Greetings from the mid-north coast of NSW. The mascot of Macleay Valley is the Azure Kingfisher, a fitting poster child for this beautiful region which has so much to offer for bird photography - and photography in general.
My stay here has been centred around popular Crescent Head, a small coastal village with a cult-like following in the surfing community and a really relaxed vibe. I've stayed here four or five times before and I'll happily come back again next year!
The consistent surf break is the drawcard for most visitors but I love it for the magnificent Killick Creek estuary, watching the constant comings and goings of the Ospreys, Brahminy Kites and White-bellied Sea Eagles that fish the tidal waters.
On arrival, a lady spotted my camera and came over to ask about a bird she'd seen that morning - which turned out to be a Regent Bowerbird - one definitely on my list to find! She had sighted one on a ridge above the town, accessible by climbing up "Big Nobby", the rocky headland above the town, with spectacular views to he north and south.
It was a good tip off, and it's become a bit of a daily ritual climbing up Big Nobby to see what I can see - so far no Bowerbird sightings, but plenty of Red-backed Fairy Wrens and Variegated Fairy Wrens, which have kept me busy.
As usual I have learnt a few things on this trip, the major one being that I take TOO MANY photos! With so many different birds flying around, I tend to get a bit snap-happy. The first few days saw my memory card heaving with shots - and not always of good quality.
I have settled down a bit now, and I'm being a bit more cautious with the shutter and paying more attention to my backgrounds.
Unfortunately windy conditions have hampered my usual kayak trips around the estuary, but early tomorrow I'm off to a bird hide I spotted on the way to South West Rocks a few days ago. It looked quite promising - with the right conditions - so I'll set the alarm for an early start to beat the wind and hot sun.
Also on my list is the Belmore River Swamp, about 15km from Crescent Head. Another one needing an early start with these bright sunny days and moderate winds.
I have been busy recording plenty of footage and my full Macleay Valley photo adventure video with be up on my channel in the next 7 -10 days.
Partially thanks to woefully slow internet... by the looks of it I won't be able to progress much with socials or video until I'm back on the Sapphire Coast, but stay tuned I have lots to show you!
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