Last week

Quite a nice week with the first visit to one of the Sand Martin Colonies. This site in the Gravel Pits

last year had over 100 holes this year only 20 with another 10,  500 metres away. The main site on the coast has been deserted mainly i think due to landslides (all the rain) a few birds have moved up to the top of the cliffs over 200 birds ringed there last year. 

 19 new Sand Martins ringed.
A big thank you to Cemex and Chris Wade the site manager for letting us ring there.

Juv Sand Martin

5 new Stonechats ringed at the Point of Ayre 4 of them this years young.

Great to start the Rock Pipit Colour ringing project again 11 new Rock Pipits Colour ring 

at Port Mooar this week

16 Birds ringed at Ballanelson on Friday

5 juv Blue Tits

1 Juv Coal Tit

4 Juv Gt Tits

3 Juv Chaffinch

1 Juv Dunnock

1 Juv House Sparrow

and a surprise

Linnet 

2 Dunlin and a Little Tern chick ringed as well

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Colour Rings

A couple of Days out this week with 25 more Linnets ringed. Also 2 Juv Stonechats and a Meadow Pipit. A Willow Warbler was a surprise in the nets in the sand dunes at Smeale, i have not ringed many Warblers this year due to the wet weather.

Juv Stonechat

Willow Warbler

A Greylag Goose was ringed at Ramsey Harbour, a new species for the ringing group, i was after a few Canada Geese but they would not come close enough. 

21 New Birds ringed in my Garden this week 

11 House Sparrows

6 Chaffinch

2 Goldfinch

1 Dunnock

1 Greenfinch

Also a couple of trips to Douglas for various things and 7 Herring Gulls Colour Ringed. 

 i took camera out this aft and noticed a Colour ringed Sanderling at Rue Point.We had a colour ringed bird sighted back in 2010 which was ringed in Ghana.

These birds are part of a study by the International Wader Study Group

The International Wader Study Group

  Copied from there website

The migratory journeys that sanderlings undertake twice a year belong to the longest known in the avian world. The length of the flights, the number and duration of stops between flights, as well the timing of the journeys will depend on the latitude of the non-breeding area and probably also that of the breeding area. Yearly variation in the circumstances during migration (both natural and caused by human) will further influence the success of the migratory flight and might thereby selectively favour sanderlings that winter closer or further away from the breeding area through their survival (see 1), as well as through reproductive output (see 2).

For long it has been suggested that sanderlings from Greenland and NE Canada mix with sanderlings breeding on the Taimyr Peninsula in Siberia during the non-breeding period. However, the evidence for Siberian sanderlings wintering in W Europe and/or W Africa is very poor. With our colour-ring scheme we hope to get a better view on the apparent mixing of both breeding populations.

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JUNE 2012: NOTABLE SIGHTINGS IN EXTREMADURA

Gull-Billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica). By Juan Carlos Paniagua. 

A list of the most notable June 2012 records sent to the GOCE birdwatching forum. Compiled by Sergio Mayordomo.

- Greylag Goose: Two birds at Cubilar reservoir, Logrosán (Cáceres), on 24/06 (Sergio Mayordomo and Eva Palacios). Probably feral. 
- Egyptian Goose: Seven pairs, one with eight chicks, at La Serena reservoir (Badajoz) on 12/06 (Sergio Pérez, Miguel Sánchez, Fermín Sierra, Domingo Rivera, Demetrio Vázquez and Ángel Sánchez).
- Shelduck: Two birds at Charca de Esparragalejo (Badajoz) on 07/06 (E. Palacios and César Clemente). At Valdecañas reservoir (Cáceres) 12 adults and 20 chicks on 17/06 (S. Mayordomo, Javier Prieta and C. Clemente) and 18 adults and 39 chicks in 5 family groups on 21/06 (Manuel Flores, José A. Guerrero and Á. Sánchez). Second year running with breeding records at Valdecañas reservoir .
- Wood Duck: One bird on irrigation ditches of Casas de Belvís (Cáceres) on 02/06 (Javier Briz and Alejandro Briz). One drake on a village pond of Guijo de Coria (Cáceres) on 21/06 (C. Clemente).
- Shoveler: One drake at Valdecañas reservoir (Cáceres) on 17/06 (S. Mayordomo, J. Prieta and C. Clemente).
- Red-Crested Pochard: Three birds, two drakes and one duck at Arroyoconejos reservoir, Llerena (Badajoz), on 05/06 (Joaquín Vázquez and Francisco Montaño). One drake at Soto gravel pit, Valverde de Mérida (Badajoz), on 11/06 (Jesús Solana).

