A Bird in the Bush

Pioneer Dairy Swamp

2012-01-29T08:49:00.002+11:00

The Tuggerah Lakes Reserve is more commonly known as the Pioneer Dairy Swamp. It is predominantly cleared land that for a long time has been used for dairying. The Reserve has been the subject of much debate and negotiations amongst the past owners and their attempts to sell the site for development, community groups who have fought to save the site from development, and numerous Government departments who have been involved throughout the process, which lasted over several years.
The Electricity Commission acquired the property in 1986 as part of its plans to build a power station at Mardi. In 1989, the old manager’s house was leased to people who ran cattle on the site. The Mardi power station never eventuated, and the EC attempted to auction the site in1996, but the property was withdrawn 30 minutes before it was due to go to auction purportedly due to expressed environmental concerns regarding the sale. The property was again placed on the market in June 1999, however public protest resulted in a new committee being formed that lobbied the State Government for its preservation. The property’s sale was once again temporarily withdrawn pending a Supreme Court decision on an Aboriginal claim. Although this claim was rejected, pressure from the community and conservation groups stalled the sale for almost 12 months as they continued to lobby the State Government.
In 2000, the Reserve was finally gazetted as Crown land for environmental protection and public recreation, and is presently under the care of the Tuggerah Lakes Reserve Trust. It will be open to the public from the middle of 2012.

Walka Water Works

2012-01-29T08:30:00.001+11:00

On a very grey day, Great Crested Grebe and Australasian Grebe were out with their young.

Murrays Beach

2012-01-29T08:17:00.001+11:00

Even Laughing Kookaburras get involved in family arguments during the holiday season.

Munmorah Conservation Area

2012-01-29T08:11:00.001+11:00

It wasn’t a pleasant day for a walk along the Munmorah, very hot, with strong dry winds. But I managed to get my first photo of a Needletail – flying high, into the sun, so a very poor photo, but a photo nonetheless.

Hunter Wetlands Centre

2012-01-29T08:04:00.001+11:00

Cattle Egret

Intermediate Egret

Nankeen Night Heron

Great Egret

It’s egret breeding time at the Hunter Wetlands, Cattle Egret numbers are down on previous years but good to see large numbers of the Night Heron. They feed at night so can be hard to spot, but a pile driver on nearby road works put them up from their day-time roost.

Bruny Island, Tasmania

2011-12-28T09:00:00.001+11:00

7/12/2011

Given that it poured with rain the whole day we were on Bruny, we headed back for another look around. Getting off the ferry we turned left into Missionary Road towards Barnes Bay. In a stand of white gum, we heard Forty Spotted Pardalotes high in the trees. Dusky Woodswallows were perched on a dead tree, and there were good numbers of Black Headed Honeyeaters. At Dennes Point Crested Terns lined up on the rocks, a European Goldfinch was feeding young in a tree in the picnic area and an Australian Hobby watched over the beach.

On the Killora Road we stopped at a clump of trees where a number of honeyeaters were noisily foraging, and snapped a pic of a small olive bird that paused momentarily on a low branch – a Forty Spotted Pardalote. A little further on Black Currawongs were feasting on grubs in the roadside trees.

We went back to Mavista Reserve looking for the Pink Robin, without success, but came across a family of Striated Pardalote.

At Alonnah, we walked along the beach were we found the Hooded Plover at the tideline, a Yellow Wattlebird in the dune shrubs, and a Pallid Cuckoo on the powerlines.

We stayed overnight at the Captain Cook Memorial Caravan Park, where there were Swift Parrots in the park trees, Superb Fairywrens hopping around outside our cabin, and Tasmanian Thornbills in the creek-side shrubs. Brush Bronzewing wandered the walking track in front of us, Pacific and Kelp Gulls, Pied Oystercatchers and Masked Lapwings were on the beach, and Green Rosellas in the picnic area trees. At one point we were planning to watch the Fairy Penguin come ashore, but when we heard that that would not happen until well after ten when it was fully dark we went to Plan B, a quiet night recovering from the miles of hiking.

We checked out the rookery on The Neck early in the morning, great to see the paths they had taken to and from the sea. Two babies were visible huddling in their sand burrow.

On to Cape Bruny lighthouse, which was the finish point for the marathon last visit, so we avoided it. We had the place to ourselves this time, except for Welcome Swallows, New-Holland Honeyeaters, Superb Fairywren, White-faced Heron, Scarlet Robin, Dusky Robin, Common Bronzewing, Greenfinch and White-fronted Chat, bathing, hawking, and hanging about on the lawn.

At Jetty Beach we saw more of the honeyeaters, plus a Tasmanian Scrubwren and a Beautiful Firetail and an Echidna that was much less reluctant to be photographed that the birds seemed to be.

Maria Island, Tasmania

2011-12-26T12:16:00.001+11:00

Maria Island (inexplicably pronounced Mariah Island) was a ‘probation’ convict station where convicts learned agriculture prior to their release, the site of camps of whalers and sealers in the early 1800s, the base for the varied enterprises of Italian entrepreneur Diego Bernacchi, and the site of the National Portland Cement Company.

Since the late 1960s Maria has become a kind of Noah's Ark, as a number of threatened species have been introduced here in a bid to protect their kind. The very things that made the island a convict settlement, now make it an ideal refuge for plant and animal species that are elsewhere under threat. So alongside native pademelons which occurred on the island naturally, are Forester kangaroos and Bennetts wallabies which have been introduced to the island. Cape Barren geese and Tasmanian native hens have also been introduced. The endangered forty spotted pardalote is found here in good numbers, along with the white gum (Eucalyptus viminalis) that is essential to its survival.

A ferry ride from Triabunna, the various natural and historic attractions on Maria could occupy you for a full day or more, but there are no supplies on the island so all food and drink had to be carried in. Provisioned only with a bottle of water and a couple of muesli bars we occupied three hours walking down to the Painted Cliffs.

Yellow-rumped Thornbills, Black-headed Honeyeaters, Yellow-Wattlebirds, Black Currawong, Tasmanian Native Hens, Australasian Pipits, Cape Barren Geese with babies … were among the birds seen.

Tasmania, South

2011-12-24T12:53:00.001+11:00

5/12/2011

We made an early start at Peter Murrell Reserve, accessing it from Huntingfield Avenue, Kingston, via a track beside the Vodaphone call centre. Immediately beside the cark park in a stand of white gum (Eucalyptus viminalis) we heard Forty Spotted Pardalotes calling, but they were too high and the light too dim for us to distinguish them from the Striated Pardalotes that were also calling. A photo was out of the question so we wandered on to the dam where there were Australasian Grebe, Pacific Black Ducks, Chestnut Teal and Maned (or Australian Wood) Ducks. I don’t know if it was love or war, but the male was repeatedly attacking the other bird. Lots of Tasmanian Native Hens at the edges of the dam, Yellow and Little Wattlebirds in the trees, Welcome Swallows and Superb Fairywrens. A group of Yellow-throated Honeyeaters foraged in the trees alongside the second dam, the path was higher up the hill, so the birds in the top of the trees were conveniently at eye level.

Continuing south on the Channel Highway as the rain started to fall, we pulled in at the Bruny d'Entrecasteaux monument at Gordon, where several of the Tasmanian race of the Dusky Woodswallow sat about in the rain, looking as miserable as we felt.

A large group of Silver Gulls and Great Crested Tern were fishing at the edge of the channel, so we tested the waterproof qualities of the cameras and filled a card with mainly shots of sea and sky, but sufficient successful captures to make the soaking worthwhile.

It was a very pretty drive, with English gardens, apple orchards and stone cottages on one side of the road and the channel on the other with Bruny Island on the horizon. We did stop at Ninepin Point Marine Reserve, and walked down to the water, and paused again at Randalls Bay where we caught a glimpse of birds in the roadside trees. They didn’t hang around, so nor did we.

We detoured to have a look at the Arve River creek walk, and if the weather held, a glimpse of Hartz Mountain National Park. The Look-in Lookout was wonderfully unexpected, a pull off on the left of the road where you could peer into the forest – should be more of them. The Arve River Picnic Ground was the start and end of a ten minute loop walk, absolutely amazing .

Hartz Mountain brought our first sightings of the Black Currawong, but there was snow on the ground and the rain felt like sleet. We reflected on the changes in habitat we had driven through in a single day, and the incredible alpine plants that now surrounded us – from the comfort of the car.

The rain finally started to clear around Kingston, so we turned south again heading for the Inverawe Native Gardens at Margate. Cups of tea with Tasmanian cheddar and biscuits restored us sufficiently and we wandered up and down the paths of the gardens with pleasure. Ninety-one species of birds have been seen at the gardens including all twelve endemics, and we saw a good number in the short time we were there, although conditions were less than perfect for birding. Green Rosellas gathered in the trees, New Holland Honeyeaters zipped through the Grevilleas, Eurasian Blackbirds picked through the mulch, and a Laughing Kookaburra failed to be amused. We also saw White-faced Heron, Great Egret, Welcome Swallows, and Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike.

Tasman Penninsula

2011-12-23T10:05:00.002+11:00

4/12/2011

We woke to sunshine on Sunday, so headed east to the Tasman Penninsula. We were on the lookout for waders as we passed through Sorrel, but apart from gulls, Crested Terns, Pied Oystercatchers, Black Swans and the ubiquitous Masked Lapwings, the edges of the water bodies held little of interest. Stopping for breakfast at Dunalley, Black-faced Cormorants, Little Black Cormorants, Australasian Darters and Silver Gulls were lined up on the jetty. We took a detour before Eaglehawk Neck to see the tessellated pavement but were side-tracked by some spectacular native gardens alongside the road that were filled with Golden Whistler, Eastern Spinebill, Little Wattlebird, Superb Fairywren, Grey Fantail, and Yellow Wattlebirds.

