| Fri 26 | | Channel-billed Cuckoo
Bridge road Glebe |
| Calling as it flew over, my earliest record for Glebe by a long way. (Moderator's Note: a very early record for a calling bird! AKM). |
| Robert Hynson 26/7 #271635 |
| Wed 24 | | White-winged Chough
Eatonsville, north-west of Grafton |
| Small group heard calling and one bird seen in lantana infested forest on private land on Eatonsville road- 2km east of Eatonsville. Never had them so close to Grafton. |
| Ian Colvin 24/7 #271634 |
| Sun 21 | | Campbell Albatross, Buller's Albatross, Hutton's Shearwater
Offshore--Sydney Pelagic |
|
| Despite the challenging conditions we had a solid winter's trip with good numbers of albatrosses (Black-browed, Campbell, Shy, Buller's and Indian Yellow-nosed) being the highlight, with the bulk being picked up once well offshore. Buller's were added approaching the shelf and Indian Yellow-nosed at the shelf. We managed to drag the throng of albatrosses and Crested Terns all the way back from the shelf to within a several nautical miles of the heads. The first of the Grey-faced Petrels were spotted a few miles offshore along with the odd Hutton's Shearwater. Past 12NM we picked up Providence Petrels. At the drift we had many close approaches from Fairy Prions, Providence Petrels and Grey-faced Petrels. A pair of Brown Skua also sat near the boat amongst the albatrosses throughout the drift. A few flocks of Fluttering Shearwaters, along with a handful of unidentified distant 'fluttons', were encountered close to the heads. Photograph: Ian Mo eBird checklist |
| Sydney Pelagics and all onboard 22/7 #271630 |
| | Buller's Albatross,Fairy Prion.
Long Reef Aquatic Reserve |
| Very good winter seawatch from Long Reef this afternoon highlights were 9 Buller's Albatross and 10 close in Fairy Prions also large numbers of Black-browed Albatross at least 200+and 30 Shy Albatross. |
| Michael Ronan 21/7 #271628 |
| Sat 20 | | Black Kite
Carrathool (Conargo Rd) |
| At least 1800 Black Kites on either side of Conargo Rd. The mass of birds attracted to the rubbish tip and what appeared to be dumped poultry remains. Amazing to see. |
| Lorne Johnson and Steve Edwards 23/7 #271633 |
| | Spotted Harrier
Nimbin Rd at Goolmangar |
| At about 2pm, I noticed a Spotted Harrier gliding above the ridge to the east of Nimbin Rd near Goolmangar general store, and I watched it cross low above the road and over to the wetlands, before being driven away by a crow. Adult bird. An exciting sighting for me in the Lismore Shire. eBird checklist |
| Henry Coleman 21/7 #271626 |
| Fri 19 |  | Southern Giant-Petrel, NZ Wandering Albatross (gibsoni)
Terrigal Pelagic |
|
| The highlights from a solid trip out of Terrigal on Friday were; Southern Giant-Petrel, NZ Wandering Albatross (gibsoni) and good numbers of Black-browed Albatross 45 (10), Fairy Prion (100+), and Brown Skua 9 (3). In total 15 species were seen beyond The Haven, with 11 of those Tubenoses, including 6 species of Albatross. |
| Central Coast Pelagics (Andrew Robinson, Dean Purcell & 14 others) 21/7 #271627 |
| | White-browed Woodswallow, Regent Honeyeater
Werekata State Conservation Area at Sawpit Rd entrance |
|
| We visited the site from Sydney to look for the Regent Honeyeaters which have been reported there for the past four or five weeks. I was very surprised to find a White-browed Woodswallow amongst the Regents - surely a very unusual winter record for the Hunter region?
