The Thredbo River marks the start of the Kosciusko National Park going up the road to Perisher Valley. It is situated at an altitude of 900 meters and is the beginning of Montane forest, drey sclerophyll forest. There are supposed to be platypus and echidna along the river but I did not see any. There were some massive wombat holes but they did not come out that I saw.

Eastern Shrike-tit (Falcunculus frontatus)

I was not expecting to see many birds at all and I was quite surprised to see a few Eastern Shrike-tit ripping into the bark looking for insects and bugs. I have seen them before in dry outback areas.

Frosty native plant

It was freezing cold and there was frost everywhere.

Fishing for trout

It was the last weekend before the trout season was over. I saw quite few trout being caught along the river, both Rainbow and Brown Trout. Nice eating, yum..

White-throated Treecreeper (Cormobates leucophaeus)

There were quite a few White-throated Treecreepers around and I saw both male and females. This one is a male, without the red patch on the cheek.

Scarlet Robin (Petroica boodang)

The Scarlet Robin is such a beautiful bird. They were hopping around from branch to branch in a clearing.

Thredbo River bird list

Blackbird
Superb Fairy-wren
Crimson Rosella
Eastern Shrike-tit (Falcunculus frontatus)
Scarlet Robin (Petroica boodang)
Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris) female
White-throated Treecreeper (Cormobates leucophaeus) female
Superb Fairy-wren
Australian Raven

Approaching Canberra, the national capital, I stopped off at Rowe’s Lagoon for the afternoon. There were heaps of Purple Swamphens and a couple of Grey Teals but not much else.

Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus)

White-backed Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen tyranica)

The next day I stopped at Numeralla for the night and was quite surprised to see some southern race tyranica of Australian Magpies, the White-backed Magpie. I thought they would be in Victoria. Before Canberra were the nominate race, tibicen, and then near Cooma there were race tyranica. This one is an adult male.

White-backed Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen tyranica)

This is probably a juvenile or a female White-backed Magpie. They are not so clean but have a mottley grey back and a scraggly front.

Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris)

This Black-shouldered Kite had a nest right near the rest area. It was roosting near the river in the evening and was there again the next morning.

Monaro Birds list

Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus)
Crimson Rosella
Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen)
White-backed Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen tyranica)
Australian Raven
Grey Currawong
Magpie-lark
Purple Swamphen
Grey Teal
Black-fronted Dotterel
Welcome Swallow
Galah
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Grey Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica)
Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris)
Nankeen Kestrel

I stopped at a rest area just before Goulburn on the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. It is the start of winter so there are not many birds around.

adult Crimson Rosella (Platycerus elegans elegans)

Crimson Rosella (Platycerus elegans elegans) adult and juvenile. The adult is fully crimson, while the juvenile has green patches.

juvenile Crimson Rosella (Platycerus elegans elegans)

There were lots of Crimson Rosellas feeding underneath the pine trees in the park. The last time I was here a couple of years ago, there were lots of Grey Currawongs.

Grey Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica)

As well as a Grey Shrike-thrush, there was a mob of Brown Thornbills screeching around the bare poplar trees next to the highway.

Goulburn bird list

Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla)
Grey Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica)
Crimson Rosella (Platycerus elegans elegans)
Australian Magpie

Lake Cathie is situated half-way between Port Macquarie and Laurieton on the coast of New South Wales. There is a lake that empties out into the ocean that is surrounded by coastal heath and swampy ti-tree country.

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)

These Common Terns were fishing in the lake, close to where the entrance went out to the sea. At first I thought they were Little Terns but the black caps were all wrong.

Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspiculatus)

Close-up of Australian Pelican eye. Just because I could and it was so close.

Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspiculatus)

And again, because I was so close, I could get a shot of the tip of its bill, with a very interesting hook on the end of it. I am not sure what the function of the hook is, possibly to hang on to fish with, doh!

Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)

There were about nine immature Bar-tailed Godwit on a little lagoon near the beach. They were young ones that had been left behind, too little to fly with the adults to Siberia. Maybe next year.

Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia)

A couple of Caspian Terns, non-breeding, and a Silver Gull.

Lake Cathie bird list

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)
Crested Tern
Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia)
Silver Gull
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet (Triglossus chlorolepidotus)
Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspiculatus)
Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)
Australian Wood-duck
Masked Lapwing
Noisy Miner
Pied Butcherbird
Willy Wagtail
Great Egret
Australian White Ibis
White-faced Heron
Pied Cormorant
Welcome Swallow
Rainbow Lorikeet
Magpie-lark
Pied Oystercatcher
Sooty Oystercatcher
Australian Raven
Australian Magpie

This is the other end of Limeburners Creek National Park. These photos are from Big Hill. You get here from Crescent Head, along the road to Point Plomer. The creek here is very dark with Ti-Tree discolouration. And there are millions of mosquitos, even in daytime.

