COFFIN BAY TO CEDUNA

After our Port Lincoln visit it was onwards to Coffin Bay National Park on the other side of the Eyre Peninsula, in South Australia. After savouring a couple of dozen succulent oysters fresh from the farm we savoured some of the coastal scenery and birdlife in the area.  

First time oyster shucker

Yangie Bay

Point Avoid

Pied Currawong

Sooty Oystercatcher

Red-capped Plover

Pacific Gull

On our way to Ceduna we overnighted at Murphy's Haystacks, a type of granite rock formation known as inselbergs. They were mistaken for giant haystacks by a distant traveller early last century and were named after the properties owner.

Murphy's Haystacks

Ceduna - aboriginal name for "a place to sit down and rest," which we were looking forward to -

was our last stop before crossing the Nullarbor Plain. We walked the 368 metre long and nearly century old jetty in Murat bay. A lone Crested tern was using the railing as a perch to do a spot of fishing.

Crested Tern

Great Egret

Common Greenshank

Cheers and Happy Birding

LITTLE STYX RIVER TO COOPERNOOK

We left Tenterfield on the 13th January and kept heading south toward Armidale and the Waterfall Way where we free camped beside the Little Styx River just outside New England Nat.Park. The weather turned wet and cold for the 3 nights we were there.

In the photo below I was playing the call of the Olive Whistler, unsuccessfully trying to bring a bird in. We didn't hear or see any of these elusive birds in this park or a couple of other places we tried.

There were plenty of Currawongs about though and this one came in for a squiz at our campsite. 

Pied Currawong

And this little tyke was braving the elements in the car park of the national park.

Flame Robin

The road from Armidale to Dorrigo is called the Waterfall Way for good reason. There are about half a dozen  picturesque falls along this route all worth a look.  

Upper Ebor Falls

 And a walk through the rainforest at Dorrigo National Park is a must.

Dorrigo National Park

Dangar Falls, Dorrigo.

Just north of Taree we camped in Coopernook State Forest where we had a chance to dry out after the wet weather that had dogged us for nearly a week. Across from our campsite a juvenile Sparrowhawk was intent on calling for a parent to feed it, sitting tight next to the nest. It continued this routine for a few hours until they came back from hunting and it flew further away into the forest to be fed.

Juvenile Collared Sparrowhawk and nest

These gulls were loafing beside the Macleay River when we came through earlier from Coffs Harbour and the sun had finally emerged.

Silver Gulls