The very wide brown land: Australia - June-August 2013 (1 Viewer)

So I spent quite a bit of the summer in Australia, and during a seven-week stay managed to traverse quite a bit of the country. The trip was in three phases:

Phase one:
A week in the Capertee Valley, staying at Oska's Cottage in Glen Davis. This was followed by three nights in Wollongong, including a half-day pelagic trip.

Phase two:
A conference in Sydney, when I didn't see many birds. It was quite nice though. You'd have loved it.

Phase three:
Driving from Sydney to Darwin via Adelaide and Alice Springs, with a side trip to Kununurra in Western Australia. This took just over a month. I hired a 'camper car' vehicle from these people. I'd recommend this for birding, at least for one or two people (and the two of you might need to be quite friendly, or hire a tent). They're easier to drive, more efficient and faster than a full-size campervan and are more comfortable to sleep in than a tent. They also have a fridge and cooking gear etc, so it's pretty well-equiped and flexible. Rental costs weren't much more than a reasonably sized car so, given that it's possible to camp for free or not very much in lots of places, makes travelling around relatively affordable. This is a good thing as Australia these days costs loads of wonga.

Once I reached Darwin I flew back to Sydney and then returned to the UK. It was quite a fun trip. Let me tell you about it.

Day One: Eastlakes, Mistral Point, Sydney Olympic Park, Blue Mountains

After making my way through customs and picking up my hire car at Sydney Airport, I drove just a short distance to Eastlakes Golf Course. I wasn’t planning on playing a round. The sunrise was decidedly red, so perhaps a warning of what was to come, but the weather at first was calm and muggy. The first Australian bird was a not terribly exciting Starling, but soon things were looking a bit more Antipodean. The fairways at the course were covered with gangs of Dusky Moorhens and Purple Swamphens. Superb Fairy Wrens pottered about the grassy edges. These weren’t quite as superb as they can be, with all being eclipse or female birds. Eventually a couple of blistering males were found to demonstrate the thinking behind the name. New Holland Honeyeaters were picking through the flowering shrubs and amongst them were both Red and Little Wattlebirds. A party of Red-browed Finches gathered around the base of a tree. Perhaps the best birds were a friendly covey of Brown Quail that darted about along a scrubby path. The lakes themselves held a good selection of waterfowl, including Australasian Grebe, Hardhead, Pacific Black Duck, Grey Teal and Black Swan. A couple of Australian White Pelicans and a few Pied Stilts and Masked Lapwings were also around.

And then the rain arrived, lightly at first and then much heavier. I got back to the car quite soggy and without being able to look around the lakes as much as I wanted. I thought the best option would be to head to the coast to look for seabirds, but it wasn’t all that windy so maybe they wouldn’t be around. I arrived at Mistral Point in Maroubra, just a few miles from Eastlakes, and parked in the car park. The rain had eased a little and I began by scoping from the car. Not much was in evidence initially apart from one or two Australasian Gannets and some Crested Terns. But then I picked up a couple of Fairy Prions tripping over the water surface and started feeling a bit more optimistic. The rain began to peter out, so I got out the car and found a good look out near the car park. Whilst the rain was easing, it was replaced by a deluge of Black-browed Albatrosses. Soon several were cruising around the bay, some within a few hundred metres of the shore. This was more like it. A rush of presumed Fluttering Shearwaters started to stream through and, often in amongst them, were at least seven Common Diving Petrels, their wings whirring. This is quite a good bird for New South Wales but good numbers had been reported over the previous week. In amongst the Black-browed at least one Giant Petrel was picked out, but it was in dark, immature plumage and was thus hard to assign to a species. One Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross was also noticed, with much thinner dark margins to the wings and a darker bill. More distantly a Brown Skua powered through. Tantalising glimpses were had of what seemed to be whale blows, probably from passing humpbacks. A few dolphins emerged briefly but couldn’t be identified. This was pretty epic stuff in mostly fairly calm conditions.

