Sydney, Blue Mountains 30May-5Jun12
From KH
Went to Sydney and Blue Mountains for holiday and did some birding. Got a total of 69 species and 9 lifers: Chestnut Teal, Superb Lyrebird, Satin Bowerbird, Brown Treecreeper, Variegated Fairy-wren, Yellow-throated Scrubwren, Striated Thornbill, Eastern Whipbird and Golden Whistler.
The
Black Swan (left) and
Australian Woodduck (right) are both common endemics.
The
Chestnut Teal is another endemic duck - male left, female right.
The
Pacific Black Duck, a common distinctive duck, is shown here behind a
Dusky Moorhen.
The
Australasian Grebe (left) found in freshwater bodies, while the
Australasian Gannet (right) is pelagic.
The
Little Black Cormorant (left) and
Pied Cormorant (right) are common in freshwater bodies. We also saw Little Pied Cormorants.
The last cormorant we got was
Great Cormorant, shown hereon the left of an
Australian Pelican.
White-faced Heron (left) and
Australian White Ibis (right) are common.
Brown Falcon (left) and
Nankeen Kestrel (right) are common raptors.
Australasian Swamphen (top left),
Dusky Moorhen (top right with chick) and
Eurasian Coot (bottom) are common members of the rail family.
There are two species of oystercatchers - the endemic
Sooty Oystercatcher (left) and the native
Pied Oystercatcher (right).
Masked Lapwing (left) and
Silver Gull (right) are common Australian birds.
The
Crested Pigeon (top left) is endemic, while the
Feral Pigeon (top right) and
Spotted Dove (bottom) are introduced.
This is a
Laughing Kookaburra despite the blue on the wing.
Birds from the parrot family: Galah (top left), Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (top right), Crimson Rosella (bottom left), Rainbow Lorikeet (bottom right).
The
Superb Lyrebird is a great mimic of other bird calls.
One of my favourite birds,
Satin Bowerbird (left male, right female).
Two endemics:
Brown Treecreeper (left) and
Superb Fairywren (right, female).
Little Wattlebird (left) and
Red Wattlerbird (right).
New Holland Honeyeater (top left),
Noisy Miner (top right) and the endemic
Yellow-throated Scrubwren (bottom)
Eastern Whipbird - left male, right female
The endemic
Grey Butcherbird (left) and
Pied Butcherbird (right) are very similar, but differ by the extend and depth of the black coloration
Australian Magpie (left), a very common Australian bird; and the endemic
Pied Currawong (right), which is not so common.
Two greyish birds:
White-bellied Cuckooshrike (left) and
Grey Shrikethrush (right).
Two yellowish birds:
Golden Whistler (left) and
Eastern Yellow Robin (right).
Two very common black-and-white Australian birds:
Willie Wagtail (left) and
Magpie Lark (right).
The
Australian Raven is an endemic crow.
The
Bassian Thrush (left) is an endemic thrush, while the
Common Blackbird (right) is introduced.
Other introduced birds:
Common Myna (left) and
House Sparrow (right).
Whale Spout!
Hopping marsupials:
Eastern Grey Kangaroo (left) and
Red-necked Wallaby (right).
Other mammals:
Brown Antechinus (left) and
Grey-headed Flying Fox (right)
Some Reptiles:
Elegant Snake-eyed Skink (left) and
Eastern Water Dragon (right).
The
Australian Longfin Eel can be found along the whole Eastern coast of Australia.
