Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park – Birds and Flowers – 28 August 2018

This was another delightful day spent along the Chiltern Trail, at Ingleside in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. I made the visit with the aim of photographing the birdlife, but there was also a magnificent display of wildflowers.

As usual, I caught a train to Gordon and then the 197 bus to Ingleside. From the bus stop on Mona Vale Road it is about a 15 minute walk along Chiltern Road to the Chiltern Trail. When I arrived I could not help noticing that one side of the trail had been burnt out by a hazard reduction burn not long before. The fire had revealed a huge number of Spotted Pardalote holes. I hope birds were not nesting in them at the time.

Compared to previous visits. the number of honeyeaters was much less. Perhaps due to a warm day or perhaps due to the fire? Probably both. One group of birds that I could not help noticing was a flock of about twenty Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos.

Here are some of the wild flowers –

And some honeyeaters –

Yellow-tufted Honeyeater

New Holland Honeyeater

White-cheeked Honeyeater

Fuscous Honeyeater

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Eastern Spinebill

White-naped Honeyeater

A few of the smaller birds –

White-browed Scrubwren

Brown Thornbill

Brown Thornbill

Variegated Fairywren

Spotted Pardalote

And as a contrast, a Wedge-tailed Eagle flew overhead, pursued by a few ravens –

Nor far off the trail is a small Aboriginal site. I found one sharpening groove –