A homeowner came out to see why we had huge lenses trained on his bedroom windows, and told us that at Devils Kitchen we could look down on albatross circling below, so we left the tessellated pavement for the next trip and headed off while I remembered his directions.

The scenery was spectacular along the stretch of coast that contains the Tasman Blowhole, Tasman Arch and Devil’s Kitchen, but no albatross circled below for us. A lone Australian Gannet flew past, and Silver Gulls launched themselves from the cliffs. Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Beautiful Firetail, Tasmanian Silvereyes, Eastern Spinebills and Tasmanian Thornbills were seen on the walk. We had been told by our first-day birding friend that the way to tell the Tasmanian Thornbill from the Brown Thornbill was to remember that the Tasmanian Thornbill wore white undies!

With the weather closing in, somewhere sheltered seemed like a good idea and the Blue Seal Cafe presented itself on the coast road as a likely spot. With a fire lit, and excellent tea and scones we comfortably waited out the worst of the rain.

The rain continued, a little heavier than drizzle, so we pulled into the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park. The park was designed by renowned zoo landscape architect, John Coe, and includes four large habitats that demonstrate the devil's adaptability to a number of environments, including: a farmyard where the devils live among hay bales and farm machinery, which is where they are increasingly seen; a rainforest area; a eucalypt woodland; and an inside-out area where visitors now walk into the centre of a display with trees and grassland all around.

The park also had a great free flight show with birds that had been rescued or rehabilitated, including a Peregrine Falcon that had a wing amputated after colliding with a power line, and a Galah that had been surrendered by its long-time owners.

While I am interested in the history of Australia, and visiting historic sites, I didn’t think I could cope with the combination of encapsulated misery and tourist consumerism at Port Arthur, so we went to the Coal Mines Historic Site (the Coal Mines formed part of the system of convict discipline, and ruins of accommodation jails and offices remain).

We finished the day on the Tasman Peninsula at Lime Bay, were we saw sodden Green Rosellas, Grey Butcher Birds, Magpies and damp Bennet’s Wallaby and where a Pacific Gull snacking on a crab gave us the idea of heading back to Hobart for a seafood dinner on the Wharf.

Jetty Beach, Bruny Island

2011-12-22T18:18:00.001+11:00

The Labillardiere Peninsula Circuit is a seven hour walk starting at the Jetty Beach
campground, the highlight of which is a view of Partridge Island, which protects one of the largest populations of the endangered forty-spotted pardalote, from the top of Mount Bleak. We decided we didn’t need to climb the peak as we had Beach Bleak, Road Bleak and everything else Bleak right where we were. We walked a little way along, attracted by the Christmas bells (Blandfordia punicea) brightening up the recently burned scrub.

In the area immediately around the campground we saw Dusky Robins, including an immature, Yellow-throated Honeyeater, Strong-billed Honeyeater and Black-headed Honeyeater. It was looking as though we were not going to get another break in the rain, so we headed back to the ferry.

Mavista Nature Walk

2011-12-22T17:55:00.001+11:00

3/12/2011

We headed inland along Resolution Road to the Mavista Nature Walk, stopping on the way for a Scarlet Robin that had young in a nest in one of the Eucalypts by the roadside. One of the local birders that we’d met earlier was standing off the road in the undergrowth a little further along, his back to us. We met up again at Mavista, where he explained that the particular call of nature that he was responding to was a Pink Robin, a species that then eluded us for the rest of the trip. The walk is an easy twenty minutes alongside a very pretty creek, but it was raining again so we chatted to our new mate for a while under the picnic shelter, and then drove on to the West coast, stopping only for an introduced Goldfinch on the wires.

Adventure Bay

2011-12-22T12:30:00.001+11:00

It was raining solidly as we skirted Adventure Bay, but we pulled over to check out the memorial at the spot where Captain Cook landed. Two Pacific Gulls were also pondering how different things might have been (the Dutch, French and Spanish also ‘discovered’ Australia). The garden across the road was a riot of cottage plants and New Holland Honeyeaters were taking advantage of the nectar on offer. Baby birds were demanding their share from the shrubs on the other side of the road.

As we watched the honeyeaters a group of parrots flew into the beach-side trees and pushing our way through the wet undergrowth we came across a group of feasting Green Rosellas. Not sure what the plant is, but it certainly occupied the Rosellas, and we were able to watch for some time and leave them still munching.

The sun came out so we made our way down to the beach, where a sign warned us of nesting Hooded Plovers. There were White-face Heron perched on an abandoned boat and European Starling pecking at flotsam. A fenced off area announced that that section of beach was reserved for the Hooded Plover, but either the plovers had not read the sign, or they didn’t appreciate the gesture.

Another heavy shower sent us to the nearby Bruny Island Berry Farm where we were able to while away the time working through the menu: berry coulis and fresh yoghurt, scones with home-made jam and cream, toasted focaccia filled with local smoked salmon and Tasmanian brie, and mixed berries in champagne jelly. Tasmanian Native Hens scratched around on the sodden lawn. A movement in a blackberry bush turned out to be an introduced Greenfinch.

The Neck, Bruny Island

2011-12-22T10:06:00.002+11:00

The rain was as short-lived as it was heavy, and we were able to get the cameras out again at the Neck. On the Isthmus Bay side Silver Gulls, Kelp Gulls and Pied Oystercatchers foraged in the shallows. Superb Fairywrens bustled about among the Fairy Penguin burrows, but the adults were out to sea and the young stayed tucked up in the burrows. A Tasmanian Scrubwren scolded us from its bush beside the boardwalk.

Big Lagoon, Bruny Island

2011-12-22T09:31:00.001+11:00

3/12/2011

Pulling into a parking area just before the airstrip, we walked down to the Big Lagoon, the first part of a track to Cape Queen Elizabeth. Grey Shrike Thrush were calling and dislodging insects from bark crevices, Grey Fantail were everywhere, lots of Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos flying overhead, and a Brush Bronzewing flushed from the edge of the track. Striated Pardalotes were high in the trees. A Flame Robin foraging and returning to a fence perch gave us regular, if distant photo opportunities. The high mesh fence was some metres behind a standard barbed-wire fence and inside the enclosure were half a dozen Emu – Emu are farmed in Tasmania.

Back at the carpark we met a group from the local Birdwatchers Club, they confirmed that the itinerary we’d drawn up was going to give us the best chance for good birding, and as the rain came down we shared the spot to find the Flame Robin.

Great Bay, Bruny Island

2011-12-22T08:33:00.001+11:00

3/12/2011

Day two started with broken clouds, so we headed to Bruny Island on the first Ferry. We had lots of company, having chosen the day of the Bruny Island Ultra-marathon with a couple of hundred runners and supporters running the 64 kilometres from Dennes Point to the Light House. (Paul Johnson was first to the lighthouse with a time of 5:35:41). We moved at a more leisurely pace, and runners kept passing and re-passing us as we stopped to peer into the roadside trees. At one such stop on Main Road, Great Bay, we pulled up for Dusky Woodswallows on the roadside powerlines, but were diverted by a small green parrot flying up from the lines a little further down. Waiting for it to return we saw Yellow-throated and Black-headed Honeyeaters and Black-faced Cuckooshrikes in the flowering Eucalypts across the road. An Australian Hobby perched briefly on the wires, and Welcome Swallows flew up and down the road verges. The parrot returned and obligingly perched again on the wires; a Blue Winged Parrot.

Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens

2011-12-21T12:42:00.001+11:00

2/12/2011

I flew into Hobart at lunchtime, met Maureen at the airport and picked up the rental car, a budget-wise Corolla hatch, checked into our Sandy Bay Motel and headed for the Royal Tasmanian Botanic Gardens beneath a grey drizzling sky. The eucalypt woodland of the Domain gave us our first birds, the Tasmanian subspecies of the Australian Magpie, Noisy Miner, and Silvereye, as well as a large group of Eastern Rosellas. In the gardens, clouds of Silvereye foraged in the flowering prunus, Yellow and Little Wattlebirds called raucously, and Forest Ravens strutted across the lawns, but the most common bird was the Eurasian Blackbird, collecting worms for young cheeping from the denser bushes. We don’t have them on the Central Coast (yet) so found their busyness interesting to watch. Adding to the ‘Little England’ feel were Goldfinch, Starlings, House Sparrows and Skylarks looking at home among the majestic oak, elm and birch trees. A highlight of the gardens for me was the wonderful Sub-Antarctic House, a re-creation of the Macquarie Island environment.

Tasmania has twelve endemic species, and we were hoping to photograph them all during the stay, but as the drizzle turned to rain, we headed back to the motel to consult the weather gods and our maps.

Tasmanian native hen Gallinula mortierii
Green rosella Platycercus caledonicus
Dusky robin Melanodryas vittata
Tasmanian thornbill Acanthiza ewingii
Scrubtit Acanthornis magnus
Tasmanian Scrubwren Sericornis humilus
Yellow wattlebird Anthochaera paradoxa
Yellow-throated honeyeater Lichenostomus flavicollis
Black-headed honeyeaterMelithreptus affinus
Strong-billed honeyeater Melithreptus validirostris
Black currawong Strepera fuliginosa
Forty-spotted pardalote Pardalotus quadragintus

There are also a number of species which are endemic at the subspecies level, such as the threatened Wedge-tail Eagle, and species which are known as breeding endemics, including the endangered Orange-bellied Parrot and the Swift Parrot, that breed in Tasmania but migrate to the mainland.

