Australian Birdfair, Leeton, NSW

The fifth Australian Birdfair at Leeton, central NSW is on again this year. It will be held on 17th to the 19th September.

Leeton is between Narrandera and Griffith and an easy drive north west of the regional city of Wagga Wagga. It is also an easy day’s drive from both Melbourne and Sydney, a long day’s drive from Adelaide and a very long day’s drive from Brisbane.

But why rush like that? There are hundreds of fine birding spots along the way, so make it a birding holiday.The link below takes you to the web page where you can find out about accommodation, all the events that are planned, tours of the district and who will be putting on exhibits at the fair. There will also be seminars and lectures about birds. Sound good.

Wish I could be there. [sigh]

Further reading:

The Cocoparra National Park is only a short distance from Leeton. These photos will give you a taste of the area:

Cocoparra National Park, central New South Wales

Cocoparra National Park, central New South Wales

Waking up with the birds in Narrandera

Laughing Kookaburra, Lane Cove National Park, Sydney

Laughing Kookaburra, Lane Cove National Park, Sydney

Sydney Road Trip May 2010

On our recent trip to stay with family in Sydney we stayed one night in a motel in the town of Narrandera. It was on the southern edge of town, near the intersection of the Sturt and Newell Highways. Though a little noisy with the sounds of trucks, we still had a good night’s sleep.

At dawn the next morning I was woken by the wonderful sound of a Laughing Kookaburra nearby. It’s a wonderful way to wake up. The morning was crisp and cool and slightly foggy. Sadly I didn’t have time to add many more species to my list before we headed off towards Sydney straight after breakfast.

I never did see the kookaburra that woke me – so I’ve included a photo of one I saw in Lane Cove National Park on our last visit some 18 months earlier.