Eden (Far South Coast) - 20-22 July

We spent 2 nights in Eden on the Far
South Coast of NSW last week staying in a unit perched high above Twofold
Bay. Although we had perfect warm sunny weather while we were down there
it had rained heavily in the previous few days which had turned most dirt
roads in Ben Boyd National Park to impassable wet clay tracks. So Green
Cape was off the itinerary.

On the first day (Thurs 20 July) we
watched 4 Albatross close to shore from Tathra Headland. They were either
Shy Albatross or Black-browed Albatross in my opinion. Later
that day I watched about 20 Albatross following a returning fishing boat
at Eden. Again one or both of the 2 species mentioned above? Can anyone
tell me how you can tell these species apart from land? The birds seen
had dark upper wings which stretched over the body in a line. The underwings
were mainly pale/white with a thin dark edge.

A stop on the Bega floodplain at Jellat
Jellat on Thursday afternoon produced 4 Black-winged Stilts and
2 Australian Shelduck among the over 1,500+ Black Swans!
Also at Rutherford Creek in South East Forests National Park on Thursday
I heard a Pilotbird and at Bull Creek in Ben Boyd NP on Friday there
were several Crescent Honeyeaters.

Another highlight was watching a Wedge-tailed
Eagle diving at full speed past our car near Tilba. By the time I had
got out and peered down the hillside it was making off with a still alive
Cattle Egret! from among the cattle followed by a pair of magpies.
It landed nearby obviously having a little difficulty flying.

At Wagonga Inlet on Saturday we were
amazed to find an Azure Kingfisher along the Mill Bay Boardwalk.
It sat quietly on a jetty by the channel with plenty of noisy fishing boats
passing by. Other birds here included 9 Bar-tailed Godwits, 7 Caspian
Terns, a Whistling Kite and Sooty and Pied Oystercatchers.

At Trunketabella Creek on Saturday there
were 2 White-necked Herons. All the recently dry wetlands were now
full of water including Long Swamp by Bermagui.

Of the birds seen from our unit in Eden
the highlights were a Collared Sparrowhawk hanging around the whole
time chasing the resident 30+ Sparrows. At one point while we were sitting
on the balcony I felt a rush of wind and heard a whooshing sound which
turned out to be the aforementioned Sparrowhawk making a pass, it then
turned back towards us and shot past again metres away. And a flock of
8 Varied Sittellas. On Saturday morning a grey morph Grey Goshawk
flew past affording great views. A few hours later I saw another Grey Goshawk
disappear into trees by Merimbula Airport.

At Mogareeka Inlet by Tathra on Saturday
I noticed among the many Crested Terns and 2 Caspian Terns
resting on a sandbank at least 4 smaller terns. They were a fair way off
so I couldnt positively ID them. Any suggestions on the likelihood of them
being either overwintering Little Terns (what i think) or another
species? They had black caps and were about half the size of the Cresteds.
Plenty of Double-banded and Red-capped Plovers here too.

In Eden Harbour and in Twofold Bay at
least a dozen Pacific Gulls of which only 2 were adult birds. On
every visit to Eden there is always a single Great Egret hanging
around the fishing boats, this trip was no different. Several were seen
harassing Albatross behind a fishing boat and later a flock of 50 Gannets.
An early morning walk along the Lake Curalo Walkway produced a pair of
Whistling Kites, 2 Royal Spoonbills and an Olive-backed
Oriole among others.

Cheers
Marnix

 

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