Toukley

2011-10-02T12:13:00.001+11:00

Given the non-stop rain, there would seem to be little need for a bird-bath, but I was pleased to see these visitors to my garden, Little Corellas and Rainbow Lorikeet. Eastern Rosellas first attracted my attention, but they didn’t wait for me to grab the camera.

Soldier’s Point

2011-10-01T16:54:00.001+10:00

One good tern deserves another. The Great Crested Terns look good in their spring plumage, crests raised to impress the opposite sex. White-fronted Terns winter here are are about to leave, while Common Terns are just arriving from the northern hemisphere.

Chain Valley Bay

2011-09-13T17:46:00.001+10:00

Red Wattle Bird

Red-browed Firetail

Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo

Pink Matchheads (Comesperma ericinum)

Feeling very much like spring on our walk today.

Ourimbah

2011-09-11T10:40:00.001+10:00

The Cattle Egret is apparently a relatively recent colonist of Australia from Asia, with the first birds recorded in the Northern Territory in 1948. Since then they have spread to most of the continent. There are large breeding colonies around here on the Central Coast and Hunter Valley.

Warner’s Bay

2011-09-04T13:27:00.001+10:00

Early for an appointment at Warner’s Bay, I sat and watched the Little Corellas playing birdy games. Around sixty birds were hanging out between the lake and the road, digging for grubs and just mucking about.

Soldier’s Point

2011-09-04T12:49:00.001+10:00

An interesting time on the rock platform at the moment with the Double-banded Plovers in full breeding colours ready to head off to New Zealand to breed, and North-South migratory species arriving in the remnants of their Sunday best, including Red-necked Stints, Grey-tailed Tattler, Curlew Sandpiper and Red Knot.

Sydney Olympic Park

2011-08-15T12:43:00.000+10:00

The Birds Australia Discovery Centre has set up a camera on their resident pair of White-bellied Sea-Eagles on the nest! "EagleCAM gives bird lovers, researchers and scientists 24-hour access into the lives of our nesting sea-eagles and allows us to investigate their habitat, habits and how we can help them survive long term."

Sea Eagle cam

Joshua Porter Reserve

2011-08-14T15:44:00.001+10:00

The Swift Parrot is very active feeding on blossoms and lerp high in the tree tops, and moves constantly from tree to tree with a very fast, direct flight. They are endemic to Tasmania, wintering on the Central Coast of NSW only when conditions are favourable, and they are endangered with only around a thousand breeding pairs. So I was pleased to see them fairly close-up and have the opportunity to grab some photos, as I’ve only been aware of them a couple of times passing overhead – alerted by their distinctive flight call.

Lake Macquarie SRA

2011-06-04T16:34:00.001+10:00

Still exploring the Central Coast, I pass the turn off to Chain Valley Bay on my way to and from work, but this was the first time I turned down the track. Lots of things in flower, it felt rather spring-like until the clouds drifted back over.

Lots of birds high in the tree blossoms including swift parrots, but none presented photo opportunities. I consoled myself with a group of Variegated Fairywrens, one of which was already in breeding plumage.

Munmorah Conservation Area

2011-06-04T05:49:00.001+10:00

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

White-naped Honeyeater (Juvenile)

Little Wattlebird

Our first blue-sky day in weeks so I crept away from essay marking for an hour in the Munmorah Conservation Area, ten minutes from home. Honeyeaters were very busy in the flowering Swamp Mahoganies and Melaleucas, but there were also plenty of heath plants in flower including Lambertia, Banksia and a very strongly perfumed wattle. I had a brief but enjoyable walk along the Moonee Beach Firetrail off the Snapper Point Road.

On the way home I was distracted by a mixed group bathing in a roadside puddle. As well as the Yellow-faced Honeyeater and Easter Spinebill above there were Silvereyes and Superb Fairywrens. With all the water around at the moment, it’s interesting that this puddle was so popular.

Gorokan

2011-05-22T09:03:00.001+10:00

Little and Long-billed Corellas pre-dawn

Photographs cannot capture the huge numbers of corellas in the trees at Gorokan before sunrise, with more flying in. The noise when they all took flight was incredible.

Tuggerah STW

2011-05-22T08:57:00.001+10:00

Fan-tailed Cuckoo

Grey Shrike-thrush

On way way back from purchasing a ‘smart’ TV, I stopped in the at the sewerage treatment works. There were good number of birds on the water: White-headed Stilt, Chestnut Teal, Australasian Grebe, Black Swans, Little Pied Cormorants, Purple Swamp Hen, White-faced Heron, Eastern Great Egret. And more bush birds warbling in the bush, and honeyeaters feasting overhead than I was able to see, let alone photograph.

Galgabba Point

2011-05-14T14:43:00.001+10:00

Another brief birding outing, this time on the way to work I stopped off at Galgabba Point, Swansea to see if there were any Scarlet Honeyeaters lower down in the trees than I’d been able to see them so far this autumn. I came across a group of around twenty males and females hawking for insects at eye level, within minutes and metres of parking the car.

Blackbutt Reserve

2011-05-14T14:34:00.001+10:00

We had the first sunny day in a while so I left work early with the thought of stopping off at Blackbutt Reserve, which I temptingly pass on the commute. But of course by the time I got to Blackbutt the clouds had rolled in and the wind had picked up.

They are in the process of rebuilding the cages destroyed in the Pasha Bulker storm, and they have some new captive bird species, however I was interested in the Emerald Dove that had been spotted hanging around the cage holding its captive cousins. It was there, but I first saw it from the walkway above, foraging on the ground, and by the time I got down to ground level I couldn’t find it again. A number of twitchers reported it over the next few days, with various explanations for its presence in downtown Newcastle.

Birdy Google

2011-04-26T10:26:00.001+10:00

Google Australia is celebrating John James Audubon's birthday today with this wonderfully birdy logo.

Lake Burrendong State Park

2011-04-25T17:31:00.001+10:00

Glossy Black Cockatoo

I’d been wanted to visit Lake Burrendong State Park since the flood waters raised the dam level from 1% to 87%, so the week before Easter Maureen and I packed the dogs into the car along with our camping gear and headed west.

Apart from the water, and the walks through some incredible scenery, a big attraction was the Burrendong Botanic Garden and Arboretum at the entrance to the State Park. Established in 1964 the gardens cover approximately 167 ha. Dedicated to the preservation and conservation of Australia's unique and incredibly diverse flora, it is arranged in thematic areas that facilitate both driving tours and walks. Like many amazing conservation projects the gardens were established primarily through the efforts of one man, George Althofer. George was a big fan of one of my favourite plants, the mint bush, and wrote a book on the species. His brother Peter designed and supervised the building of the spectacular Fern Gully at the arboretum.

Fantastic place. We plan a return visit.

Bird list:

Australasian Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Australian Pelican
Darter
Pied Cormorant
White-faced Heron
Maned Duck
Pacific Black Duck
Whistling Kite
Collared Sparrowhawk
White-Bellied Sea-eagle
Australian Kestrel
Brown Quail
Dusky Moorhen
Eurasian Coot
Masked Lapwing
Silver Gull
Common Bronzewing
Crested Pigeon
Peaceful Dove
Eastern Rosella
Galah
Glossy Black Cockatoo
King Parrot
Musk Lorikeet
Red-rumped Parrot
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Laughing Kookaburra
Welcome Swallow
Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
White-bellied Cuckoo Shrike
Eastern Yellow Robin
Jacky Winter
Crested Shrike-tit
Golden Whistler
Restless Flycatcher
Grey Fantail
Willie Wagtail
Grey-crowned Babbler
Superb Fairy Wren
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Weebill
White-throated Treecreeper
Brown Treecreeper
Red Wattlebird
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
White-plumed Honeyeater
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
Eastern Spinebill
Noisy Miner
Noisy Friarbird
Mistletoe Bird
Spotted Pardalote
Red-browed Firetail
Diamond Firetail
Double-barred Finch
Zebra Finch
Apostlebird
White-winged Chough
Australian Magpie-lark
Grey Butcherbird
Pied Butcherbird
Australian Magpie
Pied Currawong
Australian Raven
Little Raven
Emu

Rainbow Lorikeet

2011-04-04T05:50:00.001+10:00

Rainbow Lorikeet, originally uploaded by marj k.

The gymnasts of the birding world at play in my garden.

Toukley

2011-04-03T11:17:00.001+10:00

I’m not big on feeding birds artificially, and have planted lots of flowering trees and shrubs to give them natural food sources, but when picking up dog food I noticed some Wild Lorikeet nectar mix and bought a bag. I put a small amount out yesterday and the resident noisy miners were rather appreciative, and were joined by half a dozen rainbow lorikeets. I took the empty dish away after an hour.

This morning I put some nectar out at around 6:30 am, and came back to get some over-ripe banana and a handful of grapes. By the time I got back to the garden there would have been a hundred lorikeets in the trees, lined up on the fence and taking their turn at the feeders.

The food was all gone within the hour. So I’ve removed and cleaned the dishes. While diseases can be carried by shared feeding dishes, and food can ferment and affect the birds, there seem to be no ill effects from a well managed feeding program.

