.We had been planning the trip
to Australia for nearly a year when, a week before our departure on
21st September, Jeremy enquired “were going anywhere near Sydney, if
so would we deliver a copy of the new Breeding Atlas to the CBOC”?
Somewhat surprised I said possibly, I had not realised that they were
based there, although I had read in CBC news the account Richard
Wimpress did of his visit and more recently the article by Barry
Lancaster about his Cumbria Trip. The Atlas is quite heavy at 2
kilograms so the baggage had to be weighed and checked against the
airline luggage allowance to ensure there was spare capacity, there
was.
With a list of e-mail
contacts provided by Jeremy I blanket covered them all, because there
is not one for CBOC Chairman Tony Dymond. There was a rapid response
and two days before departure the phone rang ‘Hello, Frank, this is
Tony Dymond calling from Australia, Dave Piercy gave me your number,
when will you be here, how can we help———. We agree provisional dates
and arrange to discuss the details in more detail closer to the date.
Brilliant! that begins to firm up our open itinerary for the last
week, which for the four weeks will be: week one in the Cairns area in
Northern Queensland, week two at Coffs Harbour on the NSW coast, week
three inland at Coolah and then Wollongong and the last week in and
around Sydney.
The article will mainly be
about our two days with CBOC. However, we saw and indeed heard so many
stunning birds even before we reached Sydney that a brief summary may
be of interest. It may also provide the inspiration for others to make
the trip.
Australia is a very large and
very diverse continent and developing an itinerary is difficult. We
intended doing the Great Barrier Reef but missed out, a decision we
regret but certainly an incentive to go back. Nevertheless, in four
weeks we saw a lot and met many interesting people so here is a
flavour of a great country. Cairns and its hinterland is brilliant
and both Cassowary House run by Phil and Sue Gregory and Kingfisher
Lodge Birdwatchers Park run by Ron Stannard are excellent places to
stay. Cassowary House is full board and Sue provides excellent food
and is also a very good naturalist (Phil was away leading a tour). Set
in the rain forest with the trees touching the house, the place is
alive with birds and mammals.
The Cassowary unfortunately
did not appear and had not put in an appearance for some days. Sue was
concerned that he might have been a victim of a car accident, a common
cause of Cassowary deaths. Nevertheless at the house and within a 10
minutes walk there were so many beautiful birds and bird song it is
difficult to describe. In trees over 50 feet high, with a dense
understory, birds at every level and everyone new the first morning
was blur except for one of the most magical moments of the whole trip.
Looking over the bridge into the creek below I saw a movement in the
water and to my great delight a Duckbilled Platypus emerged from under
the bank, calling Shelagh over we watched it foraging for two or three
minutes. As it swam out of view a stunningly beautiful Azure
Kingfisher alighted on a branch, dropped into the water and emerged
with a fish, breakfast over and away it flew. Over the next three days
we developed our identification skills and realised that bird watching
in tall trees is literally a pain in the neck. We really appreciated
the expensive binocular harnesses purchased at the Rutland Water Bird
Fair in August. Some of the splendid birds we got at Cassowary were
Victoria’s Rifle Bird, Macleays Honeyeater, Catbird, Brush Turkey,
Orange-footed Scrub Fowl, Silvereye, Fig Bird, Mistletoe Bird, Eastern
Whip Bird, Brown Cuckoo Dove, Whompoo Pigeon, Helmeted Friar Bird,
Yellow-bellied Sunbird, Butcher Bird, Emerald Dove, Brown Honeyeater,
Eastern Yellow Robin and a Chestnut Rail that that took cheese from
Sue. The two male Victoria’s Rifle Birds also came for cheese every
morning.
The mammals at Cassowary House
are also an experience and dined on the ground under the balcony, they
were: Brown Bandicoot, Long Nosed Bandicoot, Bush Rat, White-tailed
Rat, Pademelon with Joey and an uncommon miniature bush kangaroo.
There are several good sites
on the Atherton Table lands within an hours drive and from here we
visited Mareeba Marsh, unfortunately closed when we went, Granite
Gorge, Hasties Swamp and the mud flats at Cairns, we missed out the
Crocodile Farm and opted to look at the 500 year old ‘Curtain Fig’ a
spectacular strangler fig.