- Pochard: On 01/06 three drakes and one duck seen at El Ancho, Arroyo de la Luz (Cáceres), and one drake at Los Arenales, Cáceres (S. Mayordomo). At Charca del Manantío, Aldea del Cano (Cáceres), 11 drakes and 4 ducks on 02/06 (S. Mayordomo) and 10 birds on 07/06 (E. Palacios and C. Clemente). Seven drakes and three ducks at Arrocampo (Cáceres) on 23/06 (S. Mayordomo). One duck with several chicks at Villalba de los Barros reservoir (Badajoz) on 28/06 (José Elías, photograph).
- Ferruginous Duck: One drake at El Manantío, Aldea del Cano (Cáceres), on 02/06 (S. Mayordomo) and on 17/06 (Antonio Ceballos). - Great-Crested Grebe: Over 250 birds at Valdecañas reservoir (Cáceres) on 17/06 (S. Mayordomo, J. Prieta and C. Clemente).
- Glossy Ibis: At Montijo reservoir, Mérida (Badajoz), 15 birds came into roost on 02/06 (Antonio Calvo), twelve on 07/06 (E. Palacios, C. Clemente and Antonia Cangas) and seven on 17/06 (J. Solana). At Azud de Guadiana, Badajoz, birds were still seen throughout June (Juan Carlos Paniagua and Atanasio Fernández; bottom photograph).
- Sacred Ibis: One bird at Montijo reservoir, Mérida (Badajoz), on 14/06 (Gerardo Pizarro and Andrea García) and 17/06 (J. Solana).

- Squacco Heron: At Azud del Guadiana, Badajoz, up to four birds in breeding plumage seen throughout June (Juan Carlos Salgado, J. C. Paniagua and A. Fernández; photograph). Three birds at Montijo reservoir, Mérida (Badajoz), on 07/06 (E. Palacios, C. Clemente and A. Cangas).
- Cattle Egret: Flock of about 5000 birds at La Serena reservoir (Badajoz) on 12/06 (S. Pérez, M. Sánchez, F. Sierra, D. Rivera, D. Vázquez and Á. Sánchez).
- Montagu's Harrier: One dark morph bird between Álcántara and Membrío (Cáceres) on 13/06 (Javier Mahillo, C. Clemente and Carlos López Albar).
- Hobby: One bird at Valverde de Mérida (Badajoz) on 14/06 (F. Montaño).
- Great Bustard: One bird flying north at Castillo de Monfragüe (Cáceres) on 16/06 (Samuel Langlois). One male at Mohedas de Granadilla (Cáceres) on 21/06. Nine females, one of them with one chick, at Llanos de Guijo de Coria (Cáceres) on 21/06 (C. Clemente).
- Crested Coot: One bird marked with a neck collar at Arroyoconejos reservoir, Llerena (Badajoz), on 05/06 (J. Vázquez and F. Montaño). Second Extremadura record.
- Lapwing: Two birds at Los Arenales, Cáceres, on 01/06 (S. Mayordomo). 200 birds on the ricefields between Palazuelo (Badajoz) and Campo Lugar (Cáceres) on 12/06 (A. Calvo) and only one bird on 16/06 (Martin Kelsey). 50 birds on Galisteo ricefield (Cáceres) on 13/06 (S. Mayordomo).

