Flat Rock Ballina heads to Autumn

March arrives and the migratory birds that use Flat Rock at Ballina are leaving soon for the northern hemisphere. This is an important time for undisturbed feeding before the long journey. While Flat Rock is favoured by many species in this part of the coast, the rocks are often frequented by selfie takers, fossickers, and despite the signs, dogs.

Red-necked Stints travel to Siberia to breed. The characteristic red neck develops through March before departure in April.

The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, another species that breeds in Siberia.

Red-necked Stints feeding while a Curlew Sandpiper probes for worms in a rock-pool. The Curlew is showing a hint of colour as departure looms. Nearby, Ruddy Turnstones were feeding.

The Greater Sand Plover has a large, somewhat cumbersome bill. Altogether it is a bulky unit. They head to the deserts of central Asia to breed.

This Great Cormorant uses the Flat Rock as a base, it is usually seen in waves alongside the rocks.

Flat Rock is a favourite spot for Crested Terns. Other terns seen were Common Terns and Little Terns.

As the sun started to set this Beach-stone Curlew arrived, searching for its favourite food, crabs!

Byron Bay Wetlands in February

The Wetland’s management are continuing to wrestle with massive infestations of water weeds. Spraying with weed killer in Cell I has made a significant improvement, with large patches of open water present. The pond is now attracting numbers of waterbirds including Pacific Black Ducks, Grey Teal, Australian White Ibis, Royal Spoonbills, Black-fronted Dotterels, Red-kneed Dotterels, Pied Stilts, Comb-crested Jacanas, and good numbers of Latham’s Snipes.

A Grey Teal in Cell I, with a Masked Lapwing and Latham’s Snipe behind.

This Black-fronted Dotterel was on Cell H, which is still heavily infested with Salvinia weed. It looks as though the weevils introduced to control the weed are fighting a loosing battle.

A Red-browed Finch feeding.

This Pheasant Coucal was waiting in the car park when I arrived.

One of the Brush Cuckoos calling in the melaleuca wetlands.

Three Latham’s Snipes and a Masked Lapwing on Cell I.

Mount Jerusalem

Mount Jerusalem National Park is 50km inland from Byron Bay and lies within the International Birdlife Nightcap Range Important Biodiversity Area (IBA). It is part of the outer rim of the the Tweed/Mount Warning volcano caldera, a volcano that was active 23 million years ago. Water runoff from the park drains into three catchments, the Tweed River, Brunswick River and the Wilson/Richmond River.

On a short walk from the car park, down Middle Ridge Road, we heard Brown Cuckoo-Doves, Spotted Pardalotes, White-throated Scrubwren, Crimson Rosellas, Brown Thornbills, Golden Whistlers, a Grey Shrike-thrush, and saw the two Pacific Baza photographed below. Middle Ridge Road is on rocks formed in the Triassic period, the Chillingham Volcanics which have reappeared as the newer volcanic rock above them was eroded away. It has open wet sclerophyll eucalypts on one side and a more rainforest type flora on the other.

A Pacific Baza, still in juvenile plumage, seen on Middle Ridge Road in Mount Jerusalem National Park.

The two juvenile Pacific Bazas together.

Sandhills Wetland opened in Byron Bay

The restored Sandhills Wetlands recently opened close to the Byron Bay town centre. The area was heavily mined for sand in the 1960s and this destroyed the original wetlands. Across the 1.8 hectare site are three ponds, a network of shared paths and seating. The new wetlands aim to improve water quality of the outflow onto the beach and to provide environment for wildlife. The Byron Bird Buddies are surveying to establish the initial bird populations. Forty species were counted at last weeks survey.

Welcome Swallow have moved into the new wetlands along with Australian Ibis, Masked Lapwings, with visits from herons, Royal Spoonbills and a Little Egret.

A view across the largest pond of the new Sandhills Wetland. Good numbers of Figbirds, Noisy Friarbirds, Little Wattlebirds as well as Noisy Miners and Common Mynas were counted.

It was encouraging to see some small birds including White-browed Scrubwrens and Superb Fairy-wrens.

The wetlands will clean up waterways used by some regular visitors to the Byron beaches including the Beach Stone-curlews.

Red-Kneed Dotterel at Byron Bay Wetlands

The water weed Salvinia invaded the waterways of the Byron Bay Wetlands, covering most of the free water areas, making them unusable for the waterbirds that normally visit. Salvinia is a very hard pest to get rid of and efforts to date have not been that successful.

