Winter visitors to the New South Wales South Coast
Winter brings big changes to the birds of the New South Wales South Coast. The Cuckoos have long left, in March and April, flying north to as far as Papua New Guinea. The migratory waders have left too, for their long journey to the northern hemisphere breeding grounds. Honeyeaters head north to warmer climes, forming large flocks that can be seen flying over Sydney and swooping through the passes of the Blue Mountains. Other birds arrive; Robins leave the mountains of the great divide and head to the more temperate coast. Other birds migrate north from as far south as Tasmania.
This winter visitor from the mountains, the Rose Robin, was only 10 metres from the beach on the NSW South Coast. It was taking advantage of insects in the acacias and eucalypts now flourishing in some burnt out areas.
Also visiting for the winter, the Tasmanian Silvereye (race Zosterops lateralis lateralis) can be distinguished from the local Silvereye race by its cinnamon flanks and it mid blue-grey back.
Not all the honeyeaters fly north as this Yellow-faced Honeyeater can attest. But this usually very common bird becomes quite scarce as most of its kind have left the south coast during June and July.