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Adventurous Birdwatching & Nature in the Royal National Park

What an incredible week (3-9th March 25) of birding and nature to kick off Autumn on our Short Day Birdwatching Tours in the Royal National Park, Sydney!

From perfect sunshine to dodging passing showers, every day brought its own magic—and the birds certainly didn’t mind a little rain! In fact, I always find that on showery days, as soon as the rain eases, bird activity explodes. All the birds are out making up for lost time.


Birdlife in the Rain: A Burst of Energy

As soon as the morning showers cleared, the Superb and Variegated Fairy-wrens popped out from their hidden bush bunkers, bouncing, hopping, and racing free from the undergrowth. Full of life and energy—like they’d just downed a few espressos—they were a delight to watch catching small insects along the ground.

A number of weeks ago, at the end of the breeding season, the fairy-wren males would have been flashing brilliant blue-black and blue-black-rusty red plumage, dressed to impress and captivating discerning females on the 'dancefloor'. But now, their moulting feathers are fading into a patchy mix of blues, blacks, greys, and whites—a little more ‘lost-in-the-bush-for-a-few-days’ than ‘runway model.’ Even so, their cheeky charm and antics still make them irresistibly captivating.

Some birds were embracing the rain. Little Wattlebirds zoomed through the drizzle, their calls sounding like they were choking on a cicada way too big or like a chicken dramatically announcing egg-laying success.

Thinking of birds in the rain reminded me of one of my favourite birding memories—while touring in the outback of Victoria, at Lake Hindmarsh. After an intense heatwave, a storm finally unleashed a downpour, and the birds came alive with joy. Regent Parrots, soaked and shaking off the dust, looked relieved. A female Red-rumped Parrot joyfully stood in a long-awaited puddle and plunged her little body headfirst into water, followed each time with a little shimmy and an animated shake, she looked like a little feathered fountain. But the real stars? The Galahs—hanging upside down from tree branches, wings spread wide, twisting, turning, and dancing like they were the life of the party. The ABSOLUTE BEST. It’s impossible not to smile and feel joy when nature puts on a show like this.


Tour Highlights in the Royal National Park

This past week, we were lucky to observe some spectacular birds and wildlife:

🐦 Chestnut-rumped Heathwrens – These shy, secretive birds were thankfully active and visible, darting between heathland shrubs and catching insects. An incredible sighting over several days!

🦅 White-bellied Sea Eagles – Soaring majestically over the coastline, riding the winds with precision.

🦜 A large flock of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos – Loud, social, and wildly entertaining full of personality and fun behaviours as they interacted on the rocky outcrops.

🐬 A pod of dolphins – Spotted hunting and schooling fish just off the cliffs.

🦎 A confident Lace Monitor – Swaggering through the grass, totally owning the park.

🐍 A stunning Diamond Python – A highlight of the week, showcasing its gorgeous, intricate patterns.

Full Bird List

Tour Details

  • Tour Type: Requested Short Day Birdwatching Tours.   

  • Date: 2, 7&9, -03-25

  • Birdwatching Start Time: 7:30 AM

  • Birdwatching End Time: 2:30 PM

Birds Spotted

Here’s the full list of birds observed on this tour this week:

Ducks

  • Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata)

  • Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa)

  • Grey Teal (Anas gracilis)

  • Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea)

 

Pigeons

  • Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)

  • Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes)

 

Rails, Moorhens, Swamphens, & Coots

  • Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis)

  • Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa)

  • Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra)

  • Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus)

 

Lapwings

  • Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles)

 

Gulls

  • Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae)

 

Grebes

  • Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae)

 

Cormorants & Darters

  • Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae)

  • Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos)

  • Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)

  • Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris)

 

Herons, Ibis & Spoonbills

  • Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca)

  • Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia)

  • White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae)

  • Great Egret (Ardea alba)

  • Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)

 

Pelicans

  • Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus)

 

Kites & Falcons

  • White-bellied Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) 🏆 Tour Highlight!

  • Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris)

  • Swamp Harrier (Circus approximans)

  • Brown Goshawk (Accipiter fasciatus)

  • Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides)

  • Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

 

Kingfishers

  • Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae)

  • Azure Kingfisher (Ceyx azureus)

 

Cockatoos & Parrots

  • Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (Zanda funerea)

  • Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea)

  • Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) 🎶 Tour Highlight!

  • Australian King-Parrot (Alisterus scapularis)

  • Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus)

  • Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla)

 

Fairy-wrens

  • Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus)

  • Variegated Fairy-wren (Malurus lamberti)

 

 Honeyeaters

  • Scarlet Honeyeater (Myzomela sanguinolenta)

  • Lewin's Honeyeater (Meliphaga lewinii)

  • Yellow-faced Honeyeater (Caligavis chrysops)

  • New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae)

  • Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala)

  • Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata)

  • Noisy Friarbird (Philemon corniculatus)

 

 Scrubwrens, & Heathwrens.

  • White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis)

  • Chestnut-rumped Heathwren 🏆 Tour Highlight!

 

Pardalotes & Thornbills

  • Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus)

  • Yellow Thornbill (Acanthiza nana)

 

Cuckooshrikes & Orioles

  • Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae)

  • Cicadabird (Coracina tenuirostris)

  • Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti)

 

Butcherbirds, Magpies & Currawongs

  • Grey Butcherbird (Cracticus torquatus)

  • Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen)

  • Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina)

 

Fantails, & Flycatchers,

  • Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys)

  • Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa)

  • Rufous Fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons)

  • Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca)

 

Ravens

  • Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides)

 

Swallows, & Silvereyes

  • Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena)

  • Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis)

Mynas

  • Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis)

Estrildid Finches

  • Red-browed Firetail (Neochmia temporalis)

 

Final Thoughts

Another unforgettable week exploring the incredible birdlife of the Royal National Park. With its breathtaking coastal cliffs, diverse habitats, and ever-changing bird activity, every tour is a unique adventure. We are very thankful for the lovely guests who joined us over the last week, making these experiences and sightings truly special. Looking forward to what the next week brings.

If you’d love to experience a day like this, why not join us on an upcoming tour? There’s always something new to discover, and you’re guaranteed a day filled with awe, joy, and fun.

🐦 Love the sound of this tour? Click Book Now to join Birding Sydney and Beyond’s Short Day Birdwatching Tour and plan your next adventure! Looking for a longer tour, private experience, or a specially curated itinerary? Check out our other options on our website. If your preferred tour isn’t available, reach out—we’ll do our best to make it happen!




 
 
 

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