Ricki Coughlan
banner
rickicoughlan.bsky.social
Ricki Coughlan
@rickicoughlan.bsky.social
Herbivore 🦕 Bird Observer 🦜 Rainforest Flaneur 🐍 Author 📗 Rational Humanist 👩🏻‍🔬 She/Her Birding tours and nature discovery walks in the Sydney region: http://aussiewild.com.au
Pinned
Fabulous tour in Royal National Park today with bird photography enthusiast Prateek from Mombay. Among 58 species we got a gorgeous male Superb Lyrebird, stunning moments with Satin Bowerbirds and Green Catbirds and finished off with a gorgeous family of Powerful Owls! He wasn't disappointed.
By November the Superb Lyrebirds have regrown their tails and begin to follow females, shake their tails, raise their wings and call vociferously. I came across an entourage of 5 lyrebirds this morning in Royal National Park and this boy was clearly getting hot and bothered! #birds #birding #nature
November 8, 2025 at 4:00 AM
Back in April 1975 "Grumpy Scientist" Dr Harry Recher stuck a New Holland Honeyeater in a precocious child's hand telling her to "hold this". Thus he laid out the course of my life, my calling and obsession . . . #birding #birds #nature
November 4, 2025 at 6:38 AM
Immerse yourself in a few moments of the breathtaking ridge top dry sclerophyll habitat and its aural beauty on Wise's Trail in Royal National Park. Look out for this trail on my Nature Walkabouts schedule in 2026.
aussiewild.com.au/nature-walka...
#birds #birding #nature #naturelovers #hiking
November 4, 2025 at 5:30 AM
This is the #Izembek. Trump has just signed off on destroying this magnificent wilderness for yet more fossil fuel extraction which scientists warn us must stop. We have the capacity to create such a different world. All we have to do is decide we want it. #nature #climate
youtu.be/RkBbA7iJN8g?...
Izembek
YouTube video by Cornell Lab of Ornithology
youtu.be
October 25, 2025 at 3:20 AM
Sound UP! I survey Yellow-throated Scrubwrens in Royal National Park. Whilst in Boris and Natasha's territory yesterday I found a lyrebird foraging. Boris enters from left at 26 secs and begins his mimicry which will grow in volume and complexity. Enjoy this sonic celebration of planet Earth! 🧵 1/
October 24, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Birds truly are the splendour of Planet Earth . . .
youtu.be/ej4LPcJu-54?...
A New Age of Dinosaurs | A tribute to Birds
YouTube video by Paleo Edits
youtu.be
October 24, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Sound UP! When a gang of young male Superb Lyrebirds surround you, often within less than a metre. I zoomed back to 80mm but often had to lean back to get this footage. I've left it largely unedited to capture the mayhem of the moment. #birds #birding #nature #lyrebirds
October 24, 2025 at 7:09 AM
This is the Larapinta Trail . . .
youtu.be/Ox-M9mWme34?...
Hiking 230km Solo in Australia - Larapinta Trail
YouTube video by Josh Carr
youtu.be
October 23, 2025 at 3:49 AM
Just as I pressed submit after my count two Australian Magpies clashed viciously in the sky right above me, locking claws in the air for an instant before parting with angry cries . . . Tonight's winner was certainly the Rainbow Lorikeet!
aussiebirdcount.org.au
#aussiebirdcount #birds #birding
October 20, 2025 at 7:56 AM
For lovers of the Willie Wagtail (especially when they sing to the Springtime full moons) . . .
#birds #birding #nature #naturelovers

youtu.be/1FUGB1JxMnw?...
Willie Wagtail Sounds - Call and song of Willie Wagtails by a waterhole at night.
YouTube video by Wild Ambience
youtu.be
October 20, 2025 at 5:54 AM
Just another urban Sydney Echidna giving it his best shot, snuffling about and hoovering up masses of ants along the curb at North Head . . . #naturelovers #nature #wildlife #echidna #australia
October 16, 2025 at 4:29 AM
Final votes friends. Let's go Team Southern Emu-wren and highlight the plight of one of its subspecies which is under threat from a ridiculous planned rocket range on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. #birds #birding #birdoftheyear #southernemuwren
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Australian bird of the year 2025: vote for your favourite #birdoftheyear in the Guardian / BirdLife Australia poll
From little penguins to (very big) cassowaries, every bird has its fans. Vote for your favourite in the 2025 Guardian/BirdLife Australia poll
www.theguardian.com
October 14, 2025 at 5:09 AM
"The purpose of freedom is to create it for others" - Nelson Mandela
October 7, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Here, in the predawn along Bola Creek in Royal National Park, it would be at least half an hour before sunrise, so apologies for the grainy footage. However, I think the ambience is clear. I've had thousands of lyrebird encounters of the years, but each one is as exciting as the first! #birding
October 6, 2025 at 7:37 AM
A 15 minute stroll over the spinifex covered hills from Ormiston Gorge brings one to this vista; looking west along the Larapinta Trail on the Macdonnell Ranges. Thereis some amazing birding to be had along this trail . . . 1/
October 6, 2025 at 6:06 AM
A detailed and damning report by a respected team of clinicians and researchers. It confirms that the Cass Review was little more than a thinly veiled deceitful attack on the rights, humanity and dignity of transgender people in the UK. Shame on them and shame on UK politicians for falling for it.
An excellent new article outlining all that is wrong with the Cass Review, condemning its harmful impact on UK policy and practice, and calling it a failure of evidence-based medicine. Written by those involved in trans children's healthcare in Australia.

www.mja.com.au/journal/2025...
Cass Review does not guide care for trans young people
Good medicine is guided by the values of the patient, not those of a clinician, politician or commentator. The Cass Review, lacking expertise and compromised by implicit stigma and misinformation, doe...
www.mja.com.au
October 6, 2025 at 3:01 AM
It was a difficult decision, with many of my favourite birds on the starting ticket, but I've kicked things off with a sentimental favourite . . . Go Team Southern Emu-wren! 🥳 www.theguardian.com/environment/...

#birds #birding #birdoftheyear #birdoftheyear2025
October 6, 2025 at 1:05 AM
This cheeky busy body came so close to me I had to put my camera down. I shook a few plants for him and he dashed over in the hope that I might dislodge and insect or two. When I held my hand out he hopped to within 2 or 3 centimetres hand. Certainly the friendliest Willie Wagtail I've ever met!
October 5, 2025 at 2:27 AM
In 2019 we had at least 6 Welcome Swallows living around my home. Now there's one. I'm observing this trend everywhere. We're losing small aerial insectivores because we're losing our insects. I urge everyone to keep records of Swallow and Martin numbers in localities. (image: Clinton Wood) #nature
October 4, 2025 at 6:15 AM
Superb Fairy-wren, Royal National Park.

#birds #birding #nature
October 3, 2025 at 6:07 AM
Far, far away, over 24.8 billion kilometres . . . beyond the heliosphere in the freezing darkness of space Voyager 1 continues a journey which may last as long as this universe does. On board is this image. A person chosen to represent the human species . . .
October 3, 2025 at 5:49 AM
When the world seems too evil to handle I go to YouTube and search for "Guilty Dogs" . . .
October 2, 2025 at 11:48 AM
October 2, 2025 at 8:19 AM
A tiny second year male Variegated Fairy-wren is taking a moment to preen in the early morning sun and is joined by another second year male, most likely his brother from the same clutch . . . but they're fairy-wrens so nobody can be sure whether they share the same father. #birds #birding #nature
October 1, 2025 at 8:16 AM
Nelson is one of my favourite Koalas in the zoo . . .
October 1, 2025 at 5:02 AM