Tuggerah STW

2011-03-28T09:17:00.001+11:00

Bell Miner takes a drink

Young Lewin’s Honeyeater

Grey Fantail

Characteristically shy Whipbird

Silvereyes

Golden Whistler

Brown Thornbill

A late afternoon walk beside the Tuggerah sewerage ponds had the sun in the wrong position for photographs of Swamp Hens, Pacific Black Ducks, Chestnut Teal, Australasian Grebe, Hoary Headed Grebe, Black Swans and Welcome Swallows on the water, but the fringing bush held a good number of birds.

Dogs and Birds

2011-03-21T11:58:00.001+11:00

As any dog-owning, bird-feeding person will attest, birds generally have nothing to fear from dogs, or at least no more than that from their human companion. Quail and Pipits will stand their ground as my disinterested dogs walk past at the local off-leash area, but flee in panic it I take a tiny step closer with the camera. But dogs do receive a good deal of bad press stemming from the behaviour of some of their naughtier representatives. Good to see them featuring in a good news story.

The Maremma dogs Eudy and Tula, pictured above, have been protecting roosting penguins on Warrnambool’s Middle Island from foxes and other predators for the past two years.

The island now provides a secure breeding habitat for about 180 adult fairy penguins, compared with just 51 penguins before the dogs took up their positions.

Soldiers Point

2011-03-18T16:44:00.001+11:00

A bleak and rather windy day for the beach, but we stopped in at Soldiers Point at low tide to check on the migrants. No sign of any Curlew Sandpipers today, but there were quite around twenty Red-necked Stints, three Grey-Tailed Tattlers, half a dozen Ruddy Turnstones, a single Sooty Oystercatcher, four Pacific Golden Plovers and the vagrant Wandering Tattler still ambling amongst the incoming waves.

Soldier’s Point

2011-03-14T17:52:00.001+11:00

Wandering Tattler

The Wandering Tattler is a vagrant in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway and is uncommon in Australia, although it may sometimes be overlooked, partly because of confusion with the Grey-tailed Tattler. It breeds in Siberia, Alaska and north-west Canada. The non-breeding range is around the Pacific rim where it is generally found on rocky coasts with reefs and platforms feeding in shallow pools and along the tideline. A single bird has been reported here at Soldier’s Point on and off over the last couple of months, with birds also reported at Long Reef and Newcastle Baths to the north and south.

Ruddy Turnstone

The Ruddy Turnstones are well advanced in donning their breeding plumage. They travel from their Arctic nesting grounds to coastal wintering grounds along the coastlines of every continent except Antarctica. One bird was recorded flying a 27,000 km round trip from Australia to Siberia - twice.

Pacific Golden Plover

The PGPs are only just starting to change into their spectacular breeding plumage – wish one would decide to stay, we never get to see full breeding plumage here.

The distribution of the Pacific Golden Plover is not fragmented, either in its breeding grounds or in its non-breeding areas. It breeds mostly in northern Siberia, between the Yamal Peninsula and the Chukotski Peninsula and the Gulf of Anadyr. In Australia most Pacific Golden Plovers occur along the east coast, and are especially widespread along the Queensland and NSW coastlines.

Curlew Sandpiper and Red-necked Stint

Both these birds are just starting to colour up. The breeding range of the Curlew Sandpiper is mainly restricted to the Arctic of northern Siberia. In Australia, Curlew Sandpipers occur around the coasts and are also quite widespread inland, though in smaller numbers. Many non-breeding one year old birds remain in Australia rather than migrating north during the southern winter.

The Red-necked Stint breeds in Siberia and sporadically in north and west Alaska. Unlike many of the other waders they migrate across the continent of Australia, and some first year birds move inland for the Australian winter. Migration starts in the last week of March, with most birds leaving in April.

Dharug National Park

2011-03-13T16:38:00.001+11:00

I have to put an extra 2,000 kms on my car by the end of the month, so took a Sunday drive to Dharug National Park, on the Hawkesbury. A very pretty drive from the Central Coast passing through farmland and rainforest pockets before winding along the river.

Unfortunately, while some areas have long been out of bounds because of Phytophthora (dieback) disease another couple of tracks were closed because of the recent discovery of Myrtle Rust in the park.

So Maureen and I hung around the picnic area at Mill Creek and walked the short Grasstree Track that followed the creek.

Highland Cattle on the riverside farmland

Masked Lapwing at the river’s edge

Young Whipbirds actually showed themselves in the low shrubs

Eastern Yellow Robin were characteristically curious

A cooperative White-eared Honeyeater gave me my best photos of this species to date.

Brush Turkeys wandered the picnic area

Swansea

2011-03-07T08:06:00.001+11:00

An evening dogwalk along the shore of Lake Macquarie showed that there were still plenty of waders about. These Bar-tailed Godwit show no sign of breeding colours and may be young birds who will stay for the winter. The Far-eastern Curlew has become more habituated to people during its summer here, when they first arrive they will take off with their blood-curdling shriek at any movement. Pelicans gathered for their evening roost on the off-shore sand islands.

Taronga Zoo

2011-03-05T12:43:00.001+11:00

Water Dragon

Mother and baby Lowland Gorilla

Java Finch

Indian Mynah

Asian Elephants

Golden Bear

Vulture – “Free Flight” show.

Barking Owl - “Free Flight” show

Red-tailed Black Cockatoo

Meercat

Australasian Grebe

Dollarbird

Rock Wallaby

Whipbird

Had a wonderful day at Taronga Zoo. I’d been planning a visit since I heard that there were new baby gorillas and elephants. Lots of work in progress, it’s really developing as a great place for animals and people – and those fantastic views of Sydney city are a bonus.

Toukley

2011-03-01T19:04:00.001+11:00

I’m sure that friends who invite you around for a barbeque don’t really mind when you spend the evening with your camera trained on their birdfeeder. These galahs and long-billed corellas were impossible to ignore.

There is a large population of long-billed corellas on the central coast. While originally restricted to South Australia and western Victoria, populations are developing in major centres following the escape or release of caged birds.

Blackbutt Reserve

2011-02-27T08:09:00.001+11:00

Bees on a waterlily

Red Skimmer

Blue Skimmer eating a damselfly

I stopped in at Blackbutt Reserve after visiting a photo exhibition in Nobby’s Lighthouse (open to the public for the first time) but it was already very hot, and while Treecreepers, Rosellas, Cockatoos, and Thornbills could be heard, and Kookaburras hovered around hoping we’d put a sausage on the barbeque, I was disinclined to go go walking.

The lily-pond on the other hand was inviting, with a bench in the shade on its bank. There were plenty of Odonata to test my reflexes. I’d love to be able to identify them – must add a dragonfly book to my bird book collection.

Stockton Channel

2011-02-23T17:25:00.001+11:00

As the full moon high tide came in the Grey-tailed Tattlers jockeyed for position on the wreck rusting at the edge of the Hunter River, just upstream from the river mouth.

Binu John

2011-02-15T07:19:00.001+11:00

I haven’t had a lot of bird photography opportunities lately, but I’ve been looking at some inspirational portfolios, including Binu John’s. I’d love to replicate his bird silhouettes against the setting sun – a lot of organisation and a good deal of luck required!

Soldiers Point

2011-02-11T14:02:00.001+11:00

Gave myself an hour down at Soldier’s Point today to check on the waders. Some are starting to develop their breeding plumage, it will only be a matter of weeks before they begin their long journey back to the breeding grounds in the Northern hemisphere. I’ll have to schedule more regular visits over the next month.

Craigie Reserve

2011-01-30T08:27:00.001+11:00

A Little Egret fishing in the early morning light at the Kanwal off-leash area.

Backyard

2011-01-27T08:14:00.001+11:00

Todays images from the BirdCam.

Soldiers Point

2011-01-27T07:11:00.001+11:00

Big seas had forced the birds to the front of the rock shelf where there was little cover, so it was impossible for me to get close in the hour I had given myself. But there were good numbers of birds, including the first Double Banded Plover I’ve seen this summer. No sign of the Wandering Tattlers that have been reported up and down this part of the coast but from the top Grey-tailed Tattler, Pacific Golden Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Red-necked Stint.

Toukley

2011-01-25T19:43:00.001+11:00

Rainbow Lorikeet

Noisy Miner

Eastern Rosella

Todays pictures from the BirdCam.

Toukley

2011-01-24T11:07:00.001+11:00

I haven’t seen Rainbow Lorikeets at the birdbath, although there are plenty in the flowering trees in the area. Bird Cam picked up these visitors this morning.

Budgewoi track

2011-01-23T10:26:00.001+11:00

This Leaden Flycatcher seemed to be taking the wings off the cicada before feeding it to her hungry offspring.

Bird Cam

2011-01-22T06:19:00.001+11:00

My BirdCam arrived, and I set it up beside the birdbath. Still a bit of experimentation and adjusting to do, but I think it will be fun.

Shortland, Newcastle

2011-01-12T10:53:00.001+11:00

Dusky Moorhen

Magpie Geese

Buff-banded Rail

White-breasted Woodswallow

Freckled Duck

Australian Ibis

Australian Darter

Lots of babies and young birds at the Hunter Wetlands Centre yesterday. Good to spend a day outdoors – we did have to wait out a few showers in the hides but it was ‘fine’ for the most part.

