This video shows the spectacular scenery of Radiata Plateau (Elphinstone Plateau) at Katoomba. It is accompanied by well known Blue Mountains bushwalker and botanist, Wyn Jones, reciting his poem about the Plateau. It is part of the campaign to keep the Plateau wild, and adding it to Blue Mountains National Park.
Elphinstone – Leave Alone by Wyn Jones from BlueMountainsConservationSociety on Vimeo.
This was another very pleasant day spent in Malabar Headland National Park. This small park, when it is open, is a good place to experience Nature.
I was hoping to see Peregrine Falcons again – but on this visit they didn’t seem to be around. Perhaps they have headed to another cliff to make a nest? Or perhaps only away for the day, or even sitting on eggs? It was interesting to see a big group of Silver Gulls floating on the sea below where I had seen the falcons on previous visits. Perhaps they knew the falcons where away and it was safe to be there? Continue reading
I joined Digi Dave for a pleasant and fairly relaxing day in Royal National Park. We first visited Wattamolla. We walked out the new track to Providential Point – where we spent a fair time sitting and waiting for whales to pass. We did see some whales – but they were a long way out to sea.
We also looked for any passing raptors. None were around. I did photograph some of the abundant New Holland Honeyeaters and Crested Terns. Continue reading
I spent a pleasant day cycling along local bike paths and stopping to look for and photograph the birdlife.
I went down to the Cooks River Cycleway and first stopped at Gough Whitlam Park. Not too many birds around – but in the pool with the island were a Cormorant and an Egret. Continue reading
This was a pleasant walk organised by Brian Everingham for the National Parks Association of NSW. On the walk, as well as Brian was Faye, Sharon, Janet, Bob, Mike, Sheila and myself.
The Lagoon, Glenbrook Ck
We met at Springwood Station and then set off on the 15 minute walk to the start of the track on Sassafras Gully Road. Immediately, once in the bush, we were surprised at how dry it was. Normally the rainforest in the valley floors is at least a little moist – but now it was bone dry. All the leaves would crackle as you walked over them. Continue reading
I spent a very enjoyable Sunday at Taronga Zoo trying to get photos of some of the animals.
One reason for this visit was to see a new baby Otter. It was actually quite big. Continue reading
I made another trip to Malabar Headland National Park with the main goal to see if I could spot the raptors I had seen on previous trips again. I was successful in this.
I walked out from Maroubra Beach to the National Park entrance and then out along the Track first to Magic Point. I walked slowly passing to photograph birds, but one of the first subjects was a legless lizard found by two walkers just in front of me. It was at a sandy part of the track and seemed to be having trouble getting up off the sand back into the bush. After a few photos, I found a small stick and used that to carry the lizard a few metres and deposit it into the scrub. Continue reading
After some recent good trips to the Chiltern Trail at Ingleside in Ku-Ring-Gai Chase NationalPark, I was keen to head back to see if I could see more species and get better photos of some of species I had seen on my earlier trips.
Scarlet Honeyeater
Here are some I saw – Continue reading
Two weeks earlier, I had visited Centennial Park on the lookout for some birds. A friend Ken Grittiths had posted some nice photos on social media, including some unusual ducks and a number of owl species. On my visit I had been completely unable to spot any of these birds. The week before, Ken and accompanied me on a trip to Malabar Headland, and he had offered invite me to join him at centennial Park on his next visit. So when the offer came, I was happy to join him.
Powerful Owl
I arrived a little early, and by the time he had arrived, I had already spotted one of my target species – some Pink-eared Ducks. Continue reading
I had recently made a few trips to the area near South Head and to Malabar Headland, and seen quite a few raptors, so thought a trip to Blue Fish Point on North Head may be a good place to look out for these birds. It gives a good view of the cliffs of North Head.
The only time I had been to this point, was on a trip, where our party had descended down off the headland using a fishermen’s route then traversed the rock platforms and talus to under Lady Fairfax Lookout. We had then climbed up some very dodgy fishermen’s ladders up to the top. Continue reading
