Ask any keen twitcher where the best birding spot is on the Central Coast and they will all point you towards Central Coast Wetlands. The combination of wetlands, creeks, paddocks, forest and its proximity to Tuggerah Lakes attracts a huge variety of birds. At least 224 species of bird have been recorded here! 

Birders come here to see raptors, waterbirds, migratory birds and birds of open fields while always hoping for something unexpected. Exciting records at CC Wetlands over the years include Australian Painted Snipe, Long-toed Stint and Radjah Shelduck!

A dairy farm for over 100 years, the site is now managed for a variety of wildlife. Some of the paddocks are still grazed by cattle and these areas are favoured by Cattle Egrets, Australian Pipits, and White Ibis. Wading birds such as Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and Wood Sandpipers prefer the short, grazed grass around the waters edge so they can see potential predators. Pelicans visit the freshwater ‘Dairy Swamp’ daily to wash the salt off their feathers. 

The Moreton Bay fig trees, synonymous with dairy farms, attract Topknot Pigeons, Figbirds, Channel-billed Cuckoos and Eastern Koels. There was even a recent sighting of the incredible Wompoo Fruit Dove, one of only a handful of Central Coast records. 

A suite of bush birds enjoy the young forest of over 100,000 trees planted by volunteers. Birds often seen in the forest and creek lines include Bell Miners, Yellow-faced Honeyeaters and Little Wattlebirds. 

In spring, several species of bird return to the Central Coast from northern Australia or the northern hemisphere, so November is a great time to visit. Birders can hope to see White-breasted Woodswallows, Fairy Martins, Latham’s Snipe and White-throated Needletails in addition to some beautiful resident birds such as Whistling Kites and Swamp Harriers. We will cross our fingers that a Black-necked Stork will drop in for a feed of eel. Yes, we do regularly see this stork or Jabiru on the Coast and they have even had chicks in recent times!

We will be delivering some bird walks and talks as part of our 2023 Environmental Volunteer Program Christmas Party at Central Coast Wetlands. The bird walk will visit the dairy swamp, fig trees, creek line and a small section of forest. For this activity, please bring a hat, sunscreen, enclosed shoes and binoculars if you have any. We will record our sightings using the eBird or Birdata apps. It would be great if attendees can download one of these apps before the day and your guide can show you how to use them.

Your guide for the bird walks and talks will be Nick Carson, Environmental Education Officer in our Environmental Volunteer Program team. He is a keen birder and has competed in the Twitchathon for the last 10 years. Last year, his team “Let’s Wing It” won the event with an impressive 257 species recorded in 30 hours!

This article was written by Nick Carson, Environmental Education Officer

Photo credits:
Central Coast Wetlands: Nick Carson
Black-necked Stork: Christina Port