| Thu 26 |  | Black-chinned Honeyeater
Capertee Valley |
| There appears to be an unusually large number of Black-chinned Honeyeaters in Capertee Valley at the moment. On June 26, I observed four individuals feeding at a flowering eucalyptus near Bird Site #2. On the following day I counted six birds at Bird Site #12 and a further seven individuals near property gate 2805 on the Glen Alice Road in Bogee. This is by far the most Black-chinned Honeyeaters that I have observed in the valley in the 30 years that I have been birding there. |
| Roger McGovern 28/6 #272579 |
| | Masked Owl
Pillar Valley, private property |
| Masked Owl, occasional flight calls. (Moderator's Note: also a rare bird in recent times in the Clarence Valley. AKM) |
| Clive Barker 28/6 #272577 |
| | Spotted Harrier
Old Six Mile Lane, Glenugie |
| single bird quartering over cleared grassy area south of Grafton airport. (Moderator's Note: A rare bird in recent times for the Clarence Valley. AKM) |
| Clive Barker 28/6 #272573 |
| Tue 24 | | Dusky Woodswallow
Old Six Mile Lane, Glenugie |
| 3 birds foraging near ground in cleared area south of Grafton Airport. (Moderator's Note: Uncommon winter visitor to the Grafton/Ulmarra/Glenugie area. AKM) |
| Clive Barker 28/6 #272574 |
| Sun 22 | | Swift Parrot
Crawford Rd, Cooranbong |
| Just starting out on my morning walk before 7am this morning when a pair of Swifties flew out of the remnant forest on the north side and across the road above me. Very misty so colour muted but shape, size, flight and contact calls very distinctive. Been a while since I've seen some so immediately went on line and checked calls. Nice start to my day |
| Paul Schofield 22/6 #272569 |
| Sat 21 | | Magpie Goose
Wetland along Big River Way, Clarenza |
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| Number of Geese now estimated to be 500+, probably largest ever count at this site. Photo only shows about half of flock. |
| Greg Clancy 22/6 #272568 |
| | Possible Regent Honeyeater
Awaba St Morisset |
| I'd crossed the creek that intersects Awaba St and spent 20 minutes looking at the various birds there feeding on the Swamp Mahogany (been flowering for several weeks now). I'd just gotten back on my bike to go home when something the right size, shape and colour flew overhead into the sun. By the time it landed in a Mahogany, one of the many Noisy Friarbirds there dived into the tree and it disappeared before I could get a decent look at it chased off by the Friarbird. Fairly sure it was a Regent as they've moved through there the last few years when the Mahogany is flowering well but I didn't get a good enough look to confirm |
| Paul Schofield 21/6 #272564 |
| | Swift Parrot
Mulgoa Valley - Private property |
|
| First heard by Raghav Sharma and subsequently picked up by Martin Snowball on Mark Fuller's monthly CLC survey. ~25 Swift Parrots lerping in A. subvelutina, E. crebra & E. microcarpa. Edge of Bell Miner colony. |
| Raghav & Veeraj Sharma, Mark Fuller, Martin Snowball, Les Cormack 21/6 #272563 |
| Fri 20 | | Regent Bowerbird
Pillar Valley private property |
| Single adult male, assumed winter wanderer as few reliable sites of this species in the Clarence Valley. (Moderator's Note: Rare in the Grafton/Ulmarra/Glenugie area of the Calrence Valley. AKM) |
| Clive Barker 28/6 #272575 |
| | Swift Parrot
Mt Olive Trail, Popran National Park |
| 2 Swifties heard calling and then seen briefly flying low through the bush. Unmistakeable call and flight. Green body, red underwing, long maroon tail. Another record for the Hawkesbury sandstone this season! eBird checklist |
| Nick Carson 20/6 #272561 |
| Thu 19 | | Double-banded Plover, Red-necked Stint, Marsh Sandpiper
