AFTER THE INCESSANT RAIN, A BIRD FEST!

BEVERLEY

With Cecil Hoskins, well... his nature reserve

Just south of Bowral in NSW, the Cecil Hoskins Nature Reserve is well worth a visit. Adjoining it is the Bong Bong Track through grasslands and a well-paved bike and walk path.

After three days of incessant rain in Mittagong, we were well and truly ready to once again brace for the great outdoors - and some sunshine! Cecil Hoskins Nature Reserve was the first stop - and two white-faced herons put on a great display on the way in, and before we could even get out of the car!

The rest of the day was all about fairy wrens, variegated and superb, those delightful little creatures that are pretty hard to capture on camera. But it was like the rain had made them all come out for a bit of fun - and canoodling!

This little one acted as concierge as we entered the reserve...just hanging around waiting for a photo op....then, from the viewing platform a bit further along, a batch of fairy wrens having a canoodle and then just enjoying the branches of this sparse looking shrub - with the pond in the background.

The "catch of the day", however, was this grey goshawk (white morph), seen ever so fleetingly before it was shooed away by a magpie.

The paths were walkable if rather waterlogged in parts...still, we made our way back to the main road, under the Bong Bong Bridge, and northwards on the other side on the Bong Bong Track. What a great walkway - all paved and out in the open. At this stage, the splendid fairy wrens came out to play...and we were rewarded with a few good shots.

There was a bit of canoodling happening on this side of the road as well - we saw Mr Wren give Mrs Wren a peck on the cheek - early Mother's Day?

Sadly, after the heavy rains and some flooding, many creatures were caught out on the path when the waters receded...millipedes, slaters, caterpillars, and this little fellow which we helped to get off the path and back on the grass.