The Regents were showing well on both sides of the main road - I estimated about 10 to 12 individuals, but they are always difficult to tally accurately. (Moderator's Note: A remarkable record. There are no previous winter [Jun/Jul] reports of White-browed Woodswallows in the Hunter Region or surrounds and it is assumed that this bird was blown in during the recent westerlies, though it's arrival on Friday pre-dated the most severe winds yesterday. The Regents have now been present this site for 7 weeks too. MR) |
| Roger and Louise McGovern 20/7 #271625 |
| Thu 18 | | Eastern Spinebill
Scotia Sanctuary (restricted access) |
| Single bird heard then seen at base accommodation in morning. Way out of range. An interesting record for this area. |
| Lorne Johnson and Steve Edwards 23/7 #271632 |
| | Glossy Black Cockatoo
Wollemi National Park--Glow Worm Tunnel track |
|
| Single male, feeding quietly just above the track. |
| Tim Morgan & Sarah D’Arcy 20/7 #271624 |
| Mon 15 | | Channel-billed Cuckoo
Lewisham, Sydney |
| Getting in the car this morning at 8:30 outside my place at Lewisham, heard the unmistakable called of the channel billed cuckoo and then saw it flying northward. Seems early! (Moderator's Note. Yes this seems extraordinary but some Channel-bills could have been birds that were in care and released too late and so ended up staying behind, but maybe not!! AKM). |
| Madeline Hourihan 15/7 #270617 |
| Sun 14 | | Regent Honeyeater
Werekata State Conservation Area at Sawpit Rd entrance. |
|
| At least 12, probably more, in roadside trees. Hard to estimate as they were very active. Ongoing birds reported in eBird over recent weeks. No obvious banding on the birds I managed to photograph. Poor shot off back of camera attached. (Moderator's Note: good update on the Kitchener birds, it would be good to have an update on the birds in Werakata NP at Pelton? AKM) |
| Gina McFarlane 15/7 #270618 |
| Sat 13 | | Golden Whistler
"The Glen' Bullarah (70km west of Moree) Private Property |
|
| Adult male Golden Whistler photographed this afternoon adjacent Ballin Boora Creek on 'The Glen' BULLARAH. First sighting on my property in seven years of residence. (Moderator's Note: There are no eBird records for Golden Whistlers within 30 kms of this location, and only 3 records in the next 70 km radius AKM). eBird checklist |
| Patrick Johnston 13/7 #270615 |
| | Red-backed Kingfisher
Myocum |
| Update: The RBK still hanging about on the wires at intersection of Dingo Lane and Myocum Rd, as at 2pm. (Moderator's Note: The Recent Red-backed Kingfisher at the Mt Penang Parklands, Central Coast LGA, was present 18 May-24 June 2024, while the bird at Mount Annan Botanic Gardens near Camden, was present from 9-29/9/2023, so one could expect that this bird will stay around too! AKM). |
| Ian Colvin 13/7 #270614 |
| Fri 12 | | Bush Stone-curlew
Girilambone |
| Sighting of multiple birds in a area where I thought they would not exist. (Moderator's Note: There are very few current records for Bush Stone-curlews in Mid Western and western NSW, so is a surprise to know that there are some at Girilambone. I have not been able to determine where these birds were actually sighted but it is of interest to note that way back on 23/8/1976 I saw a pair of BTK mid way along the Hermidale-Girilambone Rd, not far from Wilga Downs HSD. AKM) |
| Dave jones 15/7 #270616 |
| Thu 11 | | Red-backed Kingfisher
Myocum Rd, Myocum (-28.58982, 153.49699) |
|
| Red-back Kingfisher seen from the road. Perched as kingfishers do on the wires. ( Moderator's Note: Red-backed Kingfishers are rare but regular winter visitors to the lower Richmond, Clarence and Macleay Rivers, and often remain for weeks/months. Reports include South West Rocks 1/6-7/8/1993, Tatham near Casino 15/5-21/7 1973, Lismore Aug 1971, Ballina Aug & June 1971 & 1972, Alstonville March 1993 etc. AKM) eBird checklist |
| James Churches 11/7 #270611 |
| | White-eared Monarch
Bangalow Road, Byron Bay (near golf course) |
| A pair of White-eared Monarch (possibly a third calling in distance) observed and busy in roadside Brush Box alongside Bangalow Road just past the golf course at 10am - road works in place with witches hats. Small guild of other birds all busy also - Lewin’s Honeyeater, Grey Fantail, Golden Whistler & Mistletoebird. |
| Ian Colvin 11/7 #270609 |
| Sun 7 | | Blue Petrel, White-headed Petrel, Black-bellied Storm-petrel
Offshore--Port Stephens pelagic |
|
| A great cold winter's pelagic held out of Port Stephens yesterday, planned during the week off the back of the recent unrelenting southerly winds for the preceding week and a half. It was also a great opportunity to test our new boat 'Reel Contagious', which can go faster than previous boats and get us to the shelf quickly. This paid off because about 45 minutes earlier than we normally arrive at the shelf a Blue Petrel appeared in the slick, feeding voraciously for up to ten minutes, circling the boat and coming very close to the stern a few times. If accepted by NSW ORAC this will be a new bird for the Hunter Region and is the furthest north record I can find in Australian waters. It is also the first at-sea record of a Blue Petrel in NSW for nearly a decade (the last being one seen off Wollongong in Sept 2014). About an hour after this excitement a White-headed Petrel flew in (just the 3rd record for Port Stephens) , followed by a Black-bellied Storm-petrel, joining the throng of White-faced Stormies and Fairy Prions in the slick. Another highlight was having a Dwarf Minke Whale 'resident' under and around our boat for about two hours, giving great views when it surfaced. With a supporting cast of good numbers of albatross (including at least 20 Indian Yellow-nosed) we fell just one short of reaching the magic 20 species for the day, but we're not complaining! |
| Mick Roderick and all aboard 'M.V. Reel Contagious' 8/7 #270605 |
| Fri 5 | | Southern Fulmar
Shelly Beach Carpark, Manly |
| A Southern Fulmar headed south past my Shelly Beach carpark watch point around 3:15 this afternoon during an otherwise rather quiet seawatch that comprised some 40-odd Black-browed Albatrosses. (Moderator's Note: Good record but sightings of this species are subject to review by the NSW ORAC. AKM) eBird checklist |
| Mike Kilburn 5/7 #270600 |
| | Mangrove Gerygone
Newington Nature Reserve - Parramatta River |
| A single bird heard, seen and photographed on the edges of the mangroves on the bike path about 200 metres from armoury carpark. Near old fenced off small brick buildings. Not many records at this location on ebird. eBird checklist |
| Brett Mezen 5/7 #270599 |
| Thu 4 | | Australian Raven
Mannering Park |
| I do a school bus run around the south end of Lake Macquarie in the morning and now in the afternoon as well. Over the last 6 months or so I've noticed seeing Ravens alongside the road apparently feeding or occasionally on the road on roadkill (but they quickly move when a vehicle comes along.) I've only ever seen one dead Raven in the last few years.
