Flora & Fauna in Western Sydney / Lower Blue Mountains areas.

[BastardSheep]

Most of my weekend photo jaunts involve gardens in and around the Penrith, Parramatta, Windsor & Blue Mountains areas, but I find myself often returning to the same old locations. I'd love to try some new places, but I can't seem to think of anywhere to go. I'm hoping people here might be able to suggest some locations for flora and fauna photos in those locations and surrounding areas.

My currently most visited locations include:
Penrith:
* Weir Reserve (small but nice garden, flowers)
* Woodriffe Gardens (small garden, limited things to do with it)
* UWS Werrington North (birds in the lake on northern side, kangaroos at late afternoon/sunset/dusk)
Parramatta:
* Parramatta Park (birds, mostly ducks for the gf, the garden near parra CBD isn't very good)
* Wisteria Gardens (flowers and gardens)
Doonside:
* Nurragingy Reserve (flowers, gardens & birds, mostly ducks for the gf)
Windsor:
* McQuade Park (flowers near memorial park NE corner, birds occasionally in lake SE corner)
Blue Mountains:
* Mt Tomah Botanical Gardens (Looking forward to going here this spring - last year went too cold one day too hot the next, skipped spring weather entirely so I didn't go).
* Leura (flowers again, The Everglades, CherryDell North, Waldorf Gardens having their $20 for all combined open day on the 5th & 6th October 2013, can't wait).

So as you can see it's mostly flowers and ducks. I'm hoping to spread out to more varieties of birds & wildlife, especially now I have a 50-500 lens but I just don't know where to go. I'd also like some new gardens for a bit more variety too.

[Mark L]

Haven't been there for ages and it most have developed well by now, so Mount Annan Botanic Garden out Campbelltown way.

[Wandapics]

Auburn Botanical Gardens including Japanese Garden

[JDFSandH]

One of my favourite places... Drive down Mitchells Pass (starts in Blaxland) heading down towards Emu Plains. You get to a bridge about half way down. There is a little car spot to your right just before you drive across the bridge. Park there and to the left of the car there are stairs leading under the bridge and it leads to a beautiful creek. It's doesn't have much water go through unless it has been raining, but if you're careful, you can walk down the river (we've done it with kids in tow, so it's not too difficult and you don't have to get wet) and see so much stuff that is relatively untouched. Plenty of natural flora and fauna. :)

This is the view from under the bridge
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3721/9948956544_9ace6265ca_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jdfsandh/9948956544/)
DSC_3464.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jdfsandh/9948956544/) by JDFSandH (http://www.flickr.com/people/jdfsandh/), on Flickr


Oh and just wanted to add, got married last year at Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens. Middle of July and it was still beautiful.

[NikonNellie]

What about Pugh's Lagoon (Smith Park) at Richmond? This is one of my favourite haunts for birding. There is quite a good variety of birds including, ducks, geese, swans, wrens, fantails, bulbils and many other varieties. :)

[BastardSheep]

Haven't been there for ages and it most have developed well by now, so Mount Annan Botanic Garden out Campbelltown way.

I can't believe I didn't think of here. I've been past signs mentioning it on so many occasions.


Auburn Botanical Gardens including Japanese Garden

The partner just brought this up last weekend. If it wasn't for the wind we probably would have. I hadn't even heard of it until then.


One of my favourite places... Drive down Mitchells Pass (starts in Blaxland) heading down towards Emu Plains. You get to a bridge about half way down. There is a little car spot to your right just before you drive across the bridge. Park there and to the left of the car there are stairs leading under the bridge and it leads to a beautiful creek. It's doesn't have much water go through unless it has been raining, but if you're careful, you can walk down the river (we've done it with kids in tow, so it's not too difficult and you don't have to get wet) and see so much stuff that is relatively untouched. Plenty of natural flora and fauna.

Oh and just wanted to add, got married last year at Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens. Middle of July and it was still beautiful.

Is that the lapstone bridge near the zigzag walk? Went there prior to getting the DSLR, but I never really felt it that great a place. Maybe it was more me that was off that day?


What about Pugh's Lagoon (Smith Park) at Richmond? This is one of my favourite haunts for birding. There is quite a good variety of birds including, ducks, geese, swans, wrens, fantails, bulbils and many other varieties. :)

This I will definitely have to check out. Sounds almost exactly like what I was mostly after. :)

Thanks everyone. Please keep suggestions coming if you can.

[BastardSheep]

I was intending to go up to Leura on Saturday, but I did that last year so decided to do something new instead and visit Pugh's Lagoon Reserve as suggested by NikonNellie above. It was a brilliant move as I had an absolutely fantastic time running around with my bigma. This place is just crazily photogenic, and has a larger and more varied collection of birds than I've seen at most other places I've tried to get to. I absolutely loved it, and the other half also was kept happy the time we were there.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastardsheep/sets/72157636208107786/

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2838/10097400916_1c5512f86e_n.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastardsheep/10097400916/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastardsheep/10097400916/) by Bastard Sheep (http://www.flickr.com/people/bastardsheep/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7422/10097539053_682923fc03_n.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastardsheep/10097539053/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastardsheep/10097539053/) by Bastard Sheep (http://www.flickr.com/people/bastardsheep/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5329/10097606464_cfca2d61e9_n.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastardsheep/10097606464/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastardsheep/10097606464/) by Bastard Sheep (http://www.flickr.com/people/bastardsheep/), on Flickr

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3774/10097713054_c061a3697c_n.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastardsheep/10097713054/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastardsheep/10097713054/) by Bastard Sheep (http://www.flickr.com/people/bastardsheep/), on Flickr

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3714/10097927363_c6caf99b69_n.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastardsheep/10097927363/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastardsheep/10097927363/) by Bastard Sheep (http://www.flickr.com/people/bastardsheep/), on Flickr

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3802/10097977376_49ab0a1c0b_n.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastardsheep/10097977376/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastardsheep/10097977376/) by Bastard Sheep (http://www.flickr.com/people/bastardsheep/), on Flickr

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3710/10098026605_635eae1ea9_n.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastardsheep/10098026605/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastardsheep/10098026605/) by Bastard Sheep (http://www.flickr.com/people/bastardsheep/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7291/10098148263_b480672787_n.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastardsheep/10098148263/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastardsheep/10098148263/) by Bastard Sheep (http://www.flickr.com/people/bastardsheep/), on Flickr

[paulheath]

if your after birds, how about Sydney Olympic park, vast variety of birds, wildlife, flowers etc.. iv been lucky enough to sit and watch the sea eagles go about there daily routine as well as numerous other raptors. i met a great guy who was happy to show me around some of the better places as Olympic park and wetlands is huge but a photo to be had at every corner . also Scheyville National park as well as surrounding parkland....
how r u finding the 500mm?

[NikonNellie]

So glad you enjoyed it Bastard Sheep. I actually paid a visit there yesterday and managed to get some pics of a Spoonbill preening itself. I also got the almost exact same shot of the cormorant on the log - it must be his favourite spot.

If you ever want to meet up there for a shoot together just PM me.

[BastardSheep]

A lot of the time my photo outings are last minute things because other plans don't eventuate. If I'm able to get enough warning for myself too, I'll definitely try to message you though.