Every bird was new and we
were thrilled at identifying our first Magpie Lark. Australian Magpie,
Straw-necked Ibis, Little Pied Cormorant, Kookaburra and Willy Wagtail
all very common but quite brilliant birds. A Hobby and Kestrel were
seen and also a Black Kite, another common raptor that frequents the
highways, probably feeding on the dead Kangaroos and Wallabies that
littered the road verges. Hasties Swamp has an excellent hide and a
good range of waders and ducks, including a large flock of Magpie
Geese, and Plumed Whistling Duck, Pink-eared Duck, Black-fronted and
Red-kneed Dotterels. The mud flats at Cairns are a must for waders,
egrets, and terns. Granite Gorge is an interesting clutter of huge
granite boulders with friendly group of Wallabies an added attraction.
On the way in three partridge like birds were identified as Squatter
Pigeons.
Kingfisher Lodge Birdwatchers
Park is about an hours drive north and is very good self catering
apartments set in a small forest reserve. The independent guides Carol
and Andrew Isles offer a very good itinerary at a reasonable price and
for $20 AUD each we did an early morning walk, an evening walk lamping
at the same price and a morning trip to Mount Lewis for $180 AUD
(exchange rate $2.80 to £1). Mount Lewis is excellent for Queensland
endemic species including Yellow-breasted Boat Bill, Atherton Scrub
Wren, Fern Wren, Graceful Honeyeater, Chowchilla, Bridled Honeyeater
and Tooth-billed Bowerbird. The quiet sojourn at the bower of the
Golden Bower Bird was the highlight of the day.
At Kingfisher Park we saw more
wonderful birds that include; Lemon-breasted flycatcher, Forest
Kingfisher, Blue Faced Honeyeater, the super little Red-browed Finches
(Firetails) on the bird table and a solitary Chestnut-breasted
Mannikin, Striated Pardalote, Scaly-breasted and Rainbow Lorikeet and
Metalic Starling. Determining a star bird was difficult, perhaps the
pair of Grey Goshawk or the Brown Goshawk, maybe the Brahminy Kite or
even the Bush Stone Curlew or the Rufous Night Heron? no, it had to be
the pair of Papuan Frogmouths roosting in a tall tree. The night walk
gave us Barn Owl, Owlet Nightjar, A hissing juvenile Sooty Owl and
some splendid mammals that included Fruit Bat, Tube-nosed Bat and
Striped Possum and even a reptile, the Boyd’s Forest Dragon. Other
good birds we were directed to were a Great Bower Bird and its Bower
in the primary school grounds at Mount Molloy and displaying male
Bustards and their females at West Mary Creek road near Carbine.
Moving down to NSW there were
endless birding sites, Coastal dunes and heath at Moonee Beech,
Reservoirs like Beardies near Glencoe and Lake Keepit near Tamworth,
rivers and endless tall bush, low bush, open and closed bush, open and
closed tall rain forest, tropical and temperate and dry sclerophyll
forest and of course a range of grasslands, Mount Warning in the
caldera of a huge volcano is spectacular all National Parks or Nature
Reserves. However, following a very dry winter much of the Continent
is suffering drought and every day there were plumes of smoke and
constant smoke haze from bush fires.
There are many places along
the coast where White-bellied Sea Eagle and Osprey could be found. The
Wedge Tailed Eagle is more specialised but we saw it inland and near
the Coast, although the Little Eagle was less frequent. The
Black-shouldered Kite was the commonest raptor often seen sitting on
telegraph wires and Black and Whistling Kites were common. Such was
the birding that we never failed to find one or more new birds every
day. Every bird was a thrill and none more so than the common but
beautiful blue and black Superb Fairy Wren. Or the red and black
Red-backed Wren.
Ibis:- Glossy, Straw-necked
and white, feeding in parks, gardens and road sides with the latter
nesting in hundreds in the Centennial Park in central Sydney. Royal
and Yellow-billed spoonbills were also common. The Egrets needed a bit
of attention though, Cattle Egret and Little Egret were okay but the
Great Egret and Intermediate Egret could only be separated on head
markings, neck length and stature. There is a nice range of Herons,
rails, moorhens and ducks to sort out, with wood duck and purple swamp
hen prospecting picnic tables along with Sulphur-crested Cockatoo and
Silver Gulls. In the Forest parks the handsome Pied Currawong, Scrub
Turkey and Satin Bowerbird came for tit bits. On this leg of our stay
we were with long time friends who moved out to Australia 20 years
ago, both keen naturalists but also geologists and fossickers. Thus in
addition to the birding we had a few days inland fossicking with NSW
Fossil Club around Coola and Coonabarabran. Out here the Warumbungle
National Park is another spectacular volcanic formation and here we
saw Emu, Chough and some of the more open dry grassland and scrub
species. Back on the coast at Wollongong our friends garden birds
included Spinebill and New Holland Honeyeater. A few miles inland of
Wollongong the Barren Grounds Nature Reserve is a must for many
species including Eastern Bristlebird, although on our only cool
drizzly day it proved elusive.