I had other places to go however, so I headed across Sydney to the Olympic Park to have a look around the wetlands and mangroves. The wetlands were full of colourful Chestnut Teal and Pied Stilts but were perhaps a little disappointing. A few more typical eastern Australian birds were seen in amongst the scrub and open areas, including White-faced Heron, Silvereye, Golden Whistler, Brown Gerygone, Galah and Noisy Miner. I then headed into the Blue Mountains where I was going to spend the night. The weather was fine at first but closed in as I got nearer to Katoomba. A brief wander in the forests produced a few quick glimpses but nothing concrete except for a few noisy Sulphur-crested Cockatoos heading to roost. By the time darkness fell the rain was full on and continued throughout the night.

Day Two: Katoomba, Capertee Valley and Glen Davis

The ongoing monsoon conditions in Katoomba put pay to any birding early in the morning. After breakfast, I decided that the best bet was to make my way to Glen Davis in the Capertee Valley, where I was going to be staying for the next week. After stopping for groceries in Lithgow, the rain began to ease and I was soon trundling along the road along the valley in mostly fine weather. Stops were regular. The first few were a bit quiet, although a Wedge-tailed Eagle sailed over the first and there was a busy group of Yellow-faced Honeyeaters at the next.

A bit further along I noticed a group of small finches fly up from the side of the road, so reckoned this might be a good place for a quick look. The quick look lasted well over an hour. The place was absolutely heaving with birds. Red-browed Finches and Superb Fairy Wrens by the dozen, a gorgeous Rose Robin discretely posing in the scrub, regular views of quirky looking Crested Shrike-tits, a growling Restless Flycatcher, Grey Shrike-thrushes, Eastern Yellow Robins, Golden Whistlers, White-throated Treecreepers, a Mistletoebird, White-plumed Honeyeaters – lots of stuff. My first lifer of the trip was a Brown Treecreeper, fidgeting about a tree stump. Better still was my next lifer, a small group of Black-chinned Honeyeaters – really smart looking and one of the harder honeyeaters to come by. It was so busy I barely even had time to register the pair of Wedge-tailed Eagles displaying overhead. Mammals were about too, with a few gangs of Eastern Wallaroos, including the very black looking males. These were quite a common sight throughout the valley.

I thought things had quietened down so got in the car and continued but only made it about a hundred yards when I spotted a pair of Red-rumped Parrots by the roadside. Gorgeous, elegant parrots are these, particularly the vibrantly coloured male. An absolutely pristine looking Diamond Firetail then popped up for a minute or so in a nearby tree, a real delight in red, white and black. Then some funny Speckled Warblers, hopping grumpily about on the ground and giving harsh little calls to one another almost constantly.

A couple more stops were not quite as hectic, though a fine looking Yellow-tufted Honeyeater was at one and a Striated Pardalote at another. Then there was lots of noise around an area of more open pastures. The fields were full of birds: lots more Red-rumped Parrots, dozens of Crested Pigeons and Maned Ducks and a few Common Bronzewings. Another new bird for me were the numerous White-winged Choughs – funny crow-like birds that ferreted about in large gangs. Like the unrelated Red-billed Chough of Europe, they seemed to have a liking for cow dung.

As I headed towards Glen Davis, a Brown Falcon perched up showily on a telegraph post. Eventually I found Oska’s Cottage, my home for the next week, along a muddy track near the entrance to the village. The cottage is on its own at the foot of the hills and with rough fields and scrub all around. Amongst the dozen or more White-faced Herons picking through the stubble was a robust White-necked Heron. The garden was busy with a pair of Jacky Winters, a Restless Flycatcher, Speckled Warblers and a dashing Scarlet Robin. A Black-winged Kite mobbed a passing Wedge-tailed Eagle, which also disturbed a huge flock of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and Little Corellas. A couple of Pied Butcherbirds perched up on a distant dead tree and just next to the cottage a plum-coloured male Satin Bowerbird stood guard. This looked like a good place to be.

