Byron Bay Wetlands
The Byron Bay Wetlands consist of reed beds and ponds in a restored melaleuca swampland, formed by the planting of more than half a million trees. The wetland was constructed to provide final treatment for the Byron Bay Sewerage Treatment Plant outflow. The success of this restoration project is demonstrated by the over 200 bird species seen here to date.
Link to map and birdlist “Birds of the Byron Wetlands”
Photo: In the wetland’s reed beds, the Golden-headed Cisticola can be recognised by the large dark streaks on its back and distinctive buzzing song, sometimes followed by brief chirps.
Black-winged Stilts add an elegant air to the wetland. Black-winged Stilts can swim but prefer to forage in shallow water.
The colours of the White-necked Heron are shown to advantage in the early morning sun, foraging in a shallow pond.
Nankeen Night Herons are less frequent visitors and tend to hide amongst the Malaleuca trees. This heron is feeling rather exposed in a burnt out patch of bush.
Forest Kingfishers watch from the trees close to the wetland ponds and drains. This young bird showing some adolescent colouring with its buff coloured lorals (the patch in front of the eyes).
Here in the swamp’s dark waters, the Royal Spoonbill feeds amongst trees that burnt in a recent fire. Fortunately only a small area of the wetland was burnt but the sight of blackened trees in water gives the wetland an eerie look.
A frequent visitor, feeding on the wetland’s mud-flats, the little Black-fronted Dotterel.
The Spotless Crake is rarely seen, here keeping close to thick cover at the pond’s edge, on an early morning forage.
A spring arrival at the wetlands, this Buff-banded Rail has been busy in the grass around one of the larger ponds.
Baillon’s Crake is another shy water bird, hiding in the reed beds and at pond edges. Lewin’s Rails and the Australian Spotted Crakes are also heard or seen from time to time.
More frequently seen, Comb-crested Jacana, well adapted with its long toes to walking and feeding across the water lilies and weeds.
Trawling in a small pond, the presence of a Little Pied Cormorant attests that food is available in these dark waters.
Little Grassbirds usually make their presence known by their mournful whistle, often heard at distance across the reed beds. At some times of the year the Little Grassbirds come out in force, skipping across and feeding on their favourite water plants.
The Australian Reed-Warbler, seen in the wetland reed beds, has long legs, a flat head and long bill. It also has a loud and jolly call.
The Tawny Grassbird can be seen in reed beds and long grass. Its cheerful call is a mixture of songs, trills and buzzes that herald an often short and erratic flight.
No Australian waterland would be complete without Pacific Black Ducks. A good view of the wetland’s ducks can be seen from Bird Hide on the largest and deepest pond, in Cell H.
Australasian Grebe are seen on the Cell H pond, diving for their food.
This fine duck is a Radjah Shelduck, a rare visitor a long way from its northern Australia home.
These Gray Teals add a tranquil vibe to the large ponds. This photograph was taken from the bird hide on the Cell H pond.
Two Wandering Whistling-Ducks grace the waters of E Cell.
The magestic Black Swan, seen at time of many of the wetland pools.
These Australian White Ibis fly out from the wetland’s ponds, illuminated by the last rays of the setting sun.
The Glossy Ibis is less commonly seen than the Australian White Ibis but call in from time to time. Straw-necked Ibis also make occaisional visits here but are most commonly seen flying over to nearby waterways.
Latham’s Snipes normally appear at the wetland during the month of September, feeding after their long flight back from northern hemisphere breeding grounds.
The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper also makes occaisional visits, passing through on their spring return from Siberia.
A wetland regular, the Plumed Egret (previously known as the Intermediate Egret) feeds on insects, frogs and small fish close to the large ponds.
Another regular visitor, the White-faced Heron.
The Whistling Kite. Other raptors regularly seen include White-bellied Sea-Eagles, Black-shouldered Kites, Swamp Harriers and Grey Goshawks
A Black-shouldered Kite surveys the ponds and reed beds from its central perch.
This Australian Hobby occaisionally makes a visit.
This spectacular Azure Kingfisher adds a flash of colour, perched above one of the wetland’s water channels.
The open space and good views that followed the fire are appreciated by this adult Forest Kingfisher. The adult has white lores (in front of the eyes), the two lores when seen from the front are often described as “traffic lights” that distinguish the Forest Kingfisher.
Willie Wagtails are ever present, with their happy voices and friendly nature.
This time it is a Great Egret moving to a new spot to feed. The Great Egret can be distinguished from the smaller Egrets by its height and the kink in its neck when it flys.
White-throated Needletails are from the Swift family, a group of birds that fly swiftly and feed at great heights, rarely descending to rest. They follow storms across the country feeding on insects blown by the storm’s winds, here seen above the wetlands largest pond.