- Kentish Plover: 11 birds, including one female incubating three eggs, at Valdecañas reservoir (Cáceres) on 17/06 (S. Mayordomo, J. Prieta and C. Clemente; photograph by César Clemente).
- Green Sandpiper: One bird at Laguna de Campanilleros, Saucedilla (Cáceres), on 09/06 (E. Palacios). Two birds at Palazuelo (Badajoz) on 16/06 (M. Kelsey). One bird at Azud del Guadiana, Badajoz, on 17/06 (J. C. Paniagua and A. Fernández).
- Ruff: One bird at El Batán ricefields (Cáceres) on 22/06 (S. Mayordomo).
- Common Sandpiper: One bird at Portaje reservoir (Cáceres) on 22/06 (S. Mayordomo).
- Dunlin: One bird at Arroyoconejos reservoir, Llerena (Badajoz), on 05/06 (J. Vázquez and F. Montaño).
- Collared Pratincole: Colony of about 200 pairs at La Serena reservoir (Badajoz) on 12/06 (S. Pérez, M. Sánchez, F. Sierra, D. Rivera, D. Vázquez and Á. Sánchez). Colony with over 25 pairs at Valdecañas reservoir (Cáceres) on 17/06 (S. Mayordomo, J. Prieta and C. Clemente).
- Yellow-Legged Gull: 22 birds at Valdecañas reservoir (Cáceres) on 17/06, including one adult with territorial behaviour in the Gull-Billed Tern colony (S. Mayordomo, J. Prieta and C. Clemente).
- Little Tern: Colony with about 100 pairs at La Serena reservoir (Badajoz) on 12/06 (S. Pérez, M. Sánchez, F. Sierra, D. Rivera, D. Vázquez and Á. Sánchez). Colony of over 15 pairs at Valdecañas reservoir (Cáceres) on 17/06 (S. Mayordomo, J. Prieta and C. Clemente).
- Sandwich Tern: One bird in the Gull-Billed Tern colony at Valdecañas reservoir (Cáceres) on 21/06 (M. Flores, J. A. Guerrero and Á. Sánchez). Second record for Extremadura.
- Common Tern: On 21/06 two birds were seen at Valdecañas reservoir (Cáceres) (M. Flores, J. A. Guerrero and Á. Sánchez) and four at Alange reservoir (Badajoz) (M. Sánchez, Joaquín Fernández, Jesús Prieto and Á. Sánchez).
- Black Tern: Two birds at Arroyoconejos reservoir, Llerena (Badajoz), on 05/06 (J. Vázquez and F. Montaño). Seven birds at Valdecañas reservoir (Cáceres) on 17/06 (S. Mayordomo, J. Prieta and C. Clemente).
- Whiskered Tern: Two birds at Arroyoconejos reservoir, Llerena (Badajoz), on 05/06 (J. Vázquez and F. Montaño).
- Nightjar: One bird in a low-altitude area at Pinofranqueado (Cáceres) on 01/06 (Alberto Pacheco). One bird singing at Montehermoso (Cáceres) on 14/06 (J. Mahillo and C. Clemente).
- Wryneck: Four birds at Dehesa de Aceituna (Cáceres) on 08/06 (A. Pacheco).

- Yellow Crowned Bishop, Euplectes afer. Several birds on 17/06 at Alfarofia ricefields (River Caya, Elvas, Portugal) at less than one k from the border with Badajoz (J. C. Paniagua and A. Fernández, photograph). A small population was found in this area in 2002 comprising at least five pairs, but no records are known from subsequent years; it seems, therefore, as though the species is still hanging on ten years later.
- Carrion Crow: One bird at Santa Cruz de Paniagua (Cáceres) on 24/06 (J. C. Paniagua).
- Spectacled Warbler: One male at Ovejuela, Pinofranqueado (Cáceres), on 16/06 (A. Pacheco). Two males at Refugio del Brezo, Losar de la Vera (Cáceres), on 17/06 (S. Mayordomo, Pepe Guisado, J. Prieta and C. Clemente). Ten males at Pitolero, Cabezabellosa (Cáceres), on 22/06 (J. Prieta).
- Song Thrush: one male singing throughout June from a Cedar in the garden of Campamento Carlos V, Jerte (Cáceres) (Iván Solana). Second probable Extremadura breeding record, the previous dating from 1999 at Descargamaría, Sierra de Gata.
- Rock Thrush: At Puerto de Esperabán, Pinofranqueado (Cáceres), three males, two adults and a young bird, on 12/06 and one male on 25/06 (A. Pacheco).