Lewin’s Honeyeater (Meliphaga lewinii)

Lewin’s Honeyeater are very common along the east coast of Australia.

Little Wattlebird (Anthochaera chrysoptera)

Little Wattlebirds are also common along the coastal heaths of Eastern Australia.

Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae)

This is the Australasian Grebe in winter plumage, without the yellow stripe below the eye.

Crescent Head bird list

Lewin’s Honeyeater (Meliphaga lewinii)
White-cheeked Honeyeater
Spangled Drongo
Pied Butcherbird
Australian Pelican
Little Wattlebird (Anthochaera chrysoptera)
Great Cormorant – breeding
Pied Cormorant
Hardhead (Aythya australis)
Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae) – winter plumage
Black Swan
White-necked Heron
White-faced Heron
White-bellied Sea-eagle
Masked Lapwing
Australian Magpie
Magpie-lark
Laughing Kookaburra
Crested Tern
Silver Gull
Australasian Gannet
Australian White Ibis
Straw-necked Ibis
Superb Fairy-wren

Emerald Beach is just north of Coffs Harbour on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. There is a nice beach with a headland walk. Look At Me Now Headland is where they wanted to put in a sewerage outfall in the early nineties, but was stopped because of vigorous protest.

White-cheeked Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae)

Coastal heaths are standard habitat for White-cheeked Honeyeaters and you will very often see them at the beach flying around manically, high on nectar from the bottle-brushes, wattles and banksia blooms. This one has got what looks like a dragon-fly in his mouth. They are very similar to the New Holland Honeyeater which has a white ring around the eye and a smaller white cheek patch.

Mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirundinacaem)

This Mistletoebird is either a female or a juvenile. I am leaning towards juvenile mainly because of the possible light gape around the bill and the duller orange butt patch.

Eastern Grey Kangaroo

There are lots of Eastern Grey Kangaroos out on the headland, grazing on the grass. This one had a joey in the pouch, who was bouncing along with mum and eating the grass when she stopped for a nibble.

Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen)

I just had to put this photo in. I love the water and island in the background. Something different. Consider this my arty shot.

Homo sapiens

This is a typical juvenile coastal Homo sapiens in its natural habitat.

Australian Pipit (Anthus australis)

Maybe half a dozen Australian Pipits were feeding on the Emerald Beach headland and hopping around in the rocky areas. I usually see them on grassy patches or roads. They are also fairly common in South-east Asia, where it is difficult to distinguish them from the Paddyfield Pipit.

Emerald Beach Bird List

Australian Pipit (Anthus australis)
Osprey
Australian Raven
Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo
White-cheeked Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae)
Little Wattlebird
Sooty Oystercatcher
White-faced Heron
Mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirundinacaem) – female or juvenile
Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen)
Superb Fairy-wren

This morning I went back to Shelley Beach in Caloundra. I had been here a few years ago and saw both morphs of the Reef Egret as well as Wandering Tattlers. But none this time. But it was still a fruitful trip. The Ospreys are still there in their big nest along the water-front.

Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena)

These Welcome Swallows were hawking on the rock platform.

Crested Tern (Sterna bergii)

This is a non-breeding Crested Tern. you can see the mottled black at the front of the forehead. To me, he seems like an immature bird, playing with his food.

Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus)

In the bushes just up from the beach.

Caloundra Bird List

Blue-faced Honeyeater
Noisy Miner
Pied Butcherbird
Australian White Ibis
Australasian Gannet
Silver Gull
Crested Tern (Sterna bergii)
Spangled Drongo
Osprey
Welcome Swallow
Australian Magpie
Australian Raven
Eastern Whipbird
Feral Pigeon
Intermediate Egret
White-faced Heron
Pied Cormorant
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike

Ban Ban Springs in west of Bundaberg in Queensland. There is an actual spring bubbling out of the ground. There are lots of birds around the waters, both water-birds and bush birds.

Restless Flycatcher (Myiagra alecto)

You can hear these from miles away, with their distinctive scissor-grinder call.

