October 14-20 is Bird Week and to celebrate Ewan Auld shares four uncommon species to look out for across three different habitats

Noisy Pitta (Pitta versicolor)

The Noisy Pitta is a rainforest-dwelling species found along eastern Australia and southern New Guinea. The Illawarra is close to the southern extent of their range, and although rare can be occasionally observed on Mount Keira and Mount Kembla. They are mainly found on the forest floor where they forage for insects and earthworms. Over spring, their loud hoarse double-noted whistle rings out through the forest and can be heard at some distance. This individual (pictured above) I photographed on the northeastern section of the Mount Keira ring track. Despite their dumpy appearance they are excellent flyers, and I was able to get a few quick photos in the dappled sunlight before it shot off in a flash of colour.

Australian logrunner (Orthonyx temminckii)

Another rainforest species we can see in the Illawarra is the Australian logrunner, which occurs from southern Queensland down to the Shoalhaven region. These birds can be quite the characters, fussily rummaging in the undergrowth for invertebrates, preferring areas with dense undergrowth. Their loud squeaking calls are quite distinct and are most often heard in the early morning. A pair can regularly be seen along the Mount Keira ring track, where I spotted this male hopping across the track.

Ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres)

The Ruddy turnstone is a small shorebird species found across coastal areas of most continents globally. They can be infrequently seen along rock platforms of the Illawarra from Spring through to early Autumn, mainly during their non-breeding season, where they will forage on crustaceans and molluscs. They can be difficult to spot on rock platforms due to their mottled plumage and small size and are quite sensitive to disturbance. I was lucky enough to find a rather confiding bird at Woonona point at sunrise, a good place to find them when the tide is right.

Beautiful firetail (Stagonopleura bella)

The Beautiful firetail is a small finch species inhabiting heath and shrubland areas of southern Australia. They like to feed on plant seeds and will usually not be seen far from a water source. They can be identified relatively easily by their call,
a single soft repeated whistle. In the Illawarra, the best spot to see them is the heathland surrounding Maddens Plains, although they can be quite cryptic and tough to find. A pair flushed up right next to me on a track running down to the creek line, where I got a brief glimpse of them through the shrubbery.

Want to join in the fun in October? Here are two easy tasks for birdwatchers: the Aussie Bird Count and the Birds in Backyards spring survey