It is not just the birdlife that is special in Byron Bay. The broad sweep of ocean visible from the Cape Byron Lighthouse is often alive with sea life, whales, dolphins, sea turtles.
Thirty or forty whales were visible from the Byron Lighthouse last week, their presence confirmed by widespread spouts and breaches across the bay.
A pod of dolphins came in close to the cliffs below the lighthouse, a spectacular sight in the sunlight.
The first Latham’s Snipes heading to Byron Bay this spring have arrived and at an unexpected venue! Byron Bay TAFE has a small man made pond near their car-park, approximately 50 metres long and 20 metres wide. The pond has been planted with reeds and sedges with native shrubs along the edges. On Monday three Latham’s Snipes were seen and reported, the first in the Northern Rivers Region. On Friday there were five birds present. The TAFE is next door to the Byron Bay Wetlands - but no Snipes have been seen at the wetlands so far.
Latham’s Snipes arrive here in early spring after their long journey from Japan and northern Asia where they spend the northern summer feeding and breeding. This year their arrival is a few days later than average. The Byron Bird Buddies will be starting the annual “Snipe” count soon to monitor numbers of arrivals of these endangered birds.
A Latham’s Snipe circles the Byron Bay TAFE pond after being flushed from the grasses along the fenceline.
Two Purple Swamphens in the Byron bay TAFE pond.
Other birds using the pond include Egrets, Welcome Swallows, Ducks and the Royal Spoonbill and White Ibis seen here.
It was the afternoon survey at Vallances Road, near the Brunswick River at Mullimbimby, in New South Wales’ Northern Rivers region. Bird numbers were down in parts and busy in others; a warm and fine day after another week of heavy rain along the coast. It was gumboot weather. The day finished on a high, with the sighting of two Black-necked Storks across the valley.
Spotted on the other side of the valley just as it was getting dark, two Black-necked Storks at the top of adjacent trees. While we were watching this bird flew towards us, landing in a creek and dissapearing from view in the reed beds.
Along a heavily wooded fenceline in the eastern paddock, three species of Fairy-wren were feeding in a small area. This Variegated Fairy-wren and its family, Superb Fairy-wrens and Red-backed Fairy-wrens.
This Spectacled Monarch was calling close by the river.
The White-throated Gerygones were out in force, with their shrill descending trills.
Spring is in the air as August ends. We are still waiting for the first Latham’s Snipe but other birds are making their spring return. The White-breasted Woodswallows are lining up and the first Pheasant Coucal appeared last week.
On the wire at the wetland entrance were the White-breasted Woodswallows, some dozen in total back on patrol.
The Tawny Grassbirds seem to be more active, their clumsy buzzy flight and busy songs and trills a give away of their presence in the reeds.
This Fan-tailed Cuckoo had a lot to say but not to anyone in particular. The arrival of the Pheasant Coucal and a busy Shining Bronze-Cuckoo were adding to the spring flavour of the day.
This Restless Flycatcher was putting on a spectacular show.
Another spring arrival, this Black-faced Monarch was also making its presence known.
Sadly the largest pond in the wetland - H Cell - has been partly taken over by this invasive weed - Salvinia. This and other weeds are a major challenge for the wetland. The Dusky Moorhen does not seem to mind.
Happily a big positive on H Cell was the visit of a pair of Australasian Shovelers, the male seen here.
A busy Brown Thornbill.
The parrot photos below were taken around Cowra and on the New South Wales south coast. A reminder of the colour these beautiful birds bring to our lives.
Crimson Rosella on the Cowra Common, Cowra New South Wales
Red-rumped Parrot photographed on the Cowra Common.
Also at the Cowra Common, this Eastern Rosella was inspecting hollows as suitable nest sites.
A Rainbow Lorikeet photographed on the New South Wales south coast near Ulladulla.
A King Parrot also on the south coast.
