NSW NORTH COAST

After our inland jaunt it was off to the north coast for some R&R and the wedding of my brother-in-law at Evan's Head. Spring was approaching and the weather was superb. We camped at Yuraygir National Park boasting sixty-five kilometres of undeveloped coastline, the longest stretch in the state.

Sandon Beach rock scape - Yuraygir

This reptile came close to our camp site on a couple of occasions looking for an easy meal, of course we didn't oblige. It was quite a large specimen of about 1.5 metres (they can grow to over 2 metres) and its bite is known to be mildly venomous. All the more reason to keep some distance from these beautifully patterned omnivores.

Lace Monitor

The dead fish below was also quite big, roughly 30cm in length. Much larger than the annoying and similar  Toad Fish that stole the bait or got hooked when I used to fish in the past, generally for something a bit more appetizing!

Beached Puffer Fish

Masked Lapwings

Rocky Point beach - Yuraygir

Our base at Evans Head for the weekend was the local caravan park in a picturesque setting adjacent to the Evans River. An assortment of water loving birds gave me some excellent photo opportunities. Much easier than those little brown jobs that inhabit the bush!

Pied Cormorant

Little Egret - in breeding plumage

Australian Pelican

Australasian Darter - male

After the wedding we spent a week at a van park just outside Yamba, where for a total of  fifteen hours work we received a free site. There were some nice birds to be found in the area, including these spoonbills shining in the spring sun.The one on the right was in breeding phase with its bright yellow eyebrow and funky tuft of head plumes.

Royal Spoonbills

The two species below were actually in the park right near our van. The rail was one of a pair snooping around the cabins and the babblers were a real surprise this close to the coast, roosting for the evening in a nearby tree.

Buff-banded Rail

Grey-crowned Babblers

Cheers & Happy Birding

BACK IN QUEENSLAND

Back on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, while we wait for repairs to our caravan which threw a wheel in our haste to get home last month. Our insurance company, as well as paying for the repairs are accommodating us for the duration. So a chance to do a bit of local bird watching had us wandering along the foreshore at Golden Beach where the opportunity to photograph a few was too hard to resist.

Little Egret

Little Pied Cormorant

Not being a wader expert I had some difficulty identifying the bird below, but after consulting my field guides and comparing my photos and movie footage with some internet examples, I'm thinking Grey-tailed Tattler. I have seen them before but only in groups with other roosting waders. This one was a loner and quite actively feeding. Any thoughts?

Grey-tailed Tattler?

Sacred Kingfisher

Willie Wagtail

We are currently residing in a small holiday house at Bli Bli not far from the local attractions of Mt  Coolum and Maroochydore and only a short walk from the Maroochy Wetlands Sanctuary where we strolled along the boardwalk to the sounds of whistlers, honeyeaters and gerygones. 

Mt Coolum

Maroochy River & Maroochydore

These Ibis were about the most conspicious birds in the wetlands, the smaller bush birds staying mostly out of camera range. We also got a glimpse of a lovely female Shining Flycatcher, a resident of the mangrove wetlands here but not always easy to find.  

White Ibis

The flycatcher photos below are courtesy of Ian Montgomery's wonderful website: http://birdway.com.au/index.htm.  To the uninitiated they seem like two different species, so pronounced is their sexual dimorphism. Besides being found along the coast of Queensland their range also includes New Guinea and Indonesia.  

Shining Flycatcher - female (photo - I.Montgomery) 

Shining Flycatcher - male (photo - I.Montgomery)

Close by to the Sanctuary is a small lake that usually has a few waterbirds on it and this day, besides the Black Ducks, Chestnut and Grey Teal were a couple of small groups of Whistling-Ducks, giving me a great opportunity to compare the two species at close range. Both are fantastic birds that always give me a thrill whenever I hear and then see a large flock flying overhead. They seem to have become a lot more prevalent on the Sunshine coast over the last decade. 

Plumed & Wandering Whistling-Ducks

Wandering Whistling-Ducks  

Wandering & Plumed Whistling-Ducks