The Mudlarks

The Mudlarks is a local bird-watching group of Mudcrabs that regularly surveys the Cooks River Valley. We meet once a month (on the 2nd Tuesday morning) to perform a 2 hour survey of birdlife along the Cooks River. We started in early 2019 and have collected birdlife data each month. We survey 2 different routes so as to get a broad picture of the birdlife for different environments. We alternate these circuits monthly.

The Wave Rock circuit goes from the Lang Road footbridge, east along the Earlwood side of the river and returns along the Marrickville Golf Course side past Wave Rock (with a detour to the Dibble Avenue waterhole).

The Boat Harbour circuit goes from the Lang Road footbridge, west alongside Ewen Park and Boat Harbour to the Flourmill then crosses to the Cup and Saucer Creek wetlands before returning along the south bank of the river to the Lang Road footbridge.

Mudlarks 2022
Mudlarks 2022

If you would like to be placed on the Mudlarks mailing list – click the button below.

If you are planning to attend one of our survey walks please let the coordinator know (it helps us with catering/planning for morning tea).
Mudlarks coordinator: mudlarks@mudcrabs.net.au .

Mudlarks map
Mudlarks Survey Circuits

Bird species seen during our Cooks River surveys

WATERBIRDS
Australasian Wood duck
Chestnut Teal
Grey Teal
Hardhead
Pacific Black Duck
Dusky Moorhen
Eurasian Coot
Purple Swamp Hen
Great Cormorant
Little Black Cormorant
Little Pied Cormorant
Pied Cormorant
Australian Pelican
Striated Heron
White-faced Heron
Great Eastern Egret
Australian White Ibis
Caspian Tern
Darter
Royal Spoonbill
Nankeen Night Heron
Cattle Egret

WOODLAND /SHRUBS
Crimson Rosella
Rainbow Lorikeets
King Parrot
Superb Fairy Wren
Noisy Miners
Red Wattle-bird
Little Wattle-bird
Australasian Figbird
Olive-backed Oriole
White-plumed Honeyeater
Grey Butcherbird
Eastern Rosella
Eastern Koel
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Tawny Frogmouth
Grey Fantail
Spotted Pardalote
Spangled Drongo
Rufous Whistler
Eastern Spinebill
Golden Whistler
Leaden Flycatcher
Sacred Kingfisher
Musk Lorikeet
Silvereye
Red-rumped Parrot
Laughing Kookaburra
Grey Fantail
Rufous Songlark

OPEN AREAS/ SKY
Crested Pigeon
Top-knot Pigeon
Masked Lapwing
Silver Gull
Australian Magpie
Pied Currawong
Willy Wagtails
Australian Raven
Magpie Lark
Welcome Swallow
Tree Martin
Yellow tailed Black Cockatoo
Sulphur Crested Cockatoos
Little Corella
Long billed Corella
Galah
Black-shouldered Kite
Channel-billed Cuckoo
Fairy Martin
White-throated Needletail
Brown Goshawk
Australian Hobby



EXOTIC SPECIES
Common Myna
Common Starling
Spotted Dove
Rock Dove/Feral pigeon
Mallard

The Greenway Birdos have produced a great photo guide for the local birds. Our survey routes overlap so it is a very handy reference.

Survey data for the 2 survey routes since Feb 2019

The Mudlarks record all species confirmed along with the count and other useful information. We are lucky to have pockets of well used breeding areas for our waterbirds and other species. By monitoring these sites regularly we are able to gather information regarding the arrival of new species and the impacts of The Mudcrabs activities along the Cooks River.

Doug takes each month’s survey data and updates a detailed cumulative spreadsheet (link below). The birds are divided into a number of groups that represent the differing habitats that are provided along the Cooks River namely Waterbirds, Birds of the Woodlands and the highflying Birds of the Open Skies.
We are lucky to have talented ornithologists, nature photographers and eagle eyed enthusiasts (both experienced and novice birdwatchers) on the surveys.
Now we have a few years data and the bird population dynamics are appearing and these trends are reflected in the cumulative spreadsheet.

Mudlarks Presentation – April 2022

Below is a recording of the presentation given by the Mudlarks at a recent CRVA meeting.