Morrisons Lake, 20km Sth of Ivanhoe |
| Another shallow ephemeral western lake on the Willandra Ck that is just starting to be filled with environmental flows. Surveying there this morning I found four more Double banded plover, six Red neck Stint, 100 plus Australian Shelduck and two Sea Eagles building their nest. Thats a total of 6 DBP at these two lakes that are 25 km apart. Todays birds were not in breeding plummage. I returned to Lake Kattabritoi this afternoon and the DBP were still there along with a lone Marsh sandpiper. Other birds of note were Red necked Avocet and Gull billed Tern. (Moderator's Note: Many years ago in the 1960s when John Hobbs was the police officer at Ivanhoe, a natural flood sent water into Morrison's Lake and he reported on Double-banded Plovers at that same site. AKM) |
| Warren Chad 19/6 #272558 |
| | Pilotbird
Southern end Lady Carrington Drive Royal National Park |
|
| Two birds observed at close range foraging just south of where Lady Carrington Drive crosses creek and Forest Walk intersection. Seen about 3.30 pm right side (eastern side) of track. Bassian Thrush and Yellow-throated Scrubwrens also present |
| Deryk Engel 19/6 #272557 |
| Wed 18 | | Double-banded Plover, Red-necked Stint, Pied Currawong
Lake Kattabritoi, 25km Sth of Ivanhoe on The Willandra Ck |
| This site is a drying lake with only inches of water left creating a vast area of mudflats. There were about 100 Red capped Plover, 14 Red necked Stint and two Double banded Plovers feeding along the shoreline. The two DBP were still in breeding plumage. Also very surprised to see a Pied Currawong at this site. (Moderator's Note: Great inland reports of both species! MR). |
| Warren Chad 18/6 #272554 |
| Tue 17 | | Russet-tailed Thrush
Pillar Valley, private property |
|
| victim of window collision, assumed a winter wanderer as I would have expected to hear them calling but haven't. |
| Clive Barker 28/6 #272576 |
| Sun 15 | | Double-banded Plover
Shoalhaven Heads Inlet |
| C.145 Double-banded Plovers plus c.90 Red-capped Plovers, 30 Bar-tailed Godwits, 3 Pacific Golden Plovers and 5 Red-necked Stints in the last light at Shoalhaven Heads. (Moderator's Note: Good numbers for DBP.AKM) |
| Michael Ellison 16/6 #272549 |
| | Fuscous & other Honeyeaters
Ground Parrot Site, Hyams Beach Rd, Jervis Bay |
| A wet and miry morning at Hyams Heath which was full of hundreds, quite possibly thousands of honeyeaters zipping about. 7+ spp noted including Fuscous, Brown-headed and Scarlet amongst more common Yellow-faced, New Holland etc. Great supporting cast of c.25 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos, marauding male Peregrine & pair of Grey Goshawks (one grey, one white) and an Eastern Bristlebird within 2 metres. Quite a spectacle and well worth a visit if you’re in the area (Moderator's Note. Perhaps because of the drought in southern NSW, there are more Fuscous Honeyeaters at more sites in coastal NSW this winter? AKM). |
| Michael Ellison 16/6 #272548 |
| | Swift Parrot
Mount Annan Botanic Gardens--Banksia Garden |
| returning to the same location for the last few seasons. up to 15 birds noted, could be more scattered around the gardens |
| Paul Heath 15/6 #272547 |
| Sat 14 | | Pintado Petrel (formerly Cape Petrel)
Offshore-Sydney Pelagic |
|
| Good variety of birds, one Pintado Petrel visited the boat frequently, along with 25 Fairy Prion, 6 Providence Petrel, 1 Grey-faced Petrel, 12 Wilson's Storm-petrel, 3 White-fronted Tern and a great variety of albatrosses (Antipodean, Indian Yellow-nosed, Buller's, Shy, Black-browed and Black-browed Campbell). eBird checklist |
| Martin Snowball (at the request of Alan Morris) 23/6 #272570 |
