Highfields Falls

There was a sense of anticipation as ten members gathered at Highfields Falls on a winter morning perfect for birding and we finished well satisfied.

A total of 50 species was realised, no doubt helped by the many observer eyes. Flowering of eucalypts and mistletoe had largely finished or was patchy and sparse, though plenty of honeyeaters were present.

Little Lorikeets were a highlight, with 18 individuals counted, and some were cosying up and looking at potential nest hollows. Unfortunately, it is difficult to confidently record breeding for many hole-nesting birds and it seems that lorikeets spend some time checking out and excavating nest sites long before breeding.

Although we spent more time in the southern woodland (yellow box, forest red gum, bloodwoods) than in the taller open forest dominated by grey gum and with some remaining thicket understorey, nevertheless we encountered a single Regent Bowerbird and one Satin Bowerbird in the south, and a party of Large-billed Scrubwrens and three Varied Trillers in or near privet thickets.

Some of the several recorded Olive-backed Orioles were eating berries of climbing asparagus, a major invasive weed with some infestation in the park. Though not yet uttering their best known flutey calls, some spasmodically gave a less well-known, short yelp call.

Late in the outing we checked out Bell Miners in the shallow valley of the southern sector of the park, reckoning only five or six birds present. A local resident whom we met on the trail advised that they were first noticed in the park about a year ago and that higher numbers had been present earlier on.

Common Name	Scientific Name	Number counted
Peaceful Dove	Geopelia placida	2
Bar-shouldered Dove	Geopelia humeralis	1
Common Bronzewing	Phaps chalcoptera	2
Crested Pigeon	Ocyphaps lophotes	1
Masked Lapwing	Vanellus miles	2
Rainbow Lorikeet	Trichoglossus moluccanus	3
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet	Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus	15
Musk Lorikeet	Glossopsitta concinna	8
Little Lorikeet	Glossopsitta pusilla	18
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo	Cacatua galerita	4
Galah	Eolophus roseicapilla	6
Australian King-Parrot	Alisterus scapularis	2
Pale-headed Rosella	Platycercus adscitus	12
Laughing Kookaburra	Dacelo novaeguineae	12
Grey Fantail	Rhipidura albiscapa	6
Eastern Yellow Robin	Eopsaltria australis	9
Golden Whistler	Pachycephala pectoralis	5
Grey Shrike-thrush	Colluricincla harmonica	4
Magpie-lark	Grallina cyanoleuca	1
Eastern Whipbird	Psophodes olivaceus	9
Varied Triller	Lalage leucomela	3
Australasian Figbird	Sphecotheres vieilloti	1
Brown Thornbill	Acanthiza pusilla	6
White-browed Scrubwren	Sericornis frontalis	8
Large-billed Scrubwren	Sericornis magnirostra	3
Superb Fairy-wren	Malurus cyaneus	3
Variegated Fairy-wren	Malurus lamberti	3
Red-backed Fairy-wren	Malurus melanocephalus	5
White-throated Treecreeper	Cormobates leucophaea	6
Mistletoebird	Dicaeum hirundinaceum	7
Spotted Pardalote	Pardalotus punctatus	7
Silvereye	Zosterops lateralis	17
White-naped Honeyeater	Melithreptus lunatus	17
Scarlet Honeyeater	Myzomela sanguinolenta	1
Brown Honeyeater	Lichmera indistincta	4
Lewin’s Honeyeater	Meliphaga lewinii	35
Yellow-faced Honeyeater	Caligavis chrysops	17
Bell Miner	Manorina melanophrys	6
Noisy Miner	Manorina melanocephala	13
Red-browed Finch	Neochmia temporalis	7
Olive-backed Oriole	Oriolus sagittatus	4
Satin Bowerbird	Ptilonorhynchus violaceus	1
Regent Bowerbird	Sericulus chrysocephalus	1
Torresian Crow	Corvus orru	1
Pied Currawong	Strepera graculina	1
Pied Butcherbird	Cracticus nigrogularis	2
Grey Butcherbird	Cracticus torquatus	1
Australian Magpie	Gymnorhina tibicen	6
Striated Pardalote	Pardalotus striatus	1
Spotted Dove	Spilopelia chinensis	1