Day Three: Glen Davis

This was a fairly laid back day of birding, in cool, breezy conditions. I spent most of my time exploring the woods and fields within a mile or so of the cottage. Early morning was spent around the village of Glen Davis, a place that seems to have a far larger population of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos than people. In amongst the hordes was a single female King Parrot. The trees around the campground were busy with honeyeaters, mostly White-plumed but there were also White-naped. A few Zebra Finches and Double-barred Finches were looking very neat – both species proved to be numerous in the area. Yellow-rumped Thornbills hopped along the road and through the pastures and an Olive-backed Oriole perched up nicely.

The garden at the cottage was still busy with birds, many of which got very excited when a Grey Butcherbird popped in. They didn’t seem to like him too much. I spent a while looking around the forested crags above the cottage. This area was very good, with Buff-rumped Thornbills on the rocky ground and Yellow Thornbills in the trees. A small group of Brown-headed Honeyeaters came through some flowering trees. In one of the craggy areas one or two of the endemic Rockwarblers were beetling around – very good to see.

Late afternoon I had a wander along Goora Street, the muddy track that runs parallel to the river. A Hooded Robin, probably a young bird with greyish plumage, gave good views in the weedy vegetation. Finches were really numerous along here too. From the forested slopes the sound of three or four Superb Lyrebirds shot across the valley. Most interesting were a couple of Wombats loafing about the pastures, seemingly oblivious to my presence. They were both rather scruffy looking, with matted, patchy fur. Rather engaging as they sniffled about though.

Andrew Whitehouse said:

This was a fairly laid back day of birding, in cool, breezy conditions. I spent most of my time exploring the woods and fields within a mile or so of the cottage. Early morning was spent around the village of Glen Davis, a place that seems to have a far larger population of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos than people. In amongst the hordes was a single female King Parrot. The trees around the campground were busy with honeyeaters, mostly White-plumed but there were also White-naped. A few Zebra Finches and Double-barred Finches were looking very neat – both species proved to be numerous in the area. Yellow-rumped Thornbills hopped along the road and through the pastures and an Olive-backed Oriole perched up nicely.

The garden at the cottage was still busy with birds, many of which got very excited when a Grey Butcherbird popped in. They didn’t seem to like him too much. I spent a while looking around the forested crags above the cottage. This area was very good, with Buff-rumped Thornbills on the rocky ground and Yellow Thornbills in the trees. A small group of Brown-headed Honeyeaters came through some flowering trees. In one of the craggy areas one or two of the endemic Rockwarblers were beetling around – very good to see.

Late afternoon I had a wander along Goora Street, the muddy track that runs parallel to the river. A Hooded Robin, probably a young bird with greyish plumage, gave good views in the weedy vegetation. Finches were really numerous along here too. From the forested slopes the sound of three or four Superb Lyrebirds shot across the valley. Most interesting were a couple of Wombats loafing about the pastures, seemingly oblivious to my presence. They were both rather scruffy looking, with matted, patchy fur. Rather engaging as they sniffled about though.

Click to expand...

I haven't been out there for a couple of years but your notes bring back lot's of memories. I still haven't seen Regent Honeyeaters out there.
Interestingly Black-chinned Honeyeaters have just been reported in Northern Sydney. A bird I haven't seen but will be looking for next week.
Neil.

Day Four: Glen Davis

In the morning the weather was fine and I went for a long walk to the Coorongooba campsite in Wollemi National Park – perhaps around five kilometres from Glen Davis. The first part retraced my steps of the previous afternoon. Large numbers of Double-barred and Red-browed Finches lined the way and several gangs of White-winged Choughs worked the fields. A beautiful group of Bar-shouldered Doves were watched for a minute or two on the track.

