| Tue 31 | | White-throated Needletail
Beecroft Peninsula at -35.08351, 150.81431 |
| A late record submission but following on from flock of 80 birds seen at Hyams heath on Xmas day I saw 450+ needletails ‘kettling’ en masse over Jervis Bay. This followed by small groups whizzing past me on the heath along the Fisherman’s beach track. Very impressive! (Moderator's Note: Large number of Needletails for this site. AKM). |
| Michael ellison 3/1 #272053 |
| | Northern Giant Petrel
Soldiers Point (Norah Head) |
| A juvenile Northern Giant Petrel was seen on the water approx. 500m from shore. This follows a similar sighting on the last Terrigal Pelagic outing on 20/12. |
| Andrew Robinson (pers comm. Paul Minto) 1/1 #272047 |
|  | Terek Sandpiper, Aleutian Tern, Sanderling
Farquhar Inlet, Old Bar |
|
| Some other waders & terns present included 30 Pacific Golden Plovers, 20 Eastern Curlew, 40 Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Sanderling & 4 Aleutian Terns and 15 Common Terns eBird checklist |
| Brian Deans 31/12 #272045 |
| Mon 30 | | Channel-billed Cuckoo
Atherton Close Rankin Park |
| 3 almost fully grown Channel-billed Cuckoos being fed by a lone Australian Magpie. |
| Jeanette Stephenson 30/12 #272044 |
| | Yellow tailed Black cockatoo
131 York St Sydney opp Queen Victoria Building |
| Heard and saw a YTBC - perched on top of the building and flew west. I know they aren't uncommon, but I've never seen or heard one in the CBD before! |
| Lindy Jones 30/12 #272043 |
| Sun 29 | | Tawny Grassbird, Magpie Goose
Burren Junction Bore Baths |
|
| This has not been confirmed by an ebird moderator yet, but I am confident that I've got the ID right - a number of Tawny Grassbirds have recently appeared at this location, just a few km eastward of Burren Junction (the baths are closed now, but both dam and pond have water in them - good, quiet conditions for birdlife). They were not present 2 months earlier. ebird says that Tawny Grassbird is a rarity at this location, so might as well post here. I had not seen Magpie Geese at this location before either. Photos and audio of both species available at ebird. There were also great views of a Little Grassbird in a dead shrub (attached). See https://mdahlem.net/birds/26/litgrass.php for more photos. eBird checklist |
| Michael Dahlem 31/12 #272046 |
| | Pheasant Coucal
The Glen, Mallawa Creek (private property), Bullarah |
|
| Could hear an unfamiliar call. Followed call and flushed out Pheasant Coucal.
'The Glen' (70km west of Moree) along Mallowa Creek Area excluded from grazing: vegetated with Lignum, River Cooba, Coolibah and Native grasslands. Environmental Water delivery commenced 16th Dec bringing the area to life.
Birding with Joanne O'Cock eBird checklist |
| Pat Johnston 30/12 #272042 |
| | Square-tailed Kite
Morisset CBD |
| Was pulling out of the station in a bus around 8:15 am
(working a Sunday) when I saw the Kite floating around the Police station around power-line height. By the time I went around a few blocks and got back there (around 4 minutes), the Kite was still circling in the same spot. They're quite rare around here and I've usually seen them in a bush/rural setting and seldom in suburbia but never seen one in a totally built-up setting. |
| Paul Schofield 30/12 #272041 |
| Sat 28 | | Buller's Shearwater.
Long Reef Aquatic Reserve |
| Hightlights of a seawatch from Long Reef this afternoon was a Buller's Shearwater flying south off the island also about 8 Black-browed and about 8 Shy Albatross. |
| Michael Ronan 28/12 #272040 |
| | Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher
Roseberry, Sydney |
|
| An apparent adult Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher was found concussed at a house in Rosebery, taken to a vet, then taken into care by WIRES where it was photographed by Geraldine Meier but also posted to Australian Bird Identification for identification. Permission was given to me to post to Birdline and to use her photo. This is the first report for NSW. Presumably the bird has overshot its normal range, as the usual southern distribution is Mount Speculation near Townsville Qld. There is some speculation that it might have come from an aviary, and this no doubt may be followed up by others. Subsequently it was decided to send the bird to Taronga Zoo for treatment however the bird died overnight. |
| WIRES per Alan Morris 28/12 #272039 |
| | Eastern Osprey
Bilgola Beach |
| 3 Ospreys flying together northwards at low level |
| David & Larissa Potter 28/12 #272038 |
| Fri 27 | | Gould’s Petrel and Albatrosses
Mistral Point, Maroubra |
| Went down for the last hour of the day and was pleasantly surprised with a Gould’s Petrel flying south, so close that it was visible with the naked eye.