- Pied Flycatcher: Five pairs in nestboxes of Poyales pinewood, Losar de la Vera (Cáceres), on 17/06 (S. Mayordomo, P. Guisado, J. Prieta and C. Clemente -photograph-).
- Redstart: Several at Aceituna (Cáceres) on 08/06 and one male at Ovejuela, Pinofranqueado (Cáceres), on 16/06 (A. Pacheco).
- Rufous-Tailed Bush Robin. One pair at Rebollar (Cáceres) in a bramble patch between two cherry orchards on 10/06 (I. Solana). First record in Jerte Valley and in cherry orchards, habitat not previously recorded for the species.
- Tawny Pipit: Two birds at Puerto de Esperabán, Pinofranqueado (Cáceres), on 12/06 and 25/06 (A. Pacheco).

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Catch up

A quick catch up with the blog as we have been busy over the last 3 weeks with the breeding season in full swing and busy with guests visiting. 

Below are a few pictures of what we have been up to

4 Oystercatcher Chicks this weeks

Skylark

Arctic Tern Chicks

Spotted Flycatcher caught in my Garden at  Port e Vullen

8 Little Tern Chicks ringed

Little Tern Chick

5 Arctic Terns ringed

Juv Stonechat

Colour ringed Little Tern control we think first ringed in Hartlipool still waiting for conformation
also 3 other controlled birds

Also chicks ringed  of  Herring Gull  Greater black Backed Gull  Common Gull  and Lesser black Backed Gull 

And Linnets are now coming back to the whoosh site with 30 ringed in the last week.

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Whales, Whales, Whales, oh, and Some Birds.

It was a cool, clear and calm morning on Sydney Harbour as the Halicat departed Mosman Wharf with Josh, myself and several others on board. The boat soon became a little crowded as we picked up the rest of the day's passengers at Rose Bay.

The conditions during the week leading up to, and during, the July Sydney Pelagic were, well... Unfavourable, to say the least. Stiff westerly, to north-westerly winds had been blowing all week and although the sun was out for our pelagic, the poor conditions were the primary factor contributing to our average bird numbers/diversity for the day. Nonetheless, we had an enjoyable day on the water, encountering several high quality cetaceans and both of us were able to net lifers.

Exiting Sydney Heads, we came across several Little Penguins, Australasian Gannets, Silver Gulls and Black-browed Albatross. Our first highlight of the day materialised - an individual Southern Right Whale. A particularly uncommon whale off eastern NSW with about 2 - 3 seen each season, equivalent to about 1:1000 Right Whales to Humpback Whales. We followed it for a few minutes, until we decided to leave it alone rather than push it into the harbour.

Southern Right Whale

Young Australasian Gannet

We started the long haul across the 'Abysmal Plain' between the coast and the shelf. Along the way we encountered several small (<20) flocks of Fluttering Shearwaters and singles/trios of Fairy Prions. It was good to see moderate numbers of prions and they were pretty much a fixture throughout the day.

Fluttering Shearwater (the first time we've seen them close to the boat)

Fairy Prion (also the first time we've seen them close to the boat)

Just before the shelf we came across our first Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross, Crested Tern and a pod of False Killer Whales seen pretty briefly and only by some, but confidently identified. At the shelf we began our slick, chucking burley over board to attract the birds. It took time, but eventually we had a trail of over 30 yellow-noses, several black-brows (one juvenile trying very hard to convince us it was a Grey-headed Albatross), a few Wandering Albatross, several Providence Petrels (always pretty distant), heaps of Fairy Prions and a single WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL (lifer for moi). A large Mako Shark feeding on burley right next to the boat and taking occasional snaps at the albatross was also a highlight.