Around the entrance to the National Park the forest becomes lusher with a more obvious grassy and scrubby understory. Superb Lyrebirds were again singing all around the valley. One was clearly quite near the track, but was up in a rocky gully. I went in to investigate and spent quite some time listening to the clearly rather close Lyrebird, its song absolutely resounding. Eventually I caught sight of it for a few seconds, slinking over the rocks, long train following. Some other evocative sounds were echoing through the trees. The startling lash of an Eastern Whipbird was particularly fine, and again one was glimpsed for a second. Easier to see were the dinking Bell Miners, whose calls seem to come from the trees themselves. One or two other birds of the wetter forests were seen too, such as Lewin’s Honeyeater and Crimson Rosella. A Rockwarbler hopped about on the track near the entrance to the park.

Continuing on through the forest towards the campground, another Lyrebird was seen for a few seconds as it scampered through an open area of forest. Yellow-tufted Honeyeater and Spotted Pardalote were both very decorative. The campground was full of athletic looking Eastern Grey Kangaroos, munching away on the short grass. A Red-necked Wallaby was seen in the same area too. The best bird here was a delightful Wonga Pigeon, nervously walking around the edge of the open grass near to the river. A male Rose Robin also gave good views. On the way back, one of yesterday’s Wombats was again pottering about in the pasture.

The afternoon was mostly spent on the porch at Oska’s Cottage, and this proved a good strategy. As usual there was a constant stream of birds flitting about the garden, with Brown-headed Honeyeater and White-browed Scrubwren both appearing. A Wedge-tailed Eagle drifted into the valley, appearing to land somewhere close by. An even better raptor floated through mid-afternoon – a glorious red and grey Spotted Harrier. This was exactly what I’d hoped would happen whilst sitting outside, enjoying a beer! More excitement was provided when a male Australian Hobby tore through the garden, circling the cottage in not much more than a second as it chased after one of the numerous passerines.

Sadly the rain returned late in the afternoon and most birds seemed to disappear off to roost. A drive along the road to the intersection produced very little.

1&2. Atmospheric shots around Glen Davis
3. Wombat
4. Eastern Grey Kangaroo
5. Eastern Wallaroo

A few other shots:

1. Lewin's Honeyeater
2. Golden Whistler
3. Superb Fairy-wren
4. Pied Stilt (from Sydney Olympic Park)

Day Five: Glen Davis – Crown Station Road – Nioka

Today was frustratingly wet, with quite heavy rain at times in the morning and showers regularly thereafter. Heavy rain often stops bird activity quite dramatically. In the garden at Oska’s Cottage, the small passerines that are normally in frenzied activity all seem to vanish.

I started off by driving out to Crown Station Road but the rain was heavy there, so I returned towards Glen Davis. A stop near the intersection was rather good with the highlight being four Flame Robins, including two males, in a paddock. Very smart birds with extensive orange underparts. A few Australian Pipits were in the same field. I spent a while sheltering at Glen Davis campground. A pair of Crested Shrike Tits moved through the eucalyptus.

The morning was spent back at the cottage, waiting for the rain to subside. A couple of Eastern Rosellas appeared in the trees and a Collared Sparrowhawk annoyed the local corvids before perching up for a while.

In the afternoon the better weather encouraged me to retrace my steps from this morning. I wasn’t really looking for waterbirds in the Capertee but met with some success at a small dam near Red Rock Creek. A good selection of waterfowl was present, including several Hoary-headed Grebes. Even better was a gorgeous Red-kneed Dotterel picking elegantly along the shoreline. I didn’t expect to see either of these species in the valley.

Crown Station Road was mostly quiet but a smart male Hooded Robin was at the first stop. A couple of White-browed Babblers, all chocolate brown and creamy white, were busying themselves in the undergrowth before disappearing off. A pair of White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikes looked dashing as they darted through the foliage. More Cuckoo-shrikes and Babblers were seen at Nioka, a bit further along the road. Also there were a Rose Robin and a few Buff-rumped Thornbills but on the whole it was a bit quieter than hoped.

