I had a bunch of last minute December birding tours this year but today was the last one for 2024: here's Stef and Paul of Washington USA checking out this gorgeous female Superb Lyrebird having a sing (and yes, there were just a few cicadas competing with her!) Now it's time to rest, recharge, finish off the working year at the Zoo and plan my summer break . . . Sound up!
As I pulled into the car park at Fig Tree Flat in Royal NP this morning I actually saw the second last of these delightful tiny ducklings plummet from their nest hollow this morning but, to my utter dismay, the family departed and when I got out of my car I could still hear at least one chick calling from the hollow. I sure hope that mum or dad will go back for them or it will be curtains for them. Here these gorgeous things are, enjoying their very first meal. Apologies for the cicada cacophony!
One of the great things about birding is that you'll often go chasing one bird down and then you'll spot a whole lot of other amazing birds or wildlife on the way. Today in Royal National Park I was observing some Yellow-throated Scrubwrens collecting food for their nestlings, delivering it from the forest floor up into their gorgeous, disarrayed mass of roots and plant fibres which comprise the nest which has been home/cradle for them for some weeks. Then, I just happened to notice this guy getting hot and bothered because another male had been singing and performing some mimicry on the other side of the Hacking River. This movie will never make the B-roll on a David Attenborough doco, but I feel this is more authentic in that this is often how you see birds when out in the forest and it captures a sense of the mystery of those moments. These special moments are what makes the life of a naturalist feel so precious, so priceless. I am indeed the most fortunate of persons to have so much time in this forest to bathe in the magic of its mysteries and tease out a few of its secrets from time to time too.
There are thousands of Angophora hispida in bloom right across the heath and woodlands of Royal National Park right now. These plants are particularly abundant across Curra Moors, a massive expanse of heath along the coast. Whilst walking on the Curra Moors Trail this morning (more to come on the fabulous birding there today) I passed perhaps 100 of these plants and every one of these large vanilla ice cream scented blossom bundles was as busy as this one . . . each with a cornucopia of beetles, moths, bees, bugs, ants and even wasps and hornets were all gorging on the copious supply of nectar. My mind was blown at sheer diversity and abundance of invertebrate life swarming across this vast expanse of heath. Even along the trails, native bees were indeed swarming in several locations, often in their hundreds. I was literally sobbing with joy as I walked amid this spectacular event. Perhaps sadly, I was the only person on the trail to witness this.
Fabulous tour in Royal National Park today with bird photography enthusiast Prateek from Mombay. Among 58 species we got a gorgeous male Superb Lyrebird, stunning moments with Satin Bowerbirds and Green Catbirds and finished off with a gorgeous family of Powerful Owls! He wasn't disappointed . . . it's round two tomorrow!
