There’s no sugar coating it – sometimes you see more birds than leeches, and other times….
Well yes – you see more leeches than birds
And thus was the fate that befell our three brave expeditioners in March as they set out in search of birds at Ravensbourne National Park.
Spirits were high – as were expectations – enough to penetrate the thick fog that shrouded the Blackbean Picnic area, dousing it in a soft dewy haze ripe with mystery that may part to reveal..….Russet-tailed thrushes, Noisy pitas, Paradise riflebirds…..who knew what veritable jewel they would see as they gallantly set out on the rainforest circuit…..
The deep resonate calls of fruit doves hung in the air as the fog cleared to reveal a living horror none of them will ever forget. At first it’s a soft rustle in the leaf litter – a little twitch here – something seen out of the corner of the eye there – until, whilst deeply invested in binoculars, in the heart of the rainforest, you find you are not bird watching – but in fact you have actually been invited to a feast….where you are the main guest/attraction/meal
A main course of Sharon, Helen and Scot was delicately served on a leaf litter platter for wave after wave of hungry dinner guests who made their way across the forest floor with such determination one can only assume they didn’t book in advance
The first course consisted of ankle, leg and toe – a simple and popular choice that rendered the need for a menu redundant
And it was at about this stage that we abandoned the walk – still the bird list was good…
Sightings
| Species | Count | Breeding activity | Notes | Photos | |
| Brown Cuckoo-Dove | 4 | None | |||
| Wompoo Fruit-Dove | 1 | None | |||
| Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove | 3 | None | |||
| Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo | 4 | None | |||
| Sulphur-crested Cockatoo | 2 | None | |||
| Crimson Rosella | 2 | None | |||
| Green Catbird | 1 | None | |||
| White-throated Treecreeper | 2 | None | |||
| Lewin’s Honeyeater | 12 | None | |||
| Brown Gerygone | 6 | None | |||
| White-browed Scrubwren | 6 | None | |||
| Brown Thornbill | 4 | None | |||
| Golden Whistler | 3 | None | |||
| Eastern Whipbird | 1 | None | |||
| Rufous Fantail | 1 | None | |||
| Grey Fantail | 2 | None | |||
| Eastern Yellow Robin | 3 | None | |||
| Red-browed Finch | 1 | None | |||
| Russet-tailed Thrush | 1 | None |