaviour or unusual habitat usage. We may also consider publishing unusually-plumaged birds (e.g. albinistic/leucistic/melanistic) if they are considered interesting or are uncommonly seen.

Birdline New South Wales is supported by Birding NSW, Birdlife Southern NSW and Cumberland Bird Observers Club and moderated by Alan Morris, Liam Murphy, Mick Roderick and Simon Blanchflower.

We support ethical birding .

11/28/2021

Moderators' Note

Birders are encouraged to post lists to eBird Australia, where sightings are incorporated into the BirdLife Australia Atlas. To do this you need to register with eBird Australia then login. All Regent Honeyeater and Swift Parrot reports should be forwarded to Mick Roderick to assist in the recovery of these severely declining species: mick.roderick@birdlife.org.au. Note we will not be publishing reports of Accipiter raptors (Collared Sparrowhawk, Grey/Brown Goshawks) or Square-tailed Kites unless they are in unusual locations or are seen with unusual prey etc.

Recent Sightings

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Reports published in the past 30 hours.

highlightHighlightmegamegaMega
May 2025
Sat 17highlightSwift Parrot
Wianamatta Regional Park, Ropes Crossing
With perfect timing I sighted at least 10 Swift Parrots flying low and landing in the trees (presumably for the lerps) but due to the presence of the many aggressive Bell Miners the Swift Parrots kept well hidden in the foliage and keeping very quiet for the remainder of the morning I was there as a strategy to not draw any attention to the Bell Miners. Apart from that brief moment of seeing them in flight in the early morning I did not see them after and only heard the odd occasional soft call thereafter coming from the impenetrable bushland. It is still good they have comeback to this location where it is the 3rd year I have seen them there in the last 5 years.
Edwin Vella 18/5 #272493
Black-winged Stilts
Greenwell Point, Nowra, NSW
Two Stilts on rocks at Greenwell Park at waters edge. I had logged one a week earlier. Apart from that, none have been logged here over about ten years. I'm wondering why they havent been seen more often?
Harry Roberts. 18/5 #272492
Sun 11Magpie Goose
Wetland along Big River Way, Clarenza
350+ Geese arrived back from breeding grounds in recent weeks. Some dark juveniles present.
Greg Clancy 13/5 #272488
Tue 6highlightSwift Parrot
Brewongle Walkway & Barnes Lane, Blacktown
Seen 3 flocks totalling 18 feeding on Pysllids and lerps travelling a range of about 1 km to nearby gums and also along gums on the footpath next to Reservoir Road Blacktown. Noisy Miners only mildly annoying them here and there. Many Musk Lorikeets also feeding in the trees but up higher in the larger gums and seen when watching the flocks of Swift Parrots.
Wayne keys 6/5 #272484
highlightSwift Parrot
Brewongle Green Blacktown
Viewed at least 10 swift parrots
Michael Connor 6/5 #272483
Mon 5highlightSwift Parrot
Tingira Dr, Bawley Point
A single Swift Parrot was observed flying north overhead and calling around 9:30 am this morning. The first I have heard or seen for the season. Recorded here previously on the 12/04/2019 and 6/04/24.
Debbie Andrew 5/5 #272482
Sun 4Pacific Baza
Forrestville
A bit unusual to hear the distinctive call from two Bazas this morning. First saw one here about 10 days ago.
Philip Murray 4/5 #272479
Thu 1Silvereye (nominate)
Toorale National Park, north-west of Louth
Three nominate (Tasmanian) Silvereyes found and photographed on the eastern boundary fire trail in Toorale NP today. A very westerly record for Silvereyes generally, though not surprisingly it's of the strongly migratory nominate race.
May Whittall et al per Mick Roderick 1/5 #272477
Pallid Cuckoo
Crawford Rd, Cooranbong
Had an immature Pallid around this morning, quite active in moving around the trees. Calling with a very truncated call which threw me to start with. Also had a Wedge Tail and then one of the resident Sea-eagles use the thermals over the house and shed to soar from 20m to out of sight within 15 minutes of each other - don't usually see them as close as this. (Moderator's Note: This is an unusual report as Pallid Cuckoos are rarely reported in coastal areas in mid-autumn. AKM)
Paul Schofield 1/5 #272476

