The Eastern Spinebill is one of our most attractive honeyeaters.
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From my experience you will start seeing them around August and into early Spring in fairly big numbers.
A popular spot for them is the botanic gardens at Raymond Terrace, usually feeding on nectar which always make for some good, colourful images.
Yes, that's only five or six weeks away so you can be sure I'll be heading there again to try my luck.
Chances are you will hear them before you spot them with the distinctive flop flop of the wings and their call which is a sharp chip-chip-chip.
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There's every chance they'll be feeding on banksias, so that's always a good place to start looking.
Eastern Spinebills breed from August to January and they usually have two broods of two or three chicks.
Their nest is often low down in the fork of a tree.
The spinebill is found from South Australia right up to far north Queensland.
And something I've been meaning to mention for some time, the Newcastle Botanic Gardens are a haven for bird life - certainly a great spot to bird watch and have a coffee.
The prominent birds you'll spot there are Eastern Yellow Robins, Tree Creepers and Wrens ... and that's just for starters. You will spot all these and more on a walk through the grounds.
They also have Bower Birds - one had a bower not far from the coffee shop last year.
And if I've tempted you to go down for a visit, don't miss the pond close to the entrance where there is also a lot of attractive insects to be found.
Over the last few weeks bird life has been hard to find, but having said that, it was noticeable that some of our local bird life is showing signs of preparing nest sites.
I've noticed Kestrels and Grass Parrots all working on holes in trees. On a recent visit to Belmont wetlands, it was noticeable that the Variegated Wrens and Silvereyes had dramatic colour and were going about in groups.
There were also large numbers of Thornbills present as well. Till next time.