A few weeks ago Cell I of the wetlands was sprayed with an approved weed killer. The results have been promising with the opening of a large area of free water. Even more encouraging has been the return of a limited number of water birds, including two Red-Kneed Dotterels, a bird that has not been seen in the wetlands for several years.

A pair of Red-kneed Dotterels return to the Byron Bay Wetlands after several years absence.

The view across Cell I after spraying to control the Savlinia weed that had totally covered it.

A Comb-crested Jacana comes out of the Melaleuca swamp to feed on top of the remaining Salvinia water week on Cell I.

Byron Bay birds

Photos taken around the bay in recent weeks.

Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove photographed on the “old”" New Brighton Road pathway.

A Red-backed Fairy-wren taken at the "old” New Brighton road pathway.

Golden-headed Cisticola singing loudly from a tree top in the Byron Bay Wetlands.

Summer arrives at Byron Bay Wetlands

Summer arrives at Byron Bay Wetlands. Out in the bay the East Australian Current is running close to the coastline and because it is two to three degrees Celsius warmer than normal, this adds to the intensity of rain and persistent thunderstorms.

At the wetlands weeds have overgrown large areas of free water; this has happened at an incredible pace. Salvinia has covered H cell, normally the largest area of water, with a thick blanket of weed. Frogbit has taken over in parts of the melaleuca swamps. Bare mudflat has all but disappeared, reducing the desirability for water birds and shore birds, sightings are very low. However numbers of woodland and forest birds on the site are holding up, with last weeks survey counting 72 species in total on the morning. (A map of the wetlands can be seen at the Byron Bird Buddies website.)

This White-bellied Sea-Eagle regularly scows the wetlands creating havoc amongst the inhabitants. Here it is watching from a perch in the rainforest section adjacent to H cell.

We counted 12 Latham’s Snipe in the wetland during the national Snipe survey in November and at last week’s survey the count was still10 birds, 9 of them in the reedy end of E Cell and one in H Cell.

Seven Nankeen Night Herons graced the wetlands last year. So it was exciting to count seven again this week, including one immature bird. After flushing from the pond the Nankeen Night-Heron shown retreated to the line of trees behind E Cell.

Salvinia molesta is a Brazilian water fern introduced to enhance goldfish bowls and now a scourge for Australian waterways. The photo shows the brown weed completely covering what is normally the largest area of open water, H Cell, a feat it achieved in a few weeks. The infestation is being treated with a weevil but progress has been slow. Frogbit has covered areas within the Melaleuca swamps and these are currently being sprayed.

‍ ‍There have been a lot of Brush Cuckoos calling across the wetlands.

But they are not always welcome, as this Leaden Flycatcher sends the intruder on its way.

Laughing Kookaburras are getting the same treatment. There were at least three pairs of Leaden Flycatchers in breeding mode within the melaleuca swamps.

This Black-winged Kite was very possessive about its perch overlooking E Cell, seeing off a second Kite who tried to muscle in.

A young Australian Magpie making a lot of noise.

One of the many Lewin’s Honeyeaters that inhabit the wetlands, feeding in the carpark.

Evening at Tallow Beach

The evening light in Byron Bay can be magical. The old sewerage works at Tallow Beach is a good place to take advantage of the light and also to see some interesting birds. The photos below were taken there just before sunset a few weeks ago.

Pied Oyster Catchers

Brahminy Kite

Little Egret

Beach Stone-curlews

Royal Spoonbill

Varied Triller

A young Varied Triller waits for a feed.

Byron Bay Wetlands September 2025

Spring has officially arrived and the quiet of winter replaced by a buzzing in the reed beds; cisticolas, grassbirds, reed-warblers and fairy-wren. Water flow into E Cell has been turned off and an area of mud-flat has returned, attracting small numbers of Pied Stilts, Black-fronted Dotterel, Royal Spoonbills, herons, egrets, ducks and ibis. And the Latham’s Snipes have arrived from north Asia for the Australian summer.

The Forest Kingfishers have been very active across all the wetland ponds over past weeks.

An early arrival was the Fan-tailed Cuckoo; their calls were heard throughout the wetlands at the start of September.

Two or more Pheasant Coucals have made the wetlands home. This one photographed on the track between I and J Cells.

Also very active, patrolling the banks of the large H Cell pond, was this Azure Kingfisher.

Up to thirty Welcome Swallows flitting across H Cell. Sometimes joined by a smaller number of Fairy Martins.

Only three Latham’s Snipes have arrived on the wetland so far, with five counted at the adjoining Byron TAFE pond and eight on Belongil pond.

Two or three Spangled Drongos were making their presence known.

