Sydney's northern beaches are a paradise for birdwatchers, or twitchers, with an amazing variety of creatures that sing, warble, cackle and screech.
Chances are that along with maggies and kookas, nature lovers will encounter all kinds of less familiar birds.
Here are five great spots to go a-twitching:
Warriewood Wetlands: Autumn is a particularly good time of year, when the swamp mahogany trees are in flower. More than 80 species have been recorded, including many small birds including the fairy-wren, eastern spinebill, red-browed finch and spotted pardalote.
Bangalley Headland: This large coastal bushland reserve in North Avalon attracts honeyeaters, spinebills, finches and wrens that feed, breed and shelter among the coastal scrub and pockets of rainforest plants. You might even spot a kestrel soaring overhead.
Long Reef Bushland Reserve: A real stretch of the legs where migratory species including dotterels, sandpipers and double-banded plovers may be found. Ospreys sometimes do a fly in-fly out.
Manly Warringah War Memorial State Park (Manly Dam): This site brims with more than 80 species, including waterbirds and migratory species. It is also a refuge for wrens and thornbills, plus larger predatory birds such as powerful owls.
North Head: This refuge, bordered by dramatic cliffs, is home to 100-plus species including the New Holland honeyeater, rainbow lorikeet and little wattlebird.