Ulladulla - NSW South Coast (long)

I have just come back from an annual
coast trip to Mollymook with friends. I was able to get out and go birding
every morning during our stay from 21-29 January.

22 January
Ulladulla Harbour still has a mixed
flock of over 70 Little and Long-billed Corellas which come
in every afternoon to feed. A Channel-billed Cuckoo flew over Lake
Tabourie.

23 January
A walk to the pristine Meroo Lake in
Meroo National Park produced 4 Musk Ducks, of which 1 was a male.
The Shorebird Breeding Site on the beach there did not seem to have any
Hooded Plovers present, quite possibly the chicks, if there were any, had
fledged. Burill Lake had its usual group of Bar-tailed Godwits (5)
and Pied Oystercatchers (4) at low tide, as well as 20 Chestnut
Teal. Also Red-bellied Black Snake, Brown Gerygones and Black-faced
Monarchs in Meroo NP.

24 January
4 intrepid walkers hiked up Pigeon House
Mountain in Morton NP this morning in overcast humid conditions. The drive
there produced Brown Cuckoo-dove, Wonga Pigeon, Common
Bronzewing, Superb Lyrebird and Lace Monitors. On the way up
we heard Crescent Honeyeaters among others and right at the top
(720m) were 2 Tree Martins, a family of Pied Currawongs and
amazingly among the rock outcrops a confiding Bassian Thrush.

25 January
I drove up 4WD trails onto Mt Kingiman
in Morton NP in the morning (a recent addition, formerly Croobyar State
Forest I believe). In the beautiful rainforest here with cabbage palms
and towering eucalypts in dense fog I listened to a Green Catbird
calling and the 'wook wook' call of a White-headed Pigeon. Also
here were Black-faced Monarchs, a Rose Robin feeding a fledgling,
and a Pilotbird heard on the way down. Along Wheelbarrow Rd in Meroo
NP in flowering gums along a creek were White-cheeked and New
Holland Honeyeaters, Little Lorikeets, Lewin's Honeyeaters
and a White-throated Needletail overhead. Further along this road
rich in birdlife I found a Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, a Rufous Fantail,
Brown-headed Honeyeaters, Variegated Fairy-wrens and Dusky
Woodswallows.

26 January
This morning was spent up on Little
Forest Plateau in Morton NP. The previous two visits in past years it had
been dry and not many birds were around, but this summer had been wetter
and I saw the same variety of birds as I did back in 2002, with 2 pairs
of Beautiful Firetails (1 pair at the Mt Bushwalker car park near
the Tianjara Fire Trail), Crescent Honeyeater, Pilotbird,
Black-faced Monarch, White-headed Pigeon, Southern Emu-wren
(3), Variegated Fairy-wrens (12+), Rufous Fantail and
Leaden Flycatcher. Also a Wedge-tailed Eagle over Croobyar Rd.
In the afternoon 8 Bottle-nosed Dolphins played near where we were swimming,
including a baby.

27 January
Barnunj State Recreation Area has some
nice heathland which revealed a pair of Southern Emu-wrens. Also
3 Glossy Black-Cockatoos and Black-faced Monarchs. Spotlighting
that night produced Yellow-bellied Gliders, Sugar Gliders and a Southern
Boobook.

28 January
A Spotted Quail-thrush along
Clyde Ridge Rd in Clyde State Forest and a Sacred Kingfisher in
Bimberamala National Park. Most of this area is recovering from bushfire
so not many birds around.
Also 5 Glossy Black-Cockatoos,
including a begging juvenile, along the Clyde River in Currowan State Forest.

29 January
A Square-tailed Kite in Mollymook
over our house. We've had this species over our house in previous years
as well.

Cheers

Marnix Zwankhuizen
NGUNNAWAL  ACT


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