Stretching along the southern end of the Great Dividing Range, between the Hunter River Catchment and the Tuggerah Lakes, WataganMountains are part of the Eastern Escarpment World Heritage area. Only an hour’s drive north of Sydney, these mountains containpatches of rainforest that trace their origins to the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. Despite being made up […]
Tag: Australia
Wildlife of Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Kangaroo Island is often referred to as ‘Australian Galapagos’. And for a good reason. Because of its isolation, Kangaroo Island is free of many diseases and pest species found on the mainland, providing a much-needed breeding safe heaven to a wide variety of wildlife species. It is a premier eco-tourism destination in Australia that I […]
Waterbirds and migratory waders of Sydney Olympic Park
Sydney Olympic park is one of the best places to see waders and waterbirds in the Greater Sydney environs. At the Waterbird Refuge pond artificial islands have been set up to provide additional habitat for a breeding colony of Black-winged stilts (Himantopus himantopus). In summer months migratory species make their home at this pond before […]
Finding mammals in Sydney (Urban mammals)
When most of us think about wildlife watching, cities are not the environments that usually come to mind. Typically urban development is associated with habitat destruction and local extinctions. However, not all wildlife species are equally affected by human activities and some have adapted and become quite successful in human-dominated landscapes. Sydney – Australia‘s largest […]
Finding mammals in Sydney (Marine mammals)
One of the most exciting things that happens off Sydney coast is the Humpback whale migration. The whales migrate past Sydney twice a year. From April to mid August they are heading north to give birth and mate in the waters of the Coral Sea off Australia‘s northeast coast.From mid August to mid December the […]
‘Down and dirty’ with Red-kneed Dotterels
Red-kneed Dotterels are endemic to Australia and are usually found around the muddy edges inland freshwater lakes and swamps. The unprecedented wet years of 2010 and 2011 drenched the country and there was large scale breeding of many species. Since 2011 the interior has returned to its normal aridity and many species, including the dotterels, […]
Chew your meat, you Panthera leo
“We Bought a Zoo (2011)” this film portraits a story that is not far from reality and I was fortunate to be involved in filming behind the scenes the revival of one in tropical Australia. The receivers of this closed zoo appointed a zoo animal carer to look after the animals welfare until such time […]
No quacks .. just whistles.
The grass whistle duck (plumed whistling-duck) is not a true duck because they are monochromic (both sexes have same colour plumage) and have long legs and necks. Also the traditional “quack” is a actually a whistle. Predominately found in N. Australia and scattered groups in New South Wales & Victoria, with only a small area […]