The Clover Leigh Golf Club is located 45 kilometers south west of Cowra along the Olympic Highway towards Young. I visited on the Monday after the Cowra winter surveys, a wet and blustery day, after hearing positive reports about the birds to be seen. The golf course grounds include a large nature reserve and birdwatchers are invited. In the wet conditions the reserve was very quiet - Yellow Thornbills, magpies and White-eared Honeyeaters the only birds seen. But the golf course, right next to the clubhouse, was alive.
This Flame Robin was feeding around the 18th hole at the Clover Leigh Golf Club. As were Red-rumped Parrots, Superb Fairy-wrens, Yellow-rumped Thornbills and the Whiteface and Babbler below.
About half a dozen Southern Whiteface were feeding close the clubhouse.
A party of eight White-browed Babblers were very busy around the clubhouse and on the greens.
Morongla is a small village 15 km east of Cowra New South Wales, on the Lachlan Valley Way. Burials at Morongla cemetery began in the later nineteenth century and it is still in use today. The cemetery is surrounded by remnant bush and was a survey site for the Cowra Woodland Bird Program.
Grey-crowned Babblers are regularly seen at the Morongla Cemetery. The site is visited by a good variety of woodland and open country birds.
This "serpent” from the underworld looks to have made one of the oldest graves in the cemetery its home.
A close up. It looks like an Eastern Brown Snake to me?
There were lots of Kangaroos around Cowra, after successive years of good rains their numbers have grown.
Cowra was at its wintery best for this July’s winter survey of the Cowra Woodlands Bird Program. Only the diehards are keen to survey in winter and the blustery wind and rain fully met expectation. Bird numbers were low especially on the sites we were assigned to; predominantly small isolated remnant bush patches across the river plains. Nevertheless there were interesting birds to see and tales to tell.
The communal family groups of Apostlebirds, Choughs, and Babblers are always favorites in the woodlands travelling together and cooperating to build nests and look after the young. Apostlebirds form groups based around a breeding male, two or three breeding females plus their offspring (often making groups around 12 birds and hence Apostlebirds). This Apostlebird was in a small group of five, seen on Back Creek Road near the Seed Orchard, near Cowra.
Closeby was this Dusky Woodswallow. Later, during the survey, we saw eight Dusky Woodswallows in the same place. Very pleasing as I had not seen this species at Cowra for a number of years.
This Brown Treecreeper was sighted on a TSR (Travelling Stock Reserve) on the Lachlan Valley Highway. Other than a White-throated Treecreeper heard nearby, the rest of the birds were Noisy Miners and Magpies.
The dominant Honeyeater during the weekend was the White-plumed Honeyeater seen here. Yellow-faced Honeyeaters were quite common; others seen over the weekend included a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater, a White-eared Honeyeater and a White-naped Honeyeater.
Red Wattlebird photographed on the Cowra Common.
Pardalotes were present on a number of sites, both this Striated Pardalote and the Spotted Pardlote below.
Spotted Pardalote feeding on the Cowra Common.
This Brown Falcon was feeding on the roadside just out of Cowra and flew into the tree as we approached.
On a cold winter’s day it seemed the birds had deserted Lake Wallace on this trip to take part in the Cowra Woodlands Bird Program. Only a few rugged individuals holding on; waiting for spring to arrive.
The Purple Swamphens I normally see are very scatty, rushing off the moment they see me coming, frightening all the other birds at the same time. But here at Lake Wallace instead the Purple Swamphens run towards you, no doubt hoping you will offer them some food.
A solitary Musk Duck was representing the Duck family, supported by a few Pacific Black Ducks in the distance.
A slightly different story for the Eurasian Coots, which have disappeared where I go birding close to the eastern coast. There were scores of Coots around, more than I have seen for quite a while.
