We started adding to our trip list as we crossed the Hawkesbury River and the best few birds we added driving between Sydney and Coona included: Wedge-tailed Eagle, Musk Lorikeet, Great Egret and Blue-faced Honeyeater. It was a very wet day of driving and we were very lucky not to be hit by a ute that came off the road just before Lithgow. The driver was very lucky to have had airbags (the front of his car was non-existent) and although very dazed seemed ok, a St. Johns Ambulance personnel was on hand soon afterwards.
We got to the property unscathed and after headed off birding as soon as was possible. In about two hours of birding we got onto some nice species in woodland around Mt. Ulamambri on the northern half of the 1000ha property; Inland Thornbill, Speckled Warbler, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, White-eared Honeyeater, White-browed Babbler, Little Lorikeet and plenty of button-quail platelets. That night, I heard a distant calling Southern Boobook, a new bird for the property list.
We were up early and off again to finally snare a button quail on the slopes of Mt. Ulamambri. We saw many of the same birds as the day before, but added Brown Trecreeper in perfect habitat for this species. We trawled the mountainsides following endless platelets around the place and were about to give up when, in the biggest fluke ever, Max remarked "We'll just go around the corner, it looks like good habitat". We drove around a bit and as he parked the quadbike a pair of PAINTED BUTTON-QUAIL flushed just a metre ahead of us! We followed to where we saw one land and flushed it again, finally giving me the assurance I needed to tick this bird.
We kept looking for them and managed to flush a pair of Spotted Quail-thrush instead! We crept behind the pair for a fair while, following their high-pitched contact calls and trying to make as little noise as possible until we eventually lost them in a thick clump of cypress-pine - great fun! We also added Shining Bronze-cuckoo, Grey-crowned Babbler, a migrating White-naped Honeyeater, Dusky Woodswallow and Fuscous Honeyeater that morning. Back around the house we got Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater and heard Diamond Firetail. That night we briefly heard an Australian Owlet-nightjar while spotlighting, but little else.
The weather was good on Monday so we chose this day to head out to the Pilliga. Max had just procured his Learner's Licence so did all the driving on that day. Our first stop was Trapyard Dam in Merriwindi SF which was pretty dead so we moved on. A bit further up the road we got Turquoise Parrot, Mallee Ringneck, then Leaden Flycater, Emu and plenty of Peaceful Dove. The best area, we found, was along Stumpy Lane. We walked pretty much the whole way along and we had some great birding. Best birds: Restless Flycatcher, Sining Honeyeater, Little Raven, Bar-shouldered Dove, Cockatiel, Red-winged Parrot, Blue Bonnet, Yellow-throated Miner and a pair of Spotted Bowerbird. Our next stop was Carmel Lagoon where we observed a large flock (80+) of Plumed Whistling Duck. We also got White-necked Heron, Darter and Purple Swamphen. We drove back to the property via Dandry Gorge, but the only bird we added along the way was Olive-backed Oriole. While spotlighting that night we got terrific views of a cute little Boobook calling from an open branch right next to the car. We also flushed what look like a pale white nightjar , but it turned out to be a Nankeen Kestrel we must have disturbed roosting... dam
Before leaving on the Tuesday we spent about half an hour sitting at a dam just outside the property in the Pilliga Scrub. Although we didn't add anything it was great to just sit and enjoy a bevy of birds drink from the dam and feed in the trees above. While here we saw: Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Speckled Warbler, Grey Fantail, Fuscous Honeyeater, White-eared Honeyeater, Silvereye, both pardalotes, White-plumed Honeyeater and Grey Shrike-thrush.
On the drive home we stopped at both Lake Windamere and Lithgow STW. At Windamere, I fluked a beautiful male Musk Duck just as we were about to leave and the best birds at Lithgow were Australasian Shoveller and Satin Bowerbird. We were able to round off the trip list to 111 with Rainbow Lorikeet seen just before crossing the Hawkesbury!
A great little trip which really helped to boost both our year lists, and two lifers for me!
Note: Report written by Max and edited by me :)
Button-quail Platelet
Sunset
Southern Boobook
The Property
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