Hello all...
Just a bit of a trip report from the Blue Mountains this weekend. Took
the train out to Blackheath and explored the tracks around Govett's leap
and had not too many birds, but lots of wildflowers. I am continually
impressed by the waratahs which all seem to be in bloom now, along with
numerous other purple orchids and white and pink and lavendar flowers
that I couldn't identify because I'm still a bit behind on my field
guides. The New Holland honeyeaters were ubiquitous, in one case there
was quite a ruckus from a bush full of them upset with the arrival of a
currawong. The currawong wasn't very shy as it hopped right over to me
and made off with part of the orange I was eating. It seems these birds
around the Braeside picnic area have become quite used to people feeding
them.
Along the walk out to Braeside were a number of noisily singing
rufous whistlers...Since I've only seen them once or twice I didn't know
what they sounded like, and it took a bit of work to finally pinpoint
them in the dense foliage of the trees they were sitting in. Also on
this trail was a couple of variegated fairy wrens bouncing around, and
quite a few thornbills. I love to watch the skinks get out of my way as
I walk down the path...there are a few different kinds, a larger one with
black stripes and a little one that is just dark brown all over that is
almost irridescent. Some walkers in front of me had scared a snake out
into the middle of the stream. It was not quite half a meter long, light
brown with lighter yellowinsh stripes on its sides that didn't quite go
over its back. Someone suggested it was a brown snake, and everyone was
happy that it had moved off where we could keep and eye on it rather than
scramble into the shrubs to the side. Usually I like snakes, but when
you hear so much about all those poisonous ones....
The walk on the otherside of Govett's Leap heads towards pulpit
rock, where there was more water sliding off accross the trail. The
puddles in the dirt had some frogs eggs in them, and a few tadpoles. I
worried a that since they were right in the middle of the trail they were
going to get trampled, but hopefully those along the side will manage to
grow up before the water dries out. One of the larger skinks came out to
investigate me, and he even came right up to examine my shoe by climbing
onto it. It was really only trying to distract me from the two eastern
spinebills which were feeding on the flowers nearby. When they fly, they
sound like they make a sort of grunting call. On these two you could
really see their bright red eyes. Also up in a tree was a yellow robin
singing, and a white-browed scrubwren hopping around in the ferns beside
the stream. A bit more wandering found a satin flycatcher (I think) on
a nest, a white-throated tree creeper, a pair of calling whipbirds, and
the occasional spotted pardalote.
Other than that, not too many birds considered the effort exerted on the
hike. Beautiful things to look at otherwise. Of course when I left in
the morning, I forgot to pack my camera, so I'll probably have to go back
next weekend to take all the pictures I missed.
Does anyone have suggestions for where I might find a pilotbird or other
mountain birds that is easily accessible from the train?
Good birding!
Katie Bertsche
Katie Bertsche .........If you're too busy to go birding, you're too busy.
http://www.bowdoin.edu/~kbertsch
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