Wader Count

During our last Wader Count in September we counted 13 species with a total of 248 birds.

We were hoping the numbers would be a lot bigger than what they were as the waders tend to come back in early September, but not this year.We have had reports that the waders are now back, so the count this month should be interesting.

Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis)

It was interesting to see this Jellyfish at the wader roost site, as they don't often enter the estuary, staying more out in the bay.

Blue Blubber Jellyfish (Castostylus mosaicus)

The photos below show the other side of the Wader Roost Site that we can only access on a very low high tide or by kayak on a very high tide. This particular day the high tide was low enough for us to walk across and check out the birds that were hiding on that side of the roost. Not long ago a fire in the area burnt down to the edge of the site. Better to have it burnt before the Waders returned than when they first come back I guess.

Patchwork of Birds of Patchwork Cottage

One of the little towns in the Mary Valley is called Imbil, and here we stayed at a B&B called Patchwork Cottage to undertake the next survey of birds in the area. We managed to get 61 species over 2 days.

Patchwork Cottage backs on to Forestry, and the birds seen provided a Patchwork of Colours against the green of the surrounding forest.

Just how many shades of green are in the bird world I would not like to even guess at, with the Green of the Catbird, King Parrot and Emerald Dove as well as the Satin Bowerbird female.

There was the Black and Gold of the Regent Bowerbird male, Pink and Grey of the Galah, Black and White of the White-headed Pigeon.

Brown of the Brown Cuckoo-Dove and Tawny Grassbird.

Black crown, Chestnut throat, White breast and Cinnamon buff underparts of the Eastern Spinebill, and all the colours of the Rainbow Bee-eater.

Green Catbird (Ailuroedus crassirostris)

Australian King Parrot (Female) (Alisterus scapularis)

Satin Bowerbird (Female) (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus)

This is not a very good picture, but I have included it to see if any one has noticed any barring on a female Satin Bowerbird before.

Tawny Grassbird (Megalurus timoriensis)

Yabba Creek

Just a short walk down the road from Patchwork Cottage you come to Yabba Creek.

Black-striped Wallaby (Macropus dorsalas) Scrub Wallaby

Some of the locals.

Mary Valley

Australasian Grebe can be found throughout the Mary Valley on farm dams. Not all dams have easy access to them, this one was right beside the road with enough room to pull over and have a good look at what was on there. Mainly Australasian Grebe and not much else.

Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae)

Duwirri (Brooloo Bluff)

Every time we go to the Mary Valley I would say I must stop and take a photo of Brooloo Bluff but we always had to be somewhere at a set time. This time though I just had to take some photos. The last time we were up this way it was raining.