Sydney may be a bustling city by day, but after dark, the surrounding bushland comes to life with an astonishing array of nocturnal wildlife. Bordered by national parks, the city is uniquely placed to offer encounters with Australia’s secretive, after-hours fauna – much of which remains hidden to the daytime visitor.

There are a variety of habitats in and around Greater Sydney to explore, from sandstone escarpments and wet forest to heathland and creeks. Nocturnal birds include Powerful Owl, Australian Boobook, Masked Owl, Sooty Owl, Tawny Frogmouth and Australian Owlet-nightjar, however this is also an excellent time to seek out the mammals, reptiles and frogs that dominate Australia’s nocturnal ecosystem.

Depending on the season and recent conditions, we may search for reptiles such as Diamond Python, Eastern Bandy-bandy, Golden-crowned Snake, Thick-tailed Barking Gecko, Broad-tailed Gecko and even frogs like the highly endemic Red-crowned Toadlet and Giant Burrowing Frog.

Mammals may include Swamp Wallaby, Sugar Glider, Common Ringtail and Brushtail Possums, and – with luck – rarer species like Narrow-toed Feather-tailed Glider, Eastern Pygmy Possum, Short-beaked Echidna and Long-nosed Bandicoot.

Our route and locations will vary depending on the time of year, weather and target species, but we’ll make use of specialist equipment where appropriate, and take our time walking quietly through key spots as the bush comes alive.