Birding at Lake Cargelligo
3 Comments »23rd September, 2007; Category: Trip reports
2007 New South Wales trip report #10
We had a leisurely breakfast in the morning sun just outside our cabin. The birding started before a single mouthful. Crested Pigeons, Magpie Larks and Australian Magpies inhabited the lawn in front of our accommodation. Galahs flew overhead as did a small flock of Straw-necked Ibis. Later several White Ibis also flew overhead.
Lake Cargelligo Caravan Park, NSW
While eating breakfast I added Noisy Miners, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Welcome Swallows and House Sparrows to the list. A Striped Honeyeater called nearby, two Major Mitchell Cockatoos flew overhead and two Red-rumped Parrots landed in the tree behind our cabin.
After our meal we packed provisions for a picnic lunch and headed down the main street to visit the tourist information centre. It was closed for another half hour! Plan B immediately kicked in and we drove down to the lakeside to do a half hour of birding.
Pied Butcherbird, Lake Cargelligo, NSW
Here the birding really took off. I was seeing birds so quickly I had to ask my wife to record them in my notebook! Here is a list of the species seen:
- Black Swan
- Pied Butcherbird
- Yellow-billed Spoonbill
- Royal Spoonbill
- Pacific Black Duck
- Grey Teal
- Black-winged Stilt
- Red-capped Plover
- Red-kneed Dotterel
- Masked Lapwing
- Australian Pelican
- Whistling Kite
- Little Egret
- Little Pied Cormorant
- Little Black Cormorant
- Darter
- Silver Gull
In a very short time I had added twenty species to my trip list. Some of the species I had never seen in the state of NSW before. (This is not all that surprising when one considers how little birding I’ve done there over the years, something I must correct.)
It was a good start to the day.
First visit to Cocoparra National Park and a Lifer
Cocoparra National Park, central New South Wales
2007 New South Wales trip report #9
Cocoparra National Park
After lunch on day 2 of our trip we headed north to the large provincial city of Griffiths. I was not aware that this was such a large place with a population of over 24,000 serving a vast inland area of agricultural production. Here we stopped briefly for fuel; it interested me enough to desire to return here some day.
The short drive north to the Cocoparra Range was uneventful – except for a five minute delay waiting at a stop sign in the middle of nowhere. Road works have a habit of slowing traffic to a standstill like that.
On arrival at the Cocoparra National Park for the very first time we stopped to survey the map at the entrance and then we chose Jack’s Creek picnic ground. Unfortunately we only had time to visit one spot in the park. In the future it might be worth being based at Griffith some 25km SW while visiting various spots in the park. This would allow a more thorough investigation of what the park has to offer, and to do some bush-walking as well.
As we drove into the picnic area we were immediately greeted by a family of White-winged Choughs, a group of noisy Apostlebirds and a Peaceful Dove calling somewhere nearby. The Choughs were feeding young in a nest in the car park. The Apostlebirds objected to our visit and the Striated Pardalotes just kept on their incessant calling in the tree above.
Apostlebird
We went for about an hour’s walk up the creek, delighted to see the rough, jagged sandstone rock-faces glowing in the afternoon sun. This gave us many photographic opportunities. I was delighted to see several Australian Ringneck Parrots, a solitary Silvereye and a Grey Fantail. Four Rufous Whistlers seemed to be chasing each other wildly around, possibly preparing for mating. Occasionally the males would stop for a brief rest and launch into their rich, melodious call which seemed to fill the whole gorge.
Another entry on my trip list was unexpected. A single Eastern Yellow Robin made a quiet and shy appearance and stayed still enough for me to take a photo. It was a little too far away, so I still haven’t a good photo of this species. Patience.
The next sighting was a LIFER. A quiet secretive bird skulked amongst the rocks. I immediately realised that I’d never seen this species before, so I didn’t worry about a photo. I just kept studying it so that I could ID it later in the field guide back in the car. It turned out to be a SPECKLED WARBLER. It was the first time ever I had seen this species, my first “lifer” of the trip.
A good day had just turned into a great day.
After a cuppa and afternoon tea we headed further north to Lake Cargelligo, our planned destination for the night in a cabin in the caravan park.
Cocoparra National Park, central New South Wales
Birding at the Birdcage Rest Area, east of Hay
3 Comments »21st September, 2007; Category: Trip reports
Birdcage Rest Area, east of Hay NSW
2007 New South Wales Trip report #8
Birdcage Rest Area, east of Hay:
We passed through South Hay without stopping. Hay is a large rural centre serving a vast tract of farming land on both sides of the Murrumbidgee River which flows through the town. About sixty kilometres further on, we stopped at the interestingly named Birdcage Rest Area. I didn’t see a birdcage, but I did see plenty of wild uncaged birds, which is great.
