The first few days

Landed about 7:30 and by 11 o'clock we were walking by the Nepean river that runs through one of the outer suburbs of Sydney.  The assault on the senses is immense.  The hot weather, the noise of the bird-life and the abundance of the birds flying about is amazing.  Apart from the commonplace, the first bird of note was the Pacific Baza.  Like a cross between a pigeon and a bird of prey but with an odd little crest on the back of its head.  It is a bird of prey and used to be called the Crested Hawk.  Here's a selection of the best birds so far.

Pacific Baza - Aviceda subcristata

Eastern Yellow Robin - Eopsaltria australis

Fan-tailed Cuckoo - Cacomantis flabelliformis

Royal Spoonbill - Platalea regia

Australasian Grebe - Tachybaptus novaehollandiae

Sacred Ibis - Threskiornis molucca

Purple Swamphen (Pukeko) - Porphyria porphyria

Superb Fairy-wren - Malurus splendens

Of course, no Australian bird collection would be complete without their most colourful group of birds - the parrots.  Unbelievable colours!

Red-rumped Parrot - Psephotus varius

Eastern Rosella - Platycercus eximius

Australian King-Parrot - Alisterus scapularis

Musk Lorikeet - Glossopsitta concinna

Rainbow Lorikeet - Trichoglossus haematodus

And we must not forget the smaller end of the animal kingdom, the insects.  There are some stunning butterflies here, at least one of which can be described as bird-sized.  Unfortunately, the big ones don't sit around waiting to be photographed.

Unidentified colourful Beetle

Monarch Butterfly - Danaus plexippus

Snail Parasitic Blow-fly - Amenia imperialis

Scarlet Percher - Diplacodes haematodes

Spider - Supunna albomaculata

And then there's the group of animals that scare many people about Australia, the reptiles.

Red-bellied Black Snake - Pseudechis porphyriacus

Water Dragon - Intellagama lesueurii