Cobar Old Reservoir & Newey Reserve

 

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I am now really heading into the Outback on my way to the Queensland border. My next stop was the old mining town of Cobar. On the way there, I stopped at a rest area on the main road. If these places have a water tank then the chances are there will be birds. Success, this had one and I pulled up right opposite and had a cup of tea while I waited. The common Magpie Lark and Crested Pigeon were the only takers but soon I heard a familiar rasp. It was a bowerbird, must be the spotted species in this area. Soon, one came down with a mouth full of grasshopper and was then joined by another 3. Magic.

Spotted Bowerbird (Chlamydera maculata)

Buoyed by bowerbirds, I headed to Cobar. There were a couple of free camping spots in town but I headed to the Old Reservoir campsite on the edge of town. It was a fantastic space with loads of room for all the caravans around the lake. There was plenty of activity on the lake too, with a group of Little Pied Cormorants fishing. It was quite a frenzy and I soon saw what they were catching - yabbies, a sort of local crayfish (I think).

Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos)

Also around the lake were the ever shy Black-tailed Native Hens and Pink-eared Ducks.

Black-tailed Native Hen (Tribonyx ventralis)

Pink-eared Duck (Malacorhynchus membranaceus)

Early the next morning I went back into town to visit the Newey Reserve. Set around another lake, it was stunning and the whole area was buzzing. My best sightings were of a new bird, the Striped Honeyeater and some juvenile Plum-headed Finches.

Plum-headed Finch (Aidemosyne modesta)

Striped Honeyeater (Plectorhyncha lanceolata)

eBird Lists

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