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Narrative and Trip List - East. Australia Oct/Nov '03

A few photo highlights from the 2003 tour...

Tom with carpet python
Coastal mountains near Brisbane	Regent Bowerbird male

Oct 24: Royal National Park

Our first day took us south from Sydney to Royal National Park. We walked at an easy pace along an old carriage track called Lady Carrington Drive beside the Hacking River. Lunch was shared with a pack of hungry Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Dusky Moorhens and Magpie-larks. Highlights: Australian Darter, Brown Goshawk, Wonga Pigeon, Sacred Kingfisher, Superb Lyrebird, Variegated Fairywren, Spotted Pardalote (incredible close view), male Scarlet Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Eastern Spinebill, Black-faced Monarch, Olive-backed Oriole, Pied Currawong, Australian Raven, displaying Red-browed Firetails, nesting Willie Wagtail and Noisy Friarbird. An afternoon walk through open woodland and heath produced two Swamp Wallabies.

Night: Holiday Inn Sydney Airport

Oct 25: Blue Mountains loop

The following day we had an early drive west over the Blue Mountains to the drier western slopes where we spent the morning birding the beautiful Capertee Valley between Capertee and Glen Davis. Our first stop in Capertee was rewarded with our only Pallid Cuckoo for the trip. A weedy field yielded a large assembly of finches including Double-barred, Red-browed Finch, Diamond Firetail and Plum-headed Finch. Other highlights included 2 Little Eagles, 20 Rainbow Bee-eaters, many Dusky Woodswallows, Yellow-tufted, New Holland and White-plumed Honeyeaters. One van had great looks at a Bearded Dragon basking on a fence post.

En route back over the mountains we waited out a brief thunderstorm at Pierce’s Pass. Here we had our first Fan-tailed Cuckoo and a Beautiful Firetail nest. Late in the day we stopped briefly in Richmond’s Smith Park for Red-whiskered Bulbul and Nankeen Night-Heron before heading to the large sewage works complex at McGrath’s Hill. We assembled quietly to watch Baillon’s Crakes feeding at the edge of a small pond. Other species seen here included Australasian Grebe (with babies), Glossy Ibis, many new waterfowl, Red-kneed Dotterel, Clamorous Reed-Warbler, Little Grassbird and a Red Fox.

Night: Holiday Inn Sydney Airport

Oct 26: Transfer to Deniliquin

Early morning flight from Sydney to Melbourne. From Melbourne we drove north through the state of Victoria stopping at Heathcotte for lunch. After eating we birded (and botanised) Mt. Ida seeing Scarlet Robins, many wildflowers, Swamp Wallabies and enjoyed a touching moment with a Short-beaked Echidna. The Common King Spider Orchid (Mantis Orchid), Caladenia tentaculata, was the most spectacular flower seen on the trip. Pollination is carried out by the attempt of male thynnid wasps to copulate with the orchid's labellum, which mimics the shape and scent of the female wasp. As we headed north, the land became drier and we eventually crossed into western New South Wales. We encountered our first Emus and had a nice flock of a dozen Superb Parrots along the roadside.

Night: Deniliquin Country Club Motor Inn, Deniliquin

Oct 27&28: Deniliquin Area

Our local guide to the Deniliquin region was Phil Maher. No one knows the birds of this region more intimately and on many occasions Phil provided a glimpse into his extensive knowledge of plants and other wildlife.  The first morning was spent 20 km. south of town exploring Gulpa State Forest, a mixture of floodplain River Red Gum forest and sandy wooded dunes. The former yielded Brown Woodcreeper, Crested Shrike-Tit, Painted Button-quail, Hooded Robin and Superb Parrot while the latter held Gilbert’s Whistler, White-browed Babbler, Red-capped Robin and Yellow Rosella. 

In the afternoon we visited the town’s rubbish tip (Black Falcon, Black Kite (50!), Whistling Kite, Restless Flycatcher), a wetland north of town (White-necked Heron, Royal & Yellow-billed Spoonbills, Spotless Crake) and open grasslands (Brown Songlarks, Singing Bushlarks, Australian (Richard’s) Pipits, Striped Honeyeater). Here we also saw our first Eastern and Western Grey Kangaroos.  At dusk we visited an isolated patch of trees and were rewarded with a nesting Tawny Frogmouth and Cockatiels. Who can forget Phil Maher’s instructions on where to stand for the best view of the Australian Owlet-Nightjar (before we even found it!)? As darkness fell we moved to an open sparsely vegetated field and heard the calls of the elusive Plains Wanderer. Our luck held and we discovered two nests with eggs (attended by males) and later a beautiful look at a high plumaged female. A run through another paddock produced 14 Little Button-quail including one adult with young chicks. The evening ended with 2 Barn Owls and a brief stop at the edge of town where we saw a Common Brushtail Possum and two Common Ringtail Possums with young.