It was not possible to survey the whole site last week at Vallances Road, near Mullimbimby in the Northern Rivers Region of New South Wales, as a fox eradication program was in progress. So bushland and farm paddocks adjoining the Brunswick River could not be accessed. Nevertheless the one kilometer of Vallances Road leading to the waste treatment plant yielded 60 species including a Collared Sparrowhawk, White-throated Honeyeaters, and Red-backed, Variegated and Superb Fairy-wrens. That total didn’t include any water birds apart from some Australian Wood Ducks up in a tree.
On arrival we were greeted by a flock of six King Parrots feeding on the roadside. The numbers increased to about a dozen with a small flock of Eastern Rosellas feeding nearby.
A solitary Olive-backed Oriole.
As always the identification of this bird as a Collared Sparrowhawk as opposed to Brown Goshawk was the subject of spirited discussion. The verdict of Collared Sparrowhawk was based on the long tail, square at the end with slight indentation and the bulging secondary feathers. Also perhaps a rounded head but difficult to tell from this photo.
Most days the wetlands seem quiet at this time of the year but every now and then there will be a buzz of birds that signals spring is not far away. Willie Wagtails and Grey Fantails are most obvious inhabitants but many of the small birds can be seen with some patience: Grassbirds, Fairy-wrens, Cisticolas, Whistlers, Silvereyes, Red-browed Finches, Brown and Lewin’s Honeyeaters, Kingfishers, Flycatchers are all there. Water birds are still thin but represented the last weeks by Herons, Egrets, Royal Spoonbills, Ibis, Comb-crested Jacana, a solitary Black-fronted Dotterel and a few Ducks. A White-bellied Sea-Eagle has been very attentive and was seen last week flying with an eel or snake dangling below it.
On cold, windless days the birds are moving slowly and make good targets for photographers. This Grey Shrike-thrush was unsually cooperative.
A single pair of Black Swans is seen most days at the Byron Bay Wetlands, checking out the various ponds; presumably the same two birds?
This Straw-necked Ibis was a flyover. The Straw-necked Ibis rarely use the wetlands but are often present in the surrounding farm lands.
The Comb-crested Jacanas are hiding in the Malaleuca tree swamp, over the last year not often seen.
The Plumed Egret, a less frequent visitor than the larger Great Egret normally in residence.
This White-necked Heron, the Egret above and a White-faced Heron were feeding in D cell.
The average June day temperature in Byron Bay is about 20 C and in recent years it is often one or two degrees higher than that. So it is not surprising that even mid winter days can have a spring like feel. Lots of active birds, bright colours and song. Here are a few photographed over the last week.
At Arakwal National Park on the south side of Byron Bay the banksias are in full flower. Scaly-breasted Lorikeets, Rainbow Lorikeets , Brown Honeyeaters and Little Wattlebirds squabble over banksias dripping with nectar.
A Brown Honeyeater at Arakwal National Park in Byron Bay.
At nearby Tallow Creek, at the old waste treatment plant, this Azure Kingfisher was patrolling around the disused ponds.
On the north side of Byron Bay, at the Belongil Wetland, Grey Teals join the other ducks to be seen on this pond; Australian Wood Ducks and Pacific Black Ducks. The Wandering Whistling Ducks and the Radjah Shelduck have left.
This Rainbow Bee-eater has its back to the wind on Belongil Beach north of Byron Bay.
Close by this Sacred Kingfisher was feeding at the edge where the sandhills meet the beach, an area much changed by the recent cyclone.
While the Byron Wetlands and other bodies of water have been very short on water birds, there are some unusual places where they can still be found. One such place is the Belongil Wetland behind the sand hills on the northern side of Belongil Creek mouth.
A ten minute count there this week included 30 Wandering Whistling-Ducks, one Radjah Shelduck, a number of Pacific Black Ducks, Australian Wood Ducks, several Royal Spoonbills, a Great Egret and a Cattle Egret.
Wandering Whistling-Ducks at nearby Byron Wetlands.
