Birds of Coal Point – July 2015 Trip Report by Tom Clarke
A full round of winter surveys was carried out in typical
wintery conditions; as was the case last year! Under an overcast sky and an icy
breeze, the last thing we could wish for was some rain; so who wished for it, I
would like to know. A period of more persistent shower activity caused a
temporary halt in proceedings before carrying on with the Burnage Reserve
survey but otherwise things went to plan. Of course, the sun came out when all
was done (and dusted? perhaps not) and we were well on our way back home.
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| The newly discovered Bower |
Highlights
The discovery of a second bower at Carey Bay Wetland had us
wondering if it had been previously overlooked. This “new” bower was found
located about 15m away from the known established bower and in the direction of
the creek. Both bowers appeared to be active with the new one completely
well-built but containing only a few decorations. At least one male Bowerbird
was sighted and possibly two female birds. Further investigation will be needed
to confirm the owner(s) of these two bowers.
The occurrence of a Common Blackbird at Carey Bay Wetland is
a rare experience in deed. Despite the name, these birds are fairly uncommon in
the Lower Hunter and completely rare on the coastal fringe. Hardly any records
exist of birds east of Sugarloaf Range although a sighting was made near
Morisset in August 2011 (HBOC Annual Bird Report Number 19). These birds do
enjoy cold conditions (reminds them of Europe) and it certainly was the case
that day; perhaps this bird had travelled here on the strong breeze that was
prevailing at the time.
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| The uncommon Blackbird |
Another rare sighting was that of a pair of Pied
Oystercatchers loafing on a reef just off-shore near Threlkeld Reserve. This
species is listed as Endangered under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation
Act. Despite having a few breeding pairs around Newcastle and large numbers of
non-breeding birds hanging out in Port Stephens, it is not that common in west
Lake Macquarie. Three pairs are known to local birdwatchers in east Lake
Macquarie and can be seen regularly at Swan Bay, Coon Island sandbank and Black
Ned’s Bay.
Our third only sighting of an Olive-backed Oriole was a
brief look at a single bird at Burnage Reserve. This poor bird didn’t hang
around for too long as it was hunted from the area by a couple of the local
Noisy Miners. Previously we have recorded this species at Stansfield Reserve
where an adult Olive-backed Oriole with a dependent but fledged juvenile was
found in January 2015.
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