This shady parking bay right off the main road is a delightful spot. For the first time on this trip we saw some Apostlebirds, those rather ugly, bossy, noisy birds that are so common in this part of Australia. A family of White-winged Choughs was busy feeding three young in their mud-nest in a nearby gum tree. A Willie Wagtail flitted around nearby and a flock of Galahs flew past and landed noisily in a nearby tree. I heard several Striated Pardalotes calling from the canopy of the large tree above us.
While we ate our picnic lunch I heard several Laughing Kookaburras nearby. These are always nice to hear as they typify the Australian bush. I also heard a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike calling nearby.
Yellow Rosella
Just as we finished eating several Yellow Rosellas landed on the grass near the car. I managed to get several great photos of one of them. I had last seen this species a few weeks ago in Loxton where I was not able to get a good shot. Patience is what is needed in the art of nature photography. It will be rewarded.
Great birding on the Hay Plains NSW
4 Comments »20th September, 2007; Category: Trip reports
Hay Plains, western New South Wales
2007 New South Wales trip report #7
Morning tea, 55kms west of Hay
Fifty five kilometres from Hay we pulled into a roadside rest area for morning tea. This flat uninteresting looking place seemed not to be a good birding place at first glance. Within minutes I had changed my mind. There seemed to be birds everywhere, and some very nice species into the bargain. My cup of tea soon was forgotten as I chased the birds around the saltbush area near the parking bay. Welcome Swallows were nice but not too exciting. About twenty White-backed Swallows were far more exciting; it’s a species I haven’t seen all that often.
Several Galahs flew overhead and a Nankeen Kestrel swooped past where I stood trying to identify the local wrens. In vain I tried to find the coloured male and three plain brown females gave me the run around. Eventually one came up from the bushes and perched in full view a few metres away. Ah-ha – a female White-winged Wren. Wonderful – but still no male. The metallic deep blue with contrasting white wings has to be seen to be believed. Another lost opportunity. [sigh]
In the midst of all this beating around the bushes, my wife called out, “What’s that?” pointing to a bird perched on top of another bush. A White-winged Triller! I hadn’t seen one of those for over eight years. A real bonus bird, so I made sure I thanked my wife for this sighting.
Other common birds seen at this stop included Common Starlings, Little Ravens, Australian Magpies, and still more House Sparrows.
It had been a wonderful half hour stop. Forget that my cuppa went cold!
Update:
In September 2009 we had a male feeding and calling in our garden. I managed to get some nice photos of him (see below).
Related articles:
- The Trillers are here
- Trip reports – archive of links to many articles giving birding trip reports
White-winged Triller (male)
Birding on the Hay Plains
No Comments »19th September, 2007; Category: Trip reports
2007 New South Wales trip report #6
Balranald to Hay
The road from Balranald to Hay traverses some very flat country called the Hay Plains. Irrigation channels carry water from the river to farms many kilometres away. As we left Balranald we saw a family of White Winged Choughs feeding on the roadside. Galahs in small flocks flew across the road as we travelled along and Australian Magpies were seen every fifty metres or so for the first part of this section.
I soon added Emu to the list with three birds strutting along the fence line. I little further on we saw a lone adult male in charge of about six or seven half grown but still stripy-feathered young.
A short distance on I came to a quick stop – after checking for following traffic. Two magnificent Major Mitchell Cockatoos had flown in front of us and landed on the opposite side of the road – and in full sunlight, their yellow and red crests glowing in the morning sun. “Get the camera!†I demanded, but then disaster. A car coming from the other direction scared the two birds away. A lost opportunity. [sigh] The photo below of two Major Mitchell Cockatoos was taken by my son in the Taronga Park Zoo in Sydney.
Major Mitchell Cockatoo
The rest of the journey to Hay was highlighted by numerous raptors (birds of prey). We saw quite a few Wedge-tail Eagles soaring overhead, several of them quite close to the ground. I saw a single Little Eagle sitting on the ground being harassed by an Australian Magpie. Black Kites also seemed abundant as were the Nankeen Kestrels and Black Shouldered Kites.
We stopped briefly so that my wife could take some flower photos and while waiting for her I heard a Skylark, an introduced species from Europe. I was also amazed to see so many House Sparrows along this stretch; they were a long way from human habitation, their usual behaviour. At least two Richard’s Pipits flew across the road in front of the car as we travelled along.