Dear Bird Listers,
My Top Ten is heavily influenced by where I live on Sydney's northern
beaches. Perhaps some of you may find it useful if you visit the area. The
top eight are all in NSW.
1. Warriewood Wetland, including Irrawong Reserve. Has a great variety of
habitats which make for good all year round birding.
2. Long Reef. A long, thin peninsula, which protrudes beyond the general
Sydney coastline, includes a tidal flat. Good for migratory waders, and for
sea birds after storms.
3. Capertee Valley. An enclave into the western Blue Mountains with
permanent water, where both western and eastern NSW birds can be found, also
famous for regent honeyeater.
4. Round Hill Nature Reserve. Mallee and savannah country in the centre
of NSW, and good for birds of those habitats; reliable for Gilbert's
whistler in season; red-lored whistler, malleefowl are possible, ground
cuckoo-shrike nearby.
5. Chiltern Trail, Ku-ring-gai Chase NP. This trail is the best bet in a
park where birding tends to be indifferent; good for 10 species of
honeyeater in one morning when eucalypts are in flower (at least three
periods a year).
6. Blue Gum Forest, Winmalee, in Blue Mountains NP. Situated in the lower
mountains, has permanent water. One of the better locations in the park,
year-round. Pilotbird, rockwarbler and red-browed treecreeper all possible.
7. Pallaibo Trail, Kosciuszko NP. Located in woodland, runs from Thredbo
River up to Sawpit Creek. A variety of birds in summer and autumn.
8. Binya State Forest. Has mallee and mixed cypress-eucalypt woodland.
Reliable for painted honeyeater in season.
9. Kilcowera Station, south west Queensland. Has a variety of habitats
which lead to a variety of birdlife. For me, it's a preferred alternative
to Bowra.
10. Lawn Hill, north west Queensland. An oasis for people and birds.
Honorable mentions to Innamincka (Coopers Creek), Hunter River estuary, and
Yellow Waters (Kakadu).
Some sites, which have disappointed me include Gluepot (birds hard to find,
hides built overlooking waterholes that have long since dried up; records
suggest that several key bird species have been hard to find for most of
last 5 or 6 years), Newhaven (all their birds can be found closer to Alice
Springs on better roads), Fivebough Swamp (Leeton - little variety and
mostly hard to see), and Barren Grounds NR (famous for ground parrot, but
difficult to find and see; eastern bristlebird a good chance, but other
species generally thin on the ground).
Next month, I am spending 10 days in south west WA. If I do get to see the
famous skulkers and the other WA endemics, I may well have to modify this
list. Have yet to visit Kingfisher Park at Julatten and am very keen to go
there, too.
Happy Birding and Many Ticks,
Carl Weber
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