We all returned to Toni's & Johnny's house on 18th December to find we had been evicted in our absence! Just joking, Toni had arranged that we house & dog sit for a friend of hers, just down the road at Brunswick Heads. This is a pleasant spot & we duly obliged.
Our very own home from home!
Socks, the reason we were there!
Spent a couple of days glued to the computer, trying to get my blog up to date & then it was shopping for Christmas!
Lunch, in between the shopping!
Had a lovely evening on 23rd December at the Bryon on Bryon Hotel (where Rowan currently works). Met up with Rosie & Geoff (the other grandparents) & enjoyed the local choir singing Christmas Carols. It was a great evening.
My driver & transport for the day!
The countryside on the way.
Mount Warning in the distance.
There was no Whiskey & no creek!
Pretty poor really!
On the way to Uki.
The hotel in Uki.
The funky store in the village!
Johnny & I went for a bit of hiking in the Mount Jerusalem National Park early on 24th December. Then we all moved back into the South Golden Beach house for the Christmas period, taking the extra dog with us!
The maestro in action!
He spent three years travelling around
Oz with his parents in a van.
This is how they got petrol money!
Teaching Jackson.
It is Australia after all!
The beach at Christmas!
Photo courtesy of Rowan James
It is Christmas morning! I now this to be true, because two little boys are shouting this into my ears, despite it being dark outside! Showered & dressed then it is the annual ritual of opening presents by the tree. The boys were happy! Had quite a long walk along the beach. It was grey & overcast, but the sky was interesting. Plenty of people about & it was a nice couple of hours.
Rosie, getting into the
swing of things!
Where is my hat)?
Harry Potter wand!
Photo courtesy of Rowan James
On my return Rosie & Geoff had arrived, bringing yet more presents with them. Toni was in charge of the kitchen & prepared a lovely Christmas dinner, with a few little helping hands of course! Thanks Toni!
The Brunswick River
Davide & Jackson
Their chosen mode of transport
for the walk!
were fitting out Sky's new truck.
looking on from afar!
Boxing Day is a day of activity after the indolence of the previous day! So I took Jackson & his friend Davide (Italian spelling) for a walk from South Golden Beach to Brunswick Heads, a distance of 7 kms each way. It was a nice walk, but a little long for the boys on the return journey, so they swam in Mitchell Creek on the way back, to give them a bit of a rest!
Brahminy Kite
Little Egret
a few water birds.
White-throated Needletail.
The highlight of the day for me seeing these
long distance migrants here.
Rainbow Bee-eater
rainforest habitat.
Noisy Friarbird
Eastern Yellow Robin
Striated Thornbill
Common in the rain-forest habitat
close to the beach.
Pied Currawong
On 27th December I went into Byron with Rowan early as she went to work. She dropped me off & I explored the nearby rain forest & Arakwal National Park. It was very hot & hard work but the birding was quite good.
Best birds were:
Australian Brush Turkey; Black Swan; Australian Wood Duck; Hardhead; Pacific Black Duck; Austrlian Pelican; Little Black Cormorant; Little Pied Cormorant; White-faced Heron; Little Egret; Australian White Ibis; Brahminy Kite; Australian Hobby; Dusky Moorhen; Purple Swamphen; Spur-winged Lapwing; Great crested Tern; Wonga Pigeon; Crested Pigeon; Little Corella; Galah; Rainbow Lorikeet; Australian King Parrot; 50+ White-throated Needletail; Sacred Kingfisher; Rainbow Bee-eater; Laughing Kookaburra; Variegated Fairy -Wren; White-browed Scrub-wren; Striated Thornbill; Red Wattlebird; Noisy Friarbird; Blue-faced Honeyeater; Noisy Miner; Lewin's Honeyeater; Brown Honeyeater; Eastern Yellow Robin; Eastern Whipbird; Spangled Drongo; Magpie-Lark; Willie Wagtail; Black-faced Cuckooshrike; Figbird; Masked Woodswallow; Pied Butcherbird; Australian Magpie; Pied Cuurawong; Torresian Crow; Welcome Swallow; Silvereye & Red-browed Finch.
Moved back to South Golden beach on 28th December. Took the dogs for a walk on the beach & an adult White-bellied Sea-Eagle flew over!
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Brown Cuckoo Dove
Early on 29th December Johnny & I enjoyed a hike along the Optus Trail. It wasn't really a birding outing, but saw a young White bellied Sea Eagle, a couple of Pacific Baza; Brown Cuckoo Dove; Emerald Dove; Dollarbird & Cicadabird.
30th December Rowan took me in to Byron at dawn. I walked the headland track (which was quite spectacular) & then headed towards Tallow Beach & walked down to Suffolk Park. It was an incredibly hot day & I did more hiking than birding, but did see Eastern Osprey & Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo.
The very last day of the year & I went birding in the morning in the Billinudgal Nature Reserve. I covered both the Central & Optus Trails. It was incredibly hot & little was moving but the highlight was a Grey Goshawk. Always a great bird to see!
Part of the Optus Trail
Cane Toad
This introduced species is spreading ever
further south, with disastrous consequences.
Variegated Fairy-Wren
The female/young birds are not quite as fancy!
Dawn, looking over Byron Bay.
Looking south over Tallow Beach
The famous lighthouse.
There is a great network of tracks
around the headland.
The eastern most headland in Australia!
The very last day of the year & I went birding in the morning in the Billinudgal Nature Reserve. I covered both the Central & Optus Trails. It was incredibly hot & little was moving but the highlight was a Grey Goshawk. Always a great bird to see!
Grey Goshawk
White morph.
Ceggy, Rowan & I
Myself & Johnny.
Toni
Photo courtesy of Toni Gunn.
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