A warm sunny morning, with the promise of a change, greeted a select group whose loyalties were not divided between birds and the women’s marathon. As we set off in a very relaxed way down the creek in pursuit of calling birds, we nevertheless, spared a thought for those setting off at about the same time on a 42-km trek of pure agony in Sydney’s humidity.
Bowerbirds, wrens, Yellow Robins and common honeyeaters welcomed us in and around the picnic ground. As we descended a little further into the scrub along Gibraltar Creek the sound of returning Yellow-faced Honeyeaters became dominant until it was broken by the scream of a single Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo. The dense cover provided ample hiding place for small birds and ample frustration for those attempting to watch them. Amongst the most elusive was a Grey Butcherbird, which remained stubbornly unseen while continuing to call tantalisingly close to us. A male Golden Whistler could not escape the prying lenses of binoculars, however. Jelly bean bribes to encourage some effort to physically locate a calling Fan-tailed Cuckoo were hardly necessary as one, then two, then three obligingly foraged for grubs out in the open, as we returned towards the car park.
Up into the drier country at Gibraltar Falls, we enjoyed a splendid view of Gang-gang Cockatoos, possibly in search of nesting hollows. There were more Yellow Robins, Yellow-faced, White-naped and White-eared Honeyeaters plus Brown and Striated Thornbills, and in common with the drier conditions, a pair of Rufous Whistlers. With the weather closing in and the promise of more Olympic’s action after lunch we left the birds and came back down from the mountains. All up, we saw or heard 28 species.