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Photo by HelenB
Cliffs along the Coast Track, Royal National Park, NSW, October 2009

Australia, New South Wales

[edit] Overview

Royal National Park was established in 1879, which makes it the second oldest national park, after Yellowstone NP in the USA. Located only 32 km (about 20 miles) south of Sydney in NSW, it is 15,091 hectares (150.91 sq. kms) in size. 241 species of birds have been recorded in the park, along with 43 native mammals, 40 reptile species and 30 amphibian species.

[edit] Birds

[edit] Notable Species

Azure Kingfisher

[edit] Rarities

Sooty Albatross Very Rare Visitor, White-tailed Tropicbird Rare Visitor, Straw-necked Ibis Rare Visitor, Yellow-billed Spoonbill Rare Visitor, Osprey Rare Visitor, Square-tailed Kite Rare Visitor, Spotted Harrier Rare Visitor, Buff-banded Rail Rare Visitor, Lewin's Rail Rare Visitor, Australian Crake Rare Visitor

Photo by HelenB
Riparian habitat in Royal NP, NSW, October 2009

Photo by HelenB
A forest trail in Royal NP, NSW, October 2009

Photo by HelenB
Looking north towards Sydney from the Bundeena area of Royal NP, NSW, October 2009

[edit] Check-list

• Australian Brush-Turkey One Male in 2001, not seen since 2001 fires
• Brown Quail Common Resident
• King Quail Uncommon Resident
• Plumed Whistling Duck Vagrant
• Musk Duck Uncommon Visitor
• Freckled Duck One Pair recorded in strong drought
• Black Swan Uncommon Resident
• Australian Shelduck Vagrant
• Australian Wood Duck Common Breeding Resident
• Pacific Black Duck Common Breeding Resident
• Grey Teal Uncommon Resident
• Chestnut Teal Common Resident
• Hardhead Vagrant, seen in strong drought
• Hoary-headed Grebe Vagrant
• Australasian Grebe Common Resident
• Great Crested Grebe Vagrant, one record in Strong Drought
• Little Penguin Uncommon Visitor
• Southern Giant Petrel Common Visitor
• Southern Fulmar Possible on windy day
• Great-winged Petrel Possible on windy day
• White-headed Petrel Possible on windy day
• Gould's Petrel Possible on windy day
• Blue Petrel Possible on windy day
• Antarctic Prion Possible on windy day
• Slender-billed Prion Uncommon
• Fairy Prion Common Visitor
• Flesh-footed Shearwater Uncommon Visitor
• Fluttering Shearwater Common Visitor
• Hutton's Shearwater Uncommon Visitor
• Little Shearwater Vagrant
• Wedge-tailed Shearwater Common Visitor
• Buller's Shearwater Vagrant
• Sooty Shearwater Uncommon Visitor
• Short-tailed Shearwater Uncommon Visitor
• Wandering Albatross Uncommon Visitor
• Gibson's Albatross Common Visitor
• Black-browed Albatross Common Visitor
• Campbell Albatross Common Visitor
• Shy Albatross Uncommon Visitor
• Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross Common Visitor
• Grey-headed Albatross Vagrant
• Buller's Albatross Rare Visitor
• Sooty Albatross Very Rare Visitor
• White-tailed Tropicbird Rare Visitor
• Australian Gannet Common Resident
• Brown Booby Vagrant
• Australasian Darter Uncommon Resident
• Little Pied Cormorant Common Resident
• Pied Cormorant Moderately Common Resident
• Little Black Cormorant Uncommon Resident
• Great Cormorant Common Resident
• Australian Pelican Common Resident
• Lesser Frigatebird Vagrant
• White-faced Heron Common Resident
• Little Egret Regular Visitor
• Eastern Reef Egret Common Resident
• Pacific Heron Uncommon Visitor
• Great Egret Uncommon Visitor
• Intermediate Egret Uncommon Visitor
• Cattle Egret Occasionally seen flying over
• Striated Heron Uncommon, but regular in some locations
• Nankeen Night Heron Common Resident
• Black-backed Bittern Seen once is strong drought
• Black Bittern Vagrant
• Australian White Ibis Common resident
• Straw-necked Ibis Rare Visitor
• Royal Spoonbill Regular Visitor
• Yellow-billed Spoonbill Rare Visitor
• Osprey Rare Visitor
• Pacific Baza Uncommon but Regular Visitor
• Black-shouldered Kite Common Visitor
• Square-tailed Kite Rare Visitor
• Black Kite Vagrant
• Whistling Kite Common Resident
• White-bellied Sea-Eagle Common Resident
• Spotted Harrier Rare Visitor
• Swamp Harrier Uncommon Visitor
• Brown Goshawk Uncommon Visitor
• Grey Goshawk Common Resident
• Collared Sparrowhawk Uncommon Resident
• Wedge-tailed Eagle Uncommon Resident
• Little Eagle Rare bur increasing resident
• Brown Falcon Uncommon Visitor
• Australian Hobby Uncommon Resident
• Black Falcon Vagrant
• Peregrine Falcon Common Resident
• Nankeen Kestrel Common Resident
• Buff-banded Rail Rare Visitor
• Lewin's Rail Rare Visitor
• Baillon's Crake Vagrant, seen in high drought
• Australian Crake Rare Visitor
• Spotless Crake Vagrant
• Purple Swamphen Common Resident
• Dusky Moorhen Common Resident
• Eurasian Coot Common Resident
• Painted Buttonquail Uncommon Resident
• Latham's Snipe Vagrant
• Bar-tailed Godwit Common Summer Migrant

To be Continued

[edit] Other Wildlife

[edit] Site Information

[edit] History and Use

Established in 1879, Royal NP is the world's second-oldest national park, after Yellowstone NP in the USA.

[edit] Areas of Interest

• Audley Weir - good for Azure Kingfisher
• Lady Carrington Drive ~ Historic 10km track. Runs from Audley to south Sir Bertram Stevens Drive, following the Hacking River. Habitats include: tall eucalypt woodland with either a rainforest or open grassland understorey. 86 species logged here.
• Wattle Flat ~ Wattle Flat Picnic area and a 300m walk through warm temperate rain forest upstream beside the Hacking River. 102 species.
• Mount Bass Fire Trail ~ not far from Audley Weir. Low heath & exposed sandstone. Walking trail, access off Bundeena Dr. 41 species
• Little Marley Track ~ A 6 km track through mainly heath from Bundeena Road to Marley Beach. 12 species
• Bonnie Vale Campground ~ Campground in the north part of Royal National Park near Bundeena. 86 species

[edit] Access and Facilities

• Activities possible in this diverse park: bushwalking, cycling, surfing, picnicking, bird watching or whale watching, in habitats from beach to rainforest
• Park hours ~ 7am to 8.30pm, but may be closed at times due to poor weather or fire danger
• Visitor Centre at 2 Lady Carrington Drive, Audley. Newly-refurbished and located on the ground floor of the Audley dancehall. Open 8.30am-4:30pm daily (closed Christmas Day)
• Entry fees: Vehicle: AUS$11 per day, free entry with the NSW National Park pass or NPWS exemption pass
• Camping fees: vary by campground. See link in External Links, below
• Location: 32 km (about 20 miles) south of Sydney and 40km (25 miles) north of Wollongong. Coming from Sydney, Royal National Park's main entry points are along the Princes Highway

[edit] Contact Details

Street address: Farnell Avenue, Audley Heights, NSW 2232
Tel: 02 9542 0648

[edit] External Links

• Great places to go birding in and around Royal NP
• Royal National Park
• Camping and associated fees for Royal National Park
• Royal National Park
• NSW's parks