O’Sullivans Gap in Myall Lakes National Park

Taking Wootton Way just north of Buladelah on NSW’s Mid North Coast, you come to a dirt road leading to the “The Grandis”.  This Eucalpytus Grandis (or Flooded Gum), stands at over 70 metres tall and is reputedly New South Wales’ tallest tree. A bit further up the Wootton road is O’Sullivans Gap Picnic Area. Here among cathedral like “grandis” grow tall palm trees, ferns and areas of dense rainforest.

The dense forest provides little light for photography, this photo of a Rufous Fantail taken at 1/160 seconds, f/5.6 at ISO 2000!

I was enticed to this spot by the description in Ted and Alex Wnorowski’s “Australian Good Birding Guide: NSW-ACT”, which promised Noisy Pitta, Pale-yellow Robins and Australian Logrunners. Although I did not see any of these this place is well worth a visit. If you take the bush track wear gumboots sprayed with copious Bushman Repellant to discourage the leeches!

The beautiful Eucalpytus Grandis provide a majestic setting with the dense undergrowth that surrounds O’Sullivan’s Gap Picnic Ground in Myall Lakes National Park.

This Sacred Kingfisher was high in a Eucalpytus Grandis. Other canopy birds included Topknot Pigeons and White-headed Pigeons.

Rainbow and Scaly-breasted Lorikeets (pictured) raced through the canopy. There were also small groups of Glossy Black-Cockatoos and Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos.

This Spectacled Monarch was my bird of the day, feeding in Lantana at the fringe of the picnic ground.

I was not sure what this bird in the dark understory was until the photo was developed on the computer. One of a pair of Yellow-throated Scrubwrens.

Numbers of Brown Gerygones (pictured) as well as Red-browed Finches, Superb Fairy-wren, and Silvereyes buzzed through the Lantana that grows around the picnic area and on the roadside.

Myall Lakes National Park

The Myall lakes wind through an ancient riverbed where the New England Fold belt meets and overthrusts the Sydney Basin rocks - bounded seaward by sandhills that were laid down 60,000 years ago and a coastal sand belt formed 6,000 years ago. The national park covers 44,000 hectare and is 50 km north of Newcastle in NSW. Its wetlands are Ramsar listed with 18 different wetland types. Black-necked Storks, Comb-crested Jacanas, and White-bellied Sea-Eagles are among the 280 species of bird reported here. And the park is home to 41 species of mammal, 15 amphibians and 16 reptiles.

Several Brown Cuckoo-Doves were regular visitors to the pond side trees opposite our Tiny House on Bombah Point Road.

Our accommodation for the weekend was a Tiny House on Bombah Point Road, set in spacious and bushy grounds. The visit started well with two Glossy Black-Cockatoos and a pair of Tawny Frogmouths roosting close by. Bird watching from the Tiny House deck added Blue-faced Honeyeaters, Lewin’s Honeyeaters, Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, Eastern Spinebills, Brown Cuckoo-Doves, and a Wonga Pigeon, with several endlessly busy Grey Butcherbirds feeding on the lawns.

One of the Grey Butcherbirds feeding on prey exposed by what was a very wet lawn (gumboots recommended).

At Mungo Beach were groups of Crested Terns, two Pied Oystercatchers and the usual Silver Gulls. There was a White-cheeked Honeyeater calling in the car park.

Noisy Friarbirds commanded the taller trees, competing with a small group of Noisy Miners.

Cowra woodland birds

A day wandering down farm lanes and exploring the remnant bush around Cowra in the NSW Wheatbelt is a pleasure rewarded with sights of many birds; larger birds that thrive in the open farmland, aggressive Noisy Miners and Rainbow Lorikeets expanding their territories, honeyeaters that have to travel further and further to feed, and small birds surviving in the remaining thickets of bush.

Eastern Rosellas were everywhere, thriving after last years drought breaking rains.

This bee-eater was “working the air currents” around the Cowra lookout. Was it coincidence that someone was keeping bee hives at the base of the hill?

The locals were noting the increase in Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and blaming rain on the coast for their presence. Another explanation for the high numbers could be the good rains around Cowra?

Flocks of Silvereyes were feeding in the hedges around the camping ground in which I was staying.

Present as always and adding a splash of colour were the Red-rumped Parrots.

A group of Tree Martins land in the tree by a farm gate. A few hours before the same tree was full of Dusky Woodswallows.

Restoring the woodlands

Pioneer farmers cleared forests, woodlands and grasslands from Queensland to Victoria to develop the eastern wheatbelt farmlands that have contributed so much to the prosperity of Australia. More than 90 per cent of the forest cover was removed and what remains is highly fragmented; many species, plants, animals and birds, are endangered. Now a reverse effort is underway to restore vegetation types so as to maintain the local flora and fauna for future generations.