Providence Petrel

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross wanting some fish

Wandering Albatross

No, you're not a Grey-headed Albatross, go away

Shortfin Mako

Eventually we headed off. It was a slow, rough trip back pushing into the head wind. The return trip was punctuated by excellent views of a Dwarf Minke Whale cruising lazily around the boat, to the enjoyment of all on board. Next, was a VERY quick fly-by of a LITTLE SHEARWATER which I missed, but Josh got, just! It's identification was later confirmed after photos were checked. My long overdue tick of BROWN SKUA finally eventuated and that was the final new bird for the day.

Dwarf Minke Whale

Brown Skua

We briefly trailed an adult Humpback Whale and it's calf just outside the heads before returning to the calm waters of the harbour.

A nice day out, but a shame about the lack of birds. In future we have decided only to book pelagics a couple of weeks in advance depending on conditions, rather than several months ahead!

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THE CINEREOUS VULTURE IN EXTREMADURA. 1974-2009.

The minutes have recently been published of the International Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus) Symposium held in Córdoba in 2004. It stands to reason, given the important Extremadura population of this species, that several of the published contents should refer to this region. The huge time-lag between the event itself and the publication of these minutes means that some of the articles have already fallen behind the times. Luckily, some of the submitted papers have been updated. This is the case of an article dealing with the Extremadura Cinereous Vulture population, with additional figures from 2009 phased in (Caldera, 2012). Tapping into this data, we have compiled the published figures on this species in Extremadura, from the first estimates of 1974 up to the 2009 count. The results are displayed in the following table (click on it to open it up).

In more intuitive form the following graph shows clearly the upward trend in Extremadura's Cinereous Vulture population, although the population of the early years was greatly underestimated. The figures are more trustworthy from 1990 onwards. We also show the trend over time of the two biggest colonies, Sierra de San Pedro and Monfragüe. Bear in mind here that the figures refer to pairs that start breeding, so the actual population, including non-breeding birds and those undetected due to methodological reasons, is higher. In 2006 the breeding population was 829 pairs in Extremadura whereas the actual population is estimated to have been over 1200 pairs (De la Puente et al., 2007).

The lower map below shows the distribution (modified from Costillo, 2004). To match the colonies with the figures of the top table, the three northern colonies, marked with in green (Sierra de Gata), light blue (Las Hurdes) and dark blue circles (Granadilla) are considered to be a single group. In the southwest lie the big colony of Sierra de San Pedro (grey circles) and Tajo-Salor (dark green). In the centre-east of Cáceres lie Monfragüe (yellow, as from 2004 it has spread westwards) and Los Ibores (pink), which should really be taken to be a single unit. In the northeast of Badajoz are the two small clusters of Cíjara (red) and La Siberia (white; dying out in 2012). The original map dates from 2004 so it does not include the new expansion areas, which have been added on with a larger coloured circle: Canchos de Ramiro (red), Cañaveral (light green), Montáchez (blue) and Villuercas (orange). This latter cluster does not figure in any official count but birds are known to have nested there since 2007 (one certain pair and another probable), as recorded in the Extremadura Ornithological Yearbook (Anuario Ornitológico de Extremadura: Herrera et al., 2011).

Sources: 

- Caldera J. 2012. El buitre negro Aegypius monachus en Extremadura (España), pp. 38-40. In: Dobado, P. M. and Arenas, R. (coords). El Buitre Negro: Situación, Conservación y Estudios. Actas del Primer Simposium Internacional sobre el Buitre Negro Aegypius monachus (Córdoba, Spain, 21-23 October 2004). Consejería de Medio Ambiente de la Junta de Andalucía. 

- Costillo, E. 2004. El buitre negro en Extremadura. Doctoral Thesis . Universidad de Extremadura. 

- De la Puente, J., Moreno-Opo, R. and del Moral, J. C. 2007. El Buitre Negro en España: Censo Nacional (2006). SEO/BirdLife. Madrid. 