A few of shots from the garden:
1. Jacky Winter
2. Mrs Scarlet Robin
3. Mr Scarlet Robin

Day Six: Capertee Valley

This was a day travelling around the Capertee Valley, as far as Rylestone. I began in quite a good area of planted trees between the intersection and Glen Alice. I’m not sure whether this site has public access but there was no ‘Private’ sign on the gate, which wasn’t locked. Plus there was a picnic table, which surely means you’re allowed to go there. A good assortment of birds was in the trees and grassy areas, including a nice flock of Black-chinned Honeyeaters, several Australian Pipits and an Olive-backed Oriole. Diamond Firetails were reasonably common along this stretch of the road, in contrast to the Glen Davis area where there don’t seem to be any at all. A couple of Golden-crowned Cisticolas showed nicely in the roadside grasses by the entrance and a flock of Brown Quail flew up a couple of times.

A stop in Glen Alice turned up a busy pair of Grey-crowned Babblers nest building by the school. I stopped at various places between there and Rylestone, particularly in reedy, marshy spots that I hoped might produce Plum-headed Finch. Sadly they didn’t. A nice male Flame Robin was seen in one area. In fact it was a good day for robins, with six species being seen, including half-a-dozen Hooded Robins. I was also surprised to see a Yellow-billed Spoonbill by a small dam.

After getting some supplies in Rylestone, and discovering that they don’t seem to have heard of the Internet there yet, I headed back home. I took a small detour along the rather muddy Port Macquarie Road where I found another good spot. This was a few kilometres along the road, where it turns sharply right at a cattle grid. There was some good, accessible forest here with some small pools and several flowering trees. The area was busy with honeyeaters, and a few new species for the trip were found, including Eastern Spinebill, a very fetching White-eared Honeyeater, Fuscous Honeyeater and a neatly marked Striped Honeyeater. Other birds in the area included White-browed Babbler and Crested Shrike-tit. A good spot, worth returning to (although as it turned out, I never did).

Day Seven: Glen Davis

This was a relatively low key day, which began with a heavy mist hanging over the valley. With visibility and temperatures both low, I stayed at the cottage for the first few hours. A Collared Sparrowhawk swiftly rattled through the garden. The cold air seemed to encourage the local Welcome Swallows to gather over the nearby fields, with well over a hundred swirling around. In amongst them was at least one Tree Martin. A well-nourished looking Red Fox trotted through the fields.

When the mist cleared the day became the sunniest and warmest of the trip so far. I wandered into the village and had a fairly thorough look around through the middle of the day. There were some good flowering trees with a nice mix of honeyeaters. These included Black-chinned, Yellow-tufted and Fuscous. Most engaging were a group of brilliantly coloured Little Lorikeets in one tree. Other birds in the trees around the campground were a few tiny Weebills and an eclipse male Variegated Fairy-wren, which was reassuringly distinctive after all the Superbs I’ve been seeing. A few Wedge-tailed Eagles swirled around the crags and a posse of White-winged Choughs worked the campground. A Red-necked Wallaby had a good stare at me at one point.

Not too much was seen for the rest of the afternoon, aside from a few Brown-headed Honeyeaters and Buff-rumped and Yellow Thornbills near the cottage. A quiet day, but one that still produced well over sixty species.

1. Oska's Cottage
2. The abandoned shop in Glen Davis

Day Eight: Glen Davis

This was my final full day in Glen Davis, and I concentrated my birding in the area of the village. That was once the mist had cleared, which wasn’t until 10am. Things seemed a bit slower going today, particularly late morning. There were still some good birds to see – a couple of Wedge-tailed Eagles flying low overhead, several Grey Butcherbirds, three Bar-shouldered Doves – but all things I’d seen before. The most surprising sighting of the day was of an Australian Pelican flying high across the valley.

