Deep Creek Birdwatching: perfect for beginner twitchers

Birdwatching in Deep Creek

Deep Creek is famous (in circles of birdwatchers) as a paradise for birdwatching.

As a beginner birdwatcher, I thought it was time to give it a crack. The mission was simple, see as many species of birds as I could.

Now I only had 1 day, some of us have jobs you know, so I had to be efficient. I headed down and ignored the giant dips in the road to try and see some feathery friends. Kangaroos everywhere, left and right. Did I care? Of course not. If it’s not a bird, quite frankly, I couldn’t care less. Just to be clear, I do love kangaroos but I’m trying to add some drama to the story. So I drove down with cold rolls packed in my cooler, water bottles stashed in the car, and enough battery packs to power a stadium-filled E-Sports event.

What was on my list? Great question, the Emu Wren. That sly son of a gun (or daughter of a gun) has been avoiding my camera like a scandalous celebrity. I haven’t been able to see one in my life. And some of you may be reading this thinking “Well who cares it’s just a wanna-be Fairy Wren” and to you I say “That was uncalled for”. Well, with my ungodly amount of spare camera batteries and enough SD cards to film the entirety of Grey’s Anatomy, I headed off on my Deep Creek journey.

Deep Creek Cove Hike

So I had 2 main agendas for my Deep Creek birdwatching expedition;

1. do one of the many hikes
2. see an Emu Wren

The Deep Creek Cove Hike starts from Trig Campground and takes between 2.5 to 4 hours. Spoiler alert, my fragile weak body (picture Pinocchio) couldn’t make it all the way down. It was a beautiful walk though, and I saw quite a bit of wildlife. To be honest, I didn’t see much birdlife, which was the altier motive for me doing physical exercise, but I did see some native wildlife. This is either a potaroo, bandicoot, or a very small kangaroo.

The walk was pretty steady until you got to a sign (maybe 30 minutes in) and it was downhill from there. Downhill in the literal sense, not from a story perspective. The paths were surrounded by dense bushland, in bright reds at the start to lush greens as you got closer to the coast. It was a stunning trail with beautiful views of the gully and of the coast in the distance.

I walked listening to birds chirping and I’m pretty sure I heard an eagle. Most likely a sea eagle, but possibly an American Bald Eagle, the odds are low though. The birds were fast and scattered here. As you walk they scatter and fly away at the faintest noise. Every step I took I’d potentially scare away a bird. Every podcast episode played out loud scared the anti-Joe Rogan birds to spree. I walked the trail hoping to see birds but left seeing rats.

I don’t mean that in the expression, but more in the literal sense (even though bandicoots are technically a rat).

So, I turned around, not because I was physically exhausted (definitely not that) but because I hadn’t checked off enough aviary friends from my list, and walked back to Trig Campground. Even though I didn’t make it to the cove, it was still a gorgeous walk I’d recommend to anyone (who asks me “Hey do you know any walks near Trig Campground?”)

Deep Creek Birdlife

As I got back from my hike I decided to walk around the campsites to see if I had a better chance of seeing some birdlife. Annoyingly enough, there was SO MUCH birdlife. Yes, I should be happy, obviously, but I just did a massive walk and saw barely anything. And where I parked my car was an array of birdlife (very rude of them).

I walked around for 3 hours listening to the bird sounds and taking thousands of photos. More precisely 1.4 thousand photos. I saw a bunch of new bird species that I’d never seen before. To an experienced birder (also referred to as a “twitcher” or “big ol nerd”) some of these species may not seem that crazy; but to you and me (cool, chill bird enthusiasts) we find these species pretty amazing to see.

I saw Golden Whilsters dancing in the trees. It flew from branch to branch, always keeping an eye on me. It didn’t seem scared, more intrigued. It wanted to keep watch in case I was a potential threat, or even worse, I was a door-to-door salesman selling it bird insurance. Luckily for the Golden Whilster, I was just a normal guy peering down binoculars staring at it as it tried to eat it’s lunch in peace. 

Bird Species in Deep Creek

As I went on my 3 hour walk (again, I cannot stress how much I walked around) I saw a Bassian Thrush. I know what you’re thinking; “what!? You saw a wild Bassian Thrush! That’s amazing!” I couldn’t agree more, it was amazing. At the time, I actually didn’t know what specie it was (but keep that between you and me), but I decided to take a photo anyways. As you can see, the photo could win a National Geographic Photography Competition one day. David Attenborough actually personally called me up after seeing this photo to congratulate me on my photography skills. You’re welcome Planet Earth. 

I saw Yellow Thornbills and Striated Thornbills, yes I know, I was lucky enough to spot both. They flew around quickly and I could never get a good shot. They were as hyper as a toddler drinking Coke or a Hindley Street partier on … let’s just say the birds were very hyperactive. Again, to some experienced birders (also known as “social outcasts”) these species might not seem that special, but to me it was an amazing site.

I saw Superb Fairy Wrens (obviously, it’s Deep Creek, they’re everywhere there) and plenty of Magpies. They magpies played and seemed very adapt to people being there. They walked up to me, only a half metre away as I made myself a sandwich. It reminded me of a puppy waiting for its meal or a Hindley Street visitor waiting for their 5th round. 

I saw a White Browed Scrubwren, Crescent Honeyeater, Grey Shrikethrush, Letter Winged Hovering Kite, Crimoson Rosellas and even a Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo on the drive home.

Long story short, Deep Creek provided me with the ultimate Birdwatching experience. If you’re new to birdwatching and looking for a new hobby (that’s a bird pun, which you’ll soon understand) then Deep Creek, South Australia is the perfect place to start.

Emu Wren

I never saw an Emu Wren that day. But, I’ll see it one day. Fingers crossed. I still saw a bunch of “lifers” (nerd term for seeing a bird you haven’t seen before) so I still consider the day a big win.

Emu Wrens, if you’re reading this, I’m coming for you…

Deep Creek Bird List

On my 6 hour Deep Creek walk I saw:

1. Magpie
2. Golden Whistler
3. Bassian Thrush
4. Yellow Thornbill
5. Striated Thornbill
6. Crimson Rosella
7. Superb Fairy Wren
8. Grey Currawong
9. Letter Winged Hovering Kite
10. Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo
11. White Browed Scrubwren
12. Crescent Honeyeater
13. Grey Shrikethrush
14. Little Raven