The coastline here is mile after mile of superb sandy beaches with rocky outcrops and river estuaries. I visited many locations from Ballina up to Tweed Heads and saw some wonderful birds and scenery. The common gull of Australia is the Silver Gull, fairly small and dainty I think it is very attractive as gulls go.
Silver Gull - chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
I photographed this Australasian Darter at Tweed Heads, one of the best birding locations of all. Not just for marine birds but a host of other species in the trees and meadows fringing the winding river estuary.
Australasian Darter - anhinga novaehollandiae
The Greater Crested Tern was one of a colony at Flat Rock, close to Byron Bay. It's a very large and impressive tern, completely dwarfing the Little and Common Terns which were also present.
Crested Tern - thalasseus bergii cristata
The Terns were in company with flocks of Red-necked Stints, a common Australian wader...
Red-necked Stint - calidris ruficollis
...and fortunately for me a couple of Sooty Oystercatchers were foraging in the rockpools. This is an Australian endemic and is listed as vulnerable to extinction so I was very pleased to see it. There are estimated to be only around 4000 of the nominate form, and another 7000 of the slightly smaller Northern form in existence. They are only common around the coasts of Tasmania and the Bass Straits Islands, so this was a good sighting.
Sooty Oystercatcher - haematopus fuliginosus
Unlike its cousin the Sooty Oystercatcher, the Pied Oystercatcher, another Australian endemic prefers sandy coastline to rocky shores. It feeds on bivalve mollusks and other invertebrates and uses a variety of methods to break open the shells. Both Oystercatchers are very handsome birds with bright orange bills and irises.
Pied Oystercatcher - haematopus longirostris
The Australian Pelican is a fairly widespread species in Australasia and has the distinction of having the longest bill in the bird kingdom. I find it is one of the better looking of the pelicans with black & white plumage, pink bill and large, clear eyes.
Australian Pelican - pelecanus conspicillatus
The Eastern Osprey, pandion cristatus is considered by some taxonomic authorities to be a different species to our Western form, pandion haliaetus. It is slightly smaller and found from Sulawesi to the Pacific Solomon Islands including Australasia. I took this photo on the end of the breakwater at Ballina, the bird very obligingly stayed on the Lifting ring allowing a good close-up shot. I like the light in this photo.
Eastern Osprey - pandion cristatus
Together with the Osprey I watched this Brahminy Kite cruising up and down the length of the long breakwater, I am not sure if they will take live fish, being more of a scavenger, but they have been known to steal other birds prey, perhaps he was hoping the Osprey might drop something.
Brahminy Kite - haliastur indus
The Birds of Tweed Heads
Tweed Heads is a city on the Tweed River in north-eastern NSW, next to the border with Queensland. The first European to see Tweed Heads in 1882 said of it "A deep rich valley clothed with magnificent trees, the beautiful uniformity of which was only interrupted by the turns and windings of the river, which here and there appeared like small lakes. The view was altogether beautiful beyond description".
Since then of course most of the forest has been cleared but the area still retains a natural beauty because of the winding river. I spent a very pleasant few hours walking around the tree-lined banks spotting a good variety of birds as I went.
Since then of course most of the forest has been cleared but the area still retains a natural beauty because of the winding river. I spent a very pleasant few hours walking around the tree-lined banks spotting a good variety of birds as I went.
Brown Honeyeater - lichemera indistincta
Australia's largest bird family is the Honeyeaters, and they were well represented here. The first one I noticed was the rather plain Brown Honeyeater (above), This was unexpected as it is well outside its range acording to my field guide, but there it was with that distictive yellow patch behind the eye.
After that rather plain example I spotted a spectacular Blue Faced Honeyeater which is quite a stunner. Long and sleek with royal blue cheeks in a black & white striped head. What I remember most about it though was those large, staring and slightly mad eyes. I can honestly say it "Snaked" its way around in the trees.
After that rather plain example I spotted a spectacular Blue Faced Honeyeater which is quite a stunner. Long and sleek with royal blue cheeks in a black & white striped head. What I remember most about it though was those large, staring and slightly mad eyes. I can honestly say it "Snaked" its way around in the trees.
Blue-faced Honeyeater - entomyzon cyanotis
There were many habitats along my walk, riverbank, woodland, meadows, mudbank and even some mangroves where I was very lucky to capture a fantastic Mangrove Honeyeater, another very attractive bird with large, clear slightly blue eyes. It is endemic to Australia, and in fact to just this section of the east coast of Australia.
Mangrove Honeyeater - lichenostomus fasciogularis
How's this for a great looking bird, the White-cheeked Honeyeater. A very active bird, so hard to photograph as it constantly flits from flower to flower gathering nectar with its long tongue and curved beak. Such a large bird also requires protein in its diet which it gets from eating crickets and spiders.
White-cheeked Honeyeater - phyidonyris niger
If you look closely you can see the long tongue projecting from the bill ready to scoop up nectar or honeydew.
White-cheeked Honeyeater - phyidonyris niger
This strange looking bird below is a Noisy Friarbird, another member of the Honeyeater family, but known as Friarbird because of the tufts of hair along the chin and under the eyebrow on an otherwise naked head. It is also very noisy when in a group roost.
Noisy Friarbird - philemon corniculatus
Like other honeyeaters they feed on nectar but supplement this with insects and fruit. Below is a close-up showing the prominent hump, or casque, on the upper mandible.
Noisy Friarbird - philemon corniculatus
The Fan-tailed Cuckoo below is a quite handsome looking bird with large eyes and a yellow orbital ring. It is slate-grey above with dull rufous/chestnut underparts.
Fan-tailed Cuckoo - cacomantisflabelliformis
This scaly/speckled one is a juvenile Fan-tailed Cuckoo. I am trying to imagine this bird being raised by a tiny Fairy-wren or Thornbill as these are the nests used by this brood parasite. Not only is there a massive size difference but the nest of a fairy-wren for example is a tiny, domed structure in which this big youngster simply would not fit. Nevertheless, that is what happens somehow.
Fan-tailed Cuckoo juvenile - cacomantis flabelliformis
The Leaden Flycatcher below is a female. I did see the males which differ substantially, lacking the orange breast but sorry I missed a good shot because they are a great looking bird. Can't win'em all.
Leaden Flycatcher female - myiagra rubecula
Here's a Sacred Kingfisher. This is another forest species, doesn't only eat fish. Likes bugs, small animals & even small birds, anything that moves that it can swallow basically .
Sacred Kingfisher - todiramphus sanctus
Sacred Kingfisher - todiramphus sanctus