By far the most common honeyeater of the last few weeks, the Brown Honeyeater. There are also some White-cheeked Honeyeaters, Scarlet and Blue-faced.

The Brown Cuckoo-Dove a regular but occasional visitor.

White-necked Herons can be seen most days, on D and E Cell ponds or at the back of H Cell.

The Black-fronted Dotterels had not been seen since Autumn, but have moved back in the past weeks.

A Figbird showing some spring colour

A Plumed Egret (old name Intermediate Egret) on E Cell.

Magpie-larks are also finding something to eat on the exposed mudflats.

Many Australian Reed- Warblers across all the ponds this spring.

Last week it was dozens of Golden-headed Cisticola making their presence known.

And of course noisy Tawny Grass birds, here enjoying a beautiful spring morning.

The gang has arrived. Thirty five Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos descend on the eastern treeline of the wetland.

The always present call of the Bar-shouldered Dove, a very attractive bird if caught in the right light.

Another Bird Survey in the Byron Hinterland

Back to the area that was surveyed two weeks ago and there was more raptor action at the site, with six species of diurnal raptor seen. In addition there were nest boxes containing mating pairs of Barn Owls for the evening shift. Analysis of the owl scats (pellets) show that they are mainly eating Black Rats and mice.

Photographs of this Shining Bronze-Cuckoo taken by other surveyors showed it had a green crown, indicative of the New Zealand sub-species. Closer examination showed other features that also pointed to this bird being the New Zealand Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (Chalcites lucidis lucidis) which winters in the Solomon Islands and New Britain then migrates south to breed in the New Zealand summer. Some of these birds take a route down the Australian east coast during August to November and the bird photographed appears to be one of them. The Australian subspecies does not show this migratory behaviour.

Always an impressive sight, the Wedge-tailed Eagle.

The Grey Goshawk. It looks like this is a young bird although it could possibly be the white version of the Grey Goshawk (the White Morph)? Both Grey and White morphs of this bird are seen in this area. It is believed that the white version has developed so that the Goshawks can hunt undetected within a flock of white cockatoos.

Bush Regeneration in the Byron Hinterland

The Big Scrub of the Byron Hinterland was cleared in one of man’s more thoughtless agricultural developments. Sadly the land was not as suitable for dairy farming as first thought and many farms were abandoned, to be later overrun by the introduced Camphor Laurel tree. If only eighty or ninety percent of the Big Scrub had been cleared we would have a magnificent sub-tropical rainforest of immense scientific and tourist value. But on went the clearing, stopping after 99 per cent had gone, and then only because of strident protests. Now, dedicated owners are working to restore the original rainforest.

The regeneration site we survey last week was an amalgamation of several farms in an ambitious project to restore the bush, and use regenerative farming techniques, while researching novel pest control techniques.

The site includes several grassy hillsides with an active raptor population. Seven diurnal raptor species were sighted including the Collared Sparrowhawk seen here. The interaction of owls breeding on the property with these raptors to achieve rodent control is one of the areas under study.

The same Collared Sparrowhawk.

This nest box has been commandeered by a pair of Galahs. This bird was patiently “sweeping, disinfecting and making fragrant” inside the box with a sprig of eucalypt leaves.

A pretty bird in a rural scene, hopefully not the next pest to be dealt with.

Tallow Creek near Byron Bay

The Tallow Creek bridge and old sewerage ponds in Suffolk Park near Byron Bay is not only a fruitful place for birding but also good for bird photography. There is often favourable early morning and evening light for photography over the lagoon. The paths are wide and the trees quite low providing helpful perches at a manageable height. There is limited parking and access from Broken Head Road near the holiday park.

An unusual sight here, this female Regent Bowerbird was quite a surprise as I walked back to the car.

Inquisitive Lewin’s Honeyeater poses on a handy branch near the old sewage ponds.

The Australian Reed-Warbler. The reed beds are busy with reed-warblers, grassbirds and fairy-wren.

A Red-backed Fairy-wren photographed in the reeds near the sewerage ponds - in an exposed position with good lighting.

The female Red-backed Fairy-wren was nearby.

There were Superb Fairy-wrens feeding nearby.

Rainbow Bee-eater with fly.

Little Wattlebirds are regulars in this area.

First Latham's Snipes of Spring

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.

Afternoon Survey at Vallances Road

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.

Byron Bay Wetlands in August

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.

Vallances Road near Mullimbimby

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.

Winter in the Byron Bay Wetlands

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.

Winter colours at Byron Bay

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.

Where are the Water Birds?

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.

Autumn in the Byron Bay Wetlands

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.