Common urban birds we saw around the motel included Crested Pigeon, Galah, Little & Noisy Friarbirds, Noisy Miner, Blue-faced Honeyeater and Common Blackbird.

The next day was spent north of town. It was a mixed day for weather with light rain in the early morning, hot and sunny in the afternoon (Day of the Flies) and cold and windy by evening. We started with a nice flock of Blue Bonnets and then drove off-road (by now even the minivan was following Phil’s lead to go offroading) through the open plains finding Emus, White-fronted Chats, a large flock of Black-tailed Native-hens and Red Kangaroos. Later we explored some sandy native pine woodland for Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Southern Whiteface, Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Chestnut-crowned Babbler, Varied Sittella, White-winged Triller and Bush Stone-curlew.

In addition to the flies, the warm afternoon also brought out several Bearded Dragons and Shingleback Skinks. Back on the open plains (off road again) 500 Straw-necked Ibis, 50 Banded Lapwings, six Wedge-tailed Eagles, a dozen Budgerigars and 10 White-winged Fairy-wrens filled out the day’s list.

Nights: Deniliquin Country Club Motor Inn, Deniliquin

Oct 29 Deniliquin to Ouyen, Victoria

An early departure from Deniliquin as we headed west to Victoria’s outback, the Mallee Region. Large flocks of Galahs and Long-billed Corellas were everywhere as we left Deniliquin. We had lunch in Ouyen, checked into a motel, and then departed to explore the northern portions of Wyperfield National Park. We had great scope views of Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos and then found huge flocks of Masked and White-browed Woodswallows along the back roads north of the park. Another surprise was a large Shingleback Skink that displayed its blue tongue as we helped it off the road. A pair of Crimson Chats was nice but the Australian Ringneck brought gasps of delight as we watched it walk along a fence wire, feeding on grass seeds.

We had the entire Cassurina Campground to ourselves for a picnic dinner. Here we had a male Splendid Fairy-wren (thanks Jerry) that perched in full view for several minutes. After dark we did a bit of spotlighting before heading back to Ouyen. We heard two Southern Boobook Owls, saw two Common Brushtail Possums and Tom spotted a baby (and later an adult) Tawny Frogmouth. Our final stop was to observe the night sky and see the Southern Cross and Large Magellanic Cloud.

Night: Ouyen

Oct 30: Hatta-Kulkyne National Park

Here the campground greeters consisted of Noisy Miners, Grey Butcherbirds, Apostlebirds and a White-winged Chough but the highlight of this site was finding 16 Regent Parrots in the large River Red Gums.  No Malleefowl were seen but we did find a number of other mallee specialties. In open areas dominated by the very spiky spinifex grass we found Mallee Emu-wren, Striated Grasswren and numerous Southern Mallee Ctenotus lizards. In areas dominated by mallee shrubs we saw Blue Bonnet, Australian Ringneck, Chestnut Quail-thrush, Crested Bellbird (h), Inland Thornbill, Yellow-plumed Honeyeater, White-fronted Honeyeater, Yellow-rumped Pardalote and Australian Owlet-Nightjar.

After lunch in Ouyen we settled in the vans for the long drive back to Melbourne.

Night: Best Western Laverton Motel, Melbourne

Oct 31 Phillip IslandOur first stop of the morning was at Ferntree Gully National Park, a wooded creek valley dominated by lush vegetation and tall tree ferns. The woods here were full of noisy Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and Crimson Rosellas. At one point Tom’s spishing attracted a colourful array of Rose Robins, Eastern Yellow Robins and Golden Whistlers. The only Bassian Thrush of the tour kept diving across the trail every few minutes as it fed nestlings hidden in the dense understory.

