Byron Bay and Ballina birding

Sightings anywhere within a 250 km radius of Toowoomba, but excluding the local survey area (see above), for the period 1 Dec 2013 - 28 Feb 2014.
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Russ Lamb
Posts: 86
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 9:28 pm
Location: Maleny,SEQ

Byron Bay and Ballina birding

Post by Russ Lamb »

Following a 5 day beach holiday at Woolgoolga, spent 2 nights with Jo Wieneke at Lennox Head. To celebrate the arrival of Summer, on Sunday 1st Dec. the three of us visited the Byron Wetlands, site of the old STW which has been converted into a "recreational wetland". (A key is required for access, obtainable from Byron Council).
In 80 minutes of birding, and covering less than half the site, we recorded the following species:

Black-winged Stilt Magpie Lark Pelican
Red-browed finch Royal Spoonbill Crested Pigeon
Black-fronted Dotterel Red-kneed Dotterel Purple Swamphen
Olive-backed Oriele Swamp Harrier Willy Wagtail
Aust. White Ibis Black Swan Eurasian Coot
Pacific Black Duck Hardhead White-throated Gerygone
Australian Grebe Intermediate Egret Superb Fairy-wren
Spangled Drongo Little Pied Cormorant Darter
Little Black Cormorant Spotless Crake Torresian Crow
Wandering Whistling-duck Restless Flycatcher Whistling Kite
Golden-headed Cisticola Red-necked Stint Comb-crested Jacana
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Grey Teal Little Egret
Dusky Moorhen Little Bittern Little Grassbird
White-cheeked Honeyeater Magpie Welcome Swallow
Fairy Martin

The next day, Mon 2nd Dec, we headed to the West Ballina STW and added:
Cattle Egret Chestnut Teal Osprey
Cicadabird White-faced Heron Pink-eared Duck
Eastern Whipbird Great Egret Grey Butcherbird
Noisy Miner Masked Lapwing Spotted Dove
Straw-necked Ibis

And then a stop at Flat Rock, Ballina where we added:
Crested Tern Common Tern Little Tern
Ruddy Turnstone Pied Cormorant Great Cormorant
Wandering Tattler Silver Gull Short-tailed Shearwater

A great start to Summer.

Russ Lamb, Maleny, SEQ
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