The extent of land-clearing can be seen from the Cowra lookout in the city’s centre. This small tree’d hill is in fact a good place to see many bird species, including Eastern Rosellas, Rainbow Bee-eaters, White-plumed Honeyeaters, Rufous Songlarks, woodswallows and raptors.

In the Cowra district the forest cover has been largely removed. Only small pockets of the original grassy woodlands and dry sclerophyll forests remain – on inhospitable steep and rocky hills, on TSRs (Travelling Stock Reserves), and by the road-side. Small patches of riverine forest are seen on river banks. The Cowra Woodland Birds Program encourages re-vegetation and protection of existing woodlands and conducts quarterly surveys to monitor bird numbers.

The Golden Valley Travelling Stock Reserve is one of 6,500 across New South Wales. The TSRs are common land owned by the government to aid movement of livestock across the state. They are too often the only local remnants of original bush and their old trees often provide nesting places for parrots including the vulnerable Superb Parrot.

This dry patch of callitris (cypress pines), ironbarks and other eucalypts is typical of residual hill top bush of the Cowra region. It remains home to many rare and vulnerable species of plants and birds.

Conimbla National Park

Access to Conimbla National Park in the NSW wheatbelt is 15 km from the Cowra to Grenfell highway. The 8,000 hectare park forms a bush island around Yambira mountain rising 500metres above the surrounding cultivated plains. The vegetation is mainly “Western Slopes Dry Sclerophyll Forest” consisting of ironbark eucalypt, other eucalypts and callitris (cypress pines). The park is home to Glossy Black-Cockatoos, Turquoise Parrots, and several species of honeyeaters and robins. It is known as a refuge for Painted Button-quail and for Spotted Quail-thrush.

White-throated Treecreepers were calling at all the sites visited in Conimbla National Park last week, this bird feeding on an Ironbark coloured by lichen.

This view of the Wallaby Walking Track shows the Ironbarks, other eucalypts and callitris typical of the park’s vegetation.

On last week’s survey we saw both Brown and White-throated Treecreepers and three Speckled Warblers at the park entrance. On the Wallaby Walking Track we saw White-eared and Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, Red-browed Finches, White-browed Scrubwrens, Superb Fairy-wren, Grey Fantails, whistlers and a flock of six Varied Sittellas.

Red-browed Finches were nesting in a low shrub in the picnic ground at the foot of the Wallaby Walking Track.

This White-eared Honeyeater was looking for company and stayed near the track for several minutes before flying off.

A highlight was the sudden appearance of a group of six Varied Sittellas in a flock that included treecreepers and fantails.

Summer at Lake Wallace

Lake Wallace near Lithgow in NSW is a good place to see rare ducks and Great Crested Grebes. Over this summer there has been a deficit in duck numbers on the east coast of NSW and last week there were only a few ducks on Lake Wallace. But these included Blue-billed Ducks, Musk Ducks, Australian Wood Ducks and Hardheads, making my stopover there worthwhile as always.

There were numerous Great Crested Grebes on the lake, most of them like this one were accompanied by one or more juvenile chicks.

This Great Crested Grebe chick is well camouflaged against the lake in its juvenile colours.

There were two Blue-billed Ducks lurking in dense vegetation at the lake shore and emerging every now and then for a photo. In a particular light, these blue bills show almost fluorescent light blue colour, highly visible through the reeds.

The reeds were also alive with Australian Reed-Warblers flying back and forth.

Lake Wallace is popular inland holiday spot with campers and caravanners who can park close to the lake. A beautiful place on a crisp summer’s day like that of last week.

One year and one month after the NSW bushfires

It was just over a year ago that the Currawon bushfire raged through Conjola National Park south of Sydney, burning most of the park. At the survey sites I monitor the rains of the last year have meant a faster recovery than expected, but progress varies greatly depending on the terrain. Where the hottest fires struck in tall eucalypt forest there is a mix of trees recovering through epicormic growth and other trees, usually the smaller ones, that appear to be dead at this stage. In coastal scrub there are large areas where all the trees are dead but the undergrowth is renewing.

This Rufous Whistler is feeding in the epicormic growth on medium sized eucalypts, in an area that is recovering well from the fires.

Bird numbers are recovering but still not to the pre-fire levels. The most noticeable absence is the large honeyeaters, especially the Red Wattlebirds.

The shrubs in this coastal scrub are dead. The thick mat of regrowth is now over a metre high and looking very healthy. The weeds that grew earlier have now been overgrown. A few birds hawk for insects in the regrowth.

In this patch of burnt medium sized eucalypts the regrowth is a mixture of acacias and eucalypt. In places it forms a thick mat that is now up to two metres high. The mix of species seems to be encouraging a wider range of birds.

