Ákos Lumnitzer
07-17-2009, 06:38 PM
Last Tuesday a birder mate and I went to look for an uncommon species of rainforest owl in the lower Blue Mountains. The trek is pretty ordinary, parts of it through almost impassable rainforest growth, but it is always a nice change of scenery. No, there was no owl this time, and it's the third time I hiked out here in eight months. It's only about a mile hike, but takes an hour. This time, there was not even a fresh pellet nor feathers indicating recent roosting. However, the owls would be possibly breeding, as there was a lot of heavy rains in the past three-four months and the Tyto genus tend to breed sporadically when conditions are good, after rains.
Initially, a steep descent down paths and steps off the top of the ridge into a gully nearly 700 feet below. This image shows one of the more trechearous parts, where on the downclimb we have to walk backwards on a rock with steps, no safety ropes etc. Not that bad, but if you fall, you are pretty much history. We haven't yet. My mate here, Neil, who is 70 next year, is a trooper. Though he did manage a very nasty fall in the slippery creekbeds that cost him his Panasonic camera.
I'll post more of this spot during the next week. Enjoy.
Initially, a steep descent down paths and steps off the top of the ridge into a gully nearly 700 feet below. This image shows one of the more trechearous parts, where on the downclimb we have to walk backwards on a rock with steps, no safety ropes etc. Not that bad, but if you fall, you are pretty much history. We haven't yet. My mate here, Neil, who is 70 next year, is a trooper. Though he did manage a very nasty fall in the slippery creekbeds that cost him his Panasonic camera.
I'll post more of this spot during the next week. Enjoy.