- Dobado, P. M. and Arenas, R. (coords). 2012. El Buitre Negro: Situación, Conservación y Estudios. Actas del Primer Simposium Internacional sobre el Buitre Negro Aegypius monachus (Córdoba, España, 21-23 October 2004). Consejería de Medio Ambiente de la Junta de Andalucía. 

- Herrera, J. A., Cerezo, J. and N. Baeza. 2011. Buitre negro Aegypius monachus. In, Prieta, J. and Mayordomo, S. Aves de Extremadura, vol. 4. 2004-2008. SEO-Cáceres. Plasencia.

- Rodríguez, Á. 2012. El buitre negro Aegypius monachus en el Parque Nacional de Monfragüe (Cáceres, Extremadura, España), pp. 223-226. In: Dobado, P. M. and Arenas, R. (coords). El Buitre Negro: Situación, Conservación y Estudios. Actas del Primer Simposium Internacional sobre el Buitre Negro Aegypius monachus (Córdoba, España, 21-23 October 2004). Consejería de Medio Ambiente de la Junta de Andalucía.

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Munghorn Gap and various other Winter Wonderlands west of Sydney

What better way to spend the middle of winter is there than to go camping? none I should think! Max and I were off to Munghorn Gap National Park, 20km out of Mudgee, for the Feathers and Photos forum campout. Away from home Friday to Monday, completely self-reliant, the first proper birding trip with no parents.

We stopped off first at Pierces Pass in the Blue Mountains, which proved a good idea, as we had cracking views of a male Superb Lyrebird, and listened to another’s mimicry a little further down the valley. A small flock of Crescent Honeyeaters was a welcome surprise, and, yet again, the Pilotbirds refused to show, only calling in the dense vegetation near the creek. Lithgow was next, and no visit to Lithgow is complete without checking out the sewage plant. Pink-eared Ducks, Australasian Shovellers, Hoary-headed Grebes and a lonely Black-fronted Dotterel were the highlights. Lake Wallace was quiet, but we still ticked off the reliable Musk Ducks and Great-crested Grebes.

After another quick stop to bag a “pure” Mallard in Mudgee, we were off to Munghorn. When we arrived, Heyn, Duade, Eric and Trevor were already there. We headed off to Moolarben Road and spent the afternoon having a look around and taking photos of the birds. Diamond Firetails, Jacky Winters, White-browed Babblers, a myriad of honeyeaters and a few Restless Flycatchers made for a good days birding.

Jacky Winter

Ridgeline near Honeyeater Flat

The next morning, Grant arrived at 7:00 (after leaving home at 4:00), and we headed back to Moolarben Rd, were we spent most of the morning, and managed to find some Black-chinned Honeyeaters (which I haven’t seen for a long time) and also tracking down an Emuby following it’s “drumming” call. Heading back to camp, we picked up Gerard, Dave and Rick, and after a “short lunch break” headed back to Moolarben Rd after about 2 hours. It ended up being a great afternoon of birding, with amazing views and photographic opportunities of Diamond Firetails, plus Crested Shrike Tit, Striped Honeyeaters, and the lovely Jacky Winters, all keeping us very entertained.

Diamond Firetails

Striped Honeyeater

Jacky Winter

Crested Shrike Tit

A walk up the ridge behind our campground at honeyeater flat netted Max and I two Rockwarblers, but almost nothing else. Spotlighting was even more of a dismal failure, with not one night bird showing (except for the Owlet-nightjar that flew past my face never to be seen again). Mammals on the other hand were quite interesting – Eric narrowly avoided hitting a big male kangaroo, and a wombat ran along the road in front of our car for a few minutes. When the car in front stopped to have a look at him, and Gerard stepped out, the wombat picked up speed and charged straight at his legs, forcing a hasty jump back into the car. That image had Max and I laughing for the rest of the night!