Horrific stories of the floods in Queensland on the news. The impact on people and their property is devastating, but many of our native animals will also be impacted. Many species will have found higher ground but ground-dwelling fauna such as reptiles and small mammals, particularly those living in burrows along the rivers may not have survived. The effects will be long term: vast tracts of riparian vegetation have been submerged or swept away, floodplains will be covered with silt, trees have been dislodged and fallen timber swept downstream. However for the birds and animals that survive the flooding, the water does bring with it a number of positive effects. Conditions can be better than before with water channels flushed and opened up, seeds dispersed, and habitats opened up.

In 1974 we were living and working in Brisbane, in flood affected areas of Milton, St Lucia and Indooroopilly, so my thoughts are very much with the people who are dealing with the 2011 floods.

Kanwal

2011-01-12T10:14:00.001+11:00

If there is one thing that upsets me more than seeing birds in a cage, it is seeing cage raised birds that have escaped or been released into the wild in a foreign habitat. This Pale-headed Rosella is a long way from where his species is found.

"A robin redbreast in a cage puts
all of heaven in a rage."

—William Blake

Craigie Reserve, Kanwal

2011-01-08T11:12:00.001+11:00

The White-headed Stilt Himantopus leucocephalus is included as a sub-species of Himantopus himantopus, the Black-winged Stilt by Christidis and Boles. The American version is the Black-necked Stilt, Himantopus mexicanus. Given that they all seem to have white heads, black wings and black necks, the common names aren’t particularly imaginative.

There were a small group of them off the shore of Craigie Reserve, this morning. I haven’t seen the huge flocks that we usually see in the estuaries, and thought they had gone outback with the other waders and ducks.

The Entrance, NSW

2011-01-07T09:31:00.001+11:00

The Little Tern (Sterna albifrons) is Australia’s smallest tern. It is listed as an endangered species in New South Wales. The species is an ecological specialist, needing specific conditions for feeding and breeding and it currently has a population and distribution reduced to a critical level, with poor recovery potential in the face of severe threats. There is a breeding colony on the Central Coast, and though the main nest sites are fenced, it is in a very busy area and most people seemed to treat it as just another seagull.

The Little Tern in NSW is strictly a coastal species, nesting in estuaries or on coastal beaches, and feeding in nearby waters. Most of the nesting sites in NSW are sand-spits, sand islands or beaches within or adjacent to the estuaries of rivers, creeks and coastal lakes. Nesting usually occurs at or near the mouth of the estuary.

Little Terns nest on the ground in the open. The nest is a simple scrape, usually unadorned, although sometimes lined by the birds with shell fragments, tiny pebbles or other material. Nests are typically located on flat or gently sloping ground, on a loose, sandy substrate with abundant surface shell-grit or pebbles, and bare or almost bare of vegetation. The birds appear to select sites with good visibility all around for the sitting bird, and with good camouflage for the mottled eggs and chicks. Nests are usually located close to the water, mostly within 150 m of, and less than 1.5 m above the high water mark. Little Terns tend to avoid vegetated areas and will abandon a traditional nesting site if it becomes too overgrown. However, clumps of vegetation, driftwood and other beach debris are important for
providing shelter and shade for the chicks once they leave the nest.

While currently Little Terns breeding in Australia are classified with those breeding in eastern Asia as subspecies sinensis, it is thought that not only might the Australian birds eventually be recognised as a separate subspecies, but that the genetic differences between Little Terns breeding in south-eastern Australia and those breeding in the Gulf of Carpentaria might see the Australian Little Terns classified as two distinct subspecies.

Little Terns return to NSW during September to November. Nesting begins in October or November and continues through into January or February. Numbers then decline as the birds leave on migration from March to May. The group at The Entrance included both breeding (with yellow bill) and non-breeding birds, and a number of juveniles with buff-brown plumage. I didn’t go near the nesting site, but have heard reports from site monitors that there are babies there.

Toukley

2011-01-01T13:12:00.001+11:00

Rainbow Lorrikeet on a Bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis)

Juvenile Eastern Rosella in the birdbath

Little Corellas in the Rose Gum (Angophora costata)

With holiday events, domestic chores and preparation for the new semester, I haven’t had many birding opportunities. Luckily the birds are coming to me – these images were all taken in my Toukley garden on the Central Coast of NSW.

Lakes Beach

2010-12-26T10:10:00.001+11:00

Storms are forecast for today, Boxing Day, and the sky was very black when we headed out to the dog beach for an early morning walk. Dollarbirds perched high on dead tree branches, Kookaburras lined up on the utility wires, and Figbirds flew from tree to tree. On the beach a large flock of Galahs were feeding on Pigface (Carpobrotus glaucescens) while on the other side of the isthmus Little and Long Billed Corellas were squabbling on the lakeside reserve.

Toukley

2010-12-25T06:12:00.001+11:00

Little Corellas in my garden.

Toukley

2010-12-23T06:44:00.001+11:00

I moved the bird bath from the centre of the lawn to under the overhanging branches of a melaleuca and am now seeing a constant stream of birds coming for a drink or bath.

The Eastern Rosella family that nested in my eucalypt were bathing so I dashed to get the camera. When I returned they were gone, and this family of Noisy Miners from next door’s tree were taking their baths. The two youngsters didn’t seem all that impressed by the routine.

Bird Photography

2010-12-19T10:14:00.001+11:00

40 Breathtaking Examples of Bird Photography

Dear Santa

2010-12-18T10:59:00.001+11:00

I’ll leave out a single malt and the good cheese biscuits. In return I’d like:

The Complete Guide to Finding the Birds of Australia Richard & Sarah Thomas, Alan McBride, David Andrew (2^nd Edition 2011) Birding sites for all of Australia’s endemic birds and regular migrants such as seabirds and waders, Australian Island Territories, logistics, Bird Finder Guide including supplementary information on where to find rarities.

Birding Australia Australian Edition Lloyd Nielsen (2010) A comprehensive directory for birders lists good birding areas, key species, best time to visit, suggested itineraries, Australian Island Territories, regional maps, birding tours and guides (including pelagic), local contacts, birding clubs, accommodation, climate, travel, driving in the outback, relevant websites, plus essential health and safety tips.

A Garden on the Wing Lloyd Nielsen & Garry Sankowsky A CD-Rom giving information on attracting birds and butterflies to the Australian garden. Flowering and fruiting plants for birds; selecting suitable land; changing an existing garden; making artificial nesting sites and feeders for birds, plus much more.

The Great North American Bird Watching Trivia Game topics include habitats, mannerisms, field marks, diets, nomenclature, and more, across three levels of difficulty.

An Australian version of the iFlyer BirdSong Scanning Wand Press a button, scan a barcode, and iFlyer plays a high-quality digital recording of a bird's song.

A Will Wilson birdbath - Willie Wildlife Sculptures Ocean Grove, Victoria

Wingscapes BirdCam Motion-activated, digital wildlife camera The BirdCam 2.0 takes 8-megapixel, high-resolution photos and videos of backyard birds. In addition to the motion-sensitive mode, the BirdCam 2.0 can also take digital photos or videos at a specific time interval. It has a flash for night time images as well.

Bird Nerd cap in brushed cotton from Cafe Press

Nelson Bay Pelagic

2010-12-16T19:34:00.001+11:00

It was a beautiful day. The lightest of breezes, warm sunshine, a swell of less than half a metre – perfect for most boat-based activities. Sunscreen liberally applied, camera set on my ‘birding’ setting and slung over a shoulder for quick access, we headed out for the continental shelf.

A Fairy Penguin bobbed on the water just as we left the harbour and the familiar pelicans, swallows and white-faced heron. A group of young Australian Gannet tok off from the water as we passed. Then a couple of Arctic and Pomarine Jaegers flew in close to investigate, promising a good birding day. But that was it. The long, slow trip out to deep water was uninterrupted by further photo opportunities. Binoculars revealed two Wandering Albatross sitting on the water, and the occasional Shearwater flew past at a distance that prevented identification beyond Wedge-tailed or Short-tailed.

We crossed a strongly flowing current where several White-faced Storm-petrels were feeding, which lifted our spirits in anticipation of increasing numbers of birds as we got further out. A fast travelling Sooty Shearwater heightened anticipation.

However setting up the cod liver oil slick and a berley trail brought not a single bird to the boat. We did see a large pod of Risso’s Dolphins which cruised along side the boat in photographing distance, and a shark came inquisitively close. Then a huge group of Spotted Dolphins filed past filling the ocean to the east of the boat. A Dolphinfish crossed in front of the boat. But no birds.

Several of my fellow expeditioners had dozed off in the warm sun, so I settled myself into a corner and dozed for twenty minutes. Stlll no birds. So we headed back to the current where we had earlier seen the Storm-Petrels, and found two Wilson’s Storm-petrel and a Flesh-footed Shearwater which continued feeding, uninterested in the boat. A Great-winged Petrel flew past at a distance, taunting the photographers.

As it was getting late we headed back to port. At around four in the afternoon, just a couple of miles outside the heads a Nor-easter sprang up. Suddenly there were two hundred Wedge-tailed Shearwaters behind the boat scrabbling for the chicken mince. Ten or twelve Fleshy-foot Shearwaters, and half a dozen Pomarine Jaegers joined them. A young Black-browed Albatross briefly took a turn at the berley bar with a Hutton’s Shearwater, some Sooty Shearwaters and a group of Crested Terns.

Shutters clicked furiously trying to capture individual birds amongst the frenzy. The sun disappeared behind a cloud, and the wind developed an edge – it was time to head home.

Gorokan

2010-11-13T14:53:00.001+11:00

This morning we ambled along the shores of Tuggerah Lake just on sunrise. It was a beautiful clear day with the promise of heat. Flocks of birds flew over headed out to their foraging spots: Channel-billed Cuckoos, Galahs, Rainbow and Scaly-breasted Lorikeets, Little and Long-billed Corellas, Koel, Little Wattlebirds, Crested Tern and Silver Gulls.