Plumed Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni)

This mob stayed in the same spot nearly all day.

female Red-backed Fairy-wren (Malurus melanocephalus)

I walked along the road and heard fairy-wrens chirping away. I was delighted to find that they were Red- backed Fairy-wrens. I have been wanting to get a photo of these darling for years.

male Red-backed Fairy-wren (Malurus melanocephalus)

And the male. What a beauty!

Apostlebird (Struthera cinerea)

I love Apostlebirds. They are my favourite bird. They always come up right close and check me out.

male Plum-headed Finch (Neochmia modesta)

There were Double-barred Finch as well as Plum-headed Finch. This one is a male with the dark patch under the chin.

Forest Kingfisher (Todiramphus macleayii)

These are the most beautiful blue colour.

Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus melanocephalus)

Race melanocephalus from Queensland. No striping under the chin.

Ban Ban Springs Bird List

Plumed Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni)
Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti)
Double-barred Finch
Plum-headed Finch
Great Egret
Restless Flycatcher (Myiagra alecto)
Dusky Moorhen
Hardhead
Red-backed Fairy-wren (Malurus melanocephalus)
Forest Kingfisher (Todiramphus macleayii)
Apostlebird (Struthera cinerea)
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Nankeen Night-heron
Australasian Grebe
Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus melanocephalus)
Striped Honeyeater
Willy Wagtail
Grey Fantail
Purple Swamphen
Australian White Ibis
Great Egret
Black Kite
Australian Crow
Laughing Kookaburra
Eurasian Coot
Hardhead
Pacific Black Duck
Australian Magpie
Galah
Magpie-lark
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Dusky Moorhen
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
White-browed Scrubwren
Nankeen Night-heron
Australasian Grebe
Striped Honeyeater
Satin Flycatcher
Black-fronted Dotterel
Welcome Swallow
Spotted Turtle-dove

The first shot is from Evans Head where I managed to get some shots of a pair of Masked Lapwing chicks.

Masked Lapwing chick (Vanellus miles)

Cudgen Creek is at Kingscliff on the far north coast of New South Wales. I have been there previously a couple of years ago and it is a fantastic site for birding. It is almost winter and there are still quite a large variety of birds around here. And I never even ventured into the rain-forest section this time!

Pied Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax varius)

This Pied Cormorant was having a hard time swallowing this good sized fish. I do not know what it is – maybe some kind of rock cod. A Pelican was hanging around hoping that he would drop it.

Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti)

These figbirds have a very distinctive red eye patch.

Brown Honeyeater (Lichmera indistincta)

I have been trying for days to work out what these small honeyeaters were. They are about half the size of most of the other honeyeaters and have a yellow stripe going right through the eye. I hope I have got the identification right. They were hanging around the banksias along the river.

Rainbow Bee-eaters (Merops ornatus)

There was a large flock around the mangroves along the creek. There must have been more than fifty Rainbow Bee-eaters hawking over the tops of the mangrove trees. I have never seen anything like it before.

Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus)

I cannot resist a shot of a Rainbow Bee-eater in flight.

Striated Heron (Butorides striata)

This Striated Heron got a fish. I have seen these birds in Malaysia where they are called Little Herons.

Cudgen Creek bird list

Little black Cormorant
Pied Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax varius)
Crested Pigeon
Spotted Turtle-dove
White-faced Heron
Masked Lapwing
Osprey
Pied Currawong
Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti)
Pied Oystercatcher
Sooty Oystercatcher
Magpie-lark
Noisy Friarbird (Philemon corniculatus)
Rainbow Lorikeet
Brown Honeyeater (Lichmera indistincta)
Australian Pelican
Silver Gull
Striated Heron (Butorides striata)
Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa)
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Australian Crow
Willy Wagtail
Sulphur-crested White-cockatoo
Noisy Miner
Australian White Ibis
Galah
Australian Magpie
Crested Tern
Little Egret
Welcome Swallow
Eastern Whipbird
Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus)

This morning it was raining and miserable at Iluka breakwater. The birds were all sopping wet. You can tell by all their wet feathers.

Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis)

A couple of Blue-faced Honeyeaters were sitting on a dead tree on the beach. Sopping wet. I have been seeing quite a few of them up the north coast. I never noticed them so much the last time I was up here.

Grey Butcherbird (Cracticus torquatus)

This Grey Butcherbird was wet and miserable as well.

Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus)

I took some photos of the surfers at the breakwater and then this Brahminy Kite came cruising by really close to me. Lucky I got this one because I had my camera packed away and had to rush to get it out and just shoot away. Good luck or good management. ha ha.