Storms and rain

After years of severe drought New South Wales’ south coast is now in a sodden state, the result of two successive “east coast lows” and follow up rain. Locally the low’s have delivered 290 mm and 160 mm respectively. And the strong winds caused damage to both trees and dwellings.

These two Australian Wood Ducks moved into town, nibbling grass and herbs on wet lawns and in running drains.

The total rain to date this year is just over 1,000 mm, the dams are now full and the water table is high. With water that is helping heal the bush after the disastrous bush fires of the summer.

This Little Wattlebird perches on the branch of a fallen tree that is now awaiting the chain saw and the mulcher.

Centennial Park – Still in Drought

Bushfires have dominated our attention in New South Wales these past weeks. In the meantime the drought that makes these bushfires so fierce and unrelenting continues, with one hundred percent of the state drought declared and most of the state in severe drought. It is a shock to see how dry our city parks are, the ponds of Centennial Park are all but empty and much of the bush showing stress, some shrubs and trees are dying. The park’s rainfall for the last three months is 50 mm, less the 20 percent of the average.

Large mud-banks formed as water levels drop are attracting a number of birds of interest, as seen at today’s Birding NSW excursion to Centennial Park. On the Duck Pond unusual visitors were Latham’s Snipes, Little Terns, Black-winged Stilts and Black-fronted Dotterels. At the Model Yacht Pond were Chestnut Teal, Freckled Ducks and Australasian Shovelers. Other birds of interest included Figbirds, Topknot Pigeons and Royal Spoonbills.      

Royal Spoonbill at depleted Fly Casting Pond, Centennial Park, Sydney

Eastern Suburbs Sydney

This morning was a catch up in eastern Sydney. Firstly Centennial Park, an oasis close to the centre of Sydney, gathering place for a surprising number of water birds and some bush birds. Checking on the regulars, there is one of the Tawny Frogmouths, a male, together with this year’s fledgling sitting on a higher branch in the same tree. The Intermediate Egret is on the Lily Pond and the Grey Butcherbird is in position to swoop on passersby. At Kensington Pond I do a standardized two hectare, twenty minute survey. Not many water birds, some Dusky Moorhens and a couple of Eurasian Coots. There are New Holland Honeyeaters, Red Wattlebirds, Spotted Doves and Crested Pigeons as well as the usual collection of Superb Fairy-wrens, Australian Magpies, Australian Ravens and Magpie-larks. Highlight is a Sacred Kingfisher sitting on the far bank close to construction work for the Randwick Golf Course Light Rail Station - still going on.

Then on to Randwick Environment Park, a small park formed in 2010 from 13 hectares that had been previously part of Randwick Army Barracks. The park contains endangered remnant Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub and a wetlands covering several hectares at its centre.  At times this park has attracted unusual birds including Latham’s Snipe, White-necked Heron, Australasian Shovelers, Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo, and Spangled Drongos. However as this year’s drought kicked in the wetland dried and water birds disappeared. Another standardized survey confirms that Australian Magpies, Red Wattlebirds, Laughing Kookaburras (pictured below) and Noisy Miners have taken control of what is now a totally dry area. The highlight was a Yellow-rumped Thornbill, an uncommon visitor to the park.