My last day in Katoomba, so I started with two early morning hikes - one last trip around the Prince Henry Walk (Katoomba Falls to Echo Point), then the short way into Leura Cascades via the Cliff Top Road. The cascades are beautiful - such an astounding display of ferns! And I caught up with the striated thornbills who were nesting near the track. Just took a photo of course!
Other birds seen: thornbills (striated and brown), 6 glossy black cockatoos, sulphurs, pied curras, wattlebirds, magpies. Heard: yellow robin, scrubbies (not seen today), whipbird, and associated other tweets (wish they'd stay still). I think the "chi-chortle-chi" bird is a striated thornbill (but didn't see ANY striations yesterday - still not sure on that one), now have the "ee-oo-ee-oo" bird. Heard honeyeaters, couldn't see them for an ID. Like I said, birds need QR codes.
Writing: not so great today, in transit, then I'll have to store everything as I have eight hours to fill in before my plane leaves. Oh well.
Thank you Katoomba for a wonderful time!
Sydney: Booked my case into a locker at the bus depot at Central Station (follow that?) then jumped on the monorail for one of my last rides before they pull it down next June. WHY?? It's such a great tourist attraction. Of course, the ibis are still at Darling Harbour and also at Belmore Park (and probably every other park). Martime Museum Willie Wagtail is still there bossing everyone around, as was a sulphur on the ramparts of the Town Hall - yes, in George Street surrounded by zillions of people and heavy traffic. Obviously irrelavant. Had another wonderful hot choc at the Guylian shop on the corner of George and Argyle Streets (although why I'm having a hot drink on a 30C day is beyond me.
Now it's back to the grind. Spent the rest of my time in Dymocks in George St - and didn't walk out with anything (it was soooooooooo hard).
Flight back was fine - hey, we made it safe, what else matters?
Saturday: Left early on the drive home. Enjoyed a short walk around MtBS - not many birds but the native flowers are amazing. CFS information session this arvo to "Get Ready" for the bushfire season - an informative seminar. Never thought about the DOORMAT catching fire.
Tomorrow is Carol Lefevre's seminar with the Crime Writer's Group at SA Writer's Centre. Monday...is back at work...
Happy writing, birdwatching, bushwalking, editing...
Bo
x
PS I'll work on that lyrebird video tomorrow (Sun)