Four hardy birders chose to ignore the ominous weather reports and assembled in Tharwa for the honeyeater migration outing. Before we even left the rendezvous point, 140 Red Wattlebirds streamed silently overhead in a southeasterly direction. Despite this promising start it was not an ideal migration day - or at least that’s what the honeyeaters seemed to think.
Overnight rain and partly cloudy skies kept the numbers at the Angle Crossing site down to a few hundred per hour, rather than the few thousand per hour usual on a good migration day. Yellow-faced Honeyeaters were dominant, with White-naped comprising approximately 35%, and the occasional Eastern Spinebill and Crescent Honeyeater joining the rush.
We returned to the Tharwa Sandwash (Gigerline) for some additional birding. We spent a riveting 90 minutes being entertained by numerous Dusky Woodswallows, a pair each of Hooded Robins and Brown Treecreepers, several Diamond Firetails, a late immature Leaden Flycatcher, Fan-tailed Cuckoos, Horsfield Bronze-Cuckoo, Varied Sittella, and as a final encore, a Peaceful Dove.
Nicki Taws