Most of the wonderful bush regeneration sites in the Byron Hinterland in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales attempt to faithfully recreate the original habitat and bush, and many are spectacular successes. But last week’s Byron Bird Buddies survey was at a site where flowering plants (mainly native or cultivars of natives) and smaller native shrubs and trees dominate. The result was a very different avifauna, dominated by honeyeaters and small birds.
We saw nine different species of Honeyeater over the morning: this Scarlet Honeyeater, Brown Honeyeaters, Lewins Honeyeaters, White-cheeked Honeyeaters, three White-thoated Honeyeaters, Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, Noisy Friarbirds, Little Wattlebirds and Blue-faced Honeyeaters.
A Brown Honeyeater. Many of the honeyeaters were seen on this domestic species of Grevillea. Domestic Grevilleas and other flowering natives dominated large parts of the planting.
The smaller birds were well represented, as per this Chestnut-breasted Mannikin.
A Golden-heaed Cisticola watches from a fence. Other birds seen included Brown Quail, Red-browed Finches, Red-backed Fairy-wren, Tawny Grassbirds, Common Cicadabird and Varied Trillers.