| Thu 12 | | Barking Owl
Pillar Valley, private property |
| calls just before dawn. (Moderator's Note: Very rare in the Clarence Valley. AKM) |
| Clive Barker 28/6 #272578 |
| | White-headed Pigeon
Crn Jamison and Tench Rd Penrith |
|
| About +20 White-headed pigeons eating privet berries and camphor laurel berries and resting on the power lines. |
| Joe Deluca 13/6 #272543 |
| Wed 11 | | Eastern Yellow Wagtail (evidence of overwintering)
Hexham Swamp |
|
| Lene Parashou recorded one Eastern Yellow Wagtail on the 8th May 2025 along the old pipeline track in Hunter Wetlands National Park (Hexham Swamp). This was following a late record of two birds there by Paul Fuller on the 22nd April after there being reports from February onwards. Lene subsequently found one bird there on the 5th and 6th June, then saw two birds there yesterday (11th June). There have been May/June records of Eastern Yellow Wagtails over the years in the Hunter Estuary, including 10 birds on the 24th May 2019 (Ian Benson https://birdata.birdlife.org.au/survey?id=2928624&h=1c776af1).
But this is the first year there have been sustained summer/autumn/winter reports of what appears to be the same individuals and as such should be regarded as overwintering individuals. As far as I'm aware, there is no evidence of overwintering Eastern Yellow Wagtails anywhere in Australia. This will be researched further! The photos attached are both by Lene Parashou; the bird on the left is from the 8th May and the bird on the right from the 5th June. |
| Lene Parashou per Mick Roderick 12/6 #272542 |
| Sat 7 | | White-headed Pigeon
Monash Reserve East Hills NSW |
| One bird seen by Col Gibson while bushworking. Not seen by him at that site before but recorded in eBird four times since 2015. The species is recorded as 'rare' at Yeramba Lagoon, within Georges River National Park. eBird checklist |
| Col Gibson per Ian Bailey 15/6 #272545 |
| Fri 6 | | Swift Parrot
Rocky Ponds Trail, Brisbane Water National Park |
| 1 Swift Parrot burst out of scrub and flew fast and straight showing red underwing and maroon tail. Eventually came closer 15 minutes later allowing good views of red markings on face. Called quietly. Recordings taken. My second Swiftie sighting at this site. The other in 2023. Other interesting winter observations at this site included 3 Dusky Woodswallows and New Holland Honeyeaters feeding young in a nest. eBird checklist |
| Nick Carson 6/6 #272534 |
| Wed 4 | | White-headed Petrel.
Sydney Harbour National Park North Head Manly |
| Highlight of a seawatch from North Head this afternoon was a close in White-headed Petrel flying south into the southerly gale also seen this afternoon 4 Giant Petrel sp, 4 Grey-faced Petrels and 2 Fairy Prions. |
| Michael Ronan 4/6 #272522 |
| Mon 2 | | Topknot Pigeon
Lidcombe NSW |
| A flock of about 20 Topknot Pigeons are sitting in my lemon scented gum and iron bark. I have never seen these before in the 40 years I have lived in this built up suburban area that has limited canopy. (Moderator's Note: there has been an unusually large number of Topknots reported from suburban Newcastle as well. I have personally seen them landing in Swamp Oak (Casuarina) in Wallsend which is very unusual. MR). |
| Lee Courtwood 3/6 #272518 |
| Sun 1 | | Black-breasted Buzzard
Narran Lakes Nature Reserve (restricted access) |
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| Black-breasted Buzzard flying over whilst we were kayaking North Arm.
Other raptors seen over weekend on reserve included: Little Eagle, White-bellied Sea-eagle (on nest), Swamp Harrier, Black Kite, Whistling Kite, Black-shouldered Kite, Nankeen Kestrel. eBird checklist |
| Pat Johnston 5/6 #272532 |