I haven't technically given up, but this blog is moving here from now on: http://j-twitcher.blogspot.com/
Cheers,
Max Breckenridge
Gladesville NSW
Friday, January 27, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Ash Island and Stockton, Newcastle
Unfortunately it was a weekend of double dipping for me and no, not the 'edible' kind.
I spent some of Saturday morning in central Sydney at Centennial Park in search of some recently reported Little Button-Quail, but after 2 hours of traipsing around in long grass with constant drizzle all I had turned up was several Brown Quail. It was quite nice to get good views of the quail and in such an urbanised location, but it was a bit of a wasted effort. I did get the quail and Australasian Figbird on the year list though.
List here: http://www.eremaea.com/Lists.aspx?List=112212
Today I managed to get the family up early enough (meaning definitely not early enough) and head north to Newcastle for the day. It was an arranged family gathering at my cousin's place at Coal Point on the edge of Lake Macquarie, but I also got a kind offer from fellow forum (http://www.feathersandphotos.com.au/forum/forum.php) member, Rod Warnock, for a half-day out at Ash Island and Stockton. We were looking specifically for the recently reported Eastern Yellow Wagtail, but again, failed to find it.
Ash Island was first and we were greeted by a flock of 30+ Cattle Egrets flying over the bridge in nice breeding plumage. We managed to see all the egrets on the island, with good numbers of Eastern Great and Little, but also a single Intermediate Egret. We met up with some members of the Hunter Bird Observers Club at Wagtail Way (AKA Wagtailess Way) and tagged along with them for a short while before making our way to Stockton Sandspit. Some of the better birds on the island were White-winged Black Tern (first for me in NSW), good numbers of White-fronted Chat, Black-winged Stilt, Swamp Harrier, Australasian Pipit, Tawny Grassbird and White-breasted Woodswallow.
As we crossed the bridge at Stockton we could see some good numbers of birds down on the sandspit and it didn't disappoint when we got down there. From the hide area we could see good numbers of Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit, Pacific Golden Plover, Red-necked Avocet and, once down on the embankment, lesser numbers of Red-capped Plover, Red-necked Stint, Curlew Sandpiper and Red Knot. There were also 3 Little Tern on the sand flat, a Caspian and Gull-billed Tern on the saltmarsh. Over at the oyster racks there were a lot less birds than usual because the tide was out and we only got onto a few Grey-tailed Tattler.
It was a successful half-day overall even if I didn't see my target. Also, sorry for not posting any photos, but I should be back up in the area around March so I'll make an effort to include some shots then.
You can see the lists of the birds I recorded today here:
Ash Island: http://www.eremaea.com/Lists.aspx?List=112687
Stockton: http://www.eremaea.com/Lists.aspx?List=112689
Thanks for reading!
Max Breckenridge
Gladesville NSW
I spent some of Saturday morning in central Sydney at Centennial Park in search of some recently reported Little Button-Quail, but after 2 hours of traipsing around in long grass with constant drizzle all I had turned up was several Brown Quail. It was quite nice to get good views of the quail and in such an urbanised location, but it was a bit of a wasted effort. I did get the quail and Australasian Figbird on the year list though.
List here: http://www.eremaea.com/Lists.aspx?List=112212
Today I managed to get the family up early enough (meaning definitely not early enough) and head north to Newcastle for the day. It was an arranged family gathering at my cousin's place at Coal Point on the edge of Lake Macquarie, but I also got a kind offer from fellow forum (http://www.feathersandphotos.com.au/forum/forum.php) member, Rod Warnock, for a half-day out at Ash Island and Stockton. We were looking specifically for the recently reported Eastern Yellow Wagtail, but again, failed to find it.
Ash Island was first and we were greeted by a flock of 30+ Cattle Egrets flying over the bridge in nice breeding plumage. We managed to see all the egrets on the island, with good numbers of Eastern Great and Little, but also a single Intermediate Egret. We met up with some members of the Hunter Bird Observers Club at Wagtail Way (AKA Wagtailess Way) and tagged along with them for a short while before making our way to Stockton Sandspit. Some of the better birds on the island were White-winged Black Tern (first for me in NSW), good numbers of White-fronted Chat, Black-winged Stilt, Swamp Harrier, Australasian Pipit, Tawny Grassbird and White-breasted Woodswallow.
As we crossed the bridge at Stockton we could see some good numbers of birds down on the sandspit and it didn't disappoint when we got down there. From the hide area we could see good numbers of Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit, Pacific Golden Plover, Red-necked Avocet and, once down on the embankment, lesser numbers of Red-capped Plover, Red-necked Stint, Curlew Sandpiper and Red Knot. There were also 3 Little Tern on the sand flat, a Caspian and Gull-billed Tern on the saltmarsh. Over at the oyster racks there were a lot less birds than usual because the tide was out and we only got onto a few Grey-tailed Tattler.
It was a successful half-day overall even if I didn't see my target. Also, sorry for not posting any photos, but I should be back up in the area around March so I'll make an effort to include some shots then.
You can see the lists of the birds I recorded today here:
Ash Island: http://www.eremaea.com/Lists.aspx?List=112687
Stockton: http://www.eremaea.com/Lists.aspx?List=112689
Thanks for reading!
Max Breckenridge
Gladesville NSW
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Out and About.
Boronia Park Oval with bushland in the background.
Sacred Kingfisher with crab.
Aust. White Ibis feeding in a small mangrove lined creek.
Building on the east side of the river.
Above are a few shots from an evening walk along the Lane Cove River. A section of the Great North Walk (a walking trail running from Sydney to Newcastle) follows the western bank and I did the section between Boronia Park and Buffalo Creek then home through the Field of Mars Reserve.
Sacred Kingfisher was nice to see. Possibly breeding in a large termite mound near to where I took the above shot. There were also plenty of Aust. White Ibis feeding in the mangroves. I think they must roost around Buffalo Creek.
A calling Tawny Frogmouth at the field study centre in the Field of Mars had me jumping for a moment when I instinctively thought 'Painted Button-Quail!'
A list of the birds seen during my walk can be found here: http://www.eremaea.com/Lists.aspx?List=110523
Max Breckenridge
Gladesville NSW
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Hey there.
This is my second attempt at a birding blog and I am determined to make this one stick. I hope to give readers a bit of an insight into birding as a teenager around Sydney in particular, but I shall also recount any birding forays I find myself conducting elsewhere.
Hopefully I shall be posting here again on Sunday after quick twitch for Eastern Yellow Wagtail up at Newcastle.
Max Breckenridge
Gladesville NSW
Hopefully I shall be posting here again on Sunday after quick twitch for Eastern Yellow Wagtail up at Newcastle.
Max Breckenridge
Gladesville NSW
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