There are some special waders
and our own Lapwing will never be quite the same again after seeing
the amazing yellow faced Masked Lapwing that bred everywhere,
including a pair with chicks in the Olympic Park at Homebush in
Sydney, Marsh Sandpiper and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper were common as were
Red-Kneed Plover, Black-fronted Plover and Black-winged Stilt. The
Red-capped Plover on the shore at Lake Illawarra near Wollongong was
another special for me.
A brief interlude sightseeing
in Sydney cannot go without mention of two memorable experiences, the
first at night over the Harbour Bridge. Shelagh pointed out a myriad
of sparkling dots catching the city lights. Fortunately we had a pair
if bins with us as the dots turned out to be Silver Gulls circling
endlessly, little wonder they roost during the day. The other occasion
was a dusk experience with Fruit Bats in the Botanic Gardens. There
were thousands of them waking up and stretching their wings for the
evening food foray.
We made contact with Tony
Dymond as promised and arranged two days birding north of Sydney in
the Hawksbury Valley area and a visit to the Club evening to hand over
the Atlas.. We booked into the Winston Hills Hotel on the Monday
evening following a good day out at the Botanic Gardens at Mount Annan.
We would recommend a visit to this site as a first port of call to
familiarise with Eucalypts, Gums, Banksias and hordes of other trees
and shrubs that will be encountered. It was also a good spot for birds
and here we also saw our only snake, a very poisonous black snake with
a red belly. I nearly drove over it and pulling up sharp on a very
quiet road almost had cyclist ride into the car.
We phoned Tony to say that we
had arrived and gave him a quick run down of the species we have seen
and more to the point the many we have not seen and arrange a 6.30
start.
Australians start work early
and at 6.30 am on Tuesday morning under a blue sky and warm sun the
traffic build up had begun, Tony arrived on the dot an we head we head
north out of the hustle and bustle. Half an hour later at Laughtondale
gully we met up with Keith Brandwood. Between them we are informed we
have the keenest eyes, ears and the best bird caller in Sydney. Within
minutes we are into the scrub and Keith called in a Brown Quail and a
White Browed Scrub Wren. A little further down the road and with birds
all around us we get Pallid, Fantailed and Shining Bronze Cuckoos.
Further down the gully in tall forest and with a rock face on one side
of the road the target is a Rock Warbler. This bird takes a bit of
patience but suddenly it was above us the rocks. This is a known
breeding site and the bird did not stay in view for long. There was
much activity and the Little Wattle Bird was another new species. I
have lost track of where we saw everything but after visiting Dharag
and Cattai National Parks and Scheyville we added to our list Maned
Duck, Sharp-Tailed Sandpiper, Forest Bronzewing, Wonga Pigeon,
Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoo, Variegated Wren, Yellow Hornbill,
Weebill, White-Throated Warbler; a star bird and in Keiths books the
best Australian warbler, Jacky Winter, Leaden Flycatcher; these birds
were wonderfully responsive to Keiths calls, Shriketit another superb
little bird, Fuscous and Yellow-Tufted Honey Eaters, Bell Miner and,
right at the end of the day, Olive-backed Oriole. We searched an area
of scrub fruitlessly for speckled warbler. Tony and Keith believe that
the National Park People have their management strategy wrong by
stopping grazing. This bird has an association with cattle and they
despair of the decision to remove the cattle. By mid afternoon it was
hot and we were ready for a rest. At the end of a brilliant day we had
seen 91 species
We met up with Tony and his
Wife for a meal before travelling to the CBOC meeting. I had taken a
few slides with me and Tony allowed me a slot after the main speaker
to say a bit about the Bird Club and Peat Bogs. How could I resist!