A group of around eighty Australian Pelican formed an island off-shore, with more coming to join them every minute.

A Little Pied Cormorant emerged from an early fishing expedition and sunned himself on the end of the fence.

Welcome Swallows buzzed over the surface of the water and perched on the jetty.

Soldiers Point

2010-11-12T14:38:00.002+11:00

#1 Pacific Golden Plover

#2 Curlew Sandpipers

#3 Ruddy Turnstones

#4 Grey-tailed Tattler
#5 Bar-tailed Godwit
#6 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
#7 Red-necked Stint

Budgewoi

2010-11-09T17:17:00.001+11:00

This little ‘lagoon’ of abandoned roadway is a great spot for walking the dogs, out of the mud that is most of the parks and reserves around here at the moment, with dense bush on both sides, and a swim in the surf at the turnaround point.

With the rain, the move and the end of semester marking and admin, there has not been a lot of time for bird photography, but the rain had been replaced by high cloud, so I took the camera out with us this afternoon.

The mistletoe was in bloom, attracting newholland honeyeaters, and the brown thornbills were in every bush. Whipbirds called from deep in the undergrowth and red-whiskered bulbuls were feeding on the lantana. Variegated fairywren females flew in to investigate my phishing, but the brightly coloured males kept their distance.

Roebuck

2010-10-14T08:20:00.001+11:00

Courtship routine of the Red-backed Fairywren, in the twiggy shrubs across from the Roebuck Roadhouse. They were constantly on the move, and quite distant, but it was great to see how the male fluffed up his head feathers and displayed the wonderful red feathers in a birdy cape.

Roebuck Bay

2010-10-11T19:38:00.002+11:00

The workshop came to a close with a critique session where we all contributed three images from the workshop, and discussed them. The three that I put forward were the two sharp-tailed sandpiper taken while lying on my stomach, the massed flock coming into land, and this grey-tailed tattler displaced from his rock by the incoming tide.

Photo tips from Craig Ingram, our instructor.

Use a tripod, to maximise sharpness.
Use aperture priority mode, to give maximum shutter speed for the situation.
Use AI servo mode, to keep a moving subject in focus.
Expose to the right of the histogram, to maximise quality.
Use auto white balance and adjust in post-processing.
Remember that the quality of the light is the life blood of the image.
The frame boundaries are the primary tool in composition, be decisive about what is in and what is out.

Two Dog Hermit

2010-10-11T18:45:00.001+11:00

Our morning workshop on the 7th was at Two Dog Hermit, where large mixed groups of waders gather on the off-shore rocks as the mud flats disappear under the incoming tide before moving to the beach.

A sea research team from the Netherlands identified over 280 different mud creatures from thin the Roebuck Bay tidal flats. The waders stick close to the edge of the tide as they feed, following the bivalves that are close to the surface at the water’s edge, but bunker down deeper into the mud as the tide recedes.

Eventually, as the tide brings lunch to a close, birds can catch a quick nap.
But instead of simply moving higher on the beach they were feeding on, they strangely commute up to 120kms a day between shady roost sites and the exposed mud flats. Beaches that held huge flocks the day before, may be empty the next day.

As the tide gets higher the hide tide mark is too close to the cliffs for the birds to relax. This day the birds were edgy, with flocks arriving and leaving alternately. The ten metre tide eventually lapped against the edge of the Pindan cliffs, and the birds had gone, perhaps to the plains or the wetlands of the sewerage ponds.

One Tree

2010-10-11T12:43:00.001+11:00

Next day the high tide was a little later in the morning, so we went to One Tree to look for birds in the mangroves and get images of individual waders feeding on the mud flats.

First bird of the day was a broad-billed flycatcher, moving between three favoured perches to sing in the early morning light, followed by a mangrove grey fantail who proved more of a challenge to capture as he constantly flittered through the mangroves. White-breasted wood-swallows perched in the dead trees on the other side of Crab Creek, and yellow white-eyes were in abundance.

In George Swan’s guide to birding the area, he recommends birding the Big Crab Creek trail close to a neap tide as you need to cross Little Crab Creek and you will get stranded on a higher tide. He also gives specific instructions on where to cross Little Crab Creek to avoid the deepest mud. We crossed in plenty of time, and for the most part we stayed out of the mud. We were given specific instructions to be back at the creek crossing within 30 minutes, and divided up into ones and twos to creep up on individual birds feeding. It was a successful morning, with the valuable lesson learned that “40 minutes” isn’t really close enough to “30 minutes”. We had to go further upstream to cross Little Crab Creek and ended up knee deep in mud and thigh deep in water, ferrying cameras and tripods over our head. My shoes stuck in an underwater mud bank, and I left them there.

But using our newly learned birding and photography techniques, we did capture some great images of the waders.

Red-necked Stint Great Knot

Ruddy Turnstone

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Black-tailed Godwit

Horse Pond

2010-10-08T16:55:00.000+11:00

After spending the late morning editing, lunch time discussing techniques, and early afternoon napping, we headed out to Horse Pond where there were two osprey nests with birds fledged but still hanging around. The task was to capture birds flying into or from their perches.

Campsite Beach

2010-10-08T16:48:00.000+11:00

The photography workshop had been timed so that we had the high tides that forced the birds off the mudflats where they fed, onto the beaches in massed groups, while the sun was low in the sky providing a perfect light for the birds. From then it was a matter of picking a beach and hoping it was the same one the the birds would pick, taking up a position tucked behind a rock and waiting for the birds to come.

I happened to choose well and was rewarded with some images of the huge number of waders that spend the summer on the shores of Roebuck bay.

Some of the birds are still showing their breeding colours. After a period of watching them closely they started to develop distinct personalities. The terek sandpipers are busy birds, even when others are closing their eyes they are still pottering about. The greenshanks are nervy, first to scatter as a white-breasted sea eagle, brahminy kite, or whistling kite flew overhead.

Broome Bird Observatory

2010-10-05T23:24:00.004+11:00

Rainbow Bee-eaters

Black-breasted Buzzard

Our workshop is to start with a barbeque, introductions and bonding session on Monday evening, so Maureen and I booked onto the Lakes Tour. A ‘lakes tour’ might sound the perfect way to spend a 38C day – cool blue water, shady trees, green lawns rolling down to the water. The reality was a little different – mud fringed waterholes, sun-baked Spinifex crackling underfoot, massive Brahman bulls staking out the sparse shade, and birds lost in the shimmering heat haze on the horizon.

The tour gave us a full day on Roebuck plains station, which involved a range of habitat including tropical wetland, pindan woodland and grassland, and the microhabitats around natural waterholes and man-made bore dams.

Broome Bird Observatory

2010-10-05T22:47:00.004+11:00

Grey Shrike-Thrush sing at the back door of our cabin.

We gave back the Rav 4 at the airport and Ray collected us for the drive to the Broome Bird Observatory on the other side of Roebuck Bay.

The Observatory is a staging point of international significance for migratory waders. Located on the shores of Roebuck Bay about 25k from Broome is offers cabins and camping in an ideal location for viewing thousands of birds waiting out the Siberian winters. The area has the greatest diversity of waders of any place in Australia, and offers self-guided walks, tours, courses, and an extensive book and video library. Visitors can take part in ongoing field research, or just watch the birds from the cabin verandah.

We took a short walk down to the beach, but it was too hot to stay out and the tide was well out so the wader were scattered across miles of mudflat. A group or thirty pied oystercatchers were bathing in a creek across the flat and squabbling amongst themselves, and seven grey-crowned babblers were babbling as the gleaned the trees along the shoreline.

After a now routine midday nap, I was woken by two grey shrike thrush calling to each other from perches just outside our back door. I set myself up in the shadehouse – the social hub of the BBO. With cold water on tap, insect screens, birding books and journals and bird baths just metres away it was a great spot to spend the afternoon. Double-barred finches were the stars of the bird bath show, gathering in large numbers, but there were also yellow white-eyes, long-tailed finches, rufous throated honeyeaters, little friarbirds, willie wagtails, brown honeyeaters, grey shrike thrush, great bower birds and several agile wallaby. A brown goshawk flew in to drink and bathe, and then wait under cover of a shrub. The willie wagtails chattered an alarm, and everything went quiet at the bird baths.

In the cool of the late afternoon we took a walk along the Pindan Trail. Numbered post along the trail pointed out significant features which were described in a brochure. The word “pindan” means “waterless open bush” and describes both the red soil of the area and the scrubby woodland it supports. Under a bauhinia tree along the trail was a beautiful great bowerbird bower, a perfectly formed tunnel with an impressive collection of white objects at either end mostly shells and pieces of bone.

Back to base to wash off the bulk of the red dirt, the Broom equivalent of dressing for dinner, in time for the regular 6:00pm bird call. Wonderful to hear what others had seen during the day!

Coconut Wells

2010-10-03T07:57:00.000+11:00

We are getting into a holiday routine. Catch a sunrise, breakfast, birding walk, photo editing and siesta, another birding outing, dinner and photo editing. This afternoon's outing was to Cocunut Wells. We took the Cape Leveque Road almost to the end of the bitumen where there was a dam on the right-hand side of the road. A large group of red tailed black cockatoos called from high in distant trees. Great bowerbirds and diamond doves came down to drink and bathe, but there was no shade close to the water, and it was too hot to wait in the sun so we turned back to the Coconut Wells turnoff.

