Applegum Bird Walk in October

By the time I arrived at Bullocky’s Rest there was great excitement as Grahame and Donalda had already seen a Buff-banded Rail which was a new species for the area. There were only five people brave enough to turn up on a rainy, early morning but we had some great birding with 44 species seen or heard in about 2 hours.

There were plenty of wildflowers in bloom especially a little Pink Rock Orchid, Dendrobium kingianum which Donalda and I found beside the track. Another delight was the sighting of two Eastern Water Dragon Physignathus lesueurii at the Pump Hole.

Pink Rock Orchid

The rain had come on more heavily by then but it didn't deter the birds with the smaller bush birds in abundance.

We arrived at Hartmann Park for morning tea, and while we were waiting beside the creek Donalda and I had a good sighting of an Azure Kingfisher. This was a new species for the park.

  

Bird List for Crows Nest Outing, compiled from members’ sightings

Australian Wood Duck, Pacific Black Duck, Crested Pigeon, Little Pied Cormorant, Great Cormorant (o’head), Australian White Ibis (o’head), Straw-necked Ibis (o’head), Buff-banded Rail, Dusky Moorhen, Masked Lapwing, Galah, Rainbow Lorikeet, Little Lorikeet, Australian King-Parrot, Pale-headed Rosella, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Azure Kingfisher, Laughing Kookaburra, Sacred Kingfisher, White-throated Treecreeper, White-browed Scrubwren, White-throated Gerygone, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Brown Thornbill, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Pardalote, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Noisy Friarbird, Eastern Whipbird, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Olive-backed Oriole, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Rufous Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Leaden Flycatcher, Magpie-lark, White-winged Chough, Apostlebird, Welcome Swallow, Red-browed Finch.

Also seen in and around Crows Nest: Australasian Grebe, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Little Friarbird.      Total: 47 species