A trip out to western Sydney today with fellow birders Max and Henry today proved very productive. The day stared well when we fluked a female SPOTTED QUAIL-THRUSH at the very start of the Blue Gum Swamp Track, near Winmalee. She gave some awesome views as she waddled away from us and picked her way up the rocky outcrop (no camera with me...) Some LARGE-BILLED SCRUBWRENS were located in the gully, plus a hoard of other species, but alas no Pilotbird. Or at least no identifiable Pilotbird as we did see a Pilotbird-like something fly across the track at one stage...
The Richmond Turf Farms was a bit of a let down, but we did see a Brown Goshawk, Australian Hobby and Yellow-billed Spoonbill (lifer for Henry). Mitchell Park, summed up in a quote from Max “too many cicadas and not enough cicadabirds”. We did get great views of a Brush Cuckoo, a bird which I haven’t seen very well before, but that was about it.
Another spot near Mitchell, Hidden Valley, was also quiet in terms of birds, but there was a strange cow with very short legs that had us laughing for a few minutes ;) Scheyville was last, where we saw another couple of birds, including great views of a Peaceful Dove.
Overall, a great start to Aus birding for 2011, with about 40 year ticks crammed in, plus two lifers. Here’s to a successful year!
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