Recently, I stopped in the Myall Lakes area. Too much to see it all in a day, but I did explore the Melaleuca Paper Bark forest, the rare Littoral Rainforest and the littoral gully forest.

The highlight of the Paper Bark forest was perhaps the forest:

Bird-wise, there was the profusion of Eastern Yellow Robins:

Also featuring were Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoos:

The excrutiatingly monotonous, but rarely seen, Wonga Pigeon and some Bar-Shouldered Doves:

 

A lake being there, there were also plenty of waders such as these Intermediate Egrets (resting after a heavy wade):

And the omnipresent Pacific Black Ducks:

There were also plenty of welcoming Welcome Swallows:

The littoral rainforest featured lots of those impossible to identify little birds. These I think are Yellow Thornbills:

These are Superb Fairy Wrens – the breeding male is the blue one:

Certainly, this one thought it was good to be alive:

There were also Red-faced Finches and the Laughing Kookaburra – laughingly trying to steal my lunch:

The third, and most interesting, world was the littoral native forest in a gully below a large sand dune. I spent an hour or so just standing on the top and watching. The stars were the Regent Bowerbirds, which I had not seen before. As is the norm for Bowerbirds, the male is the colourful one.

There were plenty of Honeyeaters, which seemed territorially perpetually at war with the Bowerbirds. Plenty of Lewin’s and some White-cheeked:

I also saw some Flame Robins but they were immediately shooed away by the Bowerbirds. There were also some Eastern Spinebills, and plenty of the ubiquitous red Wattlebirds.

All in all a fascinating day in a lovely spot(s).

 

Michael Monaghan

September 6, 2018

Michael Monaghan

Ballina NSW

28 August 2018

A relaxing couple of hours on the Brunswick River at Brunswick Heads. Brunswick Heads Revisited would be a good title for a film – oh yes, it was; one of the unheralded John Clarke early gems.

As always plenty of Australian Pelicans:

A family of Brahminy Kites graced us:

Royal Spoonbills and Great Egrets seem happy enough together:

Some arty poses from the Spoonbills:

 

Some White-headed Stilts doing their thing:

No sign of the Ospreys, but the classic precarious nest was high up in a dead tree:

 

To cap it off, as we neared port, a young White-bellied Sea Eagle drifted across above us:

A relaxing couple of hours. Thanks to Byron Bay Cruises. (byronbaycruises.com.au)

Michael Monaghan

27 august 2018

 

They went that way!

Flat Rock, Ballina, is aptly ascribed to what is, in essence, a flat rock exposed by low tide. At first, the only birds seem to be the ubiquitous gulls and terns. But patience is rewarded.

In order we have Sooty Oyster Catcher, Pied Oyster Catcher, Eastern Reef Egret, Black-tailed Godwit,  Black-fronted Dotterell, and Little Black Cormorant.

I hope this classic Byron surfer is seen again!

Also great today was to watch the dolphins surfing in through the breakwater at the mouth of the Richmond River.

Michael Monaghan

23 August 2018

 

 

Bit alarmed to find Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz at Arthur’s Bay, Magnetic Island. He threatened to read us some of his poetry, but we followed the instructions on the front cover of our Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, namely “Don’t Panic”, and managed to escape.

There were lots of weird rocks in this Bay:

Also somewhat surprising was that the Inca had been here:

Lovely sunset on way back in ferry:

 

Later we went up to Crystal Creek with great forests and an impressive bridge constructed in 1930:

 

Michael Monaghan

August 2018

Forest Kingfisher (race: incinclus); Spotted Bowerbird (fem); Red-tailed Black Cockatoo; Rainbow Bee-Eater; Brown-backed Honeyeater; Spangled Drongo; Straw-necked Ibis (juv).

Lots of raptors. First, the Brahminy Kites:

 

Next the White-bellied Sea-eagles:

 

And then Whistling and Black Kites making the most of the burning off:

Michael Monaghan

July 2108

This Welcome Swallow was still in shock at the damage done by someone(s) in a 4WD who had removed a large rock at the edge of the carpark and then skidded wildly over about 250 sqms of grassland turning it into a quagmire!

Still, lots to like further in.

The Black Swans are now in nest building mode, so I guess we now know what was going on the other day.  A brief recap:

The male is probably the right one, being a bit larger.

Some White-plumed Honeyeaters:

Seemed to be a lot of ALGBs (annoying little grey birds), but turned out to be at least three species.

Yellow-rumped Thornbills:

Red-browed Finch:

and Superb Fairy-wren:

Michael Monaghan

18 June 2019

 

The head of the Black Swan looked strangely detached. That was because there were two. No idea what they were up to, but they were triumphant on achieving whatever it was. I think she was just happy she didn’t drown in the process.

The White-cheeked Honeyeaters looked shocked, and the kiddies had to turn away.

The Dusky Wood Swallow just got on with, well swallowing.

Michael Monaghan

11 June 2018

 

 

Check out the water goddess in the middle of this leaf. She offered three wishes. I overshot and lost the bundle because she reckoned getting the Saints the flag was worth 5.

Some other liquid shots:

Michael Monaghan

5 June 2018

 

A couple of kiddies took their eyes off their drinks, and, as quick as a flash, Mr Satin Bowerbird was away with them. Tons of Bowerbird action today in the middle of the National Botanic Gardens in Canberra.

Hidden perhaps by the noise woodchipper running a few hundred metres away, I worked my way very slowly into the midst of at least 10 Bowerbirds going about their business. This is only the second time I have seen a male in the wild.

The bower was inspected by one of a number of potential mates. “Not bad” she says, “for a beginner. I will need a few improvements before anything interesting happens.”

 

This other lad was a 6 year old male, on the turn; and starting to collect.

There were lots of other birds about too.

This is a male White-browed Scrubwren:

This a happy sounding Red Wattelbird:

Also some juvenile White-throated Treecreepers:

An elusive Eastern Yellow Robin:

 

The New Holland Honeyeater differs from the very similar White-cheeked Honeyeater in the whispy white “beard”:

And finally one of my favourites, the Eastern Spinebill (male):

The stars today though were definitely the Bowerbirds; the signs were that there would be plenty more in due course.

 

Michael Monaghan

5 June 2018