Their speaker, Cath Dunstan, from the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority
talked about the work they are doing constructing fauna underpasses
for wildlife to cross the busy Pacific Highway. These of course
benefit mammals and reptiles and monitoring shows they are well used.
Koalas are suffering badly and are a key target for the
underpasses.After the talk I proudly presented the Atlas to Tony and
gave the members an insight into the incredible effort that went into
its production, after which I showed a few peat bog slides and rounded
off with an open invitation to Cumbria where I assured them they would
receive the same wonderful hospitality enjoyed by Shelagh and Myself.
On Wednesday we were off early
again to meet Keith at Pitt Town Bottom. a wetland that the CBOC have
a hand in running as a nature reserve. The water level was low but
there were lots of birds and we had good views of Marsh Crake, Marsh
Sandpiper, Blue Winged Shoveller, Golden Cisticola, and a Swamp
Harrier. Goldfinch was also a new bird as was Singing Bushlark. The
next stop is Mitchell Park for Powerful Owl, which had bred there this
year. We searched to no avail but any disappointment soon disappeared
with a pair of displaying Pacific Baza or Crested Hawk. They gave us a
wonderful show. Another familiar song and this time I made no mistake
with the delicate, (unmistakable!) song of the White-Throated Warbler.
Here we also head Channel Billed Cuckoo and Common Koel. Smith Park
was rather quiet and now hot, but two pair of Leaden Flycatcher gave
us a good display as they argued over the interloper, Keith, calling
between their territories. Our last call was the Turf Farms and we
were quickly rewarded with Skylark; introduced, Rufous Songlark and
Brown Songlark, Richards Pipit was also present. A nearby lake gave us
Caspian and Whiskered Tern amongst a variety of waders and ducks. We
searched for White Winged triller to no avail. The last call was an
area of rough tall grass. There was much activity and disturbance that
seemed to be casued by the presence of at least three Horsfields
Bronze-Cuckoos. In a tall hedge something caught the eyes of our two
experts and at last we got our White-Winged Triller. We got a good
look at it and there were a few moments of doubt because it did not
look quite right, It was not helped by having a Magpie Lark with
almost fledged young in the same evergreen bush. (Tony confirmed by
email when we got home that Keith had checked it out and was quite
happy about the identification.)
The trip ended on a hot early
afternoon with a well earned shandy, reflecting on two great days
birding. They recall the visit Richard Wimpress made a couple of years
ago and what an intensive day that had been. (members may remember
Richard’s article). After saying thanks and farewell to Keith, Tony
dropped us back to our Hotel and gave us a few pointers for the next
few days suggesting the Bicentennial Park at Homebush Bay, a
substantial area of derelict land that was cleaned up to become the
site for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and Centennial Park in the
centre of Sydney. Both have substantial areas of lake, Homebush has
mangrove swamp and nearby, Mason Park Wetland.
We said farewell and thanked
him for two memorable days birding that gave us 143 species and took
our total to around 239, including ten or so introduced species.
Homebush yielded no new
species but it would make an excellent starting point for a NSW
birding tour yielding at least 50 species, principally waterbirds.
Equally good and in central Sydney, Centennial Park has numerous
lakes. We spent our last Saturday morning there amongst the Joggers,
Horse Riders and numerous other folk setting up picnics for a hot day
relaxing. The park gave us 40 species and our 240th species the Musk
Duck. The Previous Day we spent in the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
and although it provided no new birds we had wonderful views of Little
Eagle, White Bellied Sea Eagle and a Wedge Tailed Eagle carrying prey.
A close encouter with a Spotted Pardolote and then a pair of Crimson
Rosella’s had started the day. We had heard the Pardolote most days,
but it is a small, Nuthatch sized bird with a loud call from the tree
tops and difficult to see.
We have a substantial
collection of photographs and literature and any member planning a
trip to Australia is welcome to come round for an evening to look
through it all. We have a bird song CD and a Simpson and Day Field
Guide to the Birds of Australia available to loan in exchange for a
bag or two of Macadamia Nuts.Our finally tally was exactly 240 species
confirmed and identified. (Simpson and Day list 760 species). With a
lot of determination and probably a lot of driving at least another
200 would have been possible and a pelagic trip could have been very
productive. It is a big Country in many ways not the least the
hospitality we enjoyed.
Frank Mawby