Hi all,

Most birdos have a patch , generally near home , they consider their particular birding province. To me it is Sydney's Northern Beaches. I think I know the birds there and get exited when I see something different. Birds in your own patch may have a different currency to what they may have in the general scheme of affairs, some generally common birds may be uncommon or even rare on your patch and some of your relatively common birds may be uncommon elsewhere. (Pheasant Coucals and Brush Bronzewings). A bird I discovered on the Northern Beaches last year is the White-throated Gerygone (As it turns out others have recorded it previously ,but not frequently).

Today I picked up my binoculars for the first time since returning from our 16 day Western Australia twitch, I had to buy some stuff at Warriwood Mall and decided to check out a new boardwalk Pittwater Council have built through part of Warriwood Wetland. I saw a small yellowish bird in a sapling Mahogany, "Yellow Thornbill I said". But no, through the bins it was a White-Throated Gerygone and what's more it was carrying food to a nest in the sapling, obviously feeding young or a mate on eggs. (Wow! almost as good as the Red-necked Phalarope on Rottnest Island!). I saw White-Throated Gerygone at a nest on Oxford Falls Rd. last year but was unsure if it was building or dismantling the nest as the next time I visited the nest was in tatters. This one I hope to follow through to the stage where young appear. It would be great to have a breeding record for Sydney's Northern Beaches.

The boardwalk should be a great place for crakes and rails as it's elevated aspect gives a great view of heaps of mud.

Bruce.

Frenchs Forest
Sydney