The afternoon was spent on Phillip Island exploring the magnificent shoreline of Bass Strait that separates the mainland and Tasmania. Our first beach stop produced a pair of the endangered (and beautiful) Hooded Plovers and careful scrutiny of island pastures produced two pair of Cape Barren Geese.

The Nobbies provided a great vantage point for viewing Australian Fur Seals, Pacific Gulls, Kelp Gulls and a huge nesting colony of Silver Gulls. We watched as a Swamp Harrier suddenly swooped to the ground and carried off a baby Silver Gull. Our sea watch was rewarded with great looks at Australian Gannets and Arctic (Parasitic) Jaegers, Sooty Oystercatcher, Short-tailed and Fluttering Shearwaters and finally groups of Little Penguins floating over the swells.  A brief walk by the Koala Conservation Centre afforded great views of a singing Horsefield’s Bronze-Cuckoo and several Koalas, including one close individual feeding in an eucalyptus tree.

Night: Best Western Laverton Motel, Melbourne

Nov 1: Werribee Sewage Works

What would a birding trip be without a trip to some sewage ponds? We spent the entire morning at the superb Werribee Sewage Works. This enormous complex of fields, marshland and ponds supports a vast array of wetland species. Waterfowl observed here included Black Swan, Blue-billed Duck, Musk Dusk, Pink-eared Duck, Australian Shelduck, Chestnut Teal, Australian Shoveler and the rare Freckled Duck. Shorebirds included Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Red-necked Stint, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Pied Oystercatcher, Black-winged Stilt, Red-necked Avocet, Red-capped Plover, Red-kneed Dotterel and Masked Lapwing. Other wetland birds included Hoary-headed Grebe, Little Pied, Pied, Little Black and Great Cormorants, Australian Pelican, Australian White and Straw-necked Ibises, Royal Spoonbill, Striated Fieldwren and Golden-headed Cisticola.

Transfer from Melbourne to Cairns.
In the late afternoon we flew to Cairns in northern Queensland. Although we arrived after dark the palm trees outside the airport were full of noisy Rainbow Lorikeets settling in for the night.

Night: Mercure Hotel Harbourside, Cairns

Nov 2: Birding in Cairns Area

We took a more leisurely pace today while adjusting to the heat of the tropics. In the morning we walked around the wetland complex at the crocodile farm just south of town. It was our best location for waders with White-faced and Striated Herons, Great, Intermediate, Little and Cattle Egrets, Nankeen Night-Heron and the rare Pied Heron. Other new trip birds seen here included White-browed Crake, Crimson Finch, Yellow-bellied Sunbird, Yellow Oriole, White-breasted Woodswallow as well as Yellow, Brown, Brown-backed and Dusky Honeyeaters.

Aside from the numerous crocodiles the most conspicuous animal of the day was the Green Ant, Oecophylla smaragdina. Their football-sized nests are constructed by attaching leaves together with silk produced by their larvae. They are very aggressive and will vigorously attack intruders (including birders). Due to their large population sizes and predacious habits, these ants have been used for biological control of fruit orchard pests.

After a mid-day siesta we walked the trails at Centenary Park and the botanical gardens. Highlights included Australian Brush-turkey, Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Bush Stone-curlew (5), Pied Imperial Pigeon, Rainbow Lorikeet, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Black Butcherbird, Spangled Drongo and Brush Cuckoo.

Night: Mercure Hotel Harbourside, Cairns

Nov 3: Great Barrier Reef

We had the option of relaxing for the day or taking a trip to the Great Barrier Reef. Our catamaran visited Michaelmas Cay, 40 km. offshore, where thousands of birds filled the sky. Large numbers of Common Noddies, Sooty Terns, Lesser Crested Terns and Crested Terns were present but we also had great looks at Black-naped Tern, Brown Booby, Great Frigatebird, Bridled Tern, Ruddy Turnstone and Black Noddy. After some fabulous snorkelling and tour on a semi-submersible boat, we returned to Cairns in late afternoon.

For those who stayed in Cairns, there was the opportunity to just kick back and relax in this laid back tropical Queensland waterfront town, or do some birding right from the front of the hotel. The waterfront is world famous as one of the best places in the world to observe shorebirds. Hundreds of Asiatic shorebirds feed here each fall and winter on the extensive mudflats that are exposed at low tide. Trees along the Esplanade hosted common birds such as Varied & Yellow Honeyeaters, Helmeted Friarbirds and Figbirds.

