Balgal Beach

Check my birding map for specific location. 

You never quite know what you are going to get when you roll up to a free campsite. There have been places that I drove straight back out again but sometimes you find a corker. Balgal Beach campsite was such. I will never forget this place and I hope to be able to revisit at some point. It is situated very close to the beach where the river meets the sea separated only by a grassy park and some picnic amenities. All around are trees (always a good start) and it has a lovely feel about it.

And so it was that I excitedly ducked through the trees on to the beach and I think I didn't return for hours. It was a long weekend so there were lots of people around but the beach was long and wide and so there was plenty of space. As the tide receded the beach grew hugely and lots of rock pools were exposed. My first catch was some Red-capped Plover. Don't you always love seeing a bird that is so easy to identify? I am always grateful to this bird for that as often waders are difficult.

Red-capped plover (charadrius ruficapillus)

I could see something larger fly in across the water and so I headed off north to find a Beach Stone Curlew. What an odd bird (another one easy to identify). I always mean to research the thick-knee family as they are so peculiar in appearance. One day. I was curious to see it picking up and putting down what looked like a stone. Not sure about that, cleaning it's teeth maybe!

Beach Stone Curlew (esacus magnirostris)

Always attuned to notice movement, I saw something large in my peripheral vision and was delighted to see a male (dark eye) landing in a large rock pool. Now there is a bird you can get from a long way away with a telephoto lens.

Black-necked Stork/Jabiru (ephippiorhynchus asiaticus)

I continued walking north to the river entrance and was thrilled to come across an Eastern Osprey hunting in the shallow water. I watch it diving into and emerging from the water several times but with no luck. Still a stunning sight.

Eastern Osprey (pandion haliaetus)

As the tide turned and began to come back in, I walked along the river entrance and watched with some schadenfreude at some boaties stuck on sand just waiting for the tide to lift them off. At the landing dock (wharf, pier - I don't know sorry) terns and swallows were wheeling and darting about. I managed to catch this Welcome Swallow taking a rest on the railings.

Welcome Swallow (hirundo neoxena)

As I headed (rather tiredly by this point) back to my van I heard a familiar moaning call. I had to find them, cockatoos are my favourite birds and any chance to see Red-tailed ones cannot be passed up. Unperturbed by all the humans, they were feeding in the trees above the park and on the ground close by. Adults and juveniles were there and although it was a bit gloomy amongst the trees I managed to get some shots. The female has the yellow sparkles.

Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (calyptorhynchus banksii)

eBird Lists

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