This morning I saw an unknown dead bird on the road as I drove into Mannering Park. When I came back out less than 10 minutes later a Raven was actively the carcass from the centre of the road to the edge and had moved it over a metre. It took off after the bus got too near and I thought nothing of it.
I had to return to Mannering Park 2 hours later for an appointment and the carcass was in the same position that I'd seen it earlier. When I was leaving Mannering Park about 30 minutes later the carcass was now on the grass off the road and a Raven was eating it.
I'm presuming the Raven had returned and dragged the carcass to the safety of the verge like it seemed to have been doing earlier in the day. When I drove past this afternoon the carcass had completely disappeared. If this is what the Raven was doing, I'm astounded at the intelligence to drag food off the road to eat it in safety but it would explain why I've seen Ravens so often fairly recently on the verges apparently eating, especially roads with 80 or 90 kph limits. |
| Paul Schofield 4/7 #270596 |
| | Red-necked Avocet, Australasian Shoveler, Bar-tailed Godwit
Bicentennial Park (Sydney Olympic Park)--Waterbird Refuge |
| 2 Avocets roosting near the tyres (first ones for a while - have been on site for about a week after a long absence). 13 Australasian Shovelers actively feeding in the slightly deeper water on the west side just beyond the tyres. 39 Bar-tailed Godwits feeding on the exposed mud on the eastern edge. Also 4 Royal Spoonbills and a big (200+?) flock of Coot at the south end. Water level quite low (not sure if this just because of the lowering tide or it is being managed to be low). eBird checklist |
| Tom Wilson 4/7 #270595 |
| Tue 2 | | Blue-faced honeyeater with recently fledged young
Kingswood, western Sydney |
| Reporting as blue-faced honeyeaters are not common in western Sydney and I thought a slightly unusual time to have very recently fledged young. Two young fed by adults and immature birds eBird checklist |
| David Ongley 2/7 #270588 |
| Sat 29 | | Rose Robin and Euro Goldfinch
Scheyville NP KBA trail |
| A single male Rose Robin and a Goldfinch a bit later. First record for both.
Plentiful seed, no blossom, but 32 species recorded. We have started recording the ambient temperature at the start and finish of the survey for the sake of global warming. Never have enough data. |
| Ian Bailey and 6 others 4/7 #270594 |
| | Powerful Owl
Wyong Rd. intersection, Mingara |
| Was coming out of Mingara this morning at 10:30am waiting at the lights to turn into Wyong Rd. when a Powerful Owl (most likely male) was flushed out and flew across the intersection. Caught glimpses of its face and definitely an owl. Also colour and size ruled out a Masked Owl. It landed briefly in a Swamp Mahogony and I was going to stop over the road to try to get photos but it flushed again as the lights changed so I had to leave it. Confused me at first as it was flying very slowly, Spotted Harrier pace. Presuming that was just the daylight mode as I've seen them fly much quicker at night. |
| Paul Schofield 29/6 #270586 |
| Fri 28 | | Black-necked Stork
Mona Vale Beach |
|
| An immature Black-necked Stork was seen inflight around 9am, it flew from the basin side of Mona Vale Beach. The photos are taken as it flew from the basin and headed north west. An Australian Raven can be seen in some of the photos I took but I could only attach 1 photo at this time. (Moderatoir's Note: This is a great record for the Sydney Region, although not unexpected, because the nearest breeding pair located in the Wyong/Tuggerah area have fledged two young in their last two breeding events. AKM) |
| Belinda Elliott 28/6 #270585 |
| | Flame Robin
Pitt Town Bottoms Road |
|
| Single male Flame Robin seen in the trees on the small rise just across the road from the lotus ponds (poor back of camera photo submitted). Big numbers of White-faced Herons (70+) on the turf farms. eBird checklist |
| Tom Wilson 28/6 #270583 |
| Thu 27 | | Eastern Osprey
Manly Point |
|
| Spotted an osprey, potentially a pair with chicks, as they were flying down and collecting beach material for nesting. Just off Shelly Beach towards the Point. (Moderator's Note; Currently Ospreys are busy refurbishing their nests or building new nests, so at this stage they would not have chicks in a nest!. However, I can find no information that would suggest that there is a new nesting pair around Manly Point/North Head, although a pair are known to nest in the vicinity of Manly Dam. So we have published this note to encourage birders to check out any suitable sites as to whether there might be a new pair in Sydney Harbour/North Head. AKM). |
| Rob 2/7 #270589 |