Birding and wildlife from the luxury of The Long Weekend Retreat

Sightings at The Long Weekend Retreat to make a truly interesting bird journal!

The Long Weekend Retreat is a paradise for birders and nature lovers of all kinds. Located in an area of astonishing biological diversity and featuring wildlife at intimate range.

The Long Weekend Retreat is within Narrawallee Creek Nature Reserve, 600 hectares of diverse wildlife habitat conserved in environments ranging from more than four kilometers of pristine coastline backed by a dune system, woodland forests and the wetlands of Narrawallee Inlet. A network of walking tracks lead directly from The Retreat. From Buckley’s Point enjoy a panoramic view of coastline and explore the honeycombed rock platform.

Of special interest is a small colony of Little Tern (Strena albifronis) a delicate bird that feeds on shoals and tiny fish in the surf. The number of nesting sites in the state each year may only number six to ten. Nearby Pattimores Lagoon offers valuable feeding and breeding grounds for a variety of water birds.

The bushland gardens of The Long Weekend Retreat are abundant with native birds and wildlife. Here is a list of sightings just at The Retreat!

Birds

Rainbow Lorikeet, Crimson Rosella , Eastern Rosella, King Parrot, Satin Bower Bird, Eastern Whipbird, Southern Boobook Owl, Tawny Frogmouth Owl, Wedge Tailed Eagle, White Bellied Sea Eagle, Gang Gang Cockatoo, Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo, Red Tailed Black Cockatoo, Glossy Black Cockatoo, Laughing Kookaburra, Azure Kingfisher, Dollarbird (migratory from S.E. Asia), Australian Wood Duck, Rose Robin, Superb Fairy Wren, Southern Fairy Wren, Emu Wren, White Headed Pigeon, Wonga Pigeon, Bar Shouldered Dove, Common Koel, Barking Owl, White Throated Treecreeper, Eastern Bristlebird, Weebill, Yellow Throated Thornbill, Red Wattlebird, Noisy Friarbird (migratory from Asia in spring), Regent Honeyeater, White Eared Honeyeater, White Cheeked Honeyeater , Pacific Baza, Silvereye (Grey-backed), Eastern Yellow Robin, Grey Shrike-thrush, Grey Fantail, Magpie-lark, Olive-backed Oriole, Green Catbird, Pied Butcherbird, Pied Currawong, Red-browed Finch (Firetail), Magpie, Pelican, Long Billed Black Cockatoo (out of region), Horsfields Bronze Cuckoo, Golden Whitler, Brown Cuckoo Dove, Tawny Frogmouth Owl

Wildlife

Brown Striped Marsh Frog, Eastern Pobblebonk (frog), Goanna (Lace Monitor), Blue Tongue Lizard, Jacky Lizard, Eastern Water Dragon, Eastern Water Skink, Short Beaked Echidna, Eastern Grey Kangaroo, (common), Swamp Wallaby, Redneck Wallaby, Brush Tailed Possum, Feathertailed Glider, Sugar Glider, Long Nosed Bandicoot, Diamond Python, Small-eyed Snake, Red Bellied Black Snake, Dunnart, Golden Bellied Water Rat, Dusky Footed Rat, Grey Headed Flying Fox (feeding on Eucalyptus gummifera in late summer), Common Blossum Bat (microbat)

The Long Weekend Retreat library is stocked with field identification guides for flora and fauna, walking maps and binoculars.