In the afternoon I headed back to Glen Davis and took a drive along the Gullies Road. Lots of parrots were here, particularly King Parrots, and I also found a couple of Diamond Firetails and three Golden-headed Cisticolas. At least twenty Little Lorikeets were frequenting the flowering trees around the village.

1. Grey Butcherbird
2. Golden-headed Cisticola

We car-camped in Glen Davis back in 06 (the honeyeaters were guaranteed nearby then). That place was creepy as hell, especially at night. Seen far too many horror movies it would seem! Gave me the willies that's for sure. As soon as dinner was cooked the car was locked up good and proper and that ultimate shield against evil (ie, the duvet) was pulled up and over heads until morning!!

Day Nine: Capertee Valley – Blue Mountains – Windsor Turf Farms – Pitt Town Lagoon

This was a day of travel, but I managed a few good birds whilest I was on the move I bid farewell to Glen Davis on another misty morning, then got above the low cloud as I left the valley. There were quite a few birds along the roadside, including several Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters but soon I was heading back east over the Blue Mountains.

After an hour or so I stopped to address a call of nature in a rather inauspicious lay-by that seemed to double as the local fly tip. Whilst attending to business I heard a soft patter, as if seeds were dropping from above. Interested, I looked about and noticed a dark shape in the trees: a brilliant male Gang Gang Cockatoo – splendid stuff! Soon there was a ‘gang’ of them in fact, with at least five birds gathering in the tree tops. They sat and posed, gnawing at bits of wood, jumping about and giving eerie ‘squeaky floorboard’ calls. Any of the ‘dark’ cockatoos are great birds, but these were particularly characterful.

The rest of the drive through the mountains wasn’t too eventful, even though the views were stupendous at times. Bell Miners could be heard in many areas. On descending into the lowlands, I found my way to a few muddy fields called Windsor Turf Farms. I’d read a recent report on Eremaea and thought I might be able to find an elusive species. I stopped at the first field, wound down the window, lifted my bins and there it was. In fact, there were at least six of them: Banded Lapwings. Very smart things – much neater than the more familiar Masked Lapwings that abound everywhere. They scuttled about the fields rather happily, a cheerfulness that I shared on seeing them.

After that I travelled a short distance to Pitt Town Lagoon, a noted wetland northwest of Sydney. The lake is quite easy to access and is a good place to drop into for an hour or so. A colourful group of Chestnut-breasted Mannikins festooned the weedy edges. Overhead a Swamp Harrier wheeled and a couple of Whistling Kites danced about. The waterfowl mix was a bit unexceptional but included the first Australasian Shovelers of the trip. I was frustrated however by untickable views of a couple of Little Grassbirds that shuffled about in the reeds but didn’t give anything resembling proper looks. One to return to.

Then I was on my way south to Wollongong, where I’d be spending the next three nights. The drive down through the mountains was rather impressive but not many more birds were seen.

1. Frost in the Capertee
2. View from the Blue Mountains on the way down to Windsor
3. Male Gang Gang
4. Female
5. A pair together - they really are brilliant birds

birdboybowley said:

We car-camped in Glen Davis back in 06 (the honeyeaters were guaranteed nearby then). That place was creepy as hell, especially at night. Seen far too many horror movies it would seem! Gave me the willies that's for sure. As soon as dinner was cooked the car was locked up good and proper and that ultimate shield against evil (ie, the duvet) was pulled up and over heads until morning!!

Click to expand...

Glen Davis is slightly eerie - interesting place though. Oska's Cottage is about half a mile from the village, which maybe isn't a bad thing!

1. Laughing Kookaburra
2. Banded Lapwings

Day Ten: Barren Grounds – Fitzroy Falls

This was a day looking for tricky forest and heathland birds a little to the south of Wollongong. Dawn was clear and bright, even with a little fog in the hollow as I passed through Jamberoo on the way to Barren Grounds. I drove up the steep escarpment and turned onto the track to Barren Grounds. And suddenly it was blowing a gale! Not too promising.

