This was an interesting trip to a new location for me – the Chiltern Trail (fire road) at Ingleside. I found a wealth of honeyeaters.
Spotted Pardalote
To get there by public transport was not too difficult. I caught a train to Gordon and then the 197 bus towards Mona Vale. I got off at the stop on Chiltern Road, and from there it was a 10-15 minute walk to the Trail.
Little Wattlebird
I did hear and see a lot of Wattlebirds, and also there were quite a few New Holland Honeyeaters. But there were also a lot of other honeyeaters. Here are some that I photographed –
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
White-naped Honeyeater
White-naped Honeyeater
Scarlet Honeyeater
Eastern Spinebill
Eastern Spinebill
Fuscous Honeyeater
Fuscous Honeyeater
White-cheeked Honeyeater
New Holland Honeyeater
New Holland Honeyeater
Fuscous Honeyeater
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
I also met another bird photographer on the trail. His name was Rick, and I am grateful for him showing me the nest hole of a Spotted Pardalote on the side of the trail. We found the hole and sat and waited with our cameras ready – and were soon rewarded by both the male and female Spotted Pardalotes coming to the nest with nesting material. We watched them doing this multiple times. Often they would perch on a branch near the hole and watch things before flying into the hole. Then we would try and get some photos as they emerged.
And some of the other birds –
Silvereye
Silvereye
And some wild flowers –
This was an interesting place that I will return to. It seems to be popular with bird watchers – as well as meeting Rick, I later met a couple walking along the trail with binoculars and then another three bird watchers on the way back.