Bird-ausers,
I will be in Australia in December and am looking for some suggested birding
spots. I am a free spirit, but my tentative plan is to drive from Sydney
north along the coast. Then I plan on cutting inland somewhere from the
northern NSW coast to head out to NW NSW, then cut down southeast to Sydney.
I will spend about 10 days on this little soujourn and wondered if you had
any suggestions for stops. I will be travelling by rental car, and although
I am very adventurous, I will probably not have the luxury of 4 wheel drive
or high ground clearance.
I am interested in any good birding spots, but I have a couple of goals in
mind that may help direct your suggestions:
1. I am mostly travelling to photograph herps, so the herps will direct my
travels, the birds act as pleasant bonuses. (Anyone know any spots where I
have a chance to photograph any pythons along the route?)
2. I would like to see some shorebirds particularly some of the Australian
plovers. I will have a scope. Any good spots along the coast? Or inland?
How about good ponds/lakes for ducks/shorebirds inland?
3. How and where does one go about seeing one of the Megapodes?
4. I would LOVE to see a Little Penguin! Is that possible along the coast
somewhere near Sydney? Do you have to get offshore to see them?
5. I am considering going out on one of the seabird trips I have been
reading so much about on bird-aus as well. How long in advance would I have
to reserve a spot on one of the Sydney trips?
6. What about the bird atlas sheets? I imagine I will spend some time in
areas that are not birded all that often. Can a moderately experienced
outsider contribute useful information? (I have been birding for 16 years,
mostly in the US, but with some significant experience in Tropical Mexico
and Indonesia. I have only ever birded for a few days in Australia, IDing
78 species - although I have seen 177 of the 750+ species that occur in
Australia).
Thanks in advance for any and all info! Please reply privately (unless of
course you are sharing a location that other bird-aus readers might not know
about).
Chris Harrison
San Angelo, Texas USA
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