Our accommodation was at the Adobe Flats. The small huts there turned out to be very nice, but somewhat freezing on this midwinter night. The owner told us to put birdseed out for Possums during the night and for the birds in the morning, with the chance of Bandicoots also coming during the night. And at about 8.30, this awesome creature appeared just outside our window:
Long-nosed Bandicoot, Mallacoota
Seeing this highly secretive nocturnal and elegant marsupial was a real privilege, and for it to come so close to our window (literally less than a metre) was extraordinary. I watched it for approximately half an hour, before it darted off into the undergrowth. The species is threatened by predation mainly from the introduced Red Fox, but seems to be thriving in this part of northeast Victoria.
The next morning, I was woken up by a racket of screeching and squawking coming from the front of the house. There were parrots literally everywhere, but unbelievably-frustratingly, my camera had run out of battery. Wonderfuly-pink Galahs were swarming like rats, and were accompanied by the fantastically-colourful Rainbow Lorikeets and Crimson Rosellas. On top of that, several Australian King Parrots were present, surely one of the world's most stunning birds. When my camera eventually recharged, most of the parrots had dispersed, but two King Parrots returned to our birdfeeder:
Australian King Parrots, Mallacoota. What a fantastic bird.
Soon, several Galahs and Rainbow Lorikeets returned, but in nowhere-near as great numbers.
Galahs and Rainbow Lorikeets, Mallacoota
There had been dozens of Red-browed Finches and House Sparrows on the feeder earlier, along with Superb Fairywrens and a new species for me, the White-browed Scrubwren. Three new species of Pigeon for me were also present, the Common Bronzewing and these two:
White-headed Pigeon, Mallacoota
The wonderfully-named Wonga Pigeon, Mallacoota
Pied Currawongs, Red and Little Wattlebirds, Fairy Martins, Welcome Swallows, Common Starlings, Australian Magpies and Silver Gulls were abundant, while several New Holland Honeyeaters, an Eastern Yellow Robin and a Grey Butcherbird were also seen. A Laughing Kookaburra made its raucous call from a nearby roof and a magnificent Whistling Kite struck fear into the feeding parrots.
Little Wattlebird, Mallacoota
I was very pleased to find a fifth new species for the morning, particularly as it was a member of the bird-of-paradise family. This was the Satin Bowerbird. I saw at least one male and female pair, the male a wonderful, dark-blue colour and its partner a streaky-green, both bearing a wonderful emerald eye. Sadly, I was only able to photograph the female:
Satin Bowerbird, Mallacoota
Mallacoota really was a fantastic place for wildlife. Koalas can also be found here, but we had no torch, so were unable to search for them.
We then drove on, passing into New South Wales. We stopped for a drink in Eden, where this awesome bird was swimming around just offshore:
Australian Pelican, Eden
Australian Pelican at Eden with an incredible view behind it. The black dot to the left of the pelican is a Great Cormorant.
Another pelican then appeared, landing on top of a nearby lampost. What a great bird.
It was surprise to find this Striated Heron actually inside a fishing boat in the harbour. I can't imagine how or why it ended up there.
We continued north, passing through some extraordinarily-beautiful and virtually completely-uninhabited rainforest and farmland, swarming with birds. A dead Wombat on the road was a very sad sight, as were the seven Grey Kangaroos in the same state. We did, however, see a number of living Grey Kangaroos.
We stopped for lunch at a beautiful and completely-empty beach near a small settlement called Potato Point. A beach like it in England would be completely swarming with holiday-makers, particularly in the 20 degree weather (not too bad for the middle of winter!). Just behind the beach was a small stagnant pond, with seven ducks on it. I dismissed them as being Australian Shelduck, only for a closer look to reveal them as being Chestnut Teal, another new species for me.
Chestnut Teal, Potato Point
Continuing through breath-taking wilderness (what an amazing country!), we eventually arrived at our destination for the night, Kiama, just two hours south of Sydney. Early the next morning, I wandered up to the lighthouse on Kiama's Blowhole Point, literally just one hundred metres from our accomodation. I literally could not believe my eyes when I found this in my binoculars just offshore:
Black-browed Albatross!!!
I sprinted for my telesecope, and a search through it revealed at least twenty of this unbelievably awesome bird. Wow! This is one of the many reasons why I love this country! It was fantastic to find among them a new bird for me, an Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross:
Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross, Kiama, in the middle (next to Black-browed Albatrosses).
Even better, a snowy-white WANDERING ALBATROSS, my favourite bird in the entire world, flew past. While the other two Albatrosses, with their wingspan of over two metres dwarfed nearby Silver Gulls, they were themselves dwarfed by this absolute beast of a bird, its own wingspan up to 3.5 metres. It glided past on its magnificently long, thin wings, in a manner so elegant that words cannot possibly do it justice. I have rarely felt so excited! It was also technically a new species for me- despite having seen a large number of what were, at the time, Wandering Albatrosses off Kaikoura in New Zealand, the birds that occur there have now been split, to become Antipodean Albatrosses. I didn't really care about it being a new bird for me, I was simply in complete awe at having seen something truly spectacular and that I will never forget.
On top of that (as if it could get any better!), four cetaceans passed by distantly offshore. They were almost certainly Killer Whales, a speciality in this area, but I sadly I couldn't be certain. A Shearwater flew past rapidly (and very distantly), and I was unable to confirm its species- it was either Fluttering or Hutton's. A Crested Tern also put in an appearance, as did a pair of Sooty Oystercatchers.
Sadly, it was then time to leave. We drove up to Sydney, where Long-billed Corella and Red-rumped Parrots were new for me among an abundance of Galahs, Rainbow Lorikeets and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos.. Sydney is a magnificent city (not that I am a fan of cities at all!) and it has brilliant birdlife. What an incredible place Australia is- just absolutely awesome.
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