Summer surveys in Sydney’s east

The parks are quiet in the heat and our bird number count is down. Rumour has it that the water birds have left for inland waters this year; Kensington Pond at Centennial Park had only one solitary Eurasian Coot that had to join a flock of Pacific Black Ducks for company. The total species counts at Centennial Park were only one or two down on normal but total numbers were well below average. The morning’s survey was enlivened by two Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos squabbling with an agitated Sulphur-crested Cockatoo.   

Although I associate Yellow-rumped Thornbills more with the open fields of the country they are seen quite regularly at Randwick Environment Park. Here two birds were foraging amongst the litter in the parks well maintained gardens for insects and the occasional seed.

The lake at Randwick Environment Park is bone dry, it has only had fleeting partial water fills since the drought. More worryingly the creek is running at a trickle. The count included a solitary magpie, even the Noisy Miners were down to two. There were more birds on the bushy side of the park, including Yellow-rumped Thornbills, New Holland Honeyeaters and Superb Fairy-wrens.

Randwick Environment Park is a surprising oasis of green in Sydney’s east. The flat area pictured was a well populated lake and water bird refuge before the drought.

More “everyday” birds in the city

There is always something to see in the city’s parks and bush reserves and always something interesting to photograph. The photos below are from around Sydney the past two weeks.

Magpie-larks, also called Peewees after their distinctive call, are seen throughout country Australia, on the ground at the road-side searching for insects. They are just as at home in the city parks and gardens, this Magpie-lark is resting on a park bench.

The Long-billed Corella is a native of South Australia but in Sydney released cage-birds have joined with flocks of Little Corellas. They are easily distinguished from the Little Corellas by their distinctive coloured throats and of course their long bills.

This Powerful Owl is avoiding attention, a world removed from the dog-walkers and dogs on the path directly below the tree it is roosting in.

Even when you know which trees the Tawny Frogmouths are roosting in they are extremely hard to see, well camouflaged to hide in their favourite Melaleuca trees.

Brown Quail return to Centennial Park

Brown Quail have been noted from time to time in Centennial Park, Sydney, but it is quite a few years since the last sighting. A single bird was reported a week ago and now two birds have been confirmed, residing on the grassy banks of one of the park’s ponds.

It was 5pm, raining and the camera was safely in its waterproof bag when these two Brown Quail appeared for their photograph.

Christmas parrots 2020

Galah

Australian King-Parrot

Crimson Rosella

"Everyday" birds

The parks around Sydney are good places to photograph birds. Sometimes the birds are not the rarest or the most exotic. But this is made up for because the birds are tamer and you can get closer. And the open spaces have good light for photography. Not to mention that parks provide a handy place to get outdoors and take some pictures!

This odd gathering of birds was seen in Sydney’s Centennial Park.

Even the much maligned Noisy Miner can look quite handsome in a certain light.

This close up view gives a new perspective on a young Superb Fairy-wren.

Conjola National Park – beaches and lagoons

The beaches and lagoons of Conjola National Park are popular holiday destinations, with excellent surfing and swimming. The park includes parts of Conjola Lake and Berringer Lake as well as Swan Lake, Berrara Creek lagoon and Nerrindillah Creek lagoon.

Kingfishers frequent the park’s streams and lagoons. This Sacred Kingfisher patrols a small pond that has formed during recent rains.

The coastal region has four endangered ecological communities: these are the Coastal Saltmarsh, Swamp Sclerophyll Forest, Swamp Oak Floodplain Forest and Bangalay Sand Forest communities. Endangered Hooded Plovers and Pied Oystercatchers nest on the park’s beaches and Little Terns nest at Lake Conjola Entrance.

Pied Oystercatchers are an endangered species in New South Wales. A number of pairs were breeding within the park this year.

Hooded Plovers are closely monitored and nest sites are protected to prevent beach goers inadvertently destroying the nest. Hooded Plovers are highly endangered in New South Wales with the population estimated at only 50 birds in total.

Conjola National Park – woodland and forest birds

Conjola National Park covers 11,060 hectares between Sussex Inlet and Lake Conjola on New South Wales’ south coast. It is on the southern fringe of the Sydney Basin, the underlying rocks are Permian sandstones, siltstones and shales. These support a rich range of environments; coastal scrubs, estuarine, wetland, forest, and woodlands. This area has been home to Dharawal-Dhuruga speaking people for 20,000 years, now represented by the Jerrinja Local Aboriginal Land Council.

A Black-faced Monarch photographed at Red-Head. The Monarch is one of the birds listed by the Australian Government as at risk after the recent bush fires decimated Conjola National Park..

Recent rains have fed streams and the small areas of rain-forest look lush with envigorated Lilly Pillys and Cabbage Palms. Coming with the spring flush has been an increasing number of woodland and forest birds, encouraging after the silent forests of the fires.