The huge lagoon was dry, it apparently only fills on king tides at which time birds gather in throngs. Today there were only kids on quad bikes to be seen. But the bushes along the raod to the beach were fruiting attracting silvereyes and mistletoe birds. Brown honeyeaters were scolding from the scrub, male variegated fairywren offered teasing glimpses of their breeding plumage while the duller females posed, and a flycatcher sang grom a perch on a grass stalk.

Returning to the carpark we got talking to a guy fixing the railing fence, who said if we continued on the sandy track, past the round about we'd come to a packed limestoney trail through saltmarsh, and if we followed it for, well, a couple of Ks we'd see a big group of brolgas. "You'd make it in that, OK" he said, nodding at our rental Rav 4. Well say no more, we were on our way. It was a little hair-raising at times, I'd have liked a little more clearance in some deeply rutted sections, but oncoming vehicles kindly left the single track to let us by, and we managed a few deep sand sections without a problem. And we were rewarded with brolgas. A group of fourteen birds strolling in the late afternoon sun.

Kimberley Coast

2010-10-03T07:28:00.000+11:00

We spent the morning on a whale watching trip which offered distant views of lesser frigate birds, wilson's storm petrel and brown boobys and close-ups of silver gulls. We came across a mass of fish which were being herded by dolphin, and a mother humpback whale and calf idly resting on the surface of the water. No spy hops, breaching or tail slaps, but I did capture a fin slap and it was great to watch them just relaxing.

Cable Beach

2010-10-02T08:25:00.000+10:00

A walk along Cable Beach after breakfast provided some relief from the heat. There were half a dozen different species of wader in groups of twos and threes amongst the rocks, which provided a less than truly comfortable perch to sit and wait for them to come within camera distance.

The stints kept chasing each other, the red-capped plovers darting along the sand chasing something unseen, the pacific golden plovers washined their tit-bits in the rock pools before eating, and the sandplovers went about their foraging in an orderly manner.

Gantheaume Point

2010-10-02T08:09:00.000+10:00

We wandered out to Gantheaume Point at first light to capture the early sun on the red rocks. At the communication tower a pair of Osprey were ignoring the cry of two fledged chicks, though this bird looked as though it was drying off after a recent fishing trip.

On the road out a collared sparrow hawk watched the scrub from the powerlines.

Derby Sewage Overflow

2010-10-01T16:12:00.001+10:00

Stopping at roadside spots which promised good birding, and coming across birds at unexpected places took up quite some time, so our two hour drive to Derby ended up occupying most of the day. We had directions to the Sewage Ponds and a report that freshwater waders were abundant, and an observation tower at the sewage plant made for ease of access. However we looked in vain for the tower, and were later told it was no longer there - comforting, because even with my hazy navigation skills I thought I'd be able to loacte a tower on a floodplain.

The overflow was a series of ponds edged by deep reedbanks. Golden-headed cisticola serenaded from the reeds, and red-backed fairywrens and double-barred finches sheltered from the heat in dense low shrubs. We found a spot under a paperbark that gave good views of the waders, though they stayed on the far bank with its shelter of reeds.

We went to the mangroves near the export facilitity where a dozen black kite wheeled overhead, and a couple of small waders fossicked at the waters edge but the mud was thick and sticky and the temperature had reached 40 C, so we decided any birds in the mangroves would remain unobserved.

On the way out of town we drove past the airport where someone had reported seeing 10,000 oriental pratincoles some years ago. We didn't see 10,000 pratincoles - actually we didn't see a single bird.

Roebuck Roadhouse

2010-10-01T08:06:00.000+10:00

Driving up to Derby for the day, we stopped at the Roebuck Roadhouse around 30km north of Broome and found a group of around thirty long-tailed finches drinking at a dripping tap beside the driveway.

These guys are popular with caged bird enthusiasts, but it was wonderful to see such a large group in the wild. They are also called the Blackheart finch, but that seems too dark a name to these happy little fellows.

Broome Settlement Ponds

2010-10-01T07:41:00.001+10:00

We'd heard that the water corporation had closed access to the sewage ponds, and the birds could now only be viewed from behind the eight foot fence - which wasn't much good for photography - but we thought we'd drive out for a look. When we arrived, the gate was open and noone was around so we ambled in and set oursevles up on the edge of the first pond.

There were literally hundreds of plumed whistling ducks, plus good numbers of pacific black duck and grey teal, and australian pelican. There were around twenty white-headed stilt, included three very young babies at the waters edge at our feet, which was probably why the stilt were chasing any black kite that came too close to the ponds.

Whiskered tern flew across the surface of the water, and common sandpiper foraged at the waters edge.

We were just settling in for a couple of hours of productive photography, when a voice asked "Do you have permission to be in here?" We confessed, and were told we had to seek permission at the water corp office, though it was highly unlikely that permission would be given. Sure enough, all our rational explanations and emotional pleadings counted for little. Access was denied on the grounds of OHS concerns. This is one of my (many) gripes - the misuse of "occupational health and safety". We don't work there so how can OHS be an issue - if you mean public liability then say so. The end result however was that any future birding at the ponds would be done through the chain link fence.

Roebuck Bay

2010-09-30T07:13:00.000+10:00

Pied Butcherbird collecting nesting material

Our cabin is perfectly positioned on the shores of Roebuck Bay. We have a tree on our porch which is a perch for a constant stream of birds, and a ringtail possum which sits and watches us of an evening.

An early morning walk brought brown and singing honeyeaters, little friarbirds, red-collared lorikeets, blue-winged kookaburras, pied butcherbirds, black-faced cuckoo-shrikes, little corellas, and brahminy kite.

Blackfaced Cuckoo-Shrike balancing act

Singing Honeyeater

Broome Port

2010-09-30T06:54:00.000+10:00

I had a direct flight from Sydney so got in several hours before Maureen who was routed through Perth. I picked up the hire car and just went for a drive, ending up at the port. Two Osprey were using the lights on the jetty as a base. Frigate birds were flying past in the distance and gulls and terns were close inshore. An eastern reef egret fished off the rocks at the base of the jetty and a black kite devoured its prey on the top of a powerpole.

Great Texas Birding Classic

2010-09-16T12:32:00.002+10:00

Soldiers Point

2010-09-11T09:37:00.001+10:00

There were good numbers of birds at Soldier’s Point yesterday as migratory waders continue to return from their Northern Hemisphere summer breeding season. The remnants of breeding plumage are visible on the returning Red-necked Stints, particularly when compared with their paler over-wintering cousins.

Other birds on the rock platform included grey-tailed tattler, ruddy turnstone, pacific golden plover, common tern, great crested tern, silver gulls and little pied cormorant.

A storm was brewing, and the light faded and wind rose so I didn’t stay long.

Wyong Settlement Ponds

2010-09-11T08:41:00.001+10:00

I’ve been doing some research into the birding hot spots on the Central Coast of NSW, and one source raved about the Wyong sewerage works. According to Sydney Birds and Where to Find Them the settlement ponds were covered with stilts, spoonbills, egrets, grebes, darters, dotterel and avocet, several species of duck including the musk duck, and eight species of raptor circling overhead.

However like most of the water bodies on the coast at the moment the area was almost devoid of birds. Two white-faced heron had the ponds to themselves as most of the waterbirds were taking advantage of the rain in the outback.

Fan-tailed cuckoo, spangled drongo, superb fairywren and white-browed scrubwren was seen or heard in the surrounding bush, and red and little wattlebirds, brown and yellow-faced honeyeaters were feeding on a trackside coral tree.

Only a birder would think a sewerage treatment plant a pleasant spot to spend a few hours, but it really was rather pretty.

Stockton Sand Spit

2010-09-03T09:10:00.001+10:00

The oil spill has been an interesting situation in that it has shown that contaminants released in the Kooragang Basin near the coal loaders can find their way upstream, where it had previously been believed that containment measures could safely be concentrated downstream of the spill.

The recent spill is heavy fuel oil with the source being a coal vessel berthed at the Kooragang Coal Terminal. The ship drained ballast water that had been contaminated when a fuel tank had ruptured or leaked internally, sending fuel oil into the saltwater ballast tank.

Pelican are being caught and cleaned, but it has been harder to identify affected Black Cormorants and difficult to capture them.

The cleanup is progressing slowly, using a ‘tread lightly’ approach that seeks to remove the oil without causing additional environmental damage.

Walsh Point

2010-08-27T08:10:00.001+10:00

I would not have complained about the endless rain if I’d known if was going to be replaced by constant gale-force winds off the snowfields. It’s colder now than it was in the middle of winter.

The river’s edge at Walsh Pint was covered with thick black smelly oil for as far as I walked. Hope it is contained/cleaned up before reaching the shore bird areas just upstream. Dusty of course ran through it before I noticed it, so I’m engaged in my own oil clean up.

It was almost impossible to hold the camera steady, but I stalked this Brown Falcon and managed a couple of shots before leaving him to his windy perch.

Soldiers Point

2010-08-23T07:29:00.001+10:00

Headed to Soldiers Point on the outgoing tide to see if the Double-banded Plovers had coloured up prior to leaving for New Zealand, and if any of the Northern Hemisphere waders had arrived in their breeding plumage.

We were lucky on both counts with around twenty plovers showing their coloured bands, Pacific Golden Plovers in bright gold plumage and Grey-tailed Tattlers wearing their breeding chevrons.