April 2025
Mon 28highlightMasked Owl
Kings Langley
About twenty Noisy Miners were very agitated and I then located several Australian Ravens attacking a Masked Owl, trying to peck at its eyes. eBird checklist
Michael Rutkowski 28/4 #272474
Sat 26Crescent Honeyeater
Werakata National Park - Stanford Merthyr section
Female Crescent Honeyeater originally found by Steph Owen and Kerrie Bradley feeding on Banksia oblongifolia and Lambertia formosa blossom in the Stanford Merthyr section of Werakata NP (just off Leggetts Drive). Very rare visitor to any lowlands in the Hunter Valley and the first record of a CRHO in the Kurri-Cessnock woodlands.
Mick Roderick 28/4 #272473
Thu 24Singing Honeyeater
Warkworth (near Singleton)
I saw at least 3 Singing Honeyeaters foraging in the flowering Mugga Ironbarks with Spiny-cheeked and Yellow-faced Honeyeaters outside the United Wambo Colliery beside the Golden Highway. I am aware of previous sightings of Singing Honeyeaters in nearby areas and I only found them after hearing one call while I was forced to wait at the temporary traffic lights for a "mine blast" otherwise I would not have thought about stopping there and find them.
Edwin Vella 28/4 #272475
Wed 23Spotted Quail-Thrush
Blue Mountains National Park--The Rock Lookout
A male and female seen about 150m from the car park along Fairlight Road. Only 4th record for Penrith LGA. Previous sightings in Penrith LGA are 2016, 2009 and 1970 in eBird. eBird checklist
Martin Snowball 23/4 #272470
highlightFlame Robin
Bushells Lagoon
Female adult feeding on neighbouring farmland. Rare winter migrant to this location. Photo on ebird list. eBird checklist
Michael Rutkowski 23/4 #272467
Tue 22highlightEastern Yellow Wagtails
Hexham Swamp Nature Reserve--Old Pipeline Track
Two breeding-plumaged Eastern Yellow Wagtails seen and photographed yesterday along the old pipeline track. This is the first report there for nearly six weeks and obviously it's impossible to tell if they are part of the cohort of up to 7 birds first located there on the 27th Jan. The yellowish throat, pure yellow chest and hint of a greenish nape on the male are indicative of a possible 'similina' bird. eBird checklist
Paul Fuller per Mick Roderick 23/4 #272469
megamegaWhite Wagtail
Terrigal Haven
Amanda Ward-Collins photographed an adult White Wagtail (ssp. leucopsis) yesterday morning (22/4) on the rocks around from (south of) Terrigal Haven / Point - roughly below the middle lookout. The bird was subsequently briefly seen this morning (23/4) at about 7:30am before it flew strongly (while vocalising) towards Terrigal CBD. Nearby playing fields, bowling greens and other likely locations were then inspected, but the bird has not been seen again. Cracking record and photos Amanda! (Moderator's Note: Cracking on both fronts indeed. This is the first NSW report since a bird was seen briefly at Newry Bar in Dec 2013 and before that the well-known, one-legged [ssp. lugens] bird that inhabited a car park at Glendale Shopping Centre for a week in April 1998. One report from Narran Lake in November 1997 was not accepted by BARC due to the observer not having dismissed Black-backed Wagtail [lugens] which was a separate species at the time and is considered a legitimate claim of White Wagtail (per NSW Atlas Vol 3). This report will be subject to a BARC submission, though hopefully the bird is re-found before that happens! MR).
Amanda Ward-Collins, Andrew Robinson, Guy Dutson 23/4 #272468
highlightRoseate Tern
Flat Rock (Ballina)
Roseate Tern seen resting on Flat Rock this afternoon. (Moderator's Note: Roseate Tern is on the NSW ORAC Review List. MR)
Steven McBride 22/4 #272464
Mon 21Barking Owl
Condobolin
Was out this evening sitting around a fire at a BBQ and heard a Barking Owl calling from close by. Called for about five minutes and was heard again about an hour later. Bird was right in town not far from the high school.
Warren Chad 21/4 #272462
White-breasted Woodswallow
Hornsby Hights.
Seen 10+ White-breasted Woodswallows flying high traveling north over Hornsby Hights looked like they were on migration never seen them around Hornsby before.
Michael Ronan 21/4 #272460
Sun 20Spotted Harrier
Mangrove Mountain
Spotted Harrier observed flying low over paddocks on Ironbark Rd, Mangrove Mountain.
Andrew Robinson and Guy Dutson 20/4 #272457
Sat 19Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
Cremorne Point
A lone YTBC flew over the Cremorne Point track yesterday morning, heading NE.
Ted Nixon 20/4 #272458
Report
Outside normal range
Early arrival; late departure
Interesting behaviour
Threatened
Hard to see
Unusual habitat
Uncommon in area
Highlight
Rare
Endangered
Vagrant
Irruption
Unusual numbers
Mega
Rare vagrant
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