Also close in were 7 Shy Albatross and 3 Black-browed Albatross, they all seemed to be interested in something which I couldn’t see, one of each species of Albatross were still visible at 8:32pm. This is the latest time in the evening I have ever seen Albatross at Maroubra. Interestingly no Gannets, Jaegers or Fluttering types seen. |
| David Mitford 27/12 #272034 |
| | Red-kneed Dotterel
Central Coast Wetlands (Tuggerah) |
| Only the third record for the Central Coast LGA in the past 2 years from memory, all at Central Coast Wetlands. |
| Andrew Robinson 27/12 #272033 |
| | White-throated Needletail
Ground Parrot Site, Hyams Beach Rd, Jervis Bay |
| Morning visit to the heath, gusting north westerlies and flock of c.80 Needletails overhead - the biggest flock I’ve seen in several years. Also a flock of feeding hirundines over the heath attracting a pass from a marauding Peregrine. Good views of a singing Eastern Bristlebird completed a good hour on an otherwise cicada dominated morning. |
| Michael ellison 27/12 #272032 |
| Thu 26 | | White-necked Heron
Coutts Crossing village |
|
| The White-necked Herons are again nesting at the edge of the village in the same Lage-leaved Spotted Gum Corymbia henryi that they have used in the past few years. They have built a new nest close to the last used one. The bird was sitting low when I visited so it is obscured in the photo by branches and sticks on the nest. |
| Greg Clancy 28/12 #272035 |
| | South Island Pied Oystercatcher
Farquhar Inlet, Old Bar |
|
| Known South Island Pied Oystercatcher with red leg flag 1N seen in the lagoon around noon. |
| Robert and Benjamin Hynson 27/12 #272031 |
| Wed 25 | | Musk Lorikeet, Plum-headed Finch
Condobolin |
| Small groups of Muskies feeding in town at the moment on flowering gums. Also saw three Plumheads just Sth of town this morning. Both these species are very uncommon in this area |
| Warren Chad 25/12 #272028 |
| Fri 20 | | NZ Storm-Petrel, White-necked Petrel, Cook’s Petrel, Buller’s Shearwater (3), Northern Giant Petrel
Terrigal Pelagic |
|
| A exceptional trip to complete what’s been an incredible year out of Terrigal (12 trips in total). For the second straight trip we were treated to a New Zealand Storm Petrel (different individual) that was seen on and off for about 3 hours. Other notables included White-necked Petrel, Cook’s Petrel, Buller’s Shearwater (3) and Sooty Tern, and on the back of recent southerlies, Buller’s Albatross (2), solid numbers of Shy Albatross (24) and a Northern Giant Petrel! 19 species were seen beyond The Haven in total with 15 of those tubenoses. |
| Central Coast Pelagics (Andrew Robinson and 15 others on board). 21/12 #272026 |
| | Channel billed cuckoo
Delves St Mortdale NSW |
| Two juveniles, noisily demanding food from an (exhausted looking) an Australian Magpie.(Moderator's note: While it is not unusual for a Channel-billed Cuckoo to lay two eggs in the one nest, it is a bit unusual for Magpies to end up hosting two CBC!.AKM) |
| Graham Hews 21/12 #272024 |
| Thu 19 | | Buller's Albatross
Shelly Beach Carpark, Manly |
| Eight birds foraging between Long Reef and North Head and moving southward between 1800 and 1940 along with 15 Black-browed Albatrosses after two days of southerlies. eBird checklist |
| Mike Kilburn 19/12 #272022 |
| Wed 18 | | White-headed Petrel.