There was also a Sooty Oystercatcher, a White-faced Heron, two Bar-tailed Godwit, and a group of Red-Necked Stints.

The Double-banded Plover breeds only in New Zealand, where it is widespread. In the non-breeding season, part of the population remains in New Zealand, while the remainder migrates to Australia. It is the only species of land bird that migrates from Australia to New Zealand and is unique among waders in that much of the population undertakes an east-west migration.

It is not unusual to find them on exposed reefs and rock platforms with shallow rock pools such as on Soldiers Point. Little is known about the foraging of this species although some general observations of diets of young and adult birds have been made on a population of Double-banded Plovers that are known to forage at night alongside Sydney Airport runways.

Interestingly, the biggest threat to Double-banded Plovers wintering in Australia is the cessation of grazing and the return of grazing land to woodland.

Walsh Point

2010-08-19T17:22:00.001+10:00

Given that the wind was still blowing this evening, I took the dogs to Walsh Point on Kooragang Island, hoping to catch gulls and terns held up by the wind as they travelled upstream. Only Silver Gulls, Welcome Swallows, Crested Terns and Little Black Cormorants, and this Brahminy Kite that flew past just eight to ten feet above the ground.

Hunter Wetlands Centre

2010-08-19T17:12:00.001+10:00

I wandered across to the Hunter Wetlands Centre with my sandwich today. The conditions weren’t ideal for either picnicing or photography, with 30kmph north westerlies, but at least the sun was out.

Lots of springtime activity with birds collecting nesting material, and chasing each other through the shrubs, and many of the flowering plants in full bud.

Bird List:

Superb Fairywren

Freckled Duck

Black Swan

Australian Wood Duck

Pacific Black Duck

Chestnut Teal

Hardhead

Australasian Grebe

Australian White Ibis

Straw necked Ibis

Peregrine Falcon

Little Black Cormorant

Australian Pelican

White faced Heron

Great Egret

Crested Pigeon

Rainbow Lorikeet

Eastern Rosella

Laughing Kookaburra

Spotted Pardalote

White browed Scrubwren

Yellow-rumped Thornbill

Little Wattlebird

Noisy Miner

Yellow faced Honeyeater

Golden Whistler

Magpie-lark

Grey Fantail

Willie Wagtail

Black faced Cuckoo shrike

Pied Butcherbird

Australian Magpie

Pied Currawong

Australian Raven

House Sparrow

Red browed Finch

Welcome Swallow

Silvereye

Olive backed Oriole

Striped Honeyeater

A Weed and a Pest

2010-08-14T07:56:00.001+10:00

Many years ago, about 6 or 7 species of coral trees were promoted by the nursery industry as a beautiful and easily grown ornamental tree. They were right on both counts. Coral trees have bright red flowers from mid winter to mid spring, and are very easy to grow - in fact, far too easy. They were known as instant trees - in fact it was well known that you could break off a large branch and just stick it in the ground and watch it grow! Two of the species became problem weeds.

The first is the Indian Coral or Cockspur Coral Tree (Erythrina crista-galli). This species spreads by seeds and vegetatively. The seed are known as ‘sea beans’ because of their ability to float with the currents. They have become a weed in many areas of Australia, choking creek banks.

The second is the Common Coral Tree (Erythrina x sykesii) seen predominantly along many of our creeks, and also in public parks. It is a hybrid so thankfully does not produce seeds, but spreads readily vegetatively. Logs, branches and even twigs readily regrow. The species also coppices and suckers. The wood is very weak, breaking easily, thereby spreading. Thankfully Newcastle lost many of these in the major storms of recent years, however those that fell over and remained on the ground have now formed huge coppices. They have nasty thorns, a prick from which quickly becomes infected if not treated.

Noisy Miners are one of the few native birds to have become serious pests in their own country. They force other native birds from areas they have taken over including suburban gardens and Eucalyptus woodland habitat. In doing so they damage and potentially destroy it by upsetting the balance between flora, insects and other fauna. To compound the damage, some birds like the Grey-crowned Babbler and Regent Honeyeater whose habitat Noisy Miners have usurped, are rare or endangered.

Another concern is that the Noisy Miners may not be eating the range or numbers of insects previously consumed by the displaced birds. This has the potential to lead eventually to the death of trees from insect damage, and the loss of whole woodland communities of plants and animals.

Hot wind and wrong names

2010-08-12T12:50:00.001+10:00

I enjoyed this post from the Two-Fisted Birdwatcher, as he says “When the wind is blowing out of hell, you get pissed about little things.”

Newcastle, in August, is the time of the cold wind. Icy south-westerlies that bring with them a chill straight from Antarctica. Walking is difficult, holding a telephoto lens still, an impossibility.

You can get pissed about little things when the wind is blowing from the south pole, too.

Tarro Off-leash Area

2010-08-11T07:59:00.001+10:00

After two months of almost daily rain all of the parks are waterlogged, not so great for dog walking (or at least for the dog-walker, the dogs enjoy the chance to get muddy) but the ibis and egret are taking advantage of the new food source.

The lone white ibis amongst the flock in flight did have a good number of companions on the ground, however I concentrated my photographic efforts on trying to catch the straw-necked ibis just as the sun picked up the iridescence in their feathers. A slight shift in angle and the birds were a uniform dull black.

Iridescent colours are found in a broad range of species from tiny marine animals to insects and birds. The flashing gorgets of the hummingbirds I was trying to capture in Orange County, and the brilliant sheen of the hibiscus beetles that fascinate me when they arrive each year en masse, are examples of iridescence.

Iridescence appears to play an important role in communication between animals of the same species, especially in sexual selection. A growing number of studies suggest that iridescence plays an important role in mate choice. But iridescent colours may also help animals avoid predation, providing camouflage by breaking up the bodies outline, or producing bright flashes of colour that might briefly startle a potential predator. Iridescent colours may also serve to warn predators of the unpalatability of potential prey items. Iridescence may also have non-communicative functions such as enhancing vision, repelling water or strengthening tissue connections.

With the exception of bioluminescence, all animal colours are produced by one of two primary mechanisms, or by a combination of these mechanisms: (i) pigmentary coloration and (ii) structural coloration. Pigmentary colours are, as you might guess, produced by pigments that absorb certain wavelengths of light. Structural colours are produced by the physical interaction between light and the variations in the tissues of some animals, which lead to light being refracted in different ways. Structural colouration can be produced by interference, diffraction or scattering of the light.

Iridescent colours are by definition highly directional. Changes in viewing position can dramatically alter the appearance of iridescent colours, producing considerable changes in hue, intensity or both.

Iridescence: a functional perspective Stéphanie M Doucet1, and Melissa G Meadows J. R. Soc. Interface 6 April 2009 vol. 6 no. Suppl 2 S115-S132

HiFert

2010-08-08T10:11:00.001+10:00

We were out walking about an hour before sunrise today, the air was crisp but it promised a beautiful day. Silvereyes were abundant, most with the rusty flanks of the Tasmanian race – they should soon be headed back south. Red-browed finches, yellow thornbills, golden-headed cisticolas, superb fairywrens and brown-honeyeaters were all in their usual spots, singing up the sun.

A highlight was a juvenile black-shouldered kite calling from a low fence as two adults hunted the grassland. The breeding season is usually August to January, so these two got an early start. Within a week of leaving the nest the young birds are capable of hunting for mice on their own, and disperse fairly widely from the nest site, so this nest would have been close by. Their nest is generally located in the canopy of an exposed tree in open country, and there are a few large trees standing high above the surrounding mangroves and grasslands here that would suit.

Following the unwritten avian law on dealing with bird photographers, they had moved out of range by the time the light was good enough for a photo. So I filled a card trying to capture a willie wagtail hawking insects on the grass.

Newcastle, NSW

2010-08-08T09:53:00.001+10:00

Brown Honeyeater – Coral Tree

Yellow-faced Honeyeater - Bottlebrush

Shortland

2010-08-05T18:18:00.001+10:00

Male – in breeding plumage

Female

Male – eclipse plumage

The Superb Fairywrens are active after the weeks of rain – noisily chirping from every vantage point.

University of Newcastle

2010-08-05T07:55:00.001+10:00

Dusky Moorhen

Hardhead

Magpie Goose

The University is on what was originally part of the extensive Hunter River Estuary wetlands, and still retains ponds and swamps, which after the month of rain are brimming with water and full of overflow birds from the Hunter Wetlands Centre on the other side of Sandgate Road.

The swamps are the source of the giant mosquitoes that terrorise visitors and new students but they also make for a wonderful campus environment with pleasant lunchtime walks – fully coated in repellent, of course.

Galgabba Point

2010-08-01T16:34:00.001+10:00

Crested Shriketit

Maureen and I haven’t managed to catch up since I got back, so today with the sun shining we decided to walk at Galgabba point, and then have lunch to celebrate our birthdays.

As soon as we arrived we say this wonderful Shriketit. He wouldn’t come over to the sunny side of the path but in all other respects he was a perfect model, striking a number of different poses and talking all the while. They must be close to breeding, but we only saw that one, and didn’t manage to catch him in the attempt to attract a female to the chosen nest site with quivering and waving wings.

Spotted Pardalote

The Spotted pardalotes were exhibiting some breeding behaviour, however. Usually these tiny birds are at the very tops of tall eucalypts, and you can just glimpse movement as you hear their chirps. However they nest in a chamber at the end of narrow tunnel excavated in an earth bank, so at this time of year you have a chance to see them closer to eye level. These two were chasing each other through the bracken and shrubby wattle.