With my camera in the repair shop after 10 years of faithfull service I have rediscovered the joys of wandering through the bush listening to and watching birds. No pressure to get close or find the best lighting or waiting patiently for a subject to adopt a picturesque stance. I only have one camera, a Canon 7D ii and use a Canon 100 - 400 mm zoom lense for nearly all photos. It has proved a reliable and versatile combination, has good reach because the three quarter frame sensor results in an effective 600 mm range, and good quality photos.
I have also had time for reading and research. I am still on the mailing list for the Milton - Ullladulla bird group (MUD). Last week they surveyed the LIttle Forest Plateau in Morton National Park, a site that was badly burnt in the Currowan bushfire in 2020. It has taken time for this heathland and banksia forest recover but the count last week was a joy to see. Eleven species of honeyeaters, included 100 White-naped Honeyeaters, 200 Red Wattlebirds and 500 Yellow-faced Honeyeaters!
Yellow-faced Honeyeater photographed on New South Wales south coast in 2021.
Autumn brings changes in the wetlands. The Latham’s Snipes have gone to begin their journey north. The Nankeen Night Herons have left, perhaps heading north as well? Orioles, whipbirds and wattlebirds are scarcer than usual. The post cyclone rain and continuing falls are keeping the ponds topped up, with no exposed mud flat. And so there are very few water birds.
The Melaleuca is flowering and with it have come the honeyeaters; teams of Brown Honeyeaters, Scarlet Honeyeaters, Noisy Friarbirds, Blue-faced Honeyeaters plus large flocks of lorikeets, predominantly Rainbow but some Scaly-breasted as well. A Grey Goshawk has been particulary busy the last few days. Grey fantails and many Willie Wagtails to be seen.
A big positive is that the weevil treatment for the Salvinia weed overgrowing many ponds is starting to work. It was a treat to see three Forest Kingfishers feeding at a pond that had been previously choked with Salvinia.
The Forest Kingfisher is always a photogenic treat, here it was with two others feeding around a pond rejuvinated by the successful treatment of the Salvinia weed that had been choking it.
This Grey Goshwawk was particularly active this week in the Melaleuka woodlands of F Cell.
A young Superb Fairy-wren with adult colour just starting to appear forages for insects in the bark.
Many Scarlet and Brown Honeyeaters in the white flowers of the Melaleuka.
Lots of Willie Wagtails, all as busy as usual.
Numbers of Grey Fantails have increase dramatically as April draws to a close.
The Blue-faced Honeyeater is an occaisional visitor to the wetlands.
Three Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos make a timely visit to check out some tasty Swamp Banksia.
A Mistletoebird visits a Mistletoe plant growing on a Melaleuca in the F Cell ponds.
One of the few water birds present at the moment, the White-faced Heron.
A flock of fifteen to twenty birds caught our attention at this week’s survey at Tyagarah, in the Northern Rivers Region of New South Wales. They were diving and weaving with flocks of Figbirds and hard to identify. After considerable discussion, barring seen in some of the photos indicated the birds were Barred Cuckoo-shrikes, unusual to see near the coast.
An immature Barred Cuckoo-shrike at Tyagarah, in Northern New South Wales. All but two of the other birds in the photos taken of the cuckoo-shrikes showed immature birds like this one, with several photos showing seven or eight cuckoo-shrikes in the same shot.
Bird in flight. These unfamiliar birds caused a lot of head scratching with their rapid movement through a stand of large eucalyptus trees.
The bird on the right looked different to the other, it could possibly be a Barred Cuckoo-shrike in juvenile plumage? The CSIRO Australian Bird Guide says that juvenile plumage is only worn briefly and not much is known about it.
This was the only adult seen in all the photos and unfortunately this was the best photo I had of it.
Large numbers of birds have gathered this week at Flat Rock in Ballina, north New South Wales. Terns and Silver Gulls made up most of the gathering (terns were between two and three hundred in total) but there were also a number of other birds of interest to see, no doubt displaced by last weeks cyclone.
In March the Greater Sand Plover is donning its breeding colours before making its departure to Siberia. An unusual bird to see here; just this single bird present on Flat Rock.
