Galgabba Point

Maureen and I took advantage of a perfect Newcastle winter day to visit Galgabba Point, Swansea. A great place for a leisurely walk, often rewarding the effort with good numbers of birds, the point has an interesting history. Sharon McCarthy's leadership in restoring this site is a great example of what one person can achieve.

The eucalypts had almost finished flowering, but there were sufficient blossoms to attract friarbirds, and keep smaller honeyeaters busy. The wattles were starting to flower and little birds were hunting insects in their branches.

We saw a large group of adult male mistletoebirds but like most of the birds they stayed high in the canopy and we managed only shots of their bellies from directly underneath. Thornsbills occupied us for a while as we convinced ourselves that, if we perservered, eventually one would sit still, on an exposed branch, for long enough for the lens to focus on it.

Coffe and cake at Maccas completed a morning that was a lot of fun, even if it didn't produce large numbers of photos.

Bird List:

Yellow Thornbill Acanthiza nana (pictured aboce)

Australasian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen

Magpie Lark Grallina cyanoleuca

Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus

White-cheeked Honeyeater Phylidonyris nigra

Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus

Superb Fairywren Malurus cyaneus

Red-browed Firetail Neochmia temporalis

White-browed Scrubwren Sericornis frontalis

Willie-wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys

Gray Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa

Brown Honeyeater Lichmera indistincta

Bell Miner Manorina melanophrys

Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis
Rufous Whistler Pachycephala rufiventris