I decided to do the 8.5 km Griffiths Trail, which traces a circuit around the reserve. Despite the winds, loads of birds were visible. The problem was, almost all were Silvereyes and they were whizzing past me at fifty miles an hour as the wind blew them about. Not too much else was seen on the whole circuit – a few honeyeaters, one or two commoner forest birds – until near the end. I was in a small patch of woodland when I heard a moaning croak and realised I was surrounded by a group of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos. Once again the dark cockatoos were coming to the rescue – splendid, otherworldly birds.

A look round the car park produced a brief view of a smallish mammal, which I hoped might have been a Long-nosed Potoroo but was more likely a Bandicoot.

With the wind still strong I reckoned that shelter might be found in more densely forested environments, so headed half-an-hour or so away to Fitzroy Falls. The falls are rather impressive and a bit of a tourist trap, with spectacular views down a forested valley. The forest birds were again hard to come by. I met with some success in a small flock of birds, which included a couple of showy Red-browed Treecreepers.

I’d heard a few Superb Lyrebirds along the tracks and even in the car park but they’d remained out of sight, despite sometimes being very close. I wandered back along the trail past the waterfall mid-afternoon and heard one very nearby. Then I noticed a bunch of visitors snapping pictures on their phone – the Lyrebird was sat on a low branch just a few metres from the path! I stood and watched for several minutes as it belted out its incredibly loud song. After a while it elevated its long plumes over its back and shook them tumultuously as it sang. Plenty of people stopped to admire but eventually it hopped down and scratched about in the ground for a bit before continuing on to another perch. I guess this is one of those Lyrebirds that’s used to people, but even so this was pretty special. I felt like David Attenborough, only this Lyrebird wasn’t in a zoo.

With the light fading I headed back along the Jamberoo Mountain Road past Barren Grounds. As the wind had now dropped quite significantly, I thought I might try to catch the dying embers of the day to see if I could see anything there. I parked up and wandered along the track past the observatory, just a gentle breeze blowing in the twilight. I had a quick scan along the wide track ahead and… there was an Eastern Bristlebird, trotting about at the side of trail! This made up for this morning a bit. It pottered about for five minutes or so, allowing some nice views in the scope. It’s a strange bird – rather plain grey and brown, with a whiter throat and a long, wispy tail. It mostly fidgeted about rather sluggishly before occasionally zipping off hastily for no obvious reason.

The sunset glowed, and the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos appeared on the horizon, languidly flying off to the horizon.

A few views:
1. Barren Grounds down the escarpment
2. The valley from Fitzroy Falls
3. Fitzroy Falls

¬¬¬¬¬¬¬Day Eleven: Wollongong Pelagic – Lake Illawarra, Hooka Point

In the morning I went on one of the legendary pelagic trips from Wollongong. This trip was with Illawarra Bird Observers Club, who were a friendly bunch. The trip only lasted half a day, which isn’t as long as some. This was a bit of a shame, although given the challenges I faced (and met, I hasten to add) in keeping my breakfast down, this may not have been a bad thing. The weather was actually quite pleasant and not as windy as expected, but the swell was sometimes still heavy.

A few Kelp Gulls were around the harbour and not long after we started seeing albatrosses. Most were Black-browed Albatrosses in various plumages. A little further out one or two Yellow-nosed Albatrosses started to appear. In amongst the Black-browed, at least a couple of pale-eyed Campbell Albatrosses appeared, looking surprisingly distinctive even at medium distance. Happily most of the albatrosses were coming in much closer than that and eventually at least thirty were swirling round the boat – most Black-browed. Other seabirds were a little bit thin on the ground, with small numbers of Fluttering Shearwaters and Fairy Prions, one or two marauding Brown Skuas, some Australasian Gannets and a few Crested Terns. A single White-fronted Tern was also seen on the way back to harbour. Some tantalising views were had of what may have been a Grey-headed Albatross, but it didn’t hang around long enough to be properly scrutinised. Probably the highlight of the trip were three groups of Humpback Whales, probably numbering six or seven individuals. These gave a really good show of tail splashing and breaching.

