Byron Bay Wetlands Survey

Last week’s survey at Byron Bay Wetlands in the New South Wales Northern Rivers region showed the wide range of birds this reserve attached to Byron’s sewerage works attracts. 81 species were counted with representation in a wide variety of bird groups. Raptors included a Grey Goshawk, Whispering Kite, Swamp Harrier and Sea-eagle. Water birds included a Spotless Crake, Glossy Isis, Pink-eared Ducks and Black-fronted Dotterels. Sacred, Forest and Azure Kingfishers were sighted. A highlight was the large number of Little Grassbirds out in the open.

I went back to the wetland two days later to photograph the Spotless Crake seen on the survey. This time there were two more crakes in the reeds nearby.

This Sacred Kingfisher was in the same place two days after the survey on one of the grassy walkways through the melaleuca lined ponds.

There were many Little Grassbirds to be seen on the edges of the larger ponds.

Around a dozen Black-fronted Dotterels were feeding on the mudflats.

This Great Egret lifts for a better view from the top of the tree at the right.

Back to Tallow Creek

I decided to return to Tallow Creek at Suffolk Park in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. A previous visit of a couple of hours photographing around sunset resulted in a number of close ups of interesting birds and some very good evening lighting (Link to “Tallow Creek at Suffolk Park “). The walkway to the bridge that crosses the creek takes you through creek-side reed beds for close ups of reed birds and finches. The sporadic trees provide for close ups with clear space behind that give a nice blur to the background of the photo. This latest trip proved equally fruitful with the photos below.

The Beach Stone-curlew is seen in New South Wales from the Manning River northwards. However sightings are rare and the species is now regarded as critically endangered.

Photographed from the Tallow Creek bridge, a Little Pied Cormorant attests to the food available in the “Intermittently Closed and Open Lagoon” that the creek flows into. The category “Intermittently Closed and Open Lagoon” refers to the outlet to the sea which at times is closed for months.

Welcome Swallows and Tree Martins flutter constantly across the water of the lagoon. They often rest in a small tree at the end of the bridge; this provides a convenient place to photograph them.

A Tree Martin, possible a younger bird?

A small bird in another tree turned out to be a Striated Pardalote, another bird seen regularly at the lagoon. The heavy black marking across the eye and red spot on the wing indicates it could be of the northern Striated Pardalote race, the so called Black-headed Pardalote.

It was a surprise to see this young Mistletoebird, evidently another bird frequently seen at this site.

This Brown Thornbill was feeding in the middle branches of a medium sized tree.

I was pleased to see that the White-breasted Woodswallows sighted on the previous visit were still around. I counted fifteen birds present in total, similar to previous.

This Golden-headed Cisticola chose a helpful tree branch to pose for this photo.

The White-cheeked Honeyeater is common in the area, supplanting the New Holland Honeyeaters seen further south.

A Darter stretches out over a re-habilitated sewerage treatment pond close to Tallow Creek.

South Coast Birds Last Week

Spotted Turtle-Dove

Nankeen Kestrel

Satin Bowerbird

Grey Butcherbird

Tallow Creek at Suffolk Park

Suffolk Park is a suburb of Byron Bay on the North Coast of NSW. The Tallow Creek estuary forms the southern border of the Arakwal National Park and it is home to a wide variety of bird-life.

The Chestnut-breasted Mannikin is rarely seen in Sydney but becomes more common as you head northwards to northern NSW. This single bird was feeding, snipping away at seed-heads in the reeds that line Tallow Creek.

A Golden-headed Cisticola, lit up by the last rays of sunlight for the day.

The were some twenty White-breasted Woodswallows on the western side of the creek; some solitary like this bird, and others were gathering along tree branches in close packed groups of three or four.

The Red-backed Fairy-wren is Birdlife’s current bird of the month; another species that can be seen more often as you travel north along the NSW coast.

It is a pleasure to see many Australasian Figbirds, along with a surprising number of Olive-backed Orioles - controlling territory that might more often belong to Noisy Miners further south?

The sun sets over Tallow Creek, this photo taken from the bridge on the walking path and cycle-way that runs through the reserve.