Summer flowering and lorikeets in Capertee Valley

Hi all,

The responsibility of caring for an elderly parent has meant I haven’t been getting into the Capertee Valley as often as usual over the past few months. However, last Sunday I had to make a quick trip into the valley for a meeting and took the opportunity to explore some short walks in the Gardens of Stone NP in the upper part of the valley, an area that we normally bypass on birding trips in order to maximise time on the valley floor.

I was surprised to find hundreds of Musk Lorikeets, along with Noisy Friarbirds and smaller numbers of Little Lorikeets feeding in flowering Broad-leaved Ironbark (Eucalyptus fibrosa). There are numerous access points into Gardens of Stone along the Glen Davis Road between Airly Creek and Coco Creek. Flocks of lorikeets were evident at virtually every one of these points. The occasional Scarlet Honeyeater was also present and feeding in the ironbarks, as well as flowering Box Mistletoe.

Late summer is traditionally a time when Regent Honeyeaters are very hard to find in the Capertee, and anywhere for that matter. While I didn’t see any last weekend, if you happen to be in the area it would certainly be worth keeping an eye out around the flowering trees (and as always, make sure you report any sightings to Birdlife Australia).

Cheers,

Carol