Late afternoon yesterday I met with Barry Davies, a well known local birding tour guide we talked about my future plans to run tours to the area and he offered to take me out for a walk this morning. So at 5am I met Barry outside the lodge and off we went.
It was a dry calm morning with a chill in the air and overcast conditions, the first thing Barry showed me was the 'bower' of the Satin Bowerbird, amazing, the male bird was in attendance putting finishing touches and adding bits of blue paper and more sticks, this 'bower' was over 12 years old.
 |
| SATIN BOWERBIRD CALLING AND BELOW AT THE BOWER - NOTE IT ONLY COLLECTS BLUE ITEMS TO DECORATE THE BOWER |
 |
We rhen walked to bottom of the entrance drive and entered the forest on the 'Bellbird' track. We quickly found our first few species, Noisy Miners, Pied Currawongs, Torresian Crows, Rainbow Lorikeets and I have never heard so many Whipbirds! An Eastern Yellow Robin was very obliging then we struck gold when we found four species in one tree, Wompoo Pigeon, A male Paradise Riflebird6, Green Catbird and Satin Bowerbird all sat high up in one tree and delivered a cacophony of sound you will hear nowhere else in the world.
 |
| RED-LEGGED PADEMELON |
On a second track we heard an Albert's Lyrebird down below us and after some patience we finally got brief glimpses of it, not too good but enough to list it. Attempts to find roosting Tawny Frogmouth and Owlet Nightjar were unsuccessful but we did see King Parrot, Spectacled Monarch, Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike, Lewin's Honeyeater, White-throated Treecreeper, Little Corella and a few common species.
Later that morning I searched an area where Barry had suggested to look for Red-browed Treecreeper and sure enough I found one, another good lifer on the list.
 |
| AGILE WALLABY |
We stopped after a couple of clicks to look at a fruiting fig tree, Barry told me that the Regent Bowerbird was feeding there. I waited ten minutes, nothing, then a flash of yellow and a male arrived, fantastic, then two others flew in and a male Satin Bowerbird. I got off some pictures before a Pied Currawong chased them all away.
 |
| MALE REGENT BOWERBIRD |
 |
| CARPET SNAKE - ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD |
 |
| VERY COMMON - EASTERN YELLOW ROBIN |
Anyway the place was dripping with birds, bird guides and birders, so many species were virtually tame including Regent Bowerbirds which came down to take food from people's hands, as did Rosellas, King Parrots, Red-browed Finches, Satin Bowerbirds and lots more. We also got very close to Yellow Robins, White-browed Scrubwrens, Eastern Spinebill, Lewin's Honeyeaters and several doves.
 |
| LEWIN'S HONEYEATER |
 |
| EASTERN SPINETAIL |
Before we left we were taken ro a little secluded area behind the main building and there we saw an Albert's Lyrebird, it came to within 2 meters of us, a fantastic way to end our visit.
 |
| the only decent picture of Albert's Lyrebird - a young female taken by Dawn |
We got back in time for dinner at 6:30pm and after dinner I went out for another spot-light walk, there was a full moon so I didn't need the torch very much. I followed a call, omp......oomp......oomp, this was repeated about 10 times and then it paused before restarting, I got my torch on the bird during the second rendition, it was a Tawny Frogmouth, at last, in the bag on the list, a lifer. Time for bed, it had been a long day.
273 - LOGRUNNER
274 - REGENT BOWERBIRD
275 - ALBERT'S LYREBIRD
276 - TAWNY FROGMOUTH
277 - RED-BROWED TREECREEPER
MORE PICS FROM O'REILLY'S -
 |
| LOOK THAT'S ME, NUMBER 363, RACE - ELEGANS |
 |
| REGENT ON THE FENCE!P |
No comments:
Post a Comment