After a tip off from the folks on the trip, I headed just a few miles down the road to Lake Illawarra at Hooka Point near Berkeley. A wander round the park produced a couple of Straw-necked Ibis and eventually I found the observation tower, which looks out over the lake. It didn’t take me too long to pick out the birds I was looking for – three Red-necked Avocets. Very graceful things, with a really striking combination of red, black and white. One new bird I didn’t expect was Pink-eared Duck, but a group of seven were in amongst the numerous Grey Teal. A few other interesting species were dotted about, including five Royal Spoonbills and three Black-fronted Dotterel. Hoary-headed Grebes were numerous on the lake.

After that the wind strengthened and birding became quite tricky. Not much was at Bass Point or Jamberoo, so I headed back to Wollongong for my final night there.

I didn't have much room on my memory card for the pelagic, which wasn't very smart. Here's what I managed:
1. Australian White Pelican
2. Australasian Gannet
3&4. Black-browed Albatross

Day Twelve: Lake Illawarra – Morton National Park, Bundaroon Section

This was my final day of birding for a while, as I was heading to Sydney for a conference. After checking out of my not very good hostel, I headed back briefly to Lake Illawarra. The birds were similar to the previous day, but with fewer ducks. The Red-necked Avocets gave slightly better views and a Swamp Harrier flew over.

A bit of scrutiny of Eremaea the previous evening had pointed to a possible convenient site for one or two target species. This site was the Bundaroon section of Morton National Park. After driving for an hour or so I parked, paid the extortionate seven dollar fee and drove off around the park. The views were impressive from the escarpment, but, with the wind still very strong, not too many birds were about.

I set off for a fairly long walk from the Fairy Bower waterfall, rather a beautiful place. At first the lush forests seemed like so many wild forests do – almost devoid of obvious birds. All that could be heard was the rustle of leaves and the trickle of water. I had a tantalising hint of one of my target birds eventually, when a Pilotbird sang once from down the slope, only to remain entirely silent –frustrating! Eventually a few birds began to appear. A Red-browed Treecreeper showed nicely and a group of Satin Bowerbirds posed in the taller trees. A Wonga Pigeon was flushed a short distance but showed well as it froze on a low branch. Then, a strident two-note call caught my attention. The initial call sounded close but then I heard it from way up in a tall eucalyptus. Craning my head back I could pick out the features of a rather long-billed honeyeater: some streaking, a black and white horseshoe pattern, and a yellow flash on the wings. That was one target bird at least: a Crescent Honeyeater.

A little further along, a bit of squeaking provoked a couple of quiet soft notes from the undergrowth very close by. I peered through the branches and saw a shape moving. Eventually it came out for a second or two: rich brown plumage, with brighter orange-buff on the throat – a Pilotbird! Then it and another zipped along the track and ferreted about on a log. Very nice indeed. Almost worth the entrance fee in fact.

I continued back to the car, serenaded by Superb Lyrebirds. Then it was back on the road to Sydney. A flock of seven Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos glided over the motorway as I continued northwards.

Days Thirteen – Sixteen: Sydney
The next few days were all spent at a conference in Sydney. Not too many birds were seen, although the university campus was busy with Rainbow Lorikeets, Noisy Miners and Crested Pigeons.

Here are a few shots from Bundaroon.

Blimey, Barren Grounds and no rain....how novel!!
We had lots of Brown Antechinus around there....maybe your mammal was one of these?
Great Lyrebird shots too....I was in Oz when my main photographic instrument was a video camera (tape!!) so I've got a great bit of film with one singing its head off but unfortunately not great stills.....