At dusk we took a short drive the Cairn’s Swamp and observed a thousand Spectacled Flying Foxes emerge from their day roost and spread out over the town to feed on the great variety of fruiting trees available.

Night: Mercure Hotel Harbourside, Cairns

Nov 4: Cassowary House and transfer to Red Mill Lodge, Daintree Village

We checked out of our hotel early, and after watching shorebirds along the Esplanade, drove forty minutes northwest to Cassowary House. Here we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast on the veranda of this small bed & breakfast set in the rainforest. The bird feeders attracted Australian Brush-turkey, Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Macleay's Honeyeater, Spotted Catbird, Victoria’s Riflebird, Emerald Dove, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Red-necked Crake (say Cheese) and Musky Rat-Kangaroos, the world’s smallest kangaroo. The pace picked up considerably when a female Southern Cassowary unexpectedly appeared at the kitchen window!

In late morning we continued up into the Atherton Tablelands stopping to bird at Emerald Creek Falls. In this area we saw Pheasant Coucal, Cicadabird, White-browed Robin (nest with two eggs), Squatter Pigeon, Pale-headed Rosella and Lemon-bellied Flycatcher. The much drier landscape was dominated by thousands of immense termite mounds. Over 200 Brolga and Saurus Cranes were displaying and feeding in the agricultural fields near Mareeba.

There were brief stops in Mt. Molloy for a flock of 50 Red-winged Parrots visiting a feeder and Forest Kingfishers along the highway but the best catch of the trip was Tom’s spotting of a perched Superb Fruit-Dove near Jullaten. It was very co-operative and allowed a superb scope view.

We then descended back down into the coastal lowlands and drove to Daintree Village. Our B&B had a nesting Yellow-bellied Sunbird on piece of rope by staircase and several tropical frogs on the grounds including Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog, Lesueur's Frog and Giant Tree Frog (world's largest tree frog).

Night: Red Mill House B&B, Daintree Village

Nov 5:Daintree River cruise to Kingfisher Lodge

We joined local resident Chris Dahlberg for an exciting boat trip down the Daintree River this morning. Good sightings included Darter, Nankeen Night-Heron, Black Bittern, Peregrine Falcon, Pied Imperial-Pigeon (+500), Papuan Frogmouth (two nests!), Shining Flycatchers and trees filled with Spectacled Flying Foxes.

We then returned to Redmill House for a delicious brunch and afterwards birded the grounds and village seeing Wompoo Fruit Dove (pair at nest), Brown Quail (with young), Common Koel, Metallic Starling (nesting colony), Azure Kingfisher and Blue-winged Kookaburra.

250 Magpie Geese were found in a large sugar cane field and a coastal beach stop provided great views of Eastern Reef Egret, Grey-tailed Tattlers, White-bellied Sea-Eagle and Brahminy Kite. Another stop at Newell Beach afforded fine looks at Beach Stone-curlew, Common Sandpiper, Barred Cuckoo-shrike, Chestnut-breasted Mannikin, and Willie-Wagtails attacking a Kookaburra.

We then headed inland for Kingfisher Lodge where we spent some time birding around the grounds (Red-necked Crake, Fairy Gerygone, Large-billed Gerygone, Little Shrike-thrush, Pale Yellow Robins, and Spectacled Monarchs).

Night: Kingfisher Park Lodge, Jullaten

Nov 6: Mount Lewis

This morning we ascended a forest road up nearby Mt. Lewis. It was another day of memorable birding with such beauties as Topknot Pigeon, Emerald Dove, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher Grey-headed Robin, Black-faced, Spectacled and Pied Monarchs, Mistletoebird, Chowchilla, and Fernwren. Honeyeaters seen today included Blue-faced, Macleay’s, Bridled, Lewin’s, Yellow-spotted, Graceful and Eastern Spinebill.  Bowerbirds were a target group today and we enjoyed Spotted Catbird (weird cat-like calls), Tooth-billed Bowerbird (including male at a bower) and the striking Golden Bowerbird (male at elaborate stick bower). A large Major Skink, Egernia frerei provided an excellent opportunity for photographs as it basked on a tree trunk.  Despite the repeated caution to avoid touching Giant Stinging Trees one person fell victim to this nasty plant. Tom accidentally brushed against a seedling while trying to entice birds from a thicket.  A late afternoon walk at Kingfisher Park provided wonderful views of a Noisy Pitta hopping about in the open orchard. We then drove back to the Mt. Lewis road and stopped at a bridge over a small creek. Here a Platypus put on a good show in the fading evening light.

