TAMWORTH BIRDWATCHERS Inc

Crimson Rosella - photo Bob Faulkner

Covid-19 and TBW Outings (V170920)

• It is the aim of the TBW Committee to run TBW Outings in a Covid Safe Way.

• This is in addition to the normal safety rules.

Motion passed at Committee Meeting (28/8/20):-

“While there are Covid restrictions the leader of each outing will be responsible for checking the current Covid restrictions on the NSW Website.

https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/what-you-can-and-cant-do-under-rules

The leader will advise participants of the restrictions at the start of the outing.”

Please note:

• It is the responsibility of each participant to follow the Leader(s)’ instructions.

Members & guests agree to this understanding when they sign on.

• The Leaders are volunteers and need your support, especially during this difficult time.

• Currently, numbers are limited to 20 people for our outings.

• Pre-booking is essential. Contact the Leader to book your place

PROPOSED EVENTS FOR 2020

We have resumed our Tuesday morning bird walks on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month.

The contact person is Joan Dunne Phone 6762 4553

SATURDAY OUTINGS

Sep 26 Saturday Outing Bundara, contact Brian Leslie  0437499454

Oct 24 Saturday Outing to Gunnedah, leader Annabel Ashworth 0427 694 147

Nov 28 Saturday Outing  Blue Hole  and Dangars Lagoon, contact Joan Dunne 6762 4553

Dec 2nd  Christmas Party

Jan 9th   Sheba Dam,  contact Joan Dunne 6762 4553

For further in formation please contact the Acting President on 0428295811

INTERESTING AND UNUSUAL SIGHTINGS:

August/September Sightings

Aug 3 Striped Honeyeater 2 at Rose Lee Park Quirindi, Joan Dunne

Aug 3 Blue-faced Honeyeater at Currabubula, Joan Dunne

Aug 4 Cockatiel, 2 at Mallabah Lagoon, Gunnedah, Joan Dunne

Aug 6 Plum-headed Finch, 2 at Tip Reserve, Dungowan, Joan Dunne

Aug 13 Blue-faced Honeyeater, 2 in Peel St,. Tamworth. Margaret and Bill Crisp

Aug 13 Blue-faced Honeyeater, 6 on bird bath in East Tamworth, Peter Cairns

Aug 14 Little Friarbird in South Tamworth, first time at this site, Brian Fair

Aug 22 Glossy Black-Cockatoos, 4 eating Belah seeds at “Ravensfield” Appleby Lane, Tamworth, first time at this site, Eric Fair Seen again in first week of September

Aug 19 White faced Herons, 9 flying over my house inspecting my now covered pond. Juvenile Eastern Spinebill visiting with parent on most days past month. Lyn Allen

Aug 24 Australian King-Parrot, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Red Wattlebird, 2 of each and some thornbills in flowering eucalypts in East Tamworth, Penny Turner

Aug 24 Plumed Whistling-Duck, 50 on dam near chicken farm on Werris Creek Road, Tamworth, Denise Kane

Aug 26 Australian Hobby at the Long Yard Golf Course, Tamworth, Terri Mower

Aug 29 10 Dusky Woodswallows, flying over our house in the late afternoon. First time I’ve recorded them for Calala, let alone my place, Jan Hosking

Aug 30 Grey Fantail in my yard at Calala, Jan Hosking

Aug Southern Boobook roosting in tree in East Tamworth, John Homewood

Sep 1 Fantail Cuckoo at Acacia Drive Tamworth, first time at this site, Annabel Ashworth

Sep 1 White-browed Scrubwren with building material in East Tamworth, Penny Turner

Sep 6 Channel-billed Cuckoo at Moore Creek, Denise Kane

We have over a dozen Straw-necked Ibis camping in the little bit of eucalypt /pine forest at our place on Daruka Road. The past week they have been working over our paddock and those of others nearby.

We have had close relationship with a pair of magpies over the last 5 years. They live in our garden and we have watched 5 nest builds and 3 young grow up here. The mother is showing signs of age with graying around eye-rims, swollen joints and holding up feet to rest them one at a time. The thing that is an unusual sighting was to see the male bird feeding her from his beak each morning this week, as if she was a baby. Very touching. We have watched this pair of magpies build a nest each spring and last year we watched them picking up twigs for their build and also noticed them pecking at the chicken wire around our vegie patch and at the chains on our hanging pot plants as well as other metal things. Taking this to be their admiration of our metal building materials, we laid out some 20cm and 30 cm lengths of coloured insulated electrical wire on the back verandah where we usually had our daily chat with the magpies. We were so happy to see them take six of the pieces of wire to fortify the weave of sticks they were working on! It was so strong that the same nest is in use now. They didn’t need to build a new one! It seemed to us that they had actually made a request and we responded!

Lynden Treneman