Our members love birds and love to travel! We love to feature stories and photos from our members throughout the year so you can “Travel with SIB.” Let us know if you have a story you’d like to share about your travels! Recently, Jennifer Jerome returned to Australia. Her trip was so packed with good experiences, we’ve made it into two posts.
In March of this year I set off to Australia to reconnect with my cousin after 50+ years, and also reconnect to the land of my birth, I’ve been back many times, but always for short stays. This time I was to stay a little shy of a month. My hope was to identify some of the many wonderful birds that inhabit the area I was planning to visit. With my newly purchased Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds and my downloaded Merlin Australia: Southeast Bird Pack installed, I was on my way.
It’s a long journey there, and I was reminded of how far our long distant migrating birds travel: such as the Bar Tailed Godwit(round trip migration up to 18,000 miles), the beloved Red Knot(up to 9,000miles one way) and Ruddy Turnstone(13,000 miles per year) to name a few. And they do it without sleep and a nice cabin crew serving food and drink.
I don’t think cousin Michael knew what he was getting into in regards to my enthusiasm for” new” birds, but probably figured it out when I began trying to identify every bird we saw on the 4 hour drive to his property. My first bird was a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, there was a flock in the park opposite our lunch spot.
Once we arrived at his off the grid 200 acre property in the southern tablelands of New South Wales, there was plenty to explore! Here are a few of the highlights.
I didn’t have to go far for a wonderful DAILY display outside the front windows, put on by a family flock of about 25 Crimson Rosellas, a blue eyed Satin Bowerbird and his family, a pair of King Parrots, the noisy red eyed White-Winged Chough family, and an adorable momma Wallaby with her Joey. Mornings were a chorus of song. The sounds of Kookaburra, Magpie and Currawong echoing through the valley.
The first week was spent exploring the nearby area of Mongarlow and Braidwood.
I was in awe of the beautiful trees. Spotted gum, blue gum, blue leaved stringy bark red gum, white gum, banksia flowers, and, of course the birds! There were butterflies everywhere, too!
As well as many birds, the ever present Crimson Rosellas, Fairy Wrens, Grey Fantails, Magpies, Gray Butcherbird, kept entertained and amused!.
A trip into Braidwood to visit Michael’s favorite Fish & Chip vendor got me some nice views of Magpies, Magpie Lark and a handsome Raven.
The Second week we headed to the south coastal region of NSW. Staying in Narooma in a wonderful “cabin” on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Montague Island(one of our destinations). The town was quaint and everything you’d want in a small town on the coast. Amazingly, there were no crowds! It was wonderful!
I first noticed a bird that looked like a shorebird, but different. Turned out to be a Masked Lapwing. There were also some ducks in the area, they took my ages to ID but finally figured out that they were Maned Ducks (eBird name change).
The beaches were awesome!!!!
Some unexpected, but wonderful moments while exploring the area. A lazing seal, fishing Little Pied Cormorant.
There were some very creatively decorated public facilities! The one of the dog at the men’s entrance cracked me up!
Our trip to Montague Island was delayed for several days due to the dangerous conditions leaving the harbor. This gave me more opportunity to explore more of the surrounding area. A walk along a beachside path caught me glimpses of Honeyeaters and wattlebirds, a marvelous juvenile White-Bellied Sea Eagle.
A visit to Eurobodalla Park produced views of some more sea and shorebirds, almost like home, but much more rocky and rugged!
The day before we were scheduled to leave, we got the go ahead for Montague Island. My hopes of seeing a Penguin, known to breed on the island were not to be realized as it was the wrong time of year, but my disappointment was quickly overcome by the sight of hundreds of seals lazying about on the rocky shores of the island! Some of our fellow passengers were even scheduled to swim with them! I had no idea this was even a thing. While they swam the rest of us ascended the rather scary ladder, and it become very apparent why they had to wait for the seas to calm before trying this! It was a great tour of the lighthouse and paths lined with active Shearwater burrows! There were dozens of Welcome Swallows flying around, as well as Buff Banded Rails and Brown Quails and an endangered Sooty Oystercatcher to add to my list. The views were amazing!
A little more exploring on our last day and it was time to say goodbye to Narooma. It’s a place I’d visit again, maybe in the Spring when the Penguins return!
Submitted by and photos by: Jennifer Jerome
SIB 