Long Reef Aquatic Reserve |
| Highlight of a sea watch from Long Reef this afternoon was a White-headed Petrel flying north with the southerly gale there were also 5 Shy Albatross and 3 Black-browed Albatross. |
| Michael Ronan 18/12 #272016 |
| Mon 16 | | Lesser Frigatebird
Munmorah State Conservation Area |
|
| Continuing juvenile bird first seen late Sunday (15th) Observed flying high in the foggy conditions this morning. Emerged briefly to steal a piece of fish off some Silver Gull who had stolen the fish off some fisherman. |
| Daniel McKeon 17/12 #272013 |
| Sun 15 | | Lesser Frigatebird
Snapper Point, Munmorah National Park |
|
| Immature male bird. (Moderator's Note: 2nd Central Coast LGA record, previously recorded in January 2012 when a single bird was seen first at The Entrance and then at Soldiers Point. AKM). eBird checklist |
| Zee Merven 16/12 #272012 |
| | Grey Plover
Dee Why Lagoon |
| A winter plumage bird appeared on the spit at the southern end of the lagoon. It helpfully flashed it black axilliaries when flushed by an Osprey. It aapears to be the first Sydney eBird record for two years. eBird checklist |
| Mike Kilburn 15/12 #272010 |
| | Grey Plover
Dee Why Lagoon |
| Single Grey Plover first reported by Mike Kilburn in morning. The bird was still present to at least 4:30pm. Fairly mobile on the various areas of exposed mud/sand but observed by me in the late afternoon on the mud flats on the western side close to the water. |
| Tom Wilson 15/12 #272009 |
| Sat 14 | | Pale headed Rosella
Shortland Waters Golf Club |
| Single bird sited ground foraging in Backyard about 1km from Golf Club. |
| Christopher Lamb 14/12 #272007 |
| Fri 13 | | Bush Stone Curlew
"Jacana" Washpool Rd Clarenza 2460 |
|
| First sighting of a Bush Stone Curlew here in our 46 years of residence |
| Eric Wheeler and Matthew Wheeler 13/12 #272006 |
| | Bush Stone-curlew
Gostwyck, near Gostwyck Chapel, Uralla |
|
| Moderator's Note: A very rare bird in the New England Tablelands these days. AKM. |
| Paul Rossington 13/12 #272004 |
| Thu 12 | | Sooty Owl
Coffs Harbour Botanical Gardens |
| Melaleuca Grove. Sooty Owl was well-hidden in top of a Bangalow Palm. |
| Eric Wheeler and Matthew Wheeler 13/12 #272005 |
| Wed 11 | | Leaden Flycatcher
North Richmond |
| Enjoying our birdbath |
| David Potter 11/12 #272000 |
| Tue 10 | | Common Koel
Pinecliffe, 10kms SW of Molong |
| My first record here. Sighted this morning (male / black) and just verified with the call indistinguishable from Youtube.
Clearly at least two here, in that the one I observed at 7am was in a 'duet' with at least one other. |
| Bruce Tinsey 10/12 #271998 |
| | Superb Fairy Wren
Crawford Rd, Cooranbong |
|
| Found a male Superb Fairy-Wren wrapped up in a spider's web over our driveway when I came back from work this morning. It had been bound in silk so I snapped some photos on my phone that hopefully show it. I'll check tonight to see what sort of spider she is but I've never heard of local spiders catching such a large prey before. |
| Paul Schofield 10/12 #271994 |
| Sun 8 | | Black-necked Stork
W Portland Rd, Sackville |
|
| A single male Black-necked Stork seen late morning/early afternoon at the first roadside swamp west side of the road about 2 km north of Bull Ridge Rd. The bird was observed by a small group of Hawkesbury Environment Network birders after our last bird walk of the year at nearby Cumberland Reach. First spotted by Matilda Julian and Robin Marriott driving past, I rushed back to confirm and photograph the bird. It was patrolling the open swamp and catching eels in the shallows. Not present at 715am, first seen 1100 and again at 12.05. Other observers saw the bird later in the afternoon. Last eBird records in the Hawkesbury (and Sydney) seem to have been in the early 1970s .
This is private property so the bird should be viewed from the roadside verge. eBird checklist |
| Eric Finley 9/12 #271990 |
| | Beach Stone-curlew
Long Reef Aquatic Reserve |
|
| 12.30 foraging on beach amongst the seaweed |
| Celine Khaw 8/12 #271988 |
| | Terek Sandpiper; Common Sandpiper
Woolooware Bay Shared Pathway and Viewing Facility katform |
|
| 1 Terek and 1 Common in with 41 Grey-tailed Tattlers at high tide seen on rocks to left of platform |
| Tom Wilson 8/12 #271984 |
| Sat 7 | | Black-tailed Native-hen
Pitt Town Lagoon. |
| There was a Black-tailed Native-Hen presant at Pitt Town Lagoon this morning the bird was seen on the far western side of the Lagoon just to the south of the bird hide. |
| Michael Ronan 7/12 #271982 |
| Fri 6 | | Great Crested Grebe
Dangar's Lagoon, Uralla |
|
| A pair of Great Crested Grebes at Dangar's Lagoon. They have not been previously reported on eBiird so thought worth a mention. eBird checklist |
| Chris Gregory 6/12 #271980 |