The next morning, after a very slow start, we headed off to Goulburn River National Park around 9:00. Firstly, we stopped at a short stretch of road which was covered with Dusky Woodswallows before we flushed them. The trees around were flowering, and we had more views of honeyeaters such as Black-chinned, White-naped, Yellow-tufted, White-plumed, Fuscous, Noisy Friarbirds, etc.

Black-chinned Honeyeater

White-naped Honeyeater

The excitement again picked up about a kilometre later when we got to some open farmland. Grant, driving in front, pulled over and had a quick look through his binoculars at a hill. Then he got out and had a good look at what I realised was a raptor sitting on a rock. I jumped out and got it in the binoculars, and Max, Grant and I quickly came to the conclusion that this dark raptor was indeed a Black Falcon, a very nice bird indeed. Grant radioed the other cars, who were further back photographing a kestrel. They arrived just in time to see the falcon fly off over the paddock. No problem, as it came back over after a few minutes, and everyone saw it well (except for me, because I was looking at the Brown Falcon chasing the Black Falcon by accident!).

As we entered Goulburn River NP, a few swallows were hawking around a hill at Obrien’s Crossing, so I headed up there to make sure there were no White-backed Swallows. Big mistake. The hill was covered in those weedy-black-spiked grass things, and soon, I was covered from head to toe in those little black spikes, literally, I looked like an echidna.

Just past Lee’s Pinch, we stopped again as Grant spotted some Glossy Black Cockatoos flying up from next to the road. Heyn, Dave and I followed the calls and found a pair feeding low down in a casuarina. Another two birds flew in after a few minutes (one was a youngster). This was easily the best views I’ve ever had of this species. After leading the others down to the Glossy Blacks, a few of us elected to try and re-find the heathwren that Max had glimpsed earlier. After quite a bit of callback, we were “rewarded” with 2 seconds views of the Chestnut-rumped Heathwren as it jumped onto a log, and then disappeared.

We said goodbye to most of the convoy, who needed to get back to Sydney, and Grant, Eric, Max and I headed on. Hooded Robins and more Black-chinned Honeyeaters were nice, but eventually, we reached Grant’s swallow site, and after almost giving up hope, we finally got on to a couple of beautiful White-backed Swallows, a lifer for me (they had been a bit of a bogey), and a great little bird. I had been hoping to get them for the whole trip, but hadn’t found any until this point – cheers Grant! :)

White-backed Swallow!

Max and I said goodbye, and after packing up camp, we headed south the Capertee Valley, and set up the tent as the sun was disappearing below the horizon. Our spotlighting was more successful than the previous night’s, with a Tawny Frogmouth in a tree, and a Southern Boobook sitting right in the middle of the road! The next morning, we birded the areas around Glen Davis and Crown Station Road, but didn’t see much that we hadn’t seen the day before. We drove north to Glen Alice, and on a bit further to “Max’s spot”, which is a small patch of trees on the road north of Bogee. This was quite an exceptional birding area, with highlights being 40 Common Bronzewings (all flushed from 3 or 4 trees as we walked under them), a lot of Peaceful Doves, many honeyeaters, and a flock of at least 150 Plum-headed Finches.

A Brown Treecreeper farewelled us at the campground, pecking around on the ground within a metre of both Max and I, but it proved too difficult to focus on with the camera. A stop near the base of Mt Airly in the hope of Red-browed Treecreepers was fruitful, not because of treecreepers but because of a lovely male Scarlet Robin.

Brown Treecreeper

Back at Pierce’s Pass, we saw three Beautiful Firetails, including one bird hopping up and down on a branch, presumably displaying the other one next to it. A quick walk to the lookout was fantastic for views, but we still got no views of Pilotbird. After a quick stop at Mount Tomah Botanical Gardens, we headed back home.

We both had a fantastic trip, and it was great to meet so many Feathers and Photos members who we had previously only known online. The weather was sunny most of the time, and never too cold. Our trip list ended up totalling 126 species, with a last-second Great Egret as we crossed the Hawkesbury River back into Sydney. This is definitely one of the best ways to spend the winter holidays!

 Diamond Firetail

 Juvenile Diamond Firetail

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