Located 270km northwest of Sydney, on the edge of Mudgee town, the Putta Bucca Wetlands has been our most successful birding trip to date. In just four hours we managed to see 53 bird species, including some of our favourites such as the red-browed finch, plum-headed finch and rainbow bee-eater.
We also had several up close encounters with the beautiful mistletoe bird and Australian king parrot. Over 170 bird species have been recorded at this biodiversity hotspot which is also home to turtles, wallabies, frogs, snakes and (largely unwelcome) rabbits.
Mistletoe Bird 
Musk Lorikeet 
Rainbow Bee-Eater
The Putta Bucca Wetlands consists of a large lake, which is actually a disused old quarry filled with freshwater. Part of the site is also Mudgee’s former sewer treatment works. Adjacent to it, on the right, is a smaller lake. The Cudgegong River is on the left, and whilst it is a habitat for platypus, we did not see any during our trip (they are nocturnal, after all!). There are two bird hides, one which is well-signed and at the southern border of the large lake, and another which is on the western side of the lake.
Australian King Parrot (female) 
Australian King Parrot (male)
We completed two separate two-hour birding trips to the reserve over two days in early November. On the first day we arrived at 5.30pm (daylight saving time) and we were greeted with a plethora of plum-headed finches at the reeds in front of the western bird hide. The following morning we returned to find a further 13 species of birds that we hadn’t seen the day prior, although the plum-headed finches were nowhere to be seen!
The 2km walk around the Putta Bucca Wetlands is easy and the ground is level. Be sure to take insect repellent, especially if you are visiting around dusk or dawn. Most of the tracks are also in direct sunlight, so sun-safety should also be considered. You can park right at the entrance and parking is free.
Click here for a list of recently seen bird species at Putta Bucca Wetlands.
