2010 Looking Back

Well here we go again. Another year bites the dust. I can remember doing my Overview of 2009 just like it was yesterday. The new year of 2010 started off heading towards the Goulburn River west of Newcastle, NSW, then Munghorn Gap on the Way to Glen Davis in the Cappertee Valley, just the other side of the Blue Mountains. Then west to Rhylstone, Ferntree Gully where I saw my first Gang-gang Cockatoos.

Gang-gang Cockatoo(Callecephalon fimbriatum), Ferntree Gully

Then it was off to Mudgee to check out the Avisford Reserve, and the creeks around the Mudgee area towards Gulgong. Then I headed back towards the Goulburn River and back to Newcastle for the wetlands and the water birds.

Nankeen Night-heron at Hunter Wetlands Centre

Then in late January I am off to the Riverina on the way to the Murray River via Narranderah, Hay and Robinvale.

Brown Goshawk, Euston Weir, Murray River

More travelling down to Melbourne, then up to Shepparton looking for fruit picking work. Then in February it is down to the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria where I spotted my first Pacific Gulls. Victoria was very dry. Most of the wetlands were dry.

Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus), Flinders, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

Then I was off to the other side of Melbourne – Barwon Heads, Torquay, inland to Winchelsea where I spotted a Purple-crowned Lorikeet and a feral Muscovy Duck.

Purple-crowned Lorikeet, Winchelsea, Victoria

Geelong, Melbourne, Gippsland, along the South Coast of NSW to Nowra, one of my favourite birding places. Finally I arrived back in Newcastle in March for a short time before scarpering out west to Dubbo and Warren where I suffered from dehydration and had to head back to Dubbo. Northwest to Manilla and into the hills for the Easter camp at Borah Creek with the HBOC, then north to the Border Ranges National Park where we saw the Paradise Riflebird.

Turquoise Parrot, Borah Creek

Down the mountain to Lismore where I saw my first Comb-crested Jacanas.

Comb-crested Jacana, Lismore Lake

Then up the coast past Kingscliff where I got great shots of Ospreys and saw my first Spectacled Monarch. I got some great waves around Tweed Heads on the border of NSW and Queensland, then up the hills to Lamington where I photographed Yellow-throated Scrubwrens and Logrunners. Caloundra, Noosa Heads, back south to Caloundra where I got some great shots of both morphs of the Eastern Reef Egret, Ospreys feeding and some Wandering Tattlers.

Wandering Tattler, Caloundra, Queensland

Going south still I saw Black-necked Storks, Wandering Whistling-ducks, and Rainbow Bee-eaters at Bribie Island. Then west through Woodford and around behind Brisbane to the Brisband Forest Park, where I saw Pale-headed Rosellas and a Pheasant Coucal.

Pheasant Coucal, Somerset Dam, Queensland

Back down the coast to Kingscliff and Ballina where I had some great waves at Byron Bay. By the middle of June I was back in Newcastle again, trying to sell my campervan in preparation for my trip to South America. The highlight of Newcastle was a Red-whiskered Bulbul on the coast at Caves Beach.

Red-whiskered Bulbul, Caves Beach, Newcastle

In mid-July I headed off to South America – Argentina, Peru and Bolivia. Here is my summary of that trip. I got back to Australia in early December and went to Melbourne, where I spent the rest of the year. Next year I am going to Japan in early January, then possibly the Australian ski fields or New Zealand. I do not know yet. I have a video camera now so will be mainly taking videos, hopefully of some fully sik powder skiing, and some Hokkaido birds.