This April, I went on my school camp. I was allowed to bring my camera, and I saw some cool birds.

We left at 7 am, and drove swiftly west. Our first stop was a little park in Tenterfield. It was autumn, and the deciduous tree’s leaves were falling off, creating a wonderland for my class. The first birds I spotted were a small group of Yellow-rumped Thornbills, who were feeding in someone’s backyard.

A Beautiful Pair of Eastern Rosellas flew into a nearby tree, and a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo sat quietly, watching the group of rowdy school children throwing leaves all over each other.

Suddenly, another parrot flew into the same tree and I didn’t know what it was. As I looked at my photos, I realised that it was a domesticated Rose-ringed Parakeet, a species from Asia that is commonly used in the pet trade.

We got back in the bus and drove to Inverell, where we had lunch. It was a nice town, with some nice birding. A Red Wattlebird sat in a eucalypt tree as we got out of the bus. Coming from further north, I don’t see Red Wattlebirds often, and it was nice to see one close up.

A small group of House Sparrows were feeding near the cafe, and were very cute.

A small White plumed Honeyeater caught my eye as we sat down for lunch, and was very photogenic.

A pair of Azure Kingfishers sat on the reeds, and, as I watched, one of them dove into the water, and came out with a fish.

A Little Grassbird poked its head out of the reed.

We kept driving on, and our last stop of the day was at Moree. We got out and I walked around. I spotted a small group of Red-rumped Parrots in a tree. This bird was one of the species that I had really wanted to see on the trip, and it was really cool to spot this bird.

We drove past an Australian Bustard on our way in to Lightning Ridge. This bird is rare around the town. We set up our mattresses in the basketball hall at Lightning Ridge Central School, and had some nachos for dinner. Then we went to bed.

I awoke early and quickly grabbed my camera. I walked around the back of the school, where a foresty, grassy area sat. White-plumed Honeyeaters flitted between trees, and a group of Laughing Kookaburras cackled near the pond.

A Pair of Australian Ringnecks sat in a tree, looking large amongst the groups of Red-rumped Parrots.

A pair of Peaceful Doves sat on a branch. These doves are so tiny compared with the Bar-shouldered Doves we have in Federal.

As we walked through the town, I improved my Red-rumped Parrot photo.

We went to play mini golf, and on the way back through the town, I spotted an amazing male Red-winged Parrot.

In the afternoon, we went to the Artisan Bore Baths, a hot bath with underground hot water inside. The baths don’t smell very nice, but they feel really nice. As an added bonus, a Restless Flycatcher played around the bus, its funny “Mank” call traveling across the area.

A pair of Crested Pigeons sat on the wire. These birds were very common around the baths.

We went back and slept peacefully in our sleeping bags.

In the morning, I did the exact same thing and went around to the back of the school. A family of Apostlebirds were yapping around, pulling each other’s tails, and rolling around in the red dust. This is my favourite bird at the moment, and if you sit for a moment, they will be sure to do something silly.

A pair of Black-fronted Dotterels flew back and forth through a small marsh, making small calls.

As I walked back to the kitchen, a beautiful Australian Ringneck flew down and started drinking in a puddle in front of everyone. He flew back up to a tree, and I got a nice shot in the light.

We put all the bags in the bus, and were on our way. Goodbye Lightning Ridge!

Continued in part 2…

Ebird link: https://ebird.org/tripreport/502433?view=checklists