Back to the Lane Cove River – 8 December 2019

I had recently seen some photos of Powerful Owls in the Terrys Creek area, and was keen to try and find them. So I decided to repeat a walk I hd done the week before, but in the reverse direction. I also walked from Eastwood to Epping (rather than Cheltenham to Eastwood).

I walked from Eastwood Station to the small park at the top of Terrys Creek then set off down the track. I looked up in the trees for Powerful Owls and also on the ground for their “whitewash” – a clear sign that they may be perched above. I didn’t spot at, but did see some other nice birds and plenty of orchids.

Terrys Creek

Brush Turkey

White-browed Scrubwrens

Laughing Kookaburra

Rufous Fantail

Grey Fantail

Eastern Yellow Robin

Eastern Spinebill

Orchids – Terrys Creek

I found the same species of orchids as my previous walk, but more of them.

Bonnet Orchid (Cryptostylis erecta)

Hyacinth Orchid (Dipodium variegatum)

Large Tongue Orchid (Cryptostylis subulata)

Lane Cove River

I continued to the Lane Cove River, then walked upstream towards Devlins Creek. Along the way, while I was photographing, I was talking to bushwalker, and she told me about some owls she had seen upstream. She gave clear directions, and so I set out to find them.

When I found them I took photos, then returned to where I had been before. I was trying to photograph some Scarlet Honeyeaters, but they were either too far away or moving too fast. On my previous trip, I had got some reasonable photos of them at the same spot, this time I was after better photos. No luck however. But I did have better luck with a Rufous Fantail at the same spot.

Bell Miner

Eastern Yellow Robins

Brush Turkey

Rufous Fantail

Brown Gerygone

White-throated Treecreeper

Lewin’s Honeyeater

Powerful Owls

I spotted two owls perched above the track.

Scarlet Honeyeater

Devlins Creek

I had lunch short way up Devlins Creek and then followed the fire trail towards Epping, and then a track for the short last bit. Along the way I spotted another Rufous Fantail, several Golden Whistlers, several Eastern Yellow Robins, a third Powerful Owl and more orchids.