Regent Honeyeaters and Swift Parrots, Hunter Valley

Sightings of local rarities (those asterisked on the club's official Species List and any species not listed. That includes Paradise Parrots!!!) Post your non-local rare or unusual sightings here too.

Moderators: Pat McConnell, Mick Atzeni

Post Reply
User avatar
Mick Atzeni
Posts: 1843
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:08 pm

Regent Honeyeaters and Swift Parrots, Hunter Valley

Post by Mick Atzeni »

Yesterday around 4:45pm I had a real treat; for about 5 minutes I was surrounded by up to a dozen Regent Honeyeaters in a mixed flock foraging along a ridge along the fire trail off Murray St, Abernethy. They were extremely active, flitting around in the late afternoon sun. I didn't know which way to look as I attempted to count them and get a photo. They eventually all disappeared as quickly as they appeared. Earlier I had seen three Swift Parrots fly over.

I was also fortunate to meet Steve Roderick and his brother Mick there. Mick works for BirdLife Australia on the woodland birds project and is president of the Hunter Bird Observers Club ( .://..hboc.org.au/index.cfm?menukey=1 ). I'd spoken to Mick the day before and he had put me onto the site. Steve and Mick were there trying to see where the Regents were roosting. Unfortunately, they missed the bit of action I witnessed but had seen plenty of both species in preceding days. It's a good season for both species in the Hunter Valley with the Spotted Gum now in flower. It doesn't do this every year; the last good year was in 2009.

Cheers
Michael Atzeni
7 Woden St, Murphys Creek 4352
Mob: 0499 395 485
Post Reply

Return to “Rare/Unusual Bird Reports”