At the Davies Road bridge water is flowing again in this often dry tributary of Nerindilla Creek, producing a verdant setting for this Spotted Pardalote and other woodland birds including; White-cheeked Honeyeaters, Eastern Whipbirds, Rufous Fantails, Large-billed Scrubwren, Brown Cuckoo-Doves, Olive-backed Orioles and Black-faced Monarchs.

This White-naped Honeyeater was nesting close to Nerindilla Lagoon.

Variegated Fairy-wren still outnumber their Superb Fairy-wren cousins, a reversal of the situation before the bush fires.

Feeding birds after the bush fires

Normally I do not feed birds, but often have water available for their use. After the bush fires I put out bird seed, fresh fruit and vegetables. I also pulled the netting off the raised bed vegetable garden to give access. The fresh fruit and vegetables were commandeered by the local Satin Bowerbirds who enjoyed chopped carrots but really loved grapes! The open garden bed became territory for a couple of Whipbirds and a Wonga Pigeon. But the bird seed was relatively untouched as the heavy rains after the fire brought on a bloom of seeding grasses and weeds. Now I am only feeding birds on request. Every few weeks or so there is a racket on the back verandah roof and a King-Parrot face hanging from the guttering, looking into the house, asking for a top up of bird seed.   

This Australian King-Parrot was happy with a small plate of seed after sitting on the gutter calling for service.

Spring at Booderee National Park

Booderee National Park at Jervis Bay on New South Wales’ south coast consists of 6,379 hectares of highly varied habitats plus 875 hectares of crystal clear waters of the bay. Booderee is a Dhurga word that means plentiful fish - the park is owned and managed by traditional owners together with Parks Australia. Vegetation communities include eucalypt forest (Blackbutt and Bangalay), woodlands (Silvertop Ash and Bloodwood), dry and wet heathlands, coastal scrub and wetlands. The Booderee Botanical Gardens include relic rainforest (Hard Corkwood and Lilly Pilly).

Family of Tawny Frogmouths at Booderee Botanical Gardens.

Northern and southern vegetation types meet a Jervis Bay and the park is home to over 200 bird species. These include the endangered Eastern Bristlebird (see last week’s blog) and Eastern Ground Parrot. Little Penguins and three species of Shearwater breed on Bowen Island at the mouth of Jervis Bay.

This young Dusky Woodswallow, waiting to be fed by one of its parents, was seen at Hyams Heath Walk bordering Booderee National Park.

Another youngster, a Rufous Fantail at Hyams Heath Walk.

Eastern Bristlebird

Last week the Milton Ulladulla Birdwatching Group (MUD) fortnightly field trip was to Booderee National Park, Jervis Bay. A very profitable morning with a lot of interesting birds to see. My highlight was a first sighting and photograph of an Eastern Bristlebird. This was after hearing a number of calls, in fact we may have heard as many as eight birds through the morning.

Usually very shy and hidden within the low heath around Jervis Bay, this Eastern Bristlebird helpfully took to the path to provide this excellent photo opportunity.

Update on Snowy

We have become quite used to seeing this white Australian Magpie around, taking its place in Magpie society with some more conventional Magpie friends. In my blog in March I speculated as to why Snowy was so coloured. Some darker features, especially the eye, indicated that Snowy was leutistic rather than albino. Albinos are pure white (or pink) due to the total absence of melanin colouring.

Snowy photographed back in March.

Today we have the answer; over the subsequent six months Snowy has gradually developed more dark features indicating Snowy’s whiteness was caused by poor expression of melanin rather than its absence. Snowy is leutistic.

A more mottled Snowy, photographed this week.

This week's visitors

Numbers of species and the total number of birds are slowly increasing in the aftermath of the Currowan bushfire at the seven South Coast NSW sites I regularly survey. The sites are two hectares in area and I record standard 20 minute surveys into the Birdata survey app that is managed by Birdlife Australia.

Superb Fairy-wrens were scarce after the bushfires but are now making a slow return.

The Yellow-faced Honeyeater is the predominant honeyeater at the moment, enjoying the absence of larger Wattlebirds who have yet to find good food sources in this area.

A solitary Australian Raven paints a stark picture against the burnt bush.

One thousand cuts

One of the biggest ironies is the many reasons given for cutting down more trees after so many were lost in the bushfires. All good reasons in some people’s eyes or from certain perspectives. To clear the road, to make people safe from falling trees, to protect the infrastructure, to stimulate the economy through forestry, to create employment after the fire and the pandemic, to make way for development, to provide a better buffer against future fires.

The electricity company makes good on a promise to better protect infrastructure from bushfires by chopping another 5-10 metre swathe of bush on each side to protect the wires.

For the environment (and implicitly the future economy) this is a one way street. Each tree gone takes us further away from the sustainable future we need to reach.

At some point in the past it had been decided to chop two paths through the bush. One for the road and one for the wires, thereby already doubling the bush destroyed.