There were about fifty Pacific Golden Plovers mixing it with the terns, here seen with Common Terns and Little Terns, and Crested Terns which made up the largest group of the terns present.
In amongst the terns was this solitary White-winged Black Tern, also an uncommon visitor to Flat Rock Ballina despite its wide range across eastern and northern Australia. This immature bird is sporting the famous “head-phones” quoted to identify this bird.
A group of about twenty of the Pacific Golden Plovers takes flight; a novel sight.
I saw only three Ruddy Turnstones, this one looking decidedly worse for wear, perhaps having a rough time in the recent cyclone.
There seemed to be plenty to eat, but only a few birds fishing at the time of my visit (just before low tide).
Flat Rock is a good place to find a Wandering Tattler, its Alaskan/north Russian origin a reminder of the vast distances travelled by some visitors to rocky outcrops like Flat Rock
Cyclone Alfred brought 120 km per hour winds and hundreds of millimetres of rain to the Northern Rivers Region last week. Fortunately the damage overall has been minor compared to the 2022 floods but still many houses and farms were badly affected. At the wetlands the visual damage was limited to broken branches and debris. The affect on the birds is harder to discern.
These two Black-necked Storks seemed very happy with the extra water in I Cell at the Byron Bay Wetlands. Their colours sparkling in the newly arrived autumn sun.
The Little Shrike-thrush (now called the Arafura Shrikethrush), a less often seen bird in the wetlands but reasonably common in the Byron area.
Still some cukoos around the area as demonstrated by this Shining Bronze-Cuckoo seen in F Cell. But the Pheasant Coucals seem to have disappeared at this time.
The majestic female Black-necked Stork made a visit to the Byron Bay Wetlands last week. A few hours earlier, a Wedge-tailed Eagle circled the large pond in Cell H. Breeding activity continues, as demonstrated by the presence of numerous cuckoos and lots of feeding activity. Silvereyes have joined the list of parents feeding their young; and a juvenile Black-faced Monarch indicates breeding in the area.
More information about this significant wetland at Byron Bay in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales can be seen at the Byron Bird Buddies website.
This female Black-necked Stork was directly in front of the birdhide and was startled by my arrival. It took off towards the south, slowly circling and gaining altitude before it finally headed off in a northerly direction.
The Black-necked Stork at the Byron Bay Wetlands, close to the H Cell birdhide.
A more common majestic sight in the wetlands, the elegant Black Swan.
This juvenile Black-faced Monarch has still to develop the distinctive black face of the adult bird.
Scores of Silvereyes were feeding on insects in the trees bordering I Cell. And there were numerous parents attending to the needs of their offspring.
This female Rufous Whistler and male companion below were also making the most of the insects feeding on the I Cell trees. Caterpillars seemed to be a popular snack.
The male Rufous Whistler was there too, keeping its distance in the background.
Later on, as the sun was setting, some fifteen White-breasted Woodswallows were gathering on the wires above the wetland carpark, using it as a base to pursue the flying insects.
Both Pied and Grey Butcherbirds are seen in the wetlands, with this Pied Butcherbird a less frequent visitor.
This weeks survey was very special. My first view ever of a Koala in the wild. I have been expecting to see one for many years, so finally! This particular Koala had been tagged and on following up it transpires that it is a 12 year old female who had been treated for chlamydial conjunctivitis two years ago and released nearby. Another first was the White-eared Monarch, a first close sighting and a first photo of this species.
An aged but healthy looking Koala resting in a road side tree. The tree it was in was planted by the Byron council as part of a conservation corridor suitable for Koalas!
Let’s move - a little. Our Koala readjusts in its resting place.
The White-eared Monarch, a bird seen the length of the Queensland coast and as far south as Taree. Not a common bird but can be found around the Byron area in several locations.
Two White-throated Honeyeaters, another bird towards the southern end of its distribution. I had previously only seen this species in Darwin. Again not common but an occaisional passer by.