Cowra Woodland Birds

The Cowra Woodland Bird Program has monitored the progress of woodland birds for over twenty years. The survey runs four times a year over around 100 separate sites selected within a 30 kilometre radius around Cowra, in central New South Wales. This winter’s survey produced some good bird numbers for the time of year, a response to several good years of rain in wheatbelt of Australia.

An Eastern Rosella takes its time to get moving on a misty morning in Cowra.

This Sulphur-crested Cockatoo has found refuge in the middle a fast moving creek, still at flood levels from the previous week's heavy rains.

A Mistletoebird in a rather dormant looking tree, perhaps looking for insects to accompany its fruit and seed diet?

These two characters seem to have left their White-winged Chough family group and made the Cowra Holiday Park their home.

White-naped Honeyeaters were out in force this winter, at times seen in flocks of ten to twenty birds and challenging the normally dominant White-plumed Honeyeaters.

A regular around the camping ground, the introduced Blackbird.

Visit to Shoalhaven Heads and Comerong Island

Shoalhaven Heads 150 km south of Sydney is a good place to see shorebirds and waders. It is one of the key NSW sites for migratory birds over the summer. 

At this time of the year, late May, it is reasonably quiet. When I visited last week there were Black Swans, Grey and Chestnut Teal, Red-capped Plover, Sooty Oystercatchers, Masked Lapwings and a White-faced Heron on the mudflats. Two White-bellied Sea-Eagles appeared, one carrying what appeared to be a hapless Australian Raven while two further Ravens attacked. They flew low over the sand hills before disappearing on the town side of the river. 

The mouth of the Shoalhaven River is often blocked by sand and you can walk across to Comerong Island Nature Reserve, which lists over 150 bird species. While walking at the high tide mark I disturbed a Buff-banded Rail. It flustered off then peered back through the tussock. There were Yellow and Brown Thornbills, Brown Gerygones, Silvereyes and a Bandicoot quite happy to dig its holes along the path ahead, oblivious to my presence.  

White-bellied Sea-Eagle with Australian Raven at Shoalhaven Heads