Warriewood Wetlands

Visited: Spring and Autumn

Recommendation: The area around these wetlands is relatively small and very urban but the incredible wildlife still seems to thrive. Black Bittern have been seen here by the locals but I have not been that lucky. However, I have a seen good variety of birds, reptiles and marsupials. Photo opportunities are excellent too.

The Warriewood Wetlands is the largest remaining sandplain wetland  in the northern Sydney region, covering an area of around 26 hectares . It's a surprising little sanctuary tucked away amidst suburban housing, busy roads and a shopping mall. The wetlands play a vital role in the local ecosystem,  providing a habitat for a variety of native plants and animals. 

On the day we visited, there had been a tremendous storm across Sydney and the eastern coast of New South Wales. Flash floods made a lot of the area impassable but we plodded around where we could and still were not disappointed. That was because we could hear the lovely tinkling of the Bell Miner. Unlikely their rowdy and rather annoying cousins, the Noisy Miner, these little birds are as stunning as their call. Unfortunately, they like to sit spaced out across the very top of the canopy. Battling large numbers of mosquitos, we waited patiently to find some out in the open. The sun was shining after the storm and the birds were busy. It was great to get some shots of them.

Bell Miner (Manorina melanophrys)

Elsewhere in the area were some other noise makers. The Little Corella flew overhead and we found some of them later by the beach. Always entertaining, these small cockatoo are often playing and squabbling in groups. Within the wetlands, a colony of Grey-headed Flying Foxes make noise all day and night.