After dinner we did a bit of spotlighting and found Barn Owl, Papuan Frogmouth, Large-tailed Nightjar (2h), Agile Wallaby and Northern Brown Bandicoot.

Night: Kingfisher Park Lodge, Jullaten

Nov 7: Mt Carbine, Hasties Swamp, Yungaburra

Our first stop of the day was the Abattoir Swamp boardwalk for waterbirds such as White-necked Herons, and a nice look at a large goanna lizard (Lace Monitor, Varanus varius) perched in a paperbark tree.

In the arid pastureland en route to Mt. Carbine we stopped and had great views of Australian Bustard, Squatter Pigeon, Red-backed Fairy-wren and Agile Wallaby. Just past the town we took a dirt track which lead down to the Mitchell River. This oasis provided a good assortment of birds including Pale-headed Rosella, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Little Bronze-Cuckoo, White-throated Gerygone, Blue-faced, White-throated, Scarlet and Banded Honeyeaters, Torresian Crow and Double-barred Finch. Hundreds of crow butterflies were present along the river. We also stopped at a trailer park to see an impressive Great Bowerbird bower that was adorned with white shells, glass and numerous red bottle caps.

After checking out of the Kingfisher Park we drove south through the Atherton Tablelands and visited Hasties Swamp (Pacific Baza with young, Buff-banded Rail, Purple Swamphens) and Lake Tinaroo near Yungaburra. Water levels were very low due to the drought, which has been severe over the past two years.  After dinner at Eden House there was another opportunity for spotlighting. A brief walk along the Barrie River produced Platypus, Water Rat (appearing to attack Mary Ann), European Rabbit, Large-tailed Nightjar (h), and Northern Brown Bandicoot. The Curtain Fig road and boardwalk provided close looks at Lumhotlz’s Tree-Kangaroo (a mother and baby), Green Ringtail Possum and Common Ringtail Possum.

Night: Rainforest Motel, Atherton

Nov 8: Yungaburra to Cairns

We visited Lake Tinaroo (+1000 Little Black Cormorants, Great Crested Grebes, Australian Hobby, Saurus Crane, Brolga) and the immense Curtain Fig before stopping for breakfast in Atherton. Heading north towards Mareeba we encountered a flock of 60 Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos.  The visitor centre at Mareeba Wetlands afforded great views of a marshy lake dominated by flowering lotus. The wetland held large numbers of water birds including Black Swan, Wandering Whistling-Duck, Cotton Pygmy-goose, Green Pygmy-goose, Black-winged Stilt and Comb-crested Jacana. A few stops in the surrounding dry woodlands revealed Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Apostlebird, Torresian Crow and more Double-barred Finches.

Back in Cairns the rising tide was pushing in to shore so we decided to bird along the Esplanade. Conditions were perfect and we had wonderful views of over 1000 birds feeding very close to the boardwalk including: Eastern Reef Egret (1), Gull-billed Tern, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Eastern Curlew, Whimbrel (Asiatic race), Marsh Sandpiper (1), Common Greenshank, Terek Sandpiper, Great Knot, Red-necked Stint (most common species), Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Pied Oystercatcher (2), Pacific Golden Plover, Red-capped Plover (5), Lesser Sand Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Black-fronted Dotterel (2) and Masked Lapwing.

Night: Mercure Hotel Harbourside, Cairns

Nov 9: Cairns

This morning we explored two mangrove sites north of Cairns. On Redden Island we heard Mangrove Robin and finally spotted a Collared Kingfisher perched high in a dead tree along the river. The mangrove boardwalk trails at the airport produced lots of the bizarre Mudskippers, large eels, hermit crabs and Ken’s sharp eyes spotted several Wall Skinks, Cryptoblepharus virgatus on a tree trunk. We also found a nest hole being used by a pair of Collared Kingfishers.

