TURQUOISE PARROTS @ HIGH RANGE

Last Sunday, out at Nattai National Park, High Range (western Southern Highlands), someone came across a pair of Turquoise Parrots. This is an outstanding record. I'm not aware of any Turquoise Parrot records in the Highlands. Happy days. I'll have to get out there and chase them. I've only turned up one Turquoise Parrot since I began birding. It was in northern Sydney. LJ, 21 October 2014.

SHANGRI LA, SUNDAY

Awesome to get permission to wander around private property by Shangri La Rd yesterday. My thanks to landowners. Got into some terrific boggy heath country near main dam which has potential for Southern Emu-wrens and King Quail. Flushed a Latham's Snipe (just returned from Japan) from dam fringes. Other birds of note: Hoary-headed Grebes, Hardhead, Golden-headed Cisticola, Little Grassbird, Australasian Reed-warbler and Richard's Pipits. LJ, OCtober 20 2014.

BEYOND THE SEWAGE WORKS

I THINK THIS IS THE ENTRANCE TO A FOX'S DEN (BEHIND SEWAGE WORKS)

THE SNAKES WERE ON TOP OF THE SMALL HILL IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS PHOTO

SUN-BASKING RED-BELLIED BLACK SNAKES

4pm last Friday - in glorious, glorious weather - I came across two Red-bellied Black Snakes lying on top of one other behind Bundanoon's sewage treatment plant. Got within 15 feet of them. Perhaps they were mating. One sensed my presence, flicked its tongue, raised its sleek head, then nonchalantly slithered away; the other stayed motionless, so I prodded it gently with a dead branch to see if it was alive. It came to and headed off in an equally unconcerned manner. Here was a serpent encounter which again proved wild snakes don't want to chase you, attack you, bite you. I always figure our snakes are a lot more bloody fearful of us than we are of them. Photo of the snakes' habitat to come... LJ, October 13 2014.

CBC

I heard a Channel-billed Cuckoo at 6:30pm while doing my weekly boxing class up the road. First CBC back I reckon. LJ, October 9 2014.

BLOOD MOON

Right now there's a blood moon, but it's so overcast in the Highlands I can't see it. Shame. LJ, October 8 2014.

WARATAHS, BINDAR CRESCENT

OUR MIGRANTS START RETURNING

Rufous Whistler, Sacred Kingfisher, White-throated Gerygone and Shining Bronze-cuckoo all back over last 10 days. Channel-billed Cuckoos are late compared with last year. No signs of Common Koel, Black-faced Monarch or Dollarbird. LJ, October 6 2014.