A colourful Eastern Rosella. Other parrots seen from time to time include Glossy and Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos, Galahs, Little Corellas, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Lorikeets and Crimson Rosellas.
There are often Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos feeding at the fringes of the wetlands.
The reed beds are home to a number of finches including this Chestnut-breasted Mannikin, Red-browed Finches and the Double-barred Finch.
A Double-barred Finch, feeding over the fence from the wetland in the adjoining sports fields.
The Red-browed Finch, usually seen in the long grass and woodland edges.
The White-throated Gerygone and its beautiful descending twinkling song often forms part of the wetland’s bird song chorus.
Whistlers, including this female Rufous Whistler, the Golden Whistler and the Grey Shrike-thrush are regulars in the Malaleuca woodlands of the wetland precinct.
The more colourful male Rufous Whistler.
This Grey Shrike-thrush was photographed in a small patch of sub-tropical rainforest on the opposite side of Cell H from the wetland’s bird hide.
A Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, one of the many species that find a place to build their nest within the wetlands.
A female Cicadabird, a plainish bird from a distance, is recognised by its Cicada like call.
This Restless Flycatcher is often seen and heard outside the wetlands Interpretive Centre and meeting room. Leaden Flycatchers are also often seen.
This Eastern Whipbird was one of four chasing and calling in an early season courtship ritual.
The Varied Triller is northern bird that comes as far south as the north New South Wales coast. It has a very distinctive short trilling sound.
A rarer wetland visitor, the White-winged Triller, caused a surprise by nesting close to the wetland gate.
Cuckoos are regularly present include this Shining Bronze Cuckoo, the Fan-tailed Cuckoo, the Brush Cuckoo, and Pheasant Coucal.
The Brush Cuckoo has a distinctive call of clear and piercing descending notes. Despite this it can be hard to spot in the Malaleuca woods.
Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoos are not as common here as the Shining Bronze-Cuckoo but sometimes turn up at the start of summer.
The Little Friarbird is normally a winter visitor to the wetlands, migrating from the south.
A Noisy Friarbird feeding on nectar in the wetland’s Malaleuca forests.
The friendly Eastern Yellow Robin. Often first noticed by its “fire-alarm” like call and then seen flying low down from the ground on bush tracks into the neighbouring scrub.
Mistletoebirds are small but spectacular with their red waistcoat and black belly stripe. This spring the wetlands were home to at least two nesting pairs and many more birds were seen indicating there could have been more nests.
This Spangled Drongo looks has had its beak in the mud but its plumage is glowing.
The “machine gun” like call of the Lewin’s Honeyeater is one of the most common heard across the wetlands.
The Scarlet Honeyeater seen above, together with Brown Honeyeaters, abound when the Malaleucas flower. Other common honeyeaters include the White-cheeked Honeyeater and Lewin’s Honeyeater.
The eastern sub-species of Silvereye, Zosterops lateralis cornwalli, is one of several races of Silvereye seen in the Byron area.
The beautiful Rainbow Bee-eater finds plenty of insects and are regulars in the wetland area.
A Pheasant Coucal flutters across the grass, looking like some early aeroplane in action.
A less common visitor from the north, the Little Bronze Cuckoo. The Northern Rivers region attracts a lot of species like the Little Bronze Cuckoo that are at the southern end of the species’ range.
Striped Honeyeaters are often present, seen or heard with their distinctive call.
Grey Fantails have a constant presence in the Malaleuca woodlands surrounding the wetlands.
A White-browed Scrubwren. These birds forage low in the scrub and debris below the Malaleuca trees.
The little Brown Thornbill is one of the “little brown birds” seen in the wetland, along with Large-billed Scrubwren.
A female Superb Fairy-wren.
This female Red-backed Fairy-wren was chasing insects with its male companion in the pond-side reeds and grasses.
The male Red-backed Fairy-wren.
The White-headed Pigeon, a common bird here due to the proliferation of a new source of food, the introduced Camphor Laurel tree, which grows lke a weed in the Byron shire.
The Bar-shouldered Dove. Other pigeons include the Spotted Turtle-Dove, Crested Pigeon, Topknot Pigeons and less commonly Rose-crowned Fruit-Doves and Peaceful Doves.
Fairy Martins (above) and Welcome Swallows patrol the waters and reed beds of the wetland.
Magpie Larks seem particularly fond of ponds overgrown with aquatic weeds.
Pied Currawongs seem to prefer the wetland perimeter, watching for reptiles and other prey.
Council staff keep the grass paths and entrances to the wetland mowed, providing food for this Australian Pipit.
Not so welcome in a wildlife reserve, this fox splashes after a group of ducks, who fortunately were able to make a rapid departure.
After the sunset, a group of wetland inhabitants, Royal Spoonbills and Black-winged Stilts, move to the centre of Cell E pond to roost together, a safe place to spend the night.