Wet "lawns" at a sod farm south of Cairns attracted many birds such as Rainbow Bee-eaters, Magpie-larks, Australian Pipits and two Australian Pratincoles. Another mangrove stop on Thompson Road produced a Brahminy Kite nest, pair of Lovely Fairy-wrens and our only wild Saltwater Crocodile.  We returned to Centenary Park and walked around the freshwater ponds. In addition to the numerous pacific Black Ducks we saw 20 Magpie Geese, five Wandering Whistling-Ducks and a basking Northern Snapping Turtle. White-rumped Swiftlets were common overhead today. This is the only Australian bird that uses echolocation, much like bats employ. They use it to locate their nests deep inside caves.

Night: Mercure Hotel Harbourside, Cairns

Nov 10: Transfer to Oreilly’s Rainforest Guesthouse, Lamington National Park

Today we took a very early flight south to Brisbane. From there we picked up a new set of Toyota vans and drove up into the Green Mountains to the world famous Oreilly's Rainforest Guesthouse in Lamington National Park. We were greeted by a crowd of remarkably tame Australian Brush-turkeys, Crimson Rosellas, Australian King-Parrots, Wonga Pigeons, Regent and Satin Bowerbirds, all looking for free handouts.

After checking into our rooms and having lunch we explored the open woodland along Duck Creek Road. This open eucalypt forest has a grassy understory and supports large trees with thick, fire resistant bark. Many trees showed scarring from past fires. Here we found Red-browed Woodcreeper, Black-faced Monarch, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, White-throated Honeyeater, White-browed Scrubwren, Striated Thornbill and Pied Currawong.

Later we met Glen Trelfo who showed us a Southern Boobook Owl perched in a grass tree, a Tawny Frogmouth nest and several Pretty-faced Wallabies. At Glen’s home we saw captive Carpet Python and Stephen’s Banded Snake.  Dinner at the lodge provided excitement when several Mountain Brush-tail Possums arrived at the feeding trays, including one female with a baby in her pouch. An evening walk along the road added "Coppery" Ringtail Possums, a Long-nosed Bandicoot and couple of dozen Red-necked Pademelons.

Night: Oreilly's Rainforest Guesthouse

Nov 11: Oreilly’s, Lamington National Park

Rich and diverse subtropical rainforest containing almost 300 tree species was only a few feet from the guesthouse. Many trees here have large buttress roots and support many epiphytic ferns and orchids. We explored the Tree Top Walk, a series of suspension bridges 600 ft. in length and 55 ft. above the ground. A large Strangler Fig along the walkway provided an observation deck 110 feet above the ground.

Birding this morning provided us with our first encounters with White-headed Pigeon, Paradise Riflebird, Green Catbird and Albert’s Lyrebird. Other common species seen included Eastern Whipbird, Golden Whistler, Grey & Rufous Fantails and Topknot Pigeon. On the Python Rock Trail we were truly lucky to see a male Paradise Riflebird displaying (thanks Mary Ann) and briefly watch a male Albert’s Lyrebird singing and displaying.

The afternoon was spent along Duck Creek Road, stopping to look for birds and admire the breathtaking vistas. Birds here included Forest Kingfisher, Brown Quail, Large-billed Scrubwren, Brown Gerygone, Bell Miner, Noisy Miner, Grey Butcherbird and Fan-tailed Cuckoo.  A short walk after dinner revealed Southern Boobook Owl, Coppery Ringtail Possums with babies, Mountain Brush-tail Possum, +40 pademelons and a Southern Leaf-tailed Gecko, Saltuarius swaini on a tree trunk (plus two captive animals earlier that day).

Night: Oreilly's Rainforest Guesthouse

Nov 12: Return to Sydney

This morning we walked the Python Rock Trail before breakfast where

Logrunners and scrubwrens scratched amongst the leaf litter. A male Albert’s Lyrebird was heard singing but drifted away from the trail and could not be seen. We also found nests of Yellow-throated Scrubwren, Eastern Yellow Robin, Black-faced Monarch (very similar to the nest of the Spectacled Monarch found a day earlier).  We took one last opportunity to hand feed the parrots and bowerbirds and take a group portrait before driving back to the Brisbane airport in order to catch our flight to Sydney. The last bird of the trip was a Russet-tailed Thrush, spotted flying across the road.

We recorded 383 species of birds on the tour including 167 Australian endemics, 20 species of raptors, 23 species of parrots and 34 species of honeyeaters. Mammals were also well represented with echidna, platypus, koala and 9 species of kangaroos.

Night: Ibis Airport Hotel, Sydney