After about three weeks of rain and periods of absolute deluge.

 

 

Tadpoles in the rockpool, sugarloaf point track – lots of, all sizes, and after dark lots of frogs calling.  They don’t mess around after the rain and during the rain.  The rockpool has been overflowing for a while now.

 

 

Paw print along the track!

Tawny frogmouth today – drying out in the sun – note wing out and can you see the eye?  In a casuarina on creek near visitors centre.

The trails today were still flowing with water in many places even after 24 hours or so of no rain after the deluge of the last days.

Feeding group of all sorts

Today on the sand track stood in midst of feeding group: willy wagtail, grey fantail, lots of striated pardalotes, golden whistlers, brown thornbills, black-faced cuckoo-thrush nearby.

Most of the area – Field of Mars, Sugarloaf Point rang with the sounds of  striated pardalotes today. Lots a red-browed finches around in open areas as well.  Noted the termite nest that the sacred kingfishers had made a number of holes in while nest building: all the holes have now been repaired and filled in!

Special bird: Rose Robin

SugarLoaf Point bush near track down to the river.  Not shy –had a long look – thoroughly enjoyed – both male and female there.

wet lorikeets - cute

Note from the last week: two grey fantails always a delight just an arms-length away from awhile
dollar birds still around
striated heron flying low along Lane Cove River into mangroves of Buffalo Creek
lorikeet termite nest site: lorikeets peering into the hole - bees flying in and out - lorikeet trying to catch one!!!!
bulbuls seen quite frequently right in the bushland these days instead of just in privet areas
always good to hear the whipbirds in various areas
no bird visitors of note lately that I have seen --

Dead leaves and raindrops

Dollarbirds plentiful at the moment.

Three dollarbirds in one tree my end of FOM today -  and the other day I mentioned I thought the dollarbirds I was looking at Sugarloaf Point end were young ones. –so they seem to be plentiful and maybe breeding nearby.

just love these rice flowers as you look at them up close especially – so many of them around.

Hi me whats happening

Saturday 16 January 2010 - walk comment- White cheeked Honeyeaters etc

White-cheeked honeyeaters: 6 yes six together as a family! in dead tree sugarloaf point not far from rockpool.



Sacred Kingfishers: watched termite mound nest: both adult near nest and one adult visits nest maybe to feed young. looks like droppings on nest rim.

Firday 15 January - Sacred Kingfishers at nest

Sacred Kingfisher: saw SK at the nest twice this morning 7.00am and 9.00am - first coming out of the nest and flying off and then hanging on nest edge to lean in and presumably feed young. Also noticed nesting material near opening.

Fantail Cuckoo - near rockpool SugarLoaf Point area low in scrub just sitting silently studying the ground around from a low perch. good close look.

Lots of grey spider grevillia flowers coming out now.

Thurs 14-01-10 walk comments- Young Dollarbirds- RAINRAIN

Two young dollarbirds on Sugarloaf Point sitting together in feed me mode.
Lots of rain overnight so--
Rockpool overflowing
Paths had much water flowing on them creating leaf sculptures!!
Great walking the tracks getting very wet,
Wattle buds- quite a lot of wattle buds going to blossom soon.

Tuesday 12-01-10 walk comments

ROCKPOOL: watched four yes four white-cheeked honeyeaters together at the rockpool sampling the water -great stuff.
Channel-billed Cuckoos group of five flying around again calling loudly as usual.
Sacred kingfisher eating an insect on dead limb near the nest termite nest my end.

Walking notes Sunday 10 January 2010

7.00am
Quiet generally - I don't think I heard any currawongs at all!!! and few lorikeets and generally the bush felt very quiet and still.
I watched quite a few pardalottes around in various parts of the walk.
Noteable were a group of five yes five channel-billed cuckoos flying around calling loudly
Watched Eastern spinebill take a bath in the rock waterhole - great to see water there again after a long dry spell.
Young dusky moorhens with parents foraging.
Dollarbird
Sacred Kingfisher calling near nest area my end.
Otherwise usual things - heard whipbd; saw silvereyes in usual place.
Did listen and watch brown thornbills calling with a different call to my usual call I hear rather like white browed scrubwren calling

Tuesday 15-12-09 report

Sparrowhawk: not at nest - feels like they have abandoned the nest - very quiet around - just get that feeling.
Peewees- watched changeover and male feeding(?) hatchlings maybe certainly busy in nest.
Sacred Kingfisher near nest.
Dollarbirds up my end.
Fantail cuckoo SLP
No channelbills this morning no whipbird calls.
oh and the tortoise of course

first sunlight

Saturday 12-12-09

Sparrowhawk not at nest when I walked past and back later.
Peewee: watched peewee male with food in bill trying to feed chick (couldn't see chick)
Sacred Kingfisher: watched SK enter and disappear into nest hole in termite nest.
Just missed getting more pics of turtles near the rock FSC
Heard Horsfield's cuckoo Suger Loaf Point bush.
Silvereyes - watched them flying in wind the other day -- just like leaves being swept about in sky by the wind.

Friday 11-12-09 report fro walk

Sparrowhawk sitting at edge of nest cup and higher up suggesting maybe making room of hatchling(s). hopefully. Lots of curra wongs around - one was diving on the sparrowhawk the other day.
Whipbirds chasing each other around right next to me on track down to creek - watched it for some time - they were out in the open a lot not seeming to mind or notice me right there.Peewees- watched the change over at the nest.
Dollarbirds around Sugar Loaf Point.
Rufous fantail - immature - close to me watched for a while - interesting markings.
Black-faced cuckoo-shrike - immature just the black mark thru eye.
Sacred kingfishers mating - did I mention that before. then no sign of for the last few days.
Lorikeet nesting no sign of
Finches nest - no sign of.
Storm birds still racous calling of the four flying around over the last week.
The turtles this morning.
Photos of white orchids this morning - hard to get a good pic of this.